Mitsotakis on UNESCO’s Recognition of World Greek Language Day

On behalf of the millions of Greeks around the world, but also on behalf of thousands of foreign scholars and admirers of the Greek language, I would like to thank UNESCO for declaring 9 February as “World Greek Language Day”. It is a landmark decision that fills us with pride, as it acknowledges the universal and timeless significance and widespread use of its words in science and culture.

It is, after all, one of the oldest avenues of communication, with a history spanning 3,000 years. It began with Homer’s Odyssey and the Iliad; and the origins of Western philosophy with Socrates and Plato. It then became the language of the Gospels and Byzantium, and then of the Greek Revolution with the hero Makriyannis, to reach the Alexandrian poet Cavafy and our Nobel Prize winners, Elytis and Seferis.

Always using the same alphabet, even though it evolved over the centuries. And always leaving its mark on philosophy and politics, on theater and literature, as well as on medicine, on geometry, mathematics. Today, the same is happening with new technologies and bioethics. At every step, we encounter terms with Greek roots. Timeless influences of the official language of Greece and Cyprus and one of the 27 languages of the European Union.

Today, that same language is moving into the intangible realm of the digital age. Artificial intelligence is becoming a new means of expression and dissemination, preserving our words, pronunciation and history. Thus, Greek is evolving from a language carved in stone and written in manuscripts into a language of algorithms, nonetheless remaining a continually living language.

The Greek State thus welcomes this historic decision, aware of the heaviness of the heritage and the responsibility it entails. It sees it not simply as a success, but as a mandate for action. It therefore pledges before you that it will continue to highlight and promote this ancient yet contemporary language, both within and beyond its borders, with planning and scientific dedication.

I would like to conclude by thanking everyone who labored to ensure that our language received the recognition it deserves. The establishment of this annual international milestone gives us the opportunity to bring more and more people closer to the Greek language. But for those of us who speak it, it gives us a reason to reflect on how our language shapes our thoughts, our culture, and ultimately our future.

https://www.primeminister.gr/2025/11/06/37294