Greece`s presentation by the Greek Embassy and the Press Office at the European Information Centre in Warsaw (19/3/2010)

A presentation of Greece by the Greek Embassy and the Press Office in Warsaw took place at the European Information Centre of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the 19^th March 2010 (www.cie.gov.pl).
Various aspects of Greece were presented by the Deputy Head of Mission, Paraskevi Charitidou, and the Press Attache, Maria Mondelou.
The audience, 70  students of higher secondary schools of Warsaw, was informed about Greece`s geostrategic position, its political system, the participation in international organizations, such as the EU and the NATO, the Greek Presidencies in the EU.
A brief presentation of the Greek history, mainly during the modern and contemporary period, was followed by characteristic examples of Greek culture, in the fields of literature, poetry, music, theatre and cinema.
Views of the New Acropolis Museum were presented, as well as Greece`s request for the restitution of the Parthenon Marbles.
During the discussion, the students were informed about Greece`s foreign policy, the situation of the Greek economy, tourism, the educational system and the scholarships offered for foreign students. They were, also, particularly interested about the image of Poles in Greece and their life.
 The European Information Centre, that invited the Greek Embassy to make the presentation of Greece, organizes annually discussions with representatives of the EU member states.

Centrum Informacji Europejskiej  

Spotkanie z przedstawicielkami Ambasady Grecji

 19 marca 2010 r. w Centrum Informacji Europejskiej MSZ odbyło się spotkanie uczniów XL Liceum Ogólnokształcącego im. S. Żeromskiego oraz LXXV Liceum Ogólnokształcącego im. Jana III Sobieskiego w Warszawie z przedstawicielkami Ambasady Grecji. Ambasadę reprezentowały Pani Paraskevi Charitidou, zastępca szefa misji oraz Pani Maria Mondelou, Pierwszy Sekretarz w Biurze Prasowym Ambasady Grecji w Warszawie.
Prelegentki omówiły historię i system polityczny Grecji oraz aktualne działania Grecji w Unii Europejskiej. Opowiedziały również o warunkach studiowania w tym kraju i stypendiach dostępnych dla polskich studentów. Podczas prezentacji został wyświetlony krótki film o Atenach.
Po wykładzie miała miejsce dyskusja, w czasie której przedstawicielki Ambasady odpowiedziały na liczne pytania publiczności dotyczące stereotypów o Polakach, greckiej kultury, popularnych Greków, kryzysu gospodarczego, relacji z Turcją, aktualnego sporu między Grecją i Byłą Jugosłowiańską Republiką Macedonii przed Międzynarodowym Trybunałem Sprawiedliwości oraz doświadczeń czterech prezydencji Grecji w Radzie Unii Europejskiej.
W spotkaniu uczestniczyło ponad 70 osób.
(Polish text by www.cie.gov.pl)

Advertisement

Ahead of OSCE Ministerial Meeting

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA) In a press conference held on the premises of Greece’s Permanent Mission to the OSCE in Vienna, Ambassador Mara Marinaki set out the Greek chairmanship’s goals for the organisation’s 17th Ministerial Council meeting (December 1-2).   The Council will review the progress achieved on a number of OSCE’s engagements, including the progress on the so called “frozen conflicts” (Georgia Moldova, Nagorno-Karabakh). The Greek Chairmanship will then seek the adoption of a common declaration.  Marinaki pointed out the difficulty of such a venture, given that decisions are taken unanimously and that last time a common declaration was adopted by all OSCE members was in 2002 (10th Meeting of the Ministerial Council, Porto).  Answering questions by the press, Marinaki noted that all OSCE members support the Greek chairmanship’s efforts as well as the promotion of the “Corfu agenda.” 
The Ministerial Council is the central decision-making and governing body of the 56-member Organisation, hosted by the country which holds the annually rotating chairmanship of the organization.

Greece: Reliable Ally in EU Security

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)    Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis inspected the Hellenic Navy frigate “Psara,” on Monday April 13 , docked at Salamina, and expressed his satisfaction over the crew’s efficiency and seamanship, as the vessel recently headed a European Union mission against piracy in the sea region off Somalia. He added that “the Greek frigate ‘Psara’ is the first leading vessel of the first purely European naval formation that operates in the history of the EU, in the framework of common European Security and Defence Policy, operation “Atalanta.”  “Greece steadfastly pursues the strengthening of all the pillars of the European edifice. We want a Europe with a unified and strong voice in international issues, as well as an active role in international developments. It is in this direction that Greece took up its mission within the ‘Atlanta’ operation,” Karamanlis said.  EU European Security and Defence Policy: EU Naval operation against piracy

Environment Matters in Greece: Rainwater Collection

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)   Water reservoirs to collect and channel rainwater are the focus of a pilot programme involving municipal buildings on the Cyclades islands, as part of a Rainwater Collection Programme launched this month by the Coca-Cola Hellenic Bottling Company and the Coca-Cola company in cooperation with Global Water Partnership as part of the firm’s “Mission Water,” which began in 2006.  The technology used to collect rainwater from roofs and other surfaces ranges from simple containers to water reservoirs and underground cisterns, all originating in practices used by ancient civilizations in Greece and North Africa and which are still used today as sources of drinking water in rural areas.  The islands of Naxos, Paros, Tinos and Syros have been chosen for the pilot programme because of their limited rainfall, geology, and sparse vegetation and human activities, which have all contributed to water shortages. Apart from water collection, the programme also includes training for local services and information campaigns.  Athens Plus: In Brief – Island rainwater collection (p.6)  See also: Global Water Partnership-Mediterranean; New website: Apostoli Nero (“Mission Water”)  

Greek NASA’s Scientist Honored

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)    On August 8, the Prefecture of Grevena will honour Thanasis Economou, a scientist whose name is linked with most of NASA’s 50 years if history. Born in Grevena Greece, Economou left the country in the early years after the WWII. In 1964, he finished his studies in nuclear physics at Charles University in Prague and in the same year, he joined the Laboratory for Astrophysics and Space Research at the University of Chicago, which he never left. Economou started working for NASA again in 1964, its youngest scientist at the time. As early as in 1966, he contributed to NASA’s missions to the Moon (1966-1968 ) and in subsequent endeavours such as NASA’s Apollo program (1961-1975). Throughout his career, he has developed tools and techniques that enabled several of NASA’s famous missions to be carried out successfully, such as the latest Mars Pathfinder mission (1993-1997). Today, Economou is pleased with his achievements and often says that when people ask him about the most impressive image of space, the answer he gives back is the Earth, adding that this valuable commodity that is called ‘environment’ is in need of our protection and respect.