Greek language
With a history spanning over 4,000 years of oral tradition and at least 2,800 years of written records, the Greek language remains to this day a vibrant vehicle of culture and creativity. Its influence remains evident in the international vocabulary of science, medicine, political theory, literature, and the humanities, while the Greek alphabet is considered one of the most significant achievements in the history of human communication.
UNESCO’s designation of February 9 as World Greek Language Day constitutes a historic international recognition of the Greek language’s timeless contribution to global culture. The relevant decision was approved by the UNESCO Executive Board at its 221st session in April 2025, following an initiative by Greece and with broad international support, and was finally ratified by the Organization’s General Conference in November 2025 in Samarkand.
In its resolution, UNESCO recognizes that language is “a vehicle of culture, a repository of values, concepts, and identity, a means of expression and creativity, as well as a bridge for communication and mutual understanding among peoples.”
In this context, the unique position of the Greek language among the world’s languages is highlighted, due to its unbroken historical continuity, the richness of its written and oral traditions, and its decisive contribution to the development of philosophy, the sciences, democracy, the arts, and European and global culture.
World Greek Language Day is symbolically linked to the date of the death of Dionysios Solomos, Greece’s national poet, and highlights the timeless connection between the Greek language and the fundamental values of freedom, education, democracy, and humanism.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs attaches particular importance to the celebration of World Greek Language Day, which highlights the international recognition of its prestige, timelessness, and influence.
The mobilization of the country’s diplomatic network and the establishment of partnerships with educators, cultural, and diaspora organizations ensures the greatest possible impact of the Greek language and its promotion as a key pillar of public diplomacy and soft power.
You can view the relevant UNESCO announcement here: UNESCO – World Greek Language Day
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs cooperates with the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports, which is the competent authority responsible for supporting the operation of various Greek language teaching units abroad, including schools, Greek Language Departments, and Academic Institutions. This cooperation also concerns the staffing of these units with educators and the provision of educational books and material of Greek interest.
Support for Greek-language education is important not only for strengthening the ties between the Greek Diaspora and the homeland, but also for promoting Greek education and culture. In this context, the General Secretariat for Greeks Abroad and Public Diplomacy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs remains a steady supporter of every effort that promotes Greece abroad.
Within this framework, the online platform StaEllinika was created, serving as a teaching and learning tool for the Greek language that can be utilized by Diaspora schools, Greek expatriate students of all ages, as well as anyone wishing to learn Greek. This initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs was developed in cooperation with the Ministry of Education, Religious Affairs and Sports and the SNF Centre for Hellenic Studies at Simon Fraser University (SFU) in Vancouver, Canada, with the support of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF). The platform operates in five languages—English, French, German, Spanish, and Portuguese—and promotes Greek language learning, thereby contributing substantially to the preservation of Greek identity among Hellenism worldwide. Plans are also underway for its further expansion through the use of artificial intelligence.
Furthermore, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs promotes programs aimed at strengthening Greek language proficiency among young members of the Greek Diaspora, in cooperation with various educational institutions such as the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, the University of Ioannina, the University of Western Macedonia, and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, with a particular emphasis on the younger generation of Greeks abroad.