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Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-08-09Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] PM Karamanlis message on Olympic GamesPrime Minister Costas Karamanlis issued a message, in view of the Beijing Olympic Games' opening ceremony, expressing Greece's wishes to athletes and members of the Olympic family from all over the world "in the hope that the Olympic Games will continue inspiring the peoples of the planet with their sublime values."Referring to the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, the prime minister noted: "Four years ago, in the summer of 2004, the Olympic Games returned to their cradle. Greece had then undertaken a double task: to organise in safety and successfully the planet's greatest athletic event, but to also highlight in a strong manner the principles and values on which the Olympic spirit was forged." "With sacrifices and hard work, by uniting our forces to achieve the great target, we Greeks have succeeded beyond the most optimistic expectations. In our nation's history, 2004 will remain for ever as a landmark-date, the beginning of a new era of confidence to the forces and capabilities of Hellenism," Karamanlis underlined. "Today, the torch passes to China, the most populated country of the planet. A country which, just like Greece, bares the responsibility of continuously responding to its great and ancient civilisation," Karamanlis said, adding that the challenge remained the same as in 2004, as in 1896 and in 776 BC, when the first Olympic Games in history took place at ancient Ilida, in the Peloponnese, that is "to prove on the one hand that surpassing the limits, which many times we arbitrarily set for ourselves, is an inseparable part of the nature of mankind, and on the other hand to prove that, replacing emnity and violent rivalry by fair play, competition and cooperation between men and peoples is not only a desirable and pressingly necessary target but a feasible one." "With these thoughts and in the hope that the Olympic Games will continue inspiring the peoples of the planet with their sublime values, we Greeks, as the historic guardians of the Olympic spirit, send our best wishes to the athletes and the members of the Olympic family from all over the world, to all those who serve the ideals of sport away from all that adulterates healthy competion," Karamanlis concluded. Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of prime minister Costas Karamanlis [02] Papandreou condemns violence in South OssetiaMain opposition PASOK party leader and president of Socialist International (SI) and Vice president of the International Olympic Truce centre George Papandreou on Saturday expressed his worry over the violence in South Ossetia. Papandreou called for the immediate end of hostilities. "I ask the comencement of negogiations among all parts in order a peaceful solution" stated Papandreou also expressing his deep sorrow for the loss of human lives and unarmed citizens.In that framework I call the UN Secretary General, the United Nations and the International Olympic Committee to urge from those involved to the war to respect the Olympic Truce. Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of PASOK party leader George Papandreou [03] KKE on Caucasus conflictThe Communist Party of Greece at a press release on Saturday charged that the war conflicts in South Ossetia are the result of the fierce competition among the imperialistic forces the control of the Caspian, Caucasus, the natural resources and the pipelines' routes.The last developments are directly related with a more general dangerous situation that is being developed in our area and also with the acceleration for Georgian and Ukraine's accession to the imperialistic organisation of NATO, KKE announcement stated. Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of Communist party of Greece headquarters in Athens [04] Cooperation in Siemens caseSpecial public prosecutor Nikos Zagorianos, who is probing the Siemens affair, will cooperate with his Swiss and German counterparts when he meets with them in mid-September, it was disclosed in Athens on Friday.The objective of the meeting, which will be held under the auspices of Eurojustice, is cooperation and exchange of data so as to clarify aspects of the case. In the context of the cooperation with the judicial authorities of Switzerland and Germany, the Greek public prosecutor's task will be to obtain all documentation still pending in these countries in the Siemens case and which concern Greeks implicated in the affair. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |