OTE-DEUTSCHE TELEKOM TALKS PROGRESS

The government reported major progress on Wednesday in talks between the Greek state and the German telecommunications giant Deutsche Telekom AG on striking a deal over the management and future of Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation (OTE), the state-run telephone utility. Last month, Deutsche Telekom announced plans to acquire a 20% stake in OTE for about €2.5 billion from Marfin Investment Group Holdings SA. That deal, however, is dependent on a follow-on agreement with the Greek government, which is the largest shareholder in OTE, with a stake of just over 28%. The Finance Ministry said talks will continue in the coming week.

Kathimerini daily: Greece close to clinching OTE deal with DT; OTE talks to continue; no agreement yet; International Herald Tribune: Greece Says OTE-Deutsche Telekom Talks Making 'Significant Progress'; see also: Athens News Agency: OTE deal hangs in balance

GREECE AND RUSSIA

Building on Bilateral Relations

Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis’ visit to Moscow (April 29-30) received extended coverage by the Russian press, especially due to the agreement signed by the two parties regarding Greece’s participation in the construction and operation of the South Stream gas pipeline. The Russian and English-language media reported on the visit commenting on "a new page in strategic cooperation" between the two countries, especially after strengthening bilateral relations over the last four years.

Athens News Agency: Russian Media on PM’s visit  

The South Stream Natgas Pipeline

The South Stream gas pipeline is expected to carry Russian gas to Europe through Greece and is considered a project of significant geo-strategic importance. Following the agreement in Moscow and in relation to the future of Nabucco, another pipeline bringing gas from Turkey to Austria through Romania and Bulgaria, backed by EU funds, the European Commission’s representative in Brussels stated that the European Union does not consider the South Stream pipeline a competitor. The Commission acknowledges that Nabucco secures energy supply from non-traditional sources, therefore the South Stream pipeline can only act complementary.

Athens News Agency: U.S. ON South Stream deal & E.U on South Stream; The Moscow Times: Greece Signs On to South Stream; Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Greek-Russian Agreement on the South Stream Natural Gas Pipeline & Energy Affairs; Greek News Agenda: Greece, Russia Forge Ties  

ARTS & MATHEMATICS

Uncle Petros and Goldbach's Conjecture, by Apostolos Doxiadis, is a novel about mathematics. Doxiadis' novel was originally published to great critical acclaim in Greece in 1992. The book appears now in 22 countries. The novel is breaking new ground by bringing abstract mathematics to the world of literary fiction. Author and critic George Steiner (The Observer: Go forth and multiply) enthuses: "The translation of the languages of mathematics, into common speech is exceedingly rare, if not impossible… Doxiadis' concise novel allows the lay-reader lucid access to intrinsically closed worlds."

Excited by the narrative possibilities offered by mathematics, Doxiadis formed a foundation to further explore the theme - called “Thales and Friends” (www.thalesandfriends.org), named after the first mathematician-philosopher in ancient Greece. Today, Doxiadis works on a graphic novel on the history of mathematics titled Logicomix, with Christos Papadimitriou, a Berkeley Computer Science professor.

Apostolos Doxiadis official website: www.apostolosdoxiadis.com; Doxiadis’ Autobiography: What's In A Name ; Nature Magazine, Sarah Tomlin: Dramatizing maths: What's the plot?

TRAVEL LOG

Rhodes: Top European Destination

The island of Rhodes, situated in the in southeastern Aegean Sea, is the largest of the Dodecanese islands, and has been voted the top tourist destination in Europe and the fifth-best in the world, according to a survey carried out by the internet-based travel service TripAdvisor. Experts in the tourism sector said that the current economic crisis, in spite of rising fuel prices and concerns about the repercussions on the environment, have not dampened demand for travel, which remains popular and especially within Europe. TripAdvisor has six million registered users and receives about 25 million visits to its website every month.

UK Reuters.com: Greece voted tops for European travel 

Jewels in the Crown

The island of Naxos is the largest and the most fertile in the Cyclades group of islands. More than 64 villages, most of which are mountainous, cover its slopes. They are well known for their cool climate and their delicious local cuisine. Sport and nature lovers should not miss the walking tour in the fertile Tragea plains, where one can see. Byzantine chapels, Venetian residence towers and picturesque villages. The annual Naxos Festival (this year’s date to be determined) at the Bazeos Tower guarantees a rich cultural life during ones sojourn. As for liquor connoisseurs, the local citron liqueur, produced in Khalki village, is something to be experienced!