“We are celebrating the anniversary of the glorious revolution of 1821, always having the values ​​of our ancestors as a compass,” emphasizes the President of the Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulouin his message to the Greek diaspora on the occasion of the national holiday of March 25.

As the PTD reports, “the spiritual loftiness with which they fought” for Faith and Motherland, “the self-sacrifice and selflessness with which they defended the ideal of freedom and independence, have always been a worthy guide on their national path.”

At the same time, he points out that “the connection of the Greeks of the diaspora with their place of origin was never broken, the forces of Hellenism everywhere never ceased to support the newly formed Greek state in the form of either benefiting the nation, or helping to advance Greek and international law.”

Finally, he notes that “our country will continue to resolutely face the challenges in a changing global environment and defend its national sovereignty and independence, guided by law and striving for peaceful coexistence and prosperity.”

The following is the message of Mrs. Sakellaropoulou to Diaspora Hellenism:

“My dear countrymen,

Greek women and men abroad,

I am addressing you today, our brother émigrés, under the heavy shadow of the recent railway tragedy that unjustly claimed the lives of so many of our fellow citizens – mostly young people full of dreams and creativity – who immersed their loved ones in mourning and shocking Greek society.

We celebrate the anniversary of the glorious revolution of 1821, always having the values ​​of our ancestors as a compass. The spiritual loftiness with which they fought “for the Faith and the Fatherland”, the self-sacrifice and dedication with which they defended the ideal of freedom and independence, have always been a worthy conductor of their national course.

However, the idea of ​​the Revolution was not born within the narrow confines of what was then Turkish-occupied Greece. Greek communities in Odessa, Pisa, Livorno, Vienna, Paris, Bucharest, Iasi, Trieste, Venice and other places cultivated the ideas of the Enlightenment, stood at the origins of the spiritual awakening of the nation, ideologically and practically prepared the revolution. Rigas Feraios, Xanthos, Skoufas, Tsakalov, Ypsilantis, Kapodistrias spread the flame of their vision to all Greeks, slaves and non-slaves. They intensified the struggle in every possible way, influenced the politics of the countries where they lived in favor of Greece, changed the social climate in favor of our struggling people, and most of all contributed to the flowering of philhellenicism. And in the diaspora there were a large number of Greeks who fought and gave their lives for our independence, fighting alongside their brothers.

The connection of the Greeks of the Diaspora with their place of origin was never broken, the forces of Hellenism everywhere never ceased to support the newly formed Greek state, either in the form of an offering to the nation, or in the form of assistance in the advancement of the Greek and international righteousness. Our country will continue to resolutely face the challenges in the changing global environment and defend its national sovereignty and independence, guided by justice and the goal of peaceful coexistence and prosperity.

My dear countrymen,

Working in a foreign land, gaining recognition and authority in the field of science, art and business, you act as ambassadors of our homeland, spreading the Greek language and culture. On the occasion of our national anniversary and the Feast of the Annunciation, I wish you all health and progress all over the world.

Happy birthday!”.