PM George Papandreou at the White House

Meeting with Obama

Prime Minister George Papandreou met with US President Barack Obama in Washington yesterday.
After the meeting Papandreou said that the US is willing to work with the European Union to regulate the international financial system so speculators cannot target countries with troubled economies.
The premier said  that the issue of speculation will be discussed at the G20 summit in Canada, in June. The two leaders also discussed foreign policy issues such as the Cyprus issue, the integration of Western Balkans into Euro-Atlantic institutions, as well as Greece’s relations with Turkey.

Visa Waiver

Furthermore, the US side announced that Greece will be included in the ‘visa waiver’ programme, thus enabling Greek citizens to travel to the US without a visa.
Papandreou termed the visa waiver “a vote of confidence” to Greece and noted that the Greek government is determined to respond to its obligations and cooperate closely at international level on the tackling of terrorism.

Kathimerini daily: US joins fight against speculators
The White House: Honouring Greek Independence Day (21.35mins)

Papandreou’s Op-ed

In an op-ed published in the International Herald Tribune (IHT), Papandreou notes that the Greek case is not an outlier, but one more flare-up in a broken system of financial regulation and predatory behaviour.
“If global economic growth is to be sustainable, we need better coordination and greater solidarity between nations… We must now establish and enforce clear rules to contain the inordinate power of markets over our national economies and our common currency – not for Greece’s sake, but for Europe’s,” he stresses.
Prime Minister’s website: Meeting with President Barack Obama: Prime Minister’s statement ; Brookings Institution: Prime Minister’s speech & YouTube: PM’s speech at Brookings Institution  
New York Times & International Herald Tribune: Prime Minister’s article “Greece is not an island“; Hellenic Finance Ministry: Newsletter Updating Greek Fiscal Measures  
(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)

Trekking in Greece: Cretan Routes

 (GREEK NEWS AGENDA)  Crete is a large island, which combines snow-capped mountains, rolling hills covered with olive trees and over 1000 km of varied coastline with astonishing beaches. By going off the beaten track, trekkers discover the rugged splendour of the south-western part of the island behind the Lefka Ori (White Mountains). The village of Paleochora, a resort perched on a peninsula, is the starting point of a beautiful coastal route leading to a lush, green region built on the remains of ancient Lissos.  The route passes through a small gorge and ends in Sougia, a settlement located on the site of ancient Syia. Along their route from Paleochora to Sfakia, trekkers come upon some of the most impressive sections of the E4 European path as it moves along the steep slopes of Lefka Ori and offers a view to the Libyan Sea.  The total length of the E4 European path is 6,300 km of which 1,600 km belong to Greece.  Agrotravel routes: Palaeochora to Sougia Map; Weather: Current Conditions at Paleochora; Agrotravel directories: Paths in Greece-Crete; West Crete webguide: www.west-crete.com

Greece: Images of an Enchanted Land

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)      Black and white images of Greece in the ‘50s, as seen through the lens of Robert McCabe, have been exhibited until January 31 at the Sit Down Gallery as part of the Month of Photography in Paris. Greece has changed dramatically since Robert McCabe took the pictures in this collection – also available in a relevant publication – some of them fifty years ago. Certain viewers – especially those who were also there at that time – might find McCabe’s photographs elegiac.  This is the Greece they remember, glazed in dazzling sunlight and now gone. However, the principal sensation they convey is pleasure. Greece, Images of an Enchanted Land: View the photos

Greece: More Antiquities Come Home

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)     Two antiquities from Shelby White’s collection – a philanthropist and antiquities collector who has established the Institute for the Study of the Ancient World at New York University – will return to Greece. The agreement was concluded on July 10, 2008, between the Ministry of Culture and Shelby White. The first object is the upper part of a grave stele depicting a warrior and a youth dated to the early part of the 4th century B.C. The second object is a bronze calyx crater dated approximately 340 B.C. The repatriation of both antiquities will take place within July 2008. They will first be exhibited in the National Archaeological Museum of Athens in Athens.  Marketwatch.com: The Greek Ministry of Culture and Shelby White Conclude Agreement on Return of Two Antiquities to Greece

Greek White Wines

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)    In his article for the Los Angeles Times (7.9.2008), Patrick Comiskey presents distinctive wines from Greece that are now for the first time widely available in the U.S. “For years, Greek wines were rarely seen here beyond the walls of Greek restaurants, but Greece has modernized its winemaking, improved its viticulture and devoted itself to the many indigenous varieties that have been cultivated for thousands of years. These varieties, made from ancient grape varieties, with lyrical names like Assyrtiko, Malagousia, Agiorghitiko and Xinomavro, are finally gaining recognition for being at once exotic and world class.”  Los Angeles Times: Greece is the word in white wines for summer; Secretariat General of Information: World Media on Greece – Food and Wine