South African President Thabo Mbeki after he laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Athens this week. At left is Greek Ambassador in Pretoria Yiannis Economidis, who had also accompanied Nelson Mandela when he visited Greece.

HELBI

The program for the official three-day visit to Athens of South African President Thabo Mbeki, accompanied by Greek Ambassador in Pretoria Yiannis Economidis, who accompanied former President Nelson Mandela to Greece, included a visit to the Acropolis, an award from Athens Mayor Dora Bakoyannis of the Gold Medal of the City of Athens and a dinner in his honor by Parliament Speaker Anna Psarouda-Benaki. He was accompanied by a delegation of business representatives who had their own meetings here. Mbeki was impressed by the fact that as soon as his aircraft entered Greek air space, it was joined by Greek air force jets that accompanied it to the airport. “It was a great sight. This hasn’t happened before. We should come back here every week,” he joked.