Greek Interior Ministry and the Organizing Committee of Athens 2011 Special Olympics Games signed cooperation memorandum on Monday in a bid to guarantee the success of the Games.

The Athens Special Olympics World Summer Games is to be held from June 25 to July 4, 2011 in Athens.

Interior Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos said that hospitality for the more than 70,000 people of athletes, family members, press that will arrive in Greece should be impeccable.

Athens 2011-Special Olympics President Gianna Despotopoulou stressed that the biggest challenge will be to prepare society to welcome 10,000 participating athletes in 100 venues, five days before the opening of the Games.

The first special Olympic Games started from 1968. Among the 170 million intellectually disabled people worldwide, some 2.25 million people have participated in the special Olympic activities.

The 12th World Summer Special Olympic Games was held in Shanghai from October 2 to 12, 2007.

(Xinhua News Agency September 23, 2008)