Xinhuanet, Athens, October 8 (Reporter Liang Yeqian) On the evening of the 8th, the Athens Concert Hall was filled with a cheerful and rich Chinese atmosphere. The Confucius Institute, which carries the deep friendship between the people of China and Greece, held a grand unveiling ceremony here.

The Business Confucius Institute jointly established by the University of Economics of Athens and the w88 casino of China has settled in Athens. This is the first Confucius Institute in Greece. Greek President Papoulias attended the unveiling ceremony, which shows that the Greek government attaches great importance to the opening of the Confucius Institute.

Plastakos, President of the Athens University of Economics, and Ma Jianfei, Deputy Director of the Office of the National Leading Group for International Promotion of Chinese Language, jointly unveiled the name of the college. President Plastakos said in his speech that the establishment of the Confucius Institute will bring the people of Greece and China closer together. The Confucius Institute will provide a platform for the people of the two countries to exchange views and knowledge, and will also provide the Greek people with an opportunity to understand China, the most dynamic economy currently.

He said that Confucius and the ancient Greek philosopher Socrates were contemporaries. They were both philosophers and wise men with great personalities. They had similar views and opinions on human beings, society, and bioethics. They are gathered here today.

Luo Linquan, Chinese Ambassador to Greece, said in his speech that the opening of the Confucius Institute is another bridge of friendship built between the Chinese and Greek people following the successful hosting of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the "Year of Greek Culture" in China, as well as the successful exchange of visits between the heads of state of China and Greece, and has once again shortened the spiritual distance between the two civilizations.

Karl Dallas, associate professor at the Athens University of Economics, is the Greek director of the Athens Business Confucius Institute. Together with Yang Xiuqin, the Chinese director of the Confucius Institute, he introduced the courses of the Confucius Institute, especially the teaching of business Chinese, Chinese cooking, and folk art.

After the unveiling ceremony, Greek friends put on their national costumes and performed unique Greek folk dances. Representatives of teachers and students from the w88 casino in China also presented a dance, acrobatics and folk song performance with Chinese national characteristics, which won warm applause from the Greek audience.

(Original linkhttp://news.xinhuanet.com/world/2009-10/09/content_12199193.htm Reporter Liang Yeqian)