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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

Tuesday, July 24, 2018

At Least 50 Killed in GREECE Wildfires

July 24 -- ATHENS, GREECE -- The death toll from forest fires east of Athens climbed to at least 50 on Tuesday after a further 26 bodies were found, ...


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Greek wildfire 'struck like flamethrower'

Survivors of the wildfires that have killed at least 74 people in Greece have described how they were forced into the sea by a blaze that "struck like a flamethrower". "The flames were chasing us all ...


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Greece's 'Pompeii': At least 74 dead as wildfires rage

Wildfires sweeping through a Greek resort town killed at least 74 people, including families with children found clasped in a last embrace as they tried to flee the flames.


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Deadly wildfires erupted in Greece overnight. Here’s how it happened.

Provoked by dry, hot weather and extreme wind gusts, fast-moving wildfires raced across coastal resort towns near Athens on Monday evening. With the death toll above 70 and climbing, strong winds cont...


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Greece in shock as deadly wildfires rage

The death toll continues to mount after fires broke out with stunning speed, forcing beachgoers to flee into the sea. The country is to observe three days of national mourning. Jannis Papadimitriou reports from Athens.


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Greece wildfires: People in Mati 'in complete shock'

The BBC's Gavin Lee reports from the seaside village of Mati which has been devastated.


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Bulgaria warns Greece and Turkey of dangerous increased river levels

The Bulgarian Foreign Ministry said on July 24 that it had warned the authorities in Greece and Turkey of an expected dangerous increase of the levels of the waters of the Arda and


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Wildfires kill at least 74 in Greece's 'Pompeii'

MATI, Greece (Reuters) - Greece's prime minister told of the "unspeakable tragedy" the country faced after at least 74 people were killed by wildfires that swept through a resort, trapping people in c...


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Greece Unveils Initial Measures for Fire Victims

ATHENS – The Greek government unveiled on Tuesday a series of immediate measures to help fire victims. Government spokesman Dimitris Tzanakopoulos said that in a […] The post Greece Unveils Initial Measures for Fire Victims appeared first on The National Herald.


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AHEPA, HALC Mobilize for Greek Wildfire Emergency Relief

NEW YORK – Supreme President Carl Hollister made a statement on the deadly wildfires just outside of Athens in Greece. At the National Convention currently […] The post AHEPA, HALC Mobilize for Greek Wildfire Emergency Relief appeared first on The National Herald.


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Greek fire survivors: 'All we have seen is tragedy and loss'

On Tuesday the devastation was complete. Much of Mati, the seaside resort at the centre of Greece’s worst wildfires in more than a decade, was no more. In the inferno it had been rendered lifeless, it...


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Lindsay Lohan insists her staff wear the same shoes or they’ll be fired from her beach club

[GettyImages 887379472]Getty Images * LINDSAY LOHAN OPENED A VIP CLUB CALLED LOHAN BEACH HOUSE IN RHODES, GREECE. * TWO WAITRESSES FROM THE LOHAN BEACH HOUSE IN RHODES POSED FOR AN INSTAGRAM PHOTO, AND LOHAN COMMENTED ON THEIR SHOES NOT MATCHING. * LOHAN INSISTED THAT SHE WAS SERIOUS ABOUT HER STAFF WEARING THE SAME SHOES AND INDICATED THEY WOULD BE FIRED IF THEY DIDN’T COMPLY. ------------------------- Taking a cue from the famous "Mean Girls" rule of wearing pink on Wednesdays, Lindsay Lohan dictated how the staff at her VIP club, Lohan Beach House, should dress.    Lohan, who opened the club in Rhodes, Greece, commented on an Instagram photo of two waitresses. SEE THE REST OF THE STORY AT BUSINESS INSIDERNOW WATCH: Here's why the US Men's team sucks at soccer SEE ALSO: * 22 celebrities you probably forgot appeared on 'Arrested Development' * Here are 16 of the best Shark Week jokes from Twitter * Trump’s all-caps Twitter warning to Iran’s president has already been turned into a meme


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74 dead in 'unspeakable tragedy' in Greece

At least 74 people have been killed as wildfires rage in Greece.


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EU scrambles to send firefighting help to Sweden, GREECE and Latvia

Some 60 firefighters and equipment left Cyprus on Tuesday for GREECE, where more than 50 people have died in the fires, according to officials from ...


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The Latest: Macedonia offers funds to help in Greek fires

ATHENS, Greece — The Latest on wildfires raging in Greece (all times local): 6:10 p.m. Macedonia has offered 6 million denars (about 100,000 euros) as urgent help for neighboring Greece to battle wild...


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Death toll soars in ‘apocalyptic’ fires

AT least 74 people have been killed, 1000 homes have been destroyed and more than 150 victims are injured after two devastating fires ravaged holiday resorts in Greece.


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'I've never seen anything like this before in my life,' says man who fled into sea to escape Greece fires

When fires erupted near his summer home in the coastal Greek town of Mati, Nikos Stavrinidis and his wife ran to the nearest beach, flames and smoke licking at their heels all the way. But when they g...


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Death toll in Athens wildfires increases to 74, number of missing …

Tuesday afternoon, the Greek Fire Service gave the latest data about the casualties in the Athens wildfires, in East Attica. In a short press briefing, the Fire Service representative gave the number of dead has increased to 74. The number of injured is 164 adults and 23 children. Ten of the adults were in intensive … The post Death toll in Athens wildfires increases to 74, number of missing … appeared first on Keep Talking Greece.


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Wildfires raging throughout GREECE kill dozens of people

Two large forest fires burned out of control on two sides of GREECE'S capital, forcing residents to flee to beaches and into the sea, where coast guard ...


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Photos of the Devastating Wildfires Outside Athens, GREECE

Strong winds drove wildfires across the villages, hills, and forests around Athens, GREECE, starting on July 23, with authorities blaming the fires for at ...


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Greek wildfires: dry winter and strong winds led to tinderbox conditions

Experts call for better forest management and focus on prevention after blaze that killed more than 70 people An unusually dry winter, with less than average rainfall interspersed with localised flooding in some areas, is emerging as a major contributing factor to the wildfires that are ravaging the mainland of Greece. Lack of the expected steady rainfall in the winter months meant groundwater sources failed to recharge and left vegetation unable to recover fully from the high temperatures of the 2017 summer. As a result, when temperatures topping 40C hit some areas during this summer’s heatwave and drought, the conditions were already in place for wildfires to take hold. Related: How have you been affected by the wildfires in Greece? Continue reading...


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Albanian politicians extend their solidarity to the Greek people

The latest emergency situation with the fires in Greece has led to many Albanian politicians to extend their solidarity to the Greek people and their readiness to offer their help


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Upd: Death toll from Attica fires reaches 76, over 180 people injured

The tragedy and biblical disaster is bottomless as Greece keeps discovering bodies of people who did not make it during the wildfires in Attica on Monday July 23As firefighte


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Scores dead in Greece as wildfires engulf Attica region

The popular holiday resort region has become a disaster zone as fast moving fires trapped people in their homes and devoured buildings and cars.


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Greece fires: Twenty-six people found dead hugging each other in a field

They had left their cars in panic and ran towards the sea. But they were trapped over a cliff as the flames reached the coast


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Photos show victims of Greece wildfires desperately stranded on the beach as flames engulf their homes

[greece wildfires beach chairs]Kalogerikos Nikos/Facebook * AT LEAST 74 PEOPLE WERE KILLED AND DOZENS MORE WERE INJURED FROM WILDFIRES NEAR ATHENS, GREECE. * THE SEASIDE TOWN OF MATI WAS HARDEST-HIT, WITH FLAMES REDUCING MUCH OF IT TO ASH. * RESIDENTS FLED TO THE SEA, HOPING THAT THEY WOULD BE SAVED. * KALOGERIKOS NIKOS TOOK PHOTOS OF RESIDENTS STRANDED WITH THEIR BELONGINGS AT A BEACH IN MATI. ------------------------- A series of wildfires in Greece engulfed regions around Athens on Monday, leaving at least 74 people dead and dozens more injured and fleeing their homes. One of the hardest-hit regions was Mati, a seaside village 18 miles east of Athens. A wildfire hit the resort town on Monday afternoon and reduced much of it to ash.SEE THE REST OF THE STORY AT BUSINESS INSIDERNOW WATCH: 5 science facts that 'Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom' totally ignored SEE ALSO: * 'The flames were chasing us all the way to the water': Video captures vicious wildfires that have killed dozens on Greece's coastline and forced tourists to flee from beaches into the sea * Devastating wildfires in Greece kill 74 while dozens stranded on the beach watched their homes burn * A Brazilian plastic surgeon named 'Dr Bumbum' is on the run after a woman died following his butt enlargement injection


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Irish couple on honeymoon caught up in Greek wildfires

An Irish couple on their honeymoon in Greece have been caught up in the wildfires sweeping through a Greek resort town which has claimed the lives of at least 74 people. The couple are understood to h...


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GREECE fires map

Nikos Economopoulos, the head of GREECE'S Red Cross, told Skai TV: “They had tried to find an escape route but unfortunately these people and their ...


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'A Terrible Day': Greek Wildfires Kill At Least 74 People, Devastate Resort Village

The death toll from surprisingly fast-moving fires near Athens has tripled from Monday. Officials in Greece said they found 26 bodies in one spot.


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Irish holidaymakers travelling to Greece advised to speak to travel companies

Irish holidaymakers travelling to Greece have been advised to speak to their travel company or accommodation provider after wildfires swept through a resort town killing at least 74 people. It broke o...


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Flames ravage Greek seaside as wildfires kill 74

Raging wildfires killed 74 people including small children in Greece, devouring homes and forests as terrified residents fled to the sea to escape the flames, authorities said Tuesday. Orange flames e...


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Greece wildfires: At least 74 dead as blaze 'struck like flamethrower'

Survivors of the wildfires that have killed at least 74 people in Greece have described how they were forced into the sea by a blaze that "struck like a flamethrower". "The flames were chasing us all ...


READ THE ORIGINAL POST AT www.bbc.co.uk

Death toll from Greece fires rises to 74

Greece's fire officials said the death toll from forest fires that raged through seaside resorts near the Greek capital has increased to 74. Fire Service spokeswoman Stavroula Malliri said Tuesday afternoon that the death toll had increased from 50 to 74, adding that a further 164 adults and 23...


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74 killed as Greek wildfires force residents to jump in sea

As the death toll from Greek wildfires rose to at least 74 Tuesday, survivors of one huge blaze near the country's capital recounted how families fled to the sea to escape advancing flames. Residents ...


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GREECE fires LATEST: How many people have died? Has a state of emergency being declared?

Shocking images from the scene show flames tearing through villages and woodland east and west of Athens, cutting off escape routes for people.


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The Latest: Germany offers help to combat GREECE fires

ATHENS, GREECE (AP) — The Latest on wildfires raging in GREECE (all times local):. 3 p.m.. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is offering her country's ...


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At least 74 killed as wildfires sweep through resorts in GREECE

RAFINA, GREECE — Wildfires raging through seaside resorts near the Greek capital torched homes, cars and forests, killing at least 74 people, ...


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Widespread damage from deadly Greek forest fires

Huge areas of forest have been scorched or turned to ash by wildfires raging near Athens, Greece. At least 50 people have died in the deadly fires still burning in the Kineta and Mati areas. (July 24)          


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In Greece, Wildfires Kill Dozens, Driving Some Into the Sea

At least 74 people have been killed in fast-moving wildfires outside Athens, the country’s deadliest in years. Flames blocked many evacuation routes.


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“Wildfires are God’s punishment for an atheist Prime Minister,” claims Amvrosios

We all know that being spiteful is a bottomless pit. And it is confirmed for one more time on the day where Greece mourns at least 50 people among them many children, dozens of injured and missing. People who lost their lives in the Greek tragedy called “Athens wildfires.” This time the confirmation of being … The post “Wildfires are God’s punishment for an atheist Prime Minister,” claims Amvrosios appeared first on Keep Talking Greece.


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Athens Wildfires info: Online Platform for Missing People

Athens Wildfires – Missing People – Online Platform: An electronic data based platform was opened on Tuesday morning for the people who went missing in the Athens wildfires in East Attica on Monday. The platform was set up at 9 o’ clock in the morning when a group of web developers saw the need for … The post Athens Wildfires info: Online Platform for Missing People appeared first on Keep Talking Greece.


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The Latest: Pope prays for victims of Greek fires

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The Latest on wildfires raging in Greece (all times local): 6 p.m. Pope Francis is praying for the dozens who died in Greece's wildfires and offering encouragement to firefighter...


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Wildfires, floods and ice-cream – Tuesday's best photos

The Guardian’s picture editors bring you photo highlights from around the world, including flooding in Laos and wildfires in Greece Continue reading...


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At least 60 die as wildfires rage in Greece

Wildfires in Greece have killed at least 60 people, with officials declaring a state of emergency. More than 100 people have also been injured as the blazes destroy homes, cars and forests. On Tuesday morning, the Red Cross discovered 26 bodies between two homes in the coastal town of Mati - and officials fear they became 'trapped in the flames' as they tried to escape to the sea. Greece's interior minister, Panos Skourletis, has described the wildfires as a 'national tragedy' and a 'biblical disaster with human losses'. The fires sent hundreds of people, including tourists, racing to beaches to be evacuated by navy vessels, yachts and fishing boats.


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Greece wildfires: Survivors fled to sea as flames kill 60

At least 60 people die as flames spread across the Attica region around Athens.


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Greece wildfires: Seven hundred people rescued by boat

Hundreds of people in Greece ran to the sea to save their lives from the wildfires. A Navy Frigate retrieved at least 4 dead people from the sea


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In pictures: Greece's deadly wildfires

In pictures: Greece's deadly wildfires


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Interview of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikos Kotzias, in the Athens daily Efimerida ton Syntakton, with journalist Nikolas Zirganos (21 July 2018)

JOURNALIST:  The Prespa Agreement was even welcomed by the European People’s Party, to which VMRO and New Democracy belong. But we haven’t had positive messages from Belgrade. Why?N. KOTZIAS: The Prespa Agreement laid bare the differences that exist between the forces stuck in the past – opting for inaction on many issues – and forces like us, who believe in an active democratic foreign policy that actively endeavours to change the conditions in the region to make them better and more progressive. We don’t want history as a prison; only as a school. New Democracy and VMRO thrive on problems. We thrive on resolving problems.With regard to certain nationalists in Belgrade – who are in the minority, fortunately – my feeling is that this agreement puts paid to their ‘dreams’ of regaining leadership of the region. In contrast with these circles, the majority of the political forces and Serbian society are, I believe, well disposed towards the agreement.JOURNALIST: Russia isn’t very happy about the prospect of fYROM’s joining NATO. Was there resentment from Russia? Is this why the two Russian diplomats were expelled?N. KOTZIAS: Our policy is based on the criterion of national interest. Russia has to realise that it cannot disrespect the national interests of another state simply because it feels stronger than the other state. We will not accept such a stance – and we have proven this – from the West or the East.On the other hand, I must say I’m more interested in the domestic reactions that don’t bear these interests in mind. When I raised the issue of removing the occupation forces from Cyprus, they criticized me and urged me to show understanding for Turkey’s demands to keep the occupation forces in Cyprus. When I wanted to resolve the name issue and, consequently, thwart third parties’ designs on the region – first and foremost Islamist designs – they falsely accused me of surrendering Greek Macedonia. Now they are asking me to show tolerance for espionage activities in Greece. The people saying all of these things are playing the hard-line patriot, but in reality they are supporting third-party interests.JOURNALIST: There were internal reactions to the Prespa Agreement in both countries, with the opposition in both countries using virtually the same arguments. Are you concerned that this polarisation might have broader repercussions, at least in Greece.N. KOTZIAS: In both countries, the opposition is using hate speech. They are cultivating political hatred in all its dimensions: domestically and in international relations. New Democracy rejects the agreement on the grounds that we conceded everything to Skopje. Ivanov and his party aren’t ratifying the agreement because it supposedly subjugates their country to Greece. If you hold these side by side, the obvious conclusion is that, in both countries, these are parties that thrive on this rhetoric, on the non-solution of problems, on inertia. They have failed to understand history, the geopolitical developments in the region, and, with regard to the agreement, they don’t understand even a paragraph of international law.At the end of the day, of course, I’m not concerned by the disagreement on the Agreement. From one standpoint it is natural. What concerns me is where the propagation and legitimization of extreme-right hate speech will lead the country.JOURNALIST: What is your message to citizens who disagree?N. KOTZIAS: They should read and study the agreement more carefully; listen to the other side of the argument; consider in practical terms whether the risks some camps within the opposition are pointing to are in fact real. For example, one woman told me that, through the agreement, we are conceding Thessaloniki as fYROM’s new capital. As we say in Greece, lies and deception are short-winded.It is no coincidence that the vast majority of the historians dealing with the Macedonian issue, along with the professors of international, public and private law, and diplomats who are experts on these issues, support the agreement. This was clear on Thursday, at the conference we held, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the legal aspects of the Prespa Agreement.JOURNALIST: What are the risks for the two governments in the long roadmap for sealing the agreement.N. KOTZIAS: The leadership of North Macedonia have to win the referendum and the parliamentary votes on amendment of the Constitution. We need to continue to ensure a parliamentary majority in favour of the agreement. Together, we need to deal with the hate speech, because we want to live in peace with the people of the neighbouring country. The interests of our two countries are closer than fYROM’s interests are to those of any other country in the region.JOURNALIST: Can you describe two pivotal moments in the negotiations when you thought everything was falling apart?N. KOTZIAS: In my life, as a minister, and, in the past, as an official of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I have carried out numerous negotiations. My experience is that, in these negotiations, one must be very focused on the latter, on the basis of the needs and interests of the country, and our European course, while at the same time carrying out a realistic assessment of the other side’s needs. There are many difficulties and few pleasant moments in these negotiations. You have to maintain your composure and orientation, not losing sight of the goal because of difficulties. You have to be sober and come up with solutions to the problems that arise.The most difficult moment was when we had finished the negotiations but not everyone saw it that way. It was also difficult to persuade the EU and the UN to let us find the agenda for the solutions. But we did persuade them. Because the more sides are involved – whether with various pretexts or good will – the more complicated and difficult the negotiations become. Fortunately, the UN helped through its role, and everyone else kept their distance from the negotiations. The most difficult point in the negotiations themselves was the issue of the constitutional changes.JOURNALIST: And also when you felt the agreement was being completed?N. KOTZIAS: As you know, I am not a career politician. From a young age, I have been a ‘political being’. On the large political stage, I agreed to contribute to the solution of problems and to bringing Greek foreign policy out of the mire of submission and inertia. When the agreement was completed, I really had few moments – and only moments – of joy. But as you know, politics – at least as I know it, as its servant – has the disadvantage of usually being very bitter, but the advantage of never being boring.JOURNALIST: You have made advance announcement of the agreement with Albania on the EEZ and the pre-emptive reactions started from the opposition in both countries. Do you fear a reaction like the one to the Macedonia issue?N. KOTZIAS: We have problems with Albania that go back as far as 90 years. The reason they are unresolved is that they manifested themselves substantially after the end of the Cold War. And there is also the fact that previous governments ran out of steam in any efforts they might have made to resolve some of these issues. For example, the state of war. Can we pretend that these two countries are still at war? The opposition on both sides of the border is trying to play on citizens' emotions regarding this issue. They are trying to perpetuate negative stereotypes and prejudices between the two peoples. They went so far as to say Greece would lose Northern Epirus because of me. My answer is that they should look into whether the Asia Minor Disaster was my fault.I think the Greek people are gradually learning to support solutions rather than problems. Consequently, it is my hope that there will be a more mature view of the solutions to our problems with Albania. We want friendship between our peoples and a policy of peaceful coexistence between our societies. Personally, I always look with pride on my excellent Albanian students at the University of Piraeus; students who are now professors in their country.JOURNALIST: What is the overall strategy behind good neighbourly relations and friendship with our northern neighbours? How will Greece benefit strategically, economically and politically?N. KOTZIAS: The social and economic development of our country is facilitated and bolstered by the development of the region. What’s more, together with our three northern neighbours we have started drawing up a cooperation and joint-action policy that will, I hope, constitute the basis of our future cooperation within the EU. It is also key to ensure, through the European course of these states, their independence from Turkish expansionism and from the strong Islamist movements that are trying to transform the nationalism in states of the region into religious fanaticism.So, our policy is a political and economic, social and cultural, development strategy of Greece and the region, based on the principles and values of the policy of peaceful coexistence free of fanaticism of any kind, to the benefit of our states and peoples. Everyone sees us as leaders of the region, but exercising this leadership means fighting arrogance, impudence and any effort to make others submit to us. It requires a spirit of friendship and cooperation, consensus and compromise. It requires the spirit of Rigas Feraios.JOURNALIST: What is your assessment of Turkey following the elections and how do you see Greek-Turkish relations developing? What do you expect from Ankara? A positive move on the issue of the detention of the two Greek soldiers? Escalation in the Aegean and the Cypriot EEZ? A Tsipras-Erdogan meeting?N. KOTZIAS: Turkey is a difficult neighbour. The political leadership is restless and inclined towards revisionism. At the same time, they have proven to stand the test of time and the Turkish people find them charismatic. I’m not a fortune teller, so I can’t tell you how our relations with Turkey will evolve, but I’ll tell you what has to happen to keep them from deteriorating further. I think it has to be accepted that a number of problems we have with them need to be resolved on the basis of international law. Peaceful development of our relations and a stop to all provocations is imperative, as is the further development of socio-economic relations to the benefit of our peoples. Above all, the Cyprus problem needs to be settled on the basis of the UN resolutions, and the occupation forces have to leave. Our neighbours have to stop dreaming about the Aegean islands and understand that the Greek Muslim minority in Thrace multiplied, in contrast to what the Greeks in Turkey suffered. Finally – but of great and symbolic importance – Turkey needs to release the two Greek soldiers.JOURNALIST: Exploitation of the energy deposits in the south-east Mediterranean and pipelines, transiting Greece, to Europe raise an issue of the security of energy facilities and routes. How will you deal with this situation?N. KOTZIAS: Through closer linking of Greece and Cyprus and the development of our alliances in and for the region. At the same time, we will pursue better relations with Turkey, but that isn’t up to us alone; Turkey has to work in this direction as well. We will do what we can to keep Middle East crises and wars from spreading to the Eastern Mediterranean. The two regions are adjacent to each other to a great extent, but they don’t overlap. I also think our trilateral cooperation schemes in the region (with Egypt, Armenia, Jordan, Israel, Lebanon and Palestine) and the Rhodes Conference for a new security and stability structure in the region – in which 25 states and international regions are participating – are contributing in this direction.JOURNALIST: Do you expect anything new from the UN Secretary-General’s latest initiative for reopening the Cyprus talks?N. KOTZIAS: In the past, every new round of negotiations took place with a loss of ground on the positions of the previous negotiations. Each new proposal was a step back from the previous one. For the first time, this historical trend has been reversed. We are going into the new negotiations on terms that are better than the ones Mr. Eide prepared. We are entering this round with the proposals of the very serious UN Secretary-General, as these were set out at the end of the talks in Crans Montana. We have consolidated the position that the treaties of guarantee and alliance can no longer be maintained. And I am very proud of this last point because when I raised this in the negotiations – along with Prime minister Tsipras and my colleagues in ‘Pratto’ – most people distrusted and were even hostile to my proposals, especially outside of Greece.JOURNALIST: How is the composition and balance of the new government in Berlin impacting the direction of the EU, especially with regard to the refugee issue?N. KOTZIAS: We’ll see. On the refugee issue, we need to achieve a cohesive European policy rather than a zero-sum game of counterproductive national policies. In the initial stage of the refugee crisis, Germany opened its embrace. It now seems to have regretted this. I hope positive, productive thinking wins out in Germany. I hope they choose to ally themselves with France and the South, and not with nationalism. Otherwise, Europe will be facing major problems.


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Greece wildfires: Survivors of deadly blazes dig through wreckage

Mati, Greece - Late on Monday night, Giorgos Stabelos was sitting in his living room at home in the Greek coastal town of Rafina, watching the news when the presenter uttered a sentence that made his ...


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It was all a blur in fire chaos, Greek victim says

Vassiliki Psevedourou heard a loud bang and in horror saw flames dancing menacingly outside her living room window at Neos Voutzas, east of Athens.


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