It is with great pleasure that I stand before you today, to talk about an issue that is close to my heart, an issue that I believe is critical to the evolution of the Olympic Movement, and to Cities Diplomacy in general. It gives me special joy that this important meeting takes place in Beijing.
Each and every time I visit Beijing, this beautiful and historic city, and I have made the trip from Athens to the capital of China, very often throughout the last 15 years, I remember the foundation of the strong bonds built between our cities, distant in geographic terms, yet brought together by the power of history, culture, collaboration and friendship.

献给医药界的世界科学奥运会将于9月23日至26日在首都北京举办，此次会议是由中华医学会外科学分会、国际外科、消化科及肿瘤科医师联盟（IASGO）联合主办的。首界世界医药科学奥运会有着强厚的希腊色彩。该联盟秘书长为希腊著名外科医生Lygidakis。此外，奥运会闭幕式也将献给希腊文化，科学和医药历史，当然还有知名的希腊内科医师Hippocrates，他于公元前460年先于爱琴海Cos岛，在医药历史上被认为是最杰出的人物之一。同时为了对他一生贡献的肯定，他被命名为“医药之父”。

19世纪初现代奥运会在希腊复苏，并后在随后的几个世纪里奥林匹克教育不断发展，日前希腊两名代表在北京大学出席了2008北京论坛（11月7日至9日）时，向世人展示了希腊现代奥运发展史。

希腊爱奥尼亚大学历史系教授Eleni Angelomatis-Tsougarakis向人们展示了19世纪初，奥运会在希腊复苏的一些鲜为人知的社会和经济背景。而另一位奥运教育方面的副教授和国际奥林匹克学院的教师则表述了在70多个国家和地区奥运教学的动力和内容。

Culture Minister of Greece Mihalis Liapis concluded last Sunday August 10 an official visit to Beijing in the context of the Year of Greece in China and the opening of the 29th Olympiad.
In the evening of Saturday, August 9, at the Grand National Theater in Beijing, Mr. Liapis attended the performance “Medea” staged by Greece’s acclaimed director Dimitris Papaioannou who had directed the opening ceremony of the Athens Games in 2004.