Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras had a private meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on March 4. It is the first time that Samaras has visited the Ecumenical Patriarchate as Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister was welcomed at the entrance of the Patriarchate by Metropolitan Stefanos of Kallipolis and Madytos, Archimandrite Bartholomew Samaras, Chief Secretary of the Holy Synod and clerics of the Patriarchal Court.
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was expecting Antonis Samaras at his Patriarchal Office where they had a meeting attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs Dimitris Avramopoulos, Consul General of Greece in Istanbul, Ambassador Nicholas Matthioudakis, The Metropolitans Elder Constantine of Nicea, Emmanuel of France and the Chief Secretary, the Holy and Sacred Synod Archimandrite Bartholomew.
Bartholomew expressed his wish that Samaras will be able to cut “the Gordian knot” of Greece’s financial problems.
“The hard things are for the brave and the courageous, and Mr Samaras has both these characteristics” the Patriarch said after his meeting in Fener with the Greek Prime Minister. “He will cut the Gordian knot, this is my wish and my wholehearted prayer,” he added, explaining that he has known him for many years. “When he was Foreign Minister, I was the Bishop of Chalcedon and Patriarch Demetrios would send me to Athens to work on the issues of the Patriarchate” he said.
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