Athens News Agency: News in English, 10-10-15

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM: 'We are not yet out of the tunnel'

[02] PM: Acropolis blockade politically incited

[03] Greek trade deficit down to 14.4 bln euros in Aug, Eurostat

[04] Restaurants to defy smoking ban

[05] T-bills auction Tuesday

[01] PM: 'We are not yet out of the tunnel'

Speaking in a meeting between the government, PASOK MPs and party officials in Parliament, the prime minister underlined that "we are on a better course" and that PASOK had saved the country from the destruction to which it was led by the preceding government of New Democracy (ND). The meeting was attended by government vice-president Theodoros Pangalos, Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou, ruling PASOK MPs and party cadres.

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[02] PM: Acropolis blockade politically incited

Replying to current questions in parliament on Friday, Papandreou referred to the closure of the Acropolis at the beginning of a discussion on a current question by Communist Party of Greece (KKE) leader Aleka Papariga on unemployment.

He said that every citizen's right to freedom of expression is sacred, but so was the right to the country's wealth "which belongs to no individual, group or political party".

"No one has the right to put a padlock on, to take hostage, the country's monuments and to appropriate a global heritage such as the Acropolis," Papandreou said.

He said that it is only rational and legitimate that there are reactions in these difficult times. "I am the first to indignant over where the situation the country is in. But we must not do us harm ourselves with extreme actions that hurt the country and give leverage to those banking on Greece's defeat. No party has the right to incite and approve of such actions," the premier stressed.

Papariga countered that the country's tourism is not shamed by a hundred protesting contract workers, but by the riot police (MAT).

"The only problem on the Acropolis is that the padlocks have been changed. But the big problem is Mr. Papoutsis' (Citizens' Protection minister) riot police," she said.

Papandreou, in turn, called on Papariga to contribute to the changes being advanced for the country's reform, rather than backing those who want to put a padlock on the Acropolis and shame the country around the world.

The premier further accused main opposition New Democracy (ND) leader Antonis Samaras of being responsible for the situation with the culture ministry's contract employees which, he said, had its roots back to Samaras' tenure as culture minister during the ND government.

ND party spokesman Panos Panagiotopoulos, in a statement later, replied that the completion and opening of the New Acropolis Museum -- "a project of global stature" -- bore Samaras' signature, and that the issue of the contract employees had been settled by Samaras with an amendment "the extension of which the same contract employees are seeking today".

"On the one hand, then, we have the Acropolis Museum with Samaras' seal and on the other the chaotic situation with the MAT and the teargas on the Acropolis with the seal of Papandreou, who is humiliating the country internationally," Panagiotopoulos said, adding that the people have already drawn their conclusions.

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[03] Greek trade deficit down to 14.4 bln euros in Aug, Eurostat

Germany recorded the biggest trade surplus in the EU-27 (87.7 billion euros), followed by Ireland (24.7 billion) and Holland (22.1 billion), while the UK (63.6 billion euros), France (33.6 billion), Spain (30.2 billion) and Greece (14.4 billion) recorded the highest trade deficits.

Eurozone's trade deficit with the rest of the world totaled 4.3 billion euros in August, while the EU-27 recorded a trade deficit of 17.3 billion euros.

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[04] Restaurants to defy smoking ban

"We are radically opposed to the time period in which the anti-smoking law is coming to be enforced. In a period when [the drop in] turnover in venues has reached or exceeded 50 percent, no one can oblige you to enforce an anti-smoking law that based on the figures that we have from the European Union leads to a 25 percent reduction in turnover. If to the 50 percent we add 25 percent then we are finished," said the president of the Restauranteurs and Related Professions Federation Yiannis Tsakos in statements to the private ANT1 radio station.

"We are going to put out ashtrays on all the tables. We know they can shut us down but we will shut down in any case so we want to hand over the keys and let them pay the rent, the electricity, VAT, local authorities, everything. Let's see what they will do with the 400,000 people working in the dining sector. On Monday we will be here and waiting for them to come for the keys," he added.

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[05] T-bills auction Tuesday

The Finance ministry said the T-bill issue will be offered to private investors as well.

Greece successfully auctioned a six-month Treasury bill issue on Tuesday raising around 1.5 billion euros at a reduced interest rate.

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