Tag: Greece

GCM to assist in promoting Greek medical tourism

Despite the economic crisis, Greece is continuing to make a name for itself in the health and medical fields, and is fast becoming a popular destination for medical tourism.

On a recent trip Down Under, renowned Greek Australian fertility specialist and director of Greece’s largest fertility clinic Genesis, Dr Konstantinos Pantos met with members of the Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM) board to discuss potential ways to further the campaign to boost growth in the field.

A popular idea proposed was the prospect of organising and hosting a conference in Melbourne as a forum for Greece to exhibit its many achievements to the broader Australian community.

Amongst those joining Dr Pantos on the day were GCM president Bill Papastergiadis, general secretary Costas Markos, GCM treasurer and president of the Hellenic Medical Society of Australia, Associate Professor Marinis Pirpiris, and board members Michael Karamitos and Chris Sikavitsas.

Following on from the December 30 meeting, a follow-up Skype meeting took place on Tuesday between Dr Pantos and Orthopaedic Surgeon and Mayor of Amaroussion, Dr George Patoulis who is also leading the campaign, with Director of the Greek Centre Jorge Menidis and Mr Markos.

They reaffirmed their agreement that stronger medical, academic and trade networks, particularly in medical tourism, between Greece and the wider Diaspora would be a goal that all parties will actively work towards developing and nurturing.

“At the GCM we are happy and thrilled to cooperate with Dr Pantos and to organise the meeting in Melbourne later this year to show some of the medical achievements in Greece,” said Professor Pirpiris.

Dr Pantos was extremely satisfied by the enthusiastic and positive response he received in Melbourne, which came just after the successful conference the doctor held in New York for the further promotion of medical tourism in Greece.

If all goes to plan, the conference is expected to take place later this year in November.

(neoskosmos.com)

January 19, 2017
“Wise Greece”: growing big with social entrepreneurship

Social Enterprises do not aim to make profit but to create jobs– especially at local level- and to improve welfare services delivery. They intervene by taking actions of mild economic growth and contribute to inclusive and sustainable growth.“Wise Greece” operates in the field of social entrepreneurship and has been honoured with the Award for Sustainable Enterprise and Development, based on social responsibility, in the “Startup Greece Awards 2016”contest. In another contest organized in 2015 by the Citizens’ Movement and the Greek Guiding Association, “Wise Greece” was awarded by the President of the Hellenic Republic Prokopis Pavlopoulos with the “Models of Excellence 2015″, for meeting social needs in an innovative way while serving the general interest and common good for the benefit of the community.

These distinctions render “Wise Greece” a successful model of a start-up non-profit organization with a double mission: that of selling over 300 top quality Greek food products, as well as raising money for food to be donated to people in need.

Finding new ways to stimulate forms of active civic participation through an emphasis on social economy, “Wise Greece” aspires to raise awareness and support from responsive consumers around the world, so that they will embrace these high quality products, follow and integrate the healthy Mediterranean diet in their daily lives and, above all, support its cause. It is worth noting that the “Wise Greece” logo is inspired by the Athenian tetradrachm depicting an owl as a symbol of wisdom.

“Wise Greece” consists of a group of young people who wish to inspire consumers to embrace the beneficial values of the Mediterranean diet, to use Wise Greece products in their everyday lives and contribute to their non-profit mission. “Wise Greece” selects the best Greek products and places them in various retail points around Greece and abroad. The team is supported by specialists in various fields of expertise (Food Specialists, Chefs, Quality Maintenance, Marketing, Sales, etc.)so as to achieve the objectives set by “Wise Greece” and all products are available for purchase online: οlive oil from well known Greek regions, herbs and spices individually selected, jams and sweets made with care from traditional recipes, vinegar, coffee, honey, organic chocolates, wines from local varieties, tsipouro and ouzo, pasta, rusks and cosmetics are some of the “Wise Greece” products that buyers could find in Greece, the UK, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Sweden and in New York.

For every product sold with the “Wise Greece” sticker on it, the producer pays back a percentage of the profit to “Wise Greece”, in order to raise funds to buy food for people in need. The more “Wise Greece” products are sold, the more food products will be donated to Institutions and Organizations that support the homeless, children and the elderly.

Social innovation and social economy in Greece

Social innovation and social economy are relatively new concepts in the country, and it was due to the economic crisis that social innovation became a necessity. Social entrepreneurship was formally recognized through legislation in September 2011, when the law for Social Economy and Social Entrepreneurship was passed by parliament and the distinct legal form of Co-operative Social Enterprises was created. As of January 2015, over 700 Social Cooperative Enterprises have been established.

In its electoral programme, SYRIZA had highlighted the importance of reviving the co-op movement as a form of social and economic activity for the future, and suggested drawing up a strategy by looking at the most suitable sectors for co-operative development. On October 2016, the Greek Parliament adopted a new law that creates a supportive legal environment for the further development of Social and Solidarity Economy. According to Alternate Labour minister Rania Antonopoulos, the law provides solutions to issues like “funding, tax, social welfare and access to public procurement” and “clarifies the relationship between social economy operators and the public sector” with a view to establish this new type of economic activity and to combat unemployment.

In order to improve social economy studies, a new educational programme on social entrepreneurship has been offered by the Athens University of Economics since 2015. The course aims to teach students what Social Economy is, and how they can create their own viable and financially independent social enterprise. In addition, Athens University of Economics and Business is committed to developing socially responsible leaders who can recognize and link profit objectives with social impact opportunities. The Unit of Social Entrepreneurship (USE) is the first research and academic laboratory in Greece with particular emphasis on the advancement of social entrepreneurship nationally and worldwide. It applies managerial disciplines and innovative business practices to drive the entrepreneurial pursuit of sustained social impact.

(www.greeknewsagenda.gr)

January 10, 2017
Thessaloniki International Film Festival: Continuity and change

Thessaloniki International Film Festival (TIFF) is one of the oldest and most reputable cinema events in Southeast Europe. On the occasion of TIFF’s 57th edition (3-13.11.2016) Festivalists “online playform for independent film criticism”, published a report by Lydia Papadimitriou* that provides an overview of the verve behind recent processes in the Greek film industry (Original title: Continuity and change)**:The poster of the 57th Thessaloniki International Film Festival was bold and monochromatic. Large black capital letters, partly concealed multiple repetitions of the festival’s name and edition, against a white background. The effect was dynamic, underlining strength and simplicity, while also suggesting a sense of continuity and origin.

This was the first edition under the new leadership of Élise Jalladeau as General Director and Orestis Andreadakis as Artistic Director. The Opening ceremony pointed to their vision to bring a forward-looking energy to the festival without altering its core identity. Taking place a day earlier than the usual Friday start, the two directors’ speeches underlined the embrace of the past, the journeys of discovery, the challenges of the future. The Opening night culminated with a screening of Jim Jarmusch’s Paterson (2016), reasserting the festival’s continuing commitment to independent cinema, while also reminding us of the iconic American director’s visit to the festival three years ago.

So what were the innovations in this year’s edition? Like the addition of an extra hidden ingredient in a recipe that already works, as Andreadakis put it to me, they were small and subtle, but nonetheless detectable by the discerning palate. Some new programme sections cropped up: Mirror/Image coupled titles dealing with the same topic and 2 or 3 Things I Know About Her presented films by women about women. While such ephemeral sections reflected curatorial responses to this year’s crop, the parallel, non-competitive Greek Film Festival that showcased the majority of Greek productions of the year was here to stay. The Youth Jury Award for Best Feature Film was given to Sotiris Tsafoulias’ crime drama The Other Me / Eteros Ego (2016), aiming to restore the audience’s faith in Greek cinema as the film blends artistic quality with commercial potential. A number of specially subtitled and/or audio-described screenings – a novelty for the festival – widened accessibility for hard-of-hearing and visually impaired spectators.

Thessaloniki is also very active behind the scenes. Since 2000, its Agora sidebar has become a regional and national hub for professionals to network and seek opportunities for funding, development, and distribution. New awards, incentives, and initiatives were introduced this year. The EURIMAGES Lab Project Award for unconventional projects (50 000 EUR) was added to the existing Agora Works in Progress prizes. The regional emphasis of the Crossroads Co-production Forum that gives prizes for development and co-productions was complemented by the activities of the SEE Cinema Network. And there was a brand new initiative too, the Locarno Industry Academy International in Thessaloniki – a program for training young sales agents, distributors, and new media professionals.

For all these additional “spices” that made the festival somehow different this year, we should not disregard its main ingredients – the excellent films that consistently led to sold-out screenings.What follows discusses some of the highlights I savored during my short stay in Thessaloniki.

From the festival’s International Competition (for directors’ first or second films), I thoroughly enjoyed two loosely autobiographical films from the Nordic countries, Guðmundur Arnar Guðmundsson’s Hearstone / Hhartasteinn (2016) and Amanda Kernell’s Sami Blood / Sameblod (2016). Set in a fishing village in Iceland similar to where its 34-year-old director grew up, HEARTSTONE is a coming-of-age story of two boys whose divergent sexuality tests the boundaries of friendship. Inspired by the story of the director’s grandmother, SÁMI BLOOD follows a young woman from Lapland in the 1930s, as she revolts against the ingrained racism of Swedish society and tries her luck in the city. Dissimilar in visual texture, narrative tone, and thematic emphasis, both films are about growing up, and they both make for compulsive and emotionally touching viewing.

Another highpoint from the competition was the French/Greek/Algerian coproduction I still hide to smoke / À mon age je me cache encore pour fumer (2016) by Rayhana, a theatrically conceived, but also engrossing and politically astute feminist story that puts into sharp relief tensions that emerge from the clash of religious and secular cultures in a post-9/11 world. Shot (and mostly set) in Thessaloniki’s historic Bey Hammam, it may be no coincidence that it also won the Audience Award at the festival.

Among Greek films, three also participated at the International Competition: Yannis Sakaridis’ realist melodrama Amerika Square / Plateia Amerikis (2016), Sofia Exarchou’s San Sebastián winner Park (2016), and Stergios Paschos’ low-fi post-breakup comedy Afterlov (2016). Of these, my personal favorite was Amerika Square, a dynamically paced, well crafted, raw but also sensitive story set within a racially tense, multicultural neighborhood of Athens, that dramatizes effectively aspects of the recent (and not-so-recent) refugee and immigration crises. Visually and conceptually – rather than narratively – driven, PARK is set in the abandoned Olympic village, now ephemerally inhabited by drifting youths, offering limited, if any, hope for escape. Finally, while keeping the two characters locked in an Athenian villa for its duration, the mumblecore-like Afterlove, with its static shots and dialogue-driven emotional pyrotechnics, will likely manage wider appeal among young audiences.

From the non-competitive Open Horizons section, my highlight was Ivan I. Tverdovsky’s Zoology / Zoologiya (2016) – a confidently told, semi-absurd but highly convincing parable about a middle-aged woman in a provincial Russian town who has grown a long tail. Offering stinging social critique, but celebrating difference while also pointing to the difficulties of non-conformity, this is very insightful modern fairy tale, presented in alternating light and dark narrative tones. From the same section, Christopher Murray’s ethnographically inspired The blind Christ / El Cristo ciego (2016) is about a self-professed Messiah who takes to the Chilean desert to find and heal an injured friend. Based on stories and beliefs held among the materially deprived inhabitants of Northern Chile, the film’s take on religion is open-minded, while its portrayal of the local people – a number of which appear in the film – is both powerful and sensitive. I also watched Gabe Klinger’s Porto (2016), a three-part story of an exquisite one-night stand. Narratively adventurous, as it tells (parts of) the story through three perspectives, the girl’s, the boy’s, and the couple’s, it is rewarding as an exploration of the power of attraction, but offers few insights to the culture of the city from its title.

Last but not least is the Balkan Survey, a non-competitive section that gives the festival a regionally distinctive character both through retrospectives and new films. This year’s tribute was dedicated to Turkish director Zeki Demirkubuz whose stories of people caught into impossible situations are among the best examples of New Turkish cinema, and deserve further attention. From the new Balkan films, I watched Serbian actress Mirjana Karanović’s directorial debut A Good Wife / Dobra Zena (2016), a well-paced story of a middle-aged woman faced with her husband’s atrocities during the Bosnian war. Raising questions about complicity and redemption, the film covers familiar ground in terms of subject matter, yet has the potential to reach wider audiences due to its star-director’s popularity. The Bulgarian Glory / Slava (2016) by Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov focuses on a rail worker who finds a bag full of money and chooses to do the right thing, by returning it to the authorities. The film presents a potent parable about corruption and moral choices while also exposing the hypocrisy of the political and media establishment.

Finally, I was very pleased not only to catch Ana-Felicia Scutelnicu’s debut Anishoara (2016) in the Balkan Survey line-up, but also to meet the young Moldovan director in Thessaloniki and discuss her work. A poetic tale of a girl’s transition into womanhood, the film (named after the main actress and protagonist) is structured around four seasons, and focuses as much on the changing countryside as on the young woman’s gradual maturation. Episodic and sensuous rather than narratively driven, this is a film for the large screen, as the camera lingers on the faces of its non-profession actress and the beautiful landscapes, enticing contemplative feelings through its well-toned visual textures. It took four shooting trips to her home country, Moldova (north-east of Romania), and three DoPs, for the young director who now lives and works in Germany to collect the footage for her graduation film. Just like her young character and protagonist – and most characters in the film – Scutelnicu has left her home country in search of better opportunities. That we can still enjoy the world she left behind through her vision is one of the many rewards that films and festivals can offer, and we are grateful.

(www.greeknewsagenda.gr)

December 14, 2016
Promoting Social and Solidarity Economy in Greece

On October the Greek Parliament adopted a new law that will create a supportive legal environment for the development of Social and Solidarity Economy. According to Alternate Labour minister Rania Antonopoulos, the law provides solutions to issues like “funding, tax, social welfare and access to public procurement” and “clarifies the relationship between social economy operators and the public sector” with a view to establish this new type of economic activity and to combat unemployment.

The term Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE) refers to a broad range of organizations that are distinguished from conventional for-profit enterprises by two core features. First, they have explicit social (and often environmental) objectives. Second, they involve varying forms of co-operative, associative and solidarity relations. They include, for example, cooperatives, mutual associations, women’s self-help groups, social enterprise and fair trade organizations and networks.

In part, the seeds for the development of social economy in Greece had been sawn by the vibrant grassroots movement that spread throughout the crisis-ridden country from early 2012 onwards: the groups that appeared reconnected electricity, organized distribution of agricultural produce “without middlemen”, set-up solidarity healthcare clinics and pharmacies, tutoring programs, provided free legal support on housing and debt, organized hospitality structures for refugees etc. Harnessing the power of this solidarity movement to rebuild the Greek economy was major pledge made by the SYRIZA: in its electoral programme, SYRIZA had highlighted the importance of reviving the co-op movement as a form of social and economic activity for the future, and suggested drawing up a strategy by looking at the most suitable sectors for co-operative development.

Outline of the new law on social economy

The Greek Government presented this August a Bill to the Parliament on the “Social and Solidarity Economy and the development of its agencies”, in order to expand to other forms of enterprises the scope of the old 2011 Law on cooperatives, which no longer met current needs. According to alternate Labour minister Rania Antonopoulos in her recent (24.10) interview for Efimerida ton Syntakton’ daily, the new law (voted on 20.10), expands the legal definition of SSE operators, while at the same time securing the core concepts of the coop culture: solidarity and parity between the members, participatory democracy in decision-making, development of economic activities that don’t focus on profit but are able to offer workers a living wage and provide services to local communities.

Furthermore, the minister notes that the law defines the procedure by which the government and the broader public sector will offer support to SSE entities, through open and transparent procedures, either by developing contracts, or by utilizing idle public property. Among the incentives and supporting measures to make sure that SEE operators are viable are tax deductions and exemptions.

The priorities of the new law were further outlined in the speech minister Antonopoulos gave during the International Conference on Social and Solidarity Economy, organized by the UN Inter-Agency Task Force on Social and Solidarity Economy (11/11, Rome). In the Conference, which was a part the UN’s Agenda for “Sustainable Development 2030” Minister Antonopoulos underlined that “the Greek government does not consider Social and Solidarity Economy to be another welfare policy measure addressing the most vulnerable. For the government, SSE presents a new model for work as well an alternative production and consumption model. Social and Solidarity Economy is an overall horizontal priority for us.”

This is why the government in this new law has put in place a National Strategy for SSE, which, as the minister pointed out, besides laying the groundwork for legal and institutional changes, establishes important supportive structures like the Regional Support Centers, which will provide free support and advice for those wishing to become active in SSE. Another supportive structure is the Social Economy Fund which, in the next three years, will allocate at least 157 million euros for the creation of new jobs and start-ups, as well as one-stop-shops supporting potential SSE practitioners. The Fund will become an active supporter of SSE ventures by making financial tools avaibable to those that cannot access them now through the bank system, such as grants and repayable grants, microlending-microcredits or guarantees.

According to the minister, the majority of comments and suggestions made via public consultation and during the discussion fora with stakeholders and political parties have been incorporated in the law, while the government also consulted with the International Labour Organization, exchanged views with the European confederation of industrial and service cooperatives (CICOPA), and several European Coops. “Greece is now at the forefront of the international effort to enable SSE. The new law, voted recently in Parliament with a wide majority is a concrete proof of our commitment to boost SSE” said minister Antonopoulos, adding that, “we believe that Social and Solidarity Economy bears all the necessary characteristics to become the vehicle for the creation of new forms of production and of enterprises that are not so much dependent on the market economy or on state policies”.

Background: UN and Europe views on SSE

The UN set up an SSE Task Force on Social and Solidarity Economy in September 2013, bringing together UN agencies and other inter-governmental organizations with a direct interest in SSE as well as umbrella associations of international social and solidarity economy networks. The Task Force believes that SSE holds considerable promise for addressing the economic, social and environmental objectives and integrated approaches inherent in the concept of sustainable development

According to the European Forum on Social and Solidarity Economy, organized by the European United Left / Nordic Confederation Group (GUE / NGL) the economic importance of the SSE is beyond any doubt, representing over 14 million jobs (6.5% of total employment in the EU) and having proved to be extraordinary resilient to the impacts of the crisis concerning unemployment. It is a booming sector, which generates qualitative benefits, which have the potential to improve the quality of democracy while proposing frames of production and reproduction more compatible with fairer and more sustainable societies.

The European Commission works closely with the European External Action Service to participate in international development forums to enhance the visibility of social and solidarity economy and make SSE part of the global political agenda. The Commission is supporting the prospect of more EU countries becoming members of the International Leading Group on SSE (ILGSSE).

(www.greeknewsagenda.gr)

December 14, 2016
Greece remains the leading ship-owning country

Greek shipowners have retained their role as top players in world shipping according to a special review recently published by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). Despite the challenges faced by the Hellenic ship owning community, Greece has continued to strengthen its position as the largest ship owning nation in recent years. The Review of Maritime Transport 2016provides an analysis of structural and cyclical changes affecting seaborne trade, ports and shipping, as well as extensive statistics. According to the review, the top five ship owning economies in terms of dead-weight tons (dwt) were Greece, Japan, China, Germany and Singapore, with Greek companies accounting for 16.36 per cent of the world industry. The Greek fleet amounts to 4.136 vessels(ships over 1,000 gt) of 293 (dwt), while in 2015 the Greek fleet amounted to 4.017 vessels of 279,4 (dwt).

The top five economies by flag of registration were Panama, Liberia, the Marshall Islands, Hong Kong (China) and Singapore. The Greeks have not been quite so dominant in the newbuild market, as78 per cent of the fleet (by tonnage) are registered under a foreign flag. The largest shipbuilding countries are China, Japan and the Republic of Korea, accounting for 91.4 per cent of gross tonnage constructed in 2015, while the largest suppliers of seafarers are China, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Union of Greek Shipowners

Addressing an event marking the 100th anniversary of the Union of Greek Shipowners in Athens on November 9th, Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, noted that while Greece’s population is only 0.15 per cent of the world population, Greeks control 25 per cent of the world’s total merchant fleet. These numbers are of huge signifigance not only for the Greek but for the European economy as well, in terms of competitiveness.“After six years of deep crisis, the Greek economy is finally in a phase of recovery,” he said, adding creditors should note the efforts made by the country to achieve fiscal consolidation by offering debt relief.

Traditionally, shipping gives an important boost to the Greek economy, with opportunities to generate income and employmentas well as promote foreign trade, in a country which after 2009 is experiencing severe GDP recession. Amid all the problems pounding the Greek economy, some things are looking up. One prominent trend giving hope and optimism for the future is the high quality of maritime studies in Greece, in combination with the potential of Greek shipping and the high standard of Greek shipping personnell.

The Prime Minister also called on domestic and international investors to take make good use of business opportunities in the country, to increase their involvement in different sectors of the shipping business, port and cruise operations, as well as capitalize on the four major infrastructure projects underway, such as the Trans-Adriatic Pipeline, the Interconnector Greece-Bulgaria, the Revithoussa LNG Terminal upgrade and the Alexandroupolis Independent Natural Gas System project, a modern, cutting edge technology project which comprises an offshore floating unit for the reception, storage and re-gasification of LNG.

Addressing the same event, Theodore Veniamis, president of the Union of Greek ship-owners, emphasized the fact that Greek shipping is a national capital resource that lies beyond and above party politics, with a multidimensional economic, political and strategic importance for our country.

(www.greeknewsagenda.gr)

December 14, 2016
Greece’s cultural heritage is its ‘real capital’, Koniordou tells ANA radio

The best way to protect Greece’s monuments, both material and immaterial, was to “bring the citizens closer to them in such as way as to enliven their own love and own awareness that these monuments bring added value to their lives,” Culture Minister Lydia Koniordou said on Sunday, talking to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA) radio station ‘Praktorio 104.9 FM’.
“This is Greece’s real capital and perhaps the most important thing it has at this time,” Koniordou said from St. Petersburg, during the ANA’s “Sputnik Express” broadcasting slot, noting that it could translate into progress, prosperity and also help encourage other activities, in education, local community activities, quality tourism and sustainable growth.
Koniordou was interviewed about her visit to St. Petersburg for the inauguration on November 30 of the exhibition “Genii Loci. Greek art from 1930 until today” at the Manege State Museum. The exhibition was among events arranged for the Greece-Russia Year 2016 and features 147 works of art by 100 Greek painters of the 20th century until the present day. The minister also took part in the St. Petersburg International Cultural Forum on December 1-3.
“Like latter-day Noahs, we have to preserve the diamonds of humanity’s adventure and keep these not in a museum but alive, with the subversive and many times even revolutionary spirit they had in their own time, to relay this spirit to the younger generation,” she said.
She noted the Russian public’s strong interest in the Manege Museum exhibition and said Greece needed to invest in this “comparative advantage that all give us credit for.”
Koniordou said that Greece’s intention and goal was to continue cooperating with Russia in these areas after the end of the Greece-Russia Year 2016, while adding that the experience gained will also be put to good use during Greece-China Year, which follows.
“We wish to follow up by cooperating with another important ancient civilization that also seeking to find a balance between outwardness and preserving cultural heritage,” she added.

(www.amna.gr)

December 14, 2016
Greece plays a mediator between Libya and Egypt

The Greek Foreign Minister, Nikos Kotzias, said his country is trying to obtain the role of a mediator between Libya and Egypt and help in the implementation of the Skhirat-signed political agreement.

In a joint presser Monday with the Foreign Minister of the Government of National Accord (GNA) Mohammed Sayala, Kotzias said Greece’s interest lies in the stability of the relations among all the countries of the Mediterranean, including Libya and Egypt.

“By the beginning of 2017, Greece is cherishing the reopening of the embassy in Tripoli and is looking forward to forming a joint establishment of universities.

Sayala told the Greek FM that both countries share the dilemma of illegal immigration through the Mediterranean and the economic crisis.

Greece’s Foreign Minister, Nikos Kotzias, arrived in Tripoli on Monday and met with GNA officials.

(www.libyanexpress.com)

December 1, 2016
Early Learning Languages Australia to Kick-off Preschool Program Teaching Modern Greek

On Monday the Early Learning Languages Australia (ELLA) program announced open applications for its educational program which uses the application called Polyglots to help teach foreign languages.

The announcement comes as the Australian government has committed itself to upping funding in promoting foreign languages in education programs, including an outreach to preschool-aged students.

Only 12 percent of children in Australia currently study a secondary language at school, government officials reported.

So far there are over 10,000 children who take part in the language program, utilizing the app to learn Chinese, Japanese, French, Indonesian and Arabic.

ELLA also announced that along with Modern Greek, Hindi will also be available to youngsters in 2018, while other new languages to kick-off in 2017 include Italian and Spanish.

“Seeing and hearing young children counting, following recipes and singing in a language that isn’t their native tongue, you understand how engaging this app is and why it has had such positive feedback from kids, educators and families,” Minister for Education and Training Simon Birmingham commented to neoskosmos.com.

Applications are now open for all Australian childcare centers and preschools at www.ella.edu.au

(au.greekreporter.com)

December 1, 2016
Foreign Minister Kotzias’ statements at a joint press conference with the Foreign Ministers of Lebanon and Cyprus (Beirut, 9 November 2016)

N. KOTZIAS: It is a great pleasure to be here in Lebanon, which I am visiting for the first time. We have fine weather. The country has a new President. We are moving ahead together in a friendly atmosphere, contemplating the future of our three countries.

This past September, in Rhodes, we created a positive agenda for the relations among Cyprus, Lebanon and Greece and we are continuing down this path. We believe that Lebanon is the country that is showing everyone in Europe the way to solve all the problems of the Middle East. It’s a country where different religions collaborate and coexist. Diversity imparts a positive impetus to this country, which faithfully follows the path of tolerance and respect. We are proud to be sharing a common course and be working together with the government of the friendly country of Lebanon. We will continue throughout the day to exchange views and seek new forms of collaboration. Thank you.

JOURNALIST: What is the Greek government’s reaction to the election of Donald Trump as the new President of the United States?

N. KOTZIAS: We would like to congratulate the new President of the United States of America, Mr. Trump. As the Greek government, we have systematically developed relations with both the Democratic and Republican parties. We had frequent talks – quite a while before the elections – with the Trump team on issues concerning the region, with the latest talks taking place in late September.

The Greek government, like every Greek government, has always had good relations with the American state and the American people. We continue to work in order to further advance our stable, good and creative relations with the American political system and the American people. As you know, we are expecting President Obama in Athens in a few days, and, as the exit polls showed, he continues to enjoy great popularity. His meetings with the Greek Prime Minister and with the Greek government, in general, will be positive and creative.

(www.mfa.gr)

November 25, 2016
World Travel Market: Tourism in Egypt, Greece, Turkey ‘Getting Back on Track’

Tourism “could be getting back on track” in Egypt, Turkey and Greece, according to an industry report released by the World Travel Market on Monday.

“After a difficult couple of years, the signs are that Egypt, Greece and Turkey are back on the agenda, while Tunisia is starting to turn the corner,” said Simon Press, the Senior Director of World Travel Market. “The WTM Industry Report talks to people who have the power to sign deals and the high proportion of potential buyers interested in having conversations with suppliers from these destinations is a great positive.”

The report is based on a poll that included input from 2,000 buyers at the World Travel Market, which kicked off in London on Monday.

According to the report, more than half the buyers at the market said they were looking to discuss deals with Egyptian, Turkish and Greek suppliers.

However, Egypt seemed to be the least popular among the three, “with 37% of the total sample looking to talk to Greek businesses, 29% looking to talk to Turkish suppliers and 17% heading toward the Egypt stands.”

Egyptian tourism minister Yehia Rashid traveled to London on Monday to attend the World Travel Market and promote tourism in Egypt through the “This is Egypt” campaign.

Egypt’s tourism industry, once the flagship of the economy and the second most important earner of hard currency, has been struggling greatly since the 2011 uprising that ousted longtime dictator Hosni Mubarak from power.

Several incidents, including the accidental killing of eight Mexican tourists and the downing of a Russian passenger plane last year, in addition to the brutal murder of Italian PhD student Giulio Regeni in January, have taken their toll on the country’s tourism flow.

More than 14.7 million tourists traveled to Egypt in 2010, with that number falling to 9.8 million in 2011. Tourist arrivals have largely failed to pick up during the course of 2016; according to statistics from the Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics (CAPMAS), the number of tourists traveling to Egypt in June dropped by nearly 60 percent year-on-year to reach a meager 320,000.

According to a report from Egypt’s Ministry of Planning, the tourism trade in the country shrank by 34 percent during the first nine months of the 2015/2016 fiscal year.

The falling tourism revenues have been amplified by the dwindling foreign currency reserves that negatively affected the budget deficit.

However, some hope that the recent steps taken by Egyptian authorities, including the Central Bank of Egypt’s surprise move to devalue the Egyptian pound and the expected USD 12 million loan from the International Monetary Fund, will help set the country on the right track and bring back foreign investments and tourists.

Despite Egypt’s dwindling tourism revenues, which have played a part in triggering the country’s ongoing foreign currency crisis, Egypt aims to attract 12 million tourists by the end of 2017 by way of implementing an ambitious six-point plan, which will include increasing the presence of the national airline EgyptAir abroad, cooperating with low-cost airlines and improving services.

(egyptianstreets.com)

November 14, 2016