Athens News Agency: News in English, 05-11-18

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

CONTENTS

[01] PASOK leader and EP Socialist Group president meet

[02] Innovation key to boosting competitiveness

[01] PASOK leader and EP Socialist Group president meet

Schultz has been invited to Athens by PASOK's Parliamentary Group at the European Parliament and on Friday he participated in events organised by PASOK, while a luncheon was given in his honour which Papandreou attended and addressed.

Papandreou and Schultz, as well as the head of PASOK's Parliamentary Group Stavros Lambrinidis expressed their absolute disagreement with the Bolkestein directive.

The PASOK leader spoke of a Europe of values, of social cohesion, of the protection of the environment, of employment and competition.

Papandreou said that the Socialist parties can play a leading role in shaping, in Europe, a political conscience of a party which will exceed national limits.

Shultz referred to historic relations between PASOK and the SPD, stressing that their close relation guarantees that European Social-Democracy will not allow human rights to be violated and individual freedoms to be restricted in the European Union.

He also focused on the issue of different cultures in the EU, pointing out that "this wealth must be united", but expressed fears that if this does not take place even war cannot be ruled out in the future.

[02] Innovation key to boosting competitiveness

The event was organised on occasion of SBBE's (Northern Greek Federation of Industries) 90th anniversary.

Programme participants were pre- and post-graduate students who had to design innovative business plans that could in turn evolve into actual businesses or business activities.

"Innovative ideas provide society and the economy with valuable lustre," Pavlopoulos said, adding that Greece has been deprived of innovation for several years due to inexplicable discrimination and bureaucracy.

Pavlopoulos said that the government's priority is to strengthen entrepreneurship and boost competitiveness and productivity and referred to the structural reforms the government is pushing through as a means to achieve this.

He stressed that the success of the Central Macedonia District's "Innovative Ideas" programme proves that cooperation between government and organisations through incentives and rewards can lead to excellent results for Greece's economy and development.

Concluding, Pavlopoulos apologised to the programme's participants "for the paths the state failed to open but also for the obstacles it put up for many years."

Central Macedonia District Secretary General Yiorgos Tsiotras announced a new programme for 2006 which aims to further reinforce innovation and entrepreneurship.

On his part, SBBE President Yiorgos Mylonas announced that a support fund for new entrepreneurs will be up and running in 2006, and will be funded by SBBE member companies as well as any other organisation willing to support entrepreneurship.

He added that SBBE will try to spread this initiative to the other three districts in northern Greece and called on the regional business community to financially support the federation's effort.

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