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Thursday, 15 August 2024
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Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 16-09-30Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>Friday, 30 September 2016 Issue No: 5258CONTENTS
[01] Problems facing Lesvos due to migration to be discussed with Tsipras on MondayA broad meeting to discuss the effects of the refugee crisis on Lesvos will be held by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in Maximos Mansion on Monday (Oct 3), following a request by Lesvos mayor Spyros Galinos."This will not be just another meeting held on Monday," Galinos told Athens-Macedonian News Agency. "I expect the government and opposition to make proposals in the direction of decongesting the almost 5,500 people who are on the island today, but also to support the local communities. In the meeting, apart from proposals, I expect decisions, always in the same direction," he added. The meeting will also be attended by Lesvos' local officials, including the prefect of the Northern Aegean Christiana Kalogirou, the president of Moria municipality Nikos Trakellis, where Moria hotspot is located, and police officials. Lesvos MPs Charalambos Athanasiou, Giorgos Pallis and Stavros Tassos have also been asked to join. [02] Skourletis, Iranian central banker, discuss energy cooperationThe prospects of energy cooperation between Greece and Iran and extending activities of Iranian energy companies in the country were discussed in a meeting between Energy Minister Panos Skourletis and Iranian Central Bank Governor Valiollah Seif in Athens on Thursday.The two officials also talked about possible investments in the refining sector and interest was also expressed for the floating liquefied natural gas (LNG) station which will be built in Alexandroupolis. They also discussed funding activities through the banking sector. The meeting was also attended by Iranian Ambassador to Greece Majid Motallebi Shabestari and bank executives. [03] Dragasakis meets with Iranian central bankerGovernment Vice President Yiannis Dragasakis presented the developments in Greece's economy and its path to recovery in a meeting with Iranian Central Bank Governor Valiollah Seif in Athens on Thursday.Dragasakis expressed the government's will to further develop bilateral relations on the basis of specific plans and projects, according to a press release by the VPs office. On his side, Seif noted the great potential in cooperation, saying it could start from the banking sector as a basis for future economic relations. The meeting was also attended by Iranian Ambassador to Greece Majid Motallebi Shabestari. [04] Decision on East Med pipeline at Greece, Israel, Cyprus summit in December, Israeli energy minister tells ANAA decision on the viability of the East Med pipeline will be taken when the leaders of Greece, Cyprus and Israel hold a summit meeting in Jerusalem in December, Israeli Minister of Infrastructure, Energy and Water Resources Yuval Steinitz said in statements to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA) on Thursday.He said that Israel considers "the construction of this pipeline to be the strongest, long-term strategic choice," given that the project also has the support of the European Union, which will be involved in financing the studies, since the pipeline fits in with European energy security policy. "Greece will become an important corridor, either toward the Balkans or toward Italy," Steinitz pointed out, emphasising the strategic value of the pipeline. He noted that Israel had already discovered gas fields containing 900 billion cubic metres (bcm) in its economic zone, while Cyprus' Aphrodite field contained 150 bcm known deposits with significant prospects for more. "In total, together with Egypt, the quantities can reach as high as 9,000-10,000 bcm. If this happens over the next few years, the Eastern Mediterranean will become an important supplier of Europe, since it will be able to replace the North Sea-Norway, Netherlands and British fields, which are declining," he explained. Asked whether a solution to the Cyprus issue was linked to the pipeline's progress, Steinitz said a solution would be good for the region - and would possible be achieved before peace in the Middle East - but "will not play a significant role in energy issues." Regarding relations with Turkey, he said that Israel's energy plans will not change, even if these normalise. "I do not know if such a project would be realistic," he noted, adding that there must first be a dialogue of trust. "For me it is clear that we must sell Israeli, Cypriot and Egyptian gas directly to Europe," he said. Steinitz reported having an interesting discussion with European Commissioner Miguel Arias Ca?ete in Abu Dhabi about nine months earlier. "The Europeans see Israel and the region as an important supplier of gas to Europe," he said. The minister also listed a number of important benefits resulting from the "strategic dialogue developed beween the three democracies of the Eastern Mediterranean" in recent years: roughly 350,000 Israeli tourists visited Greece this year and another 150,000 visited Cyprus; there was enhanced cooperation in security and against terrorism, which Israel had great expertise in detecting; there was also close cooperation in scientific research and water management. Concluding, Steinitz expressed his expectation that Greece will quickly overcome the economic crisis and said that economic cooperation will continue regardless, becoming even stronger when times were tough. [05] Minister of State meets TV licence tender winner Marinakis; meeting with Alafouzos to followMinister of State Nikos Pappas on Thursday had a meeting at the Maximos Mansion with one of four successful bidders in a recent TV licence tender auction, Alter Ego MME SA owner Vangelis Marinakis, Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA) sources said.A meeting between Pappas and Skai TV owner Yiannis Alafouzos, another successful contender for the four nationwide TV licences, is to follow at 18:00, the same sources said. [06] Tsakalotos cites concerns on EC's role in Greek program to European Court of AuditorsFinance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos presented to the technical team of the European Court of Auditors (ECA) on Thursday the government's reservations concerning the European Commission's role in the Greek program, as part of the procedure followed for the drafting of a special report on the issue.According to ministry sources, Tsakalotos also presented possible ways to improve this cooperation. [07] We should all be united on important issues, President Pavlopoulos saysGreek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos on Thursday stressed the need for Greece to come out of the crisis as soon as possible, because the crisis is threatening social cohesion.Pavlopoulos was in Doxato, Drama, where he was declared an honourary citizen. "There are of course political discrepancies that are absolutely respected, but on important issues we should all be united," he underlined. [08] President Pavlopoulos to attend Peres funeral in IsraelPresident of the Hellenic Republic Prokopis Pavlopoulos will depart for Israel on Friday, in order to represent Greece at the funeral of former Israeli statesman Shimon Peres.[09] Czech Republic President Milos Zeman in Rhodes, attends consulate openingPresident of the Czech Republic Milos Zeman on Thursday attended the re-opening of the Czech consulate on the island of Rhodes, during a visit to the island for the 2016 Rhodes 'Dialogue of Civilizations' Forum beginning on Friday. The Czech consulate on Rhodes has not operated for the past five years.In a brief address, Zeman referred to the history of Greece and Rhodes, which he said was a favourite holiday destination for Czech citizens and especially the elderly, promising to personally take action to boost the flow of tourism to the island. The ceremony was attended by local government officials and the Czech Ambassador in Greece. Zeman will be a keynote speaker at the opening of the 2016 Rhodes Forum on the theme "The Chaos of multiplicity: an Urgent Call for Dialogue" that opens at the Sheraton Rhodes Resort on Friday morning. Held since 2002, the Rhodes Forum is an annual session of the World Public Forum Dialogue of Civilizations (headquartered in Vienna). From 2016 it will be a key annual event organised by the Dialogue of Civilizations Research Institute (headquartered in Berlin). [10] Large Chinese government delegation to visit Crete on SundayA large Chinese government delegation is due in Crete for a two-day visit on Sunday, as a guest of the Greek government. It will be led by the First-ranked Secretary of the Central Secretariat of the Communist Party of China Liu Yunshan, who will be received by Crete Region governor Stavros Arnaoutakis on his arrival in Iraklion airport on Sunday night.A meeting between Arnaoutakis and the Chinese delegation will take place on Monday morning at 9:00 at the Creta Maris Hotel. [11] Treaty of Lausanne must be respected by all, diplomatic sources sayThe Treaty of Lausanne is a reality and must be respected, Greek diplomatic sources said on Thursday, responding to comments by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who, according to a report in Turkish daily Hurriyet, suggested the agreement was unfair to his country."The Lausanne Treaty and International Law is indeed a reality in the civilized world which no one, including Ankara, can ignore and everyone must respect," diplomatic sources said. "No matter how painful it seems to them." According to the press report, Erdogan told a gathering with village chiefs in Ankara that the Treaty was "presented as a victory" but created diplomatic problems for the country. [12] Hundreds of protesters march in Chios against government's migration policiesHundreds of Chiots marched in the center of Chios on Wednesday evening to protest the government's migration policy and demand the closure of hotspots on the island.The rally was organized by local committees which oppose what they described as the "conscious decision to turn the islands of the northern Aegean to open prisons." When the crowd gathered in the central square, four local committee heads took turns in speaking about the problems facing their communities. They criticized the government and local municipal authorities and decried the practices of some local NGOs and international organizations on the island. After the speeches, protesters walked to the port. [13] Former head of PASOK's finances Rovertos Spyropoulos charged with fraudA public prosecutor on Thursday pressed charges of fraud against the former head of the PASOK party's finances Rovertos Spyropoulos, following an investigation into the party's finances.The charges relate to a debt of 140 million euros created between the years 2004 and 2012, which subsequently grew. One charge of fraud concerns the sum of 15 million euros in cash, kept in PASOK's safe from 2007 until 2009. Another is linked to a loan of five million euros given to PASOK by Attica Bank in 2010, with future state grants acting as collateral, even though the same grants had been used as collateral against loans taken out from another three banks, which amounted to a greater sum that that the party might potentially receive. Financial News [14] Dep. Econ. Minister Charitsis to ANA: 6.75 bln to enter Greek market by end 2016The government will put all its weight behind the real economy and intends to start disbursing funds from the very next month, Deputy Economy Minister Alexis Charitsis said on Thursday, in statements to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA)."There will be 6.75 billion euros directed to the market by the end of 2016. It is an ambitious but achievable target, following the cooperation we have developed in Greece and abroad," he said. The deputy minister said the sum was a significant amount that would provide substantial relief to the Greek economy, though it did not fully cover the extent of disinvestment that had occurred in Greece over the previous years. "This is a significant sum but it is not enough, therefore we are trying to attract new financing, such as from the European Investment Bank, to boost the Greek economy," he said. Referring to the National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF), he explained that its programmes were based on three pillars: small and medium-sized enterprises, infrastructure on a municipal level and social actions. "A very great effort was made, a race, so that the programmes will begin on time," he added, noting that the relevant procedures were completed promptly for the first time in years, allowing 190 millon euros to be spent on hiring supply teachers and daycare staff and for more children than ever to be accepted. The aim was to support those that really needed the programmes and could make real use of the funds, he explained, opening them up to more potential recipients than in previous years. Among these were measures allowing SMEs to collect subsidies through banks without needing a letter of guarantee from financial institutions. Among programmes due to begin next month, Charitsis said, were new tourism businesses and projects linking research and innovation to the real economy. The minister noted that the economy was affected by general economic and political developments: "It is therefore very important for a number of actions to go ahead in the coming period, the most fundamental being an agreement on the debt and concluding the second review," he said. The review should conclude on the basis of work done by the Greek government, especially on labour issues, he added. "For our government this is, I would say, almost an identity issue, to restore a minimal normality in labour relations after the complete deregulation of recent years. So that by the end of 2016 or early 2017, with the banking system also entering the European Central Bank's quantitative easing programme, it acquires the normality necessary for it to be led to a reordering, not a neutral one but a just reordering that will help the Greek economy." [15] Greece's 2017 draft budget to be tabled on Monday; forecasts 2.7 pct growthThe draft budget for 2017, due to be tabled in Parliament on Monday, forecasts growth rates of 2.7 pct of GDP in the coming year. Finance ministry sources confirmed a forecast for strong growth rates that will mark the Greek economy's recovery after eight years of recession. They said the draft budget will also be in line with the goals of the economic policy programme for the primary surplus.[16] Final agreement for restructuring of Marinopoulos signedA final agreement for the restructuring of Marinopoulos SA was signed late on Wednesday and all suppliers who have already agreed on a 50 pct "haircut" of debt owed by the supermarket company must sign the new agreement immediately.ANA exclusively released the four documents of the restructuring deal, covering Marinopoulos SA, Peiraikon SA, Xynos SA and Express M SA. The 218-page deal reveals that Marinopoulos' total debt to the market was 1.46 billion euros. According to the agreement, Carrefour group accepted a "haircut" of more than 92 pct (from 147 million euros to around 11.5 million euros). Commercial banks related with the issue will begin a race to complete the signing of the agreement by suppliers by midday on Friday and to submit the signed agreement to court based on the article 106 of the bankruptcy code. All parties are seeking to complete judicial procedures in October. [17] Kotsovolos-Dixons to invest 8.5 mln euros in 2016/2017Kotsovolos-Dixons South-East Europe expects its earnings to surpass 6.0 million euros and its market share to rise significantly in the fiscal year 2015/2016, Andreas Athanasopoulos, vice-president and chief executive of the company said.Speaking to reporters, during the inauguration of a new store in central Athens, Athanasopoulos said turnover grew by 5.3 pct (retail sales) and announced an investment plan worth 8.5 million euros for the 2016/2017 period, after a 5.0 million euros investment in the previous period. He said that despite adverse conditions prevailing in the Greek market in the 2015/2016 period, "the parent company encouraged us to accelerate our investment program" adding that the crisis was not over yet. Athanasopoulos said the company aimed to boost its organic growth and profitability and noted that supply continued to surpass demand in the domestic market. He said that Kotsovolos-Dixons raised its workforce by another 238 workers to 2,169 in total and strengthened its branch network with the addition of five new stores. It also renovated four large stores, to a total of 31 stores in the last two years. [18] Greece pushes back deadline for Cretan airport bidThe deadline for the submission of bids for the construction and management of Kasteli airport in Crete has been pushed back by about a month, to October 27, Infrastructure Minister Christos Spirtzis announced on Thursday.According to the minister, the new date was officially requested by the overwhelming majority of domestic and foreign consortia which have expressed interest in the tender and the project. [19] American-Hellenic Chamber organises forum on US Food and Contruction industriesThe American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce and Trade USA are organizing the Export USA Forum 2016 on December 5 (Monday) where key market representatives and decision makers from the Food and Construction Industries of the United States will gather for discussions and networking.The forum, titled "Penetrating New Markets", will analyze through real examples information about these industries. According to the press release, Greek companies active in the Food & Beverages industry may utilize the trend where by American consumers are enjoying the benefits of the Mediterranean diet and purchasing Mediterranean food products as never before. The health benefits, taste, and versatility of Mediterranean products translate into increased demand, increased sales and increased profits for purveyors across the board; not to mention that these are the best solutions for obesity. The Construction and Building Materials manufacturers could utilize the reconstruction and refurbishment of many U.S. buildings in the State of New York; as well as new projects that are under development. Greek companies' quality standards present a competitive alternative of unique value to local competition. The event will be held in Hotel Grande Bretagne, at noon. For more information go to: http://www.amcham.gr [20] Greek stocks end higherGreek stocks ended higher in the Athens Stock Exchange on Thursday, with the market following a positive trend prevailing in other European markets, although turnover remained at low levels. The composite index rose 0.90 pct to end at 568.24 points, off the day's highs of 569.12 points. The Large Cap index rose 0.97 pct and the Mid Cap index ended 0.43 pct higher. Turnover was a thin 22.248 million euros in volume of 31,494,322 shares.Mytilineos (6.14 pct), Hellenic Exchanges (2.44 pct) and Hellenic Petroleum (2.38 pct) scored the biggest percentage gains of the day among blue chip stocks, while Aegean Airines (1.45 pct), Ellaktor (0.76 pct) and Athens Water (0.56 pct) suffered heavy losses. Among market sectors, Raw Materials (6.14 pct) and Financial Services (1.80 pct) scored big gains, while Construction (0.37 pct) and Technology (0.26 pct) suffered losses. National Bank and Piraeus Bank were the most heavily traded securities. Broadly, advancers led decliners by 63 to 29 with another 19 issues unchanged. Nexans (16.14 pct), Attica Publications (10 pct) and Halcor (9.97 pct) were top gainers while Lavipharm (19.78 pct), Alpha Trust (12.12 pct) and ANEK (11.43 pct) were top losers. [21] Greek bond market closing reportThe yield spread between the 10-year Greek and German benchmark bonds eased slightly to 8.37 pct in the domestic electronic secondary bond market on Thursday, from 8.41 pct the previous day, with the Greek bond yielding 8.25 pct and the German Bund yielding -0.12 pct. Turnover was a thin 2.0 million euros.In interbank markets, interest rates were mixed. The 12-month rate fell to -0.064 pct from -0.062 pct, the nine-month rate fell to -0.131 pct from -0.130 pct, the six-month rate rose to -0.201 pct from -0.205 pct, the three-month rate rose to -0.301 pct from -0.306 pct and the one-month rate was -0.371 pct. [22] ADEX closing reportThe October contract on the FTSE/ASE Large Cap index was trading at a discount of 0.15 pct in the Athens Derivatives Exchange on Thursday. Volume on the Big Cap index totaled 1,000 contracts with 5,930 open positions in the market. Volume in futures contracts on equities totaled 22,708 contracts with investment interest focusing on National Bank's contracts (8,423), followed by Alpha Bank (3,521), Piraeus Bank (5,223), Eurobank (3,032), MIG (322), OTE (386), PPC (102), Mytilineos (1,020), Metka (90), Korinth Pipeworks (315), Hellenic Exchanges (62), Hellenic Petroleum (73), OPAP (54) and Viohalco (20).General News [23] European Commission urges Greece to cut costs to boost high-speed internetThe European Commission has asked Greece and another 18 member-states on Thursday to implement cost reduction rules that will help the countries develop more broadband networks.The infringement notice published on Thursday concerns Greece, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and the United Kingdom. These rules seek to increase the sharing and re-use of existing physical infrastructure across various sectors (energy, transport, etc.) and should cut by up to 30 percent the cost of rolling out high-speed internet. Cost reduction rules support the strategic connectivity objectives that the European Commission has recently proposed: by 2025, all main socio-economic drivers, such as schools, universities, research centers, transport hubs, all providers of public services such as hospitals and administrations, and enterprises relying on digital technologies, should have access to extremely high - gigabit - connectivity (allowing users to download/upload 1 gigabit of data per second). Also all European households, rural or urban, should have access to connectivity offering a download speed of at least 100 Mbps, which can be upgraded to Gbps, and all urban areas as well as major roads and railways should have uninterrupted 5G coverage, the fifth generation of wireless communication systems. As an interim target, 5G should be commercially available in at least one major city in each EU Member State by 2020. The Commission said this is the final warning for these member-states and who now have two months to notify the Union of measures taken to bring national legislation into line with EU law. "Otherwise, the Commission may decide, in accordance with EU infringement rules, to refer them to the Court of Justice of the EU and to propose financial sanctions," it said. [24] Restored Fethiye Mosque in central Athens to open to visitors by NovemberThe Ottoman-era Fethiye Mosque (Fethiye Camii) located in the middle of the Roman Agora in central Athens will open to tourists and visitors by November at the latest, after going through extensive restoration, the Athens Ephorate of Antiquities told Athens-Macedonian News Agency on Thursday.This will be the second monument located inside the agora that will be fully restored and open to the public, after the opening of the Tower of the Winds nearby. The building is one of the most important of the ottoman period in Athens' historical center. According to the head of the Ephorate, Eleni Banou, the 17th century mosque will also be used for temporary exhibitions and other events relating to Athens and its architecture. The restoration was conducted by the Department of Restoration of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Monuments, and aimed at addressing two key needs: The removal of a series of morphological problems and the repair of accumulated damage on the building. Fethiye Mosque was built on the ruins of a Christian basilica dating from the middle Byzantine period and was converted to a mosque during Ottoman times, when it was commonly known as the "Wheat market Mosque". It is built according to the architectural type of "quatrefoil" or "clover-leaf-cross-in-square", as its wide central dome is supported by four smaller domes in cruciform layout. In autumn 2010, the Ministry of Culture ordered the emptying of the building from the various antiquities stored there, and the beginning of the process to restore it and open it to the public. The decision was sanctioned by the Central Archaeological Council in 2013, paving the way for its restoration and its opening to the public. [25] Police arrests man with shotgun in car, wandering outside TV stationA man who was carrying a shotgun in his car truck and wandering suspiciously outside SKAI TV station in southern Athens was arrested on Thursday, police said.The man was first seen by the security guard of the station who alerted police. A DIAS motorcycle team arrived at the spot and searched the man who was carrying a knife on him. When asked what he was doing there, he answered with unintelligible words. Police then searched his car and found the shotgun. He was arrested with the charge of violating laws on guns. [26] Light quake jolts AlonissosA light earthquake measuring 4.0 on the Richter scale jolted the island of Alonissos early on Thursday.According to the Athens Geodynamics Institute, the earthquake was recorded at 04:17 a.m., with its epicentre in the sea area 47 kn mortheast of Alonissos, in depth of 10 km. Weather forecast [27] Fair weather on FridayMainly sunny weather is forecast for most parts of Greece on Friday. Winds will blow from mainly northerly directions, up to 4 Beaufort. Temperatures will range from 13-28C in the north, 16-28C in the Ionian islands and the west, 12-26C on the mainland in the east and 15-29C in the islands of the Aegean and Crete. Sunny in Attica, with temperatures from 17C to 29C. Fair weather in Thessaloniki, with temperatures from 17C to 27C.[28] The Thursday edition of Athens' dailies at a glanceAVGHI: Education for everyone. Education for the fewDIMOKRATIA: Burnt ... (Education Minister Nikos) Filis ETHNOS: "Sacred" rock over Religion ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: Commissioners to decide upon the minimum wage ESTIA: EU mocking over the refugee issue EFIMERIDA TON SYNTAKTON: Scools of equality and quality KATHIMERINI: Investors turn their back to Greece TO PONTIKI: The new super fund to decide for everything in public utilities IMERISSIA: Contigent mechanism on salaries NAFTEMPORIKI: 12 key issues on labour 36, TSOCHA ST. ATHENS 115 21 GREECE * TEL: 210 64.00.560-63 * FAX: 210 64.00.581-2 INTERNET ADDRESS: http://www.ana.gr * e-mail: anabul@ana gr * GENERAL DIRECTOR: MICHALIS PSILOS Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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