Athens News Agency: News in English, 09-02-13

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

CONTENTS

[01] Greek economy grew by 3% in '08

[02] Gov't on AEK sports complex

[01] Greek economy grew by 3% in '08

The statistics service, in a report, said the economic growth rate in the fourth quarter of 2008 was 2.6 pct, down from 2.9 pct in the previous quarter, while on a quarterly base, economic growth rate in the October-December period was 0.3 pct, slightly from 0.5 pct in the third quarter.

The statistical service attributed the slowdown in the growth rate to a significant decline in investments, mainly because of a major decrease in building activity in the country, while consumption fell strongly as a result of limited credit expansion to households.

Greece's finance ministry, in an updated Stability and Growth programme submitted with the European Union, envisages a growth rate of 1.1 pct this year.

Eurostat also said on Friday that the Greek economy grew by 2.6 pct in the fourth quarter of 2008. The EU executive's statistics agency said that Greece (3.0 pct), Slovakia (2.7 pct), Czech Republic (1.0 pct) and Austria (0.5 pct) were the only EU member-states with positive growth rates.

In the Eurozone, the economy shrank by 1.2 pct, while in the EU-27 GDP was -1.1 pct, compared with a 0.2 pct decline in the US.

[02] Gov't on AEK sports complex

Ioannidis, Greece's best known basketball coach before entering politics, made the statement in Parliament in response to a tabled question by Popular Orthodox Rally (LA.OS) deputy Costas Aivaliotis.

Ioannidis said he favors a new football stadium and sports complex "near AEK's fan base", an indirect nod for the Nea Philadelphia district of northwest Athens, where the popular Greek club was headquartered since its founding in 1924.

He added, however, that there has been no official request as yet from either the professional football team, AEK FC, or the amateur club, which owns the property where AEK's Nikos Goumas stadium once stood. The entire stadium was demolished in 2003 by the amateur club's then management on the basis of an ill-fated scheme to build a massive retail and sports complex, a plan that was eventually stalled by legal challenges.

"We need to know, therefore, which side (pro team or amateur club) will ask, and what they will ask for in order to see how we can help the team," he said, adding that when a specific request is made, state services will be instructed to look for property near Nea Philadelphia.

On his part, the LA.OS deputy called on the government and Ioannidis to act as a mediator in order to bridge whatever differences so that construction can begin within a year.

Caption: A file photo dated May 8, 2003 shows demolition works at AEK's historic Nikos Goumas field in the Nea Philadelphia district of northwest Athens. ANA-MPA / Sportidea.gr

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