GOOD NEWS - Gov't Wants SAE To Operate On New Foundation

Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Akis Gerontopoulos believes that there is a need to modernize and restructure the World Council of Hellenes Abroad (SAE) so that it complies to contemporary and new standards. This is very good news for the Greek Diaspora since SAE has done little to endorse and promote the issues that affect the Diaspora, and we all know that it has been totally inactive in promoting and endorsing Greek national issues.

While addressing a meeting of the organization committee responsible for the processing of a draft bill on the Council -which was held at the Foreign Ministry last week-, he said that "SAE must operate again on new foundation."

The meeting was crucial for the processing and the completion of a relevant draft bill, since the procedure has been stalled for nearly six months now because the committee lacked a new chairman.

Gerontopoulos said he was open to suggestions from all parties for changes in the text of the draft bill.

The submitted proposals are to be evaluated and processed by the organisation committee, while a second meeting in June will give the opportunity for the draft bill to be concluded and then it will be sent to Parliament to be tabled.

The meeting was chaired by Savvas Anastasiadis (head of the parliamentary committee on Greeks Abroad) as well as members of the parliament's committee, the board of SAE, the general secretariat of Greeks Abroad and all other relevant parties.