Antonis Samaras on Friday paid a visit to the Petrakis Monastery, the seat of the Holy Synod in Athens, carrying out the first visit to the monastery by a prime minister.

Earlier, the Prime Minister had announced at a Holy Synod conference that the Church of Greece will be participating in a major European food aid programme.

During his visit, which was not announced to the media and was made public by a Holy Synod announcement, Samaras apparently thanked the Church for its welfare and charitable work.