The Conference started with speeches by the Rector of the University of Piraeus, Professor Mr. Michael Sfakianakis, the President of the Department of International and European Studies, Professor Aristotle Tziampiris, the Authorized Municipal Councillor of Culture of the Piraeus Municipality, Irene S. Daifas, the Honourable Mr. Laurence Auer Ambassador of France in Greece and the Honourable Mr. Alejandro Garcia Moreno Ambassador of Mexico in Greece. The Dean of the School of Economics, Business and International Studies, Professor Constantina Botsiou, the representative of the International Organization of Francophonie, Mrs. Ioana Marinescu, the Vice-President of the Association of Professors of French University Education Greece Mrs. Evangelia Dadinopoulou and by the Director of the PMS "Energy: Strategy, Law & Economy", Professor Mrs. Irini Cheila.

Diplomat, Mr. Giorgos Koumoutsakos former Minister of Immigration, Asylum and Citizen Protection and the next Permanent Representative of Greece to UNESCO initiated the conference by praising the original idea of the Department of International and European Studies for the organization of this special conference. Then he approached the terms of the title of the Conference "Diplomacy and Literature", analyzed the content of this unlikely pair and gave enlightening answers to how and where the two worlds of hard realism (Diplomacy) and idealism (Literature) intersect and/or they touch.

The ceremony was attended by the Honourable Mr. Vassilis Papadopoulos, the Ambassador of Greece to Portugal and the Honourable Mr. Pierre Morel,Honorary Ambassador of France and former Diplomatic Advisor to the President of the Republic François Mitterrand. Also, present the Deputy President of the Department of International and European Studies, Professor, Fotini Asderaki, the Educational Attaché of the French Embassy and Director of the French Institute of Greece, Mr. Nicolas Eybalin, the Attaché of Cooperation for the French Language, Mrs. Véronique Bruez.
The Deputy for Scientific and University Cooperation, Mrs. Katerina Spyropoulou, the Head of Finance, Commercial Promotion and International Relations of the Embassy of Mexico in Greece, Mrs. Laura Mora Barreto, the Professor of Modern History at the Sorbonne University, Mrs. Isabelle Dasque, Professors from Universities in Greece and abroad.

The main sessions were attended by the Ambassador of Greece to Portugal, Mr. Vassilis Papadopoulos, the Honorary Ambassador Mr. Giorgos Gennimatas, the Honorary Ambassador and member of the scientific committee of the Conference, Mr. Giorgos Poukamisas, the Honorary Ambassador Mr. Theodoros Dascarolis, the Honorary Ambassador and Special Envoy of Greece to Ukraine, Mr Spyros Lampridis, academics and PhDs from Greek universities and from 17 other countries (Cyprus, France, Great Britain, Germany, Senegal, Montenegro, China, Russia, Albania, Egypt, Poland, Spain, Algeria, Italy, Malta, Morocco, Netherlands).
The various speeches in French and English focused on the bond that is created and connects literature with diplomacy, as well as the interconnections between these two activities, which are at the crossroads of many fields, such as those of literature and literary criticism, of history, archival research, international politics, diplomacy and international relations.
Particular emphasis was placed on the cases of "writers-diplomats", Greeks and foreigners, as well as on the literary genres used by diplomats-writers.
The Congress covered, as far as possible, a wide range of writer-diplomats: François-René de Chateaubriand, Arthur de Gobineau, Paul Claudel, Saint-John Perse, Jean Giraudoux, Paul Morand, Jean-Christophe Rufin, Pablo Neruda, Salah Stétié , Ivo Andrić, Luan Starova, Giorgos Seferis, Ion Dragoumis, Rodis Roufos, Giorgos Veis, Vassilis Papadopoulos, etc.
The International Scientific Conference "Diplomacy and Literature" tried to answer the question raised by the hyperrealists in the case of Paul Claudel: "How can someone be an Ambassador of a country and a writer at the same time?"

The Conference was supported by sponsorships from the University of Piraeus and the Research Center, the Master's Program in Energy of the Department of International and European Studies of the University of Piraeus, Organization Internationale de la Francophonie, the French Embassy in Greece – French Institute of Greece, the Embassy of Israel in Greece, the Council of International Relations, the Municipality of Piraeus and the Youth Sports Culture Organization (OPAN), the Municipal Theatre of Piraeus, the international cultural organization, La Renaissance Française, APF f.u.-Grèce, Cercle Richelieu Senghor de Paris, the French bookstore in Athens Le livre ouvert and the French channel TV5MONDE..