President Karolos Papoulias said the Friendship
Federation of Greece and Russia, which celebrated its 50th anniversary at an
event held here on Wednesday night, was a valuable helper in the effort to
promote, strengthen and deepen the historically friendly ties between the Greek
and the Russian people.
"The Federation constitutes one more pedestal of a
bridge that is bringing us even closer, strengthening the strategic development
of our relations in all sectors with the Greeks living and creating in the
Russian state being valuable helpers," the President of the Republic
stressed in his message, pointing out that "between Hellenism snd the
Russian people there have always been strong ties, in their collective
historical memory the echo of the Byzantine empire and Orthodox Christian
tradition have always been points of reference."
The President of the Republic further said that
"in the conscience of the Russian people, Greek spiritual tradition stands
high. On the other hand, the Russians were for the Greeks the people with whom
they shared the same religion and common spiritual and historical roots,"
while congratulating the members of the Federation for "productive action
and valuable contribution as a binding link between Greece and Russia."
Russian Federation President Dmitri Medvedev said in
his own message, read by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ribkov, that
"the ties of friendship, respect and confidence, that traditionally link
the peoples of Russia and Greece, are based on firm spiritual-historical
foundations and constitute a reliable beginning for the further widening of our
strategic cooperation."
The Russian President underlined that
"multifaceted dialogue is developing actively between the two countries,
plans in the trade-economic sector that are mutually beneficial and of a large
size are being implemented with success, cultural-humanitarian relations are
being strengthened, cooperation on the international stage is developing"
and expressed the conviction that the activity of the Friendship Federation
"that has the ardent support of wide circles among public opinion in
Russia and Greece" will continue its contribution to the multifaceted
development of the constructive and fruitful cooperation between the two
countries.
Messages of greetings were also sent by Russian Foreign
Minister Sergei Lavrov and the Mayor of Moscow Yuri Luskov, while Ribkov
observed that "starting from Cyril and Methodius, Sofia Paleologina, who
introduced the Byzantine emblem to Russia, the double-headed eagle, and
reaching the South Stream pipeline, there are no other countries in Europe that
are closer spiritually than Russia and Greece."
"The Federation constitutes one more pedestal of a
bridge that is bringing us even closer, strengthening the strategic development
of our relations in all sectors with the Greeks living and creating in the
Russian state being valuable helpers," the President of the Republic
stressed in his message, pointing out that "between Hellenism snd the
Russian people there have always been strong ties, in their collective
historical memory the echo of the Byzantine empire and Orthodox Christian
tradition have always been points of reference."
The President of the Republic further said that
"in the conscience of the Russian people, Greek spiritual tradition stands
high. On the other hand, the Russians were for the Greeks the people with whom
they shared the same religion and common spiritual and historical roots,"
while congratulating the members of the Federation for "productive action
and valuable contribution as a binding link between Greece and Russia."
