Athens News Agency: News in English, 07-05-30

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

CONTENTS

[01] President departs for Russia on Wed.

[01] President departs for Russia on Wed.

Papoulias will hold talks at the Kremlin with Putin, focusing on Greek-Russian relations in all sectors, particularly on the energy field, as well as major international issues such as the situation in the Middle East and the Balkans, relations between Russia and the European Union and Russia-NATO relations.

Papoulias will be accompanied by the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Dora Bakoyannis, Defence, Evangelos Meimarakis, Culture, George Voulgarakis and Tourism Development, Fani Palli-Petralia, all of whom will have separate talks with their Russian counterparts. A large business delegation is also accompanying the Greek president.

Bakoyannis is expected to sign a "2007-2009 Common Action Programme" with her counterpart Sergei Lavrov in the presence of the two presidents.

Soon after his arrival at Vnukovo airport at noon, Papoulias will be received by Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexei II.

On Thursday he will address a Russian-Greek business forum, and will also attend the unveiling of the statue of the Leichoudis brothers in central Moscow. The Leichoudis brothers were ethnic Greeks from the island of Cephallonia, who in the late 17th century settled in Moscow, where they launched their educational activities and founded a Slavo-Greco-Latin Academy.

Papoulias will then meet Moscow Mayor Yuri Louzhkov before laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

At noon on the same day, the Greek president will have a private meeting with Putin at the Kremlin, followed by talks between the two countries' delegations.

In the afternoon, Papoulias is expected to meet with Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov, while in the evening he will be attending an official dinner hosted by President Putin.

On Friday morning, the Greek president will address a ceremony for the signing of the Act for the Establishment of a Greek-Russian Business Council before flying to St. Petersburg, where he is scheduled to meet the city's Governor Valentina Matvienko, who served as the Russian ambassador to Greece.

The Greek delegation will return to Athens on Saturday afternoon.

Caption: Greece's President of the Republic Karolos Papoulias (L) with Russian President Vladimir Putin (R), who honoured the Greek President for his contribution against Nazism during a dinner hosted by Putin for world leaders attending events marking the 60th anniversary of the victory against Nazism held in Moscow in May 2005. (ANA/STR)

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