Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-07-10

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

CONTENTS

[01] Karamanlis, Zapatero discuss migration, energy issues

[02] SYRIZA press conference

[03] Exports jump 21.2% in May

[01] Karamanlis, Zapatero discuss migration, energy issues

"Dealing with illegal immigration is not an issue that concerns only the coastal member-states of the European Union, given that illegal migrants can move freely throughout the EU," Karamanlis pointed out as he outlined a drive to create a European system for monitoring borders and a European patrol network.

He said that there was already a central register of available technical equipment that could be temporarily loaned to other states at their request, but noted that much remained to be done in order for all member-states to contribute to the common effort.

A first step toward implementing a proposal for a European coastguard could be taken by the Mediterranean member-states in the Community and "could prove very beneficial for the entire EU," Karamanlis clarified.

The Greek premier expressed his support for a proposed EU pact on immigration and asylum, saying that Greece chiefly placed emphasis on human rights issues, dealing with people-traffickers and reporting those countries that did not honour their obligations in terms of readmitting immigrants.

Replying to a question on high prices, Karamanlis said that this was a global issue that concerned the entire world and was due both to the financial crisis that began in the United States and the rise in prices for oil, food and other commodities.

According to the premier, this was not a strictly economic issue but one that was also deeply social and affected a great many people, especially those on lower incomes that society had an obligation to support.

"We must also, however, protect the things that we achieved through so many sacrifices over the past years in terms of fiscal reform, so that we do not once again launch a new vicious circle of deficits and debts," he added.

The policies being implemented by the EU had a double goal: to deal with the current problems in the best possible way and to prepare the economies to take advantage of the global economic recovery that would follow, Karamanlis pointed out.

The European Commission had therefore proposed targeted measures to support the incomes of the economically weakest EU citizens and boost efforts to deal with inflation, the Greek premier noted.

The statements made after the meeting by the Spanish premier emphasised issues related to renewable energy sources and said that Spanish businesses operating in Greece voiced high praise for the country.

Zapatero expressed his support for Greece's reports concerning good neighbour relations in the Balkans and the European perspective of countries in this region.

On issues of illegal immigration, he called for developmental support for the countries where these migrants originated, so that they were able to support people at home.

"Europe respects immigrants and will never become a fortress but it cannot allow anyone to come and go as they please, without following the legal procedures," the Spanish premier stressed.

Karamanlis and Zapatero followed their meeting with a working dinner, during which they were to discuss the Cyprus issue, developments in the western Balkans and the European perspective of western Balkan countries and Turkey.

Caption: Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis (left) shakes hands with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Zapatero outside the prime minister's offices in Athens on Thursday, before their meeting. ANA-MPA - Maria Marogiannis

[02] SYRIZA press conference

?Political life is stagnant, instead of putting the country on red alert to deal with the high cost of living and poverty,? Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) parliamentary group leader Alekos Alavanos commented, referring to recent corruption cases, and reiterated his partyâs position ?in favor of an inquiry committee? pointing out, nonetheless, that ?even so, problems will not be solved?.

?The Siemens affair is not the exception,? he said, adding that ?corruption is a rule and a precondition for the system to operate,? while maintaining that prime minister Karamanlisâ Greece, as a follow up of PASOK premier Costas Simitis, reminds of Yeltsinâs Russia when no rules were in effect or applied. He stressed that a political change is imperative in the country, adding that SYRIZA was preparing to present an alternative programme.

SYRIZA parliamentary spokesman Fotis Kouvelis unveiled proposals on transparency, underlining that the legislation on government ministers' accountability needs to be changed immediately, taking under consideration the UN pact against corruption ratified by the Greek Parliament in April 2008 that penalizes the bribery of public servants.

Caption: SYRIZA parliamentary group leader Alekos Alavanos. (ANA-MPA/P. Saitas)

[03] Exports jump 21.2% in May

The statistical service said the value of imports fell 11.7 pct in May to 4.388 billion euros, from 4.967 billion euros in May 2007. The value of import-arrivals in the 12-month period from June 2007 to May 2008 rose 1.9 pct, while the value of export-deliveries fell by 1.8 pct over the same period.

Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of the commercial port of Piraeus, Greece's largest.

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