PM’S FIRST TRIP ABROAD

In Istanbul

On his first trip abroad to attend the informal meeting of the Southeast European Cooperation Process (SEECP) in Istanbul, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister George Papandreou, held talks, on October 9, with Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglou and discussed all issues concerning Greek-Turkish relations.

Papandreou pointed out to Erdogan that, "we have proved that we want good relations with Turkey and we support its European course," adding however, that "Turkey must also take the steps that Europe requires so that its accession course can move forward."

Earlier, in a message to the Turkish people, Papandreou had stressed that they "know that I am always honest with them. Honest and open in the positive prospects we have in cooperating, but also honest in talking about the real problems we still have between our two countries."

Regarding Cyprus, the prime minister said that a solution should be found -a just, European solution for a unified Cyprus, free of dependencies on its motherlands, free of occupation troops, divisions and walls that have no place in the European Union.

Regarding bilateral relations, the PM said that the two countries must respect borders and territorial integrity and this would be the basis of a durable and strong good neighbourly relationship.

Papandreou made these statements during his meeting with the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, who, according to the premier with his wisdom and action has promoted Orthodoxy worldwide, championing objectives such as protection of the environment and ecology.

OSCE CiO Welcomes Turkey-Armenia Accords

The Chairman-in-Office of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Greece's premier and foreign minister George Papandreou welcomed the signing of an agreement between Armenia and Turkey for the normalisation of their relations, which was signed on October 10, following months of Swiss-mediated talks.

SEECP Meeting: A roadmap for Accession

Addressing the Southeast European Cooperation Process (SEECP) informal meeting of Foreign Affairs Ministers in Istanbul, Prime Minister and FM George Papandreou stressed that the Southeastern Europe and the Balkans can contribute to a new dynamic in Europe.

"A new dynamic in enlarging the European Union […] and creating a socially just Europe […] with a greater role in the world."

Papandreou said that a revised version of the so-called Thessaloniki Agenda - the basis of the Greek Presidency in the EU in 2003 - and a roadmap for accession of the rest of the Western Balkans with a specific date can contribute to this process.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs: PM and FM Papandreou’s speech at the informal meeting of FMs

‘GREEN DEVELOPMENT’ IN OLYMPIA REGION

Greece’s Prime Minister George Papandreou pledged on Sunday a "green development" plan for the region of Ilia prefecture in the south-western Peloponnese, which was ravaged by wild fires, two years ago.

Five ministers accompanied the premier during his visit to the area, along with Spanish urban planner Josep Acebillo, who will have the central role in designing the restoration of the area.

The regional plan features the establishment of a new International School of Sports, Olympism and Civilisation, and the further expansion of the International Olympic Truce Centre, so that Olympia could become the centre for peace and cooperation initiatives among nations.

A new bill will focus on green development, which could become a model for the whole country, Papandreou pointed out, during his visit to the region. The project is "an initial effort to attract international interest for offers and investment in the region," he said.

ATHENS UNIVERSITY IN TOP 200

The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens has once again made it to the list of the leading 200 global universities, as published in the "Times Higher Education - QS World University Rankings 2009," at number 178 - and technically tied with the Belgium’s Antwerp University at 177 - garnering 56.7 points, and thus outperforming its 2008 ranking by 23 positions.

It must be noted that there are 4,000 universities in the world, and as the magazine’s contributing editor Martin Ince has said: "Being on this list means you are one of the top ones, whatever your position. Many universities want to be globally important and being in these rankings is a measure of their success – most don’t manage it."

The overall rankings are compiled based in six distinct indicators: academic peer review; employer review; faculty/student ratio; citations per faculty; international faculty, and international students.

This list is considered a quality benchmark.

QS Top Universities School Profile: University of Athens

“DIALOGUE OF CIVILIZATIONS” CONCLUDES

The 7th Annual Session of the World Public Forum "Dialogue of Civilizations" concluded on the Dodecanese island of Rhodes yesterday (October 13) with the adoption of the "2009 Rhodes Declaration."

The event was attended by 500 delegates from 70 countries and among the messages read out was one by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, who praised the positive impact of the annual forum on several international and regional mechanisms and in developing relations between civil societies in many countries.

In its final meeting, the Forum decided to hold its 8th annual session on Rhodes once more, on October 7-10, 2010.

ATHENS DIGITAL WEEK

The City of Athens is organising Athens Digital Week for the second successive year at the Technopolis venue, from October 14 to 18.

The organisers promise to young and old visitors alike the opportunity to live an unforgettable interactive experience through the 9 thematics of this year’s event: gaming, robotics, space, digital music, open source, visual art, social networking, telecoms, and modding.

The latter term is derived from the verb "modify," referring to the act of modifying a piece of hardware or software or anything else, to perform a function not originally conceived or intended by the designer.