The exhibition of diplomatic documents “Latvia and Greece, 1918-2018” was successfully inaugurated on Friday 15th February at the “Melina” Cultural Center of the City of Athens. It is organized by the Service of Diplomatic and Historical Archives of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in cooperation with the Embassy of the Republic of Latvia in Athens and with the support of the City of Athens Cultural, Sports and Lifelong Learning Organization, following an initiative of the Embassies of the two countries in the respective capitals.
The exhibition, presented on the occasion of the completion of 100 years of relations between Greece and Latvia, was inaugurated by the Secretary-General of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Mr. Dimitris Paraskevopoulos, who referred to the history of the relations between the two countries and also to the excellent relations that they presently have as partners and allies within the EU and NATO. Those excellent relations were also highlighted by the Ambassador of the Republic of Latvia in Athens Mr. Māris Klišāns, who made a special reference to the importance of presenting this exhibition in the building that housed the old Poulopoulos Hat Factory, as Apostolos Poulopoulos (son of the founder of the factory Elias Poulopoulos and heir to the company) also served as honorary consul of Latvia in Athens in the 1930s.
The Director of the Service of Diplomatic and Historical Archives of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mrs. Photini Tomai-Constantopoulou in her speech referred to the research conducted in the Greek Diplomatic Archives in order to find the archival material presented in the exhibition. She also referred to the interesting historical elements that the research highlighted: for example, the appointment of a Greek honorary consul in Riga in 1895, 23 years before the independence of Latvia, because of the city's importance as the “most commercial city” of the Empire after St Petersburg and Odessa, as the Greek Chargé d’Affaires in St Petersburg Alexandros Tombazis wrote to the Ministry when he proposed the creation of a consular authority there. Finally, Dr. Anita Čerpinska, Leading researcher of the Latvian National Archives, that took over the scenario of the exhibition and its graphic depiction, referred to the history of the two states, as it derives from the documents presented in the exhibition.
The exhibition is consisted of diplomatic documents from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the two countries, as well as from the Latvian National Archives. It highlights all aspects of Greek-Latvian relations as early as the first independence of Latvia in 1918.
The exhibition will be open until 23 February at the “Melina” Cultural Center of the City of Athens (66 Herakleidon & Thessalonikis, Thissio, Keramikos Metro Station. Opening Hours: Tuesday to Saturday 10:00-20:00, Sunday 10:00- 14:00).
February 18, 2019