Odessa is inextricably linked to the history of the Greek nation as a thriving Greek community lived in the city and was the place where the revolutionary struggle for the liberation of Greece began, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs says in a statement
At the Extraordinary Session of the World Heritage Committee Unesco, which took place on Tuesday 24.1.2023, a Decision was taken to register the Historical Center of Odessa to List of World Heritage Sites.
THE Hellas warmly welcomes the said decision as it is a successful conclusion of coordinated efforts, in which the Greek side took the lead, as a member of the Commission (in coordination with Belgium, Bulgaria, Italy and Japan) in order to respond immediately to Ukraine’s request to protect the city, especially under the current warlike conditions prevailing in the region, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs states in a statement and adds:
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, following relevant instructions from the Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias, engaged in a diplomatic campaign in order to bend any reservations, considering the protection of this emblematic city of utmost importance, for Hellenism and for Ukraine.
For the above decisive actions of Greece, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Dmytro Kuleba, today thanked the Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikos Dendias.
From the first moment, Greece showed sensitivity and support to the Ukrainian government and the Ukrainian people who are being tested. Even more so for the areas where the Greek community has left its mark, such as Mariupoli and Odessa.
After all, wanting to underline the importance that Greece attaches to these areas, the Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs decided to keep the Consulate General of Greece in Odesa open and visited the city twice (April 3 and July 12, 2022), while he had already Russian invasion begins.
Immediately after the second visit and having spoken with the local authorities of the city, the Minister of Foreign Affairs Nikos Dendias addressed a letter to the Director General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, on July 18, 2022, expressing the full support of the Greek government for promoting the registration of Odessa on the List of World Heritage Sites and offering all possible assistance to achieve this goal, both diplomatically and technically.
In the context of the mentioned second visit of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, an Agreement was signed with the State Archives of Odessa, for the co-financing, by the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, of the digitization of the part of the historical archives of the city that concerns the Greek presence in Odessa.
Odessa is inextricably linked to the history of the Greek nation as the city was home to a thriving Greek community and was the place where the revolutionary struggle for the liberation of Greece began.
The meeting place of the members of the Philic Society was the paternal home of the National Benefactor, Grigorios Maraslis.
Grigorios Maraslis was born in Odessa and served as Mayor of the city for 16 years at the end of the 19th century.
During his time as Mayor and at his own expense, he transformed Odessa into a modern European city, implementing projects such as its electric lighting, road network, theater, orphanage, nursing home, etc.”
Read the News today and get the latest news.
Follow Skai.gr on Google News and be the first to know all the news.
I have worked in the news industry for over 10 years. I have been an author at News Bulletin 247 for the past 2 years. I mostly cover politics news. I am a highly experienced and respected journalist. I have won numerous awards for my work.
