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INTERVIEW WITH<br />
H.E. ELEFTHERIA GALATHIANAKI<br />
AMBASSADOR OF THE REPUBLIC<br />
OF GREECE<br />
2018 is the European Year of Cultural Heritage<br />
which invites us to celebrate our cultural diversity<br />
and, at the same time, to encourage our peoples<br />
to discover and engage with Europe’s cultural<br />
heritage, in order to reinforce a sense of belonging<br />
to a common European space.<br />
As ambassador of Greece, what are the main<br />
focus points for you today in Brussels? Bilateral<br />
agreements, Economic diplomacy, cultural<br />
diplomacy, education. Depending on the focus<br />
points, could you highlight these with specific<br />
cases.<br />
I strongly believe that the Greek culture, no matter where<br />
it comes from, belongs to all humanity. It enriches us in a<br />
unique way, thanks to its anthropocentric approach, which<br />
was absolutely novelty back then, but also vital and highly<br />
I would say that, given the fact that our principle aim<br />
is the strengthening of bilateral cooperation in various<br />
fields, a combination of political, economic and cultural<br />
diplomacy is what we are looking for. It is a known fact<br />
that Greece is quickly recovering after many years of<br />
fiscal difficulties and is back on the growth track. In this<br />
context, the Greek Embassy is focusing on establishing<br />
mutually beneficial relations with the Belgian business<br />
sector, hoping both to attract Belgian investments in<br />
Greece and to promote Greek investments in Belgium.<br />
As far as cultural diplomacy is concerned, our Embassy<br />
seeks to promote the Greek language and Greek culture<br />
in Belgium through various initiatives and by supporting a<br />
number of cultural events.<br />
32<br />
Without any doubt Greece and its cultural heritage<br />
are the fundaments of Western civilisation and<br />
relate to all cultural developments that have<br />
defined our cultural history until today. How do<br />
you look back to this phenomenon, and how would<br />
you contextualize the history and heritage as a<br />
bridge to our contemporary life and culture in the<br />
context of a European and even global culture?<br />
H.E. Eleftheria Galathianaki<br />
© <strong>Diplomatic</strong> <strong>World</strong>
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