Athens News Agency: News in English, 07-03-29

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

CONTENTS

[01] Artifacts returned by Getty, PM lauds efforts for repatriation of Parthenon Marbles

[02] Papandreou to inaugurate youth group con'f on Thurs.

[01] Artifacts returned by Getty, PM lauds efforts for repatriation of Parthenon Marbles

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis on Thursday praised the culture ministry's systematic work aimed at the return of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece, as well as the return of all antiquities illegally excavated or smuggled out of Greece, part of efforts to safeguard the country's cultural heritage.

Karamanlis was speaking to reporters after a handover ceremony marking the return of two important ancient Greek artifacts from the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, held at the National Archaeological Museum in Athens, where the artifacts will be on display.

The artifacts are a 4th century B.C. gold funerary wreath from the northern Greek province of Macedonia and a archaic-era statue of a 'kore' (young woman) made of Parian marble. The agreement for their return had been announced a few months ago.

The agreement with the Getty Museum, where the antiquities were housed, was reached after the Greek govermnment contested the legality of their export from the country.

Karamanlis further said that a bill aimed at curbing the illegal trade and smuggling of antiquties would be tabled in parliament by the culture ministry in the near future.

"Policy is vindicated when it yields tangible results. Our goals become action, day by day," Karamanlis added.

Meeting with EU's Wallstrom

Earlier, Karamanlis received EU Commisssion Vice-President Margot Wallstrom, who also holds the Institutional Relations and Communication Strategy portfolio.

The two leaders reportedly discussed issues relating to the European Union. No statements were made after the meeting.

Caption: Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis views the gold Macedonian funerary wreath that went on display at the National Archaeological Museum of Athens on Thursday, March 29, 2007. ANA-MPA / S. PANTZARTZI.

[02] Papandreou to inaugurate youth group con'f on Thurs.

Meanwhile, party spokesman Petros Efthymiou again criticised the government this week over the bonds issue on Wednesday, saying that "every effort by the government to cover up the constantly escalating scandal of the concerted and organised operation for looting the reserves of social insurance funds will fall through."

"The operation to cover up and retransfer political responsibilities between ministers has no hope of success. The government's responsibility is unified and is borne in full by the prime minister himself," he said.

Efthymiou added that "it is absolutely evident that this looting was set up with the complicity of two pylons: the Finance and Economy Ministry, with Mr. (George) Alogoskoufis being politically responsible, and the employment ministry, with Mr. (Savvas) Tsitouridis being politically responsible."

Maion

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