THESSALONIKI – Ethics, hospitality, love, understanding and acceptance: these principles and values, which govern the fabric of Greek society and are the basis of the relations between Greece and the United States, were mentioned by the US ambassador to Greece, George Tsunis, at an event held on Tuesday at the US Consulate General in Thessaloniki for July 4, Independence Day, at Anatolia College.

In his last appearance at a 4th of July celebration in Thessaloniki in his capacity as ambassador – as he is expected to return to the United States in about six months, Tsunis expressed his gratitude for the warmth, kindness and acceptance extended to him by the people in Thessaloniki and Greece more widely throughout his tenure. A tenure, which he described as “the greatest honour.”

On his part, the US consul general in Thessaloniki, Jerry Ismail, said: “We are here tonight to celebrate inclusion: in education, in the workplace, in leadership, in all aspects of our lives. And I can’t think of a better place to have such a discussion tonight than in Greece.”

“Every time there’s a new word or phrase, some people don’t know what to think. Others feel that it should be something different or special. No one is really right. At its core, inclusion is a simple proposition that we are all created equal and have the same basic needs, wants, values and goals. I have lived and served in seven countries around the world: inclusion is the right thing to do,” said the US consul general.