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Athens News Agency: News in English, 05-09-15Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] PM meets foreign dignitaries on sidelines of UN General AssemblyNEW YORK (ANA - A. Panagopoulos) - Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis held meetings on Wednesday with Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos, the heir of the Saudi Arabian throne and the president of Mexico on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.Talks between the prime minister and President Papadopoulos focused on the tactics of Athens and Nicosia at the European Union, regarding the beginning of Turkey's accession negotiations on October 3, and the EU's reply to Ankara's statement that it does not recognise the Republic of Cyprus. The good level of bilateral relations was ascertained in the prime minister's talks with Saudi Arabian Prince Bin Abdul Aziz al Saud, while Karamanlis raised the issue of Cyprus and developments in the Middle East were also discussed. Karamanlis attended a luncheon given by the UN secretary general at noon and in the morning he participated in a meeting on financing development. [02] FinMin addresses Int'l Business ForumFinance and Economy Minister George Alogoskoufis, in an address at a dinner of the 1st International Business Forum of the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair (TIF) on Wednesday, conveyed to about 400 Greek and foreign delegates the Greek government's commitment to support bilateral economic ties, as well as bonds between countries in its geographical region with the European Union "with all its strength."The minister said that Greece has the ability to "assist the development of all countries in the eastern Mediterranean decisively and it has the ambition of becoming the gateway for the businesses welcoming", which desire to be active in the region. Alogoskoufis also outlined the five main elements of the government's economic policy, which are mild fiscal adjustment, tax reform, a new investments law, partnerships between the public and private sectors and a new generation of privatisations and expressed his conviction that the government's policy is already producing results. [03] GNTO wins World Travel AwardThe Greek National Tourism Organisation (GNTO) has won first prize in this year's World Travel Awards (WTA) in the category of Europe's Leading Tourist and Convention Bureau, it was announced on Wednesday by the London-based WTA."Greek tourism is acquiring prestige and international recognition, in confirmation of the government's policy. We are continuing our upward trend with steady, methodical planning and strategy," Tourism Development Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos said in response to the victory. London-based WTA, which arranges the awards with organisations including BBC World, holds an electronic ballot among tour operators, travel agents and hotel trade groups around the world. This year, more than 175,000 executives took part in the voting. The World Travel Awards (WTA) has come to be known as ?The Oscars of the Travel Industry?. The awards ceremony of the 12th annual WTA will be held in London on November 13 on the eve of the the UK capital's World Travel Market trade fair. [04] Athens int'l Film Fest opens ThursdayThe 11th Annual Athens International Film Festival, titled "Premieres", will kick off on Thursday, featuring 151 films of Greek and foreign filmmakers, both established and up-and-coming, Athens Mayor Dora Bakoyannis announced on Wednesday.According to the mayor, international film industry celebrities, among them actor Daniel Day Lewis, Korean director Kim Ki Duk, Greek directors Costas Gavras and Theodoros Angelopoulos will be attending the festival "making it a truly international, cultural event." Bakoyannis also referred to the Athens festival's innovative element, which is that the panel of judges is made up of young adults. This year, only students of audio-visual studies, film and drama schools from all over Europe will make up the panel. Organisers hope to establish the festival as a dynamic 'workshop' where youngsters from throughout Europe will have the opportunity to learn, exchange ideas and be inspired. The festival is being organised by the trade magazine "Cinema" with the support of the Municipality of Athens. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |