Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-06-11

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

CONTENTS

[01] Inner Cabinet approves justice ministry draft laws

[02] FM Bakoyannis due in Cyprus

[03] Alavanos on Lisbon Treaty

[01] Inner Cabinet approves justice ministry draft laws

Justice Minister Sotiris Hatzigakis stated afterwards that the Inner Cabinet unanimously approved his recommendations concerning the Cohabitation Agreement forheterosexual couples and the adoption of speedier no fault divorce procedures, halving the duration of the process from 4 to 2 years.

He also announced that a child molestation draft law prepared in compliance with a relevant Council of Europe decision will be advanced, following its unanimous approval by the Inner Cabinet, and clarified that it will include both preventive and suppressive measures and harsher penalties.

Referring to the cohabitation agreement, he said that his recommendation did not concern same-sex couples, adding that this aspect was not under discussion.

(Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis.

[02] FM Bakoyannis due in Cyprus

Bakoyannis will meet with Cyprus' state and political leadership, and according to foreign ministry spokesman George Koumoutsakos, she will be briefed on the course of the talks and developments concerning the Cyprus problem.

"The visit confirms the lasting cooperation, communication and coordination between Athens and Nicosia, while sending a strong message reconfirming Greeceâs support to Christofiasâ efforts aimed at putting an end to the unacceptable partition of the island," Koumoutsakos stressed.

On Thursday morning, the foreign minister will have separate meetings with President Christofias and her counterpart Markos Kyprianou while later in the afternoon she will meet with leading officials of the parties AKEL, DISY, DIKO, EDEK, EUROKO and the Ecologists.

In the evening she will address a DISY party event on "EU after the Lisbon Treaty", on the occasion of the inauguration of the Glafkos Clerides Foundation.

On Friday, Bakoyannis will meet with Cypriot Parliament President Marios Karoyan and have separate meetings with former Cypriot presidents Tassos Papadopoulos, Glafkos Clerides and George Vasiliou.

On Saturday, the foreign minister will be in Paphos, where she and her Cypriot counterpart will address an event on ?the European future of united Cyprus?. Later in the afternoon, Bakoyannis will be honored with the cityâs Gold Key and attend celebrations on the occasion of the twinning of the municipalities of Paphos and Hania, Crete.

Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis.

[03] Alavanos on Lisbon Treaty

Referring to the Treaty, he said that it was "passing" without a social discussion and without democratic participation, while hailing citizens assembled outside Parliament who were seeking a different Europe with the participation of society.

Focusing on his party's position, Alavanos said that it will vote against it and stressed that Europe is being fragmented again, fishermen are closing ports, truckdrivers are closing borders and "Europe is not forging ahead, it is going centuries back."

Alavanos pointed out that the Treaty's hard core gives priority to fiscal policies and to freedom of the markets in the name of competition, those that are also composing the international crisis.

Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of SYRIZA Parliamentary Group leader Alekos Alavanos.

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