“What matters always is not the knowledge of the grammar of the language, it’s to know the mentality of the people,” His Excellency the Greek ambassador to Egypt Mr. Nikolaos Garilidis explains as he discusses the job of a diplomat in an exclusive interview with Egyptian Streets. Originally born in the city of Port Said in Egypt, Garilidis is a third generation Greek living in Egypt with a century-old family lineage that has been present in this small coastal Egyptian city. Following graduation from Cairo’s Abet Greek School, he went on to study Law at The University of Athens, after which he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic (Greece) in1982. “Although I wanted to become an archeologist, my father wanted me to be a civil engineer,” his excellency recalls, “But you see, the last word belongs to destiny.” Indeed, anyone who sits with Garilidis will quickly identify his passion towards history and all the knowledge it withholds. As we ventured into the many responsibilities of a diplomat, the Greek Ambassador effortlessly managed to find the various interlinking ways history and one’s roots play a role in…
Embracing One’s Roots and History: In-depth with the Greek Ambassador to Egypt
March 3, 2021
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