A cosmopolitan newspaper

Twenty years ago I was summoned to the office of Kathimerini’s owner Aristides Alafouzos. In his usual decisive and succinct manner he gave board member Martha Dertili and myself a very clear mandate: “I want Kathimerini to be a truly international newspaper, we are citizens of the world and you should never forget that. I want us to move fast and launch the joint publication with The International Herald Tribune.”

That’s how this joint venture started. Nikos Konstandaras assumed the position of editor in chief and established very strong principles and editorial guidelines for the newspaper’s English Edition.

The cooperation with the New York Times has been very close over the years, and the relationship has strengthened ever since with the role of Stephen Dunbar-Johnson and Achilles Tsaltas being instrumental. We consider them members of the wide Kathimerini “family” by now.The two newspapers share a lot of the same values. They are both “gray ladies” but have managed to survive and grow in very turbulent times, in addition to enhancing their brand names and readership.

Our joint project is something we cherish at K. It makes us feel part of a wider international community. And it provides many readers around the world, both members of the diaspora and non-Greeks who care about the country, with cool-headed analysis of the news in Greece. We very much look forward to continuing this publication and developing its digital platform too. * Alexis Papachelas is executive editor at Kathimerini.