Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s greetings to the organizers, participants and guests of the Russian Week on the Ionian Islands international public forum (September 28, 2019)

I am delighted to greet the organisers, participants and guests of the Russian Week on the Ionian Islands international public forum.

Athens is our close European partner. That both Russians and Greeks have so much in common is based on the fact that our ties go back centuries and that we are much alike when it comes to our spiritual and civilisational values and we do not let political whims get in the way of our relations. We appreciate that our Greek friends respect our shared historical past. I am indebted to the people who reside on Corfu who continue to so painstakingly preserve the memory of great Russian naval commander Admiral Fyodor Ushakov, the liberator of the Ionian islands.

In this context your initiative is of particular importance, which over the years has contributed to strengthening the trust and mutual understanding between the two peoples and helping to acquaint the Greek public with Russia’s rich historical legacy.

I am sure that this time this forum will again be an important event in the cultural life of our countries and help to further develop our bilateral cooperation in the humanitarian sphere.

I would like that you take away lasting impressions and I wish everybody all the very best.