Athens News Agency: News in English, 10-11-22

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

CONTENTS

[01] Troika press conference on Tuesday

[02] Satisfaction on NATO summit result

[03] 'Dogtooth' wins first prize at Ljulbljana film festival

[04] Municipal employees strikes on Monday and Tuesday

[05] Spinalonga island to reopen as tourist attraction

[06] Bakoyannis founds new party

[07] Gov't has stifled market

[08] Christofias in Athens

[09] Super League results

[10] Athens Newspaper Headlines

[01] Troika press conference on Tuesday

Finance Minister George Papaconstantinou also briefed Prime Minister George Papandreou on the results of his marathon two-day talks with European Commission, European Central Bank and IMF inspectors in Athens, sources at the prime minister's office confirmed on Sunday night. (ANA-MPA)

Talks between Papaconstantinou and the troika officials began on Saturday morning and continued until late on Sunday night. Finance ministry officials said that the discussion would focus mainly on the implementation of structural reforms included in the memorandum. Thorny issues on the table were labour issues and sector labour agreements, as well as transfers of staff in public utilities and state enterprises. (ANA-MPA)

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.

(ANA-MPA)The government is optimistic that EU-IMF officials will agree to the release of the third instalment of loans to Greece under the financial support mechanism.

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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.ANA-MPA

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.

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[03] 'Dogtooth' wins first prize at Ljulbljana film festival

The 96 minute film won the film festival's 'Kingfisher Award', with the panel of judges stressing the film's rare unsettling quality and its painfully direct messages.

The film has so far won numerous awards in a number of film festivals, including one in Cannes, while it has been nominated as best foreign language film at the Academy Awards.

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[04] Municipal employees strikes on Monday and Tuesday

Following the decision, taken on Sunday at a meeting of the employees' Federation, this means that there will be no garbage collection on those two days save for a handful of exceptions that include trash from hospitals and outdoor produce markets.

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[05] Spinalonga island to reopen as tourist attraction

The municipality, local bodies and the 13th Byzantine Monuments ephorate have submitted a series of proposals to the culture and tourism ministry for giving visitors access to the island on a daily basis and are currently awaiting their approval.

The island was closed to visitors due to a lack of staff and will now open at weekends until a more permanent solution is found, as well as to large, organised groups on week days.ANA-MPA

Local authorities had stressed that the extra publicity gained by the site due to the popular television series had greatly increased the interest of visitors and keeping the island open would satisfy demand and boost the local economy.

During the Christmas holidays the island will be open daily except on major holidays.

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[06] Bakoyannis founds new party

At an event at the Olympics Badminton facility, Bakoyannis invited the 5,000 participants to sign the new party's Founding Declaration, describing her party as an "independent, participational democratic movement".

Outlining the Democratic Alliance's fundamental principles and values, Bakoyannis said the party is opposed to new taxes institution of a single tax rate "in the region of" 20 percent, and stressed that it will pursue national understanding and agreement on reducing the number of civil servants so that, over the next decade, the public sector will function with two-thirds of its current manpower.

She also spoke of a second social security reform and the institution of a constitutional fiscal regulation that would ensure balanced budgets, while she also criticised ND and its leader over their stance on the Memorandum.

Bakoyannis made it clear that her party is determined to clash with the "phenomena of intransparency", while she also defended her decision to vote in favor of Greece's resorting to the European support mechanism, which differentiation from the main opposition party's official stance led to her leaving ND. "I disagreed, and disagree, with many of the measures and regulations contained in the Memorandum, but at that time last May, the dilemma was merciless for everyone: approval of the support mechanism or immediate default".

Bakoyannis further announced that the new Democratic Alliance party's inaugural congress will be held in March.

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[07] 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.

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[08] Christofias in Athens

According to Cyprus government spokesman Stefanos Stefanou said Christofias will brief the Greek premier on the outcome of his joint meeting in New York on Thursday with UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon and Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu.ANA/MPa Christofias is coming to Athens to attend an event at the Hellenic Parliament on Tuesday marking the 50th anniversary of the Republic of Cyprus.

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[09] Super League results

In other action:

Olympiacos Volos-Asteras Tripoli 1-1

Xanthi-Panseraikos Serres 2-0

Atromitos Athens-Ergotelis Crete 1-1

Aris Thessaloniki-Kerkyra 2-0

Larissa -Panionios Athens 0-1

Standings after 11 weeks of play:

1. Olympiacos P. 24 points (10 games)

2. Panathinaikos 24

3. Kavala 18

4. PAOK 17

5. AEK 16

6. Aris 16

7. Iraklis 15

8. Olympiacos Volos. 15

9. Asteras 14

10. Kerkyra 13

11. Xanthi 11

12. Panserraikos 11

13. Larissa 11

14. Atromitos 11

15. Panionios 10

16. Ergotelis 10 (10 games)

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[10] Athens Newspaper Headlines

The troika's recommendations for a freeze in public sector hiring and for lay-offs and salary cuts, speculation on cutbacks in private sector salaries and the foundation of the 'Democratic Alliance' party, mostly dominated the headlines on Monday in Athens' newspapers.

ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: "Independent MP and former New Democracy (ND) Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis founded the new 'Democratic Alliance' party".

AVRIANI: "Send away the troika loansharks immediately and proceed with a restructure of the state's debt".

ELEFTHEROS: "Bakoyannis' party sounds red alert in ND".

ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "16-40 percent cuts in salaries in private sector".

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "Troika's bomb on employees' transfers in public sector".

ESTIA: "Severe danger of bankruptcy".

ETHNOS: "Troika's 90 days 'directive'."

IMERISSIA: "Thriller with the Memorandum - Troika is adamant and calls for immediate measures".

NAFTEMPORIKI: "Bargaining with the troika for new painful changes".

TA NEA: "Battle for salaries in private sector".

VRADYNI: "Consent or complicity?".

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