Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 17-03-26

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

CONTENTS

[01] Katrougalos on Rome Declaration: It could develop a dynamic in favour of social Europe

[02] One person injured in sailboat collision with freighter off Patras

[03] Cyber-crime unit forms file against 17-year-old for distributing child pornography

[01] Katrougalos on Rome Declaration: It could develop a dynamic in favour of social Europe

"Considering the conditions and the known delays and contradictions that exist in the EU, I do not think there was a chance for something better. I believe that the Declaration is a text that can develop a dynamic in favour of social Europe, if there are the necessary conditions, such as the development of social movements in each country and the political understanding between those who want to deepen social Europe," he said.

Commenting on European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker's reaction to Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' letter on preserving the European acquis on labour rights, the minister said many officials agreed with the points made.

"It's not just President [Jean-Claude] Juncker's reply. We've had very good supporting statements of not just Greek positions but of the European social acquis from many important European officials," he said.

"Both President Juncker and Italian Prime Minister Paolo] Gentiloni, as well as the President of the European Council [Donald] Tusk today confirmed Greece's full accession to the European social acquis, which I think creates the necessary momentum, so that Greek positions can prevail on the major issue of collective bargaining in the second review."

Asked if these positions will influence the institutions and contribute in the completion of the second review, he said: "Unquestionably yes. Our strategy is not fragmented. The reason why the second review has not been completed is the coercive and inconsistent attitude or the IMF. Not only is it the bearer of extreme neoliberal and anti-European positions, but until recently it didn't seem to have decided whether to remain in the program. Furthermore, it questioned unfounded data which everyone else at the table accepted, not just the Greek side, but also the Europeans. I think that with today's statements, the Europeans are sending a signal to the IMF that neither Greece nor Europe can be hostages of a non-European institution and that whatever solution might emerge for the Greek issue should be a European solution."

Asked if Greece is close to securing an agreement on the second review, Katrougalos said "a positive dynamic is being developed" for the closure of the deal, with "an honest compromise" that would not exclude Greece from the European social model.

[02] One person injured in sailboat collision with freighter off Patras

A coast guard patrol boat and a fishing boat rushed in the area while authorities told a Greek-flagged and a Russian-flagged freighters sailing nearby to approach the port so that the coast guard can investigate if they were involved in the incident.

The sailboat managed to reach Patras without assistance and will remain in the port until its seaworthiness is confirmed. The injured passenger was treated at the local hospital and then discharged.

[03] Cyber-crime unit forms file against 17-year-old for distributing child pornography

A police unit raided his house and seized a laptop as well as two external and two internal hard drives. The evidence will be submitted to a subdivision of criminal investigations in northern Greece for further examination while the case has already been submitted to the relevant prosecutor.

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