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Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 12-04-09Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] Gov't promises Athens inner city regenerationAMNA / Two government ministers on Monday signed an agreement with Athens Mayor George Kaminis for the regeneration, as the plan is called, of several inner city districts.The "Athens Again" project, which has the approval of the European Commission Task Force for Greece, is an attempt to breathe new life into the city of Athens over the next decade via 2014-2020 National Strategic Reference Framework (ESPA) funds of more than one billion euros, money to be managed by the municipality. www.amna.gr The government was represented by Development, Competitiveness & Shipping Minister Anna Diamantopoulou and Labour Minister Giorgos Koutroumanis The immediate measures and actions included in the project focus on the strengthening of local entrepreneurship and competitiveness, upgrading of the quality of live for urban dwellers, managing the social crisis effectively and ensuring the project's implementation and sustainability. Certain parts of central Athens have been plagued over recent years by the congregation of thousands of illegal immigrants, practically all from Third World countries, along heroin addicts, street peddlers hawking bootleg goods and the petty or serious crime often generated by such conditions. AMNA [02] Renewable energy projects up 74% in 2011AMNA / The power of photovoltaic systems operating in Greece more than tripled in 2011, compared with 2010, while the capacity of renewable energy sources grew by 74 pct last year, the Envrionment, Energy and Climate Change ministry said on Monday.A report, presented by the ministry, showed that total power capacity of renewable energy sources grew by 770 MW in 2011 to surpass 2,500 MW in the year. Photovoltaic systems recorded the biggest growth rate (from 198 MW in 2010 to 626 MW in 2011, for an increase of 215 pct). www.amna.gr Windpower parks remained the dominant technology with a total power capacity of 1,636 MW in 2011, from 1,300 MW in 2010, while small hydroelectric power units grew by 5.0 pct to 206 MW. amna The ministry stressed that energy projects, with a total power of 2,530 MW were currently in contracting process (up 185 pct from 2010), creating hopes of a rapid growth in power capacity next year, while installation licenses grew 10 pct in 2011 and production licenses rose by 51 pct over the same period. [03] Union adamant over 2-day seamen's strikeAMNA / Ships will remain docked at ports throughout the country as of midnight Monday as the Pan-Hellenic Seamen's Federation (PNO) decided to go-ahead as planned with a 48-hour strike for Tuesday and Wednesday despite a flurry of meetings with the government over the past four days in a bid to avert the industrial action.The strike, which comes in the middle of the Holy Week before Orthodox Easter, will create serious problems for Easter holidaymakers planning to spend the holiday on the Greek islands, but also to tourist enterprises who were looking to the long-awaited holiday to drum up revenues in the recession-hit country. Development, Competitiveness & Shipping Minister Anna Diamantopoulou on Monday commented on the Panhellenic Seamen's Federation (PNO) decision to go ahead with a 48-hour strike as of midnight on Monday, saying that it was dictated by the Communist Party (KKE) to serve petty political purposes ahead of the election. In her statement, Diamantopoulou stressed that the PNO decision cancels any agreement that has been reached during the talks with the seamen's unionists, adding that the inflexible persistence displayed by some has cancelled out any commitments undertaken by the government toward the sector. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |