Putin Departs From Athens

The Presidential Palace of Athens has just hosted an official farewell ceremony for Russian President Vladimir Putin, who passed an honor guard and left for the airport to take a plane to Salonika, the capital of Northern Greece. While visiting Athens, Putin -- who is on an official visit to Greece since December 6 -- met with his Greek counterpart Konstandinos Stephanopoulos, Prime Minister Konstandinos Simitis, Defence Minister Ioannis Papandoniou, Athens Mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos, Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Christodoulos and a number of Greek businessmen, and delivered a speech at the University of Athens. Results of Putin's talks in Athens were summed up in a number of intergovernmental agreements.