The Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC) announced in Athens on Thursday the program of the Lighting Ceremony of the Olympic Flame for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games on March 24 in Ancient Olympia.

According to HOC, on March 24, the ceremony will start at 12 o'clock at noon. Then the Olympic Anthem, the National Anthem of China, the National Anthem of Greece will be played and the Olympic Flag, the Chinese Flag and the Greek Flag will be hoisted.

The speeches will be given by the Mayor of Ancient Olympia Mr. Georgios Aidonis, President of the International Olympic Committee Dr. Jacques Rogge, President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee Mr. Minos Kyriakou, as well as the President of the Organizing Committee for Beijing 2008 Mr. Liu Qi.

The Ritual of the Lighting Ceremony at the Temple of Hera will start at 12:25 p.m and then the High Priestess and Priestess enter the Ancient Stadium with Olympic Flame.

The High Priestess will hand over the Flame to the first Torchbearer who will depart via Pierre de Coubertin's Grove and starts the Olympic Torch Relay in Greece.

(Xinhua News Agency March 14, 2008)