Cultural exchange and artificial intelligence are among the most crucial areas for future collaboration between China and the European Union, said former Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos.
In an interview with China Media Group aired on Saturday, Pavlopoulos was asked about the most crucial areas for collaboration between the two sides.
"There are many fields in which these relations can be developed. Let me begin, above all, by saying that the foundation is to collaborate, even though this may seem a bit romantic from my perspective. The basis upon which we must cooperate is mainly culture. Let us examine what common points our cultures have, how one can influence the other, and what positive elements we can gain from each other," he said.
"If we focus now solely on the economic level, I would say that the area where we can collaborate more than any other. There are many fields, but the most crucial one is the field of technology, and especially regarding issues of technology related to artificial intelligence. This is the sector that can contribute to giving the collaboration a substantial foundation, because here, the steps of progress are enormous," said Pavlopoulos. When asked about building trust and mutual respect between the EU and China, Pavlopoulos acknowledged past suspicions, but noted they are steadily decreasing.
"It is true that there was, and perhaps still is, some suspicion in the relations between the European Union and China, but this suspicion is steadily decreasing. And what can happen, that is, for this suspicion to be eliminated entirely will occur if both parties show that they do not seek to impose themselves on the other. Parity, equality, which for us Greeks is an Aristotelian concept, is equality in its proportional form. If this equality exists, mutual respect in what we pursue, then everything can be resolved. But let's not start by assuming there is hostility between the two sides beforehand. There is none, and there should not be," said Pavlopoulos.
Greece has been a key partner for China within the EU, particularly through initiatives such as the Belt and Road. Pavlopoulos emphasized that cultural understanding and technological parity can help eliminate residual mistrust and foster a stable, mutually respectful partnership.
Culture, AI key to China-EU collaboration: former Greek president
