Simitis departs for US to attend NATO anniversary summit

Athens News Agency - April 19, 1999

Athens, 19/04/1999 (ANA)

Prime Minister Costas Simitis left yesterday afternoon for the United States, where he will attend a three-day NATO summit marking the alliance's 50th anniversary that opens in Washington on Friday.

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Mr. Simitis is due to meet today with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan in New York and with Archbishop Spyridon of America tomorrow, while on Wednesday he will address a lunch in his honour by the Council on Foreign Relations. His address will cover fore ign policy issues, including the Kosovo crisis, Greek-Turkish relations and the Cyprus issue. He will also outline the Greek initiative unveiled on Friday for defusing the Kosovo crisis and achieving stability in the Balkans.

Mr. Simitis will leave New York for Washington on Wednesday evening, where the next day he will attend a lunch in his hnour hosted by the board of directors of the Woodrow Wilson Research Institute on foreign, economic and social policy issues.

The 19 NATO leaders will attend on Saturay a formal dinner in their honour hosted by US president Bill Clinton at the White House.

Mr. Simitis will depart on Sunday, April 25 after the close of the NATO summit for Greece, where he is due to return Monday noon.

[ Athens News Agency - www.ana.gr - April 19, 1999 ]