Greek Ambassador to Egypt: I was brought up in Port Said, our relationship with Egypt is a role model

CAIRO – 10 December 2020: The Supreme Council of Culture held the seventh symposium of the evening series of the initiative: (Cultural Relations), which is organized by the External Cultural Relations Sector, to celebrate the state of Greece, with the participation of Ambassador Nikolaos Garilides, Ambassador of Greece in Cairo, and Ambassador Mohamed Farid Munib, the former Egyptian Assistant Foreign Minister and former Egyptian Ambassador to Athens.

Head of the Supreme Council of Culture Hisham Azmy pointed out the importance of this evening, which represents the seventh in the series of evenings of the Cultural Relations Initiative.

“This hall witnessed six rich seminars held during the past weeks, starting with the celebration of Mexico, followed by the celebration of China, then the celebration of Colombia, the celebration of Spain, then the celebration of Russia, and finally Indonesia two weeks ago. I think that each of those seminars shed light on one or more aspects of the cultural relations between Egypt and these countries, which may not have been known to some, or that it highlighted its details, importance and impact on the relations between the two countries at the very least. Perhaps one of the most important things revealed by these seminars is the role that culture and arts played in supporting relations between Egypt and these countries. Indeed, cultural relations and cultural cooperation protocols may have historically preceded the establishment of diplomatic relations in some cases,” said Azmy.

Furthermore, Azmy pointed out that the Egyptian-Greek relations are a model to be emulated in terms of their historical depth and originality. He stressed that the Greek community formed a cornerstone and a major component on the cultural and social aspects of the Egyptian society in particular.

Part of the cultural evening - ET

He also referred to the importance of what was reflected in the visit to Greece last month by His Excellency President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. He was received by President of Greece Katerina Sakellaropoulou, which was the third visit in the last five years. This indicates the distinction of relations at various levels between the two sides.

In addition, the value of the initiative: (cultural relations) goes beyond the limits of being a cultural activity or event whose impact is limited to its attendance and viewers. However, the most important and paramount goal of it is to work to develop cultural relations between Egypt and friendly countries and to elevate them to wider heights in order to strengthen relations and bonds of cooperation between them.

The Greek ambassador, Nicholas Garilides, said that his family lived in Egypt for more than a hundred years. He also explained that he was born in the valiant governorate of Port Said and studied in the Egyptian capital. He stayed there for a long period of his life, and emphasized the depth of Greek-Egyptian cultural relations, and that his country hopes to continue the creative movement with Egypt in various artistic and cultural fields.

The Greek ambassador, Nicholas Garilides, referred to the importance of cultural and human relations, which are a pillar of friendship between the two countries, praising the prominent cultural role that Egypt has provided towards supporting the means of peace between the peoples of the Mediterranean, stressing the strength of political, economic and cultural relations between Egypt and Greece in the ancient and modern eras.