Inside Greece


PLAN AHEAD IN GREECE anoe Kayak


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For the lovers of aquatic sports, Hellinikon Entertainment and Sport Parks S.A. organises for the third cons e cu- tive year the event


‘Ca- noe Kayak


Sports and Fun Days 2011’. Carrying on with White Water Activities


until 17th April. Tel.:


2109848676. Hellinikon Olympic Complex, Athens.


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oins The Athens Numismatic Mu- seum in co-operation with the Al- pha Bank Numismatic Collection and the National Archaeological Museum organises a joint exhi- bition entitled ‘Myth and Coin- age’. Starts 15th April, until end of November. Athens Numismatic Museum, Iliou Melathron, El. Veni- zelou (Panepistimiou) 12, 106 71 Athens. Tel.: 2103632057. Tickets: Full: €3, Reduced: €2.


Benaki Museum is present- ing an exhibition titled ‘Yannis Moralis: Architectural Compo- sitions’. The exhibition can be considered to be the first com- plete presentation of the artist’s architectural creations. Running until 30th April. Benaki Museum Main Building, 1 Koumbari St. & Vas. Sofias Avenue, Athens. Tel.: 2103671000.


M oralis Architecture The key role of Greece in Libya’s crisis


Greece as an active member of the inter- national community and a basic pillar of stability in the wider Eastern Mediterra- nean region plays a key role in efforts for a solution to the crisis in Libya. In this context, Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou received the Libyan Deputy Foreign Minis- ter Abdulati Al-Obeidi on 3rd April in Athens. Papandreou agreed to meet the Libyan envoy following a request made by Libyan Prime Minis- ter Al-Baghdadi Ali al-Mahmudi during a telephone conversa- tion the previous day. “From the statements of the Libyan envoy it appears that the re- gime is seeking a solution,” Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas said after the meeting.


“We reiterated the clear message from the international community: respect for and full implementation of UN resolutions, an immediate ceasefire to stop the violence, particularly against the civilian population of Libya,” said Droutsas, adding that Greece will continue its efforts for a “political and diplo- matic solution” to the crisis. Over that weekend Papandreou also had telephone conversations with his counterparts in Britain, Qatar and Turkey. The Greek Foreign Minister also participated on 29th March at the London Conference on


Libya, which was attended by more than 40 foreign ministers from around the world, the Secretaries General of the UN and NATO as well as representatives of the Arab League. At the end of the Conference Droutsas said that the international community reaffirmed its com- mitment to implement the UN Security Coun- cil’s resolutions and to provide humanitarian assistance to the Libyan people. Moreover, a political process that would enable the Libyan people to take their future into their own hands has begun. “These decisions fully reflect Greece’s positions,” Droutsas noted, stress- ing that “in all these processes Greece has a voice, a presence and will contribute to overcome the crisis by using its relations and influence in the region.”


Working together for a viable European migration strategy Athens and London agree on


C allas exhibition


‘Maria Callas and La Scala’ exhibition will show to devoted fans of the greatest opera singer ever, rare robes worn by the Cal- las, photographs, object, videos and original recordings of her his- torical performances. Until 2nd May. Megaron Mousikis, Vasilis- sis Sofias Avenue and Kokkalis Street, Athens. General admis- sion: € 6. Tickets/Telephone in- formation 2107282333.


the need for illegal immigration levels facing Greece to be redefined as a pan-European prob- lem as opposed to a merely “Greek” one. The common belief was established dur- ing a visit to London by the Greek Deputy Employment Minister, responsible for immi- gration issues Anna Dalara on 21st March.


The Greek Minister met with her British counterpart, the Migration Minister Damian


Green, as well as with other Home Office officials deal- ing


with migra-


tion policy. Anna Dalara said that she was briefed on the UK govern- ment’s approach to handling migra- tion, a problem re- garded in Greece “as high as the financial prob- lems the coun- try is facing.”


As she explained, 132,000 illegal immigrants entered Greece in 2010 through its


northern border, mainly with Turkey. The number repre- sents 90% of the people that tried to enter Europe illegally last year. Mrs Dalara empha- sized that Greece’s European partners have to share the bur- den, noting the significant role played by Frontex, the EU’s border agency.


Speaking to journalists, she stressed that recent develop- ments in North African coun- tries and the thousands fleeing their homes to avoid perse- cution and repression have brought Greece in an even more vulnerable position.


MARCH 2011, ISSUE 141, Page 2


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