Athens News Agency: News in English, 10-10-04

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM receives Quadriga award in Berlin

[02] ND leader Samaras addresses ONNED festival

[03] Chinese support for return of Marbles

[04] World Animal Day celebrated

[05] Greece is not a free-for-all

[06] ASE opening: Marginal decline

[07] Athens Newspaper Headlines

[01] PM receives Quadriga award in Berlin

The Quadriga Awards are presented on October 3 each year - the anniversary of the reunification of Germany - to four personalities or projects that are regarded as role models for or from Germany.

Papandreou was awarded for his efforts to "restructure Greek fiscal policy and avert default by the Greek State" and the award was presented by Deutschen Bank AG CEO Dr. Josef Ackermann.

The Greek premier said in his speech that he was receiving the award "on behalf of all Greeks", adding that he had opted to "speak openly and sincerely" on Greece's fiscal situation. Referring to the symbolism of the Quadriga Award as "breaking down taboos" and the fall of the Berlin Wall, Papandreou said that also today some Walls should fall, citing the division Cyprus as well as "economic and religious walls".

On his part Josef Ackermann praised the Greek prime minister and appeared optimistic over the course of the Greek economy.

More details on the subscriber's page of APE-MPE | Subscription request form

[02] ND leader Samaras addresses ONNED festival

Samaras spoke of "supporters and parrots of the government who want to spread fear among the people to justify the memorandum's support."

He said that ND voted against the memorandum "precisely to give a prospect to young people". He further expressed certainty that on the November 7 local government elections the citizens "will send a message of hope and of disapproval of the government of the memorandum, voting against the candidates of the ruling party."

The ND leader praised Vassilis Kikilias, who is the party's candidate for the Attica regional governor post, and called on the party's youth to support the candidacy of a "young and honest person who does not have skeletons in his closet".

More details on the subscriber's page of APE-MPE | Subscription request form

[03] Chinese support for return of Marbles

Wen Jiabao pledged to support Greece's standing demand for the repatriation of the Parthenon Marbles, currently displayed at the British Museum in London, to the new Acropolis Museum.

The Chinese premier also recounted the looting and destruction in 1860 of the old summer palace Yuan Ming Yuan, outside Beijing, by British troops. The soldiers were acting on the orders of then British High Commissioner to China Lord Elgin, the son of the notorious Lord Elgin, the diplomat who connived of the operation to slice off and (ANA-MPA) remove the sculptures from the Ottoman-occupied Parthenon less than two decades before the Greek War of Independence.

Caption: Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou (L) with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao pose in front of the Parthenon Temple atop the Acropolis in Athens on Sunday, Oct. 3, 2010. ANA-MPA / O. PANAGIOTOU

More details on the subscriber's page of APE-MPE | Subscription request form

[04] World Animal Day celebrated

The specific date, October 4, was chosen as World Animal Day as it is the Feast Day of St Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and it is intended to be a day of celebration for anyone in the world who cares about animals.

More details on the subscriber's page of APE-MPE | Subscription request form

[05] Greece is not a free-for-all

A briefing was provided during the meeting both for the minister and the chief of police, as well as for police and army officials, on the intensity of the phenomenon in the Evros region, that more and more illegal immigrants are choosing, in relation to the seaway, for entry into European territory.

"Greece can no longer stand the waves of illegal immigrants and all are aware that it is not a phenomenon that concerns our country but the European Union in its entirety," Papoutsis said.

The minister indicated that the government will be taking inititiatives in the near future in the framework of the European Union, which he called on to assume its responsibilities towards a country that is currently experiencing the greatest pressure by immigration flows.

More details on the subscriber's page of APE-MPE | Subscription request form

[06] ASE opening: Marginal decline

All individual sector indices were mixed with the biggest gains in Health, up 1.71 percent; and Public Utilities, up 1.07 percent.

The biggest losses were in Oil and Gas, down 0.83 percent and in Raw Materials down 0.72 percent.

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavily traded stocks was down 0.08 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index was up 0.61 percent, and the FTSE/ASE-80 small cap index was up 0.57 percent.

Of the stocks traded, 30 were up, 15 were down, and 33 were unchanged.

More details on the subscriber's page of APE-MPE | Subscription request form

[07] Athens Newspaper Headlines

Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao's visit to Greece and the agreement on the boosting Chinese investments in Piraeus port as well as the purchase of Greek State bonds and the 2011 State Budget, mostly dominated the headlines on Monday in Athens' newspapers.

ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: "China backs Greece - Thirteen agreements on commerce and development brought by the Chinese premier".

APOGEVMATINI: "Return to the 'road of silk' - Papandreou's government, albeit late, makes overture to China".

AVRIANI: "The real estate 'gang' ordered death contracts".

CHORA: "Papandreou was awarded for his support to the German economy".

ELEFTHEROS: "PASOK government: One year of disaster for the country".

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "The secrets and traps of the new income tax statement".

ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "Beijing puts up the money and Greece puts up the works".

ESTIA: "Papandreou's first year of governance: Twelve-month nightmare ".

ETHNOS: "Chinese landing operation - Strategic support in words and actions".

IMERISSIA: "Tax inquisition".

NAFTEMPORIKI: "China makes investments and buys Greek State bonds".

TA NEA: "Labour agreements a la carte!".

VRADYNI: "Austerity kills the development - Additional taxes, and salary and pensions' freeze foreseen in 2011 State Budget".

More details on the subscriber's page of APE-MPE | Subscription request form

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article