Athens News Agency: News in English, 06-02-25

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

CONTENTS

[01] INFACOMA attracts increased number of Greek, international trade visitors

[02] Monument to fallen police officers unveiled

[03] Alavanos blasts gov't, PASOK, KKE

[04] Liapis inaugurates ETHEL training centre

[05] Greek Police chief formally submits resignation

[01] INFACOMA attracts increased number of Greek, international trade visitors

The exhibition, which opened Thursday, has recorded a 12.27 percent increase in the number of Greek trade visitors and a 64.74 percent increase in the number of foreign visitors, compared to last year.

On the first day of its operation, the exhibition, which runs until Sunday, saw trade visitors from throughout Greece and from 18 countries and specifically from Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Italy, Cyprus, Luxembourg, United Kingdom, South Africa, Ukraine, FYROM) Poland, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, and Turkey.

INFACOMA was visited by the Ambassador of Iran, Mehdi Mohtashami, accompanied by the commercial attache, M. Rezapanah and the Vice-President of the Federation of Northern Greece Industries Mr. Verginis.

Ambassador Mohtashami was greeted by the managing director of HELEXPO, Themis Kartsiotis and they discussed the participation of Iran's export businesses at HELEXPO's international exhibitions and particularly the prospect of its participation to the new theme on carpets, CARPET SHOW, of the 71st Thessaloniki Trade Fair in September.

The international exhibition will be open at the weekend between 10 a.m. and 9 p.m..

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[02] Monument to fallen police officers unveiled

"No one can live, as an individual or as a society, if he does not honour his dead and does not respect the sacrifices of heroes," Polydoras said during the ceremony, which was attended by Archbishop Christodoulos, the ELAS (Greek Police) leadership, retired officers, and the families of the victims.

Earlier, the Archbishop officiated at a memorial service.

The monument was designed and donated by retired police sergeant Evangelos Mitsos, and crafted by architect K. Manetas. It depicts a policeman falling in the line of duty bidding farewell to his family as his soul leaves his body.

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[03] Alavanos blasts gov't, PASOK, KKE

Commenting on prime minister Costas Karamanlis' address to the ruling New Democracy (ND) central committee, Alavanos said he agreed with the premier's view of a "lasting clash with the pathogenies we inherited from the past", but maintained that the main force of the past in Greece was the ND government.

"With the abolition of the 8-hour workday, it (the government) is returning us to the beginning of the 20th century. With its militarised response to the social struggles, as we saw recently with the seamen, it is taking us back to the darkest moments of our modern history where the social and political problems received a military response from authority," Alavanos said.

Commenting on the government's handling of the seamen's strike, Alavanos charged an attempt to divide society, pitting farmers against seamen. He added that, instead of cultivating enmity, which he said was ND's permanent policy, it could have defused the crisis by withdrawing the controversial bill and commencing dialogue with the seamen.

"The government is attempting a policy of elimination of all the modernday conquests of society," he charged.

Alavanos accused the prime minister of purposeful abuse of ther term 'reform', and PASOK of consensus to the major choices of the government, of remaining silent and of frequently exceeding the government's policy.

"Despite this stance by the PASOK leadership, we will continue to put forward proposals for joint action," he added.

Alavanos further criticised the KKE, saying it was bound to a deeply heretical philosphy, and accused it of attempting to exploit the social struggles for partisan purposes.

Turning to the upcoming prefectural and municipal elections, Alavanos said SYN did not want the local government elections to turn into a "card game" among the political parties "through agreements, exchanges, negotiations", but instead an effort for substantive dialogue and proposals for finding solutions to the problems faced by the local societies.

During a press conference after his address, Alavanos said that a "Battle of Crete" must be wages for the island's development, and called for a balanced development of the periphery.

Alavanos opined that all that had taken place with the Pakistanis and the telephone tappings indicated that "an international para-state operates in Greece".

"I fear that the international para-state has its presence next to this city, at the Souda base, which no one knows what it is, what is going on there. It is a Guantanamo, where the Americans do not allow the State, the country in which that base is, to know what goes on in there. We call for the withdrawal of the foreign installations from Cretan territory, for the closure of the bases," Alavanos continued.

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[04] Liapis inaugurates ETHEL training centre

He also presented prizes to the children of ETHEL employees who gained entrance to institutions of higher education in the year 2005.

Liapis said that the modern face of ETHEL was presented with the inauguration of the training centre.

He also referred to the extention of the ETHEL network, noting that a tender was in progress for the acquisition of 520 new cutting-edge anti-pollution technology buses, and added that a tender would also be launched in the spring for equipping the ETHEL fleet with telematics systems.

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[05] Greek Police chief formally submits resignation

Lieutenant General Aggelakos informed new public order minister Vyron Polydoras verbally of his resignation earlier in the week when the two men met to discuss Aggelakos' intended resignation.

The ministry revealed on Friday that the discussion between the two men and been "friendly", and that Polydoras accepted the resignation, noting that "the successful also leave", adding that Aggelakos' term in office had been excellent.

Aggelakos, whose resignation comes six months ahead of the completion of his term, will remain in officey, but will be on regular leave, until Tuesday, when the KYSEA government council for foreign affairs and defence will meet to select a new ELAS chief.

In his letter, Aggelakos said he was resigning to facilitate the promotion of other, younger officers who have the credentials, to the highest ranks.

He also made mention of his previous service in other key posts during his 34 years in the Greek Police. Aggelakos has a long history of service in the ELAS narcotics squad, while he also served as director of the Attica Security Police, security chief for the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.

Aggelakos also noted that he served with professionalism and dedication to his duty towards the citizens, the country, law and order, and also that during his tenure as chief of police, structural changes were made that substantially strengthened the sense of security, and boded a better future for ELAS.

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