Subject: Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 17-04-23 From: "HR-Net News Distribution Manager" CONTENTS [01] Macron's win is a response to left and right-wing populism, says Mitsotakis [02] 'Greece's contribution to western civilization is introducing dialog as foundation of democracy' [03] Train services at Lianokladi-Tithorea suspended after truck collision with train --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [01] Macron's win is a response to left and right-wing populism, says Mitsotakis The perceived win of independent candidate Emmanuel Macron in the first round of the French presidential election on Sunday is a win of the liberal forces over the leftwing and rightwing populism, New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis tweeted on Sunday, as projections in media indicated he qualified for the second round of the elections along with Marine Le Pen. "Macron's win is the response of the liberal forces of logic over the attack by the left and right populism," he said. [02] 'Greece's contribution to western civilization is introducing dialog as foundation of democracy' Greece's contribution to western civilization is the introduction of dialog as a foundation of democracy, Culture Minister Lydia Koniordou said on Sunday evening, opening a two-day academic conference in Athens with Deputy Foreign Minister Ioannis Amanatidis. The conference, which includes academics from Greece, China, Egypt, Bolivia, India, Italy, Iran, Iraq, Mexico and Peru, is part of the Ancient Civilizations Forum which will kick off on Monday, with the participation of the foreign ministers of the ten aforementioned countries. "A great contribution of Greeks to the western civilizations is the introduction of dialog as a foundation of democracy, as the core of its institutions," she told the conference. "The borders on the map may have changed, the distribution of power, the name of the powerful, but cultures have always remained stable as an endless pool of knowledge and memory. Through these cultures we can be inspired to respond to the problems of our time, fanaticism and intolerance; the crisis and the impasses," she said. The two-day conference is focusing on the role of culture in the modern era and the opening event is titled "The timeless significance and resonance of Ancient Civilizations, their influence and their relationship with modern times". On Monday, discussions will focus on the role of culture as a tool for soft and smart power and as a factor of economic growth. [03] Train services at Lianokladi-Tithorea suspended after truck collision with train Train services in the Lianokladi-Tithorea section of the Athens-Thessaloniki route were temporarily suspended on Sunday night, after a truck collided with a train earlier in the day. The lorry violated a guarded level crossing but no injuries were reported after the incident. The 300 passengers of the train were transferred with busses to the station of Tithorea and will continue their journey with a different train. According to information, the engine of the train involved in the accident has derailed and crews are inspecting the tracks for possible bending caused by the severity of the crash. Rail company TRAINOSE, said passengers scheduled to depart tonight from Athens or Thessaloniki are likely to face many hours of delays until the tracks are restored by the crews. The tracks at the section where the accident occurred are single-lined and pass through inaccessible mountain areas.