After months of closed skies, Greece will allow Israelis to visit, Israel’s Foreign Ministry announced Thursday after a meeting between Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias and his Israeli counterpart Gabi Ashkenazi.
“I welcome Greece’s decision to allow tourism from Israel to Greece in the era of the coronavirus,” Ashkenazi said in a statement at the conclusion of the meeting in Jerusalem.
“This decision expresses the warm relationship between the countries and the common desire to return to a normal routine in the coronavirus era. We hope that more European countries will also adopt this decision.”
Welcome to Israel my good friend, Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs @NikosDendias. It is always a great honor to host you here in Jerusalem. pic.twitter.com/8h0du6kgag
— גבי אשכנזי – Gabi Ashkenazi (@Gabi_Ashkenazi) August 13, 2020
According to The Jerusalem Post, 600 Israeli tourists will be allowed to visit Greece per week, and will be allowed to stay in only four locations: Athens, Crete, Thessaloniki and Corfu.
It is also reported that Israeli tourists will be required to take a coronavirus test between arriving in Greece and stay in quarantine until they receive the test results.
The Foreign Ministry statement said that it was agreed that the two foreign ministries will formulate a plan that will allow Israeli tourists and businessmen to visit Greece.
Since the start of the pandemic, Greece has seen 5,623 infections and 212 deaths. Israel, by sharp contrast, has recorded over 88,000 cases and 643 deaths.
The glorified Petratos trio will no longer be gracing the A-League after Dimitri Petratos announced that he had signed a deal with an unnamed Saudi Arabian Professional League club.
Jets will reportedly receive an undisclosed fee for the 27-year-old, who enjoyed his most successful season with the club in 2017-18, scoring 10 goals in 27 appearances.
Before moving to Newcastle, Petratos had a one-year stint at South Korean side Ulsan Hyundai. The Greek-Australian couldn’t manage to score in any of his appearances for the club.
The Newcastle Jets played their final game of the season last night, beating Wellington Phoenix 3-0. Dimitri and his brother Kosta were part of the winning squad, with Maki Petratos left as a substitute.
Photo: AAP
The World Game reached out to Petratos’ agent James Hardy, who refrained from making any comment on his client’s future.
However, he did say: “Dimitri has had a fantastic year, as have the entire team as a collective since (coach) Carl Robinson came in.”
Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss Milwaukee’s final game of the regular season after being handed a one-game suspension for headbutting Washington’s Moe Wagner in Tuesday night’s matchup between the Bucks and Wizards.
The Greek Freak lost his cool after Wagner drew a charge against Antetokounmpo, who followed Wagner to the opposite end of the court, squared up to his face, and proceeded to but heads.
Giannis was ejected from the game and went on to miss this weeks match against Memphis Grizzlies.
The Greek Freak was asked about the incident in a post-match press conference.
“Terrible action,” Antetokounmpo said. “If I could go back and turn back time and go back to that play, I wouldn’t do it. But at the end of the day, we’re all human, we all make mistakes.
“I think I’ve done a great job all year, in my career, of keeping my composure and focusing on the game, but like I said, we’re human, we make mistakes. But at the end of the day, learn from it, keep playing good basketball and keep moving forward.”
Antetokounmpo admitted he took his frustrations out on Wagner, even though the Wizards big man was just a handy target.
“I don’t think I was frustrated with Wagner. I think it was just the whole, like, buildup of dirty plays in my mind, you know, guys tripping me, guys falling in front of my feet, holding me, hitting me." pic.twitter.com/1iNSc5bdXe
“I think it was just the whole, like, build-up of dirty plays in my mind. Guys tripping me, guys falling in front of my feet, holding me, hitting me,” he said. “I don’t have nothing against Wagner, it wasn’t just him.”
Antetokounmpo will still be eligible for the Bucks’ opening round playoff matchup against the Orlando Magic, with the Eastern Conference seeding and matchups locked in as of Wednesday.
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has looked to of backed down from military conflict with Greece and a United Europe, as the Turkish President said dialogue was the “only solution” to the ongoing East Med dispute.
Turkey and Greece, NATO allies, are vehemently at odds over claims from both nations for hydrocarbon resources in the region. Tensions rose higher on Monday after Ankara launched exploration operations in a disputed area of the Mediterranean; a move Greece called illegal.
Speaking to members of his ruling AK Party, Erdogan said the escalation of tensions in the region was caused by Greece, and urged Athens to respect Turkey’s rights. “The path to a solution in the eastern Mediterranean is via dialogue and negotiation. We are not chasing any unnecessary adventures or seeking tensions,” he said.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan addresses a meeting of provincial election officials at the headquarters of his ruling Justice and Development (AK) Party in Ankara on January 29, 2019. (Photo by Adem ALTAN / AFP) (Photo credit should read ADEM ALTAN/AFP/Getty Images)
While Erdogan is now seeking “dialogue and negotiation”, the Turkish President claimed only five days prior that he did not need to engage in discussion with Greece over the issue.
“There’s no need for discussion with those who have no rights, especially in maritime zones,” Erdogan told reporters after participating in prayers at the Hagia Sophia mosque.
Greek and Turkish warships still shadow the Oruc Reis which was conducting seismic research in an area Greece says is over its continental shelf. Mitsotakis said Greece had deployed naval vessels to the area and placed its military on alert in response to the Turkish deployment of its own fleet.
Η Ελλάδα είναι μια χώρα υπερήφανη και ισχυρή. Μέλος της Ευρωπαϊκής οικογένειας, πυλώνας σταθερότητας στην Aν. Μεσόγειο, προσηλωμένη στις αρχές του Διεθνούς Δικαίου. Η πατρίδα μας δεν απειλεί, αλλά και δεν εκβιάζεται. Δεν υποκύπτει σε απειλές, ούτε ανέχεται προκλητικές ενέργειες. pic.twitter.com/GFYpIlVm4E
The Prime Minister said Greece “(does) not fear even the toughest dialogue,” as it had faith in its positions, but that “dialogue becomes irrelevant in a climate of tension and provocation.”
“We will never be the ones to escalate the situation. Yet, self-restraint is only one aspect of our power,” Mitsotakis said. “No provocation will … go unanswered. We have demonstrated that we will respond, if necessary. And we will do so again if it is required.”
Greece’s prime minister warmly thanked France on Thursday for its decision to boost its military presence in the eastern Mediterranean, where Greek and Turkish warships are closely shadowing each other over a Turkish energy exploration bid in waters Athens claims as its own.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis tweeted that French President Emmanuel Macron is “a true friend of Greece and also a fervent protector of European values and international law.”
The mounting tension follows Turkey’s move Monday to send a seismic research vessel, escorted by warships, into waters between the Greek island of Crete and Cyprus to prospect for potential offshore gas and oil reserves, following similar discoveries in other parts of the region.
Je remercie le Président Macron pour sa solidarité. @EmmanuelMacron est un vrai ami de la Grèce mais aussi un fervent défenseur des valeurs européennes et du droit international. 🇬🇷🇫🇷
The Turkish leader accused France of “provoking” Greece and Cyprus into taking “wrongful steps.”
France’s armed forces ministry confirmed it was dispatching two Rafale fighter jets and a naval frigate to the eastern Mediterranean after Macron voiced grave concern over the situation.
At sea, the French Lafayette frigate left Cyprus’ port of Larnaca and took part in a maritime exercise with the Greek Navy, the statement said. The Lafayette overnight joined the French helicopter carrier Tonnerre, en route to help Lebanon following the devastating explosion in Beirut.
In this photo provided by the Turkish Defense Ministry, Turkey’s research vessel, Oruc Reis, in red and white, is surrounded by Turkish navy vessels as it was heading in the west of Antalya on the Mediterranean, Turkey, Monday, Aug 10, 2020.
“That military presence is aiming at reinforcing France’s autonomous assessment of the situation and affirms the country’s attachment to free movement, maritime safety and respect for international law in the Mediterranean Sea,” the ministry said.
Macron announced following a phone call with Mitsotakis late Wednesday that he has decided to “temporarily reinforce the French military presence in the Eastern Mediterranean in the coming days, in cooperation with European partners including Greece.”
Greece’s NATO and European Union ally France is the EU’s biggest military power.
Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis address the press after being met by French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2019 in Paris. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)
In a televised statement Wednesday, Mitsotakis warned of the “risk of an accident” in the area where the Greek and Turkish warships are gathered.
“In such a case, responsibility lies upon the one who gives rise to these circumstances,” he said. He added that Greece is not averse to “even the toughest dialogue,” but that “dialogue becomes irrelevant in a climate of tension and provocation.”
“We will never be the ones to escalate the situation. Yet, self-restraint is only one aspect of our power,” Mitsotakis said. “No provocation will … go unanswered.”
A few months after her arrival in Australia and assuming her duties as Consul of Greece in Perth, Western Australia, Ms Karasiotou speaks exclusively to The Greek Herald about her impressions so far, the contribution of Greek diaspora in shaping the identity of modern Greece, but also the goals set in relation to the strengthening and promotion of the Greek language.
1. You came to Australia at the beginning of the year, just before the pandemic hit the country. Tell us about the situation in Western Australia and how it has affected the operation of the consulate?
The first period in a new country and in a new place is a period of adaptation and acclimatisation. Although fortunately I had some time during the first two months to make some appointments, attend events and meet people and things in Western Australia, this journey was abruptly interrupted, quite early, by the unprecedented situation we are experiencing.
The pandemic forced us to cancel all our events, with the first celebrations of March 25, while the planned visit of Deputy Foreign Minister Mr. Vlasis to Australia was postponed as you know, when the borders gradually began to close. The Consulate in Perth, like the rest of our Consulates in Australia and around the world, was closed to the public for about two months, while we had to assist in the safe return of our fellow citizens to Greece.
On a personal level, the constraints of the pandemic helped us to settle down faster in our new home and to spend more time with the children in the new environment. On the other hand, of course, my three-year-old son thought this was what life was like in Australia – closed playgrounds, shops and no social contact – and he wanted to go back!
Ms Karasiotou organised a small wreath laying ceremony for the anniversary of the Battle of Crete and the Pontian Genocide.
Fortunately, Western Australia has done very well in curbing the spread of the coronavirus, a fact that has allowed the phasing out since mid-May, even earlier than in other states. So we started serving the public again from the middle of May, while we organised, literally at the last minute, a small, modest and unofficial wreath-laying ceremony for the anniversary of the Battle of Crete and the Pontian Genocide, to which both Australian officials and representatives of the Greek community here responded positively (it should be noted that at that time there was a restriction of 20 people in public gatherings).
Since then, Western Australia is gradually returning to a new “normality,” during which the whole community is slowly returning to its normal activities.
2. Tell us about your career in the diplomatic service.
I passed the exams for the Diplomatic Service of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 2007. After completing my training at the Diplomatic Academy, I served in Ministry Directorates in Athens until the spring of 2009, when I was transferred to Brussels to represent Greece in Europe. I spent five and a half very “full” years in Brussels from a professional point of view. My stay there coincided with the management of the Greek debt crisis, on the one hand, but also with the Greek Presidency of the Council of the EU, on the other. It was a period with a lot of work and minimal personal time, from which, however, I learned a lot.
Western Australia’s Premier, Mark McGowan, met with Ms Karasiotou.
I returned to Athens in the autumn of 2014 and worked in various Directorates of the Central Office, including the Diplomatic Office of the Deputy Minister of European Affairs during the refugee crisis. In the meantime I took two personal “breaks” when I had my two children, during which we lived as a family in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, where my husband worked.
At the end of last year we all came together in Perth to take over the Consulate, which is a completely different professional object for me, but this is also the challenge and the beauty of our work.
3. Is this your first time in Australia? What do you think?
Yes, it is my first time and my impressions so far are very good. Australia is a country geographically very far from Europe but very close in mentality. It offers quality of life, especially for families, while it also has an impressive natural beauty. I look forward to exploring it as much as I can as soon as circumstances allow.
4. How do you see Hellenism here and what has impressed you?
The size of Australia’s Hellenism is impressive at first, despite the distance from Greece. As for Western Australia in particular, for which I am slowly forming the same opinion, the Greek community here, although smaller than those on the east side, is well integrated, networked and very active in the economic, political and cultural life of the state. and not only. During the first meetings I had with the Governor, the State Premier and other local actors, everyone spoke to me with the warmest words about the Greek community.
Ms Karasiotou is excited to work more closely with the Greek Australian community. She is seen here with Consul General of Greece in Sydney, Christos Karras (left) and His Eminence Archbishop Makarios.
5. We hear that Greece has opened its borders to Australians. But Australians cannot go to Greece. Are there any diplomatic moves to reach a bilateral travel agreement in the near future?
The decision to gradually open our borders to tourists from third countries, including Australia, was taken jointly with our European Union partners, was well weighted and studied and is under constant review, depending on the epidemiological data. In this unprecedented situation we live in, every country does what it considers best to protect its public health and economy, and balancing the two is not always easy.
Greece and Australia participate in a group of seven countries, which have successfully managed the health crisis and the relevant communication takes place at the highest level, at the level of Prime Ministers. I am sure that when the conditions allow, the appropriate arrangements will be made in order to remove all obstacles to travel between the two countries.
6. What are your goals for your term in Australia?
Due to the pandemic that stopped our activity, I would say that I am still in the process of acclimatisation, at which time my goals are being formed. Certainly, of course, I have begun to form a picture of situations and needs, so I first realise that this side of Australia and its Hellenism are less known in Greece than Melbourne, Sydney, etc.
I would therefore like to contribute to the better acquaintance and increase of contacts between Greece and Western Australia, through economic, cultural, educational and other exchanges. The greater, also, promotion and strengthening of the Greek language, culture and modern Greece in Hellenism, mainly of the third and fourth generation, is a permanent goal and I hope to contribute to it as much as possible. Next year’s milestone of 200 years since the Greek Revolution is, I believe, a good opportunity in this direction.
Ms Karasiotou has big plans for the 200th anniversary of the Greek War of Independence.
7. We are very close to 2021 and the 200th anniversary of the Greek War of Independence. What are you planning for this anniversary?
The health crisis, as it was inevitable, also affected the planning of the celebrations of the 200th anniversary of the Greek Revolution. Recently, the Deputy Foreign Minister, Mr Konstantinos Vlasis, together with the Chairman of the Committee “Greece 2021” Ms. Gianna Angelopoulou-Daskalaki sent a letter-invitation to Greeks around the world inviting them to participate in the celebrations. In this context, I met, during the previous period, with representatives of the Greek community of Western Australia and we exchanged some first thoughts and ideas for the time.
In addition to the usual celebrations organised by the Consulate each year, i.e. the reception and the laying of wreaths for the anniversary of March 25, there are expected to be festive anniversary events throughout the year. The aim is to have communication and consultation between all stakeholders, which could be facilitated by the establishment of a Steering Committee, so that the planned activities can be included and projected into a comprehensive Western Australia program. More specific steps will be taken in the near future.
8. What is your message to the Greeks of Australia?
Having lived for a long time outside of Greece, although in a different way, I know that no matter how far away we are, Greece is always in our hearts. Modern Greece owes its very existence to the Greeks of the Diaspora.
The Greeks of Australia, maintaining and preserving the love for the homeland, play a dual role: on the one hand, you feed with your experience from here the shaping of the modern face of our country and on the other hand, you promote and love the Greek element here, thus contributing to the deepening of Greek-Australian friendship.
We need you and we always want you near us. The Greek Consulate in Perth, like the rest of our Consulates in Australia, is always at your disposal for anything you need.
The host of the ABC’s Gardening Australia, Costa Georgiadis, is instantly recognisable for his abundant facial hair. It’s his trademark, along with an infectious, almost evangelical approach to the joys of gardening.
This passion for gardening should come as no surprise. It runs in Georgiadis’ blood. His Greek grandfather was a market gardener and taught him the value of fresh produce and seasonality.
“For my grandparents, life was about food. Not price, quality. There wasn’t that delineation … They wanted the best because it was the best it could be. Those eggplants [were the] best because of how they were grown and how they taste,” Georgiadis tells The Sydney Morning Herald.
“I feel like that set a benchmark in how I look at stuff. The standard was on the fork, that’s the ultimate litmus test.”
Georgiadis loves spending time in his garden. Photo: Fairfield City Champion.
Georgiadis follows a rich Greek tradition, taking a leaf out of Aristotle and Plato’s book. There’s philosophy galore in nature – evolution, metamorphosis and the cycle of life is always front and centre.
Of course, he channels this interest in the philosophical and soul-nourishing side of gardening into his hosting duties at Gardening Australia and it seems to be paying off.
Just last year, Georgiadis won the silver Logie for best presenter and the show won most popular program.
This year, in the period from January to April, the show’s ratings increased 25 percent, with an average audience of 1.18 million. There was a 50 percent increase in traffic to the show’s website and a surge on social media.
But Georgiadis says this has nothing to do with him. He puts it down to the coronavirus pandemic shining a spotlight on the garden once again.
Georgiadis won the silver Logie for best presenter in 2019. Photo: ABC.
“When you start to do a bit of gardening, it changes your timeline,” Georgiadis explains.
“You lose time when you go out in the garden, but then you make time because you think you’ll only go out for five minutes, and then you spend 55 minutes.
“That’s probably, during what’s been an incredibly difficult year from literally day one, with the bushfires and then for some people it was floods, and then for all of us it was COVID, why more people have realised that the garden does more than just frame the view.”
Perhaps that’s why he’s known for having such a positive attitude all the time? Because of all the hours he spends in his own garden?
“I’m like, ‘That’s all we’ve got! You’ve got to be positive!’ You can read the big picture and be critical and aware of and conscious of all this other theatre, but you can’t let that theatre get you down,” he concludes.
Neither the COVID-19 pandemic nor Greek government regulations can stop one venue in Thessaloniki from hosting its weekly summer bouzoukia concerts.
After Greece set a new coronavirus record on Wednesday, with 262 new cases and two deaths, health authorities announced new emergency measures on bars, restaurants and nightclubs.
Coming into effect on Tuesday and applying until August 23, all bars and nightclubs must be closed between midnight and 7am in popular tourist areas such as Greece’s second-largest city, Thessaloniki.
Nikos Vertis is performing at Orama – The Music Show. Photo: Instagram.
For popular concert hall, Orama – The Music Show, this restriction provided an instant dilemma as peak hours begin well after midnight and last until sunrise.
But luckily they came up with a clever solution.
Instead of closing entirely, the owners decided to change their opening hours, effectively squeezing in the same concert before midnight closures take effect.
The entertainment center made its announcement in a post on Instagram. The text reads as follows:
“With respect to the decisions of the government and the authorities and in light of the wishes of our patrons, we’re announcing that for the performances of August 14-15 and 21-22 the doors will open at 7:30pm,” the post reads.
“It is worth noting that on Saturday, August 8, the center was thoroughly inspected by the authorities and was rewarded for its formality! The distances observed were much longer than the [government] protection measures call for, thus showing the seriousness with which our business is addressing the situation.
“In addition, it should be noted that a few hours before the operation of the store, all employees will be evaluated with the COVID-19 test.”
Greece’s Education Ministry recently shut down eight Turkish primary schools in Western Thrace where the Turkish minority is concentrated, citing low attendance.
The move has been slammed by Turkey’s Foreign Ministry overnight as an attempt at “assimilation” and depriving the minority of the education of their choosing.
“This practice by Greece is a part of the assimilation and oppression efforts towards the Turkish minority in Western Thrace,” Turkish Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hami Aksoy said.
With the latest closures, the number of Turkish minority primary schools, of which there had been 231 until 25 years ago, had dropped to 115, he said.
In response, Greece’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement early this morning which said: “the educational choices of the Greek state… are made equally and without discrimination for all Greek citizens, always based solely on the quality of education provided and the interest of students.”
“It is at least paradoxical, if not funny, that Turkey indicates to Greece the need to respect minority rights,” the statement added.
“History will forever be the most objective witness to the systematic way in which Turkey has systematically eliminated all minorities in its territory during the twentieth century.”
Western Thrace’s Muslim-Turkish minority of around 150,000 people has long been an issue of contention between Ankara and Athens, with Turkey calling out Greece for what it calls a failure to grant full rights to the minority, including state denial of ethnic identity and restrictions on freedom of religion.
Current interim Canterbury coach, Steve Georgallis, is one of five staffers who have been told there isn’t a job for them at the ‘family club’ under Trent Barrett next season.
In a shock development, the Bulldogs are also expected to cut a further four staffers including head of high performance, Tony Ayoub, two strength and conditioning coaches, Harry Harris and Tony Grimaldi, and skills coach Steve James.
The move will rock Canterbury, although insiders insist change is needed with the club running last on the NRL competition table.
Gold Coast head of high performance, Dan Ferris, is expected to join Barrett at Belmore. Barrett and Ferris worked together at Manly.
Current interim Canterbury coach, Steve Georgallis (left), has been cut from the Bulldogs coaching team.
Georgallis, who took over from sacked Dean Pay on July 14, has applied for the vacant North Queensland coaching job. He previously filled in as a head coach at the Panthers following the resignation of Matthew Elliott in 2011.
The cull started last weekend when veteran trainer Garry Carden, deemed by players as the “the heart and soul” of the club, was let go after 37 years of service.
A month earlier, when Pay was dumped, assistant coach Steve Antonelli quit.
Those close to the club believe Barrett and his new coaching staff will bring a more flamboyant playing style next season.
New coach Trent Barrett is set to be bringing in his own coaching team.
The club is also mindful of minimising costs given fears the COVID-19 situation could continue to affect the bottom line next year.
The departures were partly offset by the retention of Adam Elliott, who knocked back a lucrative deal from the Warriors to stay put on a new three-year deal.
“Adam has become a fantastic leader at Belmore and, when he runs onto the field for the Bulldogs, you can feel the passion he has for the club,” Bulldogs chief Andrew Hill said.
“We look forward to seeing him continue to represent the Bulldogs with distinction over the next three years.”
