President Jiang Zemin Arrives in Athens for State Visit

Chinese President Jiang Zemin Arrives in Athens

Chinese President Jiang Zemin arrived in Athens Friday for a state visit to Greece at the invitation of Greek President Costis Stephanopoulos.

This is the first visit of the Chinese president to the country.During the visit, Jiang is expected to exchange views with Stephanopoulos and other Greek leaders on bilateral ties and major international and regional issues of common concern.

Jiang and his wife, Wang Yeping, were greeted at the airport by Greek Minister of Justice Michalis Stathopoulos and Ambassador to China Ioannis Theophanopoulos. Chinese Ambassador to Greece Zhen Jianguo and embassy staff were also at the airport.

In a written statement distributed at the airport, Jiang said that his present visit is aimed at deepening understanding, furthering friendship and expanding cooperation between China and Greece.

"I believe, with the joint efforts of the two countries, the visit will turn out to be a great success," Jiang said.

He noted that China and Greece are both ancient countries with splendid culture, and have made significant contributions to the human civilization and social progress. The peoples of the two countries have also enjoyed long history of friendship, he said.

Jiang stressed that China treasures the Sino-Greek friendship, and the recent years have witnessed enhanced development of the bilateral cooperation in the fields of politics, economy, culture as well as science and technology.

China will spare no efforts to consolidate the bilateral long-term and stable cooperation oriented towards the 21st century, he said.

Jiang's entourage arriving on the same special plane include Vice Premier Qian Qichen and his wife, State Councilor Wu Yi, Director of the General Office of the Chinese Communist Party (CPC) Central Committee Wang Gang, Minister in charge of the State Development Planning Commission Zeng Peiyan, Director of the Policy Research Office of CPC Central Committee Teng Wensheng, Vice Foreign Minister Ji Peiding, Vice Director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the Central Guards Bureau You Xigui, Vice Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation Sun Guangxiang, Special Assistant Wang Huning and Director of President Jiang's office Jia Ting'an.

Greece is the fourth leg of Jiang's five-nation tour of Asia, Europe and Africa, which has brought him to Israel, Palestine and Turkey, and will take him to South Africa.

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