Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-09-16

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM confers with Merchant Marine Min.

[02] Bakoyannis at EU Council

[03] Exhibition at Acropolis museum

[04] Book Festival in Athens

[05] Opera singer honoured

[06] Athens Newspaper Headlines

[01] PM confers with Merchant Marine Min.

Papaligouras, a former justice minister who was sworn in as merchant marine minister on Monday, said his first priority was to carry on with and complete port reformsm stressing that this was an extremely crucial matter, explaining that it was a structural reform of importance to the country's growth and the economy.

The second priority, Papaligouras continued, was coastal shipping, focusing on ensuring the best possible link of the country's islands with the mainland, particularly the capital and the other major cities.

Papaligouras said that every possible effort would be made to improve the overall conditions of the island inhabitants.

Another crucial matter, he continued, was that of the Harbor Corps personnel, as well as the economic 'shielding' of the Aegean so that it will be sea of peace and growth.

On ocean-going shipping, Papaligouras said incentives were necessary to maximize its contribution to the Greek economy, explaining that he was not referring only to investments at sea, but also to state incentives for investments on shore as well.

Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of Maximos mansion (prime minister's office)

[02] Bakoyannis at EU Council

Bakoyannis stressed that Greek diplomacy strongly supports the French Presidency's initiatives, noting that these initiatives have led the EU to having an extremely effective intervention in an international crisis.

"We are absolutely aware that we are at the beginning of a very difficult path. We believe, however, that it is crucial that the European observers go to Georgia in the next month," she said, underlining the Greek side's intention to send in principle eight military cadres and two vehicles to Georgia and to place at the EU's disposal Greece's centre in Piraeus for facilitating maritime transportation.

Bakoyannis also expressed satisfaction over the fact that the EU has succeeded so far in having a unified stance on the issue of Georgia, even if it is not possible, as she pointed out, for all the member-states to be satisfied entirely.

Lastly, the foreign minister said that Greece, for reasons of principle, intends to support Serbia in its decision to resort to the Hague Court on the issue of Kosovo.

"From the point of view of positions of principle, Greece cannot be opposed to one country resorting to the Hague Court," she said.

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

[03] Exhibition at Acropolis museum

The exhibition includes the "Nostoi Capolavori Ritrovati" exhibition which was organised by the Presidency of the Italian Republic and was initially presented in Rome (Palazzo del Quirinale, December 2, 2007-March 30, 2008) and then at the Palazzo Poli a Fontana di Trevi and focused on 74 repatriated antiquities from various Museums in the United States.

The exhibition will provide the public with the first taste of the joint effort between Italy and Greece on cracking down on the illegal trafficking of their cultural goods.

The exhibition will be accompanied by a detailed scientific catalogue in both the Greek and English language.

The inauguration will be taking place on Wednesday, September 24, at 10:30 a.m.

Caption: ANA-MPA photo

[04] Book Festival in Athens

228 pavilions and 300 publishers with a total of 50,000 books are hosted in the book exhibition.

The Festival this year is dedicated to inter-culture and authors from Bulgaria, Cyprus, Norway, Poland and Finland were invited to participate.

Athens Prefect Yiannis Sgouros inaugurated the Festival, while greetings were also delivered by main opposition Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) deputy Maria Damanaki and UNICEF president Lambros Kanellopoulos.

Caption: ANA-MPA file photo

[05] Opera singer honoured

An award-winning baritone with an illustrious international career as an opera singer, Modinos was also the first opera singer to become artistic director of the Greek national opera.

Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of John Modinos

[06] Athens Newspaper Headlines

Poll results indicating main opposition PASOK leading for the first time over ruling party New Democracy, the tax reforms and the international financial crisis dominated the headlines on Tuesday in Athens' newspapers.

ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: "FinMin George Alogoskoufis explains how the new tax system will work".

APOGEVMATINI: "Shock and awe from the crash - Worry over the repercussions from the collapse of the American colossal (Lehmann Brothers investment bank, which declared bankruptcy on Monday".

AVGHI: "Black Monday in stock markets - The biggest bancruptcy in US history"

AVRIANI: "613 billion US dollars debt from the 4th largest US investment bank LEHMANN Brothers - Bad news for the global economy".

CHORA: "Global economy rattled by banks' bankruptcies".

ETHNOS: "ND - prime minister's defeat - PASOK takes lead for first time, with 2.2 percent difference, in two opinion polls".

ELEFTHEROS "Hunger pensions for thousands of citizens - Three out of ten receive less than 450 euros per month".

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "The bank crash brings more expensive loans - Why Greek bankers are worried ".

ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "Polls indicate reversal in political scene - PASOK leading by 2.2 percentage points, poll indicates".

ESTIA "Karamanlis government didn't dare to make radical changes in taxation".

KATHIMERINI: "Black Monday for international economy - Lehmann Brothers bankruptcy, sell-out of Merrill -Lynch and problems in AIG - Chaos on the Stock Markets".

LOGOS: "Sharp change of scenery -PASOK takes the lead by 2.2 percent".

NIKI: "PASOK leads by 2.2 percent, poll indicates - The people now realize the government's mistakes".

RIZOSPASTIS: "Six in ten pensioners barely surviving on 600 euros".

TA NEA: "Leap in George Papandreou's popularity, and PASOK takes the lead - Taxes and scandals sinking the government".

TO VIMA: "PASOK takes the lead! - For the first time since 2004 - Poll result gives it 2.2 percent lead over ND".

VRADYNI: "Vague scenery - Assumption of initiatives mandatory for exit from the crisis".

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