Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 16-05-27

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

CONTENTS

[01] Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill arrives in Greece for pilgrimage visit to Mt. Athos

[02] Greek debt sustainability on the negotiation table, IMF chief Lagarde says

[03] Human smugglers busted by Greek and European authorities

[01] Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill arrives in Greece for pilgrimage visit to Mt. Athos

Deputy Foreign Minister Yiannis Amanatidis and Deputy Interior Minister Maria Kollia-Tsarouha welcomed the Patriarch with whom they had a brief meeting before his departure for Ouranoupolis and the monastic community of Mt. Athos.

Metropolitan of Kassandria Nikodimos and the Consulate General of Russia in Thessaloniki Alexey Popov were also present at the reception ceremony.

The Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia will visit Thessaloniki on Sunday and will make a pilgrimage at the Cathedral of Aghios Dimitrios and afterwards will attend the liturgy at the Aghios Grigorios of Palamas Cathedral.

In his statement Amanatidis pointed out the relations that bind the Greek and the Russian people adding that "we all expect with hope the message that will send the Holy and Great Synod and the heads of the Orthodox Churches that will be held on Crete in June in a world that is plagued by huge social problems underling the role of the Patriarch as a factor of the Orthodoxy's stability.

On her part, Kollia-Tsarouha pointed out to the Russian Patriarch the Macedonia name issue and its hijacking by Skopje and underlined the common, particularly the religious traditions between the two nations adding that as a country we need all of our friends.

[02] Greek debt sustainability on the negotiation table, IMF chief Lagarde says

She said that the IMF will draft its own sustainability report and reassured that the Fund will continue to work with the Europeans on the implementation of the measures that are necessary in order for the debt to become sustainable.

Lagarde said that she wanted the Fund to participate financially in the Greek programme, however, she clarified, that she is not currently at the position to define the way the IMF will participate in the Greek programme and underlined that in any case the implementation of the reforms is a prerequisite as well as the debt sustainability.

[03] Human smugglers busted by Greek and European authorities

The two criminal organisations supplied the migrants and refugees with fake documents and illegally chanelled them to northern European countries.

Sixteen persons have been arrested in Greece and more members of the ring in other EU countries.

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