LAST UPDATE: 13:05
Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias and Culture Minister Lina Mendoni agreed to set up a working group, which will propose within ten days a specific action plan on the issue of Hagia Sophia that will be implemented in the near future.
The meeting took place at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and in addition to the two ministers, the UNESCO Ambassador for Greece, Maria Diamantopoulou, the President of the Hellenic National Committee for UNESCO, Aikaterini Tzitzikosta, and other officials participated in it.
The Greek foreign minister stated after the meeting that “we have repeatedly stressed that the conversion of Hagia Sophia into a mosque does not constitute a Greek-Turkish dispute. However, of course, for us Greeks, this monument is of special importance and value.
That is why we have decided to raise the issue through international initiatives that we will take, as European citizens and as citizens of the international community, talking to all the International organizations, with UNESCO, of course, being the leading organization.
Our goal is to protect this monument that has universal value. Besides, it has been registered as such in UNESCO. The universality of the Hagia Sophia monument was highlighted by the reactions of the international community. We want, therefore, to create an umbrella of specific actions, which will strive for the effective protection of this centuries-old monument.
On her part, the Minister of Culture stated that the issue of Hagia Sophia is not an issue that concerns the two countries, that is, Greece and Turkey.
“Hagia Sophia is one of the most important human creations, it is one of the most important monuments, which is the epitome of many ecumenical values. It is these universal values that are in danger of being lost from the conversion of the monument into a religious mosque. I believe that the level of discussion was such that it creates prospects for the Greek government as a whole to deal with this issue in the international community.”