Athens News Agency: News in English, 06-01-18

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

CONTENTS

[01] Heidelberg Univ. to return fragment of Parthenon frieze to Greece

[02] PM departs for official visit to China

[03] Greek aid for Vojvodina flood victims

[01] Heidelberg Univ. to return fragment of Parthenon frieze to Greece

"The University of Heidelberg is returning this fragment "exlusively in recognition of the significance of the Parthenon as part of the world's cultural heritage," Prof. Angelos Chaniotis, Vice Rector of the University, told ANA-MPA.

"Our incentive is to promote the unification of the Parthenon as a unique monument of world culture. This specific fragment, which has never been put on display in the Museum's collection, acquires its significance only through its reunification with the rest of the frieze," Chaniotis said.

Professor Chaniotis, who has been living and working in Germany for the past 23 years following extensive studies in archaeology and history both in Greece and abroad, said it was unknown how the fragment emerged in Heidelberg. He said the fragment was first listed in the Museum of Antiquities' catalogue in 1871, and consequently it was surmised that it had been donated by a private individual, since during the 18th and 10th centuries visitors to the Acropolis frequenly collected small fragments from the monument, which they easily transported abroad.

The fragment depicts a section of a man's leg, with the word "Parthenon" inscribed on the reverse side, which finally led archaeologist German Hafner, in an article appearing in 1948/49, to attribute the fragment to the sculpted frieze of the Parthenon, and designate its precise position as the lower right corner of section 8 of the north frieze.

The transfer of the fragment to Athens, the return of which had been requested of the University of Heidelberg in early 2005 by the president of the Hellenic Committee for the Return of the Parthenon Marbles, Angelos Delivorias, will be made in 2006.

In accordance with the current international practice when fragments of art monuments are brought together, the University of Heidelberg looks forward to the Greek Ministry of Culture donating another work art to its Collection of Antiquities. A similar attempt of exchange for a fragment of the Parthenon frieze at the Salinas Museum in Palermo, Italy, failed in 2002. Sections of the Parthenon frieze are also found in many museums in Europe, apart from the Acropolis Museum, and of course the extensive sections in the British Museum.

Greece has long been vigorously campaigning for the return of the priceless 5th century B.C. Parthenon Marbles -- friezes and other architectural parts of the Parthenon -- from the British Museum to Athens.

The Marbles, which date from between 447 BC and 432 BC, were removed from the Parthenon -- the temple dedicated to the ancient goddess Athena that crowns the Acropolis -- by British diplomat Lord Elgin in the early 19th century with tacit permission of local Ottoman administrators then ruling in the area. Elgin removed the friezes and other parts of the impressive Parthenon temple and later sold them to the British Museum.

[02] PM departs for official visit to China

The trip forms part of a series of contacts being made by the premier to increase bilateral cooperation and promote Greek enterprise.

He is being accompanied on the visit by Foreign Minister Petros Molyviatis and Minister of State Theodoros Roussopoulos and Deputy Foreign Minister Evripidis Stylianidis.

Karamanlis will also visit Shanghai, where there will be a large delegation of people involved in business and finance.

Prior to his departure on Wednesday morning, the prime minister had successive meetings at his offices with the honorary president of New Democracy Constantine Mitsotakis and ND Central Committee Secretary Evangelos Meimarakis to discuss a planned revision of the Constitution.

Mitsotakis stressed that Constitutional revision will greatly benefit the country and that there would be consensus for the changes. He advised against scrapping tenure for state employees in the narrower civil service as opposed to the broader public sector, venturing that there were no thoughts for such a change.

At the same time, he said the matter should be reconsidered for newly-recruited staff and that tenure was not "foreseen" for the broader public sector.

Meimarakis, on his part, noted that that ND was proceeding toward completing the institutional framework required in an organised state that the government was trying to build with its proposal for revising the Constitution.

[03] Greek aid for Vojvodina flood victims

Speaking during the delivery ceremony for the cheque, Panagopoulos said that this act constitutes an expression of the Greek people's solidarity for the people of Serbia. The Greek ambassador referred to the friendly ties between the two peoples and pointed out that Greece will continue to display its sensitivity and to provide aid whenever necessary.

Draskovic asked the Greek ambassador to convey the thanks of the people of Serbia to the Greek people and said that when he visits Athens next week he will have the opportunity of thanking "my friend Petros Molyviatis" personally.

The Serb foreign minister said that the money will be used to repair damage caused by the floods in five villages, including the village where he himself was born.

Caption: Deputy foreign minister Evripides Stylianidis with Serbia-Montenegro foreign minister Vuk Draskovic during the former's visit to Belgrade last year. (ANA/A. Beltes)

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