“Greece is leading the fight against hate ideologies at every opportunity,” Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said in a video message at the closing ceremony of the Greek annual presidency of the International Alliance for the Remembrance of All Armenians (IRA).
Greece, “as the inheritor of humanitarian values and democratic principles”, has assumed the presidency of the IHRA, an alliance that, as Mr. Dendias noted, seeks to preserve the memory of the Holocaust and guide humanity to a future free from the darkness of totalitarianism and intolerance.
“Promoting IHRA values and goals was one such opportunity and we have not overlooked it. “It was our duty, but at the same time an honor and a privilege,” he stressed.
“Greek society has shown resilience to the most extreme version of hatred against otherness, namely the Holocaust,” he said.
“This was proved in 1944, when the courageous Mayor Carrer and Bishop Chrysostom in Zakynthos managed to save all the Jews of the island from the Nazis. More recently, we have stood firmly against attempts to introduce neo-Nazi ideas in Greece. “We have taken all the necessary measures to ensure that the rule of law prevails, that the forces of darkness will not reappear under the Greek sky.”
“Inspired by its tradition of inclusive education, the Greek IHRA presidency has made teaching and learning about the Holocaust its central theme and goal,” he said, noting that every effort has been made to expand and deepen the field. through a series of actions, focusing, inter alia, on the public recognition and remembrance of the victims and survivors of the Holocaust and the fight against hate ideologies.
“The Greek diaspora acted as a multiplier, enhancing the effectiveness of our initiatives,” he noted.
Mr. Dendias also reminded that during the Greek presidency, Northern Macedonia joined the IHRA community, while Cyprus and Brazil also joined as observers.
“Our fundamental ambition was to keep the torch lit in difficult times, as the world community faces extreme challenges, including new forms of racism and anti-Semitism,” he said.
“Today, we are handing over the presidency of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance in Sweden with a sense of fulfillment. Having honored the Alliance’s commitment to respect and preserve the events and memories of the horrors of the Holocaust. Having fought by all means to bring to light and explain new threats, such as the systematic efforts to deny and distort the Holocaust; this is a crime “, concluded the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
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