Athens News Agency: News in English, 10-11-21

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

CONTENTS

[01] Troika press conference Monday

[02] Satisfaction on NATO summit result

[03] Gov't has stifled market

[04] New toll station

[05] Road Accident Victims remembered

[06] Ruling on Memorandum

[01] Troika press conference Monday

The troika team, headed by European Commission Deputy Director General for economic and financial affairs Servaas Deroose, IMF European Department deputy director Poul Thomsen and ECB division chief Klaus Masuch, were in Athens for their regular progress report on the Greek economy for the disbursement of a 9 billion euros third tranche of the 110 billion euros EU-IMF support loan to Greece.

Caption: File photo of Troika leaders Poul Thomsen from the IMF (L), Servaas Deroose from the European Commission (C) and Klaus Masuch from the ECB (R) from their August 2010 visit to Greece. (ANA-MPA/A. Beltes)

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[02] Satisfaction on NATO summit result

Addressing Greek reporters covering the NATO summit, Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou on Saturday emphasised the importance of the two-day meeting of NATO leaders in Lisbon, both for the Greek side and more generally.

Papandreou noted that NATO's new Strategic Concept was attempting to change the structure and orientation of the Alliance through the admission that the problems today were different from those of the Cold War era. For this reason, the Alliance was seeking to create a new basis for relations between its member-states but also its relations with other partners, such as Russia and international organisations.

The Greek premier said that the two-day summit had not led to any unpleasant surprises but had a positive outcome in terms of Greece's particular interests and sensitivities. Concerning Turkey's stance, he pointed out that Greece's neighbour had signed the final communique without presenting any objections.

Papandreou especially highlighted the start of cooperation between NATO and Russia, saying it was a very important step after the Cold War, noting that the anti-missile shield in which Russia is now also a participant signifies cooperation and not enmity.

Concerning Afghanistan, Papandreou noted that the discussion carried out aimed at stability and the withdrawal of foreign powers from Afghanistan.

Greece's Defence Minister Evangelos Venizelos, on his part, referred to the changes in NATO's command structure in order to make the Alliance more flexible and to avoid creating artificial or 'technical' problems, including in Greek-Turkish relations. He said that talks were due to begin on NATO entities, such as headquarters, bases etc.

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[03] Gov't has stifled market

In an interview appearing in the Sunday edition of Kathimerini daily, Samaras also reiterated his firm position on the "correctness" of the "anti-Memorandum stance", but differentiated his position from that of the Left wing parties, and stressed that the economic program recently proposed by his party could wipe out both the structural and cyclical deficit of the country in a space of 18th months.

Samaras further said that the PASOK government's economic policy has stifled the market and plunged the country into recession, which evaporates whatever benefit that may have resulted from the salary and pension cuts.

For that reason, he continued, ND proposes boosting of construction activity though a 10-year subsidisation of interest on first-home loans which, Samaras explained, will provide "oxygen" to more than 130 professions. In addition, exploitation of the public sector's movable assets has nearly limitless prospects for bringing immediate liquidity and permanent public revenues.

Samaras acknowledged that mergers of public sector agencies and cuts in DEKO (public utilities and organisations) spending are needed, but stressed his absolute disagreement to prospective layoffs in the public and wider public sector, warning that that would be a mistaken policy.

He further warned that if the government continues with the same policy "we will soon realise that that which appeared as a 'bail-out' for the country was disaster".

The ND leader also stated satisfaction with the results of the recent local administration elections, noting that his party's 10.4 percent difference behind the ruling PASOK party in last year's general elections had been bridged to just 2 percent in the local elections earlier in November.

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[04] New toll station

The Aghia Triada toll station in Fthiotis prefecture is the first of two new toll stations that will be opened before and after the city of Lamia following the completion of works on the national road network in the area.

The toll fees will be 1.55 euros for automobiles, 1.10 euros for motorcycles, 4 euros for trucks and buses, and 5.6 euros for heavy vehicles

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[05] Road Accident Victims remembered

According to statistics presented at the event, road accidents are the first cause of death in the 18-44 age bracket.

In the last 50 years, the number of lives lost in traffic accidents is equal to the population of a large city, while injuries are equal to the population of Thessaloniki.

From 1965 to 2008, a total of 150,000 people perished and 1.5 million were injured in road accidents throughout Greece. Road accidents account for 3,650 deaths annually, more than 10,000 injuries resulting in paraplegia and another 45,000 other injuries, while approximately 2,500 children are left with permanent disabilities, according to official statistics.

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[06] Ruling on Memorandum

The civil suits challenge the memorandum, signed with the EU-ECB-IMF "troika", as being unconstitutional, illegal and in violation of the European Convention on Human Rights. (ANA-MPA)

The two CoS legal rapporteurs assigned to study the civil lawsuits are expected to recommend their rejection on the grounds that the memorandum (Law No. 3845/2010) is constitutional and in compliance (ANA-MPA) with European and international legislation.

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