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Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-12-30Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] Karamanlis confers with FM on Middle EastPrime Minister Costas Karamanlis met on Tuesday with foreign minister Dora Bakoyannis to review the developments in the Middle East and the situation in the Gaza Strip.Speaking to reporters afterwards, Bakoyannis said that "we are in agreement on the Greek government's proposals and the preparation we have made in order to be present, first and foremost at humanitarian level". She said that a condition for Greece's being able to provide humaniatrian aid was that "there will be an immediate truce, ceasefire, and a humanitarian corridor, which is necessary for the safe passage of medical aid as well as the people who will need to go to Gaza to help the Palestinians, who are in an exceptionally tragic condition at this time". Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis and Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis outside the Maximos mansion (government's headquarters) [02] Karamanlis meets representatives of jurist and prosecutor associationsPrime Minister Costas Karamanlis received on Tuesday the representatives of the six Jurist and Prosecutor Associations at the Maximos Mansion (government headquarters) in the presence of Justice Minister Sotiris Hatzigakis. The minister underlined afterwards that such a meeting had taken place for the first time, pointing out that the government wishes to highlight its respect toward justice. He stressed that the Greek people should be proud of the work performed by the judges and prosecutors and added that the role of the sector unions is important, setting an example on how unions should operate. Responding to a question by reporters on the low credibility ratings received by the Greek judiciary based on recent opinion polls, Hatzigakis underlined that ratings were high considering the recent events. "The people will come to have complete confidence in the justice system next year when the rulings on high publicity cases are issued," he stressed. Jurist and Prosecutor Association President Charalambos Athanasiou stated that the prime minister expressed interest in the existing problems and smooth operation of justice, pointing out that he is aware of the issues that concern the judiciary. "The lack of trust reflected in the opinion polls is coincidental," Athanasiou stressed, underlining that two years ago ratings were even lower.[03] Papariga departs for RamallahA five-member delegation of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), headed by party leader Aleka Papariga, will depart on Monday for Ramallah in an active display of solidarity with the Palestinian people, according to Papariga.The KKE leader said that "not a single day, a single minute, must pass without manifestation of the Greek people's solidarity toward the Palestinian people, who are undergoing a barbarous Israeli attack". Papariga put the blame for the attack equally on the government of Israel and the US, and also on the European Union, charging that "the lack of intervention capability does not display neutrality" but "is an advocate of this attack either by sharing the responsibilities or with its latest resolution, which upgraded its relations with Israel". The KKE secretary general stressed that there was only one solution, "that of an independent Palestinian State, next to the State of Israel, on the 1967 borders, with eastern Jerusalem as its capital". Papariga questioned whether "there is a place for the holiday celebrations in our country at a time when a state, the Palestinian state, is undergoing an attack that aims at genocide". Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of Communist Party of Greece secretary general Aleka Papariga [04] ASE : Strong RiseEquity prices were rising on Tuesday on the Athens Stock Exchange (ASE), with the basic share price index up 2.15 percent, standing at 1,789.34 points at 12:25 p.m., and turnover at 34.8 million euros.Individual sector indices were moving mostly upward, with the biggest gains in Banks, up 5.96 percent; Mass Media, up 3.38 percent; and Raw Materials, up 2.01 percent. The biggest losses were in Insurance, down 7.41 percent; Health, down 1.74 percent; and Telecoms, down 0.84 percent. The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavily traded stocks was up 3.17 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index was up 1.10 percent, and the FTSE/ASE-80 small cap index was up 2.04 percent. Of the stocks moved, 131 were up, 37 were down, and 38 were unchanged. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |