Athens News Agency: News in English, 07-06-16

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM Karamanlis to address ND pre-Congress on Crete

[02] Med-Black Sea cooperation stressed by deputy FM

[03] Vartholomeos visits Archbishop in Athens hospital

[01] PM Karamanlis to address ND pre-Congress on Crete

[02] Med-Black Sea cooperation stressed by deputy FM

Valinakis called the selection of Rhodes as the venue for such a conference as "ideal", noting the Aegean's role as a hub that unites the Black Sea and the Mediterranean.

Although the Mediterranean and the Black Sea were two distinct areas, geographically and also, to a degree, politically, they nevertheless faced many common challenges, the deputy minister said.

He noted that new issues have been added today to the issues remaining from the past, thus rendering the need for cooperation among the countries of the wider region more necesssary than ever.

"We are living in an age in which the changes are direct and deep-rooted. Globalisation comprises a synthesis of challenges and opportunities. Confrontation of international terrorism, the peaceful resolution of differences, the advancement of democracy and equal opportunities for development, protection of the environment, the management of illegal migration, safe energy supply, all constitute the main elements of the new globalised reality," Valinakis said, adding that their management required political extroversion and cooperation among the countries of the region at both bilateral and multilateral level, and particularly in the framework of regional cooperation.

"In this new environment of challenges, but also opportunities, of the 21st century, the building of institutional channels of dialogue and cooperation is the only way to ensure a common future of prosperity for all the countries of the region," the deputy minister said, explaining that "we, the peoples of the wider region, are obliged to meet the opportunities but also face the insecurities of the new environment, not each one separately, but all together".

At the same time, he continued, it was equally important that this cooperation be founded on mutual understanding and respect of differentness".

The Black Sea region was a priority of Greece's foreign policy, Valinakis said, "given the interdependence between security and economic cooperation", adding that Greece's priority "is to advance and strengthen the relations in the economic sector, the energy sector, in transports and tourism".

"We consider that the European Union could play a substantive role regarding the development of the wider region of the Black Sea and the consolidation of prosperity and security," Valinakis concluded.

[03] Vartholomeos visits Archbishop in Athens hospital

Vartholomeos' visit with Christodoulos lasted half an hour at the Aretaion Hospital, and the Ecumenical Patriarch told reporters afterwards that the Archbishop's morale was high, and that he had been in good spirits. He added that they had even discussed ecclesiastical affairs.

The Ecumenical Patriarch further said that he had spoken with Christodoulos' attending physicians, who he said were optimistic, and stressed that he entrusted the Archbishop to God's hands, expressing hope that they would meet again soon, under better circumstances.

Vartholomeos, who was accompanied to the hospital by Ecumenical Patriarchate and Church of Greece officials and education and religious affairs minister Marietta Yannakou, also planned to visit his sister before departing later Saturday for his return to Istanbul.

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article