Greece Outside In: 04/05/21

Monday, April 5, 2021

Minister: Greek firms locked down in April to get 'special-purpose' compensation

The enterprises that continue to be subject to restrictive measures in April will get an increased "special-purpose" compensation ranging between 1,000 and 4,000 euros, Finance Minister Christos ...

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HRADF launches tender to sell Heraklion port on Greek island of Crete

The Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (HRADF) on Monday launched an international public tender for the development of the port of Heraklion, Crete, within the framework of its strategy for the ...

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Tragedies Highlight Dark Side of Greek Life

Greek life communities on campuses across the U.S. are again facing a reckoning after recent student deaths due to alleged hazing. Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) freshman Adam Oakes died ...

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First German tourist on Crete tested positive to Covid-19

Greece’s health authorities have confirm the first imported Covid infection on a German tourist arrived with a group a few days ago at Heraklio on the island of Crete. The infected tourist has been isolated According to local media, the first tourists from Germany, The Netherlands and Switzerland are on Crete already since March 27.So … The post First German tourist on Crete tested positive to Covid-19 appeared first on Keep Talking Greece.

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Greece hits new negative record in intubations; 1866 coronavirus cases, 73 deaths

The number of Covid-19 patients in ventilators hit a new negative record on Monday when it reached 759 with dozens of them outside the hospitals ICUs. Health authorities announced 1,866 new coronavirus cases again by 1/3 fewer tests due to Sunday. 73 patients died of Covid-19 complications in the past 24 hours. 99 Covid-19 patients … The post Greece hits new negative record in intubations; 1866 coronavirus cases, 73 deaths appeared first on Keep Talking Greece.

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Coronavirus pandemic: Greece, Portugal ease Covid-19 restrictions

Retail stores across most of Greece were allowed to reopen Monday despite an ongoing surge in Covid-19 infections, as the country battled to emerge from deep recession. ortugal reopened museums, cafe ...

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Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Kostas Fragogiannis’ article in the newspaper ‘Ta Nea

“Creating the Greece we want, through the Greece we want to transcend”. This could be a way to describe in political terms ‘Greece 2.0’, the National Recovery and Resilience Plan the Prime Minister presented, which will serve as a roadmap for our country's reform in the decades to come. It is a truly historic moment for our country, which has the choice of an important, structural restart, because this plan concerns every citizen, it is exceptionally wide ranging and concerns the life of society as a whole. Its implementation will require maturity and spirit of consensus that will improve the life of all Greeks, and its results will boost the efficiency of the Greek state. In economic terms, the primary goal of the plan is to cover the big gap in investments, in national product/GNP and employment. However, its trailblazing nature will essentially shift the paradigm of the Greek economy, making it competitive and outward-looking thanks to a digital, effective state. However, I would like to focus on the triptych of competitiveness, openness and digital integration, which lies at the heart of the modern policy we are implementing in Economic Diplomacy. For many decades, attracting major investments to Greece was, among other things, a forum for political conflict, which was usually confined to stifling any initiative and ultimately created a hostile investment climate. As a result, Greece remained a relatively closed-off economy. The government’s pro-investment strategy since it was elected in July 2019 led to a radical change in the country's international image, despite the advent of the pandemic. The ‘Greece 2.0’ National Recovery and Resilience Plan aims at mobilizing significant forces, supporting private investments, and using private-public partnerships. The goal, once the health crisis is over, is for competitiveness to ensure that Greece remains a truly attractive investment destination. We at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in concert with the General Secretariat for International Economic Relations, have planned specific actions that will undergird the openness of the Greek economy and leverage the key principles of the plan. Focusing on the triptych of a) highlighting the country's economic and trade position at the regional and international level; b) strengthening structures that foster openness; and c) reinforcing multilateral economic relations, we have launched a campaign to support Greek enterprises abroad. At the same time, we are implementing an extensive digital integration plan to connect all openness services through state-of-the-art e-governance tools and, following the passing of the new statute of the Ministry, we are making all the necessary reforms to strengthen our services. The reform of Economic Diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already begun. Major work is under way and new prospects are opening up. Since last year —during the hard lockdown, in fact— we concluded emblematic investment agreements for projects that will leave a footprint on the country for decades to come and will showcase Greece to the global investment community. The coming period, which will start once the lockdown is over, will be one of intensive work; The radical changes that the pandemic imposed on the global economy are here to stay, constituting both a “crisis” and an “opportunity”. And, as everyone knows, successfully handling a “crisis” makes you stronger, while decisively leveraging an “opportunity” makes you robust.

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Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs M. Varvitsiotis’ interview in ‘ELEFTHEROS TYPOS tis Kyriakis’ with journalist Apostolos Chondropoulos (4 April 2021)

“The European Council’s message to Turkey is clear: if it desires a positive agenda, it must prove in practice that it respects the European acquis and that its stance is stable, consistent and honest”, stressed Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Miltiadis Varvitsiotis in his interview in ‘Eleftheros Typos tis Kyriakis’ with journalist Apostolos Chondropoulos. The Alternate Minister added also that “Ankara is faced with the threat of a robust sanctions framework, which can be activated if it resumes its unilateral, provocative actions”. In his interview, Mr Varvitsiotis discussed the decisions of the EU Summit and Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ strategy, President Biden's message and US-Greece relations, the Prime Minister's visit to Libya, the Conference on the Future of Europe, the National Recovery Plan, as well as domestic politics. “The government and the Prime Minister have proven in practice that they aim at achieving understanding, cooperation and consensus, not only on national issues but also on responding to the pandemic. However, SYRIZA aims at undermining social peace”, he underlines. Entire interview below: What is the context in EU-Turkey relations following the recent European Council meeting? Are sanctions still on the table?The Joint Statement of the 27 EU leaders is very close to Greece’s positions and includes many of the conclusions contained in the Borrell report. This was the result of a coordinated effort by the Greek side, of the Prime Minister at the level of leaders as well as at the General Affairs Council, where I represent the country. The decisions of the Summit vindicate Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ strategy to make Greek-Turkish differences part of EU-Turkey relations. The European Council’s message to Turkey is clear: if it desires a positive agenda, it must prove in practice that it respects the European acquis and that its stance is stable, consistent and honest. At the same time, Ankara is faced with the threat of a robust sanctions framework, which can be activated if it resumes its unilateral, provocative actions. What is your view of US-Greece relations following President Biden’s intervention and what does the invitation extended to Mr Mitsotakis to visit the USA signify?President Biden's intervention had a triple meaning. His message on the bicentennial of the Greek Revolution and his telephone talk with the Prime Minister represent strong support for Greece. By participating in the European Council, President Biden sent another two powerful messages: his concern over Turkey's violations of human rights and democratic institutions, as well as over its alignment with Russia. The US President’s invitation to Kyriakos Mitsotakis to visit Washington demonstrates that the USA view Greece as a powerful ally and strategic partner. What does the Prime Minister's visit to Libya signify?The Prime Minister’s visit to Libya next Tuesday is yet more proof that Greece is a force for stability in the wider region of the Southeastern Mediterranean. Greece actively supports the restoration of peace in Libya and aims at normalising and restoring relations with our neighbouring country, after the illegal Turkish-Libyan memorandum. At the same time, this visit will mark the immediate reopening of our Embassy in Tripoli. What is our country's focus with regard to the Conference on the Future of Europe and what is its perspective on Social Europe?The Conference on the Future of Europe coincides with the 40th anniversary of Greece’s accession to the EU. The consultation will begin in May and our goal is to give a voice to Greek citizens who, together with the other Europeans, voted for more Europe during the most recent European elections, turning their backs on populism. Our national proposal comprises 6+1 axes: The European Defence and Security framework; the European Cohesion Policies; Environment and Climate Change; Migration; Research and Innovation; the strategy for deepening the EMU; and the ‘Rule of Law - Democracy - Human Rights’ triptych. Moreover, in the context of the Portuguese Presidency, Greece is joining the ‘Social Europe’ discussion with a framework of proposals to combat poverty and social exclusion, establish a guaranteed minimum income, increase employment and improve working conditions, and specifically cater for the Next Generation, the demographic issue, gender equality, protection from domestic violence and violence against women. The temperature of the political debate has risen sharply. Can a broader consensus be reached, at least with regard to certain major challenges, such as the National Recovery Plan?The government and the Prime Minister have proven in practice that they aim at achieving understanding, cooperation and consensus, not only on national issues but also on responding to the pandemic. However, SYRIZA aims at undermining social peace. Be it through engaging in opposition “guerrilla warfare” on the streets by participating in demonstrations, as was recently the case, with the risk of spreading the virus, or through the “spreading” of fake news, and through extreme, divisive statements by its members that harken back to the Civil War. New Democracy will not follow them down this dangerous path. On the contrary, we are paving the road to the future, with the citizens on our side. The National Recovery Plan is the plan for the national uplifting of Greece. The “Greece 2.0” plan, with a total budget of EUR 57 billion, is based on the EUR 32-billion package of the Recovery Fund that our country secured through months of negotiations and a hard battle, fought jointly with the Prime Minister last July in Brussels. Properly leveraging this package is of the utmost national importance.

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Statement of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikos Dendias, following his meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, Nikola Selaković (Belgrade, 5 April 2021)

Dear Minister, good day and thank you very much for your hospitality. Dear Nikola, it is a great pleasure to be in Belgrade again. A city that has been linked to Greek history through Rigas Feraios, and I was very pleased and grateful to hear your proposal, dear Minister, dear Nikola, for renaming a street in Belgrade for Ioannis Kapodistrias. This is a great pleasure and honour for us. As you know, Ioannis Kapodistrias, like me, was from Corfu, where he was born. The “island of salvation,” an island inextricably linked to Serbian history, hosting the Serbian government in exile during World War I, along with a large portion of the Serbian army. I am here in Belgrade to deepen the excellent relations between our two countries. The fact that our delegation is large – including the Minister of Rural Development, Mr. Livanos, who is in meetings as we speak, and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs for Economic Diplomacy, Mr. Fragogiannis – shows exactly how important this visit is to us. The priority for us is the implementation of the Joint Declaration that was signed in the context of the 3rd High-Level Cooperation Council, which took place in December 2019, in Athens. Unfortunately, the pandemic blocked its full implementation. But we look forward to implementing it as soon as conditions allow. And I think that here, on the subject of COVID-19, I should mention that I was instructed by the Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, to congratulate you, Minister, and the Serbian Government, the President and Serbia on the excellent progress your country has made with vaccinations. It is exemplary. And I would also like to take this opportunity to say that it will be a great pleasure to welcome our Serbian friends to Greece this summer, based on the agreement reached recently, during Tourism Minister Harry Theocharis’ visit to Belgrade. And I also thank you warmly for the clarifications you gave me for facilitating our Serbian friends who want to visit Greece. Of course, this also means the facilitation of Greeks coming to Serbia. We also talked about Greece’s significant economic presence in Serbia. Greek investments in Serbia are between 2.5 and 3 billion euros, but that is the foundation. After the 10-year crisis, Greece is returning to our region, to the Balkans. We want Greek enterprises to come and invest here in Serbia. I am told that Greek investments have created 25,000 jobs. We want to reach a point where we have created 100,000 jobs in Serbia. We want our economic and trade relations to grow and deepen, along with our cooperation in important sectors such as energy and defence. Regarding energy, we discussed how to enhance connectivity between the countries in the region. And with regard to transport, I proposed – and I thank you for accepting this – a trilateral meeting between us and North Macedonia to discuss connectivity in our region. Concluding on the bilateral dimension, I would like to thank you and President Vučić, whom I will be meeting with later, for your gesture of accepting a number of unaccompanied minors from Greece. We appreciate it very much. In the context of the European perspective, I would like to reiterate Greece’s undivided support for Serbia’s European perspective. We are fully prepared to provide any and all technical assistance and collaboration. There is a Memorandum of Cooperation, which will be signed in Athens by the Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Varvitsiotis, in the coming days. It is very important to us for Serbia to accelerate its progress and become a member of the European family as soon as possible. We think this is Serbia’s natural place. We looked at the developments in the wider region, and I noted our observations, the great interest in Kosovo. I am sorry that the talks have not yet started with the new government. I said that we are at your disposal to help in any way we can towards resolving this extremely difficult issue. I also listened very carefully to everything you said regarding Bosnia-Herzegovina, which I also visited recently, and which is also part of the Balkan architecture. And we would like to see Bosnia-Herzegovina have a stable, certain and European future. On this, too, we are at your full disposal, Minister, to collaborate and assist in any way we can. We cannot allow Bosnia-Herzegovina to become a black hole in the middle of Europe. Greece is also monitoring Turkey’s intentions in our wider region and the effort it is making to use economic, religious and cultural means to affiliate itself with countries in the region, and especially with the Muslim population. This is an issue that we are always monitoring carefully. We believe that populations, people and societies are always bridges of cooperation. Bridges of cooperation for peace and security, for promotion of human rights, for promotion of human values. And not for the promotion of any kind of extremism, fundamentalism or intolerance. As I said in our meeting, I intend to travel to Ankara in the immediate future, next week, under the condition, of course, that the right climate exists. Under the condition that Turkey does not proceed to provocative actions that will block my visit. So, we hope that, this time, the Turkish side will abstain from such actions. Returning to our bilateral relations, I would like to add that it is a great honour for us and the Greek delegation to be in Belgrade today. It is a great pleasure, and we are very pleased to see the progress Serbia has made. And, as I said, please never forget how Greece has felt towards Serbia throughout the 200 years of its history. Dear Minister, dear Nikola, thank you very much.

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Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Miltiadis Varvitsiotis to meet with UK Under-Secretary of State Wendy Morton (Athens, 6 April 2021)

On Tuesday, 6 April, Alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs Miltiadis Varvitsiotis will meet with the UK Under-Secretary of State, Minister for European Neighbourhood and the Americas, Wendy Morton, who is visiting our country. The talks will focus on the Greek-UK relations, with emphasis on the rights of the Greek citizens in Britain and the British citizens in Greece, in implementation of the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement. The meeting will take place at 12:00 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kapodistrias hall) and with be followed, at about 12:45, by joint statements. Due to the pandemic restrictions, the statements will be covered by ERT and ANA (Zalokosta St. entrance).

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Istorima: Preserving Oral History While Tackling Youth Unemployment in GREECE

They will encourage their family members, friends, and neighbors to each share their own narratives so that GREECE'S stories will be not be lost.

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Discover the oldest street in the Greek capital of Athens and Europe

The oldest street in Athens, and the whole of Europe, is about 2,500 years old — and is located in the Plaka neighborhood on the storied slopes of Acropolis Hill, according to greekreporter.com. A big ...

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Australia remembers valour in Greek campaigns of 80 years ago

Anzacs suffered many dead, wounded or captured during invasions of Greece and Crete by vastly superior German forces.

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A Bridge Not Too Far: Connecting Serbia-Greece-Cyprus

Focusing on close ties, the foreign ministers of Greece, Serbia and Cyprus discussed new opportunities for greater cooperation in energy, transport and tourism as well… Read More »

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Exquisite Byzantine Mosaic Uncovered in Western Turkey

This story Exquisite Byzantine Mosaic Uncovered in Western Turkey appeared first on GreekReporter.com. An early Byzantine Christian monastery with its exquisite mosaic was recently unearthed in Izmir, Western Turkey. This story Exquisite Byzantine Mosaic Uncovered in Western Turkey appeared first on GreekReporter.com.

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Covid-19: Intubations, Deaths Remain High in Greece

This story Covid-19: Intubations, Deaths Remain High in Greece appeared first on GreekReporter.com. Intubations and deaths amongst those with Covid-19 remain high in Greece as retail shops opened around the country on Monday. This story Covid-19: Intubations, Deaths Remain High in Greece appeared first on GreekReporter.com.

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The Ancient Greek Stars Lighting Up Our Night Skies

This story The Ancient Greek Stars Lighting Up Our Night Skies appeared first on GreekReporter.com. Since the beginning of time, people have turned their eyes to the sky and discerned the shapes of animals and objects in the stars. This story The Ancient Greek Stars Lighting Up Our Night Skies appeared first on GreekReporter.com.

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Greek President tours '200 years of Greece-40 years of Europe' action in Athens

President of the Republic, Katerina Sakellaropoulou, on Sunday, toured the action "200 years of Greece-40 years of Europe", co-organized by the Municipality of Athens, pod.gr and the magazine gr.mag, ...

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UK, Portugal and Greece ease restrictions

All shops, gyms, hairdressers and outdoor hospitality areas in England will resume operation next week, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson says.

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Foreign students thrilled with English-language BA course

“The combination of educational acquaintance with ancient GREECE and living in GREECE is irreplaceable,” says Amy Dugan from the United States.

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Portugal reopens cafe terraces and retail shops reopen as Greece eases some rules

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Pilar Martinez: Gyro's welcome? Greek chain seeks NM franchisees

Apr. 5—ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — An Idaho-based Greek fast casual chain is looking to make the jump to the Southwest with plans to expand in New Mexico in the near future. Gyro Shack's menu consists largely ...

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GREEK pharmacies will distribute free COVID self-tests

As of 7 April, GREEK citizens will be able to collect their self-testing kits from their neighbourhood pharmacies. The first batch of COVID self-testing kits ...

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GREEK Culture Min Plans Cultural Exchanges with Qatar During Visit to Doha

ATHENS -- GREEK Culture Minister Lina Mendoni discussed a plan of cultural exchanges with government and museum officials during a visit to Qatar, ...

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GREEK Food Sector Could Reopen After Easter, Maybe Too Late

ATHENS – With many GREEK restaurants, bars, taverns and caterers closed nearly eight of the previous 12 months in COVID-19 lockdowns on the ...

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Extraordinary story behind discovery of 16th century GREEK masterpiece in sleepy Polish village 60 ...

After another layer was swabbed away, the trio saw to their amazement the GREEK letter delta, the first letter of the name Doménikos Theotokópoulos, El ...

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GREECE vows support for businesses hit by pandemic

Retail businesses as well as self-employed workers to benefit from the €130M assistance. Magda Panoutsopoulou | 05.04.2021. GREECE vows support ...

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Greece makes fresh WWII reparation claims from Germany

Greece has renewed its calls for negotiations with Germany on reparations for damage caused in World War II. "These demands are valid and active," a Greek official said. The government in Athens has ...

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EU-Africa GREEK talk tackles water sustainability, clean oceans

EU-Africa GREEK talk tackles water sustainability, clean oceans. BY. Egypt Today staff. Mon, 05 Apr 2021 - 01:03 GMT. EU-Africa GREEK talk tackle water ...

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American Statesmen and the 1821 GREEK Revolution

US President James Monroe in his annual 1822 address to Congress said, “a strong hope is entertained that the GREEKS will recover their independence ...

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Scylla and Charybdis Embodied Male Fears in GREEK Mythology

In the greatest of all GREEK epic poems, Homer's Odyssey, which was composed sometime around the seventh or eighth century B.C., on his way back ...

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Retailers in 3 cities symbolically open their stores in protest against gov’t decision

They opened their stores and hanged black flags, banners and funeral announcements. They turned on the lights and stood at the entrance doors of their empty shops. Retailers in Thessaloniki, Patras and Kozani did not accept customers as this would risk a 3,000 euros fine for them and 300 for their customers. “With government decision … The post Retailers in 3 cities symbolically open their stores in protest against gov’t decision appeared first on Keep Talking Greece.

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Police officer injured when youngsters throw stones during corona-crowding checks

One police officer was slightly injured when a crowd of angry youngsters threw stones at a patrol vehicle called to disperse a so-called ‘spontaneous corona-party.’ The incident took place near the Tae Kvo Do stadium in Palaio Faliro, southern Athens around 9:30 Sunday night, short after the night curfew 9 pm – 5 am went … The post Police officer injured when youngsters throw stones during corona-crowding checks appeared first on Keep Talking Greece.

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Monday, April 5, 2021