Deputy FM Amanatidis’ address at an event marking “150 years of Greek Press in the country of the Nile”

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Publication is the soul of justice. This saying from the Swiss philhellene Johann Jacob Meyer, which graces the central hall of the Union of Reporters of Daily Newspapers, in Athens, is at once a reminder of and guide to the universal human principles and values that the press is called upon to safeguard beyond national borders.

In fact, far removed from the homeland and ancestral hearths, the vocation of the Greek press, in the countries of the Hellenic Diaspora, takes on additional obligations that go beyond the control of powers as a foundation of the democratic polity.

For world Hellenism, the press is not just a point of reference, a source of action and connection between Greeks abroad and their ancestral hearths, but also the guardian of the Greek language, of tradition and of the Greek critical spirit; a pivotal link of Greek communities in a global network for development and support of Greek action.

In the more general context of globalized markets and challenges, which go beyond nation states, the Greek press is called upon to serve as a basic field for targeted strategic promotion and communication of Global Hellenism, as well as a channel for spotlighting and maintaining the Hellenic spirit in the 21st century.

Strengthening of the presence and functioning of the Greek press is thus a key component of our national strategy for the institutional strengthening of the bond between Greeks abroad and the homeland, because it is a shaper of the modern Greek Diaspora and, at the same time, it is a means of promoting Greek principles and values in the countries where the Greek Diaspora resides.

The Greek presence in the country of the Nile is not just age-old, but also an example of the cultural wealth of Ecumenical Hellenism in the depths of history.

The presence of Greeks abroad, particularly the younger generations, in the scientific, economic and political reality of the countries where they live abounds in distinctions. Enhancing the promotion of their activities is thus imperative to expanding Greece’s influence. Strengthening their ancestral identity, as a global safety net in defence of Greek rights, is a permanent and longstanding pursuit on our part.

In achieving the above goals – as in our joint effort to capitalize on and disseminate the comparative advantages of our country and of our identity and culture – the Greek press cannot but play a decisive role.

Thank you.