Athens News Agency: News in English, 05-05-06

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Greek President to attend Moscow celebrations for 60th anniversary since end of WWII

[02] Jerusalem Patriarch loses seat, take-over of Jerusalem Patriarchate by senior clergymen

[03] Greek Tourism minister visits Libya

[01] Greek President to attend Moscow celebrations for 60th anniversary since end of WWII

Particulary important for Papoulias will be an event held to honour his activities in the Greek resistance during the war, during which Russian President Vladimir Putin will present him with a medal. Similarly honoured will be the presidents of Albania and Croatia, the former presidents of Poland and Cyprus and the former Romanian monarch.

On Saturday night, Papoulias is due to attend an event in honour of the Greek veterans of WWII that are members of Russia's expatriate societies.

On Sunday morning, the Greek president will visit the Donskoy cemetery in Moscow and attend mass at the Church of the Dormition, after which he will visit the Greek Studies Centre in the city and attend a basketball game in which the Greek team Panathinaikos will vie for third or fourth place in the final four of the championship.

On Monday, the president is due at the Kremlin, where he will watch the main parade marking the 60th anniversary since the end of World War II, alongside other heads of state and government on the officials platform in Red Square.

After laying a wreath at the Monument to the Unknown Soldier, President Papoulias will attend an official dinner given by Putin and will depart for Athens on Monday night.

[02] Jerusalem Patriarch loses seat, take-over of Jerusalem Patriarchate by senior clergymen

The Jerusalem Patriarchate has temporarily been taken over by senior clergymen and primates of the Holy Sepulchre Brotherhood following a quarrel with Irineos after a second attempt to convene the Synod. The meeting was not quorate.

Irineos left the Patriarchate. Israeli police are on site.

A letter renouncing Irineos and asking him to give up his seat, signed by senior clerics of the Jerusalem Church, was handed to Irineos on Thursday morning, while a copy was sent to the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul.

The letter also held Irineos responsible for controversial land deals that have incensed Arabs and Palestinians, in which prime pieces of Orthodox Church property - including the landmark Palestinian-run Imperial Hotel at the entrance to Jerusalem's Old City - have been leased or sold to foreign Jewish interests.

[03] Greek Tourism minister visits Libya

The Greek minister met Libyan Prime Minister Shukri Mohamed Ghanim and presented a written message of friendship by the Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis to Libyan leader M. Khaddafi.

Avramopoulos held talks with tourism officials in the country with the aim to create a dialogue framework that could lead to the signing of a cooperation agreement between the two countries in the tourism and investment sectors. He was accompanied by National Tourism Organisation president Aristides Kalogeropoulos-Stratis, other government officials and the president of the Association of Tourist and Trave Agencies of Greece, Yiannis Evangelou.

Speaking to reporters, Avramopoulos said that Libya was a country with great prospects, currently in a phase of deep changes and forecast that both countries would forge excellent relations in the future, with tourism in central role.

Libyan Tourism minister said he was happy with the visit of the Greek minister and expressed the hope that the two countries would sign a protocol of cooperation during his visit in Greece.

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