International Greek Language Day 2024 – Message by Giorgos Kotsiras
International Greek Language Day 2024 – Message by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Giorgos Kotsiras
Greeks of the world,
Friends of Greece,
Dear compatriots,
With a heartbeat of thousands of years and remarkable resilience, the Greek language has been with humanity for centuries, and is found in writing continuously and uninterruptedly. As a result of this unique journey, an extraordinary vocabulary has been accumulated, capable of deciphering even the most thick and complicated meanings. The Greek language has nourished every science and many Western languages, and it exists within foreign vocabularies as part of a timeless cultural osmosis.
Following the phenomenon of linguistic evolution, Greek is renewing and is being renewed, enriching and being enriched, thus interpreting contemporary concepts and responding to new needs. Indeed, thanks to its unique descriptiveness, our language has the potential to serve as a compass, giving meaning to a complex world.
Dear friends,
Our era does not favor certainties. Reality moves around a continuum of small and large crises, prompting us to urgently seek mutual respect, justice, and harmonious coexistence. We seek the words that give substance to these concepts. And these words are Greek: Dialogue, Diplomacy, Democracy. Therefore, it is not without reason that, with these three Greek words beginning with the letter “D” and having a global meaning, our country claims its election as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for the 2025-2026 term.
Lastly, I would like to mention an additional Greek word beginning with the letter ‘D’ that has a global meaning: Diaspora. From ancient Greek to today, the word diaspora has remained almost unchanged, both in form and in meaning. Diaspora, the spreading of seeds, the journey of Hellenism’s values across the globe.
Diaspora, a precious “us” that extends to the end of the world and narrates its own history, always in Greek.
Thank you.
