Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 15-01-13

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

CONTENTS

[01] Tsipras: We will build the Greece of growth and hope

[02] Europe is ready to do more if Greeks stick to their side of the deal, Eurogroup chief says

[03] An accident could happen, and the whole idea is to avoid it, FinMin Hardouvelis tells Bloomberg

[04] Alexander the Great virtual museum to be completed end of 2015, archaeologist Kottaridou says

[01] Tsipras: We will build the Greece of growth and hope

Speaking to SYRIZA supporters in the city of Kavala, Tsipras said that Mr. Samaras and his associates attempt "with incredible lies to fool every social strata" adding that "the only thing they have not said yet is that if SYRIZA wins the elections there will be a mass kidnapping and it will steal your wives."

"They are going to the policemen and tell them that if SYRIZA wins it will take your guns and you will lose your jobs...they are going to the hunters and tell them that SYRIZA will ban hunting, they are going to the Christians and tell them that if SYRIZA is elected it will forbid you to believe in God and will bring down the icons," he said and underlined "All these are actions of panic...they bring laughter to the people and downgrade the level of the campaign's controversy".

Tsipras opined that with "black propaganda and with fear nobody moved ahead. We, with our policy, our programme and our arguments we will build the Greece of growth and hope".

[02] Europe is ready to do more if Greeks stick to their side of the deal, Eurogroup chief says

"If Greeks stick to their side of the deal… if necessary, we are prepared to do more," Dijsselbloem told a small group of journalists after a private lecture in Tokyo, adding that "a lot" has already been done to rescue the country.

"Whomever will be the new government, we will work with them," he said and added: "It does not upset our policies. It does not upset our cooperation with the Greeks."

Dijsselbloem urged Greek voters to see the financial reality in their troubled nation.

"It's crucial… that Greece is once again financially and economically independent," he said adding "a lot of effort has been put in, mainly by the Greek people. The recovery is starting. It would be a great waste if we were to allow that recovery to be lost again."

[03] An accident could happen, and the whole idea is to avoid it, FinMin Hardouvelis tells Bloomberg

"An accident could happen, and the whole idea is to avoid it," he added.

The main challenge facing whichever government emerges from the January 25 vote will be to close the stalled review of Greek progress in meeting the terms of its financial rescue by the euro area and International Monetary Fund (IMF), he said. If that government is led by SYRIZA, it would be "prudent" to reverse its stance and negotiate an extension to the bailout before the aid supporting Greece expires on February 28, Hardouvelis said.

The euro area, he said, has put defenses in place against a country leaving the single currency now shared by 19 members, meaning the prospect of exit can no longer be used as a bargaining chip in negotiations by any government.

Hardouvelis also said that tax-revenue collection has slowed as a result of the electoral uncertainty.

The Greek Finance Minister underlined that "breathing space" could come from further extending the duration of the loans, and taking advantage of liquidity conditions by transforming floating-rate loans to fixed rate, according to Bloomberg.

[04] Alexander the Great virtual museum to be completed end of 2015, archaeologist Kottaridou says

A five hour documentary, seven thematic units, 304 objects which will serve as a starting point to unfold aspects of the Hellenistic world and 3,500 texts make up the virtual museum that will run through the centuries, from the beginning of Macedonia until the modern time references to Alexander the Great.

Apart from the virtual museum, Kottaridou also referred to the Polycentric Museum of Aigai, the building of which will be completed this year.

"The idea was to create an open museum that is in discourse with the visitors and embraces the whole region. We are creating units scattered around, a vast archaeological park of 50 hectares including the tomb cemetery," she explained.

She also commented on the excavation at the ancient Amphipolis site. Kottaridi estimated that the tomb includes more than one phase and that the findings date back to the 2nd century BC.

She also criticized the excavation team for "taking the hypothesis as a given fact", as she said.

"The case of Amphipolis showed us some sociological boundaries and what happens when you consider a hypothesis a given case; the hypothesis that Alexander's family is there may be impressive to many people, but saying such a thing requires strong evidence. When you do so and you cannot support it, then you have a problem," she said.

"If I say that this tomb is the biggest one that exists and it is not even a tomb but a natural hill, then I probably have a problem. This means I cannot tell what I wish for from reality. When I find a big hole in the grave, I know it's been tampered with or there is at least 95 percent probability it has been tampered with. If for four months I tell reporters it has not been tampered with and it has been so, then I have a problem. I do not care what the political leadership says; I, as a scientist, have a problem. "

She also ruled out the possibility of Alexander the Great being buried in Amphipolis. "If there is something that we know, this is that Alexander the Great is not there. When I wrote this, many people told me this was upsetting as they wished he was buried there. I do not want to find the deceased Alexander, I am not interested in buried bones and I do not believe I will find any. I would rather look for his living memory," she noted.

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