Mr. George Aerakis, who is the new president of the International Council of Cretans, will be the coordinator of the Council. Mr. George Aerakis is, in fact the second president since the creation of the Council – during the first Council in 2005, Mr. Stavros Semanteres was elected as president. Mr. George Aerakis’ aim is the promotion of the Cretan products abroad, the familiarization of European Programs, the recording of the problems of Crete so as to come up with solutions as well as getting to know Greeks from abroad. Mr. Aerakis along with the new Council has already made contacts with Mr. Tsokas, the Regional Officer of Crete, the presidents of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Export Union of Crete, the Prefect of Herakleion and other important people of the island. More particularly, during the formal visit that Mr. Aerakis along with the members of the International Council of Cretans realized with the Prefect of Herakleion, Mrs.Schinaraki- Heliadi, it was stressed that the co-operation and collaboration of the Cretans all over the world through the coordination of the council, is of utmost importance. Additionally, the target of the Prefectural Authority for the promotion of the local tradition, traditional products, Cretan Diet as a model of a healthy way of living, as well as the touristic promotion of the island, was underlined. Mrs.Schinaraki – Heliadi pointed out that’’ the Cretans who live abroad constitute the best multipliers of the principles of Crete to the countries they live in. They are active citizens who produce civilization and project their country in the best way. Shortly, the members of the Board of Directors of the International Council of Cretans will realize meetings with Greeks who live abroad and are involved either in politics or not. President Mr. Aerakis will participate from now on to the proceedings of the Council of the Greeks Abroad (ΣΑΕ).
The common goal is for ’the voice of Crete’ to be in every part of the world through the project of Cretan Civilization and the relative advantages of the island. There was, also, a special reference to the fact that Crete is highlighted as a unified tourist destination which has already started to materialize through the good cooperation of the four prefects. It must be noted here that the International Council of Cretans (www.pask.edc.uoc.gr ) is the supreme council of the Cretans Abroad and it consists of four federations. The Pan-Hellenic Federation of Cretan Unions (www.poks.gr), the Pan-Cretan Union of America (www.pancretan.org), the Pan-Cretan Federation of Europe (www.pankritiki.eu) and the Cretan Federation of Australia and New Zealand (www.cretan.com.au) as well as hundreds of primary unions.
Curriculum vitae
Mr. George Aerakis was born in Anogeia and he is the third child of Lefteris Aerakis and Fereniki Manoura. Until he was 12, he lived in Anogeia but then his family, as many others of that time, moved initially to Herakleion and later to Athens. When Greece became a member of the European Union in 1981, he succeeded in a competition which was organized by the European Parliament and next year he was employed to work in Luxembourg, where he works till today. He has studied Modern European History at the University of Mets – Nancy in France. He speaks French, English, Italian and Spanish. In 1993 Mr. George Aerakis and other people who loved Crete, created the Luxembourg Cretans Association through which there was a chance to promote Greece and Crete. He is a member of the Pan-Cretan Federation of Europe (in the board of directors), responsible of the Department of Culture and a member of the International Association of Nikos Kazantzakis’ Friends (in the board of directors), Luxembourg branch. He is married to Rena Kouvidi, a teacher of Physics at the University of Athens and translator at the European Committee. She comes from Seisarha in Rethymnon. They have three children. Jason who studies Architecture at the University of Thessaloniki, Hector, who studies Law at the same University and Apollo, who is a pupil at Junior High School.