A group photo is taken at the event held in Shanghai on March 26, 2024 to commemorate the Greek Independence Day. Photo: Courtesy of the Consulate General of Greece in Shanghai

Monday (March 25) marked the 203rd anniversary of Greek Independence Day, when Greece's War of Independence from the 400-year rule of the Ottoman Empire started on March 25, 1821.

A celebratory event was held in Shanghai on Tuesday to commemorate the Independence Day.

Evgenios Kalpyris, Ambassador of Greece to China, briefly reviewed the development of Greece after the War of Independence and its contribution to regional stability and prosperity in a speech delivered at the event.

Today, "Greece remains an important paragon of peace, security, stability, and prosperity in an unstable and troubled geographical neighborhood," Kalpyris said. According to the Economist Magazine's analysis, Greece, in 2023, was an economic performance champion among 35 mainly rich countries, he added.

The ambassador delivers speech at the ceremony Photo: Courtesy of the Consulate General of Greece in Shanghai

In his speech, Kalpyris noted that Greece and China have built a multilevel relationship over the last 20 years, "including a strong economic relationship for the [mutual] benefit of both our peoples."

Echoing Kalpyris, Consul General of Greece in Shanghai Georgios Partheniou spoke highly of the friendly relations between the two countries in the speech also made at the event. The year of 2023 was an important year as the post-COVID environment allowed a gradual resumption of China-Greece exchanges, he said.

"Particularly in Shanghai with a renewed interest both in travelling and investing in Greece and a general trend to make up for lost time," said Partheniou.

He mentioned that a Chinese airline will open a direct flight route connecting Shanghai and Athens from April. "The new route will improve communication between Chinese and Greek people, and further promote business, trade, tourism, and cultural connections."

The Tuesday celebration gathered diplomats from other countries, Chinese government officials in Shanghai and neighboring Zhejiang Province, as well as university and company representatives, according to the Consulate General of Greece in Shanghai.

 

The Ambassador and the Consul General at the ceremony Photo: Courtesy of the Consulate General of Greece in Shanghai