ATHENS — Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias on Wednesday took part as keynote speaker in an online meeting co-organised by the Embassy of South Africa and the Group of African Ambassadors to Greece, in cooperation with the foreign ministry, held to mark Africa Day. This is celebrated eacg year on May 25, the day that the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), later replaced by the African Union, was established in 1963.

The online meeting will focus on the theme "Art, Culture and Heritage" that has been adopted by the African Union for 2021. Among those participating was the African Union's Commissioner for Health, Humanitarian Policy and Social Development Amira Elfadil Mohammed Elfadil.

Dendias in his speech welcomed the role of the African Union for promoting growth and also for the security architecture of the African continent, underlining the creation of the African Continental Free Trade Area which aims to create a common market of 1.2 billion people.

Dendias also referred to Greece's traditional bonds with African countries and the long-standing excellent relations they enjoy, while highlighting Greece's desire to strengthen cooperation in all areas, both at a bilateral and at a multilateral level.

Dendias said there should be further development of a partnership relationship between Europe and Africa and said that Greece will continue to be the bridge that links the two continents, to which the Greeks living in Africa contribute.