JOURNALIST: In recent years, the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Greece has been developing continuously, and the bilateral cooperation in various fields has expanded. How do you evaluate the current China-Greece relationship? N. KOTZIAS: I think that China is a big country. Greece is a much smaller country, but both are countries with great contribution in the global civilization. In a certain way, Greece and China are two "sister countries" that grew up in parallel and established the civilization of Europe and Asia, respectively. Through our strategic partnership that we are building, we rediscovered our common journey, and I would say that Greece-China relations are at the best level after World War II. The aim of my visit here in Beijing is to further deepen relations to the benefit of the people of our countries. JOURNALIST: This year marks the fifth anniversary of China's Belt and Road initiative. What do you think are the positive effects brought by this initiative to the bilateral cooperation between China and Greece? How to deepen that cooperation under this initiative? N. KOTZIAS: I had the chance to be present together with the Greek Prime Minister, Alexis Tsipras, last year, in the big international Belt and Road Forum. I think this initiative indicates the ability and the willingness of China to contribute to a better world. President Xi was able to combine the so called by Chinese people and by President Xi himself great "Chinese Dream" with the dream of many other countries for development and better life. This Chinese initiative contributes to the improvement of the living conditions of millions of people, as well as to the connectivity of the most different countries through modern infrastructure. I think it also indicates how a great country and a great civilization can combine its past with the future, that is to combine the great experiences of the Silk Road with the era of globalization. JOURNALIST: Till 2018 China has been through 40 years of reform and opening up, during which great many changes have taken place. From your experience, what changes are the most impressive and how do these changes influence the bilateral cooperation between China and Greece? N. KOTZIAS: I think China is a great proof of the importance attached to reforms. The Deng Xiaoping initiative for the Four Modernizations, initiated 40 years ago in southern China, was a bold step and was proven right. I think, if I would use a Chinese expression, the big Modernizations initiated in 1978 contributed to the creation of a world in harmony with the sky and this was beneficial to Greece. For, when the world is developed in a harmonious way, this is beneficial to countries that love peace and have great civilizations. I am here so that we further develop our political relations with China but also that we take advantage of the very good political cooperation in the field of Economy. JOURNALIST: In recent years the economic ties between China and Greece have been developed rapidly, including areas of trade, investment and tourism. What measures will Greece take to further enhance this economic cooperation with China? N. KOTZIAS: As we were discussing with the Chinese leadership three or four years ago, the "head of the dragon" has gotten ahead in the development of the economic cooperation, and now we need to go ahead with the rest of the "dragon’s body". We have taken strong steps in our cooperation but we have to do much more. In the past, there were no Chinese tourists in Greece, nowadays 150,000 Chinese tourists visit Greece, and I think that the target of a tenfold increase is possible. The Chinese citizens and you and your team you are always welcome in Greece. Besides, Greece nowadays is the gate for the Chinese trade to Europe, as COSCO has acquired the big traditional Piraeus port and transfers via this port the products to Europe. But next to infrastructure, we also want to develop our cooperation in the field of new technologies and in new entrepreneurship. On the other hand, I think it is worthwhile that the Chinese citizen tries Greek agricultural products (e.g. Greek cheese, olive oil); according to the experts, this is the healthiest diet in the world.Still, I believe that the relations of the two countries should not be only economic and political. The cooperation in the fields of culture, education, research and young people exchanges should also be enhanced. JOURNALIST: If we look at the global economy, there is actually a lot going on right now. So, with such a complex international economic environment, how do you view the future economic development of China? Are you optimistic? N. KOTZIAS: I believe that China develops its economy based on a great history and civilization. I would like to mention - not as a Minister but as a Professor of international relations - that China presents a very interesting distinctiveness. China is an ancient nation with great History and with a special relation to time, i.e. patience. Patience brings about optimism. I have confidence in the abilities of the Chinese people and of its leadership. JOURNALIST: I would like to expand our conversation to a broader perspective. Chinese President Xi Jinping has on many occasions emphasized the vision of building a community with shared future. What is your take on the vision? N. KOTZIAS: I think that the earth is a unity, the humanity is also a unity, and this is described in the book of President Xi in a highly good way. Our fates are linked and it is only with our cooperation that this planet will survive. We are a human community within a big galaxy. In order to survive we need to develop our cooperation, science, mutual understanding. JOURNALIST: China and Greece are both countries of ancient civilizations with very long History. To my knowledge, a series of cultural and people-to-people exchange activities have been carried out between the two countries, e.g. the co-organization of Ancient Civilizations Forum in 2017. What is your comment on the cultural cooperation between China and Greece? N. KOTZIAS: More than one year ago we established along with my counterpart, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of China Wang Yi, this initiative, and one month ago we handed over the chairmanship of the Ancient Civilizations Forum from Greece to Bolivia, and it was a great pleasure to know that next year China will undertake, which means that next year we will meet in China for the 3rdAncient Civilizations Forum, and this makes me very happy. Throughout the decades that I study the Chinese civilization and the Chinese foreign policy, I have realized that there are many common aspects with Greece. Our civilizations may have developed in parallel, the Chinese one has defined developments in Asia, the Greek one has defined developments in Europe, but still there have been great different achievements; Greece brought about the concept of democracy, China the concept of the modern state. I must say that I am personally interested in something else. 3,000-4,000 ago the Chinese and the Greek thought raised the same questions, and this proves their universal character. What is a human being and which is its origin? How can I urge a good person to express its abilities? Both schools of thought confirmed the great value of education. I think these are the common aspects of Greece and China civilizations, but we can also find these common aspects in Latin America civilizations, as in Bolivia and in Peru. I would also like to stress that in Greece the philosophy of resistance has been developed, i.e. the right of the citizen to overthrow a bad state. In the Chinese thought, there is the tradition of harmony with the sky. If this relation is disrupted, the Chinese citizen has the right to struggle so as to restore it. I could mention many examples. Though, I would like to stress that we raised fundamental questions that remain true even nowadays. Our civilizations, like other civilizations, in Egypt, Iran, Iraq, are still vivid nowadays, after thousands of years, and contribute to solving major problems. This is the meaning of the Ancient Civilizations Forum that also corresponds to the spirit of the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative. JOURNALIST: Yes, I totally agree with your Excellency. Ancient civilizations do share many similarities in terms of philosophy and this would also have impacts on today’s world. Apart from the Ancient Civilizations Forum, what else can be done to strengthen the cultural cooperation? N. KOTZIAS: I think that we have many forms of arts that lived throughout the centuries and that define even nowadays the great Art, e.g. the Chinese opera and the Greek tragedy. We have to find ways so that Chinese opera approaches Greece and Greek tragedy is incorporated in Chinese opera. I think it would be good if we manage to establish weeks of Greek and Chinese cinema and music, so as to further strengthen our relations. I always have the dream of Chinese poetry reading in Greece and of Greek poetry reading in China, respectively. Greece has 4,000 years of tradition in poetry. It is an art form that has been mainly developed in Greece, it exists also in China, both Greek and Chinese people like poetry, so we have a lot in common in this sense.
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