Athens News Agency: News in English, 05-02-25

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Gov't says five bids submitted in Olympic Airlines tender

[02] S. African president Mbeki opens visit with meetings with Greek counterpart, parliament president, Left leaders

[03] Petralia addresses BHCC event on post-Games use of venues

[04] Policy on renewable energy sources presented

[01] Gov't says five bids submitted in Olympic Airlines tender

Speaking to reporters, after the meeting, Transport Minister said that the government was proceeding with the second phase of an international tender to sell the national carrier and that a total of five bids have been submitted in the tender. Aegean Airlines and DBA, a German low fares carrier, have officially expressed interest in buying a majority stake in Olympic Airlines.

[02] S. African president Mbeki opens visit with meetings with Greek counterpart, parliament president, Left leaders

South African president Thabo Mbeki, on a three-day state visit to Greece, met Thursday with parliament president Anna Psarouda-Benaki, Communist Party of Greece (KKE) secretary Aleka Papariga, and Coalition of the Left, Movements and Ecology (SYN) leader Alekos Alavanos. Earlier, he held talks with his Greek counterpart Costis Stephanopoulos, who also hosted a banquet in Mbeki's honour Thursday night.

During Mbeki's meeting with Parliament president Anna Psarouda-Benaki, the two officials stressed the need to strengthen parliamentary relations between the two countries.

Mbeki, who arrived in Athens on Thursday morning, promised that he will soon send an official invitation to the members of the Greece-South Africa Friendship group to visit South Africa and meet with MPs in the country in order to help in the democratisation of the Republic.

On her part, Psarouda-Benaki stressed that Greece has always maintained excellent relations with the entire African continent and is interested in contributing to its democratisation by cooperating with national parliaments.

"We are a new democracy and I am certain that we can learn a lot from the Greek parliament in terms of reinforcing parliamentary democracy," Mbeki said.

The South African president also referred to the Cyprus problem, emphasising that his country is clearly opposed to the Turkish occupation.

Psarouda-Benaki noted that Cyprus is the only country in Europe which is divided, occupied and where human rights are not respected.

Mbeki also met separately with Papariga and Alavanos later in the afternoon.

Mbeki discussed the important changes that South Africa has undergone as well as relations between South Africa and Greece.

Papariga did not make any comments after her meeting with Mbeki.

Alavanos, who met with Mbeki afterwards, said that he had had an interesting meeting with the South African president, noting that South Africa has been successful in its political and social reforms.

Mbeki arrived in Athens on Thursday on a state visit, at the invitation of his Greek counterpart Costis Stephanpoulos.

Stephanopoulous on Thursday night confirmed that Greece is confronting with "a serious sense of responsibility" its capacity as non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council in the current two years and stressed that " it will do everything possible for the upgrading of this major organisation, guard of international legal order and international law, supporting its urgent reform, including the broadening of the Security Council."

Speaking at the official dinner he hosted in honour of Mbeki, Stephanopoulos noted the great importance which Greece places on the close cooperation with this country of Africa.

The Greek president hailed the progress in South Africa in all sectors, as well as Mbeki's decisive contribution on this issue. He also referred to the issue os terrorism and the effort to smooth the situation in Iraq and the Middle East.

"Greece has condemned all the terrorist acts, as it also strongly condemned the recent one in Lebanon and believes that the struggle against terrorism, which concerns all of us, cannot be viewed as a difference between cultures, religion or peoples. The solution of the Palestinian problem will allow its effective combatting," the Greek president said.

The President of the Republic also referred to Athens-Ankara relations and expressed the hope that "the positive impetus registered in our bilateral relations with Turkey, as well as its European prospects which we support, will contribute to the reform of Turkish foreign policy in the direction which suit more in the two neighbourly friendly countries."

On the Cyprus issue, Stephanopoulos reiterated that Athens' steadfast position is the achievement of an agreed, just and functional solution to the problem, under the auspices of the United Nations, based on the Security Council resolutions and the Annan Plan, and one that was compatible with the fundamental principles of the European Union.

Finally, in reference to the situation in southeast Europe, Stephanopoulos expressed the evaluation that this has "fortunately greatly improved." He added that Greece actively supports the request of the countries of the region to enter the Euro-Atlantic institutions, believing that in this way the security and democracy in all the region will be finally consolidated.

[03] Petralia addresses BHCC event on post-Games use of venues

Palli-Petralia outlined the government's goals in capitalising on the legacy Greece inherited from the Athens Olympics as follows: to reinforce Greece's image abroad; to make Attica an attractive, year-round tourist destination; to attract foreign investment and know-how; to create new jobs; to improve city residents' quality of life; and to offer more and better choices for sports, recreation and culture to Athens residents and visitors alike.

She reiterated that Olympic installations will remain in the state's possession and that their management and utilisation will be based on developmental - not strictly fiscal - criteria. Palli-Petrali also noted that all procedures will be transparent, conducted through "open, public, international tenders, defined by clear-cut conditions and requirements."

Olympic Properties SA President Christos Hadjiemmanouel also spoke at the conference, noting that the Greek taxpayers' contribution of â¬140 million is being put to good use, without political discrimination, in order to meet real, public and social needs.

[04] Policy on renewable energy sources presented

Addressing a 3rd National Conference on Renewable Energy Sources "Prospects and priorities towards 2010", organised by the Metsovio Polytechnic University, Salagoudis said that he would, in the next few days, submit to Development Minister Dimitris Sioufas, this week, his proposals on reducing bureaucracy, securing investments, ensure social consensus and promoting new technologies. The Greek minister said that the ministry would continue procedures in drafting new regulations for the energy market.

Salagoudis said he was in full cooperation with the government's Agricultural Development ministry to clear all hurdles towards supporting the development of renewable energy sources in the country. He also said that a new regulatory framework over geothermy and bio-fuel was almost ready.

The Greek minister said that there were more than 800 MW of non-implemented projects in the renewable energy sector (mainly windpower and small hydroelectric units), despite the fact that they own an operating license. Salagoudis, however, expressed his optimism over a gradual improvement in the investment climate in Greece. He said that a report by Ernst & Young, placed Greece sixth in the world league based on the attractiveness index for windpower (aeolic) parks and eighth in renewable energy sources.

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