- I would like to express my satisfaction with the excellent relations between our countries. Poland has been actively involved in the celebrations of this year’s 200th anniversary of the outbreak of the Greek Revolution. We have also launched a project to spread the knowledge on Polish philhellenes, who fought and perished for the freedom of modern Greece - said Deputy Minister Szymon Szynkowski vel Sęk. The interlocutors underlined flourishing trade, which has continuously increased in volume over the recent years, despite the pandemic limitations. Deputy Minister Szynkowski vel Sęk was pleased to note great interest in learning Polish among Greek students. Both diplomats were satisfied with unusually high interest of Polish tourists in the Greek destinations during this year’s passing season and referred to the development potential of Poland as a destination for Greek tourists. On the other hand, the deputy head of Greek diplomacy thanked for Polish firefighters’ help, who were heavily committed to put out the wildfires on the Evia island and in the area in summer this year. Besides, the deputy ministers spoke about the Eastern Partnership, including the forthcoming EaP summit. They agreed that the operations of the Belarusian regime along the border with Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia are a hybrid attack targeting the whole of the European Union. They also discussed the situation in the region focusing on the Western Balkans. The Polish side expressed its support for opening accession negotiations with Albania and North Macedonia as soon as possible.

Later on, at the Polish Embassy, Deputy Minister Szymon Szynkowski vel Sęk met with Polish community in Greece. The minister thanked local residents of Polish descent for preserving Polish heritage and their increasing role in shaping the Polish-Greek relations. He also thanked the teachers at Polish schools in Greece and the pupils’ parents for their efforts to send their children to extra classes, as well as the Polish priests of the Roman-Catholic parishes of Athens, Nafplio, Thessaloniki, on Crete and Siros, for their service which fosters local Poles’ relation to their homeland.

- I would like you to feel that Poland remembers about you – remembers, is grateful and appreciates your hard work and daily efforts - underlined Deputy Minister Szynkowski vel Sęk.

The main item on the agenda of the second day was the ceremonial opening of the Polish Archaeological Institute at Athens (PAIA). The ceremony was also attended by General Secretary of the Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports Georgios Didaskalou, Polish Ambassador in Athens Artur Lompart, Director of PAIA Prof. Janusz Czebreszuk, Rector of the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań Prof. Bogumiła Kaniewska, and Director of the National Archaeological Museum of Athens Anna Vasiliki Karapanagiotou.

- PAIA represents all Polish scientists before the Greek authorities, not only those who want to run excavations, but also others, who need access to museum collections and archives - noted AMU’S Rector Bogumiła Kaniewska and PAIA’s Director Janusz Czebreszuk. Under the Greek law, only scientists from the countries which set up their institutes in Athens can do research in Greece on their own. Until now, Poles could be members of scientific teams, but were not authorised to manage them. The Polish Archaeological Institute at Athens was established as a subsidiary of the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań as Poland’s first scientific outpost in the country labelled the cradle of European civilisation.

 

MFA Press Office