5/08/2008
“The Routes of the Olive Tree” changes its route.
The Chinese authorities hasn’t given any official answer to our Cultural Foundation, concerning the issue of the members of this expedition entry visa into China. The organisors of this trip still haven’t got any answer – nor positive nor negative – even after having given all the needed documents asked by the chinese authorities, after endless interventions from the Council of Europe,the Foreign Affairs Ministry,and our country’s embassy in China, as well as people having importance on an international level. We would like to also highlight that the organisors also modified the initial route, in order to obey to the chinese authorities, concerning the ban of crossing a region in China that has recently suffered from the earthquakes. A chinese public travel agence was supposed to carry all the formalities out, necessary for all the members of the expedition’s accreditation.
It is also important to highlight that the Ministry of Culture in Greece – that is the honour country at the Olympic Games this year – had included the Routes of the Olive Tree in the Year of the Greek culture in China’s programme. According to the principles, this means that the country that organises the Olympic Games that year has to approve the Routes of the Olive Tree as an official mission and offer its support.
“The message of Peace and Friendship among the people transmit itself also through the wind, and none of the border can stop it”, has declared the President of the Messinian Chamber of Commerce and Industry as well as Executive Chief of “the Routes of the Olive Tree” cultural foundation, M. Georgios Karabatos, when he was telling the members of the routes about the modifications in the route and explaining the reasons why.
The route continue in the framework of the project of intercultural dialogue and plan to cross 13 countries in total, instead of 15 as it was planned before.The route that the riders now have to follow, as it is nowadays designed, cross the inner part of Kazakhstan as well as its new capital city, Astana, to join Kurgan, in Russia. We won’t go to Mongolia; In Kurgan, the expedition will go aboard the transsiberian till Moscow, where the members will stay three days on board in order to prepare ” The big party of Greece and the olive tree” that will take place from 23rd to 26th september, in the framework of the 17th International meeting of Food products in Moscow. On this occasion, a commercial mission will also be created.
The message of Peace has passed Uzbekistan to Kazakhstan, where on 2nd august, in Almaty,a delegation of the Routes of the Olive Tree, leaded by M.Karabatos and accompanied by the consul of our country in Kazakhstan, M.Georgios Parthenios, has signed a “cooperation memorandum”, aiming at the promotion of the scientific research innovation and development, with Rector of the International Relations and “Kazakh Ablai Khan” International Relations and Foreign Languages university, Mrs. Salima Kounanbaeva. Fourty-five students study greek in this university.
The “cooperation memorandum” for the development of commercial and business relations, as well as transactions and exchanges on a bilateral level, regional and multilateral, has also been signed with the Kazakhtan President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Yerlan Kozasbai. Mr. has declared that if the cooperation with Greece didn’t exist before, the relations between our two countries enter a new phase thanks to the signature of this Memorandum. Mr.Karambatos has offered two olive trees : a tree to the Rector of the university and another one to the President of the Kazakhstan Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
The inhabitants of the cities of Taras and Alamty – the ancient capital city of Kazakhstan- , habing some greek roots, warmly welcomed the members of the Routes of the Olive Tree, by organising a party in their honour inside the stadium of the city. Kazakhs people of greek origins expressed their love for their ancestors’ country and took advantage on this occasion to try olives, olive oil and olive paste, made in Greece and brought by the Routes of the Olive Tree. An organisation extremely dynamic of the inhabitants of Pont Euxin (exhiled by Staline in 1949 towards the Sovietic Unions borders of the time.), leaded by Mr. Pavlov Feodoridis, does its best to maintain the shine of the greek culture among 14.000 kazakhs of greek origins, who still live in this region after more than 40.000 of them went back.
The press office