Athens News Agency: News in English, 07-06-01

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

CONTENTS

[01] President Papoulias visiting Saint Petersburg

[01] President Papoulias visiting Saint Petersburg

The Greek-Russian Business Council was founded on Friday by the Federation of Greek Industries (SEB) and the Union of Industrialists and Businessmen of Russia.

Arriving in Saint Petersburg, President Papoulias met at the city's Government House with the Governor of Russia's "second" capital, Valentina Matvienko.

"If I have lived another life before this one I must have lived it in Greece as well," Matvienko said in welcoming President Papoulias, who in turn termed her Greece's second ambassador in Russia. Matvienko had served in the past as her country's ambassador in Athens.

Speaking to reporters, President Papoulias underlined the importance of Russia's international role, as well as the contribution of the planned Burgas-Alexandroupoli oil pipeline for Europe's energy security.

On her part, Matvienko also underlined the importance of the pipeline, as well as her expectations from the scheduled participation of Development Minister Dimitris Sioufas in Saint Petersburg's International Economic Forum that will be taking place this month.

Matvienko also expressed the hope that the number of Greek visitors to Saint Petersburg will increase in a way that will be similar to the increase in the number of Russian visitors to Greece.

She also stressed the significance of the further development and widening of Greek-Russian relations in the economic, cultural and educational sectors.

President Papoulias also laid a wreath at the statue of Ioannis Kapodistrias at the city's Greek Square. Kapodistrias was a foreign minister of Russia in the early nineteenth century, before becoming the first governor of independent Greece.

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