by XINHUA Recovering from the most severe economic crisis in decades, Greece today is in a better position than ever to become a valuable partner for China, said Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras. In a recent exclusive written interview with Xinhua, the prime minster said Greece nowadays is considered an "island of stability" in a region that is experiencing a wave of destabilizing geo-political events. In terms of both economics and politics, Greece has "greatly improved its credibility vis-a-vis the rest of the world, and it is now unleashing its growth potential," Samaras said. "So yes, we are now in a much better position -- actually better than ever -- to become a valuable partner for China in our part of the world," he stressed. STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP The Greek-Chinese bilateral relations have been improving for many years, said the prime minister. Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's successful visit to Athens and Crete in June and President Xi Jinping's trip to Rhodes in July boosted the China-Greece strategic partnership, which is established on cultural affinity, friendship, respect and the understanding that the two peoples have been walking down similar historical paths for millennia and have forged compatible identities, said Samaras. This cultural and psychological background is essential for a positive bilateral relationship to evolve into a strategic one, the prime minister added. BUSINESS COOPERATION Referring to the economic aspect of bilateral cooperation, Samaras said the Greek government will encourage Chinese involvement in all projects that can help develop Greece into a "gateway" between China and Europe. "Greece is not just another partner for China. It can well become a strong 'link' between the European Union and China as well as a 'gateway' of commercial and cultural relations between China and Europe," he noted. "We know that there are some problems for the improvement of commercial ties between China and Europe. But things are improving and as a European leader I am doing my best to help surpass all current problems and all outstanding obstacles between China and Europe," the Greek prime minister said, referring to a recent example of the "constructive role" Greece has played to bring the two sides closer. A few months ago, with the contribution of Greece which held the Presidency of the European Union Council in the first half of 2014, a foreign trade conflict was avoided over the dispute about imposing anti-dumping measures on Chinese photovoltaic products. "We strongly believe that Europe and China have a lot to gain by improving their commercial ties based on a balanced approach of honest negotiation and mutual benefits," he added. CULTURAL BRIDGE Beside the strong economic linkage, Greece can also play the role of a "cultural bridge" between China and the West, said. He noted that both Greece and China cherish and take pride in their unique cultural heritage for a very good reason: The Chinese culture has significantly influenced the cultural evolution of Asia for centuries and the Greek culture has been the cradle of Western Civilization. "So we are not only talking about cultural exchanges. We are also talking about establishing a 'cultural bridge' between East and West. A bridge of mutual understanding and one that can bring together cultural traditions that are so different and so similar at the same time," he said. The way forward includes learning each other's language and history, and having extensive studies and publications about the parallels in the history and cultural evolution in both countries. "This will have an impact on Europe, beyond Greece itself. It will open the 'gate' and will build the 'bridge' for the whole Western world to better understand the Chinese culture," Samaras stressed. Following the first Chinese Confucius Center in Athens, the second one will be opened soon in the city of Thessaloniki in northern Greece. A new Department of Chinese Studies will also be opened at the University of Athens in 2015. Meanwhile, the Greek government is working to tackle problems such as the complicated visa application procedure to offer Chinese and other foreign visitors the best visiting experience. BILATERAL FRIENDSHIP The prime minister said he and his Chinese counterpart enjoy a good personal relationship. "It is true that we have an excellent personal relationship," said Samaras, adding that he had the feeling of knowing each other for years the first time they met. He described Li as someone with whom "you can talk openly, honestly and sincerely; somebody you can rely upon and who can rely on you; somebody with whom you can share mutual trust, mutual respect and understanding." "This is what I call 'friendship' and in my view it is very important in human relations. It is also a very important ingredient in relations between statesmen," he stressed. Samaras also gave an example of the friendship between the two peoples. During the Libyan crisis three years ago, Greece, though mired in the middle of its own debt crisis, did everything possible to intervene and rescue thousands of endangered Chinese nationals. "We would do the same for anybody. But it only came natural to Greeks to rush and rescue Chinese nationals from serious danger," the Greek prime minister said. The Greek leader noted that one thing Greek and Chinese people have in common is that they are both very proud of their cultures and very ambitious about their growth prospects. "So we have a long way to go and many things to gain by understanding each other and working together. It is true that we are very different both in size and in geography. It is also true that we evolved separately. But if the world's two most ancient cultures come closer today, the impact will probably be felt way beyond our borders," he stressed.
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