ATHENS — Culture & tourism define Greece-China relations, said Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at the 'Greece-China Year of Culture & Tourism in 2021' event held in Athens on Thursday.

The Greek Premier celebrated the fact that the two countries' diplomatic relations will have completed 50 years in 2022, and he added that "these bonds will expand dynamically into the future."

The two countries' culture and civilization go back thousands of years, he said, "and although they have evolved in distance from one another, they have always focused on the same ecumenical values," he highlighted.

A fact reflected, he noted, in the emblematic installation of sculptures titled 'Confucius & Socrates: a Meeting' that was donated by the Art Museum of China, and which adorn the Ancient Agora of Athens, in the context of celebratory events.

"The more one country arouses the interest of another, the more attractive the destination becomes," added Mitsotakis in reference to tourism, and "this is why Greece's goal next year is to welcome more Chinese friends than ever before."

Closing his speech, Mitsotakis spoke the words of Confucius, "a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step," and of Socrates, "the most valuable acquisition is a steady friend."