The radio show “Our Global Voice” on Voice of Greece, hosted by Petros Diplas and Dimitris Kontogiannis, featured a discussion among Greek elected officials from Greece and the diaspora. Participants included:
- Filippos Fortomas, Member of Parliament for the Cyclades with New Democracy and President of the Special Permanent Committee of the Hellenic Parliament for Greeks Abroad.
- Nikos Papadopoulos, former Member of the Swedish Parliament and founding President of the World Hellenic Inter-Parliamentary Association (WHIPA).
- Dimitris Giannaros, former State Representative in Connecticut, USA, and subsequent President of WHIPA.
Mr. Fortomas, who assumed the presidency of the Special Permanent Committee a year ago, spoke about the close cooperation with WHIPA’s Board of Directors. He highlighted efforts to promote Greek interests on national issues and enhance the presence of Greek culture and language. He stressed the importance of frequent exchanges of views on matters of common interest and the need to connect Greek-origin elected officials worldwide, despite challenges in regions like Russia and Ukraine, where war complicates such initiatives.
Mr. Papadopoulos recounted the inception of WHIPA in the 1990s, inspired by a similar Italian initiative. He detailed his efforts to establish the association, including consultations with then-Foreign Minister George Papandreou and Speaker of the Parliament Nikitas Kaklamanis. Papadopoulos emphasized the importance of identifying more Greek-origin elected officials globally, noting that WHIPA’s membership once exceeded 200.
Mr. Giannaros discussed the association’s progress during his presidency and proposed a systematic effort through Greek consulates worldwide to locate elected officials of Greek descent. He reflected on past successes and stressed the potential of rekindling WHIPA’s influence.
This engaging conversation highlighted the enduring significance of WHIPA and the collective efforts of Greek representatives to strengthen ties within the diaspora and amplify Greece’s global voice.