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*UHHFH this month In this issue: · PM Samaras Visits Berlin · EU Greek Presidency · 54th Thessaloniki International Film Festival · The Greeks: From Agamemnon to Alexander the Great · Promoting Greece online EMBASSSY OF GREECE Press & Communications Office 1A Holland Park, London W11 3TP Tel.: 020 77273071, Fax: 020 77278960 pressoffice@greekembassy.org.uk
PM Samaras Visits Berlin PM Samaras concluded a two–day official visit to Berlin on November 22-23, where he had a working lunch with German Chancellor Angela Merkel and addressed an economic conference organized by German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung. Following his meeting with Chancellor Merkel, Samaras reiterated that "Greece will not need a new memorandum or new amounts to cover the fiscal gap of 2014” and that “we will keep to the framework of the agreements already in effect." He also expressed the government’s conviction to pursue all necessary structural reforms, noting that Greece is entering a recovery phase and has already achieved a budgetary surplus. On her part, Chancellor Merkel acknowledged that Greece has come a long way, welcomed the Greek primary surplus and predicted a good outcome in the “tough but feasible” negotiating process with the troika.
The two leaders also discussed the project for the establishment of the Greek Institution for Growth, with the support of the German Development Bank KFW, issues of bilateral cooperation and the upcoming Greek EU Presidency. Addressing an economic conference organized by Sueddeutsche Zeitung, Samaras said that reforms were Greece’s top priorities and that the
current focus was to conclude negotiations with the country’s troika within December.
He also added that Greece would not need a new support programme, as the European Union has pledged to take Greek debt relief measures.
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EU Greek Presidency Logo: Our Common Quest Government Vice-President and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos presented the logo of the upcoming Greek Presidency of the Council of the European Union at a special event on November 25, 2013, on the premises of the foreign ministry. The logo will be the Greek presidency’s communication hallmark and will accompany all of its activities in the first half of 2014. More specifically, "we want this logo to be simple, spare and comprehensive. Simple in design, but rich in substance and messages, as entailed by the Hellenic sense of proportion, as well as by our relationship to symbolism," said Venizelos. The video "Logo Presentation Animation - Greek Presidency 2014" was screened, and the presidency’s motto is "Our common quest." After the video presentation, Venizelos spoke about of the basic elements of the Greek presidency’s cultural identity.
The Presidency’s Cultural Identity The Government Vice-President took the opportunity to unveil some of the basic elements of the Greek Presidency’s cultural identity. A series of cultural activities has been prepared in close collaboration with the Ministry of Culture. It includes, primarily, the opening ceremony of the Greek Presidency, which will take place on January 8, 2014, at the Athens Concert Hall, and the main content will be a show entitled "Journey to Eternity", with the orchestra and ballet from the National Opera. Also, an exhibition "Nautilus, Navigating Greece," dedicated to the sea and its diachronic relationship with Greece, will take place at the Bozar Museum of Brussels, from January to April 2014. Furthermore, Greek embassies in Europe and other parts of the world will carry out various cultural activities. Another activity will specifically link the Greek and the Italian presidencies, and it is the Mediterranean Year of 2014. In
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collaboration with the Presidency of the Italian Republic, a jointly organized cultural event will take place at the Presidential Palace for the duration of the last two months of the Greek Presidency and the first two months of the Italian presidency, with significant archaeological items from four different periods in Greece and Magna Graecia, as well as a simultaneous presentation of Greek and Italian contemporary visual artists.
Greek EU Presidency Provisional Site is Online! The provisional website of the upcoming Greek Presidency of the Council of the European Union is now available online at www.gr2014.eu. The website was designed by the Website and Communication team of the General Secretariat of Information and Communication-Secretariat General of the Media, under the supervision of the Greek Presidency Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The National Technical University of Athens is responsible for the technical development and maintenance of the site, while Greek graphic design company "Beetroot" designed the visual identity. The site aims to serve as a simple, comprehensive, accurate and handy information tool on matters relating to the upcoming Greek Presidency and the EU. It will be online until mid-December 2013, when it will be replaced by its final version. Meanwhile, on November 15, the Presidency’s official Twitter account @gr2014eu was launched and was warmly welcomed by the Twitter community with the first tweet being retweeted 101 times! President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy, the European Commission and several other EU and Member States officials were among the first to welcome the new account! Follow @gr2014eu for #gr2014eu updates!
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PM Samaras Pays Tribute to Cyprus' Former President Glakos Clerides Prime Minister Antonis Samaras laid a wreath by the coffin of the former President of the Cyprus Republic Glafcos Clerides, who died at age 94, on the 15th of November. "Hellenism Hellenism honours Glafcos Clerides, a fine political man, who indissolubly linked his name with recent Cypriot history, history," Samaras noted no at the end of the funeral, adding that he was a person who "courageously courageously faced all problems and created prospects." prospects. Samaras Sa s spoke highly of Clerides, saying "he he had the gift of insight and the virtue of realism." He concluded that Cyprus has always been a responsibility and obligation of Greece. The Greek premier was accompanied by government Vice Vice-President President and Foreign Minister Evangelos Venizelos, Parliament President Evangelos Meimarakis, Defence Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos, government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou and party leaders. Prior to the funeral, Samaras met with Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades.
President Papoulias Receives Raoul Wallenberg Award Marking the 100th anniversary from the birth of Raoul Wallenberg, the President of the Hellenic Republic Karolos Papoulias received the Raoul Wallenberg award, in a solemn ceremony at the Presidential Mansion on November 18. Papoulias was awarded the distinction in recognition of his contribution to the protection of human rights and his devotion in defending the memory of Jews who were the victims of Nazi atrocities. Receiving the award from the International Raoul Wallenberg Foundation's chairman Eduardo Eurnekian and its founder Baruch Tenembaum, President Papoulias stated that it was an honour for him and the Greek people; he repeated the statement he made last July when he visited Auschwitz that "those who deny this sacrifice of
thousands of European citizens cannot be a part of the European family." Papoulias also referred to the Jewish community in his hometown of Ioannina that perished in Nazi concentration camps during World War II.
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Global Entrepreneurship Week 54th Thessaloniki International Film Festival The 54th Thessaloniki International Film Festival was held in the city of Thessaloniki from the 1st till the 10th of November and delivered exciting new thrills! This year's programme included 8 feature movies, filmed or co-produced in Greece and 17 awardwinning Greek films from the Drama Short Film Festival that introduced the audience to an emerging generation of Greek filmmakers.
The annual Global Entrepreneurship Week was held in Athens from November 18 to 30 and was titled "Disrupt, Startup, ScaleUP." Every year since 2007, the world's largest annual conference for young entrepreneurs is observed in 139 countries all over the world. The overall number of people involved exceeds 7 million. The Athens activities were co-hosted by the Federation of Hellenic Associations of Young Entrepreneurs (OESYNE) and the National Council of Global Entrepreneurship Week. The events culminated on November 23-24, when the top 10 national finalists competed live in Athens at the Megaron Athens International Conference Centre. On the sidelines of the Global Entrepreneurship Week a meeting aiming at the creation of a "regional ecosystem," was held, which helped promote entrepreneurship and innovation.
Crisis was once again the word of the day but this time it took an imaginative and creative turn as the celluloid heroes tried to redefine themselves in an epic of decay like Standing Aside, Watching ("Na kathese kai na kitas") by Yiorgos Servetas where the heroine tried to find her way back to a wicked little town or in the The Winter ("O himonas") by Constantinos Koutsoliotas, where a struggling young writer left London to return to the mountainous Siatista (Macedonia). Among the films also featured in the TIFF was Miss Violence by Alexandros Avranas -winner of the Silver Lion for Best Director and the Volpi Cup for Best Actor (Themis Panou) in the 2013 Venice IFF- and Wild Duck by Yiannis Sakaridis, a quiet and poignant tale of morals in a crumbling world. Furthermore, this year’s edition kicked off with a very special treat for cinemaniacs: for the first time, cinelegend Jim Jarmusch visited Greece to present his new work Only Lovers Left Alive, whereas director Alexander Payne – of Greek descent - attendrd the closing ceremony for the screening of his long-awaited road movie Nebraska.
Tourism Minister @ Global Entrepreneurship Event Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni referred to the National Strategic Plan for tourism in her address at the event “Innovators. An alternative approach to entrepreneurship," as part of the 6th Global Entrepreneurship Week. Kefalogianni said that "tourism can play a leading role in the country's efforts to exit the crisis because it can be linked with most of the sectors of the Greek economy, including primary production." She referred to traditional Greek cuisine, unique products, and the opportunities that can revive the economy in Greek villages and create new jobs. Kefalogianni said that Greece invests in modern forms of tourism and referring to the 2014-2020 Multiannual Financial Framework, she noted that a working group was set up by the tourism ministry last December to draw up an action plan. The minister also referred to the adoption of a well-targeted campaign strategy aimed at changing the country's image abroad and promoting the uniqueness of the Greek destinations.
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The Greeks: From Agamemnon to Alexander the Great Culture and Sports Minister Panos Panagiotopoulos, along with the President of the Canadian Museum of Civilization Mark O' Neill, presented "The Greeks: From Agamemnon to Alexander the Great" - an archaeological exhibition - at a press conference held at the Acropolis Museum on October 31, to be hosted in Canada and the United States from December 2014 to September 2016. Showcasing outstanding artifacts from 22 Greek Museums, the exhibition will invite visitors on a journey through 5,000 years of Greek culture, from the Neolithic Era to the age of Alexander the Great.
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Nautilus: Navigating Greece An original exhibition, which for the first time combines unique works of art from Ancient and Contemporary Greece, will take place at the Museum of Fine Arts in Brussels (commonly known as Bozar). The exhibition is titled: "Nautilus: Navigating Greece," (see below) running from January 24 to April 27, 2014, and it examines the intimate relationship between the Greeks and the Mediterranean Sea trough the ages. With the sea as connecting thread, the exhibition highlights the interplay between nature, culture, identity, adventure, politics, religion and most of all mobility in all its forms (immigration, travel, trade etc).
Among the priceless exhibits – many of which are being exhibited outside Greece for the first time - are the iconic bust of Alexander the Great from Pella, the impressive statues of Archaic-period Kouroi, and golden jewellery from famous tombs. "This is another long journey of Hellenism. A journey of national significance, which through important artifacts from the archaeological museums throughout the country and findings from recent excavations reveal the attributes of our people and their accomplishments" said Panagiotopoulos. O' Neill stressed that the exhibition will enhance public understanding of the history of the Greek people and their prodigious contributions to the development of philosophy, democracy and the arts. Apart from Canada, the exhibition will also be presented in the Field Museum in Chicago and the National Geographic Museum in Washington. Related Links: Culture Ministry
The exhibition is organized in the context of the Greek Presidency of the Council of the European Union. It includes almost 100 ancient artifacts (bronze and marble sculptures, frescoes, coins, vases and ceramic vessels) from more than 30 Greek museums. Notably some of these artifacts are displayed outside Greece for the first time. The time span extends from Cycladic (3000 B. C.), Minoan and Mycenaean art, to the archaic, classical and Hellenistic periods, ending with the Greco-Roman world (200 A. D.). Furthermore, within the exhibition space, Antiquity converses with contemporary art, involving 23 works including photographs, paintings, and video art. The Bozar is organizing this display in cooperation with the Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture and Sports.
Field Museum in Chicago National Geographic Museum in Washington.
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Promoting Greece Online CNN: Folegandros One of Europe’s Most Beautiful Villages Greece’s small island in the Aegean Sea, Folegandros, is one of the seven islands singled out by CNN’s Travel + Leisure publication and included on its list of "Europe’s most beautiful villages," published on November 7. The focus is on picture-perfect villages steeped in old-world charm that has inspired travelers to travel across Europe over the centuries, seeking its towns. "Santorini’s streets sag with admirers, but on Folegandros, a nearby island in the Cyclades, you’ll find similar architecture—streets paved in slate, whitewashed buildings decorated with colourful flowers, the occasional Greek Orthodox Church with a bright blue dome—without the crowds. For a secluded swim, trek to Katergo, a sheltered stretch of beach where gentle, emerald-blue waves lap the pebbly shore. Folegandros, together with Sikinos, Ios, Anafi and Santorini, forms the southern part of the Cyclades."
Greece Publicized in Germany The Greek National Tourism Organization (GNTO) office in Germany is forging ahead digitally, securing high quality online promotion of Greece to the German public. Advertising campaigns began in August and are still running since the extension of the tourism season in Greece is one of the main objectives of the country’s policy. GNTO Germany has launched campaigns on websites of leading travel companies such as Tripadvisor and Expedia. The campaigns particularly emphasize Greek destinations that are generally not known to the German market. Also, in cooperation with GNTO Germany, the German
magazine "Das Erbe unserer Welt" (The Heritage of our World) has published an 18page feature on Greece, which makes special reference to
Greece’s cultural and historical heritage. It is a Germanlanguage magazine distributed together with the German National Geographic Magazine. The feature on Greece is also available in digital format on pages 104123.
Acropolis & Santorini Just A Click Away The Acropolis of Athens and the Parthenon, the enduring symbol of Ancient Greece, Athenian democracy and western civilization are now just a click away thanks to a team of Russian photographers that has created an amazing interactive digital tour of the Acropolis. The team AirPano.Ru has captured breath taking panoramic photos
of the main points of interest of the Acropolis that allow viewers to bridge the distance between them and one of the world's greatest cultural monuments. The team has also created a digital tour of Oia in Santorini
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(Thira) that allows viewers to stroll down the island’s white streets, enjoy Oia’s famous sunset and suck in the blue and white colors of one of Greece’s most beautiful islands.
Google Launchpad in Athens A free, four-day camp for early stage start-ups and developers – Google Launchpad - was recently inaugurated in Athens at the National Museum of Contemporary Art. This is part of a series of Google seminars in an international effort to support individuals all over world, with the aim to share ideas and skills in order create new products for the market and develop new businesses. At the end of the Athens seminar, the groups presented their work in front of a committee of businessmen and the best ideas will gain further support for their realization. Athens is the second city to host Google Launchpad after Tel Aviv. Greece ranks fifth in the world in terms of the quality of its scientists and engineers, according to the Global Competitiveness Report 20132014 report published recently
by the Forum.
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Google Launchpad aims to exploit this source of talented youth in Greece and create new job opportunities.
Demokritos Wins 2013 Marie Curie Award The National Centre for Scientific Research "Demokritos" has received the prestigious 2013 Marie Curie Award of the European
Association of Nuclear Medicine for an innovative technique to improve the treatment and diagnosis of several types of cancer using radio-peptides and targeting a specific receptor of the gastric enzyme. The team of Institute of Nuclear & Radiological Sciences & Technology, Energy & Safety was led by Berthold Nock and Theodosia MainaNock and their method is expected to increase significantly the sensitivity and the effectiveness of radiopeptide therapy.
Greek Islands Top Condé Nast Traveller’s List This year, Condé Nast Traveler’s readers have not only included Greek islands in their "Top 10 Islands in Europe" list, they have listed 3 within the top 4 that were announced on October 15. Three Greek islands are Santorini in the first place. Crete and Mykonos tied for 4rth place. "There is no place like Santorini, in the whole world" say readers, who love the "whitewashed buildings, wonderful beaches and views to die for." Their best memories are of the caldera vistas, the black-sand beach and the "crystal clear water…" Crete impressed readers with the city of Heraklion, which stood out for its "stunning harbour, old Venetian walls, and impressive museum," with
its "gorgeous, fascinating art and architecture."
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European Award for Ierapetra’s Kindergarten The 7th Kindergarten of Ierapetra Crete, was awarded the Digital Camera prize, for their entry: Knowing my past, I know myself better in the Category under 15’s at the second edition of the generations @ school 2013 project competition, organised by the European Commission. To honour the European Year of Citizens 2013, the European Commission invited teachers, pupils and older people to organise intergenerational discussions about Europe, its past, its present and what old and young can do together for building the Europe of tomorrow.
Over 300 schools from all over Europe entered the competition, sharing their activities with text, photos and videos on the project website. Children from the 7th Ierapetra Kindergarten created an original photographic album, starring themselves, which represented how life was back in the old days. They collected data by interviewing their grandparents at home or in class, as some of them visited the kindergarten and brought with them old objects and tools they used in the past. Thereafter, the pupils acted out certain scenes from the past using these objects and the teachers photographed them and printed the pictures in black and white. The result of this three generations cooperation work was an original and intergenerational album of memories.
Observing the Olympic Truce The General Assembly urged United Nations Olympic Truce – the ancient Greek tradition during and after the Games – in the context Games in Sochi, Russia.The symbolic Truce Winter Games, due to take place February 7 closing of the XI Paralympic Winter Games,
Member States on November 6 to observe the calling for the cessation of hostilities before, of the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic will start one week before the XXII Olympic to 23 2014, and will run until a week after the to be held March 7 to 16.
Adopting a consensus resolution, the 193Member Assembly underlined the importance of cooperating to "collectively implement the values of the Olympic truce around the world," and agreed to "cooperate with the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee in their efforts to use sport as a tool to promote peace, dialogue and reconciliation in areas of conflict during and beyond" the holding of the Games. The adoption of the resolution is welcomed by Greece, according to a foreign ministry announcement on November 6.The ancient Greek tradition of ekecheiria, or Olympic Truce, was born in the eighth century BC "to encourage a peaceful environment and ensure safe passage, access and participation for athletes and relevant persons at the Games, thereby mobilizing the youth of the world to the cause of peace."