Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-10-19

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

CONTENTS

[01] Central banker on measures for crisis

[02] Bakoyannis on Vatopedi, FYROM

[03] Hatzigakis: we have nothing to hide

[04] President returns from Vietnam

[05] Valinakis at Francophonie Summit

[01] Central banker on measures for crisis

The mobilisation of significant sums to deal with the financial crisis will have the maximum possible effectiveness, Provopoulos predicted.

He also expressed confidence that, as a result of spending these sums, "the situation in international money and capital markets will gradually start to normalise" and that this would also affect the Greek banking system that would "stop getting all these external shocks".

Asked how the dangers of the international crisis might be dealth with, Provopoulos said that it would need "the right mixture of policy" and that this would need to be based on "supporting the productive base through investments and a qualitative improvement of human resources".

In the meantime, however, restoring trust in financial markets worldwide had to be the top priority for everyone," he stressed.

Caption: ANA-MPA file photograph of Bank of Greece governor George Provopoulos.

[02] Bakoyannis on Vatopedi, FYROM

At the same time, she accused the main opposition of "investing in scandal-mongering" and playing a "dangerous game of petty politics".

She agreed, however, that it was now time for the file on the case to be sent to Parliament in its entirety, without delay, while denying that the government was considering early elections.

Referring to the international economic crisis, Bakoyannis noted that events had shown the mistake of believing that an open society and a free economy could operate without ethics, with unrestrained profits as their only driving force.

On the issue of the name dispute with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Bakoyannis reiterated that Greece had a steadfast position calling for a "composite name with a geographic determinant that will apply for all uses" and pointed out that Greece would be able to veto FYROM's entry into the EU.

Asked about Greece's exclusion from the US visa waiver programme, she underlined that Greece did not prepared to concede to the logic of pressure but appeared confident that there would be a positive result on this issue at the start of the next year.

Caption: ANA-MPA file photograph of Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis.

[03] Hatzigakis: we have nothing to hide

He was replying to questions about the investigation into suspect land deals by the Vatopedi Monastery, where low-value property on the shores of Lake Vistonida was exchanged for prime pieces of public real estate in other parts of the country in transactions carried out by Hellenic Public Real Estate Corporation and approved by ministers.

Asked when the file on the case would be sent by the public prosecutors' office to Parliament, the minister answered that the developments of the next few days and the debates in Parliament would clear up this matter.

He also denied that members of the government had attempted to intervene in the course of justice or exert pressures in this case.

"I have never become aware of this kind of involvement by my fellow ministers or other government officials," Hatzigakis said in response to questions.

The minister further denied the possibility that Supreme Court Chief Prosecutor George Sanidas would resign over his handling of the Vatopedi case, as well as rumours that he had himself offered to resign.

Questioned about the criticism leveled against him for abolishing self-administration by the courts, Hatzigakis defended the measures he had introduced for the appointment of new heads of court by the Supreme Court plenum, saying it was necessary for courts as a whole to work efficiently.

Caption: ANA-MPA file photograph of the Vatopedi Monastery on Mount Athos.

[04] President returns from Vietnam

The President's return was delayed by two days due to a malfunction in the airplane carrying the President and a large delegation that was detected shortly before take-off from Da Nang airport.

[05] Valinakis at Francophonie Summit

Valinakis underlined the importance of "collaboration and cooperation in the global economic crisis" and praised the role of the French presidency of the European Union and French President Nicolas Sarkozy toward this end.

"With the guidance of the European Council President Nicolas Sarkozy, France has achieved cooperation initially within the framework of the EU and then more broadly, so that the crisis can be dealt with in the best possible way and not with uncoordinated policies," he said.

Referring to the plans for an international summit that could be held within the next few weeks, Valinakis underlined the usefulness of such a meeting and noted that there was nothing worse, under the present circumstances, then for "everyone to go their own way".

The French president cut short his attendance of the Francophonie Summit on Sunday to visit Camp David, accompanied by European Commission President Jose Barroso, in order to meet US President George Bush. During the three-hour meeting, they will convey the message of the recent EU summit and Europe's proposal for a G8 meeting - extended to include the emerging economies - to decide on reforms to the financial system on a global scale.

Meanwhile, the Francophonie summit in Quebec continued with discussion on introducing a form of Francophonie "visa" that will allow citizens of its member-states to travel freely between the countries within it.

The talks also covered environmental issues, where Greece approached other countries like itself with a significant number of island territories to propose working together on a series of issues in the framework of EuroMediterranean cooperation.

Caption: ANA-MPA file photograph of Deputy Foreign Minister Yannis Valinakis.

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