This year’s Annual General Meeting of SAE Oceania and Far East was concluded by teleconference in spirit of community consensus among the significant participation of representatives of Organised Diaspora of Oceania, from historic Communities, localities’ Federations, Unions, Associations, Organisations and Institutions, all members of SAE Oceania and Far East.
At the headquarters of the General Meeting in Sydney, Coordinator George Angelopoulos (NSW) flanked by members of the Coordinating Council Michalis Christodoulou – Treasurer and President of the Federation of Cypriot Communities and Organisations Australia and NZ and Yannis Theodoridis (Member CR) from Panagia Sumela Union NSW and … online byGiannis Bellas, Deputy Coordinator (QLD) Secretary Dimitris Kanellakos of Palakoniki Brotherhood of Melbourne “Leonidas» (Vic), Helen Kalymnios – Panipirotiki Federation of Australia (VIC), Panagiotis Doukas (OTEA), and Prof. Andreas Evdokiou Cypriot Community (SA) and with an online presence also of M/S Alexandra Koustoubardis from the Accounting Company Rothsay Acc. Services.
The Annual General Meeting attended as guests former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs in authority for Hellenism Abroad Grigoris Niotis (Greece), elected Secretary of World SAE Dr. Olga Sarantopoulos (London) , The President and Secretary of the World Interparliamentary Greek Union (ΠαΔΕΕ) from WA Panagiotis Katsabanis MP (Perth), former VIC Minister John Pantazopoulos, the Publisher of Panhellenic Post, Christos Malaspinas (Greece), former SAE Legal Counsel Dimitris Papadopoulos (Greece), Professor Vrasidas Karalis Head of the Chair of Modern Greek and Byzantine Studies at the University of Sydney, Dr. Michalis Michael Honorary Senior Researcher at Monash and Latrobe Universities in Melbourne and Director of the Dialogue Centre.
The Coordinator George Angelopoulos welcomed all the participants in the Assembly and especially the guests and referred in detail to the delegates and their organisations for their participation and opened the Annual General Meeting following the defined agenda.
The General Meeting unanimously accepted to carry out the General Meeting online via teleconference.
The minutes of the previous year were read and approved unanimously, as well as the financial statements for the year 1/1/1 9 to 31/12/19 presented by John Theodoridis and the reportof the Coordinating Council referring to Activities and Recommendations / Proposals for the course of SAE was presented by Coordinator George Angelopoulos and the appointment of its Certified Public Accountant (Rothsay Acc. Srevices) for the current financial year was also approved unanimously.
Coordinator George Angelopoulos’ report
The Coordinator briefly mentioned:
-The course of SAE Oceania after the inactivation of law 3480/16, SAE Oceania operations, the scope of cooperation with Greece and the questioning of the institutional role of SAE by Organizations and Bodies.
– The proposals and recommendations of the Coordinating Council for activation of Youth in the Region of Oceania and development of immediate activities in cooperation with local Greek Community and other Diaspora organisations in Western Australia.
– The Organisations operating under its assistance, the Panhellenic Oceania Games and the Hellenic Emergency Relief Fund (OTEA) whichrecently contributed substantially in collaboration with 15 diaspora organisations in NSW for the relief of fire victims in NSW with the amount of $70,000 and the continuation of the efforts with the cooperation of Evia’s Greek Abroad associations to help the Flood Victims from the recent catastrophic and deadly floods.
– The Syriza bill, before the last National elections, for reconstruction of SAE and the actions and submissions of SAE Oceania for its variation.
– The submissions and the relevant actions of SAE Oceania for the Voting of Hellenes Abroad but also in the great disappointment for the passing of that law, a “residue” solution and “consensual” exclusion of the vast majority of the Hellenes Abroad.
– The actions and initiatives in cooperation with diaspora organisations beyond Oceania for Hagia Sophia and the Turkish Aggression.
– The submissions of the Coordinating Council were presented in consultation for the Draft Law “Organisation and Operation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs” and especially on issues related to the merger of the GGAE with Public Diplomacy and the deactivation of the Council of Hellenes Abroad – SAE article 253.
All experienced guests from Greece, PADEE (ΠαΔΕΕ) members and mainly all participating representatives of organisations / members of SAE Oceania, contributed their ideas on Coordinating Council’s submissions, in the spirit of understanding and joint effort to express in total for the interest of the Greek Diaspora.
The proposals of the Coordinating Council, after suggestions and the relevant amendments, were approved unanimously by the General Meeting and will be forwarded to the competent Greek Services for participation in the consultation.
Then the General Meeting unanimous adopted the resolutions referred briefly below:
– We welcome the recent agreements with Italy and Egypt on the demarcation of maritime zones and the EEZ and express our full support and solidarity to Greece and the Greek people.
– The Hellenic Diaspora expresses its disappointment and concerns for the escalation of tension in the Aegean and the East Mediterranean as a result of provocative behaviour and threat by Turkey and request that Greece follows, if the right conditions exist, the legal route for resolution of our only dispute with Turkey for the delimitation of the continental shelf in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) Hague.
– To exert pressure from Greece internationally and the Diaspora for the recognition of the Pontian genocide and the re-establishment of the Halki Theological School.
– German reparation: If legally and economically active, the Greek claims should immediately be lodged at the ICJ for the occupation “loan” and seek repatriation of stolen items of cultural heritage.
– The Greek government to start negotiations with Australia as soon as possible to reach mutual agreements appropriate to the interests of those involved in healthcare issues and double taxation (More than 100,000 Greek- Australian citizens live in Greece).
*****
The suggestions of all the delegates, the guests as well as the resolutions will soon be posted on SAE Oceania website in full.
*****
After a marathon constructive, 4 hours Meeting the AGM was successfully completed with the sincere thanks of the Presiding member to the participants.
The Coordinating Council
SAE Oceania and Far East
Sydney 30.8.20 20
