N. Dendias: Mutual interest in strengthening Greece-Kazakhstan relations

Greece-Kazakhstan bilateral relations are based on friendship and mutual respect, said Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias, who today attended the flag-raising ceremony at the Kazakh embassy for the 30th anniversary of the country’s independence.

“It is clear that our relations can be further strengthened in many important areas. The interest is mutual,” he said, noting that he had recently met with his Kazakh counterpart in Stockholm.

“Today’s world has changed dramatically since the 1990s,” Dendias said. “Kazakhstan has overcome the obstacles of the first years of independence. It has now become a focal point for peace, stability and prosperity in Central Asia.”

According to the Foreign Minister, the official Greek-Kazakh relations began on September 27, 1992. The first Greek embassy opened in Almaty in 1997 and moved to Nur-Sultan in April 2009. Kazakhstan upgraded its diplomatic mission in Athens to 2009.

He said that the views of Greece-Kazakhstan on major international and regional issues are very similar. The two countries have developed good cooperation in the UN in the field of candidacies, while there is a long-term presence of 10,000 people of Greek origin in Kazakhstan, as well as 80,000 Kazakh citizens in Greece – many of them of Greek origin.

However, he noted that the volume of transactions is limited and consists mainly of oil and gas products while there is plenty of room for academic and cultural cooperation.

Mr. Dendias pointed out that the Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Greece is very active. He even took the initiative to propose to the Municipality of Acharnes to create a road with the name of Kazakhstan, due to the presence of a large number of residents with Kazakh citizenship.

“Contacts are being planned between the respective authorities and bodies. Let ‘s hope that we will soon have a meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee”, noted Mr. Dendias. “2022 marks the 30th anniversary of the conclusion of Greece-Kazakhstan relations. There is a lot of work to be done in this regard – and I look forward to it,” he concluded.

I took part today in the flag-raising ceremony at the embassy of Kazakhstan for the 30th anniversary of the country’s independence – I attended today the raising flag ceremony @kazembassygr on the occasion of #Kazakhstan‘s 30th anniversary of independence. pic.twitter.com/gUnuszKM1m

– Nikos Dendias (@NikosDendias) December 14, 2021

Meeting with the Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa

A meeting with the Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa Theodore II, who is paying a visit to Greece, was held earlier today by Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias, according to a relevant post of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on twitter.

I met @GreeceMFA with the Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa Theodore II, who is paying a visit to Greece – I met today @GreeceMFA with Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa Theodoros II, currently on a visit to Greece. pic.twitter.com/Cm0TNfRgfH

– Nikos Dendias (@NikosDendias) December 14, 2021