‘Greek language a driver of European culture’

As one of the oldest languages in the world, Greek has been a powerful vessel for the transmission of culture and values in Europe and must be safeguarded, President Nikos Christodoulides said on Monday.

He was speaking at an education ministry event at the Presidential Palace in the presence of distinguished Greek linguist and philologist Professor Georgios Babiniotis, a former Greek minister of education and religious affairs.

Babiniotis served as rector of Athens University and is best known as the author of the Dictionary of Modern Greek, published in 1998.

Christodoulides said Greek was one of the most ancient languages in the world and had contributed significantly to the development of European thought and culture.

“It is incumbent upon us to get to know and love our Greek language better and recognise its worth,” Christodoulides said.

He also said Greek language proficiency was a tool which must be bestowed on future generations and is inseparable from effective education and the transmission of culture and national identity.

The 50 years since the Turkish occupation and the 20 since joining the European Union were milestones highlighting the need to preserve the Greek language in all its magnificence, and contribute to showcasing its power through various initiatives, the president added.

The Dictionary of Modern Greek is to be provided to pupils through the Ouranios Ioannides Foundation.