Athens News Agency: News in English, 07-01-14

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

CONTENTS

[01] Prime minister on tour of SE Europe countries

[02] Papandreou visit to Veria and Naoussa

[03] Close cooperation between Greek-US authorities

[04] KKE: Nationwide campaign on Education

[01] Prime minister on tour of SE Europe countries

On Sunday night a dinner will be hosted in his honour by Croatian prime minister Ivo Sanader.

At 9:50 a.m. Monday he will meet with Croatian prime minister Sanader, and an hour later he will also meet with Croatian president Stipe Mesic.

At noon, Karamanlis will attend a panegyric session of the Cabinet on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of Croatia's independence.

Shortly afterwards, he will depart for Ljubljana, where he will be greeted by Slovenian prime minister Janez Jansa at Bled Castle.

At 2:00 p.m., Karamanlis will attend a luncehion hosted by the Slovenian prime minister in honour of the heads of state and government attending the ceremony for Slovenia's accession to the Eurozone.

At 3:45 p.m., Karamanlis will leave for the Cankarjev Dom Cultural and Conference Centre, where the ceremony will take place.

On Monday night, Karamanlis will attend a working dinner with Slovenian prime minister Jansa.

On Tuesday morning, the Greek prime minister will depart for Belgrade, where he will have meetings with Serbian president Boris Tadic and with Serbian prime minister Voijslav Kostunica.

[02] Papandreou visit to Veria and Naoussa

In Veria, the PASOK leader will meet with local citizens and agency representatives active in the field of child and family care.

He will also meet with Veria mayor Haroula Ousoutzoglou-Georgiadou and later with party cadres.

In Naousa, the PASOK leader will visit the Naoussa Textile Mills, where he will speak with workers.

He will further meet with Naoussa mayor Anastasios Karambatzos and with producers and social agencies.

[03] Close cooperation between Greek-US authorities

"The government, just as the entire Greek people, condemn with absoute abhorrence the rocket attack against the embassy of the United States," government spokesman Roussopoulos said, adding that such actions were tarbgeted against democracy and the interests of the country.

Greece's rrelations with the US were excellent and would remain excellent, Rousspoulos said.

He said that the authorities were investigating the case with seriousness and calm, adding that the government's determination to fully solve the case and lead the perpetrators to justice was a given fact.

Actions such as these, he added, have no backing whatsoever from the Greek people.

The spokesman further explained that prime minister Costas Karamanlis had been briefed from the first moment, and was in constant contact with public order minister Vyron Polydoras and foreign minister Dora Bakoyannis.

The government's determination is a given fact and the fight against terrorism was lasting and uncompromising, Roussopoulos said, adding that Bakoyannis and Polydoras had both met with the US embassador after the incident, expressed the government's abhorrence to him, and briefed him on the investigations being conducted by the Greek authorities, in cooperation with the services of the US and other countries.

Replying to press questions, Roussopoulos said that ELAS (Greek Police) deputy chief Stelios Syros was heading the team investigating the case, noting that Syros was a former chief of the counter-terrorism service, and was now ELAS deputy chief with other responsibilities.

Asked whether footage from the traffic surveillance cameras would be used in the investigation of the attack, Roussopoulos explained that there was a standing decision by the independent Personal Data Protection Authority that material from the traffic surveillance cameras cannot be used for other purposes, but added that the Public Order ministry has taken recourse to the Council of State to be given permission to use the surveillance cameras' material.

US ambassador Ries also referred to the Embassy's close cooperation with the Greek authorities in seeking the assailants. Replying to a relevant question, he stressed that the incident would not affect the relations between the two countries. "Greek-American relations are excellent, and will remain so," Ambassador Ries stressed.

Also, in an interview with CNN, Ries said that there had been an immediate response on the part of the Greek authorities, stressing also how quickly public order minister Polydoras and foreign minister Bakoyannis had arrived on the scene.

Meanwhile, Ries expressed his gratitude for the speedy and professional response of the Greek security forces following Friday's early-morning rocket attack at the US embassy, according to an embassy announcement, which added that the Greek Police, the Explosive Mechanisms Neutralisation Department and other officers had cooperated well and effectively with the embassy's security personnel during the examination of the crime scene.

According to the embassy announcement, ambassador Ries noted that he was very satisfied with the political support forthcoming from the Greek government and the main political parties, and with their determination for the arrest of the perpetrators of the attack and for averting new attacks.

Ries further expressed his conviction that the effort to harm the strong relations between the US and Greece would not succeed.

The US embassy will remain closed on Monday in observance of Martin Luther King day, a US national holiday, and will open normally on Tuesday.

The Greek government and opposition parties on Friday condemned an early morning projectile attack against the US embassy in Athens, which caused minor damage but no injuries, while prime minister Costas Karamanlis conferred with foreign minister Dora Bakoyannis and public order minister Vyron Polydoras after their visits to the Embassy.

[04] KKE: Nationwide campaign on Education

On Tuesday at 1:00 p.m., the KKE leader will meet with President of the Republic Karolos Papoulias, whom she will brief on the situation in Palestine, following a visit there by a KKE delegation.

On Tuesday afternoon, rallies in protest of the planned revision of Article 24 of the Constitution will be held at central Syntagma Square in Athens and at the Venizelos statue in Thessaloniki.

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