Dendias: digital platform for Diaspora to be ready in 18 months

File image of Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias who was the guest speaker of THI Australia’s Digital Conversation Series on Thursday evening. He spoke on the theme: Greek Diaspora and Foreign Policy. Photo: AAP/REUTERS/Alexandros Avramidis

Greece’s Foreign Affairs Minister Nikos Dendias said on Thursday that over the next 18 months his ministry would implement the digital tools that would enable members of the Greek Diaspora to communicate with government services regarding matters such as military service, property and other issues.

The minister, who was the guest speaker for The Hellenic Initiative (THI) Australia’s Digital Conversation on Thursday evening spoke on the theme Greek Diaspora and Foreign Policy and said that Greece had adopted a “special digital regime” which was one of the most advanced in Europe which would not only improve access to government services but would also attract foreign investment into the country, encourage Greeks who left after the financial crisis to return and draw “digital nomads” to Greece. He added, however, that bureaucracy was a “strange beast… we have to fight every day and is very resistant to transformation”.

He said that a platform for digital teaching would also help to make it easier to teach Greek and the Secretariat was doing much to promote Greek language teaching.

The minister, who was flanked by Deputy Foreign Minister for Greeks Abroad Andreas Katsaniotis and the Secretary General for Greeks Abroad and Public Diplomacy, John Chrysoulakis; said that the Diaspora was important to Greece and having the vote meant that members of the Diaspora had a voice in Greece. He added that Greece was trying to rehabilitate the Council of Greek Diaspora as a platform for the Diaspora to express its views but added that it was not easy as the Diaspora was spread around the world.

The minister said that with investments worth over $1 billion a year, Australia was one Greece’s largest investor. He said the two countries shared common democratic principles, adhered to international principles and shared a common history.

The minister stressed that members of the diaspora were more effective in promoting Greece to the world than his ambassadors.

“Greece is an entry point to the European Union (EU) and the Balkans. The Diaspora know the mentality, the language and have a chance to invest in Greece’s success.”

He said it had a role to play in projecting a positive image of Greece and the first step was to modernize Greece and to present a modern image of the country. In recent years, the country had shown that it was undergoing transformation, gaining much recognition for the way it had successfully handled the COVID crisis and its management of its debt burden.

“Greece is the EU’s bridge to the Arab world and to Africa. (…) We can be a bridge in the Indo-Pacific,” the minister said adding that Australia had an enhanced role in the region.

“The Diaspora can make whole difference by advocating for Greece’s position,” Mr Dendias said noting that in its dealings with China, Australia used the same terms as Greece did over Turkey where both countries upheld international law and it was important to show that Greece’s position was the same as Australia’s when it came to sea navigation rights under international law.

In reference to the growing tensions with Turkey, Mr Dendias said that his government could not “figure out Turkey taking the position it is”.

If Turkey wanted to join the EU, Mr Dendias explained, it ought to hold close to the values of the EU and not just view the EU as a common economic market.

“Turkey is diverging and moving away from being a modern state. It is going through a neo-Ottoman approach and revisionism. (…)It is advocating the threat of war should Greece extend its territorial waters (under international law).”

He said the countless provocations of recent weeks did not work in Turkey’s favour and it was in its interests to foster friendship with Greece if it wanted to be considered as a candidate to join the EU.