Athens News Agency: News in English, 07-08-06

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

CONTENTS

[01] Prime minister Karamanlis briefed by employment minister Magginas

[02] Mykali Naval Battle commemorated on Samos

[03] Bulgarian explosion halts natgas supply to Greece

[04] Heavy rains cause problems in N. Greece

[01] Prime minister Karamanlis briefed by employment minister Magginas

Magginas told reporters after the 90-minute meeting that he briefed the premier on ministry issues, while they also discussed the course of the ministry's legislative work.

He said that the bill on e-governance, which he called a landmark for the country's social security sector, has been approved by the relevant standing parliamentry committee.

Magginas said that they further discussed the targeted actions in the framework of the social cohesion fund, while he also briefed the prime minister on the selection process of the social security funds' presidents.

Replying to questions on the matter of the planned minimum national pension, Magginas noted that national economy and finance minister George Alogoskoufis has made several statements on the issue, adding that it was an issue "that is being studied".

"Nothing of what has been announced are pre-electoral benefits, but rather are the materialisation of various points of our governmental platform," Magginas said.

[02] Mykali Naval Battle commemorated on Samos

"In the Naval Battle of Mykali, we proved what we Greeks can do when we are united and have common goals. The state owes gratitude...to those who took part in that battle. We thank them and appreciate them," Doukas said after the anniversary events in Pythagorio municipality.

While on Samos, Doukas met with the prefectural leadership, and discussed matters concerning the islands of Samos, Ikaria and Fournoi.

Doukas reiterated that "these next four years will be the years of the periphery", noting the government's decision that 80 percent of the approximately 21 billion euro from the EU earmarked for Greece in the 4th Programming Period (2007-2013) will be channeled to the periphery, and adding that Samos "is one of our priorities".

Samos "has immense developmental prospects, and we want to assist in that effort," he said.

The commemorative events commenced on Saturday evening with a youth concert and continued on Sunday with a re-enactment of the Naval Battle of Mykali and the burning of the Turkish fleet's flagship and on Monday with the laying of wreaths at the statue of Lycurgos Logothetis, while they will culminate on Monday night with a festival and live music at the Pythagorio port.

Mykali, in the Samos Strait, was also the site of the final major clash between the Greeks and the Persians in 479 B.C., with the Greeks emerging victorious in naval and infantry battle, thus putting an end to the Persian efforts to expand towards the West and dominate the Mediteranean.

[03] Bulgarian explosion halts natgas supply to Greece

Greece discontinued natural gas imports at Bulgaria's request, until the damage was repaired. Officials of natural gas companies told ANA-MPA that the demand for natural gas in the country would be supplied without problem from the state-owned Natural Gas Corporation's (DEPA) Revithoussa plant in Megara, where liquefied natural gas is imported.

The explosion, caused by a pipeline leak, occurred early Monday in south-western Bulgaria, near the village of Balgarchevo in the Blagoevgrade area, some 100 kilometres south of the Bulgarian capital of Sofia.

No one was injured in the blast, which did not cause an ensuing fire apparently due to heavy rainfall in the region at the time. The explosion was being investigated by police and the civil defence service, while police have closed off the area.

A Bulgarian economy ministry spokesman said that 10 metres of the pipeline had been destroyed in the explosion.

Bulgaria's state-owned Bulgargaz transits natural gas from Russia's giant Gazprom to Turkey, Greece and FYROM. Last year, Bulgargaz supplied Greece with 2.7 billion cubic metres of gas.

[04] Heavy rains cause problems in N. Greece

Much of the Greek Railways (OSE) network on the Alexandroupolis-Komotini section was under water. A passenger train was stopped in its tracks by the rising waters on the border of the Rhodopi and Evros prefectures on Monday morning. All 46 people on board were forwarded with busses to a nearby village to continue their journey with another coach.

Traffic problems were also reported on the east-west Egnatia motorway after a truck overturned on the Komotini-Alexandroupolis portion of the roadway.

Meanwhile, all flights to and from Thessaloniki's Macedonia Airport resumed as scheduled on Monday. Several flights had to be diverted to Athens and Kavala throughout the night as they were unable to land in Thessaloniki due to heavy cloud cover.

The Fire Brigade responded to a total of 35 calls for water pumping in the wider Thessaloniki region, the most affected area being the coastal resort of Perea, east of the city.

Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of flooding along the Evros River in February 2005 / V. KARAFYLLIDIS

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