Dendias: Mandela is a symbol of the oppressed peoples in Africa and the fight for dignity

"Nelson Mandela was the leader of the movement for the human rights of the citizens of South Africa but also the entire African continent," Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said in a videotaped message at an event organised by the Marianna Vardinogiannis Foundation.

"With his ethical principles and his struggle, he found himself at the helm of a universal, timeless struggle.

"The universal struggle for freedom, equality, dignity, democracy and respect for human rights. He became not only a symbol of the oppressed peoples of Africa but also of all people fighting for their dignity.

"He was an emblematic leader in world history. A source of inspiration for the entire world, for all generations," said Dendias.

Looking to the future, the foreign minister added, Mandela believed in a struggle that would allow not just prevailing but also a great victory.

"The victory of reconciliation, and the functioning of a multi-racial democracy in the post-apartheid era," he said.

"He chose to turn his own life into a symbol of the struggle against apartheid but also of the greater struggle for reconciliation between people," the Greek foreign minister concluded.

It is recalled that on May 25, Dendias participated as a keynote speaker in an online conference co-organized by the Embassy of South Africa and the Group of African Ambassadors in Athens, in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In his speech, the Foreign Minister welcomed the role of the African Union as a security architecture of the African continent and noted the creation of the African Continental Free Trade Area, which has the potential for a common market of 1.2 billion people.

“Greece, which never had a colonial past in the region, has a long and valued relationship with African countries,” he said, adding: “By building on these longstanding relations, we are working towards further deepening our mutually beneficial partnerships.”

Dendias highlighted Greece’s intentions to upgrade cooperation in all sectors, both in bilateral and multilateral contexts.

“Our growing engagement in Africa is being also demonstrated by the opening recently of our new Embassy in Dakar which will cover the biggest part of the Sahel region,” the foreign minister said.

“Together with our other Embassies, the General Consulates, Consulates and Honorary Consulates in the Continent, Greece will continue working with our African partners to expand our relations on the ground,” he added.

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