The Minister of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports of Greece, Sofia Zacharaki, visits the Phanar

On Thursday, 27 March 2025, His All-Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, received the Minister of Education, Religious Affairs, and Sports of Greece, Ms. Sofia Zacharaki, during her first visit to the Ecumenical Patriarchate following her recent appointment.

The Ecumenical Patriarch congratulated Ms. Zacharaki on her new responsibilities, entrusted to her by Greek Prime Minister, Mr. Kyriakos Mitsotakis, and extended his warm wishes for a fruitful and successful tenure. In response, the Minister expressed her gratitude to the Ecumenical Patriarch, reaffirming her deep respect for the Ecumenical Patriarchate and her continued interest in the Greek diaspora of Constantinople.

Present during the meeting were His Excellency Ambassador Mr. Konstantinos Koutras, Consul General of Greece in Constantinople, and Dr. Georgios Kalantzis, Secretary General for Religious Affairs at the Ministry of Education, along with members of the Minister’s delegation. Representing the Patriarchate were His Eminence Elder Metropolitan Emmanuel of Chalcedon and Grand Ecclesiarch Aetios, Director of the Patriarch’s Private Office.

At midday, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew hosted an official luncheon in honour of Minister Zacharaki.

Photographs: Nikos Papachristou