The Minister of Tourism, Ms. Olga Kefalogiannis, was visited by the Regional Director of the Commonwealth War Cemeteries Commission (CWGC) of the United Kingdom, Mr. Xavier Pipank, and the British Ambassador to Athens, Mr. Matthew Lodge. The meeting focused on the better utilization of the Commonwealth War Cemeteries in Greece, as landmarks of remembrance, brotherhood and reconciliation, but also as points of historical tourist interest for visitors from Commonwealth countries.
The Commonwealth War Cemeteries Commission (CWGC) was established during the First World War to commemorate the Commonwealth soldiers who died during the war, and today commemorates the 18,000 Commonwealth and other war dead who died during the two world wars and are buried or commemorated in twenty-five locations in Greece. The 6,000 who have no known grave are commemorated by four monuments to the missing.
During the discussion, the importance of preserving historical memory and introducing history to younger generations was highlighted, as a means of instilling common values ??and understanding the importance of reconciliation between peoples.
As representatives of the Commonwealth, Mr. Pipank and the British Ambassador referred to the important chapter that the promotion of military cemeteries in our country constitutes as a point of particular interest for visitors from the Commonwealth, even from distant countries such as Canada, South Africa, India, Australia and New Zealand. They also noted the feasibility of a more general promotion of these monuments both to all visitors to our country and to Greek society.
For her part, the Minister of Tourism expressed her agreement with the proposals of the British side and assured of the Ministry’s intention to support the effort to highlight and promote military cemeteries, within the framework of historical and thematic tourism. Special mention was made of the War Cemetery of Paleo Faliro, with Ms. Kefalogianni underlining the importance of cooperation with regional authorities and bodies such as the War Museum of Athens.
Finally, the two sides discussed the possibility of expanding cooperation to highlight other emblematic places of memory, such as the Allied Cemeteries in Souda and Thessaloniki.
