Mr. President, Mr. Vice PresidentColleagues, Madam Deputy Governor Madam Mayor,Mayors, Ladies and Gentlemen, The bicentennial of the Greek Revolution, which we are celebrating this year, is an opportunity – an obligation – for us to jointly renew the study of our past and to once again honour those who fought, worked and sacrificed for our homeland. In this context, today, on my home island, we commit to jointly honour the memory of the first Governor of Greece. A true son of his homeland and his time, Ioannis Kapodistrias gained his first political experience in the Septinsular Republic, before becoming a major European political figure, both as Foreign Minister of the Czar and as the creator of the Swiss Constitution. The country home of the Kapodistrias family, where we are today, truly is – as you said, Mr. President – the only one that is today a museum dedicated to this great native of Corfu. It is the only cultural foundation dedicated to his life, work and legacy. A legacy that, as I have already said, goes beyond our national borders. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the instructions of the Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, is supporting your effort to promote the distinguished legacy of this great Corfiot. Through the Memorandum of Cooperation that we are signing today, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs commits to our working together to this end, with a variety of actions both here in our country and abroad. A few examples, as you said, Mr. President, are support for research, studies and conferences; joint exhibitions; provision of many documents from the Foreign Ministry’s Historical and Diplomatic Archives; and actions aimed at promoting the Governor’s legacy in the foreign countries impacted by his work. In closing, allow me to underscore the special significance to me, personally – due to my origins, as you were kind enough to stress – of today’s commitment to promote the legacy of Ioannis Kapodistrias. A commitment that is the culmination of our joint effort. You have my warm thanks, Mr. President, Mr. Vice President, for your friendly welcome and hospitality.
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