Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-02-26

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

CONTENTS

[01] PASOK leader meets party deputies

[02] Liapis in China

[01] PASOK leader meets party deputies

The issues discussed included education, citizensâ incomes, the social security system, traffic, greenery and cleanliness.

Apart from these topics, also discussed was the course towards the 8th PASOK Congress as well as political developments.

In a related development, PASOK party secretary Nikos Athanasakis and the Congress Central Organising Committee coordinator Christos Polyzogopoulos, speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, said that the outcome of Sunday's process on electing representatives for the party's 8th Congress was positive for PASOK and the country's political system.

According to data presented, the number of members and friends of PASOK who participated in the procedures amounted to 208,738 people, a number expected to increase slightly and to reach about 210,000 people after the last stations are counted.

"What is of interest is the political framework," Athanasakis said, underlining the significance of the dialogue developed by PASOK with citizens in the various pre-congress events.

Data revealed by Polyzogopoulos showed that these events totalled 1,297, of which 920 were at municipal level, 132 at prefectural and 75 were theme events. Moreover, 170 visits were carried out by delegations of PASOK all over the country.

[02] Liapis in China

Following a proposal made by Liapis, it was agreed that a wider initiative must be assumed between countries harmed by antiquities smuggling on the claiming and returning of cultural goods exported illegally.

A bilateral committee of experts will be set up immediately for this purpose, that will consider specific proposals on the implementation of this policy.

The Chinese deputy minister requested from Greece cooperation on safeguarding cultural heritage, the preservation of antiquities, the utilisation of Greek expertise for the creation of the necessary legislative framework for confronting antiquities smuggling, the training of archaeologists and cooperation by Greek archaeologists in Chinese excavations.

Liapis accepted the requests and agreed to their implementation in the framework of cooperation between the two ministries that is upgraded now.

Chinese Culture Minister Jiazhen Sun hosted a working luncheon for his Greek counterpart at noon.

Liapis then inaugurated the exhibition on the New Acropolis Museum at the Greek Home in Beijing, where rich audiovisual material is being displayed regarding the new museum's planning and construction. A replica of the Parthenon's Western Frieze is also on display.

Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of Greek Culture Minister Mihalis Liapis.

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