Athens News Agency: News in English, 06-10-28

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

CONTENTS

[01] Annual 'OXI Day' parades honor Greece's entry into WWII

[01] Annual 'OXI Day' parades honor Greece's entry into WWII

In Thessaloniki, the annual military parade was held in the presence of President of the Republic Karolos Papoulias, Defence Minister Evangelos Meimarakis and main opposition leader George Papandreou.

Immediately after the parade, Papoulias greeted handicapped veterans and National Resistance fighters.

"Our military is a pre-emptive force to be reckoned with by those that may think they can dispute our countryâs sovereign rights," Papoulias told reporters, while adding that the armed forces are also a creative force for peace in the region, "a force of peace that is based on a respect for international law, treaties and pacts..."

Papoulias had arrived in the northern port city of Thessaloniki on Thursday to attend three-day celebrations marking the feast day of the city's patron saint, Aghios Demetrius (St. Demetrius), the anniversary of the city's liberation from Ottoman rule (1912) and the anniversary of Greece's entry into WWII (1940).

Caption: Students and pupils march during a parade through downtown Athens on Saturday, Oct. 28, 2006, as Education Minister Marietta Yiannakou reviews the parade. ANA-MPA photo / K. Mavrona.

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