Embassy of Greece hosts reception on National Day

The 198th National Day of Greece was celebrated with nationalistic spirit and cultural enthusiasm at InterContinental Doha where ministers of Qatar government, ambassadors, members of diplomatic corps, prominent members of Greek expatriate community and business community were present in large numbers.
The reception, hosted by the embassy of Greece in Qatar, was attended by HE Salah bin Ghanem bin Nasser al-Ali, Minsiter of Culture and Sports; HE Dr Ahmed bin Hassan al-Hammadi, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ibrahim Fakhroo, Director of Protocol; Ali Ibrahim Ahmed, the Dean of the Diplomatic Corps, Ambassador of Eritrea; and Panayotis Mihalos, Chairman of the Qatar-Greek Business Council, among others.
The proceedings of the evening were started with the national anthems of both Qatar and Greece. Following the anthems, Constantinos Orphanides, Ambassador of Greece to Qatar, addressed the gathering and highlighted the historic contributions his country has made for the modern day world. He also shed light on the bilateral ties with Qatar at length. The Qatari dignitaries and the Greek ambassador then cut a beautiful cake to mark the special day.
The cake-cutting ceremony was followed by a cultural performance by local artistes. Different performance of Greek folk dances were presented by young men and women clad in traditional Greek clothes. The audience kept enjoying the folk dances while having traditional Greek cuisine for about an hour.
Prominent figures from different expatriate communities, the Greeks and diplomats remained present at the programme for a long time to socialise with each other. The guests were served with a variety of food – especially authentic Greek cuisine.
Thanking the guests for attending the National Day reception, Ambassador Constantinos Orphanides said: “I welcome you all to our reception of the National Day of the Hellenic Republic. We celebrate the 198th anniversary of one of the most important events in the long history of the Greek nation – the proclamation of Independence of Greece on March 25 1821, that has initiated the Greek Revolution leading to establishment of the modern Greek state.”
Speaking about the long history of his country, the ambassador said: “Greece throughout its long history of more than 3,000 years had a great contribution to the world’s civilization. The phenomenon of the countless Greek words used today in the terminology of science and technologies, of arts and literature, in philosophy and politics is the factual testimony of the great Greek contributions.”
After highlighting the rich heritage of Greece and the independence struggle, the ambassador said: “I am pleased to say that the time that has passed since we met here to celebrate our National Day last year has been full of achievements and fulfilled expectations for Qatar, for Greece and for our community. In the same time, the process of further enhancement of our bilateral relations with Qatar is continued.
“Greece in 2018 continued its speedy recovery from the economic crisis that the country passed through last year.”
He added: “We strongly believe that relations between countries should be based on compliance with the international law and mutual respect. We are always committed to peaceful coexistence and cooperation with all nations. For Qatar, 2018 was a year full of great achievements. Qatar managed to turn the challenge of the embargo to a great opportunity for successfully developing self-sufficiency in the economy.
“We deeply appreciate the readiness of Qatar to use its resources for those in need.”
Further highlighting the Greece-Qatar ties, the ambassador said: “During the last year, we witnessed the exchange of a lot of official visits which have enhanced the bilateral ties. In September 2018, HE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani visited Greece, where he met with the president and prime minister of the country. Three months later the Greek Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Tarens Quik visited Qatar where he met different dignitaries.
“I should also mention that a significant number of Greek technical, construction and consultation companies are operating in Qatar. Major infrastructure projects have been entrusted to them. The Greek community here is very dear to us. It is a living bond between Greece and Qatar. There are more than 2, 600 Greeks living in Qatar.”