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Athens News Agency: News in English, 09-05-06Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] Karamanlis to leave for Prague on Wed.Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis will depart on Wednesday evening for Prague to participate in the Eastern Partnership Summit to be held on Thursday in the Czech capital. Karamanlis will also meet on Thursday afternoon with his Slovenian counterpart Borut Pahor.A day earlier, [02] Marfin Egnatia issues 60-mln-US dollar bondMarfin Egnatia Bank SA on Wednesday announced that its subsidiary in London "Egnatia Finance plc" issued a Tier II bond loan worth 60 million US dollars, with the guarantee of Marfin Egnatia Bank SA.The 10-year bond issue offer the right of early redemption after five years and are expeced to be rated as Lower Tier II capital according to the Bank of Greece's legislation. The issue carries a 5.5 pct coupon and will be distributed through a private placement. [03] Cretan farmers protest in dowtown AthensFarmers from Crete staged a rally outside the Economy Ministry in Syntagma square in downtown Athens on Wednesday morning, in demand of materialisation of the government's promises.Approximately 1,500 farmers, accompanied by a delegation of local administration officials, arrived on Wednesday morning in Piraeus port on ships from Hania and Heraklion. The farmers want to meet with Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis to submit to him a memorandum listing their demands. The protestors are calling for measures to support olive crops, viniculture and early garden produce cultivation. [04] Measures to exit from crisisThe government is determined to make any necessary changes and reforms to take the country out of the crisis with the less consequences possible, Economy and Finance Minister Yiannis Papathanasiou said on Wednesday.Speaking to reporters, after a inner cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, Papathanasiou said he briefed the inner cabinet over developments in a Eurogroup and Ecofin meetings in Brussels. The Greek minister said the European Commission's spring economic forecasts were worse compare with forecasts made three months ago, while he stressed that the Greek economy -although projected to perform better- was affected by a worsening economic crisis. "There are no easy recipes and magic solutions," Papathanasiou said, adding that "the government is determined to follow the choice of responsibility and to telling the whole truth to the Greek people, taking the necessary measures and adopting a policy that could lead the country out of the crisis". The Greek minister said he did not fear that a social unrest was possible in Europe and reiterated that the government was strong enough to implement economic policy measures. Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of FinMin Yannis Papathanassiou [05] Car sales 40.3pct downCar registrations dropped by 40.3 pct in the January-April 2009 period, compared with the corresponding period last year, the National Statistical Service said on Wednesday.The statistics service, in a report, said car registrations totaled 83,208 vehicles (new or used ones) in the first fourth months of the year, while new motorcycle registrations totaled 18,250 in the same period, down 31.9 pct from last year's levels. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |