Subject: Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 17-03-02 From: "HR-Net News Distribution Manager" CONTENTS [01] French PM Bernard Cazeneuve due in Athens late on Thursday [02] As snow melts in northern Greece, bears in 'Arcturos' sanctuary wake up [03] Athens diplomats to perform in charity concert for S.O.S. Children's Villages --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [01] French PM Bernard Cazeneuve due in Athens late on Thursday French Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve is arriving in Greece on Thursday night for what is his first and likely last trip abroad, three months after he became French prime minister on December 6. He will be accompanied by French Economy and Finance Minister Michel Sapin and Secretary of State for European Affairs Harlem Desir. Cazeneuve will meet his Greek counterpart Alexis Tsipras at noon on Friday, at the Greek premier's offices in the Maximos Mansion. They will then have a working dinner, joined by the Greek and French ministers of finance, economy and European affairs. At 14:00 on Friday, Tsipras and Cazeneuve will hold a joint press conference. Before meeting Tsipras, the French prime minister has invited French business people based in Greece to a breakfast meeting at the French Embassy in Athens. He will then take part in a meeting organised by France's immigration and integration service (OFII) regarding the asylum seekers that are due to be relocated to France in March, at the Novotel Hotel in Athens. At the end of the meeting, Cazeneuve will be available to talk to accredited reporters. The French prime minister is due to visit the French School and French Institute on Friday afternoon and devote some time to French correspondents and the journalists that came with him. At 17:00 he will attend a reception at the French Embassy, before departing for the Athens airport at 18:00. Sapin is scheduled to have three meetings during the visit, including a morning meeting at 10:30 on Friday with his Greek Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos and another at 11:10 with Economy and Development Minister Dimitri Papadimitriou. At 15:00, Sapin is due to meet Bank of Greece Governor Yannis Stournaras. [02] As snow melts in northern Greece, bears in 'Arcturos' sanctuary wake up The fifteen bears in the wildlife shelter of "Arcturos" in Nympheo, northern Greece, woke up from hibernation in the past few days as March brought spring and milder weather in the country's northern regions, the shelter announced on Thursday. The bears left their nests and started roaming around the shelter after sleeping for about two months. "The 15 bears of the shelter fell asleep about two months ago when the intense snowfall started," Stefanou told ANA. As it happens every year, the younger bears were the last ones to retreat in their nests and the first to wake up. Three bears that came from Albania, Sandy, Mira and Baloo, preferred to hibernate in natural nests created in the past by other bears and woke up early, while the two male bears Kyriakos and Manolis were just as active. The last ones to wake up were the older bears Mitsos, Sasa and Alexandra, who still prefer to lie in their nests where they spend most of the day. "Arcturos" said in a press release visitors may visit the shelter on weekends and on weekdays (except Wednesday) from 10:00-16:30. Tours are offered at 10:00, 11:00, 12:00, 13:00, 14:00, 15:00, 16:00, 16:30. The NGO's other two areas, the Wolf Sanctuary in Agrapidies, Florina, and the Bear Information Center in Nikios Sholi at Nympheo are also open on weekends and bank holidays. For more information, visitors can call the sanctuary at 23860-41500. [03] Athens diplomats to perform in charity concert for S.O.S. Children's Villages Ambassadors, diplomats and Greek opera singers are planning their fourth joint appearance at the 'Megaron' Athens Concert Hall on March 15, in a charity concert to raise funds to support the S.O.S. Children's Villages child welfare organisation. The event entitled "Diplomats in Concert in Athens" will be held in the Megaron's Banquet Hall and start at 20:00 in the evening. Diplomats and ambassadors from Australia, Austria, Germany, Georgia, Japan, Canada, Luxembourg, Bangladesh, Slovakia, Slovenia and the Czech Republic will be taking part, along with the soprano Anna Stylianaki, baritone Dionysis Sourbis, the John Balikos Jazz Trio and pianists Evgenia Votanopoulou, Dimitris Giakas and Panos Karan, with Agathaggelos Georgakatos conducting. In charge of the lighting is Eleftheria Deko, while Nikos Tsaousis is responsible for the production as a whole. The evening's programme will include works by Schubert, Vivaldi, Chopin, Rossini, Tchaikovsky, Verdi, Nino Rota and Mikis Theodorakis. Invitations cost 30 euros and are available from the central offices of the SOS Children's Villages (Karageorgi Servias 12-14, 1st floor, 210 3313661). The revenue will be used to equip a house in a new SOS Children's Village in Iraklio, Crete.