Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-02-24

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

CONTENTS

[01] Greek leaders congratulate new Cyprus President

[02] Panathinaikos tops soccer standings

[01] Greek leaders congratulate new Cyprus President

President of the Republic Karolos Papoulias congratulated Chrisofias on his election, in a telephone call following the announcement of the election results in Cyprus.

Prime minister Costas Karamanlis, too, congratulated Chrisofias on his election, in a telephone call after the election results in Cyprus were finalised.

Main opposition PASOK leader George Papandreou also telephoned Christofias to congratulate him, and in a statement issued later congratulated the "friend and comrade".

"His victory is a victory for a just society in Cyprus, for a just solution to the Cyprus issue. We are continuing the struggle for a solution to the Cyprus issue based on International Law, the UN Resolutions, and with respect for the EU acquis. A solution that will be founded on the will of the Cypriot people, Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots alike," Papandreou said in his message.

Papandreou further pledged that PASOK will support all the efforts of the people of Cyprus and its new President, adding that "we are optimistic, the Cyprus issue will once again be at the center of the international political scene".

"PASOK, and I, personally, as always, are at the side of the Cypriot people and the government of Cyprus," he concluded.

Communist Party of Greece (KKE) leader Aleka Papariga also telephoned Christofias to congratulate him on his election, and wished him every success in his new, difficult duties.

Coalition of the Left, Movements and Ecology (SYN) leader Alexis Tsipras sent a message of congratulations to Christofias, in which he said that "your historical victory is a message of hope for the entire Cypriot people".

He said it was also a message of optimism for the forces of the Left in all of Europe.

"In a small country of the EU, the Left is changing the correlations and proving that nothing is impossible," Tsipras said.

On behalf of SYN, Tsipras wished Christofias success in the difficult task he was undertaking "to open roads for a just and viable solution of the Cyprus issue, to prove that an alternative Left governance is not only necessary but also feasible, in these difficult days".

Coalition of the Radical Left (the SYN-led parliamentary alliance SYRIZA) parliamentary group leader Alekos Alavanos also sent a message of congratulations to the newly-elected president of Cyprus.

In his message, Alavanos said that all of SYRIZA shared "the joy over today's great success".

"We believe that, in this great test for the Cypriot Left, to govern with an alternative platform and way and to put its seal on the resolution of the major problems such as the Cyprus issue and the reconciliation of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities, you will respond with full success, thus giving momentum to the overall European Left endeavour," Alavanos said.

Parliament president congratulates new Cyprus President

Parliament president Dimitris Sioufas on Sunday telephoned Demetris Christofias to congratulate him on his election as the new President of the Republic of Cyprus.

Sioufas thanked Christofias, who is the speaker of the Cypriot house of representatives (parliament), for their close cooperate to date, and expressed his confiction that this cooperation will continue even moe closely with the assumption of Christofias' new duties.

He wished Christofias absolute success in the task of utmost responsibility he was undertaking.

Sioufas also expressed hope that "in this new period commencing, we will achieve a viable and functional solution to the Cyprus issue".

"The Hellenic Parliament, all its wings, all the colleague MPs, will always be at your side. We will always be at the side of the Cypriot people," the parliament president concluded.

[02] Panathinaikos tops soccer standings

In other results of matches played over the weekend:

Panionios Athens - Ergotelis Crete 2-1

Xanthi - Larissa 1-1

Asteras Tripoli - Apollon Kalamaria 1-1

Veria - Aris Thessaloniki 1-0

OFI Crete - Atromitos Athens 0-1

Standings after 22 weeks of play:

Panathinaikos 49 points (21 games)

Olympiakos 48 (21 games)

AEK 45 (21 games)

Aris 35

Asteras 33

Xanthi 32 (21 games)

Panionios 31

PAOK 30

Larissa 29

Atromitos 25 (21 games)

Iraklis 23

OFI 23

Levadiakos 21

Veria 20

Kalamaria 17 (21 games)

Ergotelis 14

Caption: Action during the match between Panathinaikos Athens and Levadiakos Livadia at the "Apostolos Nikolaidis Stadium" in Athens on February 24, 2008. ANA-MPA/Spyros Pantazatos.

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