This Week
Monday Store employees and small-business owners in Athens, Thessaloniki, Piraeus and other cities stage a 24-hour strike protesting at the government’s proposal to extend shop hours. A protest rally will be held at Athens’s Omonia Square at 11.30 a.m. and in Thessaloniki at 10 a.m. Trial of six people suspected of involvement in 10 explosions at public utilities in 1986 and 1987, which were claimed by the Revolutionary Popular Struggle (ELA) group, begins in Korydallos Prison. Four have already been convicted of involvement in other ELA attacks. Foreign Minister Petros Molyviatis to meet with Soren Jessen-Petersen, special envoy of the UN secretary-general in Kosovo, in Athens. PASOK celebrates first anniversary of George Papandreou’s election as party president with an event at 6 p.m. at the Caravel Hotel. Papandreou will speak. Development Minister Dimitris Sioufas to present a study on «The Lisbon Strategy and its Goals,» at 10.30 a.m. at the Development Ministry. Defense Minister Spilios Spiliotopoulos meets with board of Athens journalists’ union. Transport Minister Michalis Liapis to meet with US Ambassador Charles Ries and British Ambassador Simon Gass. Synaspismos Left Coalition party Chairman Alekos Alavanos to give a press conference on European Constitution. Tuesday Parliament to vote for a new president to replace Costis Stephanopoulos, whose second term in office expires next month. The 300-strong body is expected to elect Karolos Papoulias, whose candidacy is backed by the two largest parties. Foreign Minister Petros Molyviatis to meet with Serbian President Boris Tadic. Greek-Serbian and Montenegrin Partnership Initiative Conference and Exhibition opens at the Athens Hilton Hotel. The conference is organized by the Development Ministry in cooperation with the Ministry of International Economic Relations of the Republic of Serbia. To Thursday. Tel. 210.748.6440 or visit www.partnershipinitiative.gr. Wednesday Foreign Minister Petros Molyviatis to attend informal meeting of NATO members in Brussels. He is expected to meet with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. To Thursday. Greece plays Denmark in a crucial game in Athens and needs to win to keep alive its hopes of a place at the Word Cup soccer finals in Germany next summer. National Documentation Center (EKT) and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki organize a conference on «Citizens and Governance in the Society of Knowledge,» at the university’s conference hall. Tel. 2310.998.428 or visit www.ekt.gr. Economic and Social Council of Greece (OKE) holds an open event on «European Constitution and the Civil Society,» at the Athens Concert Hall, 6 p.m. Parliament Speaker Anna Psarouda-Benaki and Interior Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos will speak. Tel. 210.924.9510. Thursday Foreign Minister Petros Molyviatis to meet with Cypriot Parliament Speaker Dimitris Christofias in Athens. Employees at the Hellenic Railways Organization (OSE) stage a 24-hour strike protesting at the company’s business plan converting it into a holding company. Labor Minister Panos Panayiotopoulos to chair meeting of National Employment Council. Public discussion on relations between journalists and the state, organized by State Minister Theodoros Roussopoulos, resumes at Zappeion Hall. Friday Deadline for privatization tender for Olympic Airlines. Saturday PASOK leader George Papandreou visits Crete. To Sunday.
