Greece and China Inaugurate Year of Cooperation in Athens

Greece and China officially inaugurated on Thursday the China-Greece Cultural Exchange and Cultural Industry Cooperation Year in Athens.

The Greece-China Year 2017 ceremony took place at the Byzantine and Christian Museum with the Greek government represented by Culture Minister Lydia Koniordou, Deputy Prime Minister Yiannis Dragasakis, various officials of the ministry of culture and other ministers.

“Today with the official opening of the year of cultural cooperation, the two ancient civilizations are meeting in the present. The past is a seed for the future and cultural heritage a source of inspiration,” the Greek Culture Minister said.

In her speech, the Greek minister emphasized how much the two countries have in common despite the distance between them. She welcomed the opening of two exhibitions of Chinese art. One is dedicated to the cultural heritage of the city of Hangzhou in Zhejiang Province and will run for three weeks, while the other which closes on Sunday features the 2022 Winter Olympic Games to be held in Beijing and Zhangjiakou, linking China with the birthplace of the Olympics.

The Greek and Chinese officials signed two memoranda of understanding on film co-production and translation and the publishing of classic and modern Greek and Chinese literary works.

The evening included a traditional Chinese tea ceremony, a performance by the Hizi Chinese Orchestra music artists and a concert by artists of the Athens State Orchestra and soloists of the Greek National Opera.

Source: GreekReporter