British Ambassador in Corfu for 150th Anniversary Celebrations; Relations between Greece and Britain; His Excellency Mr. John Kittmer

His Excellency Mr John Kittmer spoke at the Corfu Reading Society last night on the subject "150 Years Later: Greek-British Relations Today". See Ambassador's Tweet (on signing the visitors' book on Capodistrias' writing-desk).

The British Ambassador to Greece provided an impressive survey of the links between the two countries over a period of more than two centuries, whilst pointing out that there was "no consistent narrative in Anglo-Greek relations". He reminded the audience of the extent and range of the 19th century British influence and legacy in the Ionian Islands, and demonstrated why the contemporary relationship continues to be extremely important to both countries, whether in terms of trade, exports and investment, insurance, shipping, energy issues (hydrocarbon exploration, energy distribution and off-shore installations), diplomacy, anti-terrorism, strategic regional co-operation, tourism and education (12,000 Greeks studying in the UK last year).

He referred to the common ant-Fascist and anti-Nazi struggle during World War II, and reminded us of the significance of the hundredth anniversary of the Great War and of the British involvement on the Macedonian Front near Thessaloniki.

Two million Brits came to Greece last year (385,000 came to Corfu). Mass tourism brings its own problems, but it also helps to spread prosperity.

Not forgetting the influence of Byron and Napier.

More from the Ambassador's speech (Kathimerini)

About HMA John Kittmer (from King's College, London, website):

"John Kittmer was appointed British Ambassador to Greece in January 2013. He has a broad range of experience across government having worked previously in the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the Cabinet Office, the Department for Education & Employment (DfEE), as well as the Foreign Office (FCO). Concurrently, he is completing a PhD in the Centre for Hellenic Studies at King’s College London on the poetry of Yannis Ritsos".

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In view of the Ambassador's interest in the poetry of Ritsos, two of my earlier postings:

In Honour of Ritsos

Ritsos: Poem on a Napkin

and a little plug for my cultural history, which deals at some length with the events leading up to the 1864 Union of the Ionian Islands with Greece.

My own suggestion concerning the Great War and the Macedonian Front:

An exhibition of the great paintings of the Macedonian Front by Stanley Spencer?

War Paintings, UK tour.

The Memorial Chapel, Sandham

NB The Reading Society (Anagnostiki Etairia) has an excellent exhibition of printed materials concerning the Union of the Ionian Islands with Greece, prepared by Andreas Papadatos and Kostas Kardamis.

For further reading on wider topics, see "Greece and Britain Since 1945", 2nd edition, edited David Wills, Cambridge Scholars Publishing.

See also Anglo-Greek Attitudes, Richard Clogg