Greece marks bilateral relations with Korea

Greek Ambassador to Korea Dionisios Sourvanos

contributed the article below to commemorate

its National Day on March 25 and the

25th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic relations

between Greece and Korea — ED.

On March 25 1821, the Greek War of Independence started and later, in 1830, the independence of the Modern Greek State was recognized by the International Community.

Greece, officially known as the Hellenic Republic, therefore, celebrates this year the 195th anniversary from the beginning of the Greek War of Independence against the Ottoman Rule and the 186th anniversary from the Declaration of the Independence of Greece.

Greece and Korea have had a longstanding tradition of friendship and cooperation through our common struggles for peace and democracy. Most importantly, though, the two countries have forged unbreakable ties of brotherhood through Greece’s participation in the Korean War. Ten thousand Greek troops fought under the United Nations Command, and 187 young Greek soldiers lost their lives while more than seven hundred were wounded in action, in order to protect the freedom of the Korean people and guarantee their right to live in a democratic country.

This year, Greece and Korea celebrate another very important milestone in their excellent relations as the year 2016 marks the 25th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral Diplomatic relations.

The Greek community in Korea is small (around 350 people) and mainly consists of personnel involved in work on Greek-owned ships at the shipyards of Ulsan, Busan and Mokpo, as well as a growing number of university professors, teachers and researchers, as well as students and businessmen. The Orthodox Metropolis of Korea maintains eight churches and two monasteries and plays a substantive role in preserving and enhancing the presence of orthodoxy in Korea which goes back 110 years.

During the past year, Greece has been faced with another exceptional challenge allowing our country once again to amply demonstrate its steadfast and unwavering commitment to the principles of humanitarian assistance as well as to the respect and protection of fellow human beings by welcoming and providing shelter to unprecedented numbers of refugees that reach the Greek islands of the Aegean, after having faced severe life-threatening situations at their struggle to survive and escape the flames of war that have ravaged their countries over the past several years.

The current Greek government, which took office seven months ago, is committed to co-operate with all our partners and honour our obligations, in order to bring the country back on track towards sustainable growth. In this context, it is important for us to secure the cooperation and active support of the Republic of Korea.

The Korea – Greece Agreement for Economic Cooperation and the Korea European Union Free Trade Agreement can play a significant role in further developing bilateral economic cooperation.

At the moment, both countries are working hard to prepare a joint ministerial committee that will take place in Athens on May 23, 2016.

Recently, Greece has progressed a lot towards overcoming a severe economic crisis. The country’s public finances have been stabilized and the banking system has been recapitalized. Also, structural reforms, that are underway, are expected to restore the competitiveness of our economy.

It is the right time for Korean companies to invest in Greece, in sectors such as energy, telecommunications, maritime technologies, banking, tourism, fiber optics, logistics, transportation and many others and take advantage of immense opportunities, created by the economic crisis.

Besides, there is the untapped area of cultural exchanges, being less explored and contributing to comprehending the culture and civilization of both countries.

I wish the best for the further improvement of our relations with Korea, in honor of the 25 years of excellent diplomatic relations.