Dendias addresses event marking 50 years of Greek-Chinese diplomatic relations

Greece-China relations are “based on solid foundations and are governed by an expanding institutional framework,” Foreign Affairs Minister Nikos Dendias said on Wednesday, addressing an event in China that marked the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The anniversary, which fell on June 5, was “an important milestone” after diplomatic relations were established in 1972, the minister said in a videotaped message.

Over the years, Greece and the People’s Republic of China signed more than 100 agreements, of which the most important, Dendias said, is the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

This Sino-Greek dialogue “continues at the highest level,” he added, before recalling the Athens visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2019. In addition, “It was a genuine pleasure to host State Councilor Wang Yi in October 2021 in Athens and meeting him in Cambodia last August, and I look forward to my visit to Beijing,” added the minister.

In the face of many challenges faced by both countries, Greece “has always been a proponent of closer cooperation between Europe and China and looks to China’s prominent global role as a permanent member of the UN Security Council,” he pointed out. He also noted that Greece appreciated China’s respect of international law and the UN Charter, particularly in terms of a just and viable solution to the Cyprus issue.

The foreign minister further added that investment and trade are the two sectors developed the most during the two countries’ partnership since 1972, and mentioned the Chinese investment by COSCO at the port of Piraeus, which “became the shining example of our economic cooperation.” Greece now ranks firmly in the top-10 investment destinations in Europe, he highlighted.

In 2022 Greece and China also celebrate the Year of Culture and Tourism, as both sectors are ones in which the two countries have been good partners, he noted. Moreover, the Ancient Civilizations Forum “provides a valuable framework to work together, for the protection of cultural heritage worldwide, and the fight against illicit trafficking of cultural property.” [AMNA]