German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will visit Greece from October 29 to 31 at the invitation of Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou.
In an announcement, Steinmeier stated, “The diversity and closeness in German-Greek relations are reflected in the themes of this visit, from historical memory to political challenges such as migration and sustainability, as well as cooperation in business, science, and culture.”
President Steinmeier’s Itinerary
Steinmeier is set to arrive in Thessaloniki on Tuesday, October 29, where he and President Sakellaropoulou will visit the under-construction Holocaust Museum. Later, he will join a discussion on German-Greek relations at the Goethe Institute, featuring former national football coach Otto Rehhagel. That evening, Steinmeier will travel to Athens to visit the Boehringer Ingelheim pharmaceutical plant in Koropi and then the studio of artist Theo Triantafyllidis, where he will meet Athens Biennale participants.
On Wednesday, October 30, Steinmeier will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and be welcomed with military honors at the Presidential Mansion, followed by private talks with President Sakellaropoulou and a meeting with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis at Maximos Mansion.
In the afternoon, he will visit the Numismatic Museum in Iliou Melathron, originally designed by Ernst Ziller as Heinrich Schliemann’s residence, and the German Archaeological Institute, celebrating its 150th anniversary.
Later, Steinmeier will visit a refugee reception center in Malakasa, north of Athens, and attend a concert by cellist Tanja Tetzlaff in Kerameikos. President Sakellaropoulou will host a dinner in his honor that evening.
On Thursday, October 31, Steinmeier will travel to Crete to lay a wreath at the Memorial for the Victims of the Kandanos Massacre. At the town hall, he will view a collection commemorating the village’s destruction by German forces in June 1941 and meet with survivors. That afternoon, he will visit Terra Creta, a project by the German tourism group TUI, titled “From Farm to Fork,” and speak with employees and participants.
About President Steinmeier
Frank-Walter Steinmeier has served as Germany’s president since 2017, following his roles as federal minister of foreign affairs and vice chancellor. He is a member of Germany’s Social Democratic Party (SPD).
