A part of the essence of Greece is within us all, Prince Charles of Wales, the heir to the British throne, said during his address at the state dinner hosted by President Katerina Sakellaropoulou on Wednesday evening at the presidential mansion in central Athens.
Addressing Greek and foreign state leaders and dignitaries, the heir apparent to the British throne added that Greece's spirit permeates societies and democracies, being the source of western civilization. Without Greece, he pointed out, modern laws, the arts, and culture at large would not have prospered.
Referring to his special bonds with Greece and its people, Prince Charles said it is the home country of his grandfather Prince Andrew of Greece and Denmark and the birth place of his father, Prince Phillip. Charles' "beloved grandmother", as he said, Princess Alice of Battenberg, helped rescue a family of Greek Jews during the Nazi occupation of Athens, the Prince of Wales recalled, which earned her a Righteous Among the Nations recognition by the state of Israel.
Greece's 1821 triumph is not credited to a single heroic figure, he underlined, but to the extraordinary courage and vigor of all its people. The British, he noted, did not perceive the liberation struggle of a foreign peoples, but as the pursuit of a common struggle, as noted through Byron's and Percy Bysshe Shelley's poetry.
Prince Charles also expressed his great admiration for what he called the strength of Greek people, and said he was particularly moved by the resilience of young people in Greece, both during the economic crisis and the pandemic. He said he was pleased to be have been able to help them through the Prince's Trust International to find jobs or start their own businesses.
The 1821 Greek struggle, he said, could serve as a source of inspiration, as societies and economies are currently tied in a process of reconstruction, and Greece can count on its British friends now as much as it did back in 1821.
Greece and Russia helped each others at critical times, Russian Federation Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said during the same state dinner, noting his country's contribution to the Greek people's struggle for independence.
"Russian Navy officers were part of the international peace mission to Crete. Russian soldiers and officers fought on the Macedonian Front during World War I. In World War II, they fought next to Greek rebels against the invading Nazis," he noted.
Mishustin also referred to a long history of ties between the two nations, and to common history, cultural and spiritual values, and a mutual regard. The two peoples will have an opportunity to learn more of each other through the current Greece-Russia Year, he added.
The friendship and mutual understanding between the two countries provide a stable foundation for collaboration in several sectors, he said, from transportation and energy to agricultural businesses and high technology, and he also mentioned the great affection Russians have for Greek holiday spots.
He said that the coronavirus pandemic has brought changes to the joint agenda of the two countries, which should promote collaboration and projects that benefit their peoples. They must also build constructive dialog between Russia and the European Union, based on equality and mutual respect of interests. "We have every opportunity to take action," he said.
French Defense Minister Florence Parly, speaking on behalf of President Emmanuel Macron, thanked Sakellaropoulou for the warm welcome, in a brief address.
Parly arrived in Athens to attend events for the bicentennial of the Greek Revolution (1821), and to represent France at a military parade on Thursday.
Speaking in the presidential mansion, Parly quoted late former French President Francois Mitterrand, and she said that "all our reference point are here, in this land, in this light and in these colors".
People in France and across the world feel great enthusiasm when they think of Greece's great struggle for freedom, she noted, and for standing up to oppression and spoke of "a great love uniting the two peoples for 200 years."
Being a Philhellene means being a friend of freedom, of justice and of solidarity, she concluded.
Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades expressed his appreciation and joy over celebrating the bicentennial of the Greek Revolution together with Greek people, during his address.
"Through this heroic revolution, the notion of freedom managed to eliminate any differences, and to unite a small number of Greeks who were at the end victorious against the large Ottoman Empire," he underlined.
Anastasiades, who is accompanied by his wife Andri, will attend the military parade on Thursday morning at Syntagma Square.
(ANA-MPA)
