Ambassador Of Greece To The U.S. George Savvaides Visits Hellenic House

WASHINGTON, DC -- On Tuesday, December 10, 2002, Greece's Ambassador to the U.S. George Savvaides visited Hellenic House for a meeting and luncheon with American Hellenic Institute (AHI) leadership and staff. The Ambassador was accompanied by Adamadia Klotsa, Consul at the Embassy of Greece in Washington, D.C. Meeting participants discussed items of mutual interest and concern, with a special focus on the issue of Cyprus which has gained significant prominence as the European Union's (EU) enlargement summit began in Copenhagen today. The EU is set to accept ten new member countries to its ranks, at the head of which is Cyprus, the first candidate to officially complete accession negotiations on Monday.

Attendees included: AHI Chairman James Marketos; AHIPAC Legal Counsel Nick Karambelas; AHI members Stephen G. Yeonas and George Christacos; AHI Executive Director Nick Larigakis and AHI founder Gene Rossides.

Ambassador Savvaides assumed his post as Greece's ambassador to the U.S. on June 25, 2002, coming from two years of service as the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2000-2002). He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1972, and was first posted abroad in 1976, serving as Consul in Boston. After working in the Foreign Ministry's Department on Bilateral Relations with countries of the Middle East and Africa (1979-1981), he was appointed Consul General in Skopje (1981-1983). Ambassador Savvaides served as political advisor (1983-87) and defense advisor (1987-1991) at Greece's Permanent Delegation to NATO in Brussels and Director of the Foreign Ministry's departments of Turkey and Cyprus (1991-1996). From 1996-2000, he was the Ambassador of Greece to NATO. A highly-decorated official, Ambassador Savvaides has received awards from numerous countries, including: the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit, Republic of Cyprus (1993); the Order of the "Madara Horseman" I Class, Republic of Bulgaria (2000); the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit, Republic of Italy (2001); the Grand Cross of the Order of Phoenix, Hellenic Republic (2001); the Grand Cross of King Leopold II, Kingdom of Belgium (2001); and was named Grand Commander of the Order of the Cedar by the Republic of Lebanon (2001). Ambassador Savvaides studied law and economics at the Athens University and earned a Master of Laws (LLM) Degree from Harvard University's Law School.

For additional information, please contact Chrysoula Economopoulos at (202) 785-8430 or at info@ahiworld.org. For general information on AHI, see our Web site at www.ahiworld.org.

(l-r) Gene Rossides, Stephen G. Yeonas, George Christacos,
Ambassador George Savvaides, Adamadia Klotsa,
James Marketos, Nick Larigakis, Nick Karambelas.