High Level Cooperation
Premier George Papandreou and Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan expressed their will to take important steps towards the improvement of Greek-Turkish relations, as the Turkish leader wrapped up an official visit to Athens on Saturday.
This was sealed with the opening session of the Greece-Turkey High Level Cooperation Council and the signing of 21 agreements.
George Papandreou met with the chiefs of Turkish media, while Erdogan with the chiefs of the Greek newspapers.
The Greek premier told Turkish journalists that Erdogan’s visit heralds a new era in Greek-Turkish relations, further adding that the two sides had better overcome their differences. He also touched on economic cooperation between Athens and Ankara.
“We have an agreement”
Twenty-one cooperation agreements in fields as diverse as technology and tourism were signed during the Turkey-Greece High Level Cooperation Council.
Ministers signed agreements boosting trade, investments and shipping and the two countries will hereby extend their cooperation in projects concerning infrastructure works and transnational transport networks.
Relations between the two countries in the field of immigration will be governed by a bilateral agreement which provides for readmission of illegal immigrant flows to Turkey and cooperation in the fight against organized crime, trafficking and civil protection.
Both sides agreed to improve tourism cooperation, aiming at increasing their market share in countries with economic potential such as China, as well as raising global awareness on matters of cultural heritage protection.
Special attention was given to education and synergies concerning research. Environment protection 
and joint ventures in energy projects including renewable energy sources and the existing Turkey- Greece-Italy gas pipeline were also sealed with respective deals.
In terms of strengthening bilateral ties, a Joint Political Declaration on the establishment of the High Level Cooperation Council as well as a Protocol on regular political consultations between the two countries’ foreign ministries were signed.
Signing the Olympic Truce
Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan concluded on Saturday his landmark visit to Athens by signing the Olympic Truce initiative.
.jpg)
At a brief ceremony in front of the imposing Panathenaic Stadium, Erdogan referred to the “great honour in signing my name in this book; to put my signature for a world of peace.”
Papandreou said that Turkey’s support for the idea sends out a clear message “by Turkey and Greece to the world,” adding that Greece will actively support Istanbul’s bid to host the 2020 Olympic Games.
(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)
Filed under: Archaeology, Art, Business, Construction, culture, Economy, Education, Energy, Enviromental Protection, Government, Greece, Greek Prime Minister, Immigration, Infrastucture, International Relations, Media, Olympic Games, Politics, Sport, tourism, Transport, Turkey | Tagged: 2020, agreements, Ankara, Archaeology, Athens, bid, Bilateral, ceremony, China, consultations, Cooperation, Council, crime, cultural, culture, Current Affairs, Declaration, Economic, Economy, Education, Energy, Environment, Erdogan, Europe, foreign, Games, gas, George, Greece, Greek, Greek-Turkish, heritage, High, history, Immigration, improvement, infrastructure, initiative, Instanbul, Investments, Italy, πρωθυπουργός, προστασία, πολιτιστικής, πολιτική, συγκοινωνίες, συμφωνίες, σχέσεις, τύπος, τεχνολογία, τελετή, τουρισμός, τούρκος, υπουργεία, υποψηφιότητα, υποδομές, Άγκυρα, Έλληνας, Αγώνες, Αθήνα, Γιώργος, Διακήρυξη, Εκεχειρία, Ελλάδα, Ελληνο-Τουρκικές, Εξωτερικών, Ιταλία, Κωνσταντινούπολη, Κίνα, ΜΜΕ, Μετανάστευση, Ολυμπιακή, Ολυμπιακοί, Πρωτόκολλο, Παπανδρέου, Παναθηναϊκό, Περιβάλλον, Στάδιο, Συμβούλιο, Συνεργασία, Τουρκία, Τουρκία-Ελλάδα-Ιταλία, Υπουργοί, έργα, έρευνα, έγκλημα, αγωγός, αερίου, βελτίωση, δίκτυα, δημοσιογράφοι, διμερή, διμερείς, επίσημη, επίσκεψη, επενδύσεις, εφημερίδες, ειρήνη, εκπαίδευση, εμπόριο, ενέργεια, κληρονομιάς, κοινή, ναυτιλία, οργανωμένο, οικονομική, joint, journalists, Level, Media, Minister, Ministers, ministries, networks, newspapers, official, Olympic, Olympic Games, organized, OSCE, Panathenaic, Papandreou, Peace, pipeline, Political, Politics, premier, Prime, projects, protection, Protocol, relations, research, Science, shipping, Sources, Stadium, Tayyip, Technology, ties, tourism, Trade, Trafficking, Transnational, Transport, Truce, Turkey, Turkish, United Nations, visit, works | Comments Off on New era in Greek-Turkish relations
“The basic message of the campaign we are launching today is that we – particularly those of us living in the prosperous regions of this world – have a duty to stop this economic crisis from becoming a crisis of values,” 
Europe must adopt a public policy geared towards the relief of people hit by the global financial crisis, said President 
Embassy of Greece in Poland Press & Communication Office 