Q&A: Olympics 2004 on track

Angelopoulou: 'Everybody wants to run the original marathon'

ATHENS, Greece (CNN) -- Since winning the bid to hold the 2004 Olympic Games, Greece has been looking at how it can best promote Athens and the ountry as a whole. CNN's Liz George talks to Gianna Angelopoulou, president of the Athens Olympics Organising Committee.

What do the Games mean to Greece?

The Olympic Games are very important for our national pride, for the way Greece presents itself as a country to the outside world.

The Olympics are also important for our infrastructure. It will leave a huge legacy around transportation, telecommunications, technology, accommodation, tourism and sports facilities.

The most important thing, however, is the way that Greeks are going to organise this event.

I can't say that we don't have any more challenges ahead but we have now acquired a very good cruising speed, we made up for the lost time.

ON AIR Wednesday on CNN Business International  Athens mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos   MORE STORIES Athens looks for international glory

However, we should never depend upon the success of making up for the lost time. Now is the time, when we are moving from planning to action.

Security has got to be a major issue after September 11. What measures are Greece taking?

Greece has (allocated) a budget of $650 million for security purposes, which includes training forces abroad and in Greece.

The U.S., UK, Germany and many other countries will come together into a forum (for security issues), where they will participate on consulting basis.

We take security very seriously.

The perception in Greece is that everything is on track. The international opinion, however, is that you are not quite ready for the Games. What is the reason for this divergence?

Every day we're proving through our work and through action what we are doing.

The international community is very encouraging. Everybody wants to compete under the Acropolis shadow, to run the original marathon route, which Phidippides ran to bring the results of the victory of Athenians.

It's not an easy task. But I believe that these efforts will really change the way the Greeks present their character to the world.