The economic and value crisis that we have experienced in the last decade has forced us to look for new moral norms, ways of thinking and acting. Then our newcomers and emigrants became a source of inexhaustible examples of progress, modesty and gratitude. The Argo Awards, which were first awarded in 2019 as a high-profile initiative by the Hellenic Network Brussels, are the culmination of this perception. On Wednesday, the Benaki Museum in Piraeus hosted the 4th awards ceremony, in the presence of the President of the Republic, Caterina Sakellaropoulou, where the individuals who made the greatest contribution to their theme were recognized.

“Our compatriots are luminous beacons, and the Argo awards are a search for Greece beyond its borders,” emphasized the head of the Network, Spyros A. Pappas, and Vassilis Skouris, who served as President of the Court of the European Union, Chairman of the Awards Committee, in turn, emphasized: “We have no problem finding candidates for our awards, but much more to end up with the winners.” The general secretary of Apodimos Hellenism, Yannis Chrysolakis, also delivered a welcoming speech.

PtD gave out 8 different awards and thanks to them we learned about two Thracians who met abroad and founded a renewable energy company, an amazing doctor who fights Alzheimer’s disease, a scientist on the front lines of the fight against COVID – 19 years old, a Greek businesswoman with a humanitarian project, a Thessalonian who transformed French wine, an aeronautical engineer who distinguished himself in medicine, and other unique cases that make us proud to say that they are our compatriots.

The sports award went to Maria Sakkari, who competed outside of Greece, and was presented to her mother Angelica Kanellopoulou. Humanitarian Award to Caterina Belefanti-Sofianu, Cairo-based entrepreneur with a passion for cutting-edge medical technology and philanthropy.

Oenologist Kyriakos Kinigopoulos received a gastronomic award. It is the catalyst for a qualitative revolution in Burgundy wines. The scientific award was presented to Konstantinos Liketsos, an expert in the care and treatment of patients with Alzheimer’s disease and related forms of dementia at Johns Hopkins University. Ercan Kara Osman and Ahmet Garoglu, the leaders of the Rodopi Group, were both born in the mountain villages of Thrace and succeeded abroad. The Innovation Award went to George Vikatos, an engineer who studied anatomy and medicine and became a major inventor with four international patents. Rodula Gaitanou, a world-class opera director, soprano who specializes in music, song and dance, received the Culture and Art Award. The Public Offering Award went to the multiple award-winning Menelaos Pangalos, President of Biopharmaceutical Research and Development at Astra Zeneca.