Tsipra warmly received at Agios Dimitrios in Astoria

In its current handling of the refugee and migrant crisis, Tsipras noted, Greece was showing the humane face of Europe.
Addressing the children, he said they are the followers of an old tradition where every Greek family has one desire, for its children to study and become better than their parents. Tsipras thanked the children and their teachers for the warm welcome and said he was moved to see the young generation maintain their origins.
"I also want to say that it is very touching to see that second, third and fourth generation Greeks keep Greece deep inside their soul, care for it perhaps even more than we who stay in Greece do," he added.
The prime minister's speech was briefly interrupted when one of the children in the school choir fainted and had to be given first aid. The young girl came to and got up to extended applause, with the prime minister reassuring her that "these things happen" and wishing her a speedy recovery.

There will be a video presentation of the visit on New Greek TV on Friday.