French President Emmanuel Macron expressed regret that he could not attend events celebrating Greece’s bicentennial of the Greek Revolution of 1821, in an interview with national Greek broadcaster ERT on Wednesday night.
Macron was among the leaders invited to Greece to the events celebrating the contributions of France, Britain, and Russia to the Greek War of Independence, but had to cancel a few days ago because of another wave of the coronavirus pandemic in France.
He is being represented by French Defense Minister Florence Parly.
Macron spoke of the historical ties of the two countries, and of the joint efforts with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to reopen the two countries to young people, archaeologists, academics and tourists once again.
He also spoke of the common dream of the European Union, with its 40-year history, and of the independence the EU must promote, including military independence to be able to protect itself.
Greece has a unique position today, as a front-line country, as was evident through the migration issue, and Europe must be able to protect its external borders, he stressed.
Macron: Commitment to freedom
Macron expressed his firm commitment to supporting European allies when they are being threatened, and said that is what France did in the summer of 2020.
He also underlined the importance of the EU’s collaboration with Turkey, Lebanon, Syria and Libya.
Citing his own influence by the ancient Greek culture, which has permeated Europe and linked it irrevocably with Greece, he also noted a stronger unifying factor today, the commitment to freedom and the European adventure.
Macron also sent a video message for the occasion:
Chers amis Grecs,
Αγαπητοί φίλοι, pic.twitter.com/SgaHBlWN07— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) March 25, 2021
Greek Independence Day parade with traditional costumes
Greece is celebrating its 200th anniversary with a spectacular Greek Independence Day Parade.
Army troops, mechanized units and air elements, representing the entire array of the Armed Forces, will participate in the parade, as well as representatives of the Hellenic Police, the Fire Service and the Hellenic Coast Guard.
Because of the historic significance of this year’s Greek Independence Day parade, some squads are wearing traditional costumes from different regions of the Greek mainland and the islands, while relics -many of which have not been exhibited before- will also be featured in the parade.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
