Reception at the White House for the 192nd Anniversary of the Greek Independence (4/18/2013)

On Thursday, April 18, 2013, US President Barack Obama hosted a reception at the White House for the 192nd Anniversary of the Greek Independence.
The event was honored by the presence of Vice President Biden, His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America, senior government officials, Senators, MPs and prominent leaders of the Greek Diaspora, while Greece was represented by Ambassador Panagopoulos.

The U.S. President referred to the importance of Greece as the birthplace of Democracy and as the cradle of the modern Western civilization, while also stressing the contribution of Greek civilization to setting the foundations of the USA, in particular.

In addition, the U.S. President highlighted that the two countries stand side by side in a path of common values and principles.
Vice President Biden mainly focused on the contribution of the Greek-American community to both the building and to the progress of the US.  Greeks are the personification of the proverb “a society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they will never sit in”, he said.

Finally, His Eminence Archbishop Demetrios of America commemorated the struggle of the Greeks to ensure freedom and to defend peace and justice.