Pictured President Pavlopoulos and Philippe Couvreur, Registrar of the International Court of Justice.
Official visit of the President of the Hellenic Republic to the Kingdom of the Netherlands, 4-5th July, 2016
By Elizabeth Naumczyk.
The President of the Hellenic Republic, Mr. Prokopios Pavlopoulos, accompanied by his wife Mrs. Vlassia Pavlopoulou, paid an official visit to the Netherlands on Monday 4 July and Tuesday 5 July 2016.
It is more than twenty years since the last visit of a President of the Hellenic Republic. This high profile visit will contribute to the further strengthening of the bilateral relations and will underline the beneficial cooperation between Greece and The Netherlands.
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The President of the Hellenic Republic started his visit with an official ceremony followed by lunch at the Nordeinde Palace with H.M. King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima. He then visited the Senate and met with President of the Senate, Ms Ankie Broekers-Knol, and the President of the House of Representatives, Ms Khadija Arib. This was followed by a guided tour at the Mauritshuis house and a visit to the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
Late afternoon, a special ceremony at the Greek Residence in The Hague was organized by the Ambassador of the Hellenic Republic to the Kingdom of the Netherlands Mrs. Teresa-Paraskevi Angelatou for H.E. Mr. Prokopios Pavlopoulos to present and offer a first copy of a bust of philosopher Aristotle to the Director of the National Archeological Museum in Leiden Mr. Win Weijland as a gift from the Greek State to the Kingdom of The Netherlands.
The President explained to guests mainly from the academic and civil society that this event was not only important to Greece and The Netherlands but also for our common European civilization. We are celebrating 2,400 years since the birth of Aristotle declared by UNESCO as “Aristotle Anniversary Year”.
“Aristotle, like no one else has influenced the history of the human spirit from philosophical thought to science. He had been a teacher to Alexander the Great. Aristotle’s contribution was unique. He took information and experience and turned it into knowledge, into science and subsequently into wisdom. Aristotle is the true founder of science. We are indebted to him for the philosophy of science and law and formal logic. Even today, there are many followers of Aristotlean ethics”.
The copy is of a Roman-era bust of Aristotle from the first century AD found in 2005 during the excavations for the construction of the new Museum of Acropolis, in the area of Makriyianni. According to ancient sources it is a very faithful and high quality depiction taking into account his nose, his curly hair and bread. The copy was made using the most advanced technological means by the Acropolis museum under the supervision of Professor Dimitrios Pandermalis, President of Acropolis Museum whom he thanked.
“So on the occasion of my visit to The Netherlands and especially here, the Greek State wishes to offer this portrait of Aristotle to an emblematic museum, the National Archeological Museum in Leiden, a city which has one of the oldest universities, a city where Rembrandt was born and a city which took part and is still taking part in classical studies. We are very happy that this will now find its place in Leiden.”
Guests were offered refreshments and snacks during the ceremony. The evening concluded with a dinner at Catshuis hosted by Prime Minister Mr. Mark Rutte.
On the second day of his visit, the President of the Hellenic Republic visited the Department of Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies of the University of Amsterdam, the Social and Economic Council (SER) and YES!Delft, the incubator that unites students and entrepreneurs with innovative ideas.
