The value of the Olympic Truce through the ages, especially in times of multiple global crises like the present, was underlined by Deputy Foreign Minister Giorgos Kotsiras in his speech at the event "Olympism and Olympic Truce: Sports in the Service of Peace", which took place on Wednesday night at UNESCO's main events hall in Paris.

This inititaive highlights the "values of Olympism, of human dignity, of democracy and peace, as Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in his message," which was aired at the start of the event, noted Kotsiras, according to a relevant announcement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"The tradition of the Olympic Truce, born in Ancient Greece, is the cornerstone of the Olympic ideals, revived by the International Olympic Committee and recognised by UNESCO," Kotsiras pointed out. He also underlined that in an era of widespread uncertainty and global unrest, "the idea of the Olympic Truce and the need to observe it remains more relevant and more urgent than ever." He urged that Olympism be adopted "as a philosophy of life," and invited people to "spread the message of the Olympic Truce, a message of hope for peace in the world." 

In his speech, Kotsiras also referred to UNESCO's role in protecting the world's cultural heritage, noting that "the preservation of the universal character of monuments and the observance of international standards for the protection of religious and cultural heritage is a clear international obligation that binds all states."

He also referred to the importance that the Foreign Ministry attaches to cooperation with UNESCO, as well as to a series of cultural events taking place in Paris ahead of the Olympic Games, in the context of public diplomacy.

The event was held at the initiative of the Permanent Delegation of Greece to UNESCO and in collaboration with the Permanent Delegation of France, in the context of Greek-French cooperation in view of the 2024 Olympic Games to be held this summer in Paris.