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The meeting of the Consul General of Greece in Saint Petersburg Ioannis Lakatzis with the first assistant to the head of self-government of the city Alexander Safronov and other representatives of administration of the Karelian capital has been held in Administration of Petrozavodsk on August the 18th.
It is the first visit of Ioannis Lakatzis to Petrozavodsk. Its purpose is to get acquainted with the city subordinated to the Greek consulate in Saint Petersburg.
The Consul General has arrived to the Karelian capital with the offer to establish sister-cities' relations between Petrozavodsk and the Greek city of Patra. It is an administrative centre of Peloponnesus and the second-largest port of the country. As Ioannis Lakatzis has told at meeting, it was his initiative to establish "the bridge of friendship". By the way, the Consul General has already three times participated in establishing sister-cities' relations between the Russian and Greek cities.
Except for it, Ioannis Lakatzis has informed that the student of Petrozavodsk State University has received the grant to study in Greece within one year. The Consulate General in Saint Petersburg allocated only 4 grants for the entire northwest. "It is very pleasant, that a student from Petrozavodsk will go to study Greek language, - Ioannis Lakatzis has noted, - this is another step on the way of our cultural cooperation."
The Consul General has been very much pleased with the fact that citizens of Petrozavodsk are interested in the Greek culture. The Ancient Greek Language course is included in the program of philological faculty of Petrozavodsk State University. On the basis of secondary school N8 Ellada society which helps to study Greek and Latin languages and culture has been working for a few years. Schoolchildren also study Greek national dances and songs. The society regularly holds various competitions of drawings and compositions on the Greek subjects.
Two weeks before the meeting the group of schoolchildren of Ellada society went to Greece to the international camp under the invitation of the prefecture of Ilia area. The Consulate General in Saint Petersburg has assisted to receive free-of-charge visas to enter the country.
As Ioannis Lakatzis noted, Russia and Greece always had much in common, since christian times and up to nowadays. In Greece there is monument to Russian seamen lost liberating the country. Petrozavodsk masters participation in construction of this chapel.
In conclusion of the meeting the visitors and representatives of the administration of Petrozavodsk have exchanged gifts. Greeks have presented Alexander Safronov with the book telling about the history of the country from XVIII till XX 20 centuries. "This is a unique edition in Russian which isimpossible to buy anywhere, and we have brought it for you specially," - Ioannis Lakatzis has noted.
Visiting National theatre, Petrozavodsk eparchial administration, Petrozavodsk State University, Kizhi museum - reserve, as well as meeting the Head of the Republic was scheduled for the afternoon and the following for the Consul General and his spouse. The next day the visitors departured to Saint Petersburg.
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