Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-10-09

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM:Series of meetings on Thu.

[02] PASOK on financial crisis

[03] FM holds talks with Dinkic

[04] Athens Newspaper Headlines

[01] PM:Series of meetings on Thu.

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

[02] PASOK on financial crisis

"The decrease in interest rates (by the European Central Bank, the Federal Bank of the United States and the Bank of England) is a move in the right direction and will help the European eonomy to find once again a part of its development momentum and with appropriate supplementary and suitable policies which, unfortunately, do not exist in our country, can help towards creating more jobs and more investments," the spokesman said.

Papaconstantinou also believes that Tuesday's decisions by Ecofin on increasing the deposits guaranteeing limit to 50,000 euros and by the Greek government to 100,000 euros "are moving in the right direction."

Asked to comment on an interview by PASOK official Anna Diamantopoulou who did not deny that PASOK would impose taxes, Papaconstantinou said that "it is evident that every government imposes taxes, but our difference is that (ruling) New Democracy (ND) imposes taxes to the many and gives tax breaks to the few."

Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of main opposition PASOK party leader George Papandreou

[03] FM holds talks with Dinkic

Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis and Serbian deputy Prime Minister and Economy and regional development minister Mladan Dinkic discussed on Wednesday Greece's commitment on the completion of the European X Corridor that will turn Thessaloniki into the most important port in the Balkans, as well as the international monetary crisis and the Kossovo issue.

The Serbian minister thanked the Greek side for its commitment to pay the amount of 100 million euros over the next four years for the implementation of the European Corridor in the framework of the Greek Plan on Balkan Reconstruction and said that the commencement of its construction is set for this coming spring and its cost is estimated at 600 million euros.

He also received assurances during the meetings he held in Athens with Economy Minister George Alogoskoufis as well on the good course of Greek banks that are active in his country and opposed panic moves.

He thanked Greece for its support for Serbia's effort to promote through the UN General Assembly the issue of the legality or not of Kossovo's unilateral independence at the International Court at The Hague.

As regards relations with the European Union, Dinkic said that although Serbia's views differ from the EU on the issue of Kossovo and this is an important element, he stressed that "as is also the case with families, we cannot agree on everything. We shall remain a factor of stability in the region and we are interested primarily in economic progress and underlined the importance of abolishing visas for Serb citizens."

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

[04] Athens Newspaper Headlines

The international stockmarket crisis and its repercussions in Greece dominated the front pages of Athens' dailies on Thursday.

ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: "The Greek economy not in danger - (Economy and finance minister) Alogoskoufis reiterates his assurances".

APOGEVMATINI: "The world reliving 1929 - Neither the 0.5 percent reduction in bank rates halted the plummet of the European stock markets".

AVGHI: "Global domino effect - The interventions by the central banks created fears of worse days ahead".

AVRIANI: "Depositors will not lose a single euro - Alogoskoufis commitment on the entirety of deposits in all the banks operating in Greece".

CHORA: "Cash is the King - The stockmarkets sighing throughout the world - Interest reduction a kiss of life".

ELEFTHERI ORA: "They reduced interest by half a percentage point and gave a kiss of life to borrowers".

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "15 'keys' to securing your money - After the guarantee for deposits of up 100,000 euros, what the economists recommend on deposits, bonds and repos - Warning bell by the Bank of Greece over 'red' loans".

ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "Black days - Recession on the horizon - Nightmarish prospects for US and Europe seen by the International Monetary Fund'.

ESTIA: "The government exacerbating the crisis - It deprives the economy of resources".

ETHNOS: "They're searching for salvation 'recipes' - Coordinated reduction of interest rates in Europe, US, Asia".

KATHIMERINI: "Shock measures are not calming the situation in the markets - First-time coordinated reduction of interest - Partial nationalization of banks in Britain".

LOGOS: "Life-belt with 0.50 percent interest reduction...by 7 central banks - Efforts to ameliorate the repercussions of the global financial crisis".

NIKI: "The crisis also hit the (social security) Funds - Worry over the pensions and the benefits of the insured".

PONTIKI (weekly): "Help me, oh poor ones, so that I will not become like you... - Is the system collapsing, or are they looting us again?"

RIZOSPASTIS: "No tolerance - Outcry over the Funds' stolen monies and the people's needs - New anti-popular measures for management of the crisis".

TA NEA: "Global SOS on loans, deposits - Panic from the plunge in the stockmarkets".

TO VIMA: "The interest rate cut creates hopes for recovery - Coordinated intervention by seven central banks".

VRADYNI: "Breather for borrowers - The concerted reduction of (the key) interest rate by 0.50 percent by central banks".

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