Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Markos Bolaris represented the Hellenic Government at the celebrations of the feast of Epiphany at the Ecumenical Patriarchate, on 6 January 2019, and attended the Blessing of the Waters at the Golden Horn in Fener. He was then received by the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, to whom he conveyed the wishes of the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Alexis Tsipras, for the feast of Epiphany, receiving His All Holiness’ blessings for the Prime Minister, the Government, and the Greek People, for this significant day for Orthodoxy. On the same day, the Deputy Minister visited Istanbul’s Islamic Arts Museum, where he was given a tour by its Director. During the meeting, the proposal of the Greek side for cooperation with the museum was discussed, in organising an exhibit on the Story of Alexander the Great in Constantinople, which was met with an immediate positive response. On 7 January 2019, the Deputy Minister attended the commencement ceremony of the 3rd International Conference organised by the Ecumenical Patriarchate on the growing phenomenon of modern slavery, with the participation of international figures including academicians, specialized scientists, and representatives of Organisations and Institutes that research this phenomenon, which continues to plague humanity. His All Holiness the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew opened the proceedings. Subsequently, the Deputy Minister carried out a courtesy visit to the Governor of the wider region of Istanbul, Mr Ali Yerlikaya. The discussion revolved around the need for relations of friendship, cooperation and good neighbourliness between the two countries and focused on the prospect of development of relations through the possibilities of cultural, religious, educational, research, and sports collaborations between the two countries and peoples, which aid in creating a positive climate for further development of the economic, commercial, corporate, tourist synergies that can also affect the creation of a corresponding environment and in the hard core of foreign policy. In the afternoon of the same day, Mr Bolaris visited the campus of Koc University in Rumeli Fener, where he attended a partnership meeting with the University’s Dean, Professor Umran Inan. They looked into the possibilities of scientific collaboration with University Institutions, Research Institutes, and Scientific Centres in our country, initially in the field of research and promotion of the Byzantine Civilisation, given that a Department of Byzantine Studies has been in operation since the establishment of Koc University, with an excellent scientific staff and a significant number of students, with funding provided by the “Stavros Niarchos” Foundation. The Dean of Koc University expressed strong desire to actualise the proposed collaborations, and a meeting was decided upon, on a scientific level, to discuss further matters.
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