Athens News Agency: News in English, 07-10-28

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

CONTENTS

[01] OCHI Day national anniversary celebrated throughout Greece

[02] Armed Forces strong factor of security and peace

[03] PASOK leadership race in full swing

[04] Greece to host 2013 Mediterranean Games

[01] OCHI Day national anniversary celebrated throughout Greece

National defence minister Evangelos Meimarakis, who represented the government at the Thessaloniki parade, stressed that Greece wishes to live peacefully in the international environment, and responded with dialogue to intransigence.

The October 28 "Ochi Day" national holiday, commemorating the anniversary of Greece's resounding "Ochi" (no) to then Italian dictator Mussolini's demand for free passage to invade Greece during World War II, which brought Greece into the war on the Allied side, was also celebrated throughout the rest of the country with students' parades. On Oct. 28, 1940, fascist Italy presented Greece with the ultimatum, but Greek leader Ioannis Metaxas tersely refused, and the country not only denied Mussolini's forces free passage, it went on the offensive in mid-November and drove the opposing forces back through part of southern Albania.

The Thessaloniki parade was also attended by political party representatives, the Armed Forces leadership, MPs, and foreign diplomats.

In a statement after the parade, Papoulias said that "on such days, we devote more time to think about what the struggling Greek people accomplished".

"This inspires us, and an aura of optimism pervades us that this land, this country, this people, have endless abilities, provided we leave behind us self-centred practices and attitudes, and instead draw examples from the struggle of those people who fought for our liberty and independence," the President said, adding that "today's momentous military parade showed that the Armed Forces are the guarantor of or national independence, the security of our borders, and the domestic tranquility of our people".

He said that it was up to the people, "inspired by the struggles of those who gave their lives so that we may live better, to engage in a creative new era", adding that he was optimistic that "together, we can achieve all our goals, regardless of how ambitious they are".

In his own statement after the parade commemorating "the most glorious page of our history", the defence minister said that Greece was sending out the message that the country "wishes to live peacefully in this international environment, with good neighbour relations, and to serve the principles of the pan-human values".

"We are sending a message that the Armed Forces are forces of peace. They are forces that guarantee the freedom and independence of the Greek people. the Greek citizens, and the visitors to our country, may feel safe," he said.

Meimarakis also stressed that investments in the Armed Forces were an investment in peace "precisely because these Armed Forces avert any thought of any claims (against the country) and manifest that they can do their duty whenever it is necessary to do so".

Where others put forward quantity, he said, Greece put forward "quality and professionalism, excellent training, morale, mettle and, above all, the belief that we are fighting for that which is fair and just", adding that "this morale can be victorious over any quantity".

"To intransigence, we respond with dialogue, arguments and conviction. And let no one think that this is weakness. We insist on the principles of dialogue, and persist in living peacefully. I believe that this message is received by everyone," Meimarakis said.

Main opposition PASOK representative Haris Kastanidis said after the parade that "wars are won by those who defend principles and values, and are lost by those who act as predators, in the name of violence".

Popular Orthodox Rally (LAOS) leader George Karatzaferis said that "those who do not hear the voice of Greece can see the strength of its Armed Forces. The better they see, the better for all".

Thessaloniki Prefect Panayotis Psomiadis said that this year's magnificent parade "is the best response to all those rusty minds that do not want the continuity of Hellenism, to those fools who consider that patriotism is nationalism".

The President later attended a luncheon in his honour hosted by Thessaloniki mayor Vassilis Papageorgopoulos, with other guests including Meimarakis, Psomiadis and the Armed Forces leadership.

Toasting the President, Papageorgopoulos said that Thessaloniki was on an upward course and winning the battle for development, with a plethora of projects currently underway. He also noted the environmental problems faced by Thessaloniki.

Papoulias replied that, every time he visited Thessaloniki, he saw "something new", but also noted that growth had a negative side, namely repercussions on the environment, and stressed the need for creating a new social conscience on environmental protection that needs to begin "from kindergarten".

Student parades in Athens, Patras

The central student parade was held in downtown Athens, attended by education minister Evrypides Stylianidis, in central Syntagma Square, with the participation also of the country's Special Olympics athletes, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, as well as the Athens Philharmonic Orchestra.

Stylianidis stressed that the "large, voluntary and enthusiastic participation of the Greek youth in today's parade proves that our country's young generation is taught and inspired by the generation of their forefathers...this strengthens the hope and confidence of modern-day Greece".

PASOK representative Christos Papoutsis said that the October 28 national anniversary "reminds the country, the nation and the people that hold on to the values of independence and freedom, that in no instance should they limit freedom in our actions, thoughts and lives".

The parade was also attended by Athens mayor Nikitas Kaklamanis, Athens-Piraeus supra-prefect Dina Bei, Athens prefect Yannis Sgouros, political party representatives, and representatives of the Armed Forces and Security Corps.

Tourism development minister Aris Spiliotopoulos represented the government at the student parade in the western port city of Patras, after which he said such anniversaries served to remind the people that "those things which unite us are far more than those that divide us, in the face of the challenges of the times".

He stressed that "even in the face of the harshest challenges in our neighbourhood, we know that, if we unite our powers, we can achieve much".

Questioned on the prospect of early general elections, due to the FYROM name issue, Spiliotopoulos replied "absolutely not", stressing that "we must forge ahead and wage the battle with responsibility, seriousness and realism, putting aside the extremities that cost us in the past".

Regarding tourism development, he said that tourism was the most important industry and most substantial source of revenues for everyone, noting that 18.5 percent of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) came from tourism.

[02] Armed Forces strong factor of security and peace

Papoulias said that the teachings of national anniversaries were always timely, stressing that "they shwo heroism, preparation and a high level of military movements".

The determination and self-sacrifice manifested by the country's Armed Forces both during the First Balkan War and during the resistance against the Italian fascism went above and beyond their oath of faith to the homeland and the call of duty, the President said.

Today, he continued, the Armed Forces were a strong factor of stability, security and peace in the wider region, and comprised the guarantee of the Greek citizens' defence and security.

But they also played a social role of exceptional importance, and were at the forefront not only when the country was facing adversitites but also when the Greek society needed them, Papoulias added.

The President later attended an event marking the 50th anniversary of the founding of Thessaloniki's Macedonia University.

The event was also attended by national defence minister Evangelos Meimarakis, Macedonia-Thrace minister Margaritis Tzimas, deputy development minister St. Kalafatis, MPs, Thessaloniki mayor Vassilis Papageorgopoulos and prefent Panayotis Psomiadis, and other officials.

[03] PASOK leadership race in full swing

Incumbent party leader George Papandreou, in an interview appearing in the Sunday edition of Eleftheros Typos newspaper, said it was time to put an end to compromises and manufactured unity.

He said he wanted former leader and ex prime minister Costas Simitis "present at the new beginning after November 11", adding that "I am already different, I have learned, changed and decided".

He also accused the government of having activated its "secret antipopular agenda".

PASOK MP Evangelos Venizelos, Papandreou's main opponent for the pary leadership, said in Thessaloniki after the October 28 national anniversary parade that what was taking place inside PASOK concerned the entire Greek people.

He said that the country's future and the outcome of the next parliamentary elections, "which will not be late in coming", were at stake in the November 11 leadership election in the main opposition party.

Venizelos visited the town of Serres on Saturday, where he reiterated his call for a debate among the three candidates for the PASOK leadership.

Addressing a press conference in Serres on Saturday evening, Venizelos said it was time for PASOK to change page and acquire a lucid ideological position with a ground-breaking role and opposition platform.

Earlier, during a campaign speech, Venizelos accused the government of being unable to table crucial draft laws needed by the country, and intimated that early general elections were imminent due to the "mutiny arising in the New Democracy government".

The third candidate, MP and former minister Costas Skandalidis addressed a campaign rally in Lamia on Saturday night, winding up a tour of mainland Greece.

After the internal party election, he said, PASOK was obliged to forge ahead on its designated route "which does not depend only on the captain, but on the entire crew as well, on the rowers and on the carriers of the ideas".

He said that PASOK's defeat in the September 16 general elections, in which the ND government was re-elected, was due to the fact that "we lost our ideas".

"We lost because, politically, we failed to convince with our initiatives. We lost because our goals were not crystal clear, with respect to our platform. We lost because, organisation-wise, PASOK was the same as the PASOK of 2004", in which elections ND rose to power.

[04] Greece to host 2013 Mediterranean Games

In a press conference in Pescara shortly after announcement of the host city for the 2013 event, Mediterranean Games Bid Committee (DEMA) chief Isidoros Kouvelos said that the International Committee for the Mediterranean Games (ICMG) and its 23 National Olympic Committee members "have entrusted the ambitious Greek proposal for upgrading the Mediterranean Games and assigned to Volos and Larisa the organisation of the 2013 Games".

He said that Greece waged a difficult battle for the Games, under adverse conditions, having commenced its campaigned many months after the other two candidate cities.

Kouvelos stressed that the goal was for the 2013 Games to acquire a strong prospect. "Our goal remains that of the 2013 Mediterranean Games attracting the top athletes and acquiring a strong prospect for the future, and at the same time serving as a connecting link for the countries and peoples of the Mediterranean, turning it into a sea of peace, cooperation, culture and progress".

Foreign minister Dora Bakoyannis, Kouvelos' wife, who was in Pescara for the voting, said that "the victory belongs to everyone...The Olympic spirit is alive".

"When we unite our forces, we achieve our goals. We succeeded in bringing the Games to Greece," she said.

Hellenic Olympic Committee president and DEMA general secretary Minoas Kyriakos, together with the mayor of Volos, signed the protocol for the assumption of the Games during a special ceremony.

The Mediterranean Games, first held in 1951, are a multi-sport event held every four years, in the year following the Olympic Games.

Sometimes referred to as the "Mediterranean Olympics", the Games are held under the auspices of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), with the participation of the countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea.

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