Greece and US Focus on Strengthening Bilateral Cultural Relations

Ambassador of Greece in Washington Katerina Nasika, Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni and Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Lee Satterfield. Photo source: Culture Ministry

Actions to further strengthen cooperation between Greece and the United States in culture and heritage, topped the agenda of talks between Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni and Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Lee Satterfield in the Washington this week.

Mendoni informed Satterfield about the 2nd workshop on the protection of cultural heritage from the effects of climate change, jointly organized by Thessaloniki, Crete, the ministry, the US State Department, the US Embassy in Athens, and the Greek section of ICOM, which brought together experts from 11 countries.

Referring to the success of the workshop and within the framework of the Greece-US Cultural Property Agreement signed in 2021, Mendoni proposed the organization of a similar workshop focusing on tackling the illegal trafficking of antiquities and art works with the participation of Balkan countries. She suggested the event be organized by the ministry in collaboration with the US State Department and the US Embassy in Athens.

Greek Culture Minister Lina Mendoni in the Greek Archives section at the Library of Congress.

Satterfield said Greece had played a leading role in the Balkan region in matters related to cultural diplomacy, and welcomed Mendoni’s proposal.

Other issues discussed included progress on the construction of the Thessaloniki Holocaust Museum as well as Greek cinematography and the creation of a new organization which will merge the Hellenic Film Center and EKOME (National Centre of Audiovisual Media and Communication) as well as the establishment of a school for cinematographers. In this direction, Satterfield said the US could support the project with experts and trainers in the field.

Mendoni and Satterfield also discussed cooperation between Greek and US museums and the exchange of shows, including a show prepared by the National Archaeological Museum to begin its tour of US states in 2026, as well as an exhibition to run at the JP Getty Museum in 2025, among others.

“Great to see Minister Mendoni again! Took her to the Library of Congress in DC and continued discussing the US-Greece collaboration on cultural heritage and the arts – strengthening US-Greece bilateral cultural relations,” said Satterfield via her X (former twitter) account.