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| Europe |
| Greek Reporter questions Olympic readiness |
| 2004-06-09 |
| Excerpted from State Department Daily Briefing during which a Greek reporter seems to put forth his own agenda in a bizarre but entertaining way. If his pejorative-laced questioning is representative of Greeks poplar opinion, it makes me nervous. He sounds as if he would be well satisfied if the Olympics are a disaster. He is Lambros Papantoniou of the Elettheros Typos Greek daily QUESTION: Yes, on Greece. The over-qualified Mayor of Athens, Dora Bakoyianni, yesterday had a meeting here at the State Department with the Deputy Secretary Richard Armitage. May we have a readout on the record for this meeting (inaudible) for the Olympic Games in Greece? She’s in charge is the (inaudible) of the city. MR. ERELI: Deputy Secretary Armitage did meet yesterday with the Mayor of Athens. They discussed a number of bilateral issues, including preparations for the Olympic Games in Athens. We expressed our support for the efforts that Greece is undertaking and reiterated our offer to provide whatever assistance or other kinds of support that might be helpful to Greece in its efforts as host of the Olympic Games. I think they had a good meeting and, as you know, the Mayor made some remarks upon leaving the building. QUESTION: So you said you feel it was a good meeting. Then Mayor -- Madame Mayor Dora Bakoyianni, daughter former Prime Minister of Greece, Constantine Mitsotakis, is doing a splendid job for the Olympics Games, as I understand; correct? MR. ERELI: Those are your words, Mr. Lambros. QUESTION: According to your statement, you said it was a good meeting. It seems to me you have qualified, et cetera*. That’s why -- MR. ERELI: I’ll just leave it at what I said and refer you to the statement. QUESTION: Ambassador to Greece Tom Miller is coming -- is in Washington, D.C., again less than a month. May we know the reason for those frequent visits back and forth to the American capital from Athens? MR. ERELI: I don’t know the reason for his latest visit. As you know, ambassadors travel frequently to and from capitals, depending on what events are going on, what the presence may be required for. I wouldn’t read anything into the visit. QUESTION: And today, consultations started at the UN on the Annan report about the presence of the UN peace corps in Cyprus, but in yesterday’s consultation on a technical level, the U.S. and British delegations were pushing behind the scenes that this UN force should be terminated within three months. And I was wondering why. MR. ERELI: I’m sorry. I have not heard that. QUESTION: You have not, sir. But can you take this question because it’s very -- MR. ERELI: I’ll take the question. |
| Posted by:Super Hose |
| #9 |
| Posted by: Charles 2004-06-09 10:43:10 PM |
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| Posted by: Pappy 2004-06-09 7:20:58 PM |
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| Posted by: Shipman 2004-06-09 2:56:21 PM |
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| Posted by: Super Hose 2004-06-09 2:29:18 PM |
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| Posted by: Bomb-a-rama 2004-06-09 2:26:33 PM |
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| Posted by: Aris Katsaris 2004-06-09 2:22:47 PM |
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| Posted by: Super Hose 2004-06-09 2:08:37 PM |
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| Posted by: Aris Katsaris 2004-06-09 10:41:04 AM |
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| Posted by: Shipman 2004-06-09 9:56:04 AM |