CULTURAL BRIDGE

Beside the strong economic linkage, Greece can also play the role of a "cultural bridge" between China and the West, said.

He noted that both Greece and China cherish and take pride in their unique cultural heritage for a very good reason: The Chinese culture has significantly influenced the cultural evolution of Asia for centuries and the Greek culture has been the cradle of Western Civilization.

"So we are not only talking about cultural exchanges. We are also talking about establishing a 'cultural bridge' between East and West. A bridge of mutual understanding and one that can bring together cultural traditions that are so different and so similar at the same time," he said.

The way forward includes learning each other's language and history, and having extensive studies and publications about the parallels in the history and cultural evolution in both countries.

"This will have an impact on Europe, beyond Greece itself. It will open the 'gate' and will build the 'bridge' for the whole Western world to better understand the Chinese culture," Samaras stressed.

Following the first Chinese Confucius Center in Athens, the second one will be opened soon in the city of Thessaloniki in northern Greece. A new Department of Chinese Studies will also be opened at the University of Athens in 2015.

Meanwhile, the Greek government is working to tackle problems such as the complicated visa application procedure to offer Chinese and other foreign visitors the best visiting experience.

BILATERAL FRIENDSHIP

The prime minister said he and his Chinese counterpart enjoy a good personal relationship.

"It is true that we have an excellent personal relationship," said Samaras, adding that he had the feeling of knowing each other for years the first time they met.

He described Li as someone with whom "you can talk openly, honestly and sincerely; somebody you can rely upon and who can rely on you; somebody with whom you can share mutual trust, mutual respect and understanding."

"This is what I call 'friendship' and in my view it is very important in human relations. It is also a very important ingredient in relations between statesmen," he stressed.

Samaras also gave an example of the friendship between the two peoples. During the Libyan crisis three years ago, Greece, though mired in the middle of its own debt crisis, did everything possible to intervene and rescue thousands of endangered Chinese nationals.

"We would do the same for anybody. But it only came natural to Greeks to rush and rescue Chinese nationals from serious danger," the Greek prime minister said.

The Greek leader noted that one thing Greek and Chinese people have in common is that they are both very proud of their cultures and very ambitious about their growth prospects.

"So we have a long way to go and many things to gain by understanding each other and working together. It is true that we are very different both in size and in geography. It is also true that we evolved separately. But if the world's two most ancient cultures come closer today, the impact will probably be felt way beyond our borders," he stressed.