Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-06-26

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

CONTENTS

[01] Papoulias meets Chinese officials

[02] Goya exhibition in Athens

[01] Papoulias meets Chinese officials

Papoulias, who is accompanied by Justice Minister Sotiris Hatzigakis, Employment Minister Fani Palli-Petralia and Deputy Foreign Ministers Yiannis Valinakis and Petros Doukas, earlier in the day visited the Oriental Pearl tower of the Chinese state television.

On Thursday, the Greek president will attend a Greek-Chinese business conference.

Papoulias said his round of political contacts and discussions during the first leg of his visit in Beijing had been "positive", describing them as "important and substantive", and added that during his talks with the Chinese leadership "we all affirmed our volition for bilateral relations to move forward even more".

Speaking to reporters after a meeting with Jia Qingling, the chairman of the National Committee of the People's Political Consultative Conference (China's top political advisory body), Papoulias also expressed optimism because, "we ascertained China's political volition for further advancement of our bilateral relations."

Jia called Papoulias' visit to China "an important historical event" for furthering Greek-Chinese relations.

Caption: President of Greek Republic Karolos Papoulias(L) and chairman of the National Committee of the People's Political Consultative Conference Jia Qingling on Wed. 25 June 2008 in Beijing. ANA-MPA/NIKOS ARVANITIDIS

[02] Goya exhibition in Athens

It concerns four series of the famous and rare etchings of Fransisco Goya (1746-1828) which the National Art Gallery had acquired in the '60s, thanks to its director at the time, Marinos Kalligas, who had detected and purchased them at auctions in Switzerland.

With this exhibition, that has as its title the phrase by Goya "The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters," while an etching of his bears the same name, the National Art Gallery is participating in the international anniversary events on the occasion of the 180th anniversary of the death of Fransisco Goya.

Caption: ANA-MPA/EPA/ file photo of a painting of Spanish painter Fransisco Goya.

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