Greece and Australia both attach great value to the principles of dialogue and international legitimacy in their approach to international and regional issues, said Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou in her address at the luncheon hosted in honor of visiting Governor General of Australia David Hurley, at the Presidential Mansion on Tuesday, ANA reports.
Throughout history, Greece and Australia have proven that they are advocates of peace and friendship between nations, she said, recalling a few such historical moments: allied efforts in the campaign of Gallipoli in 1915, the battle of Crete in 1941, and later the participation of Greeks and Australians in peacekeeping forces in Korea and Afghanistan.
The last time an Australian governor-general came to Greece was in 2000 when Sir William Deane was received by then Greek President Kostis Stefanopoulos, on the eve of the Sydney Olympic Games, noted Sakellaropoulou, who had extended the invitation to Hurley.
The Greek-Australian community has come a long way since the first recorded Greeks arrived in Australia in 1829, Hurley pointed out, as today Australia is home to almost 500,000 people of Greek descent, with some 60,000 Australians descending from the island of Kastelorizo.
Over the past two years, Australian companies have invested more than 3.6 billion euros in Greece’s energy sector and have an ambitious program for further investment, while Australia has welcomed significant investment from Greek companies in several solar projects in Australia, the Australian official noted.
Australia and Greece are negotiating an agreement that will prevent double taxation, an action that will offer more opportunities for trade and investments between the two countries.
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