Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-06-13

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

CONTENTS

[01] NATO meeting concludes

[02] Budget revenues up

[01] NATO meeting concludes

A series of issues were examined on the second and last day of the conference, that concerned the Alliance's development, such as the Rapid Reaction Force and NATO's Administration Structure. The NATO-Russia Council also convened, as well as the NATO-Ukraine Commission.

Referring, during his address, to the Rapid Reaction Force, Meimarakis said that the Force is an important instrument in improving national military capacities and constitutes the suitable guide in NATO's transformation process, stressing that "since the creation of the Force's venture, Greece has had a continuous and substantive contribution to it."

Meimarakis also expressed support for the strengthening of political and military cooperation between NATO and Russia.

"Russia is a strategic partner for security in the Euro-Atlantic region and further. Facing the same challenges, we must deepen cooperation between us as partners of equal value, to enable us to handle them with success," the defence minister said.

Also addressing the NATO-Ukraine Commission's conference, Meimarakis said that "Ukraine is a factor having a considerable special weight for Euro-Atlantic security."

[02] Budget revenues up

The ministry report attributed the slower growth rate of budget proceeds, compared with a budget target of 12.1 pct for the year, to conjuctural factors, although it stressed that the growth rate in the January-May period was higher compared with the corresponding period last year (3.1 pct).

Tax agencies' revenues rose by 2.6 percent in May, customs revenues fell by 3.9 pct, while VAT proceeds jumped by 11 percent in the same month, compared with last year.

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