Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-06-30

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM Karamanlis to meet with Monetengro premier Djukanovic

[02] Parliament president in Moscow

[03] Athens Newspaper Headlines

[01] PM Karamanlis to meet with Monetengro premier Djukanovic

Earlier, he is due to confer with interior minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos.

During an address in parliament on Friday, Karamanlis announced that his ruling New Democracy (ND) party's Parliamentary group would request that a Parliamentary fact-finding commission look into the Siemens affair "as soon as justice completes its inquiry". He also announced his intention to propose a cross-party committee on the timely issue of "political money".

Caption: File photo of prime minsiter Costas Karamanlis. (ANA-MPA)

[02] Parliament president in Moscow

In statements to the Russian state news agency RIA-Novosti shortly before his arrival, Sioufas said that the "friendly relations between our peoples, inter-state cooperation in many areas, the shared views of our countries on several world issues are the base for expanding the horizons of bilateral cooperation even further."

He said bilateral relations between Greece and Russia were excellent, as testified by the many meetings in recent years between Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

This is the first official visit to the State Duma by a president of the Greek Parliament and one of the main issues to be discussed on Monday with Gryzlov will be joint planning of actions and initiatives to strengthen relations between the parliamentary bodies of the two countries, Sioufas said.

Replying to questions about bilateral energy cooperation, such as the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline of the South Stream natgas pipeline - as well as his own personal contribution to this policy in his previous capacity as Greece's development minister, Sioufas said the progress was "the result of a shared intent and close cooperation for the benefit not only of Greece and Russia but of European and international markets".

He also pointed to "new opportunities" for Russian energy companies in the Greek market following the deregulation of the electricity and natgas markets in Greece.

Sioufas also suggested that this was an appropriate time to strengthen ties between the European Parliament and the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC) Parliamentary Assembly, saying that the State Duma and Greek Parliament could work together in this direction.

While in Moscow, Sioufas is scheduled to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Monday and Russia's former energy minister and current Industry and Trade Minister Viktor Khristenko.

Caption: File photo of Greek parliament president Dimitris Sioufas. (ANA-MPA/K. Mavrona)

[03] Athens Newspaper Headlines

The developments in the investigation into the Siemens affair, and the maritime accident involving the 'Theophilos' car/passenger ferry which ran aground on a reef near the island of Oinousses, fortunately without any injuries, while on the Lesvos-Chios route, dominated the front-page headlines in Athens' newspapers on Monday.

ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: "The top party is the...undecided, with 27.4 percent, opinion poll on the political system indicates".

APOGEVMATINI: "Who Tsoukatos (economic advisor to the prime minister during the PASOK government of premier Costas Simitis) holds in his hands - The 'general', discouraged over his 'abandonment' by PASOK, ready to make 'revelations' ".

AVRIANI: "The others from whom Tsoukaos has received 'black money' - Following his admission that 'black packages' (money under the table) entered PASOK, the prosecutor is obliged to call him back for another deposition".

CHORA: "The maestro of kickbacks - Tsoukatos pointed the finger at Simitis who is 'whsitling nonchalantly' ".

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "How safely are we traveling? - The new maritime accident at Oinousses gives reise to a major issue for coastal shipping, in the middle of the summer".

ELEFTHEROTUPIA: "And certain ministers', Mr. Prosecutor? Silence after the revealing deposition".

ESTIA: "The Semens affair a political catalyst - Control of the revelations impossible".

ETHNOS: "The political system in chaos - Long-term 'sponsorships' by Siemens to political parties being revealed".

TA NEA: "We were giving 5 million euros a year in graft (in Greece) - Siekaczek (former Siemens official) speaks to Ta Nea".

VRADYNI: "The Theophilos accident highlights the pathogenies of Greek coastal shipping".

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