EU Summit Acknowledges Greece’s Efforts |  |
- EU Summit Acknowledges Greece’s Efforts
- White House Calls Athens
- Middle East Developments
- Acropolis Museum Nomination
- Lights Off for Earth Hour
| EU Summit Acknowledges Greece’s Efforts Posted: 28 Mar 2011 04:00 AM PDT  The 27 EU heads of state and government reached a comprehensive agreement in Brussels, during the EU Spring Summit held on March 24-25, on an overall economic package covering issues of economic governance as well as the European mechanisms for confronting crises. Prime Minister George Papandreou said that the EU Spring Summit as well as the extraordinary meeting of eurozone leaders earlier this month highlighted that Greece is on the right track in tackling its deficit.  Speaking at the end of the summit in Brussels, the Premier said that EU leaders recognized the government's efforts by rubber-stamping a deal to extend the repayment period for Greece's € 110 billion emergency loan package with the EU and the International Monetary Fund from three to 7.5 years and lower the interest rate to 4.2% from 5.2%.   |
| Posted: 28 Mar 2011 04:00 AM PDT  Prime Minister George Papandreou had a phone conversation with the President of the United States of America Barack Obama on March 25. President Obama called the premier to congratulate him and the Greek people on the 190th anniversary of Greek independence. The two leaders discussed developments in North Africa and their support for the Libyan people. According to a readout issued by the White House, Obama noted Greece's solidarity as a NATO ally and thanked Papandreou for Greece's important support of coalition operations to enforce the UN resolution.  On his part, George Papandreou briefed Obama on the results of the European Council and agreed that the United States and Greece would continue to consult closely as events unfold across the Middle East and North Africa. On the occasion of Greek Independence day, the White House hosted a special ceremony and President Obama proclaimed March 25, 2011, as "Greek Independence Day: A National Day of Celebration of Greek and American Democracy."   |
| Posted: 28 Mar 2011 04:06 AM PDT
 Foreign Ministry spokesman Gregory Delavekouras in a statement regarding Greece's stance on recent events in Syria said that "the use of violence to suppress demonstrations, which has led to the murder of citizens, is absolutely condemnable. We call on the Syrian government to guarantee the fundamental rights of its citizens and respect the right to free and peaceful expression of protest. A strong wind of change is blowing in the region, and no one can ignore it."
Meanwhile, speaking to reporters following the end of the EU Spring Summit in Brussels, Papandreou said that, with regard to developments in Libya, what is being sought is the protection of civilians, stressing that a ceasefire is mandatory so that the road can open for Libya's peaceful transition to democracy. He added that whatever solution is reached must respect Libya's integrity, stressing that the diplomatic efforts for a peaceful solution must not be abandoned.   |
| Posted: 28 Mar 2011 04:09 AM PDT  The Acropolis Museum is among the six finalists for the 2011 European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture - the Mies van der Rohe Award. The finalists, which have been shortlisted from 343 works in 33 European countries, were announced on March 22 by the European Commission and the Mies van der Rohe Foundation. The building was designed by architects Bernard Tschumi and Michalis Fotiades aiming at orchestrating simplicity to appear, as Tscumi says, "effortless and almost undesigned." It was designed and constructed based on environmentally friendly and functional novel techniques, with extensive use of glass to allow natural light.  It covers an area of 25,000 square metres - over 14,000 of which is exhibition space. Its crown jewel is the Parthenon gallery, where the entire frieze is exhibited in the same order and with the same directional orientation as when it adorned the monument, with visual contact from the gallery to the monument. The Mies van der Rohe Award was launched in 1987 to highlight excellence in contemporary buildings and contribute to the advancement of new ideas and technologies in urban development. It is considered the most prestigious award in European architecture and is conferred every other year to works completed within the previous two years. The award ceremony will take place on June 20 in Barcelona. Greek News Agenda Photogallery: The Acropolis Museum   |
| Posted: 28 Mar 2011 04:00 AM PDT  During Earth Hour on March 26, the lights were switched off throughout Greece for an hour. Public buildings, archaeological sites and an impressive number of households participated in this initiative, thus casting a vote in favour of effective action to tackle climate change. The lights at the Acropolis, the Temple of Poseidon at Sounion, the Ancient Agora, Lycabettus Hill, the Parliament building, as well as parts of the Athens International Airport were turned off in a bid to promote energy saving and highlight the threat posed by climate change.   |
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