MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The signing ceremony of the cross-year program will take place in the Acropolis Museum in Athens later in the day. It will be attended by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Prikhodko, who represents Russia on the event’s organizing committee.
"By the initiative of the year, our two countries aspire to update the traditional ties of friendship and strengthen cooperation in various areas, scientific, economic and [many] other [fields]. We want to demonstrate, stress and refresh our relations with Russia through this year," Baltas told RIA Novosti in an interview.
A series of cultural events of "premium quality" will be the core of the Greek program, he noted.
"It is logical to emphasize the cultural aspect since Greek culture, that of ancient Greece and that of the Byzantine [period] is recognizable in Russia," the minister said.
"The statue of a girl from the Acropolis is a unique exhibit. It will be its first time to be shown abroad, when it will be welcomed by the Hermitage [Museum]. This will emphasize the significance of the Greece-Russia cross-cultural year," Baltas highlighted.
Greece plans to display impressive works of art, he concluded.
