A meeting between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the Archbishop of America, His Beatitude Elpidophoros, was re-scheduled for early Friday afternoon, local time, in New York City, and at the offices of the United Nations.
Official Athens, among others, had expressed its displeasure this week after Archbishop Elpidophoros attended an event on Monday where Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan inaugurated the so-called Turkish Center in Manhattan. Sharp criticism arose over the fact that the event was also attended by the leader of a pseudo-state created and propped in the Turkish-occupied areas of Cyprus by Turkey, the occupying power.
Nevertheless, a Greek government spokesman on Friday morning said the matter is now considered as closed, following a late-night statement issued by the archbishop hours earlier.
According to spokesman Yiannis Economou, “…The Archbishop himself made a clarifying statement that was completely explanatory … Being at the same event as the head of an unrecognized state could be avoided. The issue for the Greek government is absolutely over after the explanations given.”
On Thursday evening, His Eminence took to Twitter to post the following “…I sincerely regret the pain I inadvertently caused to my Cypriot and Greek American brothers, especially to my favorite flock…I pray that a just and sustainable solution is found in the martyrdom of Cyprus, as the Cypriot people expect it, based on international law and the protection of human rights, as per the UN resolutions, and I work for this purpose…The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America stands for a century next to Hellenism everywhere, defending its expectations. Our unity is my ministry and my obligation.”