Athens News Agency: News in English, 05-05-22

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

CONTENTS

[01] Greece wins Eurovision song contest

[01] Greece wins Eurovision song contest

Taking an easy lead over Malta, which finished a distant second, Paparizou scored 230 points in an upbeat, folk-influenced rock number composed by singer Christos Dandis and lyricist Natalia Germanou.

Paparizou, 23, came third in the 2001 Eurovision competition as a band member; the country's best ranking so far that was matched by Sakis Rouvas in 2004. As a result of her victory, Greece will host the contest in 2006.

"I am so happy that this finally came to Greece...We have shown the modern side of Greece," said Paparizou, an ethnic Greek from Sweden, on receiving the Eurovision award from Ukraine's president, Viktor Yushchenko.

In a double celebration, Paparizou, an ethnic Greek raised in Sweden, also feasted her name day.

The president of the Republic, Karolos Papoulias, congratulated Greece's team at the contest, who worked onstage and offstage.

"I hope that this collective enthusiam will spur greater successes in the arts, which is Greece's most precious export commodity," Papoulias said in a telegram to Paparizou.

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, who is currently visiting the USA, also warmly welcomed Paparizou's victory; along with main opposition leader George Papandreou, Istanbul Patriarch Bartholomew, Athens Mayor Dora Bakoyianni, and the deputy culture minister, Fani Palli-Petralia.

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