Athens News Agency: News in English, 06-06-23

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] PM meets ND honorary president, Nicaragua's Ortega

[02] Annual memorial service for Andreas Papandreou

[03] Greek-Chinese tourism cooperation agreement

[04] KKE leader visits Xanthi

[05] Missing child case in Veria takes new turn

[01] PM meets ND honorary president, Nicaragua's Ortega

Mitsotakis told reporters after the meeting that they discussed "all the major current affairs", adding that he would be leaving for Chania, Crete, next week for his summer holidays.

Questioned on recent opinion polls showing reduced public support for government policies, Mitsotakis said that opinion polls "record the reality of the moment", adding that "things flow, change".

Later on, Karamanlis also received visiting politicians Daniel Ortega, a former Nicaraguan president who is currently candidate in Nicaragua's upcoming presidential elections in November.

No statements were made after the meeting.

Meanwhile, during the regular press briefing on Friday, alternate government spokesman Evangelos Antonaros announced that the prime minister is due to depart on Sunday for Helsinki where he will meet with Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen on Monday, June 26.

After Finland, the prime minister will visit Stockholm to meet with Swedish Prime Minister Goran Persson on June 27, Antonaros told reporters.

[02] Annual memorial service for Andreas Papandreou

Dimitra Liani-Papandreou, Papandreou's widow, said after the service that the best memorial for Andreas Papandreou would be to study again his positions on national issues.

The memorial service forms part of a week of events commemorating the 10th anniversary since the passing of PASOK's leader and founder, which culminate on Sunday.

At 7:30 on Friday evening, a statue of Andreas Papandreou will be unveiled in Kaletzi, Achaia, the home town of the Papandreou family, while on Sunday evening there will be a popular music concert dubbed 'A song for Andreas' at the Olympic baseball stadium at Elliniko.

[03] Greek-Chinese tourism cooperation agreement

Bilateral cooperation in the organizing of the Olympic Games was a distinct chapter in the agreement and within this framework Greece will be the honored country in the annual China International Travel Mart (CITM) tourism exhibition held in Shanghai in November.

Petralia stated that Greece can become a number one European destination for millions of Chinese tourists. As it was pointed out, a Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) office opened in Beijing a year ago providing information to the Chinese who wish to visit Greece, while detailed tourist guides written in Chinese are also available.

Meanwhile, Petralia also held a meeting with Air China general director Ma Xu Lun and agreed on the need for a direct flight service between Greece and China. An invitation was issued to the airline management to visit Greece in August and discuss the prospect with the responsible government ministers, while until then the option of chartered flights is being considered.

The Greek tourism minister in comments she made during her visit to the Olympic Stadium in Beijing stressed that the success of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games is certain.

[04] KKE leader visits Xanthi

The Moslem minority and all other minorities in Greece were "an inseparable part of the social and class structure of society," she said.

"For us they are workers, employees or farmers. The struggle to improve their lot is inseparably linked with the farming issue, the labour problem, the struggle against imperialism and all other forms of discrimination," she stressed, adding that the problems were not related to religion but class.

Commenting on the protests by students and university teachers, Papariga underlined that "free education in Greece is a myth" and said her party wanted true free education for the working classes, while she strenuously opposed all government efforts to promote joint ventures between the private and public sectors, especially in health and education.

She called on voters to weaken the two main parties in the upcoming local government elections and cast their votes for KKE candidates.

[05] Missing child case in Veria takes new turn

The mother of the child in question met with Alex�s mother and told her that her son was one of the children that injured the 11-year-old, possibly fatally, last February and then hid his body.

The father of that child appeared on a private television channel and provided a similar account. According to him, his son and four friends were chasing Alex in downtown Veria and, at some point, one of them tripped him up and as a result Alex fell and hit his head on stone steps.

The 11-year-old began bleeding, fell unconscious and the five children chasing him, fearing the consequences, instead of calling an ambulance or asking for their parents� help carried him to the basement of an abandoned house at the centre of Veria, which was demolished after some time.

Local police have made no comments on the new developments.

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