The interview with Ambassador of Greece to Georgia, H.E. Dimitrios Karabalis.
Thursday, March 25
Greek Independence Day, the national holiday, is celebrated annually in Greece on March 25, commemorating the start of the War of Greek Independence in 1821. On this day, Greeks revolted against the Ottomans and eventually gained their independence after a fierce war. The day coincides with the feast of the Annunciation (Evangelismos) of the Virgin Mary, the Christian celebration of the announcement by the Archangel Gabriel to the Blessed Virgin Mary that she would conceive and become the mother of Jesus, the Jewish messiah, and Son of God, marking His Incarnation. In honor of this day, The Messenger has reached out to the Embassy of Greece in Georgia and hereby we present the interview with Ambassador of Greece to Georgia, H.E. Dimitrios Karabalis.
Ambassador Karabalis, firstly, I would like to express our newspaper’s gratitude for this interview and congratulate you on the national holiday. Tell our readers about the celebration of Independence day in Greece.
Thank you for coming. I am happy to be with you and be able to address your readers again. March 25 is a very important date for us because it is the day the war for independence started in Greece; besides that, for us and most Christians, March 25 is also significant for another reason - it is the day of Annunciation, which means bringing of good news and at the time, for the enslaved Greek nation, the news brought by the Angel was the dawn of Freedom and Independence.
As for the celebrations, in Greece, we have school parades as well as the big military parade in Athens on this day. This year we will have special guests - representatives from England, France and Russia - 3 countries, ‘the big powers’ at that time, that contributed greatly to Greek independence. Apart from that, in every home, there is the celebration of Annunciation, where we are permitted to break the Lenten fast and eat fish, which is our big tradition for the day.
How is the Embassy in Georgia participating in the holiday, what are the planned activities for celebration in this Covid-infused reality?
We are very well aware that this important year of the 200th anniversary of our war for independence cannot be celebrated and honored as it should, because of restrictions imposed to stop the spread of the Covid-19. Thus, we will celebrate in virtual format - on the 25th, we are going to send out emails with links and post videos and pictures on social networks. Online celebration is organized with TSU, and official messages will be disseminated. Besides that, we have already prepared 2 expositions which will hopefully be ready later this year - springtime or early summer, when the conditions permit the physical presence of spectators. Accordingly, we will have events on the main TV channels and sites and we will ensure that people get informed on time.
Long history and cultural similarities are some of the things that our countries have in common. Greeks have been present in Georgia since antiquity and the Greek diaspora in Georgia is nowadays estimated at over 10.000 people. How is this connection being emphasized today and what is the Embassy doing to enhance people-to-people relations?
Greek diaspora is indeed declining in numbers but we are certainly working together along with Georgian Universities, Georgian Museums, and Georgian Institutes for the preservation of the Greek cultural and historical heritage in Georgia. We are also working very closely with the Federation of Greek Associations in Georgia and the elected representatives of the Greek diaspora. At the same time, we want to reach out to the Georgian diaspora in Greece, which is many times larger than the Greek diaspora left in Georgia. I know that they, especially the second and third generations, understand the importance of the day and they participate in the celebration in Greece.
Our countries cooperate within the framework of international and regional organisations and Greece has always supported the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Georgia. As announced by our PM Garibashvili once again this month at the association committee meeting in Brussels, Georgia is preparing to submit the documents to the EU in 2024. How does Greece, which has been a member of the union since 1981 look at another enlargement of the EU?
In this perspective, I think it is very interesting and useful to study the history of the EU enlargements since 1981 when Greece became a member - many useful lessons can be drawn from that period of 40 years.
We have been strongly in favor of the EU keeping its doors open. As it is well known, there was a time in the EU when the question was whether we needed further enlargement or we should focus instead on deepening the institutional framework of the European Union. On the other hand, it is impossible to leave out countries that fulfill the criteria and have sincere aspirations for becoming members. So those two processes should advance in parallel. We think that Georgia, when the time comes, and all the necessary criteria are fulfilled, will get the support of all 27 member states to become a new member, because you know very well, this kind of decision needs the consensus of all members.
Mr. Karabalis, you have been working in Georgia since 2017 and I’m sure it will be interesting for our readers to hear what’s your impression of Georgia? Have you caught similarities between our countries? And finally, what’s your favourite part of living and working in Tbilisi?
I feel a lot like home in Georgia, and I think that, as a Greek, I have a deeper understanding of the Georgian people, their dreams, their fears, and their hopes. 30 years of independence is a very short and very long time indeed. New generations have not lived in the Soviet Socialist Republic of Georgia; they do not carry the weight of the Soviet legacy. You are advancing all the time, you stumble, you get up and you continue. This was also the path of Greece and this is one more reason I have a special place in my heart for Georgia and Georgians. I believe they deserve the best future and I have a lot of trust in the younger generations, which are showing an exceptional degree of maturity.
As for my life in Tbilisi, I love this particular part of Vake, where I live and I work, although I enjoy walking a lot and getting lost inside streets and blind alleys following my dog. The history of the city and its people is evident in the facades and the backyards of old buildings. And personally, I hate these enormous new buildings giving a fake era of modernity while mutilating with concrete and steel the urban landscape and depriving the city of its green lungs. Restoration of old buildings, giving neighborhoods a new light and a new life, saving existing architectural jewels, enhancing the ecological and sustainable dimension of all new housing projects, I believe would be a great contribution to my dear Tbilisi.
