Yesterday Mr. Pantelis Vingas, President of the Community of Neochori and representative of minority institutions in the General Directorate of Vakoufia, Ankara, was declared “Chief of the Great Church of Christ”, by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. After the service held in the church of the Annunciation in Vafeochori, Bosporus, there was a special ordination ceremony during which Patriarch Bartholomew handed the emblems over to the new “chief”. He noted his important role to the revival of Greek elements in Istanbul. The ceremony was attended by many Greeks of the area and former chiefs, like Evangelos Chronis. Talking to the historic community of Vafeochori, the Patriarch referred to the “cultural” activity of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, which he separates from its religious mission. He underlined that this activity has been unfairly judged in a negative way. For example, when historian Konstantinos Paparigopoulos said that the Patriarchate didn’t “Hellenize” the populations of the empire that were “Christianized”. “We are proud of Patriarchate’s sensibility over each people’s personality”, the Patriarch said.
New Chief of Ecumenical Patriarchate Declared Yesterday
“Charity” Painting Exhibition by Greek Artist Hosted in Sofia
The charity painting exhibition of Greek artist Angelos Papadopoulos is hosted in the National Art Centre of Sofia. As the Bulgarian new agency BTA notes, 50% of the receipts from his works will be donated to the Home for Children and Juveniles with Mental Retardation “St. Panteleimon” of Vidrare, Bulgaria. The artist has so far presented his work in 13 personal exhibitions in Greece, Belgium and Cyprus, as well as in three group exhibitions in Brussels, Moscow and Athens.
“Istanbul, The Eternal Capital” Photo Exhibition Launches
A photo exhibition by Tasos Venetsanopoulos, titled “Istanbul, The Eternal Capital”, was inaugurated yesterday by President of Anadolu Education and Culture Foundation, Mr. Osman Kavala, at Cezayir Meeting Hall, Galatasaray, Istanbul. In his black and white photos, Mr. Venetsanopoulos tried to snap Istanbul’s daily life and belaud its incomparable glory. The exhibition takes place until the 25th of April. His photos were also published by EVRASIA editions in a photo album in Greek, Turkish and English.
Myrtis’ Reconstruction on Display in Montenegro
The girl that put a face to distant antiquity, the reconstructed 11-year-old ‘Myrtis’ of ancient Athens, has moved to a new ‘home’ at the Museum in the city of Podgorica, in Montenegro. The nameless young girl that died and was buried in a mass grave during the plague that struck Athens in 430 B.C. will be on display until April 22nd.
The name ‘Myrtis’ is borrowed, given to her by scientists that worked on the reconstruction of her features. Following her ‘resurrection’ nearly 2,500 years after she died of typhoid fever – the plague that also struck down the statesman Pericles and one third of all Athenians at that time – she has also been made a “Millennium Friend”. Her picture is posted on a website supporting the UN Millennium Goals as a message to the world about disease prevention.
(source: ana-mpa)
Papandreou Optimistic Following EU Summit
Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou comments on European Union leaders’ approval of a permanent debt-crisis mechanism for euro-area countries starting in 2013.
Papandreou spoke to reporters today in Brussels after the EU summit, which also affirmed March 11 decisions to ease the terms of emergency aid that Greece received in return for budget cuts and to bolster the role of the temporary European Financial Stability Facility.
“The message is that the European Union is committed to support the euro zone and the euro zone’s countries by any means. This is a very strong commitment.”
“We made big sacrifices. The efforts are today recognized by all European partners. The efforts have delivered results.”
“We need time, but we are committed to put Greece on a new path, on a modern path.”
President Obama Hosts Greek Independence Celebration at the White House
President Obama celebrated the 190th anniversary of Greek Independence at the White House. Greek government officials and prominent Greek-Americans attended the celebration in the East Room on Friday 25th 2011.
“Today we are celebrating the bond between two nations that has existed as long as we have existed as a nation.”
“Our Founding Fathers were students of Greek philosophy and Greek history, drawing on Greek principles to guide our own nation in its earliest days,” Mr. Obama said. “When it was time for Greek revolutionaries to fight for freedom, they looked to the United States for strength and support. And to this day, the United States and Greece shares a bond rooted in common values and common ideals.”
Archbishop Demetrios of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America who joined the President on stage, urged Mr. Obama to continue to stand for freedom and democracy.
Earlier, President Obama called Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou who was participating in the EU Summit to congratulate him on the Greek independence anniversary and discuss current issues.
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Please see below the full transcript of the President’s remarks during the event:
East Room
4:40 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Well, good evening, everybody.
AUDIENCE: Good evening.
THE PRESIDENT: Kalispera. (Laughter.) Thank you, your Eminence, for the kind introduction. It is always an honor to welcome you here in the White House. We’ve been friends for quite some time now, and his Eminence always displays such grace and good humor and is so generous. We are so very grateful for your leadership.
It is a wonderful pleasure to see so many friends and leaders of the Hellenic American community here as we celebrate the 190th anniversary of Greek independence. (Applause.) I want to acknowledge several people. First of all, we’ve got some members of Congress here: Michael Grimm from New York. Where’s Michael? There he is. (Applause.) Carolyn Maloney, also from New York. (Applause.) John Sarbanes, from Maryland. (Applause.) And then we have another guy — I don’t know if he’s any relation — Paul Sarbanes, also of Maryland. (Applause.)
We’ve got Ambassador Demetrios Marantis, Deputy USTR. (Applause.) He’s got a few fans here. We’ve got Nicholas Karacostas — (applause) — the President of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association.
I want to especially welcome Deputy Foreign Minister Dollis for traveling all the way here from Athens to join us today. (Applause.) I spoke with your Prime Minister, our good friend Mr. Papandreou today, and I wanted him to extend our congratulations to the entire Greek nation. And we very much appreciate you being here to represent your government.
We are also joined here by Greek Ambassador Kaskarelis. Where is he? There he is. Good to see you, Mr. Ambassador. (Applause.) We have the Cypriot Ambassador — (laughter) — Anastasiades — there you go — (laughter) — and his wife Maria. (Applause.)
Tonight we reaffirm the bond our two nations have shared for as long as we’ve existed. Our Founding Fathers were students of Greek philosophy and Greek history, drawing on Greek principles to guide our own nation in its earliest days.
When it was time for Greek revolutionaries to fight for freedom, they looked to the United States for strength and support. And to this day, the United States and Greece shares a bond rooted in common values and common ideals.
As allies, we stand together -– not only for our own security, but for the freedom of peoples around the world. Right now, Greek and American soldiers are serving together in Afghanistan. And as we celebrate the independence of the Greek people, the United States and Greece are standing with our NATO allies to support the Libyan people as they stand up for their own freedom.
So I just want to express the extraordinary thanks that I give to the people of Greece for their friendship, and for their contributions to the life of our nation and so many others. I also obviously want to say to all my great friends in the Greek American community, how much I appreciate your support and your friendship, and I’m glad that we have one more occasion to celebrate together here in the White House. So it’s wonderful to see you again, and I hope you guys have a great time today.
All right? Thank you very much, everybody. God bless you. (Applause.)
END 4:44 P.M. EDT
Obama & Papandreou Discuss Issues After EU Summit
Prime Minister George Papandreou had a 20-minute telephone discussion with U.S. President Barack Obama on Friday. The call focused on the EU summit, developments in Libya and Friday’s 190th anniversary of the 1821 Greek Revolution against Ottoman rule.
Greek government spokesman Yiorgos Petalotis said Obama called Papandreou, currently in Brussels where the two-day EU summit took place. The President congratulated him on the occasion of the March 25th anniversary, while the two leaders also exchanged views on the outcome of the summit and on developments in Libya.
Regarding the summit and the Greek economy in general, Obama acknowledged Greece’s course regarding the recovery of its economy, Petalotis stated.
The U.S. President also expressed satisfaction with the EU summit results, considering them satisfactory for Europe and also for Greece, adding his support for Greece’s efforts to exit the crisis, Petalotis claimed.
The two leaders further discussed the situation in Libya, and Obama noted Greece’s geo-strategic position in the Mediterranean. They also discussed the decisions that need to be adopted by the international community to face the crisis in Libya, the Greek government spokesman added.
(source: ana-mpa)
Greece Remains One of Germany's Favorite Vacation Destinations
Greece is still one of the favorite vacation destinations for Germans. According to research conducted by the B.A.T Research Institute (Stiftung fυr Zukunftsfragen), Greece is in sixth place among the most preferable vacation destinations for Germans.
2011 will see an increase in Greek tourism, specifically for Cretan tourism, according to evidence coming from the exhibitions about tourism that are now taking place in Moscow and Paris.”We have to show in practice that we are good hosts, and that despite the economic crisis in our country, we still provide high quality services to our tourists. We have to show that due to the crisis, our prices are the same or lower and that the vacations in Crete are worth the time and the money” stated the vice-district commissioner of Rethymnon, Mary Lioni.
As evidence shows, the German market and tourism is expected to be very lucrative for Greece this year. Even the most conservative analysts of the tourism market are soberly optimistic and expect an increase in all Greek destinations.
Athos Receives Over 1 Million Tourists Annually
Thanks to the natural beauty of the area and to Agion Oros, the Athos peninsula attracts more than 1 million tourists every year. Agion Oros is annually visited by more than 120,000 pilgrims, while about 1 million tourists sail around the peninsula. In the area of Athos, there are more than 56 hotels available, with 4,500 beds. According to reservations made so far, it is estimated that this year the number of tourists will increase and that tourist businesses will earn more, compared to last years’ decline down to 15%. Vice President of Mount Athos Area Organization, Konstantinos Papageorgiou, noted that the greater Athos area sells a special product and that it has lots of pilgrimages and routes that attract people with religious worries”.
Greek Flag Raised in Chicago
On March 24, the Greek flag was raised at Daley Plaza in Chicago, at a special presentation in commemoration of Greek Independence Day. A wreath was also presented in of the heroes of the Greek War of Independence. A Greek dance troupe entertained the crowd following the presentation.