Konstantinos Simitis (Greek:Κωνσταντίνος Σημίτης) (born 23 June 1936), usually referred to as Costas Simitis or Kostas Simitis, is a Greek politician who served as Prime Minister of Greece and was leader of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) from 1996 to 2004.
Biography
Costas Simitis was born in Piraeus to Georgios Simitis, a Professor at the School of Economic and Commercial Sciences, and to his wife Fani (née Christopoulou). He studied Law at the University of Marburg in Germany and economics at the London School of Economics. He is married to Daphne Arkadiou (b. 1938)and has two daughters, Fiona and Marilena. His brother Spiros Simitis is a prominent jurist specializing on data privacy in Germany. He currently resides in the Kolonaki district of Athens.
Political activity before 1981
In 1965 he returned to Greece and was one of the founders of the "Alexandros Papanastasiou" political research group. In 1967, after the military coup of 21 April, this group was transformed into Democratic Defense, an organization opposed to the military regime. Simitis escaped abroad after planting bombs in the streets of Athens (in later years he acknowledged his activities on Greek MEGA TV channel) in order to avoid being jailed and became a member of the Panhellenic Liberation Movement (PAK), led by Andreas Papandreou. He also took up a position as university lecturer in Germany. He returned to Athens in 1974 and was one of the co-founders of PAK's successor, the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK). In 1977 he took up a lecturer's post at the Panteion University.
(11 Jan 2002)
1. Mid shot of Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis and U.S. President George W. Bush in White House Oval Office
2. Mid shot of media
3. SOUNDBITE: (English) George W. Bush, U.S. President:
"I'm most appreciative, sir, of your strong stand against terror. You've been a friend in our mutual concerns about routing out terror around the world and I want to thank you for that very much. I'm also very appreciative of your administration's working with Turkey. Relations have improved with Turkey, and as a result the world is better off. And I want to thank you for your vision and for your foreign ministry's hard work to do what is right for the world to make world more peaceful."
4. Mid shot of media.
5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Costas Simitis, Prime Minister of Greece:
"We ar...
published: 21 Jul 2015
Greece - Victory for Costas Simitis
(23 Sep 1996) T/I: 10:06:13
Incumbent Prime Minister Costas Simitis claimed victory in Sunday's (22/9) elections in Greece, declaring that his socialist party PASOK had trounced its rightwing rival New Democracy. The news was greeted with an outburst of joy in Athens, with supporters partying in the streets, hooting horns, waving flags bearing the PASOK symbol and letting off firecrackers.
SHOWS:
ATHENS, GREECE, 22/9
people on streets;
top shot of crowd;
billboard;
fireworks;
flags;
more fireworks;
people on street outside PASOK headquarters celebrating;
news conference;
Costas Simitis walks in and sits;
Simitis reading statement (in Greek): "today the victory belongs to our Greek nation for better days. Today victory. It's the victory for the collaboration of all G...
published: 21 Jul 2015
GREECE: BILL CLINTON / COSTAS SIMITIS PRESS CONFERENCE
(20 Nov 1999) Greek/English/Nat
U-S President Bill Clinton says he deeply regrets the losses of businesses that were set ablaze in the Greek capital by demonstrators protesting at his visit.
At a news conference in Athens, Clinton also said he believed Greece and Turkey should seek international mediation to find a solution to their territorial disputes in the Aegean.
Bill Clinton and Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis held a joint news conference on Saturday morning.
The U-S president referred to the violent clashes between anti-U-S protestors and riot police in the centre of Athens the evening before.
Dozens of stores and banks were damaged as the protestors ran riot.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"I strongly believe that protests should be peaceful and therefore I deeply r...
published: 04 Aug 2015
Κώστας Σημίτης - Kostas Simitis #1
Ανέλαβε το δύσκολο έργο της διακυβέρνησης της χώρας, παίρνοντας τα ηνία από τον ιδρυτή του ΠΑΣΟΚ Ανδρέα Παπανδρέου. Διετέλεσε πρωθυπουργός τρεις φόρες. Κέρδισε δύο συνεχόμενες εκλογικές αναμετρήσεις. Οδήγησε τη χώρα στην ένταξή της στην ΟΝΕ και επί ημερών του η Κύπρος έγινε μέλος της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης. Προετοίμασε το έδαφος για τους Ολυμπιακούς Αγώνες της Αθήνας το 2004 και κατά τη διάρκεια της θητείας του ολοκληρώθηκαν μεγάλα έργα όπως η Γέφυρα Ρίου-Αντιρρίου, το αεροδρόμιο «Ελευθέριος Βενιζέλος», η Αττική Οδός, η Εγνατία, το Μετρό της Αθήνας και πολλά άλλα που άλλαξαν τη χώρα.
Μελανές σελίδες της θητείας του τα Ίμια, η υπόθεση Οτσαλάν και η «εξυπηρέτηση» στους συμμάχους για τους βομβαρδισμούς στην Γιουγκοσλαβία.
Για κάποιους ο Κώστας Σημίτης ήταν απλώς ο κατάλληλος διαχειριστής της τύχ...
(11 Jan 2002)
1. Mid shot of Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis and U.S. President George W. Bush in White House Oval Office
2. Mid shot of media
3. SOUN...
(11 Jan 2002)
1. Mid shot of Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis and U.S. President George W. Bush in White House Oval Office
2. Mid shot of media
3. SOUNDBITE: (English) George W. Bush, U.S. President:
"I'm most appreciative, sir, of your strong stand against terror. You've been a friend in our mutual concerns about routing out terror around the world and I want to thank you for that very much. I'm also very appreciative of your administration's working with Turkey. Relations have improved with Turkey, and as a result the world is better off. And I want to thank you for your vision and for your foreign ministry's hard work to do what is right for the world to make world more peaceful."
4. Mid shot of media.
5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Costas Simitis, Prime Minister of Greece:
"We are totally committed to the fight against international terrorism. And as you know we take part in the Afghanistan effort. We will be part also in the international peace corps in Afghanistan. And I think it's necessary to cooperate in order to fight terrorism all over the world."
6. Mid shot of Simitis and Bush.
STORYLINE:
In a meeting at the White House on Thursday U-S President George W. Bush thanked Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis for being a friend in the fight against terrorism.
Before news cameras in the Oval Office, Bush thanked Greece for being a friend in the fight against terrorism and credited Simitis for easing longtime tensions with rival Turkey.
As the two sat down to their private meeting, Bush said the world was better off now that Greek relations with Turkey had improved.
Simitis said his nation will continue to work with the U-S and its allies in the war on terrorism.
And the two leaders shared a laugh when Simitis presented Bush with a sweat shirt for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.
The Greek government has offered military forces and medical units to the U-S-led war on terrorist targets in Afghanistan.
Also, a half-dozen Greek airmen are aboard U-S radar planes patrolling the skies over America.
Privately, the Bush administration was expected to press Greece to take tough action against the Revolutionary Organization 17 November in the unsolved murder of British Defense Attache Stephen Saunders in Athens in June 2000, as well as other terrorist attacks.
The U-S State Department, in a report last April, cited the violent far-left group in a number of anti-Western attacks.
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(11 Jan 2002)
1. Mid shot of Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis and U.S. President George W. Bush in White House Oval Office
2. Mid shot of media
3. SOUNDBITE: (English) George W. Bush, U.S. President:
"I'm most appreciative, sir, of your strong stand against terror. You've been a friend in our mutual concerns about routing out terror around the world and I want to thank you for that very much. I'm also very appreciative of your administration's working with Turkey. Relations have improved with Turkey, and as a result the world is better off. And I want to thank you for your vision and for your foreign ministry's hard work to do what is right for the world to make world more peaceful."
4. Mid shot of media.
5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Costas Simitis, Prime Minister of Greece:
"We are totally committed to the fight against international terrorism. And as you know we take part in the Afghanistan effort. We will be part also in the international peace corps in Afghanistan. And I think it's necessary to cooperate in order to fight terrorism all over the world."
6. Mid shot of Simitis and Bush.
STORYLINE:
In a meeting at the White House on Thursday U-S President George W. Bush thanked Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis for being a friend in the fight against terrorism.
Before news cameras in the Oval Office, Bush thanked Greece for being a friend in the fight against terrorism and credited Simitis for easing longtime tensions with rival Turkey.
As the two sat down to their private meeting, Bush said the world was better off now that Greek relations with Turkey had improved.
Simitis said his nation will continue to work with the U-S and its allies in the war on terrorism.
And the two leaders shared a laugh when Simitis presented Bush with a sweat shirt for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.
The Greek government has offered military forces and medical units to the U-S-led war on terrorist targets in Afghanistan.
Also, a half-dozen Greek airmen are aboard U-S radar planes patrolling the skies over America.
Privately, the Bush administration was expected to press Greece to take tough action against the Revolutionary Organization 17 November in the unsolved murder of British Defense Attache Stephen Saunders in Athens in June 2000, as well as other terrorist attacks.
The U-S State Department, in a report last April, cited the violent far-left group in a number of anti-Western attacks.
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(23 Sep 1996) T/I: 10:06:13
Incumbent Prime Minister Costas Simitis claimed victory in Sunday's (22/9) elections in Greece, declaring that his socialist ...
(23 Sep 1996) T/I: 10:06:13
Incumbent Prime Minister Costas Simitis claimed victory in Sunday's (22/9) elections in Greece, declaring that his socialist party PASOK had trounced its rightwing rival New Democracy. The news was greeted with an outburst of joy in Athens, with supporters partying in the streets, hooting horns, waving flags bearing the PASOK symbol and letting off firecrackers.
SHOWS:
ATHENS, GREECE, 22/9
people on streets;
top shot of crowd;
billboard;
fireworks;
flags;
more fireworks;
people on street outside PASOK headquarters celebrating;
news conference;
Costas Simitis walks in and sits;
Simitis reading statement (in Greek): "today the victory belongs to our Greek nation for better days. Today victory. It's the victory for the collaboration of all Greece. Today Parliament represents all parties. Such is the victory of the nation.";
cutaway;
Miltiade Evert, New Democracy leader, conceding defeat;
pb to wide shot;
Evert congratulating Simitis and saying he believes he, Simitis, will work for the nation. Evert says he is resigning as the president of his party;
top shot of people out on streets of Athens:
RUNS 2.30
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(23 Sep 1996) T/I: 10:06:13
Incumbent Prime Minister Costas Simitis claimed victory in Sunday's (22/9) elections in Greece, declaring that his socialist party PASOK had trounced its rightwing rival New Democracy. The news was greeted with an outburst of joy in Athens, with supporters partying in the streets, hooting horns, waving flags bearing the PASOK symbol and letting off firecrackers.
SHOWS:
ATHENS, GREECE, 22/9
people on streets;
top shot of crowd;
billboard;
fireworks;
flags;
more fireworks;
people on street outside PASOK headquarters celebrating;
news conference;
Costas Simitis walks in and sits;
Simitis reading statement (in Greek): "today the victory belongs to our Greek nation for better days. Today victory. It's the victory for the collaboration of all Greece. Today Parliament represents all parties. Such is the victory of the nation.";
cutaway;
Miltiade Evert, New Democracy leader, conceding defeat;
pb to wide shot;
Evert congratulating Simitis and saying he believes he, Simitis, will work for the nation. Evert says he is resigning as the president of his party;
top shot of people out on streets of Athens:
RUNS 2.30
Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
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(20 Nov 1999) Greek/English/Nat
U-S President Bill Clinton says he deeply regrets the losses of businesses that were set ablaze in the Greek capital by demo...
(20 Nov 1999) Greek/English/Nat
U-S President Bill Clinton says he deeply regrets the losses of businesses that were set ablaze in the Greek capital by demonstrators protesting at his visit.
At a news conference in Athens, Clinton also said he believed Greece and Turkey should seek international mediation to find a solution to their territorial disputes in the Aegean.
Bill Clinton and Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis held a joint news conference on Saturday morning.
The U-S president referred to the violent clashes between anti-U-S protestors and riot police in the centre of Athens the evening before.
Dozens of stores and banks were damaged as the protestors ran riot.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"I strongly believe that protests should be peaceful and therefore I deeply regret the Greeks who had their property injured and who suffered losses through these demonstrations but I think that the important thing is that we reaffirmed the value of the relationship between the two nations. I think that, I know that most Americans deeply value the relationship with Greece notwithstanding the fact that almost all of the people of Greece disagreed with our policy in Kosovo and before that in Bosnia. I believe I did the right thing and I think most Americans believe that we did the right thing to stand against ethnic cleansing. But that doesn't affect our affection for and our support for the people of Greece and the government of Greece."
SUPER CAPTION: Bill Clinton US president
Simitis too expressed regret at disturbances which have embarrassed his government at the start of the U-S presidential visit.
SOUNDBITE: (Greek)
"Greece is a democratic country where everyone can freely express his views and opinions but as we had emphasised before President Clinton's arrival our constitution provides that this expression of opinions and views should be made in a peaceful way and within the context of legality and I am sorry for the fact that certain people did not respect this fundamental principle of law."
SUPER CAPTION: Costas Simitis, Greek prime minister
Turning to one of the issues which has dominated his discussions with the Greek government, Clinton said it was time for Greece and Turkey to turn to mediation to solve their territorial disputes in the Aegean.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"I believe that the disputes in the Aegean between Greece and Turkey should be referred to the International Court of Justice in The Hague or to some other mutual agreed on and recognised international dispute resolution mechanism. It seems to me that that is the only way that either side can have a resolution of this without appearing to cave in rather than to just let a mutual party, respected, decide it."
SUPER CAPTION: Bill Clinton US president
Clinton was later to deliver a speech on U-S-Greek relations and Greece's role in Europe before departing for Italy.
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(20 Nov 1999) Greek/English/Nat
U-S President Bill Clinton says he deeply regrets the losses of businesses that were set ablaze in the Greek capital by demonstrators protesting at his visit.
At a news conference in Athens, Clinton also said he believed Greece and Turkey should seek international mediation to find a solution to their territorial disputes in the Aegean.
Bill Clinton and Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis held a joint news conference on Saturday morning.
The U-S president referred to the violent clashes between anti-U-S protestors and riot police in the centre of Athens the evening before.
Dozens of stores and banks were damaged as the protestors ran riot.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"I strongly believe that protests should be peaceful and therefore I deeply regret the Greeks who had their property injured and who suffered losses through these demonstrations but I think that the important thing is that we reaffirmed the value of the relationship between the two nations. I think that, I know that most Americans deeply value the relationship with Greece notwithstanding the fact that almost all of the people of Greece disagreed with our policy in Kosovo and before that in Bosnia. I believe I did the right thing and I think most Americans believe that we did the right thing to stand against ethnic cleansing. But that doesn't affect our affection for and our support for the people of Greece and the government of Greece."
SUPER CAPTION: Bill Clinton US president
Simitis too expressed regret at disturbances which have embarrassed his government at the start of the U-S presidential visit.
SOUNDBITE: (Greek)
"Greece is a democratic country where everyone can freely express his views and opinions but as we had emphasised before President Clinton's arrival our constitution provides that this expression of opinions and views should be made in a peaceful way and within the context of legality and I am sorry for the fact that certain people did not respect this fundamental principle of law."
SUPER CAPTION: Costas Simitis, Greek prime minister
Turning to one of the issues which has dominated his discussions with the Greek government, Clinton said it was time for Greece and Turkey to turn to mediation to solve their territorial disputes in the Aegean.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"I believe that the disputes in the Aegean between Greece and Turkey should be referred to the International Court of Justice in The Hague or to some other mutual agreed on and recognised international dispute resolution mechanism. It seems to me that that is the only way that either side can have a resolution of this without appearing to cave in rather than to just let a mutual party, respected, decide it."
SUPER CAPTION: Bill Clinton US president
Clinton was later to deliver a speech on U-S-Greek relations and Greece's role in Europe before departing for Italy.
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Ανέλαβε το δύσκολο έργο της διακυβέρνησης της χώρας, παίρνοντας τα ηνία από τον ιδρυτή του ΠΑΣΟΚ Ανδρέα Παπανδρέου. Διετέλεσε πρωθυπουργός τρεις φόρες. Κέρδισε ...
Ανέλαβε το δύσκολο έργο της διακυβέρνησης της χώρας, παίρνοντας τα ηνία από τον ιδρυτή του ΠΑΣΟΚ Ανδρέα Παπανδρέου. Διετέλεσε πρωθυπουργός τρεις φόρες. Κέρδισε δύο συνεχόμενες εκλογικές αναμετρήσεις. Οδήγησε τη χώρα στην ένταξή της στην ΟΝΕ και επί ημερών του η Κύπρος έγινε μέλος της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης. Προετοίμασε το έδαφος για τους Ολυμπιακούς Αγώνες της Αθήνας το 2004 και κατά τη διάρκεια της θητείας του ολοκληρώθηκαν μεγάλα έργα όπως η Γέφυρα Ρίου-Αντιρρίου, το αεροδρόμιο «Ελευθέριος Βενιζέλος», η Αττική Οδός, η Εγνατία, το Μετρό της Αθήνας και πολλά άλλα που άλλαξαν τη χώρα.
Μελανές σελίδες της θητείας του τα Ίμια, η υπόθεση Οτσαλάν και η «εξυπηρέτηση» στους συμμάχους για τους βομβαρδισμούς στην Γιουγκοσλαβία.
Για κάποιους ο Κώστας Σημίτης ήταν απλώς ο κατάλληλος διαχειριστής της τύχης μιας χώρας την οκταετία 1996-2004. Για κάποιους άλλους ήταν ο άνθρωπος που οδήγησε την Ελλάδα στη λεωφόρο της ευρωπαϊκής οικονομικής ανάπτυξης.
Ανέλαβε το δύσκολο έργο της διακυβέρνησης της χώρας, παίρνοντας τα ηνία από τον ιδρυτή του ΠΑΣΟΚ Ανδρέα Παπανδρέου. Διετέλεσε πρωθυπουργός τρεις φόρες. Κέρδισε δύο συνεχόμενες εκλογικές αναμετρήσεις. Οδήγησε τη χώρα στην ένταξή της στην ΟΝΕ και επί ημερών του η Κύπρος έγινε μέλος της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης. Προετοίμασε το έδαφος για τους Ολυμπιακούς Αγώνες της Αθήνας το 2004 και κατά τη διάρκεια της θητείας του ολοκληρώθηκαν μεγάλα έργα όπως η Γέφυρα Ρίου-Αντιρρίου, το αεροδρόμιο «Ελευθέριος Βενιζέλος», η Αττική Οδός, η Εγνατία, το Μετρό της Αθήνας και πολλά άλλα που άλλαξαν τη χώρα.
Μελανές σελίδες της θητείας του τα Ίμια, η υπόθεση Οτσαλάν και η «εξυπηρέτηση» στους συμμάχους για τους βομβαρδισμούς στην Γιουγκοσλαβία.
Για κάποιους ο Κώστας Σημίτης ήταν απλώς ο κατάλληλος διαχειριστής της τύχης μιας χώρας την οκταετία 1996-2004. Για κάποιους άλλους ήταν ο άνθρωπος που οδήγησε την Ελλάδα στη λεωφόρο της ευρωπαϊκής οικονομικής ανάπτυξης.
(11 Jan 2002)
1. Mid shot of Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis and U.S. President George W. Bush in White House Oval Office
2. Mid shot of media
3. SOUNDBITE: (English) George W. Bush, U.S. President:
"I'm most appreciative, sir, of your strong stand against terror. You've been a friend in our mutual concerns about routing out terror around the world and I want to thank you for that very much. I'm also very appreciative of your administration's working with Turkey. Relations have improved with Turkey, and as a result the world is better off. And I want to thank you for your vision and for your foreign ministry's hard work to do what is right for the world to make world more peaceful."
4. Mid shot of media.
5. SOUNDBITE: (English) Costas Simitis, Prime Minister of Greece:
"We are totally committed to the fight against international terrorism. And as you know we take part in the Afghanistan effort. We will be part also in the international peace corps in Afghanistan. And I think it's necessary to cooperate in order to fight terrorism all over the world."
6. Mid shot of Simitis and Bush.
STORYLINE:
In a meeting at the White House on Thursday U-S President George W. Bush thanked Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis for being a friend in the fight against terrorism.
Before news cameras in the Oval Office, Bush thanked Greece for being a friend in the fight against terrorism and credited Simitis for easing longtime tensions with rival Turkey.
As the two sat down to their private meeting, Bush said the world was better off now that Greek relations with Turkey had improved.
Simitis said his nation will continue to work with the U-S and its allies in the war on terrorism.
And the two leaders shared a laugh when Simitis presented Bush with a sweat shirt for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.
The Greek government has offered military forces and medical units to the U-S-led war on terrorist targets in Afghanistan.
Also, a half-dozen Greek airmen are aboard U-S radar planes patrolling the skies over America.
Privately, the Bush administration was expected to press Greece to take tough action against the Revolutionary Organization 17 November in the unsolved murder of British Defense Attache Stephen Saunders in Athens in June 2000, as well as other terrorist attacks.
The U-S State Department, in a report last April, cited the violent far-left group in a number of anti-Western attacks.
Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive
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You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/6b5c88a2a9c3277409e7749422fbac36
(23 Sep 1996) T/I: 10:06:13
Incumbent Prime Minister Costas Simitis claimed victory in Sunday's (22/9) elections in Greece, declaring that his socialist party PASOK had trounced its rightwing rival New Democracy. The news was greeted with an outburst of joy in Athens, with supporters partying in the streets, hooting horns, waving flags bearing the PASOK symbol and letting off firecrackers.
SHOWS:
ATHENS, GREECE, 22/9
people on streets;
top shot of crowd;
billboard;
fireworks;
flags;
more fireworks;
people on street outside PASOK headquarters celebrating;
news conference;
Costas Simitis walks in and sits;
Simitis reading statement (in Greek): "today the victory belongs to our Greek nation for better days. Today victory. It's the victory for the collaboration of all Greece. Today Parliament represents all parties. Such is the victory of the nation.";
cutaway;
Miltiade Evert, New Democracy leader, conceding defeat;
pb to wide shot;
Evert congratulating Simitis and saying he believes he, Simitis, will work for the nation. Evert says he is resigning as the president of his party;
top shot of people out on streets of Athens:
RUNS 2.30
Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/
You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/1defc4856895f233f983b9ccb342a046
(20 Nov 1999) Greek/English/Nat
U-S President Bill Clinton says he deeply regrets the losses of businesses that were set ablaze in the Greek capital by demonstrators protesting at his visit.
At a news conference in Athens, Clinton also said he believed Greece and Turkey should seek international mediation to find a solution to their territorial disputes in the Aegean.
Bill Clinton and Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis held a joint news conference on Saturday morning.
The U-S president referred to the violent clashes between anti-U-S protestors and riot police in the centre of Athens the evening before.
Dozens of stores and banks were damaged as the protestors ran riot.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"I strongly believe that protests should be peaceful and therefore I deeply regret the Greeks who had their property injured and who suffered losses through these demonstrations but I think that the important thing is that we reaffirmed the value of the relationship between the two nations. I think that, I know that most Americans deeply value the relationship with Greece notwithstanding the fact that almost all of the people of Greece disagreed with our policy in Kosovo and before that in Bosnia. I believe I did the right thing and I think most Americans believe that we did the right thing to stand against ethnic cleansing. But that doesn't affect our affection for and our support for the people of Greece and the government of Greece."
SUPER CAPTION: Bill Clinton US president
Simitis too expressed regret at disturbances which have embarrassed his government at the start of the U-S presidential visit.
SOUNDBITE: (Greek)
"Greece is a democratic country where everyone can freely express his views and opinions but as we had emphasised before President Clinton's arrival our constitution provides that this expression of opinions and views should be made in a peaceful way and within the context of legality and I am sorry for the fact that certain people did not respect this fundamental principle of law."
SUPER CAPTION: Costas Simitis, Greek prime minister
Turning to one of the issues which has dominated his discussions with the Greek government, Clinton said it was time for Greece and Turkey to turn to mediation to solve their territorial disputes in the Aegean.
SOUNDBITE: (English)
"I believe that the disputes in the Aegean between Greece and Turkey should be referred to the International Court of Justice in The Hague or to some other mutual agreed on and recognised international dispute resolution mechanism. It seems to me that that is the only way that either side can have a resolution of this without appearing to cave in rather than to just let a mutual party, respected, decide it."
SUPER CAPTION: Bill Clinton US president
Clinton was later to deliver a speech on U-S-Greek relations and Greece's role in Europe before departing for Italy.
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Ανέλαβε το δύσκολο έργο της διακυβέρνησης της χώρας, παίρνοντας τα ηνία από τον ιδρυτή του ΠΑΣΟΚ Ανδρέα Παπανδρέου. Διετέλεσε πρωθυπουργός τρεις φόρες. Κέρδισε δύο συνεχόμενες εκλογικές αναμετρήσεις. Οδήγησε τη χώρα στην ένταξή της στην ΟΝΕ και επί ημερών του η Κύπρος έγινε μέλος της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης. Προετοίμασε το έδαφος για τους Ολυμπιακούς Αγώνες της Αθήνας το 2004 και κατά τη διάρκεια της θητείας του ολοκληρώθηκαν μεγάλα έργα όπως η Γέφυρα Ρίου-Αντιρρίου, το αεροδρόμιο «Ελευθέριος Βενιζέλος», η Αττική Οδός, η Εγνατία, το Μετρό της Αθήνας και πολλά άλλα που άλλαξαν τη χώρα.
Μελανές σελίδες της θητείας του τα Ίμια, η υπόθεση Οτσαλάν και η «εξυπηρέτηση» στους συμμάχους για τους βομβαρδισμούς στην Γιουγκοσλαβία.
Για κάποιους ο Κώστας Σημίτης ήταν απλώς ο κατάλληλος διαχειριστής της τύχης μιας χώρας την οκταετία 1996-2004. Για κάποιους άλλους ήταν ο άνθρωπος που οδήγησε την Ελλάδα στη λεωφόρο της ευρωπαϊκής οικονομικής ανάπτυξης.
Konstantinos Simitis (Greek:Κωνσταντίνος Σημίτης) (born 23 June 1936), usually referred to as Costas Simitis or Kostas Simitis, is a Greek politician who served as Prime Minister of Greece and was leader of the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) from 1996 to 2004.
Biography
Costas Simitis was born in Piraeus to Georgios Simitis, a Professor at the School of Economic and Commercial Sciences, and to his wife Fani (née Christopoulou). He studied Law at the University of Marburg in Germany and economics at the London School of Economics. He is married to Daphne Arkadiou (b. 1938)and has two daughters, Fiona and Marilena. His brother Spiros Simitis is a prominent jurist specializing on data privacy in Germany. He currently resides in the Kolonaki district of Athens.
Political activity before 1981
In 1965 he returned to Greece and was one of the founders of the "Alexandros Papanastasiou" political research group. In 1967, after the military coup of 21 April, this group was transformed into Democratic Defense, an organization opposed to the military regime. Simitis escaped abroad after planting bombs in the streets of Athens (in later years he acknowledged his activities on Greek MEGA TV channel) in order to avoid being jailed and became a member of the Panhellenic Liberation Movement (PAK), led by Andreas Papandreou. He also took up a position as university lecturer in Germany. He returned to Athens in 1974 and was one of the co-founders of PAK's successor, the Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK). In 1977 he took up a lecturer's post at the Panteion University.
three important projects that constitute landmarks of a modern and evolving Greece... Costas Simitis was dragged through the courts for years after he was no longer prime minister because certain obsessive naysayers came after him over the museum ... .
This, for example, was done by former socialist premier Costas Simitis in order to achieve Greece’s integration into the eurozone in 2001 – when New Democracy, as the main opposition of the time, ...
Photo. Shutterstock ... Photo. Shutterstock. The name is Eros prevailed over the last twenty years when the NationalTourismOrganisation officially used it under the government of Costas Simitis (2002) in an advertising campaign targeting foreigners ... ....
The events in Imia shook the credibility of the Greek government at the time, especially when Prime Minister Costas Simitis thanked the Americans from the floor of Parliament for their catalytic role in de-escalating the tension.
He did not hold many of them in particularly high regard either ... “Revolution ... Indeed, the Palestinian leader became a fixture at all PASOK’s congresses in 1984, 1994, 1996 and even 2001, when the president of the socialist party was Costas Simitis.
