Greece and Ukraine

1. Recognition of Ukraine: December 31, 1991.

2. Establishment of diplomatic relations: January 15, 1992.

3. Political relations:

Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, three visits of the President of Ukraine to the Hellenic Republic took place: in November 1996, September 2007, and June 2010.

The President of Greece visited Ukraine in December 1997, April 2008, and November 2022.

Recent contacts at the highest level:

In 2022, there were a total of 12 contacts and meetings with the Greek side at the highest and highest levels, including three telephone conversations between President of Ukraine V.Zelenskyy and Prime Minister of Greece K.Mitsotakis (13.03.2022, 22.06.2022, 30.12.2022); the visit of President of Greece K.Sakellaropoulou to Ukraine (03.11.2022); Prime Minister of Ukraine Dmytro Shmyhal’s meeting with Greek Prime Minister Kiriakos Mitsotakis on the sidelines of the informal EU summit in the Czech Republic (05.10.2022); three visits of Greek Foreign Minister N.Dendias to Ukraine (03.04.2022, 12.07.2022, 19.10.2022).

In 2023, President of Ukraine V.Zelenskyy met with Prime Minister of Greece K.Mitsotakis on the sidelines of a special meeting of the European Council in Brussels (09.02.2023); Minister of Defense of Ukraine O.Reznikov visited Greece (06.04. 2023); telephone conversation between President of Ukraine V.Zelenskyy and Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic K.Mitsotakis (10.04.2023); telephone conversation between Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine D.Kuleba and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Greece N.Dendias (16.05.2023).

Existing high-level bilateral bodies:

– Intergovernmental Joint Ukrainian-Greek Working Group on Economic, Industrial, Technical and Scientific Cooperation (5th meeting held in Athens, 13.07.2011); the Ukrainian part is chaired by Deputy Minister of Economy of Ukraine – Trade Representative of Ukraine T.Kachka;

– Interagency Ukrainian-Greek Commission on Road Transportation (05-06.03.2013, Athens).

Legal framework: 47 documents, including:

– Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation;

– Agreement on Economic, Industrial, Scientific and Technical Cooperation;

– Agreement on Military Cooperation;

– Agreement on Cooperation in Culture, Education and Science;

– Treaty on Legal Assistance in Civil Matters;

– Agreement on the Promotion and Reciprocal Protection of Investments;

– Agreement for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income and on Property;

– Protocol on Consular Relations between the Government of Ukraine and the Government of the Hellenic Republic.

Several draft bilateral documents, including those on social security, are currently being worked on by the parties.

Trade and economic cooperation

According to the Hellenic Statistical Office – ELSTAT, in January-June 2022, the value of Greece’s imports from Ukraine amounted to $74.5 million, recording a decrease of 14.9% compared to January-June 2021, when this figure was $87.5 million. The value of Greece’s exports to Ukraine amounted to $130.6 million, recording an increase of 28.6% compared to the period January-June 2021, when this figure was $101.5 million. The trade balance was positive for Greece and amounted to $56.1 million.

Ukrainian community

As of 2023, the size of the Ukrainian community in Greece amounted to about 25 thousand people (or 0.22% of the total population), of which about 21 thousand people are representatives of labor migration temporarily residing in the country. The overwhelming majority of Ukrainians live in Athens, with numerous Ukrainian communities on the island of Crete and in the cities of Thessaloniki and Thessaloniki. Thessaloniki and Patras.

Since February 24, 2022, more than 80 thousand Ukrainian citizens have arrived in Greece (according to the Greek competent authorities), the vast majority of whom are women, children and the elderly.

There are 7 registered Ukrainian public associations in the country (6 in Athens, 1 in Thessaloniki). Three of the Ukrainian NGOs operating in Athens (the Ukrainian Diaspora Society “Ukrainian-Greek Thought”, the Ukrainian Cultural and Educational Center “Berehynia”, and the Center for the Preservation and Development of Ukrainian Cultural Heritage “Trembita”) have Ukrainian Saturday schools, and a fourth school, the Ukrainian Catechetical School, operates at the Church of St. Nicholas in Athens. The Ukrainian Crane Land Association (Athens) operates the Ukrainian Cultural Center and the Borys Antonych Ukrainian Library.

The Embassy of Ukraine to the Hellenic Republic has a Public Council of Heads of Ukrainian Associations in Greece, which meets regularly.

The Greek community in Ukraine

The Greek community in Ukraine numbers more than 100 thousand people, most of whom live compactly in the Donetsk region, in particular in the city of Mariupol and nearby villages. As of February 2022, there were more than 100 Greek public national and cultural associations in Ukraine, most of which are members of the Federation of Greek Societies of Ukraine (FGSU), Mariupol.

With the support of the Ukrainian state, there are more than 40 public schools teaching the New Greek language, history and culture of Greece. Mariupol State University is positioned as a “Greek” university, where students at most faculties study Greek alongside their main specialty. The New Greek language is taught at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Odesa, Lviv, and Donetsk State Universities, as well as at the Drahomanov National Pedagogical University.

Greek philanthropists and individual municipalities join the efforts of the Greek state. “The Bumbouras Foundation provides financial assistance to Ukrainian students from socially disadvantaged categories who are pursuing higher education in Ukrainian universities in the areas of “New Greek language, literature, culture,” and supports the cultural and educational activities of Greek communities in Ukraine.

On August 24, 2022, the central office of the Union of Greeks of Ukraine in Greece was opened in Thessaloniki, headed by the President of the Federation of Greek Societies of Ukraine, Oleksandra Protsenko-Pichadzhi. Leaders and activists of Greek communities in Mariupol, Kyiv, Dnipro, Kharkiv, and Odesa became members of the Union. The purpose of this union is to consolidate the Greeks of Ukraine who have found temporary protection in Greece due to the military actions, to concentrate human potential, to communicate, to provide humanitarian aid and advice on finding housing, to restore cultural events, etc.