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Welcome, 77 artists, 40 different points of Attica welcomes you by singing Erotokritos an epic romance written at 1713 by Vitsentzos Kornaros

Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Giannis reminisces the old days in GREECE

The Greek superstar spoke about the old days in the gym he considers “sacred”. By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net. In part one of Giannis' ...


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Kimora Lee Simmons And Her Children Give Back In GREECE For World Refugee Day

Kimora Lee Simmons and her family are currently in GREECE to bring awareness to the needs of refugees on World Refugee Day. The entrepreneur ...


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Turkish fighter jets violate Greek airspace 29 times

All invading aircraft were intercepted


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Greece has completed all 88 prior actions, EU compliance report says

Greece has completed all prior actions needed to conclude the fourth and final review of the Greek programme, according to a compliance report posted by the Directorate General for Economic and Financial Affairs on Wednesday. This opens up the path for approving the disbursement of the final tranche of loans under the programme when euro … The post Greece has completed all 88 prior actions, EU compliance report says appeared first on Keep Talking Greece.


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$130bn sovereign wealth fund invests in Amerra's big GREEK bass, bream deal

Mubadala Investment Company, the sovereign wealth fund of Abu Dhabi, is involved in AMERRA Capital Management's deal for Greece's largest two ...


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Former top statisticians warn Georgiou's prosecution may affect GREEK market foray

“One cannot but note that the continuing prosecutions of official statisticians for producing the statistics on the GREEK economy that are relied on by the ...


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The last step to exit the Memorandum

The final step towards the completion of the Memorandum for Greece is expected to take place tomorrow in Luxembourg where the eurozone finance ministers meet The aim of the meeti


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Palo Alto’s Taverna Merges Modern, Traditional Greek Cuisine

We knew we were onto something good at Taverna when they served the sweet pea fritters ($9). The chef composed the plate with two eye-catching colors, yellow and green. Translucent strands of candied lemon adorned the fritter tops as they bathed in a ...


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Ubisoft won't whitewash Ancient GREECE with Assassin's Creed Odyssey

Ubisoft has made efforts to avoid whitewashing the cast of Assassin's Creed Odyssey, audio director Lydia Andrew revealed during E3 this year.


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Zaev says GREECE has recognised the 'Macedonian' people

The Prime Minister of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia Zoran Zaev says that the name deal signed with GREECE includes the recognition of ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.ekathimerini.com

EuGMS 2020: GREECE to Host 16th European Geriatric Medicine Congress

GREECE will host the European Geriatric Medicine Society's (EuGMS) 16th International Congress in 2020 in Athens after competing for the event with ...


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GREECE Investment Options Top NY Roadshow Agenda

GREECE'S investment opportunities are at the center of attention in New York, this week during the Greek Investment Roadshow running through to ...


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Macedonia's Parliament Ratifies Historic Deal With GREECE

Macedonia's landmark agreement with GREECE over its name has passed its first hurdle, after the country's parliament ratified the deal on Wednesday.


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After Fleeing War, Refugee Children Face Lasting Psychological Trauma

In the fall of 2015, Essam Daod was standing on the beach in Lesbos, GREECE, when a crowded rubber dinghy packed with refugees landed ashore.


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GREECE expects substantive debt relief conditions from Eurogroup

GREECE expects eurozone finance ministers to deliver on promised debt relief this week so that it can at last plan its financial future "like any ordinary ...


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Commission: GREECE completed all prior actions of fourth program review

GREECE has completed all the pending prior actions required to conclude the fourth program review, which opens the way for the disbursement of the ...


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GREECE'S economy at a turning point?

At a Eurozone meeting this Thursday in Luxembourg, Finance Ministers will settle the final roadmap for GREECE'S debt relief programme.


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Silas Melson, former Jefferson High School and Gonzaga guard, signs pro contract with Greek team Lavrio

Silas Melson, who led Jefferson High School to back-to-back OSAA 5A state championships in 2013 and 2014, has signed a two-year professional basketball contract with the Greek club Lavrio, according to a press release from the team. Melson just completed a ...


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Greece likely to get green light to exit bailout program, but worries linger

Call it a happier sort of “Grexit.” Greece’s eurozone partners are expected Thursday to clear the way for the country to depart its third bailout program in August, ending an eight-year stretch of financial assistance. The terms will likely include a ...


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GREEK current account deficit increased in April

Greece's current account deficit widened in April compared to the same month a year earlier on the back of a larger trade gap and a smaller services ...


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Concerns over success of GREEK classes for migrant children

During a session at the House education committee, MPs voiced their concerns over the programme, which aims to teach migrant students the GREEK ...


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Tsipras says expects Eurogroup to reach solution on GREEK debt

“We expect tomorrow a decision on GREEK debt that will mark the end of Greece's eight-year turmoil and the end of austerity,” he said at the start of a ...


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More GREEK debtors to benefit from repayment plan

The 120-installment payment plan for self-employed professionals and businesses with debts to the state and social security funds has been extended ...


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Car Rental an Investment Idea as GREEK Tourism Grows

The total size of the GREEK car hire market (including long and short-term or tourist rentals) was estimated at 631.8 million euros in 2016, with the crisis ...


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Turkey condemns prison leave for GREEK Marxist assassin

Turkey has condemned the decision by a GREEK court to release on two-day prison leave Dimitris Koufodinas, the chief of operations and shooter for ...


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Kate Hudson's Son Ryder Is Totally Twinning With Kurt Russell on Vacation in Greece

Kate Hudson's photogenic family is living it up on vacation! The actress is currently enjoying a getaway in Greece with her fam -- including her brother, Oliver Hudson, her 14-year-old son, Ryder, and her mom, Goldie Hawn, as well as Hawn's longtime ...


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Ousted Golden Dawn MP accused of “high treason” set free on bail

Ousted Golden Dawn MP, Kostantinos Barbarousis, was set free on bail after he testified before a judge on Wednesday. He was charged on “preparatory acts of high treason.” The bail was set at 30,000 euros, he has been barred form leaving the country and has to report to a police station three times per month. … The post Ousted Golden Dawn MP accused of “high treason” set free on bail appeared first on Keep Talking Greece.


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Greece hosts 58,000 refugees and migrants in early June, says UNHCR

The number of refugees, asylum seekers and people with no citizenship in Greece totaled 58,000 in early June, according to figures released by the Greek chapter of the UNHCR on Wednesday, World Refugee Day. Sabine Wahning, head of the Thessaloniki office, says that there is a rising trend in the number of refugees in the … The post Greece hosts 58,000 refugees and migrants in early June, says UNHCR appeared first on Keep Talking Greece.


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Sharp rise in immigration helps counter Portugal's shrinking population

[passportbulgarian]Portugal welcomed nearly 47,000 foreigners in 2016, the highest figure since 2010 and gave refugee status or international protection to 400 people, double the 2015 number. "Portugal continues to fulfil its commitment, under the European migration agenda, to welcome and settle 4,574 people from Greece and Italy by December 2017," reads the report, skirting around the issue of low numbers choosing Portugal and more than half of those that initially do settle, leave shortly afterwards.


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Festivals: Geneva Swedish Days, Strawberry Fest, Palatine Greek Fest & more

Geneva Swedish Days: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, June 22-23, and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday, June 24, at Third and State streets, Geneva. Music, a carnival, Kids' Day fun, Sweden Väst, Geneva's Got Talent music competition, multiethnic food ...


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Product Trademarks following the Greece

The Trade Marks of Products following the Agreement with fYROMacedonia issues that come under commercial law I believe will be solved in the best possible way more complex prob


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PM Tsipras Meets with SNF Co-President Dracopoulos

ATHENS – “Tomorrow we expect a decision for the settlement of the Greek debt that will signal the end of an eight-year adventure for Greece and […] The post PM Tsipras Meets with SNF Co-President Dracopoulos appeared first on The National Herald.


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Manos Greek Restaurant is a worthy destination

For decades, Manos Greek Restaurant has been a fixture in Toledo's UpTown district, beckoning diners with the promise of authentic Greek cuisine and nightlife, thanks to the Attic bar upstairs. In some ways, Manos is showing its age. The small dining room ...


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Stonehenge builders used Pythagoras' theorem 2,000 years before Greek philosopher was born, say experts

The builders of Britain’s ancient stone circles like Stonehenge were using Pythagoras' theorem 2,000 years before the Greek philosopher was born, experts have claimed. A new book, Megalith, has re-examined the ancient geometry of Neolithic monuments and ...


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40% of Greek Expats ‘Not Coming Back’

Eight in ten people who left Greece to work abroad due to the economic crisis are university degree holders, while four out of ten are not considering a return home, a new study shows. The survey was conducted by ICAP for the fourth consecutive year ...


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Watch: Greek woman breaks world record for longest garlic braid

Nea Vyssa-resident and “garlic knitter” Dimitra Athanasova Tzoridou just broke the world record with the longest garlic braid, totalling 612 metres and 70 centimetres. The record was previously held by Hungary at 255 metres. The attempt was made at the ...


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Detention of Soldiers by Turkey is ‘Barbaric’, Says Greek Minister

A Greek minister described the continued detention of the two Greek soldiers in Turkey as “barbaric”, a day after a Turkish court ruled again against their petition to be released until their trial. Speaking on Greek radio, Alternate Minister of ...


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ANEL wants 180 votes for Macedonia Agreement; threats against MPs

Leader of ANEL and Tsipras’ junior coalition partner, Panos Kammenos, said on Wednesday, that he will ask the Prime Minister the Macedonia Agreement will pass through the Greek parliament with an enhanced majority of 180 votes. Kammenos statement comes the day the FYROM Parliament ratified the agreement. “We will do whatever it takes the agreement … The post ANEL wants 180 votes for Macedonia Agreement; threats against MPs appeared first on Keep Talking Greece.


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Vandals destroy statues at the archaeological site of Brexiza, Marathon

Unknown perpetrators have raided the archaeological site of the Sanctuary of the Egyptian Gods in Brexiza by Marathon and caused significant damage to several statues. According to a statement issued by the Culture Ministry, the vandalism was discovered by the site guard on Wednesday morning. the statues were damaged most likely with hammers, media report. … The post Vandals destroy statues at the archaeological site of Brexiza, Marathon appeared first on Keep Talking Greece.


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Assassin's Creed Odyssey Is Using Greek Actors for Main Roles

Assassin's Creed Odyssey is doing a lot of firsts for the franchise: tailored romances, male/female chosen protagonist, and that beloved dialogue wheel! But it's not just total immersion that they're going for, Ubisoft is also aiming for total accuracy.


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Turkey makes strong comeback in summer season: TUI

After having seen a decreasing demand from many Western and northern European markets, Turkey is back in fashion in summer season and has become the third most popular destination after Spain and Greece, Anglo-German travel and tourism company TUI has stated.


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FYROM’s Parliament Ratifies Name Deal with Greece

SKOPJE, FYROM (AP) — Macedonia’s parliament on Wednesday comfortably ratified a deal with neighboring Greece signed last weekend to end a decades-long dispute over FYROM’s […] The post FYROM’s Parliament Ratifies Name Deal with Greece appeared first on The National Herald.


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Archdiocese Criticizes Separation of Children from Parents

NE YORK – The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America released a statement on June 18 in defense of children and families, criticizing the use of […] The post Archdiocese Criticizes Separation of Children from Parents appeared first on The National Herald.


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Greek Far-Right Lawmaker Freed Pending Treason-Related Trial

ATHENS, Greece — Greek authorities have released from police custody an extreme far-right lawmaker pending his trial on treason-related charges. A council of judges on Wednesday ordered Constantinos Barbaroussis to pay bail of 30,000 euros ($35,000), and ...


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Interview of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikos Kotzias, on Alpha Radio, with journalists D. Verykios and S. Lamprou

JOURNALIST: We interrupt the flow of commercials and we won't be going to a news show right now, because we have the pleasure and honour of having the protagonist of recent days, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikos Kotzias, on the phone. N. KOTZIAS: Good morning. JOURNALIST: Good morning, Minister. N. KOTZIAS: Good morning Dimos and Spyros, and good morning to our listeners. My daughter reminded me that today is Father’s Day. Many happy returns to all fathers. JOURNALIST: To all of us. Many happy returns. Listen, Minister, I jotted down some notes last night to introduce our interview today. I’ll read you two of the notes I’ve written: “Kotzias unfolded before a national audience the talent he has had since he was young, which only we, the Communist Youth of the 1970s and 1980s, know of. Ideological instructor. Kotzias didn’t make a speech in Parliament. He gave a lecture, with irony to spare, as always, wherever necessary.” That is who Nikos Kotzias is to me. N. KOTZIAS: Saturday reminded me a little of my youth and, of course, the fact that, first and foremost, I am a teacher. JOURNALIST: I remember you in Elefsina, where you came to speak to us... you haven’t changed a bit. N. KOTZIAS: A few added kilos. What I want to say now is this: I think the main thing all of us need to understand is that we are living in a world that is changing, and it is very important for the country to cover its back, as they say, and to have friendly relations with the north, literally. Skopje is prepared to open up to us. It loves and adores Greece. Half its population come to northern Greece every summer as tourists. At least twice a year, every citizen of this country shops in Greece. We are its biggest trade partner and we are the second largest investor there. In other words, there is a reality that we need to develop to the benefit of both peoples, so that the economies and societies of both regions can develop.And for this to happen, we had to reach an agreement. Every agreement contains a compromise and a commitment. The compromise is that, as I said in Parliament, we did not defeat them. I called on New Democracy. I said, “You are asking for everything. Okay, this shows us who is a maximalist and wants to have it all. But this is what you ask for – and mistakenly, even in that case – when you win a war and dictate the terms of surrender to the other side.” We aren’t at war with these people. They are a friendly country, beyond the name issue. They are friends and people and citizens, and they are welcomed by the very protesters themselves, with great pleasure, as customers and consumers throughout the year. And it is right that they are welcomed. We had to see what the main issue was for us. For us, the main thing was for the name to change and be clearly different from our Greek Macedonia. And the name we agreed on is a name that they want, that we want as a government, and that the Karamanlis government pursued in its finer moments. They shouldn't pretend it’s a name they've never had anything to do with. As I showed in Parliament, this was the name pursued by the Karamanlis government in its finer moments. Because in its not-so-fine moments, it accepted plain “Macedonia”. What was the second thing we wanted? For the name, not the adjectival reference to be for all uses, international and internal. Do you know how difficult it is for the other side – and how much we should appreciate this – to change its name? Not just what all of us outside the country will call it, but also what they will call themselves within their own country. And the third: For us to be certain, they need to change their Constitution. And now we have this surprising fact. The country, “North Macedonia”, will ratify the agreement this week. They will hold a referendum and hopefully win it. They will change their constitution, the name will be put into the Constitution, and then we will ratify. They are taking a risk because they trust that we mean what we say. JOURNALIST: I felt that, at some point towards the end, you were pleased that New Democracy took this stance, because it was as if you said the wheat separated from the chaff; that in both countries there is now a dividing line between nationalists and modernists. N. KOTZIAS: I wasn’t pleased that New Democracy has been swept away by its far-right contingent. I wasn't pleased that New Democracy sacrificed the stance it brought with Karamanlis in 2008 for a compound name that includes the term ‘Macedonia’, but I was pleased because their hypocrisy was revealed as they abandoned that position. And in fact, if you remember, I said that New Democracy functions as a branch of VMRO in Athens. Because VMRO, which is New Democracy’s brother Party, and which is also screaming that the Zaev government conceded everything, is the Party that brought irredentism to Skopje, that put up the statues of Alexander the Great, that renamed the airport ‘Alexander the Great Airport’ and that named the motorway linking Greek to Skopje ‘Alexander the Great Motorway’. This miserable climate, of the most miserable statements against Greece, which gave birth to the irredentism we wanted to stop through this agreement – this Party is saying exactly what New Democracy is saying. And you will have seen that I said teasingly in Parliament, “Alexis, how is it that New Democracy is accusing us of conceding everything to Skopje, while its twin brother, the anti-Greek Gruevski – and it is no coincidence that he is their twin – says that “Zaev conceded everything to us.” And here we either have two agreements and we are kidding people that it is one agreement – I said this sarcastically – or what do we have? We have two forces that don’t want to make a compromise, because they think they can make political and other gains from bombast, nationalistic ranting and the effort to create a climate of hostility between the two peoples. JOURNALIST: Were you pleased that Karamanlis didn't make a statement against the agreement? N. KOTZIAS: Kostas Karamanlis has shown seriousness that, publicly and in Parliament, I underscored as a positive element of the country’s political scene. In fact, it is those who denigrate Konstantinos Karamanlis and Kostas Karamanlis who set the tone in New Democracy. The people from the far right, who were appointed – if you remember – by the imprisoned Papadopoulos as the head of the junta youth. These people are setting the tone today. And what do they want? Do they want us to violate international law? Do they want the country to impose its will on Skopje and do they think the international community will just look on? Do you think that I’m exaggerating? I remind you that, at the large demonstration a couple of weeks ago in Syntagma – not the much smaller one a couple of days ago – the following slogan was heard for hours: “Bring the guns so we can enter Skopje.” Isn’t that irredentism? Because some people tell me that “there isn’t irredentism in Greece.” What is this? Bring me a gun so I can enter a foreign capital? It is irredentism and it is warmongering. JOURNALIST: I think you know first-hand that there were such plans in the 1990s. N. KOTZIAS: At that time, a portion of the Greek political leadership had plans to break up fYROM. But listen. I ask again, and Mr. Theodorakis was very right in asking: Does Greece want a much smaller, friendly and cooperating country on its northern border, or does it want this country to be under Turkish influence? Or does it want this country to break up and great Albania and great Bulgaria to be created? Because foreign policy issues are very serious and very tough, unfortunately. Is it in Greece’s interests? Because this rationale, that “we don't want to accept their being called what they want; we don’t want one or the other,” moves towards these two plans. First question: why is it in Greece’s interest for this country to break up and for great Albania and great Bulgaria to be created? I wish someone would finally tell me. Because they talk without considering the consequences. JOURNALIST: You know, Mr. Kotzias, they say that “even if Skopje gets into NATO now, Turkey will still be able to manage things and do whatever it wants.” N. KOTZIAS: No. Allow me to tell you the second thing about Turkey. Do you know what I was told by the leadership of the Albanians of North Macedonia – who are very patriotic about their country? When I saw them, and I have seen them at least 15 times for hours of discussions, they said, “Nikos, please don’t let the relations between the two countries be ruined, because Turks have come here and they have bought radio stations, TV stations and newspapers. They aren't promoting pro-Turkish propaganda. They are promoting propaganda for Islamic fundamentalism and they want to transform the limited and low level of Albanian nationalism – in fYROM; I’m not saying elsewhere – into Islamic fanaticism. And I ask: is it in Greece's interest to have Islamic fundamentalism on our borders and a space where Islamist fighters are trained so they can come into Greece? Are these people in their right minds? But to go back to Turkey. Turkey is currently training the country’s elite. Turkey is training the officers of its army. JOURNALIST: That's how it is. N. KOTZIAS: And what’s more, for ten years, under Gruevski, the younger generations of this friendly country grew up with the fairytale that they are the heirs of Alexander the Great and they are the heirs of ancient Greece and they have to take all of it back. And we stopped that. It’s over. And rather than being pleased that Gruevski was defeated – apparently because he is their brother Party – the people of New Democracy are dismayed. Because they were feeding each other, each one living off of the irredentism and pseudo-ancient Hellenism of the other. This suited New Democracy. JOURNALIST: Mr. Kotzias, what has essentially bothered most people in this particular respect is perhaps the statement – and I’ll read it to you so you can answer people in this regard – from Mr. Zaev, who, at the beginning of his speech, said, “the Macedonians and the Greeks.” We want you to respond on this so people can understand precisely what it means. Because, you know, they’re saying, “if they say the Macedonians and the Greeks now, what will they be saying in a while?” N. KOTZIAS: You tell me! I don’t know. Because someone told me we gave them Thessaloniki. A state that has four old Russian helicopters, that doesn't even have a single fighter jet, ships – in any case, it can’t have a navy – is going to come and take Thessaloniki. They make these things up to fool themselves. Now, let’s go to Zaev's statement. We have to separate historical Greek and ancient Greek Macedonia from geographical Macedonia. If we don’t, we’ll get confused. Zaev calls himself a Macedonian based on the geographical position of the region where he was born and raised. Is geographical Macedonia all Greek? No. In the current reality, a small part belongs to Albania, a larger part belongs to Bulgaria, what is called Pirin Macedonia, a third belongs to North Macedonia, to that state, and the largest part, 52-53%, belongs to Greece. Three members of Borisov’s cabinet, Bulgaria’s Prime Minister, come from Pirin Macedonia and call themselves Macedonian. Why do they say Macedonian? Not because they come from Greek Macedonia, Greek heritage and Greek history, but because they come from a part of the geographical Macedonia of the Ottoman province that went to Bulgaria. Zaev is speaking the same way. I was very strict on this point in Parliament: When did these parts (of geographical Macedonia) go to the then Yugoslavia, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and, afterwards, socialist Yugoslavia, and it broke away and became the ‘Republic of Macedonia’ and Pirin Macedonia? In 1913, after the first Balkan Wars. In the Treaty of Bucharest. And what does the Treaty of Bucharest do? It grants Greece today’s Greek Macedonia. Anyone who disputes the Treaty of Bucharest disputes, first of all, Greek Macedonia and the fact that we took the largest portion of geographical Macedonia. He disputes the fact that geographical Macedonia was divided up. But – and this is the worst of all – he also disputes international law. Because Greece bases its international position and foreign policy on taking international law seriously and implementing national law. Aren’t we the one’s saying to Erdogan every day, “these islands are Greek”? Not just because we are the heirs to the history of ancient Greek civilization, because there is ancient Greek cultural heritage in Ephesus and Alikarnassos, but because it was given to us in the Treaty of Lausanne. And when do we react very sternly? When Mr. Erdogan comes and disputes the Treaty of Lausanne. Those who are bothered by the fact that geographical Macedonia was broken up, and who purposely confuse Greek Macedonia, the history of Macedonia and our Greek heritage with the geographical agreement of the Treaty of Bucharest, are disputing international law. And Greece must be the last country in the region to allow international law to be disputed. It is on international law that we base our rights, in Cyprus, in Thrace, in the Aegean, everywhere. Suddenly, just because they are in the opposition, or maybe some out of good intentions – because those people exist too – out of ignorance they are disputing the 1913 division of geographical Macedonia in the Treaty of Bucharest because they are bothered by what Mr. Zaev said. Let anyone who dares open the Pandora’s box of the Balkans by disputing the agreements and international treaties. JOURNALIST: Mrs. Bakoyannis doesn’t know all of this? Did you anticipate the stance she took during the parliamentary debate? N. KOTZIAS: On this issue, despite her passionate hostility towards me, Mrs. Bakoyannis was one of the best in New Democracy. After 2008, she adopted the position for a compound name that included the term ‘Macedonia’. She put this position together and put it on the Ministry’s website, and it is still there today. Why? When we came into office, we didn't want to change anything on this part of the Ministry’s website. Because if we had changed it, they would have said we were moving towards new accomplished facts. We left it because the main thing was to hold negotiations and to reach a new state of affairs via the negotiations. This line, which was Karamanlis’ line, which was the line adopted by Mrs. Bakoyannis, wasn’t disputed even by Mr. Samaras when he was Prime Minister. He let Mr. Venizelos follow this line at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Of course, today, in hindsight, Mr. Venizelos says he followed a personal line, and Mr. Avramopoulos, who was also a Minister of Foreign Affairs for New Democracy, also says he followed a personal line. What kind of government did Mr. Samaras have, where, on one of the three key foreign policy issues, the Minister of Foreign Affairs did what he liked, against the Prime Minister, supposedly in retrospect? So, Mrs. Bakoyannis, Mr. Avramopoulos and, subsequently, Mr. Venizelos – who may not agree with the agreement, but who agree with its core – defended the compound name including the term ‘Macedonia’, and suddenly Mrs. Bakoyannis found herself in a tight spot within New Democracy. The extreme rightists, further to the right of Samaras – not Samaras with his views; further right than Samaras – asked for a change of stance. And Mr. Mitsotakis’ pollster whispered in his ear that “if the Party stops being serious and adopts the VMRO positions of Mr. Gruevski, it will win votes through the anxiety and insecurity it creates in northern Greece,” and he forgot that he will lose many more votes than he gains. Because he is showing a lack of seriousness. JOURNALIST: Mr. Theodorikakos may have convinced Mr. Mitsotakis, but not Mrs. Bakoyannis. N. KOTZIAS: That's their problem. Mrs. Bakoyannis adapted, probably with difficulty, to her Party’s line. I think that's why she came out and insulted me – not on the last day, but on the second day of the debate – in a way that does not correspond to the political culture our country must have. JOURNALIST: But in my opinion it raised the issue of the importance of, how much weight is put on, the degrees Greek politicians have. Regardless of the fact that we, coming from a particular political space, know what Kotzias is. N. KOTZIAS: I have seven degrees. JOURNALIST: For as long as I can remember, you have been more involved with academic issues than politics. N. KOTZIAS: I have international recognition. I have received four honorary doctorates from major universities in recognition of my academic work... JOURNALIST: Now even the Russians, whom you have disappointed a little. You called them a “petrol station” on that show ... N. KOTZIAS: I am very proud that, in the most improbable countries I visit in the world, I find students of mine from the University of Piraeus, and they are professors. I have four students in Albania, young people who are professors at the University of Albania. I have professors at the University of Armenia, the University of Georgia. I even found students of mine who are active academically in Vietnam. Female students, not males. And it is the joy of my life, as a university professor, in my capacity as Minister of Foreign Affairs, to have the opportunity, during the short visits I make, to have my old students come, early in the morning or late at night, to greet their old teacher. Whatever New Democracy says, this great satisfaction of the teacher cannot be taken away by anyone. I am a university teacher who had the pleasure, and I still have it once a year, of giving a lecture; my old class, a great class, “Special Topics in Greek Foreign Policy” it was. I always had the pleasure of having the fullest classrooms. And this was for students finishing their course, who usually didn’t attend classes. My class, “Special Topics in Greek Foreign Policy,” the last class students take in their final year, is attended. They fill the room, sit on the steps, on the radiators, hanging from the windows. The joy of teaching. No one can take that away from me. JOURNALIST: Mr. Kotzias, what does the teacher have to say to the people – maybe they got swept up in things, maybe they’ve seen things and History will show how things go later on – who yesterday gathered in Pisoderi, and we had the incidents and pictures that do not do honour to the country? N. KOTZIAS: I'll say this: First of all, I saw that 100,000 people gathered in Syntagma – they said there were 250,000 people. On the evening of the Hellenic Parliament’s vote on the motion of no confidence in the Greek government, there were 4,000 people. I think it is great progress from 100, 120 thousand – they claimed 250,000 – to 4,000 people, which means that people have understood our policy and have understood that some people were playing political games. And Mr. Voutsis was told that among these people there were Golden Dawn troopers who wanted to attack and occupy Parliament, and I remind you that this has happened before in the European south. It was when the putschists seized the Parliament of the then new Republic of Spain. And their King, Juan Carlos, maintained his stance and denounced and broke the coup. And today they wanted to enter Parliament and occupy it. In Northern Greece – I haven’t had the time yet to study the incidents – the head officers told me that, together with people who believe deeply that they are right – it is reasonable for there to be people with a different opinion, with their concerns, and I will explain this – there were also Golden Dawn troopers with wooden clubs and iron bars. Just so we’re clear. It’s bad for there to be incidents, for chemicals to be used. My lungs are full of chemicals, and I hate them. But it would be good if certain people didn't try to hinder the Greek state from complying with international agreements and didn’t want to make the Greek state look foolish. Now I’ll go to the well-intentioned people. Listen, many people abroad say to me, “you have a real problem – they want to take islands from you, they have occupied Cyprus – with Turkey. What is your obsession with this little state” – respected state, but it is much smaller than us, as big as central Macedonia, our region, with a smaller population – “why this obsession?” And I explain: first, there is the anguish a Greek feels over his history. Second, there is the anguish of some people – which is wrong as to how they express it – who say, “the big countries oppressed us in the economic crisis, so why should we be nice to smaller countries?” But I have another way of seeing it: you don’t need to do to others what you didn’t like being done to you. And third, they have a hostility to this archaism of Mr. Gruevski, who appeared and tried to take their heritage, history and culture, and we have to explain to them that the main enemy of this agreement is precisely this guy with his archaism, this ally of New Democracy. There is a fourth reason that doesn’t have to do with international politics or inter-state politics: That in our region, throughout the region, there is a sensitivity to the name issue. Sometimes I tell foreigners: a handsome young man meets a beautiful young woman and is enamoured of her. Then they fall in love. They love each other so much that they decide to get married. Their love brings them a child; a son, let’s say. I prefer daughters, but take a son as our example. JOURNALIST: “May the good mother’s first child be a daughter,” as the saying goes. N. KOTZIAS: Let’s say it’s a son, to make our example easier. And now, suddenly, we see this loving couple of 10 years arguing. What, my dear Spyros and my dear Dimos, are the two parents arguing about? About what to name the child. Whether he’ll take the name of one father-in-law or the other. And there are three or four solutions here. They can give him another name and not argue. They may be fortunate enough for both fathers-in-law to have the same name. They can agree on a compound (hyphenated) name, which is what we did; for example, Giorgos-Konstantinos, with one side of the family calling him Giorgos and the other side calling him Konstantinos, and, in the end, when the child goes to school he gets another name: Dinos, Akis or something else. The third, the compound name, is the best option, with one-sided exclamations, like Zaev made yesterday, on both sides. And the other option is divorce. Isn’t that the reality in our region? This reality was the foundation of the name problem. People are sensitive to the three factors I mentioned; the real ones and a special tradition. They feel it is a problem. They ask you, “What do I call it?”. JOURNALIST: Now we understand why the amphitheatres fill up when you lecture at universities. Because you make yourself understood through examples. JOURNALIST: Mr. Kotzias, before we leave you, I would like you to tell us what political scene you see taking shape, if we bear in mind that there was a seismic political shift in the Independent Greeks that did some damage, with two people leaving. N. KOTZIAS: But it held. JOURNALIST: Yes, it held. What do you see happening from here on in?N. KOTZIAS: I think that the biggest losers in the parliamentary debate were Mr. Samaras and the far-right wing of New Democracy. No comma after ‘Samaras’; it’s the same thing. Because, in the end, what was exposed was that Mr. Samaras was the first to sign for plain ‘Macedonia’ in the European bodies. The Extreme Right proved to be saying nothing other than the false words of the junta regarding Cyprus and Macedonia... JOURNALIST: I think the winner on the Right was Samaras, because the man from Kalamata got his revenge. After 28 years, he managed to make Mitsotakis’ two children renounce the ideological policy of their father and defend the policy of Samaras, who brought down their father. N. KOTZIAS: Quite right. Within New Democracy, Samaras won. But what did I say? In Parliament, Samaras was defeated. JOURNALIST: That’s another thing. N. KOTZIAS: That’s what I’m saying. In Parliament, we won and Samaras lost. New Democracy was overwhelmingly defeated defending the Samaras line. And can I give you a piece of news before we leave? Right after the late Mitsotakis passed away – regardless of any differences one might have had with him, he was a great politician and parliamentary man, in spite of the events of 1965 – the Ministry of Foreign Affairs proposed, as it should have, to the Mitsotakis-Bakoyannis family that we hold a two-day scientific conference in his honour and discuss ‘Mitsotakis and foreign policy’. We scheduled it four times. One time, the Mitsotakis Institute couldn’t make it. The second time there was a scheduling issue for Mrs. Bakoyannis and us – understandable. The other two times, we were called by Mr. Mitsotakis’ office and told that the President didn’t want a two-day conference honouring Mitsotakis to take place at this time. I wondered about it at the time. In hindsight, I understand. Because a discussion honouring Mitsotakis would force his son to acknowledge his father’s work regarding the name of Macedonia and remind him for two days of how badly his father was treated. JOURNALIST: I didn't know that. N. KOTZIAS: This is the first time I’ve said it. And the Ministry of Foreign Affairs didn’t hold this two-day conference. I remind you: We wanted it, we scheduled it, because Mr. Mitsotakis was a Minister of Foreign Affairs. We should honour the memory of Ministers of Foreign Affairs, especially in the case of such a strong personality who also served as Prime Minister. Unfortunately, the President of New Democracy didn’t want it to happen. I don’t know how else to interpret it. I guess New Democracy will issue an announcement. I hope they don’t lash out at me. The fact is, we wanted to do it and it didn’t happen. JOURNALIST: Thank you very much. N. KOTZIAS: Thank you.


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Third Rhodes Conference for Security and Stability (Rhodes, 21-22 June 2018)

The Third Rhodes Conference for Security and Stability will take place on 21 and 22 June, with the participation of Ministers of Foreign Affairs and high-ranking officials from the countries of the Mediterranean and the Middle East, and from cooperation organizations of Arab countries. It will also be attended by observers from countries outside the region, including Vietnam, Colombia and Indonesia. The Greek delegation is headed by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikos Kotzias, who will chair the Conference proceedings.At the Conference, the participants will endeavour to analyse and assess the current security challenges in the region and take a step further towards the implementation of the idea, put forward at the 2nd Rhodes Conference, for a dialogue and cooperation platform for security and stability in the region. The Conference will also seek new ways to enhance regional cooperation in various sectors and to the benefit of the peoples of the region.More specifically, the subject of the Conference is “The Spirit of Rhodes: Shaping a Positive Agenda for Stability and Prosperity”. The proceedings will begin on Thursday, 21 June, with a consideration of the geopolitical challenges in the Eastern Mediterranean (First Session), and continue with the discussion on shaping a new security structure (Second Session). Recognising the importance of modern economic growth for the region’s stability and prosperity, the third session, which is scheduled for Friday, 22 June, will focus on seeking ways to cooperate on Digital Economy issues. The Minister for Digital Policy, Telecommunications and Media, N. Pappas, will moderate the discussion.The Conference proceedings will conclude with the adoption of a Joint Communiqué and a press conference scheduled to take place at about 12:45.


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Turkey condemns Greek terrorist's 2-day furlough

Turkey has condemned Greek authorities' decision to grant a two-day furlough to a far-left terrorist who is serving 11 life sentences in Greece for murder. Dimitris Koufodinas was identified as a leader of the November 17 terror group in a major trial that ...


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Hungry for Greek food? Check out these 5 new NYC spots

Interested in trying some new Greek spots in New York City? You're in luck: we've found the freshest businesses to fill the bill, offering everything from souvlaki and gyros to grilled octopus and lobster. Here are the newest places to check out the next ...


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Vandals smash copies of Egyptian gods' statues in Greek site

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greek authorities say unknown vandals have smashed replicas of Roman-era Egyptian gods on the site of an ancient sanctuary north of Athens. A culture ministry statement Wednesday said the plaster copies of the 2nd-century statues of ...


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ANEL President Kammenos: Plan to bribe party MPs in full swing

Mr Kammenos alleged his party members were being pressured to bring down the Greek government


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