Cuba–Greece relations

Last updated
Cuban-Greek relations
Cuba Greece Locator.png
Flag of Cuba.svg
Cuba
Flag of Greece.svg
Greece

Cuba has an embassy in Athens and Greece has an embassy in Havana. Greek positions on matters concerning Cuba are elaborated jointly with other European Union members.

Contents

History

St. Nikolaos Greek Orthodox Church in Havana St Nikolaos Greek Orthodox Church Havana Cuba.jpg
St. Nikolaos Greek Orthodox Church in Havana
Mosaic depicting the handover of the keys by Fidel Castro to Patriarch Bartholomew St Nikolaos Greek Orthodox Church Havana Mosaic Handing Over Key.jpg
Mosaic depicting the handover of the keys by Fidel Castro to Patriarch Bartholomew

There are between 30 and 50 people of Greek descent in Cuba. [1] [2] They are located mostly in Havana, where there is a Greek embassy. In 2004, Cuba built its first church in 43 years, the St. Nikolaos Greek Orthodox Church in Old Havana. It serves Havana's estimated 8,000 Orthodox Christians, 50 of whom are Greek. [3] Cuba's first Greek Orthodox church, Saints Constantine and Helen, was built in 1950 but was never used for church services. As of 2004, it remained the home of a children's theater company, despite diplomatic efforts by Giorgos Kostoulas, Greece's ambassador to Cuba, to return the church to its original purpose...… [1]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foreign relations of Cuba</span> Overview of the foreign relations of Cuba

Cuba's foreign policy has been fluid throughout history depending on world events and other variables, including relations with the United States. Without massive Soviet subsidies and its primary trading partner, Cuba became increasingly isolated in the late 1980s and early 1990s after the fall of the USSR and the end of the Cold War, but Cuba opened up more with the rest of the world again starting in the late 1990s when they have since entered bilateral co-operation with several South American countries, most notably Venezuela and Bolivia beginning in the late 1990s, especially after the Venezuela election of Hugo Chávez in 1999, who became a staunch ally of Castro's Cuba. The United States used to stick to a policy of isolating Cuba until December 2014, when Barack Obama announced a new policy of diplomatic and economic engagement. The European Union accuses Cuba of "continuing flagrant violation of human rights and fundamental freedoms". Cuba has developed a growing relationship with the People's Republic of China and Russia. In all, Cuba continues to have formal relations with 160 nations, and provided civilian assistance workers – principally medical – in more than 20 nations. More than one million exiles have escaped to foreign countries. Cuba's present foreign minister is Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Foreign relations of Cyprus</span> Overview of the foreign relations of Cyprus

Cyprus is a member of the United Nations along with most of its agencies as well as the Commonwealth of Nations, World Bank, International Monetary Fund and Council of Europe. In addition, the country has signed the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency Agreement (MIGA). Cyprus has been a member of the European Union since 2004 and in the second half of the 2012 it held the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States Interests Section in Havana</span> De facto embassy of the U.S. in Havana, Cuba (1977-2015)

The United States Interests Section of the Embassy of Switzerland in Havana, Cuba or USINT Havana represented United States interests in Cuba from September 1, 1977, to July 20, 2015. It was staffed by United States Foreign Service personnel and local staff employed by the US Department of State, and located in a multi-story office building on the Malecón across from the Plaza de la Revolución in Havana. The mission resumed its role as the Embassy of the United States in Cuba on July 20, 2015, following the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">China–Cuba relations</span> Bilateral relations

Cuban–Chinese relations are the interstate relations between the People's Republic of China and Republic of Cuba. The origins of the relations began when the Qing dynasty established a consulate in Havana while Cuba was a still a colony of Spain in 1879. In 1902, the Qing dynasty recognized the independence of the Republic of Cuba from the United States, which had taken it from Spain in 1898. Cuba recognised the PRC in September 1960.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bulgaria–Greece relations</span> Bilateral relations

Bulgaria–Greece relations refer to bilateral relations between Bulgaria and Greece.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greece–Israel relations</span> Bilateral relations

Greece–Israel relations are the bilateral relationship between the Hellenic Republic and the State of Israel. Relations between the two countries were strained during the late 20th century, as Greece maintained strong relations and support of Palestine, which remains steadfast. The Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs defines this as evident of the "longstanding and consistent position of our country on the Palestinian Question. However, since 2008 relations with Israel have thawed, and have been among the strongest in the Eastern Mediterranean. Israel and Greece consider each other as collaborators in the aspects of military, intelligence and economy. Both countries are part of the Energy Triangle, which referred to the extraction of oil and gas from both Israel and Cyprus by 2015, which will be delivered to mainland Europe with a pipeline through Greece. The deterioration of Israel's relations with Turkey following the Gaza flotilla raid has heavily contributed to the strengthening of Greek-Israeli relations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Holy See–Russia relations</span> Bilateral relations

Holy See–Russia relations are the bilateral relations between the Holy See and Russia. The Holy See has an Apostolic Nunciature in Moscow. Russia has a permanent representative to the Holy See based in Rome.

Cuban-Pacific relations are diplomatic, economic, cultural and other relations between the Republic of Cuba and countries situated in Oceania. In the 2000s, Cuba has been strengthening its relations with Pacific nations, which have, for the most part, responded favourably to Cuban medical aid in particular. The first Cuba-Pacific Islands ministerial meeting was held in September 2008 in Havana, with government members from ten Pacific countries—Kiribati, Tuvalu, Nauru, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu, Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia and Papua New Guinea—attending. The meeting was a consolidation rather than a starting point of Cuban-Pacific relations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cyprus–Poland relations</span> Bilateral relations

Cyprus-Polish relations are foreign relations between Cyprus and Poland. Diplomatic relations between both countries were established during the 1960s. Cyprus has an embassy in Warsaw and 2 honorary consulates. Poland has an embassy in Nicosia and an honorary consulate general in Limassol. The two countries share membership of the European Union, Council of Europe and Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. The two countries became members of the European Union in 2004.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greece–Holy See relations</span> Bilateral relations

Greece–Holy See relations of diplomatic character were established in 1980. The Holy See immediately set up its Apostolic Nunciature to Greece in Athens. The Greek ambassador to the Holy See resided at first in Paris, where he was concurrently accredited to France; but in 1988 a separate Greek embassy to the Holy See, situated in Rome, was set up.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuba–Sri Lanka relations</span> Bilateral relations

Cuba and Sri Lanka have had official diplomatic relations since 1959. Cuba has an embassy in Colombo and Sri Lanka has an embassy in Havana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Our Lady of Kazan Orthodox Cathedral</span> Church in Havana, Cuba

The Our Lady of Kazan Orthodox Cathedral, is a Russian Orthodox cathedral located in historic old town of Havana, Cuba, under the jurisdiction of the Russian Orthodox Church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuba–Serbia relations</span> Bilateral relations

Cuba–Serbia relations are the foreign relations between Cuba and Serbia. Cuba has an embassy in Belgrade and Serbia has an embassy in Havana. In the parliament of Serbia there is an active parliamentary group of friendship with Cuba. Cuba has supported Serbia in its stance towards Kosovo, considering Kosovo independence an "illegitimate act" and a "violation of norms of international law and principles of the United Nations Charter". Serbia supports Cuba at the United Nations in condemning the United States embargo.

The religious views of Fidel Castro are a matter of public interest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greece–Philippines relations</span> Bilateral relations

Greece and the Philippines established its bilateral, diplomatic and trade relation in 1947. Greece has an embassy in Manila and the Philippines has an embassy in Athens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuba–Indonesia relations</span> Bilateral relations

Cuba and Indonesia established diplomatic relations in 1960. During the administration of Indonesia's first president Sukarno in the 1960s, Indonesia and Cuba enjoyed an exceptionally close relationship. The relations between the two nations mostly focused on sports and health. Cuba has an embassy in Jakarta, while Indonesia has an embassy in Havana that is also accredited to the Commonwealth of the Bahamas and Jamaica. Both nations are full members of the Non-Aligned Movement and partners in the Group of 77 and the Forum of East Asia-Latin America Cooperation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Embassy of the United States, Havana</span> American diplomatic mission in the capital of Cuba

The Embassy of the United States of America in Havana is the United States of America's diplomatic mission in Cuba. On January 3, 1961, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower severed relations following the Cuban Revolution of the 1950s. In 1977, U.S. President Jimmy Carter and Cuban leader Fidel Castro signed an Interests Sections Agreement that permitted each government to operate from its former embassy in Havana and Washington D.C., which were called Interests Sections; they were prohibited from flying their respective flags. Cuban President Raúl Castro and U.S. President Barack Obama restored full diplomatic connections on July 20, 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuba–Poland relations</span> Bilateral relations

Cuba–Poland relations refers to the diplomatic relations between Cuba and Poland. Both nations are members of the United Nations.

References

  1. 1 2 "Behind-the-scenes of an Orthodox church in Havana". AsiaNews . Retrieved 2009-05-08. Metropolitan Athenagoras admits that Cuba's generous gesture toward the Greek Orthodox community may appear incomprehensible. Most Cuban Christians are Catholics and of the few thousand Orthodox residents in Cuba, only 50 are Greek.
  2. Diaspora General Facts Archived 2007-09-28 at the Wayback Machine
  3. "Cuba: First church to open in 43 years". Archived from the original on 2011-06-10. Retrieved 2009-05-08.