Significant intervention, through “Peloponnisos”, for Ancient Eliki by the achaean economist Yiannis Vasilakopoulos, professor at the University of Piraeus and the University of Paris and the Sorbonne, as well as former president of the Maritime Association of Passenger Ships of France.
By SOTIRIS PAPANDREOU, CHRISTOS VERGANELAKIS
Mr. Vasilakopoulos, who is from Aigiot, but has been living permanently in Paris for many years, mon the occasion of the freezing for many years of the excavations for the emergence of the Ancient Eliki, sends a clear and direct message to the new Deputy Minister of Culture Jason Fotilas to take the lead, together with Dora Katsonopoulou, in restarting the work, with the ultimate goal of promoting the area as an international cultural and archaeological tourist center.
The news, besides this, is that Mr. Vasilakopoulos proposes the creation of an international commission under the auspices of the Deputy Minister of Culture, Jason Fotilas, with the participation of Greeks and foreign Philhellenes who know the value, wealth and importance of returning from darkness to light of the ancient Achaean capital, so that “all together let’s turn Achaia into a pole of attraction for archaeological, touristic and economic development”.
The intervention of Yiannis Vasilakopoulos:
“The well-known politician and current Deputy Minister of Culture, who has long fought for many issues of the Achaean region, has proven with his participation and many years of experience that he has the ability and knowledge to carry out issues that have been stagnant for decades and concern the local community. One of the long standing issues is the stagnation of excavations and the emergence of Ancient Eliki, despite the important discovery and the continuous efforts of the distinguished Achaean archaeologist Doras Katsonopoulos and her scientific team, due to a lack of political initiative and determination.
In this darkness of 30 years since the beginning of the scientific team’s research efforts, at a time when no one else was interested in the subject of Ancient Eliki, the Deputy Minister of Culture Iason Fotilas believes that it will be Achaios who will be able to awaken the political will and resolve the problems of the deep state that prevent the continuation of further excavation research, thus imposing stagnation on a grandiose scientific project at the expense of the prominence of this great ancient state and supporting the tourism and economic development of the place .
I am convinced that Jason Fotilas, as Deputy Minister of Culture, will take the necessary initiatives to resolve the long-standing stagnation, in collaboration with the head of the research project, archaeologist Dora Katsonopoulou, and all the agencies and actors involved.
I propose immediately the creation of an International Committee under the auspices of the Deputy Minister of Culture with the participation of Greeks and foreign philhellenes who know the value, the wealth and the importance of bringing the ancient Achaean capital from darkness to light, given the internationalization of Ancient Eliki through the specials of BBC, ZDF, Discovery Channel, Channel 5 etc. to the important work of Dora Katsonopoulou and her team, so that together we can turn Achaia into a pole of attraction for archaeological, touristic and economic development”.
DORA KATSONOPOULOU: “The deputy minister is our last hope”
“Monday’s Peloponnese” brought to the attention of Ms. Katsonopoulos the intervention of Mr. Vasilakopoulos and asked for her own comment.
And indeed, news broke. Ms. Katsonopoulou’s position in “PtD” was straightforward, absolutely clear and revealing:
And we are talking about an archaeologist guru of her kind, with universal recognition and acceptance all over the world. He is the chairman of the board of the Society of Friends of Ancient Eliki in Achaia and the Institute of Archeology of Paros and Cyclades in Paros.
Here is what Ms. Katsonopoulou said:
“Unfortunately, Mr. Vasilakopoulos is right. Inexplicably and unjustifiably, the case has remained completely stagnant for many years. The main problem is the non-continuation of excavations. And beware: this happens against the law. There are three reports of the National Transparency Authority, which did an audit, which certify that the non-continuation of the excavations is happening in an illegal way, in violation of the archaeological law, in this case.
I therefore consider that Mr. Fotilas is the most suitable person in the most suitable position. He knows the issue, he knows the area, he has been given a tour of the area by me and we have discussed the case. Most importantly, he knows how important it is to keep digging. The Ancient Helix has been discovered in an area of Achaia and instead of making use of this, we remain idle, as a result of which science is losing, and the place is also losing. Aegialia is suffering a huge economic and development damage. And the most ignorant could easily understand what the completion of this project would mean for Aegialia. Mr. Fotilas can, however, take the matter upon himself and bring it to an end. An issue, in fact, which is completely legal and which unfairly and illegally remains at a standstill. I am, therefore, at Mr. Fotila’s disposal, if he decides to do so, to help him. We are betting on him now. It is our last hope. If the issue is not resolved even now, we may be forced to take more aggressive actions».
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