The Founder and President of Historic Cafés Route, Mr. Vasilis Stathakis sent his greeting letter on the occasion of the Conference in Coimbra (20th & 21rst of May 2022) by the title “Historic Cafés: A Meeting of Ideas”.
Mr. Stathakis due to professional commitments couldn’t t travel to Portugal for the event.
The two days Conference is a co-organization of Historic Cafés Route, the Portuguese Association of Historic Cafés and the iconic Café Santa Cruz.
“Dear friends,
First of all, my warm greetings to all those present today. I am certain that the seminars for the Historic Cafés in Coimbra will be a magical journey through time and history.
The Historic Cafés Route, of which the Association of Portuguese Historic Cafés is a member, has come a long way to date. A few days ago, we made a presentation in Luxembourg to support our candidacy to be officially certified by the Council of Europe. The answer will not be announced until the beginning of June, but I am optimistic about the result. The certification by the Council of Europe will be the highest honor as it grants us international recognition, a substantial reward for the course of the Historic Cafés Route.
I apologize for not being with you today to discuss the actions and the next steps of the Historic Cafés Route. Fortunately, however, with you are my close associates, George Loverdos, Route Manager of the Historic Cafés Route, and Maria Mystakidou, Communication Officer, who will inform you about all the latest developments as well as future actions that we will carry out together.
I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart the Ambassador of HCR in Portugal, Vitor Marquez, who is one of our most active partners. I also thank the Portuguese Café members and our partners in Portugal and Spain for their excellent cooperation over time. The goal is always to highlight, defend and promote Historic Cafés through the Historic Cafés Route. To achieve this, synergies with local actors and academia are essential. I am confident that today, these collaborations with Portugal and Spain will be strengthened. Finally, the inclusion of the Historic Cafés as an element in the international list of the cultural heritage courtyard is of great importance. It is my sincere hope that both Portugal and Spain will join the endeavour to achieve this.
I wish you a fruitful and dynamic seminar and I eagerly await your presence at the Conference of Cultural Routes to be held in Chania on October 5-7, 2022.
Yours sincerely,
Vassilis Stathakis”
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