Games flame could tour world's troublespots

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Sydney: Greece wants to take the Olympic flame to the world's troublespots on a "peace relay" in the run-up in the 2004 Athens Games.

Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou said the flame would make the traditional journey from Olympia, the site of the ancient Greek Games, to the host city of the Olympics.

But he said plans were being laid for a torch relay between the two points that would span the globe.

"This is the plan, that it will go not simply from (Mount) Olympus to Athens, a relatively short distance, but in fact visit all continents," Papandreou told a news conference at the Sydney Games on Wednesday.

"Where exactly it will go will be a matter for planning, but it will go to areas of conflict if countries could provide guarantees the truce would be respected."

Papandreou is vice-president of the International Olympic Committee Truce Foundation, which aims to have warring nations and groups suspend hostilities during the Games.

The IOC decided to revive the ancient Greek concept of "ekecheria", or the Olympic Truce, in 1992.

United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan on Wednesday backed an earlier call from the UN General Assembly for all parties at war to observe a truce during the Olympics.

"This may sound unrealistic but, as any athlete will tell you, nothing happens without a dream," Annan said in a statement made available in Sydney.



(c) Reuters Limited.