Greek President Appeals for Unity

Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos on Friday underlined the need for national consensus on the major issues, ahead of a major rally planned for Athens on the ‘Macedonia‘ name dispute.
Speaking in the coastal city of Kalamata on Friday, the president said: “In every democracy it is legitimate to have differences but there cannot be differences on the great and important things, those that matter for the progress of our people and our nation.”
“Before this unity we are all accountable and will answer to history,” Pavlopoulos noted, “especially given that Greece, at this time, is not fighting only for its people, not just to exit the crisis but also for the defence of its national rights and national legacy.”
According to the president, Greece was obliged to strive for unity because it also had another, bigger role to play.
In comparison with everything happening in the surrounding area, especially in the Middle East, Greece was “the outpost for stability and democracy in the west, for the defence of peace and the great ideals of democracy and humanity,” Pavlopoulos added.
The president was in Kalamata to attend celebrations for the city’s patron saint, the Virgin Mary Ypapantis (Mary presenting Jesus Christ to the Temple).
(Source: AMNA)