At 12 noon the President of Iran will visit the Greek Parliemnt, where he will meet with its President Apostolos Kaklamanis, who will award him the Golden Medal of the Greek Parliament.

At 5.30pm, Mr. Kharami will meet the Mayor of Athens, Mr. Dimitris Avramopoulos, and will be awarded the Golden Medal of Merit of the city of Athens.

At 6.30pm he will speak at Pantion University, on "Greece-Iran a dialogue between cultures". Tomorrow he will have meetings with the representative of the Opposition, Dimitris Sioufas, the Secretary General of the Greek Communist Party, Aleka Papariga, t he President of the Coalition of the Left, Nikos Konstantopoulos and Archbishop Christodoulos. All meetings are to be held at the "Intercontinental" hotel.

The survey performed by "KAPA Research", on behalf of ERT, points out that 59.2% of people would prefer coalition governments, in contrast to 37.8%, who would prefer single party governments. 70% of PASOK voters are in favor of coalition governments, in addition to 82% of KKE (Greek Communist Party) voters, 85% of the Coalition of the Left voters, and 35.3% of New Democracy. 52.6% is in favor of cooperation between PASOK and the Left, and 38% is in favor of ND cooperating with the Center-Right on a gover nmental level.

To the question of which party should PASOK cooperate with on a governmental level, 44.2% answered the Coalition of the Left, 23.9% said the KKE, 24.1% said DHKKI and 11.3% supported the KEP (Free Citizens Movement).

A change in legislature for a more proportional representation of parties in Parliament, was supported by 75.7%.

A survey performed by "MRB" showed that 54.3% thought that PASOK's greatest drawback is that it did not listen to people's problems, and 41.2% thought the same of New Democracy, while 35.9% thought that the greatest problem of the Opposition was its past .

Among other things, the memorandum foresees exploring prospects between DEPA and NIOC on the completion of the natural gas pipeline from Iran to Greece via Turkey, and for the transfer of liquid natural gas (LNG), from Iran to Greece by sea.

Also foreseen, is the transfer, through Greece, of Iranian natural gas to Western Europe and Balkan countries, and potential Greek investments on natural gas projects in Iran, and specifically in LNG depots.

"With this agreement, Greece gains a reliable alternative natural gas provider on the one hand, and it becomes a transport junction from Iran and Central Asia in general, to European markets on the other", pointed out the Ministry of Development.

two years. The new Company Board was elected yesterday by the general assembly, while it was the first time in the Organization's history that the management was elected by the stockholders, and the majority of the members on the Board of Directors was n ot appointed by the Greek State.

Participants in the discussions include, on the Iranian side, Ministers of the Interior Kamal Kharazi, Economy and Finances, Dr. Tahimasb Mazaheri, deputy Foreign Minister Ali Ahani, and on the Greek side, Foreign Minister Giorgos Papandreou and the Amba ssador of Greece to Tehran, Charalambos Kouyevetopoulos.

"Iran is an especially important country in the Middle East. It is a major factor in the forming of political and financial relations in that part of the world. It plays an important role in dealing with problems in the region, and its position determine s growth and cooperation prospects there", stated Prime Minister Simitis, after the meeting.

He also stressed that he discussed the need for a dialogue in international relations with President Khatami, a dialogue taking into consideration the particular characteristics of each country and attempting to form compositions. "We consider dialogue a n essential component of international relations aiming for peace and cooperation", he underlined.

"We signed a series of political and financial agreements. Greece is interested in financial agreements. Greece is especially interested in energy issues, natural gas. One of the agreements is specifically on energy issues, and we are examining the way i n which we will be able to have another source of natural gas, apart from Russia. That source is Iran", he stressed.

Attacks on medical personnel - with doctors, hospital staff and volunteers falling victim - in the occupied autonomous Palestinian territories by Israeli forces, hinder or make "Doctors Without Borders" volunteers access to conflict casualties, completel y impossible.

"When Gaza is bombed, it is literally broken into 3 or 4 pieces, making it impossible for people to move. And of course these people have no access to medical care", said Maria Skoula, head of the Greek "Doctors Without Borders" mission to the Gaza Stri p.

The ambulance operated by Greek volunteers, with the support of local NGO UPMRC, has come under Israeli fire twice, in attempts to reach remote populations in need of immediate medical assistance. The result was the injury of the group's driver, S. Walid .

As a humanitarian group, the Greek "Doctors Without Borders" are asking for this cycle of violence, resulting in more victims and irreparably striking peoples' lives, to end. Based on the principle that the right to health is inalienable, "Doctors Withou t Borders" ask for free access to victims, as is ensured by international treaties.

Mr. Simitis is accompanied by Foreign Minister Giorgos Papandreou, Finance Minister Nikos Christodoulakis, Minister of Press Christos Protopapas, Deputy Foreign Minister Tasos Yiannitsis and undersecretaries Yiannis Magriotis and Eleftherios Tziolas.

The issues to be discussed in the Summit meeting will be unemployment, and the liberalization of energy, transportation, communication networks and money markets. The issue of the Middle East will also be discussed and Foreign Minister Giorgos Papandreou

will present the Greek five-point proposal for the solution of the problem.

the UN Security Council on the Middle East.

He said that Israel expresses the will for an immediate ceasefire through the implementation of the Michell and Tennet Plans to open the road for the resumption of the peace process and the return to the negotiating table.

Ms. Papandreou stated that the government's goal is to make Macedonia Airport an international and metropolitan airport for the whole region of southeastern Europe with the completion of the scheduled 234 billion drachmas expansion and upgrading works.

Of the stocks trading today, 139 recorded gains and 152 had losses, while the value of 83 stocks remained unchanged.

Mr. Hitiris characterized as necessary the cooperation by saying that it is right and a one-way street.

When asked to comment on the funding of the reformed social security system, he responded that it will be tripartite, adding that its size will depend on the course of the dialogue.

In his statements, the Greek Parliament President stressed that the Greek Parliament being fully aware of Iran's role in a very sensitive region and the country's huge potential in the efforts for peace, rejects any threats or expressions concerning the "axes of evil". He stressed that what humanity needs most is cooperation and peace to understand the problems of the peoples.

In a meeting he had earlier with President Khatami, Mr. Kaklamanis referred to the foremost place occupied by Iran in modern world as a result of its geo-strategic position. He underlined the special importance of the agreements that were signed by Greec e and Iran and expressed the will for the further strengthening of cooperation between the Parliaments of Greece and Iran.

From his side, President Khatami expressed great joy for being able to visit the Greek Parliament, praised the ancient Greek democracy as well as Greece's role as a factor of peace, cooperation, stability and progress in the modern world.

Valinakis, and New Democracy Press Spokesperson, Thodoris Roussopoulos.

Tonight Mr. Karamanlis will be present at a dinner held by the President of the UDC Party of Catalonia, Josep Duran Illeida, while tomorrow morning , he will have consecutive meetings with the Foreign Minister of Norway, Jan Petersen, and the President o f the Cypriot Republic, Glafkos Cleridis. The Head of the Greek Opposition will return to Athens tomorrow.

The campaign's slogan is "An act of culture and justice", and the initiative belongs to senators Francois Roelants du Vivier and Paul Wille, who announced the "Parthenon 2002" campaign at a press conference in Brussels, in view of the 2004 Athens Olympic s.

According to a "Cumhurriyet" news report, the tour took place with the participation of members of the Greek-Turkish Business Council which operates within the framework of the Turkish Foreign Economic Relations Council and the Greek embassy commerce off ice.

Greek ambassador to Ankara Ioannis Korantis stated that under the existing circumstances the investments that will be made by the Greek companies and the joint initiatives that will be undertaken will be less than what they could be due to the implementa tion of double taxation.

Cyprus' political and Church leadership was present in the funeral as well as foreign diplomats and a large number of people. The Greek government was represented by Minister of Health Alekos Papadopoulos, while the Greek Parliament was represented by it s vice-president Kostas Gitonas, heading a parliamentary delegation.

Spiros Kiprianou was buried in the Cemetery of Agios Nikolaos in Limassol.

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