Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 16-06-22

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

CONTENTS

[01] 'We have to return to the EU's founding principles,' Tsipras says

[02] ANA-MPA launches Greek tourism website www.praktoreio-tourism.gr

[01] 'We have to return to the EU's founding principles,' Tsipras says

"We need more Europe, better Europe....We need a new social contract for Europe," Tsipras said, stressing that Europe was in a deep crisis and cannot convince its peoples to support it.

The prime minister referred at length to the refugee and migration crisis, noting that Greece had found itself at the centre of the problem with roughly 60,000 people now trapped within its borders.

"Greece is implementing European and international law, respecting the rights of asylum seekers," he emphasised.

The issue was not more or less Europe, Tsipras said after a meeting with PACE President Pedro Agramunt earlier in the day that focused mainly on the refugee crisis.

"What we need is a better Europe, [one that is] democratic and social," he told reporters.

Agramunt, a member of the Spanish People's Party, referred to his recent visit to the Aegean island of Lesvos and other islands that receive large numbers of refugees, praising the Greek side's management of the refugee crisis.

Tsipras noted that the EU-Turkey agreement on the refugee issue had "difficult elements" but was necessary, since there was no alternative solution. It had also worked in that it had drastically reduced the number of refugees drowning at sea while attempting the crossing, he added.

Earlier, the prime minister had meet CoE Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland, who praised Greece's stance on the refugee issue and the way that Greek state mechanisms had acted to provide assistance and hospitality to refugees.

Tsipras then had a meeting with the Greek deputies at PACE, led by SYRIZA MP Anneta Kavvadia, who said that there was a very good atmosphere at PACE concerning Greece's stance on the refugee issue. He then had meetings with European Court of Human Rights President Guido Raimondi and Greek ECHR judge Linos-Alexandros Sisilianos, as well as attending a dinner with Estonian Prime Minister Taavi Roivas.

[02] ANA-MPA launches Greek tourism website www.praktoreio-tourism.gr

"Such efforts give us the capability to promote Greece," Kountoura said, while predicting that 2016 will be a very good year for Greek tourism and that the foreign markets were rising.

ANA-MPA President and General Director Mihalis Psilos, taking the stand, noted that the new website was the agency's "12th child" in the last year.

The initiative was also welcomed by all tourism associations and agencies, who pledged to support the ANA-MPA's effort.

The new website, with versions in Greek and English, aims to cover and promote all tourism-related activities and events in the country, aiming to highlight all different forms of tourism and business initiatives that promote Greece.

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