The long-lasting and close ties between Greece and China have been proved once more during a memorial symposium held in Athens on Wednesday on Nikos Kazantzakis' contribution to the friendship between the two countries and peoples.

Hosted at the Chinese embassy, the event was organized in cooperation with Nikos Kazantzakis Museum Foundation and the Business Confucius Institute in Athens, as part of celebrations for the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Greece and China.

On the occasion of the 55th anniversary after the death of one of Greece's most celebrated writers in the past century, Greek and Chinese scholars presented his special relation with China.

"Nikos Kazantzakis was not only a pioneer in the Sino-Greek friendship, but also a brotherly friend of Chinese people," Zhao Liying, Charge D'affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Greece, said when addressing the event.

Kazantzakis visited China in 1935 and 1957, depicting the country and the people with objectiveness and warmth and promoting the real image of China to Greece and the world.

The Greek writer was famous for his novel "Zorba the Greek." He became known globally after the 1964 release of the Michael Cacoyannis film based on the novel. Kazantzakis gained renewed fame with the 1988 Martin Scorsese adaptation of his book "The Last Temptation of Christ."

Several of his books have been translated in China, Zhao said, adding that Chinese Ambassador to Greece Du Qiwen visited Kazantzakis Museum at his birthplace on the Crete island of Greece early this year to pay homage at his grave.

"Kazantzakis saw China with a clear view, with no prejudice, but optimism for its future and forecast its leading role in global history," Stelios Matzapetakis, President of Nikos Kazantzakis Museum Foundation stressed in his welcome speech.

Among keynote speakers of the event were Greek Philosophy Professors Georgios Kechagioglou and Giorgis Giatromanolakis who highlighted the author's relation with Chinese literature and Lecturer Theodosis Pilarinos who focused on Kazantzakis' visits to China.

Translator of Kazantzakis' work to the Chinese language, Li Chenggui, and writers Zhou Daxin and Yang Shaobo also spoke at the symposium. Endi

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