During the meeting – which was also attended by representatives of the Bodies and Associations of the Italian Economic System in Greece and the Experts of the other Administrations in service at the Embassy – the new functions assigned to the Honorary Consular Network in the country were presented: 1) the collection of biometric fingerprints necessary for the issuance of passports, through six new technologically advanced stations provided by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, distributed throughout the local area of Greece. This innovation will make life easier for Italian nationals in Greece, who will therefore be able to apply to the Honorary Consulates to have their passports issued by the Embassy, without having to travel to Athens; 2) the possibility, for Italian pensioners in Greece, to have the certificates of existence necessary for the collection of pensions paid by INPS (Italian National Social Security Institute) authenticated at the Honorary Consulates; 3) the issue of special powers of attorney for Italian citizens; 4) the authentication of administrative signatures, also for foreign citizens.
The coordination meeting was also an opportunity for all-round training and refresher courses for honorary consuls, with a special focus on consular assistance: on the eve of the new tourist season – during which around 1.5 million Italian tourists are expected to arrive – Ambassador Falcinelli therefore renewed her invitation to the honorary network to maintain a high level of attention.
Finally, the meeting offered the opportunity to give a new impulse to the coordination of the strategy for the promotion of Italian culture and language in Greece, also through the circulation of cultural initiatives and active cooperation between the holders of honorary consular offices and all the Italian bodies present in Greece.
