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Thursday, 18 April 2024
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Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-05-16Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] PM: OTE sale aims at strategic allianceThe agreement for the sale of Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation (OTE) sought to establish a strategic alliance that will make Greece's phone utility stronger and enhance its role in southeastern Europe, Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis stressed in Parliament on Friday.The premier also underlined in his response to questions tabled during the prime minister's hour that the government's goal had nothing to do with filling state coffers. Cooperating with Deutsche Telekom, one of the biggest European giants in the Europe's telecoms sector, will make OTE stronger because it will lead to significant investments in modernisation and allow it to benefit from new technologies, Karamanlis said. The premier also reiterated that the Greek State retained the last word on major strategic issues, keeping for itself the right to veto plans it did not agree with. Regarding labour relations within the utility, he said there was provision for consultation between the company and the government and that there would be a "balanced board of directors" with positions shared between the strategic ally and the state. We succeeded in doing what you failed to do, Karamanlis added in a reply to earlier criticism by main opposition PASOK's leader George Papandreou. He also accused the main opposition leader of being unable to maintain a consistent stance since it behaved one way when in government, pledged something else in its policy statement and was doing yet different things today. Caption: ANA-MPA file photograph of Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis speaking in Parliament. [02] Strikes on FridayIn opposition to the sale of the Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation (OTE) to Deutsche Telekom (DT), the Greek Confederation of Workers of Greece (GSEE) declared a 24-hour strike on Thursday at OTE, the Public Power Corporation (PPC), the Greek Post Office, Olympic Airlines, the ports and the Athens-Piraeus Water Supply Organisation (EYDAP).Trade unionists of the Confederation and of the Public Utilities (DEKO), held a rally at Athens' Kaningos Square. A similar rally was held in front of Venizelos Statue in Thessaloniki, Macedonia. At the same time, the Civil Servants Supreme Administrative Council (ADEDY) held a nationwide four-hour work stoppage from 11 a.m. to the end of the shift, in the public sector in demand of salary increases. ADEDY held its rally at Athens' Korai Square. A similar rally was held in front of Venizelos Statue in Thessaloniki. The Bank Workers Organisation (OTOE) held a 24-hour strike at 11 banks, in response to the refusal of the bankers to negotiate for the signing of a collective labour agreement in banks. [03] Vartholomeos awardedThe Wilson Institute in an event in Athens on Thursday evening presented a special award to Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos for his initiatives to safeguard the environment."We are in danger of converting our beautiful planet into a chamber of poisonous gases" for the sake of profit, Vartholomeos said in his speech. Vartholomeos stressed that "the ecological problem is one of the most serious of contemporary mankind." Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos [04] Defence exhibition in AthensDeputy Defence Minister Yiannis Plakiotakis and Athens Mayor Nikitas Kaklamanis inaugurated the defence, security, technology and civil aviation exhibition on Thursday, in the presence of Deputy Merchant Marine Minister Panayiotis Kammenos, Parliamentary Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee President Miltiades Varvitsiotis, party representatives and delegations of the armed forces and of the local and foreign defence industry.Plakiotakis met on the sidelines of the exhibition with the Defence Industry Minister of Azerbaijan Jamalov Yavar Talib Oglu. During their discussion, both officials underlined the possibilities of widening bilateral defence cooperation. Caption:ANA-MPA file photo of Athens Mayor Nikitas Kaklamanis Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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