Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-05-25

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

CONTENTS

[01] KKE head bashes gov't, opposition

[02] FM criticises 'baseless irredentism'

[03] Greece third at Eurovision

[04] Archbishop of America in Moscow

[01] KKE head bashes gov't, opposition

Speaking on political developments, and in reference to the party's anniversary, Papariga said that the KKE had not signed, nor would sign, a "statement of repentance' to any domestic or international bourgeoisie, adding that "the bourgoise parties make no mistakes, they have a conscious anti-labor, anti-popular, class policy".

She said that neither did the opportunists make mistakes. Rather, the consciously followed a choice "which, if it becomes more widely accepted, leads the movement, with mathematical precision, to the precipice".

Papariga stressed that the renewal of the KKE, just like that of every communist party, cannot be effected through rejection of its revolutionary characteristics, but through its ability to fulill its duties in the class struggle and its ability to promptly predict and interpret the class developments.

Speaking at a rally in Iraklio on Saturday night, Papariga said that the KKE despised "the big and empty words" of ruling New Democracy, but also the "hypocrisy" of main opposition PASOK and Coalition of the Left, Movements and Ecology (SYN).

She attacked the government, but also PASOK and the SYN-led Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) parliamentary alliance, adding that an all-front attack was necessary today, a politicalised movement founded on an alliance among workers, farmers, self-employed, which would dispute the political system itself and its servants, with direct goals.

She called for a minimum salary of 1,400 euros, minimum pension of 1,100 euros, an unemployment benefit of 1,120 euros for the entire time an individual remained unemployed, as well as control of food prices and quality, beginning with the production-commercial chains, abolition of VAT on staple goods, heating and vehicle fuel for farmers' households and popular consumption, rent subsidisation for unemployed youths, interest-free home loans for young couples for acquisition of a first home, and suspension of all seizures of property of indebted workers from mortgages on primary and secondary homes.

Caption: KKE leader Aleka Papariga addresses press conference in Iraklio, Crete. (ANA-MPA/M. Pakias)

[02] FM criticises 'baseless irredentism'

Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis said such irredentist statements are dangerous for "regional cooperation and stability in the fragile region of the Balkans".

The latest verbal flare-up ahead of elections in the land-locked Balkan country next week came during a memorial service in Rome at the tomb of St. Cyril on Saturday, in the presence of FYROM political leadership.

Bakoyannis said Archbishop Stefanos' statements, made in the presence of FYROM Premier Nikola Gruevski, were "extremely provocative and totally unacceptable", and proved "firstly, the correctness of the Greek arguments, stance and policy, which insists on the need for resolving the name problem.

"Secondly, that as long as the problem remains unsolved, it will serve as the tool and vehicle of an outdated and historically unfounded irredentism that is dangerous for regional cooperation and stability of the fragile region of the Balkans ... and thirdly, that the neighbouring country (FYROM), so long as it remains captive to irredentist rationales of the past, cannot look forward to a European and Euro-Atlantic future".

Furthermore, the Greek FM noted that this "also confirms the correctness of the NATO decision at the recent summit in Bucharest," a reference to the lack of an invitation towards FYROM to join the Alliance.

"The least one can expect is an immediate condemnation by the political leadership of Skopje of all the unacceptable comments that were made," Bakoyannis added.

During a memorial event for St. Cyril in Rome on Saturday, officiated by Stefanos, the Archbishop said: "St. Cyril, today in your and our Thessaloniki, everything that you did has turned to stone. Today, in your city of birth, everything has been rendered ashes and dust, and not a single letter remains from your and our language. In the region where they once spoke as you and we, today it is forbidden not only that this language be spoken, but its very existence itself. Unfortunately, everything 'Macedonian' is persecuted and displaced, while the name of our country and church, and the truth itself, is disputed".

Gruevski attended the event, heading a FYROM governmental delegation.

Caption: ANA-MPA photo of FM Dora Bakoyannis.

[03] Greece third at Eurovision

Greece won third place in the finals of the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest in Belgrade in the early hours of Sunday.

Greece's entry for the competition, which was broadcast live by the state television channel NET, was young Greek-American performer Kalomira with the song "Secret Combination", with music by Constantinos Pantzis and lyrics written by Posidonas Giannopoulos. Greece appeared 21st in a total of 25 countries.

Kalomira was accompanied by backing vocalists Victoria Halkiti and Nektarios Georgiadis and her set included a team of dancers and some impressive stage props designed by Ilias Ledakis. The choreography was designed by Juliano and artistic direction was by Costas Kapetanidis.

Caption: Kalomira of Greece performing at the 2008 Eurovision Song Contest finals in Belgrade. (ANA-MPA/EPA/T. Valic)

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[04] Archbishop of America in Moscow

During the third day of his visit, on Saturday, the two hierarchs jointly officiated at the historic cathedral at the Kremlin, while on Sunday Archbishop Demetrios was due to meet with the Metropolitan of Smolensk and Kaliningrad Kyrillos, the head of the Moscow Patriarchate's International Relations Department.

The two held the religious service in memory of the Ss Cyril and Methodios, brothers and monks from Byzantine-era Thessaloniki, who preached Orthodoxy to the Slavic nations and the Cyrillic alphabet. Their feast day in Russia is celebrated as the Day of Slavic Letters.

Despite the pouring rain, hundreds of faithful followed the litany from the Kremlin to the monument of the Thessaloniki monks in Slavianskaya Square, where a memorial service was held with the participation of representatives of several predominately Orthodox countries.

Caption: Orthodox priests hold a ceremony commemorating a holiday for Ss. Cyril and Methodius (Day of Slavic Culture) in the Red Square in Moscow, Russia, on 24 May 2008. Ss Cyril and Methodius are the creators of the Cyrilic alphabet. ANA-MPA/ EPA/SERGEI ILNITSKY

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