NEWS OF THE

SERVICE OF DIPLOMATIC AND HISTORICAL ARCHIVES

January 2008: Agreement with the Auschwitz Museum

December 2007: Release of the volume “History and Politics in the Work of Pantelis Voulgaris”

December 2006: Inauguration by FM Ms. Bakoyannis of an Exhibition marking 25 years since Greece’s accession to the EU

December 2006: Publication of the volume: “The Participation of Greece in the Process Towards European Integration, Vol. 2, From the Freeze of the Association Agreement to the to the Accession to the European Communities 1968 – 1981 »

September 2006: Release of a DVD on the participation of Greece in the San Francisco Conference for the creation of the UN (1945) and its first participation in the Security Council (1952-1953)

May 2005:  Two-day conference entitled "History and Politics in the work of Pantelis Voulgaris"

September 2004: Release of the Third Volume of the Series “the Testimony of the Cinematographic Image” of the Film Archive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs titled “Migration in Cinema”.

April 2004: Conference entitled “Negotiations for War: Reenactment of War in Greek Cinematography”

December 2003: Events for the anniversary of the 175 years of diplomatic relations between Greece and Russia

January-June 2003: YDIA Activities in the Framework of the Greek Presidency of the EU Council

May 2003: Statement of Principles on the possession of documents from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the member-states of the European Union by individuals and private organisations

March 2010: “The American People’s Support to the Greek War of Independence 1821”

In early March 2010 a new publication of Ministry of Foreign Affairs came out by the Service of Diplomatic and Historical Archives. Its title is “The American People’s Support to the Greek War of Independence 1821”. The first copy of the book was presented by Prime Minister George Papandreou to President Obama during his visit in Washington and the ceremony in the White House on the occasion of Greece’s National Day.

The publication draws on early documents from Greek and American archives to shed light on the first days of Greek-American relations in 1821-1830. As the Greeks struggled for their freedom after four hundred years under the Ottoman yoke, the people of America offered their generous support.

As it is pointed out by the author of the book Photini Tomai, a Minister A’ officer and Director of the Service of Diplomatic Records, assistance by the American Philhellenes who rushed to help redeem Greece from slavery was primarily a matter of idealism. Still, it clearly served the long term strategic interests of the United States as well. Only 45 years before, the American colonies declared their independence from Great Britain with an appeal to freedom and democracy, ideals they traced back to Greece of the Classical Age. Those ideals were nowhere safe. Statesmen such as Daniel Webster would point to the reactionary policies of the “Holy Alliance” in Europe as hostile to America’s democratic Revolution, not only to Greece’s.

The author hopes this extensive but scarcely exhaustive survey will encourage a fresh appreciation of Greek-American relations and the strength of two people’s historical bonds. The enthusiasm of the American people for Greece’s struggle was impressive – as they demonstrated with gifts of money, food, and weapons shipped to the Greek side. This book also aims to pay tribute to ten known and less-known heroes who came to Greece and sacrificed their health and fortune (and in some cases their lives) to the cause of Greek freedom.

And, as Prime Minister underlines in his short foreword “As this book reminds us, the close friendship between Greece and the United States was the product not only of shared ideals but also of mutual interests. European powers did not want the American experiment extended or repeated. The breakdown of the Ottoman Empire heralded by the Greek Revolution gave America its first experience in the role of global maritime power. One hundred and eighty years later, the arguments America’s orators made for Greek-American solidarity remain no less strong”.

The book is illustrated with 18 masterpieces from the big collection images of the War of Independence that belongs to the National Gallery in Athens.

Presentation of the volume “Grazzi writes about the Italian attack against Greece”

On Thursday, 20 November 2008, at 12:00, Foreign Minister Ms. Dora Bakoyannis addressed an event organised by the Service of Diplomatic & Historical Archives at the Y. Kranidiotis amphitheatre on the occasion of the publication of a book entitled “Grazzi writes about the Italian attack against Greece” (in Greek), which includes 21 letters-articles of the Italian Ambassador in Athens that were published by the Rome newspaper Giornale del Matino between July and August 1945. 

This publication is part of the efforts undertaken by the Foreign Ministry in order to shed light on historical periods and events that have influenced our country’s course.

Academician Mr. C. Svolopoulos and Ambassador Mr. P. Apostolidis spoke about the publication. The event was also attended by the Italian Ambassador’s grandson, who bears the same name, Mr. Emmanuelle Grazzi.

Agreement with the Auschwitz Museum

On 15 January 2008, at 1:00 pm, in the city of Oświęcim (Auschwitz) in Poland, the Director of the Service of Diplomatic and Historical Archives of the Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ms. Photini Tomai - Constantopoulou, Expert Minister A', and Mr. Piotr M.A. Cywiński, Director of the Museum of the Holocaust in Auschwitz, signed an agreement for the organisation of a permanent Greek Exhibition in Block No18 on the ground level of the Museum. The process of preparing the Exhibition will go through various stages and it is foreseen that the works will be finalized by the autumn of year 2009, when the opening ceremony is scheduled to take place.

Release of the volume "History and Politics in the Work of Pantelis Voulgaris"

The fifth consecutive volume of the series "The testimony of cinematographic picture", realised by the Service of Diplomatic and Historical Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and its Cinematographic Archive, was released by Papazisis Editions. It is entitled "History and Politics in the Work of Pantelis Voulgaris", edited by Photini Tomai.

A well-known film director inside and outside the Greek borders, Pantelis Voulgaris has connected his name with the renewal of the country's cinematography. In an unwavering course since the 1960s, his lens carefully observes the major changes of the Greek society. He records and comments with his lens the important events of the country's modern political and social life and he thus becomes a reporter of his era.

His morals, his sensitivity, his aesthetics, the until today artistic deposit of this great creator who allowed his glance to infiltrate with honesty in the past, are examined by Greek intellectuals, historians, political and social scientists, researchers and filmmakers, who deposit their own readings of History and Politics in the work of Voulgaris based on the testimony of the cinematographic pictures, as he recorded them with his own lens.

More specifically, the volume includes texts by Ilias Giannakakis, Andreas Pagoulatos, Stelios Kymionis, Eva Stefani, Vasilis Vamvakas, Georgios Polydorakis, Yannis Papatheodorou, Nikos Potamitis, Stathis Valoukos, Lefteris Xanthopoulos, Polymeris Voglis, Panagis Panagiotopoulos, Angeliki Pantaleon, Nikos Poulakis, Athina Kartalou, loanna Laliotou, Maria Komninou, loanna Athanasatou, Irini Sifaki and Yannis Soldatos. The foreword of the book is written by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Ms Dora Bakoyannis.

Inauguration by FM Ms. Bakoyannis of an Exhibition marking 25 years since Greece’s accession to the EU

On Tuesday, 19 December 2006, at 12:00, Foreign Minister Ms. Dora Bakoyannis inaugurated the Exhibition of Diplomatic Documents, Photographs and Film Records, held at the Foreign Ministry to mark 25 years since Greece’s accession to the European Community.

At the ceremony it was also presented the Diplomatic and Historical Archives Service’s volume of Diplomatic Documents entitled: “From the freezing of the Association Agreement to accession: 1968-1981”.

The exhibition run through the end of February 2007, and was open to the public.

Discourses

Two-day conference entitled "History and Politics in the work of Pantelis Voulgaris"

The Film Archive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs within the framework of the annual scientific meetings entitled "The Testimony of the Cinematographic Image", on Thursday May 19 and Friday May 20, 2005 organised at the amphitheatre "Yiannos Kranidiotis" (Akadimias 1) a two-day conference entitled "History and Politics in the work of Pantelis Voulgaris".

University professors, film experts and journalists analysed the work of the director, who, for three decades records and comments through his lens important facts of the modern political and social life of our country.

The following papers were presented in the conference:

Yannis Soldatos (Historian of Cinema): Voulgaris’ Greece: landscape of misunderstanding

Andreas Pagoylatos (Theorist of Cinema): On the cinematographic poetry of Pantelis Voulgaris

Vasilis Vamvakas (University of Thessaloniki): The Engagement Of Anna (To Proxenio Tis Annas) :  Bourgeois introversion and migratory inwardness

Stathis Valoukos (University of Thessaloniki): History in Eleftherios Venizelos

Panagis Panagjotopoulos (University of Thessaloniki): From the Acropole to the "Alkazar": Popular sentiments and social mobility in the work of Pantelis Voulgaris

Nikos Poulakis (Polytechnic University of Ipiros): Acropole: A musicological reading

Eva Stefani (University of Athens): The Engagement Of Anna (To Proxenio Tis Annas): Family and desire

Yannis Papatheodorou (University of Volos): Happy Day: Nightmare scripts for happy days

Polymeris Voglis (University of Volos): Stone years (Petrina Chronia): The political prisoners in the collective memory

Athina Kartalou (Panteion University): It's A Long Road (Ola Einai Dromos): A road movie?

Vena Georgakopoulou (Eleftherotypia): Quiet days in August (Isiches Meres Tou Avgoustou)

Maria Komninou (University of Athens): Brides (Nifes) and Amerika Amerjka: Variations in the big subject of immigration

Ioanna Laliotou (University of Volos): Immigration and national memory: The Brides (Nifes)

Gianna Athanasatou (University of Thessaloniki): The view of sexes in the films of Pantelis Voulgaris

The papers presented in the context of the conference will soon be published in a volume, a practice that was followed by previous conferences of the Cinematographic Archive.

Release of the Third Volume of the Series “the Testimony of the Cinematographic Image” of the Film Archive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs titled “Migration in Cinema”.

The collection of essays presented in the volume “Migration in Cinema” which will be released in September of 2004 from Papazisis Publications consists of the third volume of the publications series of the Cinematographic Archive titled “The Testimony of the Cinematographic Image”.   The annual conferences organized under the aegis of the Cinematographic Archive has been firmly established as it constitutes for fertile ground for scientific and social stimulation and debate. 

The meeting on “Migration in Cinema” coincided with the Greek presidency of the European Union during the first half of 2003.  The meeting, took advantage of one of the fundamental pillars of Greece’s priorities which was creation of a unified European policy with regards to the phenomenon of migration.  During this period our country handled a historical presidency in the midst of critical international and European developments and in an effort to address the problem of migration in a broader European context while at the same time avoiding raising social barriers that could enhance the communal dividing lines. 

In this context, the “rendezvous” of film with immigration attracted the interest not only of the academic researchers, but also of members of the community.  In the particular field, Greek film is a rich source for researchers, considering that the largest migrations of populations that marked Greek society took place during the 20th century, and constitute to date, a source for both Greek and foreign cinematography. 

Therefore, the prerequisites for the planning of the conference and for the publication of the volume where the following:  First and foremost, the different migratory patterns that were pivotal for contemporary Greek society and identity.  (the migration of the Greeks to the West, the influx of same nationality refugees from countries with Hellenistic centers, internal migration, the modern migratory patterns of refugees from the Eastern European countries, Asia and Africa).  It was also considered necessary that all forms of cinematography of the above noted categories be included in the analyses of the panelists in order to allow for a comparative analysis between the variable genres of film pertaining to migration.  Included were films of fiction, documentaries, newsreels and television shows that covered migration related matters.  Thus, the contributors of this volume, academicians as well as cinematographers, historians, political scientists and journalists, address the issues of migrants and refugees through the prism of social and political perspectives.  It is in this context that the cinematographic image is reviewed in the handling of such an important matter for contemporary Greek history. 

The collection of essays, Migration in Film, is divided into four sections.  The first section “filming Migratory Patters” focused on fiction films  centered around the migratory patterns  of populations depicted in Greek and foreign cinema.  The reports presented in the conference and included in the volume are here below noted:

Lefteris Xanthopoulos: “The Greek Diaspora in Cinema”

Vassilis Vamvakas:  “The ‘migration’ of Greek film from the Commercial to the Political Stigma”

Giorgos Mbramos: “Απ’ το χίονι, Μιρουπαφσίμ, Από την άκρη της πόλης:   Greece, the transition of a country that exported immigrants to a country that imports immigrants.”

Vassilis Kechagias: “Through the eyes of others: Foreign Films about Greek Immigrants”

Nikos Fenek-Michelides: “The Immigrants of Europe”

The second section, “documenting Migration”, includes essays  that analyze the depiction of  the migratory experience by Greek cinematographers in documentaries.  Included in this section are:

Andreas Pagoulatos: “Immigration in Greek Documentaries”

Lakis Papathathis:  Remembering the Letters from America”

Lina Ventoura: The Letters of Lambros Liaropoulos from the Charleroi:  Reenacting the Life of the Greek miners in Belgium”

Stelios Kymionis:  Modernism, Post-modernism and the Greek documentary: In search of collectiveness in the social identity of the migrant “George from Sotirianni” and the distinction of subjectivity in the identity of the repatriated “George from Heidelberg”

The third section, Film as a historical source for the movement of populations”, includes texts that utilize the cinematographic image as a dependable witness and a historic source with regards to significant historical events of contemporary Greek life.  Included in this sections are the essays of:

Georgios Polydorakis, The overseas migration of Greeks until 1940: Approaches through the study of primary sources of the Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

George Serafimides: ‘The rooting’, ‘The refugee Communities’, ‘Greece of the Refugees’: Parameters of the installations of the 1922 refugees in Greece during the inter war period.”

Evgenia Mbournova: “ Στα Τουρκοβούνια και Στην Αθήνα με το Όνειρο : Parameters of Internal Migration.”

Ioannis Begos: “Between two homes (The damage of the Broken Mirror):The Expelled Greeks of Istanbul during the period 1964 – 1966.

Gavrillis Lambatos: “Step-mother Homeland (the political refugees of Tuscany): From History to the audiovisual representation.”

The fourth and final section of the publication, “Directors address the images of Migration”, includes personal essays, since they derive from film directors who were recently engaged in documentaries about refugees:

Rena Theologidou:  “The communities of the Refugees”:  A Travelogue from Asia Minor to Northern Greece”

Paul Neratzis, “The paths of the Refugees, request for Asylum – Greece, the country of the Refugees”

Maria Leonida, Refugees, Journey without end.”

Kiriakos Katzourakis “the Road to the West”

Through the plethora of approaches that derives from the essays, the volume under publication hopes to contribute to the compilation of a constructive base that will stimulate dialogue with regards to matters pertaining to migration and their audiovisual depictions, as well as the value of historical memory that the visual image has.  It was in this same line of though that guided the recent conference that the Film Archive of the Ministry of foreign Affairs organized, titled “Negotiations about War: Depictions of War in Greek Cinema”.  The presentations of the conference will be the next publication in the series “The Testimony of the Cinematographic Image”.

Negotiations for War: Reenactment of War in Greek Cinematography

In the context of the two day conference (April 2-3, 2004) title, Negotiations for War: Reenactment of War in Greek Cinema, held at the amphitheatre “Yannos Kranidiotis” of the Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs, participants had the opportunity to view a carefully selected series of images from war films and historical documentaries in the premier showing of the documentary by Giannis Koutsomitis titled War at 24 frames.   The depicted images, on the one hand the product of risky efforts by cinematographers to capture authentic war footage (as is the case with the documentary Ellinisti Kypros by Nikos Koundouros which depicts the invasion of the Turkish troops in Cyprus, images which are tragically timely due to the recent developments on the island) while on the other images that have been staged in an effort to reproduce military operations, set the prescient question, revealing thus the goals of the conference itself.   As the director of the Service of Diplomatic and Historical Archives Mrs. Photini Tomai-Constantopoulou noted, “we have thus two meanings to contemplate: the cinema, the cinematographic image as historical testimony, a pool from where one can draw information for the political, social and cultural history of a nation, as well as war and its reproduction” setting thus the context of discussion. 

The two day academic conference, an annual practice at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, since this conference constitutes the fourth successive gathering in the broader context of the annual meetings under the heading The Testimony of the Cinematographic Image, set poignant questions of historical, political and aesthetic relevance.  A multitude of distinguished academicians, researchers and artists were called upon to present their views on these questions.  The fundamental preoccupation of the conference was expressed by Ambassador Elias Klis, First General Secretary of the Ministry when he noted: “We should not forget that war, in its various shapes and forms, has been an inherent part of contemporary and modern Greek history, from the creation of the Greek state, until the fratricidal civil war which followed the end of World War II.  For over 120 years, Greeks fought on a regular basis, for their independence, the incorporation of liberated lands, the territorial integrity, and the political power.  In this historical context it is of particular importance to discuss the specific events that Greek cinema has chosen to reproduce, at which moment in time, with what methods, for what reasons and for which goals.”

Revolving around the concept of the reenactment of war in cinema, the presentation of Ambassador at large, Mr. Byron Theodoropoulos, stressed the difficulties for the objective presentation of the facts when it comes to such a dramatic phenomenon such as war, since it is prone to propagandist exploitation and touches on the issue of the biased presentation of history even when it comes to the, theoretically trustworthy, recording of the facts as depicted in newsreels.  The latter, even though the authorized directorates screen them, still constitute a deposit to our historical memory as Mr. Thodoros Adamopoulos, director of the Film Library of Greece noted.  Mr. Lakis Papastathis, director and writer, whose superb documentary Soldiers of War from his series  In Search of the Lost Image was presented at the conference, also consented to this view.

Additional “food for thought” was presented by film historian Stathis Valoukos, who presented the frequency and the subjects through which war has preoccupied global cinema.  The epical presentation of the clashes in Greek military history with an emphasis on propaganda and the invigoration of national moral were analyzed by political scientist Mrs. Marietta Provata “Drafted Fine Arts: the Greek Cinema in the Alter of Propaganda”, historian, George Andritsos “Enactments of Occupation and Resistance in the Greek Movies 1945 – 1966” and Gregory Theothoridis “The Meaning of the Continuous National Struggle in the Reenactments of “Slavic conspiracy” in the War Movies Filmed  during the Military Regime of the Colonels”.  From the field of film history Maria Paradisi presented her paper titled “History, Drama and Show: the Case of Lieutenant Natasha while Christos Dermetzopoulos, cultural sociologist, presented his paper titled “The Greek Movies for the Revolution of 1821”.  

The more satiric side of the portrayal of the war footage, which aimed at the demystification of the armed forces as the formative decision maker in the political realm was analyzed by Mrs. Maria Stasinopoulou, historian of the University of Vienna, in her presentation “Satirical and Comical Approaches to War in Greek Cinema”, the musicologist Nikos Poulakis in his paper  Loafing and Camouflage: Music in the Satirical New Greek Cinema” and political communications expert Mr. Vasillis Vamvakas, “Anti-War Satire: the Impossible of Naiveté”. Andreas Pagoulatos, film theorist, made reference to the works of  Takis Kanellopoulos in his presentation “The War in the Sky:  The Cinematographic World of Takis Kanellopoulos”,  as well as cinematographic historian Dimitris Kalantidis in his paper tittled “Sky Outing: The poetic movies of Takis Kanellopoulos about the war”.  Political scientist, Panagis Panagiotopoulos, tackled the issue of war through the historical terminologies in his presentation “Social Violence, Political Conflict, and Cinematographic Settlement” while Oded Varon Vassar commented with sentimentalism one of the most tragic, for Greece, aspects of the war in her presentation “Cinematographic Testimonies of the Genocide of the Jews”.

Finally the literary historian, Giannis Papatheodorou and historian Polymeris Voglis analyzed perspectives of the reenactments of the Greek Civil War in “The Return of the Germans:  Black and White Nightmares and the Ideology of Consensus During the Period of the Civil War” and “From Muzzles to the Camera: the Civil War in Greek Cinema” respectively.  Paris Gounaridis, specialist on Byzantium, commented on the historical and cultural aspects of one of the most important films of the last few years by Fotos Lambrinos titled “A Doubtful Civil War: The War between the Two Andronikos and their Representation at the Doxombous”. 

The papers presented in the context of the conference will soon be published in a volume, a practice that was followed with previous conferences of the Cinematographic Archive.

Events for the anniversary of the 175 years of diplomatic relations between Greece and Russia

On the occasion of the 175 years of diplomatic relations between Greece and Russia τhe Service of Diplomatic & Historical Archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Diplomatic Academy organized a series of important events on Thursday December 18 2003 at the Foreign Ministry building at Akadimias 1.

The events included exhibition of official documents from the Diplomatic & Historical Archives of the two countries, as well as a conference with the participation of representatives of the Greek and Russian Foreign Ministries and of academics who talked on different sides of the Greek-Russian relations during the historical course of the 175 years. 

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Yiannis Magriotis and the Russian Ambassador Mr. Andreji Vdovin addressed the events, which were open for the public.

YDIA Activities in the Framework of the Greek Presidency of the EU Council

 1. Publication of a volume concerning the participation of Greece in the process towards European integration

The Service of Diplomatic and Historical Archives of the Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs published, within the framework of the Greek Presidency of the Council of the EU, the first volume of a three-volume series “The Participation of Greece in the Process Towards European Integration”. This first volume covers the crucial twenty years from 1948 until 1968 and includes 120 documents from the archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It also includes a preface by the Minister of Foreign Affairs George A. Papandreou, an introductory historical note by the Director of the Service of Diplomatic and Historical Archives Photini Tomai-Constantopoulou, while precious testimonies were provided by the Ambassador e.t. Vyron Theodoropoulos, the former Minister and Commissioner of the EU Georgios Contogeorgis, the former Minister and Vice-Governor of the Bank of Greece Ioannis Pesmazoglou and Professor P.C. Ioakimidis.

This publication aims at presenting, through unpublished archival material, the attitude and position of Greece towards the first efforts for European integration: from its stance towards the creation of the Organisation of the Treaty of Brussels (later Western European Union) in 1948, until the creation of the European Communities and from its participation in the Council of Europe in 1949, until the Association Agreement with the EEC in 1961. By studying this material, the interested reader will quickly discover the explicit European orientation of Greece, evident as early as the first post-war years. It is noteworthy that this European orientation was supported by the majority of the political forces of that time.

The volume is published simultaneously in Greek and English.

By the end of 2004 the second and  third volumes concerning the participation of Greece in the European integration process will be completed. They will cover the period from 1969 until 2001.

2. Conference of the Cinematographic Archive on Immigration

 The Cinematographic Archive of the Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in the framework of its academic activities and on the occasion of the Greek Presidency of the EU Council, organised on April 2nd, at the "Yiannos Kranidiotis" Auditorium, a conference entitled "Immigration at the Cinema".

Greek scholars talked about internal and external migration, and how these patterns are presented in cinematography. Historians and film critics spoke on the different types of presentation of immigration in Greek and international cinema productions. Remarks by directors Lefteris Xanthopoulos, Lakis Papastathis and Eva Stefani were made on the same subject. Additionally, the journalists Rena Theologidou and Pavlos Nerantzis talked about their television productions on the issue of immigration, refugees and racism. An opening speech was delivered by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr. Ioannis Magriotis, while statements were also made by the Secretary General for European Affairs Mr.Ilias Plaskovitis and the Secretary General for the Greeks Abroad Mr. Dimitrios Dollis.

The end of the conference was followed by the projection of the film by Kyriakos Katzourakis "The Way to the West" ( "Ο δρόμος προς τη δύση").  The film was a winner of the Thessaloniki Film Festival.

3. Meeting of the Directors of the Archives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the member-states and EU institutions

In the framework of the Greek Presidency of the EU Council the Meeting of the Directors of the Archives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the member-states and EU institutions was held on 15 and 16 May 2003 at the Cultural Centre of the Municipality of Hermoupolis on the island of Syros.

Representatives from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the EU member-states and from its main institutions (the Commission, the Council and the European Parliament) participated in the Meeting. The Director of the Historical Archives of the European Communities in Florence was also present.

The Service of Diplomatic and Historical Archives, aiming to upgrade the content of this kind of Meetings, promoted an agenda of political interest and proposals for the undertaking of specific initiatives, projects and common positions by the member-states.

The opening speech of the Meeting was delivered by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ambassador Mr. Anastasios Skopelitis who, after welcoming the participants and referring to the rich historical and cultural tradition of the island, described the role and the challenges that face the modern Archives and the specialists, either officials or scientists, who are involved in their organisation. He also stressed the importance of the archival services concerning the understanding of the process of European integration.

More specifically, the main results of the Meeting were:

i.            Following a proposal of the Greek Presidency, a "Statement of Principles on the possession of documents from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the member-states of the European Union by individuals and private organisations" was adopted by the Group. The importance of the adoption of the said Statement of Principles is significant, not only because it constitutes proof of the will of the Archives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Union to tackle the issue often created by the publication of documents from non-official sources, but also because it is the the first common position adopted by this specific Working Group during the 16 years of its existence.

ii.    The preparation of the third, electronic, version of the Blue Guide of the Archives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the member-states and EU institutions was completed. This undertaking was initiated during the Danish Presidency. It was decided that the Blue Guide will be hosted in the web-site of the EU Council and it is believed that all relevant and  necessary works will be completed in the immediate future.

iii.   The Greek Presidency wished to reactivate the efforts for the creation of a common database of archival resources on European integration from the Archives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the member-states. That is why it submitted to the Meeting a specific proposal for the organisation and the structure of this database. According to this proposal the contribution of each member-state would consist not only of a detailed directory of all the files or series related with European integration, but also of other material like extended bibliographies on its participation in the European integration process, texts written by prominent historians or politicians, or even some selected important documents. In order to make the realisation of this database possible, the Greek Presidency suggested that it should initially cover the early stages of European integration and more specifically the period 1948-1968 and that it should be characterised by flexibility  so that each member-state will have the option to contribute only  data that it is capable or willing to provide to this common project. The database would thus become operative regardless if all the member-states presented their contributions or not or if they presented contribution including only some of the elements of the structure of the database. The Greek proposal was accepted in principle with enthusiasm by the participants. A small working group, comprised of Greece, Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands and the Historical Archives of the EC, was established, which will have as a task the study of relevant proposals and remarks by the member-states, submitted or to be submitted until the end of June, and subsequently compile a complete proposal which will be presented during the next Meeting of the Directors of the Archives in Rome next November.

iv.    With immigration being one of the main subjects of the Greek Presidency, the YDIA decided to contribute to the relevant discussion, among other things, with the creation of  a  common database with contributions from the member-states on overseas immigration until 1940 as it is presented in the archives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs. The Greek Presidency was willing to host in a special section of the web-site of the YDIA the contributions of those member-states that wished to participate in this common initiative. This proposal was accepted by the other member-states and the relevant web-page is already operative and includes the contributions of the member-states that prepared a text on the issue.

v.    The Greek Presidency proposed the organisation by the European Commission of a seminar for the new member-states of the EU concerning the archival policy of the EU member-states and the results of their cooperation until now. The aim of the seminar would be the better and faster integration of the new members in the Group. The proposal was approved and the seminar will take place during the Irish Presidency in 2004.

Statement of Principles on the possession of documents from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the member-states of the European Union by individuals and private organisations

During the meeting of the Directors of the Archives of the EU member-states’ Ministries of Foreign Affairs and its institutions on the island of Syros on 15-16 May 2003 in the framework of the Greek Presidency of the EU  the following Statement of Principles was adopted:

Statement of Principles on the possession of documents from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the member-states of the European Union by individuals and private organisations

The Directors of the Archives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the member-states of the European Union and of its Institutions

In view of Recommendation No. R (2000) 13 of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to member-states on a European policy on access to archives;

In view of Recommendation No Rec(2002)2 of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe to member-states on access to official documents:

Taking into account the proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the re-use and commercial exploitation of public sector information (COM 2003/0119/FINAL) and the relative political agreement on a common position of the Council on 27 March 2003;

Considering that in view of the complexity of the issues connected with the opening of archives, the adoption of a European policy on access to archives is called for, based upon common principles consistent with democratic values;

Considering the importance of public archives for historical research and public information;

Willing to promote equal access to historical archives with respect to the integrity of the fonds;

Taking account of the importance of the records of the archives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the member-states of the EU, not only for their political history, but also for issues related with their national security and the exercise of their foreign policy today;

Recommend that all individuals and private organisations in the European Union that possess private archival collections in which documents from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the member-states are included, should:

1.             respect the rules applied for the archives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the member-states in which they have their seat, especially those concerning the closure period and the preconditions for access to public documents (copies or originals) stored in these private archival collections, as well as their conservation and reproduction.

2.             inform the competent authorities of the public documents included in these private collections. This information should include full inventory of these public documents with full description and information on the possibilities of access to these documents by researchers.

3.             cooperate with the competent archives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs for the declassification of each and every public document in the possession of private archives.

4.             cooperate closely with the competent archives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, particularly in cases of release or publication of documents of the archives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

5.             provide the archives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs with copies of the public documents that the private archives possess, if asked.

Syros, May 2003