Athens News Agency: News in English, 10-06-02

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM receives Belgian counterpart Leterme

[02] Athens Newspaper Headlines

[01] PM receives Belgian counterpart Leterme

Leterme visited Athens in the framework of a "round of capitals" tour ahead of the EU presidency that Belgium will assume on July 1, and shortly before June 13. elections.

Thanking his Belgian counterpart "for his support " the Greek prime minister noted that developments in the European monetary sector "vindicated the positions that we had supported since the first days after the elections." He also underlined that the country will proceed with the necessary reforms to face the crisis.

On his part, Leterme pointed out that bilateral relations are at a very good level, and he stressed that there is absolute consensus regarding the "future of Europe", he noted that the Belgian presidency will deal with the implementation of the Lisbon treaty, climate change and monetary affairs, while agreeing with the Greek prime minister that the EU's negotiations with Turkey on the issue of illegal immigration must also be promoted.

Leterme stressed that the top priority during the Belgian presidency will be the issue of economic governance and mentioned that the issue of supplementary investments in joint infrastructures will be discussed at the upcoming summit.

[02] Athens Newspaper Headlines

The changes in the pension system and social security system in general, the international community's demand for the immediate release of the humanitarian aid flotilla activists detained in Israel, the dialogue on labour relations, and the Siemens slush funds scandal, mostly dominated the headlines on Wednesday in Athens' newspapers.

ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: "Ruling PASOK's unbelievable fiasco in the Siemens kickbacks".

APOGEVMATINI: "PASOK responsible for the confusion in the parliamentary fact-finding commission on the Siemens affair".

AVGHI: "PASOK and main opposition New Democracy (ND) are attempting to keep their former governments' prime ministers out of the investigation".

AVRIANI: "The people are laughing with the fact-finding commission's unbelievable gaffes".

ELEFTHEROS: "All the cutbacks in benefits, incomes and bonuses in public sector and public utilities effective as of June 1".

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "Chairman of the fact-finding commission on Siemens, former PASOK minister and MP Sifis Valyrakis, is the mastermind of the political conspiracy".

ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "Black money behind the fiasco".

ESTIA: "The economy is collapsing - The repercussions of the tax hunt".

ETHNOS: "Shock in Maximos mansion (government headquarters) over the pensions - Prime Minister George Papandreou takes over the deliberations with the troika (EU-ECB-IMF)".

IMERISSIA: "The crisis brings the market to its knees - Enterprises in state of siege".

KATHIMERINI: "Social security system tailor-made for IMF and EU".

LOGOS: "MPs' telephones tapped".

NAFTEMPORIKI: "Talks on salary freezes begin".

NIKI: "Mergers save the bank deposits".

RIZOSPASTIS: "Pensions become a thing of the past, and are being replaced by a penury benefit".

TA NEA: "Pension 'sealed' at 40 years of work, with retirement age at 60 - Dramatic decisions for the new social security system".

TO VIMA: "Thriller with the IMF over the pensions of poverty - The memorandum brings turmoil in government".

VRADYNI: "Barbarous changes with the pension system - The troika (EU, IMF, ECB) pressures the government to cut the pension in half".

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