Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 05-12-08

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

CONTENTS

[01] Public utility bill the biggest reform of past months, finance minister stresses

[02] Industry calls bill on improving state firms "timely"

[03] Belgrade opposes independence for Kosovo, SEECP troika told

[04] Greece reserved towards EU presidency proposals on 2007-2013 budget

[05] PM receives U.S. ambassador for meeting

[06] President meets with Confederation of Persons with Disabilities

[07] Papandreou meets trade unions in view of budget debate

[08] Government spokesman replies to statements by PASOK party leader

[09] Deputy FM provides overview of Hellenic Aid's accomplishments

[10] Public Order Minister meets with departing Albanian ambassador

[11] PM Karamanlis to chair ND Parliamentary Group session on Thursday

[12] Weapons procurement bill passes committee stage

[13] U.S. House of Representatives ratifies transfer of two minesweepers to Greece

[14] FYROM chamber's brochure withdrawn from Athens event

[15] EU budget dominates OSCE ministerial summit

[16] Court cites statute of limitations in acquitting DEKA defendants

[17] Macedonia-Thrace minister meets with Australian envoy

[18] Tourism minister addresses IHT Forum in Dubai on Tourism Investments in Greece

[19] General Assembly of Union of Balkan Chambers begins in Athens

[20] Greece and Mexico finalize agreement for avoiding double taxation

[21] Government slaps fines on defaulting insurers

[22] Deputy agriculture minister discusses issues of cooperation with Egyptian ambassador

[23] Coalition of the Left party leader discusses latest developments in

[24] State grants cash for Greek-Turkish natgas pipeline

[25] Analyst sees ECB raising rates by 25 bps in March

[26] Athens Bourse close: Bullish trend continues

[27] Commissioner Dimas hails agreement on new directive on waste management

[28] Sewage sludge should be disposed of at landfill, Counsel of State says

[29] 'N17' defendants demand televised proceedings; victims' group derides 'political' crimes claim

[30] Yiannakou attends event in context of European Youth Week

[31] Citizens approve public transport

[32] Athens event to honor 'Ethnikos Kirikas' newspaper

[33] EHF executives examine facilities for 2010 European handball championship

[34] US: A Cyprus settlement can be reached with commitment and goodwill

[35] Cyprus says US remarks prove Greek Cypriot efforts for settlement

[36] T/C politician: Alienation of the young is the real problem

[37] Cyprus government: Serious disagreement on buffer zone demarcation

[01] Public utility bill the biggest reform of past months, finance minister stresses

ATHENS, 8/12/2005 (ANA)

The minister was responding to a question on whether the "next step" would be to scrap permanency for civil servants.

Alogoskoufis said that the bill would reform the way the DEKO operated and establish transparency in conditions of competition.

He also noted that state-run utilities listed on the bourse would cease to be DEKO and will be obliged to conform to international accounting standards, while the "provocative perks" currently enjoyed by DEKO managements would be cut.

In response to other questions, he confirmed that the European Council on December 15-16 will discuss the possible reduction of VAT on certain groups of services from 19 pct to 9 pct, including house repairs for buildings over five years old, drainage and sewage services, electricity grid rates and tolls on bridges.

The minister said that the ECOFIN and Eurogroup finance ministers' meetings had not discussed the state of the Greek economy, though he had informed his EU counterparts that the public deficit will be reduce to 2.6 pct and would fall steadily in 2007 and 2008.

For the General Government deficit, he added, the target was to reduce this to 2.3 pct of GDP in 2007 and to 1.7 pct of GDP in 2008.

He said the rate of growth in Greece was forecast to end at 3.6 pct in 2005 and increase to 3.8 pct in 2006.

Public utility bill 'anti-working class', SYN says: The bill aimed at reforming public utilities and state-run enterprises is "anti-working class and unconstitutional", Panayiotis Lafazanis, member of Coalition of the Left, Movements and Ecology's (SYN) Political Bureau and in charge of the party's economic and social policy, said on Wednesday.

Lafazanis' comments came in response to Finance Minister George Alogoskoufis' statements, made during a press conference earlier in the day.

Lafazanis said it was "ironic that the government is trying to present this bill as being its biggest reform, as Alogoskoufis described it".

Finally, he predicted difficult times ahead for Greek citizens "while major capital can celebrate its victory regarding excessive profits and a tax asylum," he said.

[02] Industry calls bill on improving state firms "timely"

ATHENS, 8/12/2005 (ANA)

Addressing a parliamentary committee studying the bill, the industry leader said he backed the overall concept of the legislation and the government's drive to provide Greek consumers with better services at a lower cost.

"This should be the main aim of state corporations," he noted.

At the same time, Kyriakopoulos said he opposed an article of the bill on collective labor agreements.

"If this is changed, then we can avoid social upheaval," he added.

[03] Belgrade opposes independence for Kosovo, SEECP troika told

BELGRADE, 8/12/2005 (ANA - F. Karaviti)

In a later meeting with Serbia and Montenegro Foreign Minister Vuk Draskovic, meanwhile, the troika heard that the government of Serbia and Montenegro wanted to establish a status for Kosovo that would be "something more than autonomy and something less than independence".

Draskovic rejected any change in Serbia and Montenegro's borders with Albania or the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) and asked that the United States and the European Union encourage Kosovo's Albanian leadership to make a compromise possible.

He stressed that the international community's criteria for democratization in Kosovo must be met and noted that the length of the negotiations for Kosovo's final status would depend on the speed at which this happened. He also called for the immediate start of mediation efforts by UN special envoy for the Kosovo talks Marti Ahtisaari.

According to Draskovic, the Serb stance toward Kosovo might change dramatically if the UN envoy managed to settle a series of problems such as decentralization, self-governance and protection of Orthodox monasteries, stressing that they "would be able to respect the solution that arises".

Molyviatis was accompanied by Romanian State Secretary for European Affairs Lucian Leustean and Croatian State Secretary Hido Biscevic, while the troika's mission was to sound out the views of the sides involved and signal the lively interest of surrounding Balkan countries in the final solution that is found for Kosovo's future.

Apart from Tadic and Draskovic, the SEECP ministers also met Serb Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica.

Speaking on behalf of the troika and the 10 nations in the SEECP during the meetings in Belgrade, Molyviatis once again repeated the desire of countries in the region to actively participate in developments, since they were the ones that would have to suffer any repercussions caused by the solution found.

He also stressed that the road to Europe was the only solution that will bring security, stability and development to the broader Balkan region.

Molyviatis said that the SEECP fully agreed with the conditions set by international community for democratization in Kosovo and stressed that they should be fully implemented alongside the process for determining the province's final status.

The three SEECP ministers began their round of contacts in the area on Tuesday with meetings in Pristina, where they held talks with Kosovo President Ibrahim Rugova, prime minister Bajram Kosumi, main opposition leader Hashim Thaci, the leader of the "Serb List for Kosovo and Metohija (SKLM)" party Oliver Ivanovic and the head of the UNMIK peacekeepers Soren Jenssen Petersen.

According to diplomatic sources, the Albanian side insists on full independence for Kosovo, while the Serb minority raised the issue of security, referring to recent acts of violence against Serbs, which they explained as attempts by the perpetrators to strengthen their position ahead of upcoming negotiations.

Ivanovic also criticized UNMIK, accusing it of an insufficient response to the episodes.

Molyviatis is due to depart for Brussels later on Wednesday, in order to take part in a meeting of EU and NATO foreign ministers.

Tadic calls for two separate 'entities' in Kosovo: After the meeting, Tadic said that the views of Belgrade and Kosovo's Albanians on this issue and Kosovo's final status were diametrically opposed. He called for recognition of two separate entities that will participate in future institutions.

"The Serb entity must be comprised of the municipalities where Serbs are a majority and of other non-Albanian ethnic groups," Tadic stressed, raising the issue of the Serb population's safety.

"Belgrade has no intention to govern Kosovo or to run the affairs of the Albanian community but it has a vital interest and absolute right to desire to influence procedures within the framework of the Serb entity, in order to ensure the economic and political developments and especially the safety of the Serb population," he said.

Tadic also welcomed the SEECP initiative, saying that the countries in the surrounding region had every right to be kept up to date on developments.

[04] Greece reserved towards EU presidency proposals on 2007-2013 budget

BRUSSELS, 8/12/2005 (ANA/M. Spinthourakis)

Shortly after the end of Wednesday's ministerial meeting, convened to achieve a compromise agreement on the EU budget, Valinakis told reporters that this had not been possible since almost all EU member-states considered the British proposals unacceptable.

As regards Greece's position, the deputy foreign minister said that it clearly desires a compromise agreement during next week's summit to prevent the EU from entering a prolonged crisis, but also stressed that Greece does not intend to co-sign decisions which would result in the loss of considerable funds for the country.

"We are in the middle of a difficult negotiation whose outcome nobody can prejudge for the time being," Valinakis said, adding that all must display "less egoism."

[05] PM receives U.S. ambassador for meeting

ATHENS, 8/12/2005 (ANA)

Government sources said the premier was meeting the U.S. envoy after a year and that they reviewed issues of mutual interest.

Ries made no statements when he emerged from the meeting.

Questioned about the meeting, which was considered slightly unorthodox, government spokesman Theodoros Roussopoulos said the meeting had been requested by Ries a long time ago and that it had developed into "an exchange of views on bilateral issues".

[06] President meets with Confederation of Persons with Disabilities

ATHENS, 8/12/2005 (ANA)

Papoulias congratulated the secretariat members and their companions for their work, stressing that it was a lofty expression of social solidarity and sentiment for one's fellow human beings, which he said was becoming rarer in our era.

The President spoke with emotion about his visit on Monday to a school for children with disabilities in the Ilioupolis suburb of Athens, adding that his thoughts went out to all the thousands of children who were not fortunate enough to attend such a school, and expressing hope that the institution would grow so that a large proportion of children with disabilities would find themselves in such schools.

[07] Papandreou meets trade unions in view of budget debate

ATHENS, 8/12/2005 (ANA)

His meetings on Wednesday took in the Piraeus Labor Centre in the morning and the two largest trade union organizations in Greece, the General Confederation of Employees of Greece (GSEE) and the civil servants' union ADEDY, which together represent the largest bloc of the nation's workforce in the private and public sectors.

After his talks in Piraeus, Papandreou said that the port-city poignantly mirrored the failings of the government's economic policy, whose results were unemployment and poverty.

Emerging from talks with ADEDY and GSEE later in the day, the main opposition leader stressed that there was "another road for the economy".

Accusing New Democracy of following policies that created rifts in society and were unfair to wage-earners, since they created problems for middle and lower-income groups while handing benefits to big business, Papandreou stressed that cooperation with the trade union movement, cooperatives and small businesses was the only road to another developmental course.

At the same time, he criticized a trend toward reducing wages and labor rights that used countries with low-level social rights as a model, saying it was a dead-end policy and proposing investment in human resources as an alternative.

Papandreou also underlined PASOK's opposition to all efforts to scrap collective labor agreements, which trade unionists claim is being attempted through the government's draft bill for reforming Greece's state-run public utilities (known in Greece as DEKO).

[08] Government spokesman replies to statements by PASOK party leader

ATHENS, 8/12/2005 (ANA)

"Just to cover up his nihilistic denial to consent to necessary changes and reforms that the country needs and the citizens are demanding, he is looking for 'other paths'," the spokesman said.

Roussopoulos called on Papandreou "to say specifically to all the Greeks without resorting, as usual, to rhetoric void of any content: Which are these 'other paths'? Where do they begin from and where do they end?".

[09] Deputy FM provides overview of Hellenic Aid's accomplishments

ATHENS, 8/12/2005 (ANA)

"During the past year, our country as a member of the [UN] Security Council and as a representative of a timeless civilization that respects human values, was distinguished for solidarity initiatives it took towards developing countries and was recognized by the international community as an international humane force," Stylianidis said.

"We were active in 46 countries, implementing - together with specialized NGOs - programs, which target practically all the Millennium Goals," he added.

Yiorgos Pandremenos, a foreign ministry expert and close collaborator of Stylianidis on development issues, stressed that one of the agency's future goals is to provide humanitarian and development aid more effectively.

To this end, Hellenic Aid is working with more experienced countries and international organizations.

It is within this context, that the agency recently signed an agreement with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

Pandremenos also said that Hellenic Aid wishes to become active in sectors other than health and education, such as economic sectors of developing countries, so that Greece can play a role in helping these countries' economic development.

Katerina Koutrakou, head of the agency's emergency humanitarian assistance department, referred to Greece's humanitarian aid activities both in cases of natural disasters and armed conflicts, as well as to continuous aid activities to certain developing countries.

Greece's development cooperation and aid on an international level "must become a diplomatic tool even in the case of normalizing relations with neighboring countries," ruling New Democracy MP and head of the party's Foreign Affairs division said.

He added that cooperation in development and humanitarian aid can contribute to stability and peace in the entire region.

[10] Public Order Minister meets with departing Albanian ambassador

ATHENS, 8/12/2005 (ANA)

Voulgarakis said that cooperation on vital issues during a critical time for the region was so "close and honest" that oftentimes they were resolved with a phone call to the Albanian ambassador.

He added that "there was a great level of cooperation on immigration and cross-border and organized crime issues and the foundations have been laid for this great cooperation to continue in the future."

The minister described Albania as being "lucky" to be represented by Zeneli, while Greece was lucky to have had the opportunity to work with him.

Asked about the problems arising from the large numbers of Albanian immigrants traveling in and out of the country during the holiday period, Voulgarakis said that Greece is obliged to help these people who wish to see their relatives and their country, especially in light of what they contribute to the Greek economy.

"Roughly 700,000 individuals of Albanian nationality or descent live in Greece. We are neighbors and we must look at the long-term future in order to build good relations that will benefit both peoples as well as the Greek economy. Within this context, we are taking every measure towards this end," Voulgarakis said.

[11] PM Karamanlis to chair ND Parliamentary Group session on Thursday

ATHENS, 8/12/2005 (ANA)

Karamanlis is expected to address the ND Parliamentary Group's sessions at 10 a.m.

[12] Weapons procurement bill passes committee stage

ATHENS, 8/12/2005 (ANA)

"Direct awarding of procurement contracts has come to a definite end," Defense Minister Spilios Spiliotopoulos said.

The weapons procurement bill allows for two processes in the awarding of contracts, either through an open tender or an inter-state agreement.

However, the bill also allows for a special negotiating procedure in the following four instances: in the event of an emergency, national security, development of research programs and defense materiel, or if the weapons supplier is an organization of the broader public sector in which the state is a shareholder.

In these four instances, the ministry's procurement administrator will be able to choose the supplier but after offers have been submitted in writing.

During the committee's morning session, representatives of related organizations were called upon to voice their opinion regarding the bill.

Overall, they all agreed with the bill deeming it an improvement over existing legislation and procedures.

MPs of the main opposition PASOK party said that the government's announcements were not in line with the bill's content, claiming that the bill is not a substantive innovation in the procurements process.

On their part, representatives of left-wing parties, said they favored a more radical reform of the system.

[13] U.S. House of Representatives ratifies transfer of two minesweepers to Greece

WASHINGTON, 8/12/2005 (ANA/T. Ellis)

It also ratified the transfer of two destroyers to Turkey, one destroyer to Pakistan, an amphibious operations ship to India and two minesweepers to Egypt.

[14] FYROM chamber's brochure withdrawn from Athens event

ATHENS, 8/12/2005 (ANA)

Athens strenuously opposes FYROM's use of the name "Macedonia", citing historical and modern-day political reasons. Moreover, Greece's largest province, which shares borders with FYROM, is called Macedonia, the same geographical region that more-or-less corresponds with the ancient kingdom of Macedonia.

[15] EU budget dominates OSCE ministerial summit

ATHENS, 8/12/2005 (ANA)

The corrected item appears below:

The European Union budget dominated the discussion during the OSCE (Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe) Ministerial Summit held here on Monday, where foreign ministers from the OSCE member states convened to discuss European security issues.

An agreement on the EU budget for the 2007-2013 period is expected to be reached during the summit in Brussels next week.

"No opportunity should be missed, and we will not allow any to go unexploited in this difficult battle regarding EU funds," Deputy Foreign Minister Yiannis Valinakis, representing Greece at the OECD meeting, said.

OSCE ministers stressed the need for the organization to become more effective in promoting security and democracy in Europe.

Speaking to reporters, Valinakis said that the OSCE is interested in "providing answers to issues related to security, democracy, human rights and in the monitoring of democratic elections."

He added that "on the sidelines of these meetings we also have the opportunity to discuss important issues, such as the budget which is an immediate concern for the EU."

Regarding the British EU Presidency's EU budget proposal, Valinakis said that the closer it is to the Luxembourg Presidency's proposal the more likely an agreement will be.

However, according to initial indications, the British presidency seems to have drifted quite far from the suggestions presented by Luxembourg in June, Valinakis said.

He nonetheless expressed optimism that the British presidency would propose a budget on which everyone will agree.

"We would like to think that Greece will gain - from this agreement - that which it deserves from the distribution of EU funds," Valinakis said.

On the sidelines of the OSCE meeting, the deputy minister met with US under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns, with whom he discussed Greek-US relations.

[16] Court cites statute of limitations in acquitting DEKA defendants

ATHENS, 8/12/2005 (ANA)

A three-justice appellate-level tribunal handed down not guilty verdicts with the justification that a five-year statute of limitations for the particular misdemeanors has expired.

In its opinion to downgrade the charges, the court ruled that the state had transferred assets to DEKA, which as a public sector societe anonyme firm enjoyed legal autonomy, thereby eliminating the element of embezzlement or misappropriation of state funds.

In his closing argument last week, the bench prosecutor had requested convictions for all seven defendants.

The initial indictment referred to losses of millions of euros in DEKA assets from transactions -- mostly the buying of large chunks of shares of bourse-listed state-run enterprises -- ahead of the April 2000 elections, ostensibly to boost the stock market's general index.

PASOK narrowly defeated New Democracy in that election, forming another government under Costas Simitis until the March 2004 election.

[17] Macedonia-Thrace minister meets with Australian envoy

ATHENS, 8/12/2005 (ANA)

Among others, the latest developments concerning the "name issue" still plaguing relations between Athens the neighboring Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) were discussed.

The Canberra government's interest in the issue over the years mainly stems from the fact that Australia hosts a large number of immigrants from both countries.

[18] Tourism minister addresses IHT Forum in Dubai on Tourism Investments in Greece

DUBAI, 8/12/2005 (ANA/L. Tsirigotakis)

"Our overture to the Gulf region has begun. Last year we took part, for the first time, in the international tourism fair in Dubai. Over the past year, I have visited Bahrain, Qatar and Oman, and EOT (National Tourism Organization of Greece) will shortly be opening offices in Dubai, Qatar, Bahrain and Oman in order to project the messages of Greek tourism to this very important geographical region," Avramopoulos said, and noted the policy of "active tourism diplomacy" commenced by Greece that aims to expand tourism cooperation in the Gulf region, Europe and the rest of the world.

Addressing himself to foreign investors, Avramopoulos outlined the investments environment being created in Greece, which he said was beneficial, aimed at continued reduction of bureaucracy and taxation, and was being adapted to the demands of the times and business needs.

"Greece is a country that is rapidly changing and embracing the global challenges and, in the beginning of the 21st century, Greeks looks ahead with confidence at the future," the minister said.

The Forum was attended by foreign investors interested in establishing business activity in Greece, particularly in the tourism sector.

International businessman Frank Cole told the Forum he was completing a series of studies on major tourism investments in Greece, adding that among his business plans was to create, on Greek islands, the kind of tourism and economic infrastructure seen in Dubai today, while other foreign entrepreneurs described Greece as an ideal place for investments.

EOT president Aristides Kalogeropoulos, who also addressed the Forum, outlined the organization's long-term policy for tourism development in Greece, adding that the network of EOT offices abroad, which were slated to reach 49 in the near future, would play an important role in that strategy.

[19] General Assembly of Union of Balkan Chambers begins in Athens

ATHENS, 8/12/2005 (ANA)

In his speech, Development Minister Dimitris Sioufas underlined that on the past years the countries of the Balkans have made great steps of progress on the road for free economy and the adoption of crucial economic reforms and the restoration of conditions of peace with their neighbors.

The minister noted that 10 per cent of the active labor force in Greece are immigrants from neighboring countries, while thousands of Greek businesses have settled or expanded in the Balkans.

Referring to Greek investments in the region of the Balkans, Deputy Foreign Minister Evripidis Stylianidis said that Greek investments totalling 8.3 billion euros have been made in the Balkans, 200,000 new jobs have been created as well as 3,500 new businesses.

Stylianidis underlined that Greece is first in investments in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Albania, Serbia and Montenegro. Furthermore, there is particularly increasing tendency of Greek investments in Turkey which last year came to 27 per cent, he added.

Deputy Tourism Development Minister Anastasios Liaskos referred to the fact that tourism constitutes a world economic force which brings peoples and states together.

[20] Greece and Mexico finalize agreement for avoiding double taxation

ATHENS, 8/12/2005 (ANA)

Stylianides stressed that the importance of the agreement for Greek shipping and Greek exports, saying it would give a new impetus to bilateral economic ties.

He also expressed hope that the two countries would have an opportunity to exchange visits by officials at the highest levels and develop relations on the level of markets.

There is an official invitation to the President of the Republic to visit Mexico that has not yet been finalized, which was preceded by a meeting between Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis and his Mexican counterpart Vicente Fox at the UN General Assembly in New York in September.

The ambassador noted the friendly ties between the Greek and Mexican people and said that there was great potential for Greek exports of solar-power technology products.

[21] Government slaps fines on defaulting insurers

ATHENS, 8/12/2005 (ANA)

The companies and their fines for payment by December 19 are Astra Insurance (five million euros); Galaxias (two million euros); and Argonaftiki (1.5 million euros.)

On December 20, the state's private insurance commission will meet to determine whether or not the fines have been paid, and any other measures that may have to be taken against the three insurers.

The government has repeatedly stated that it will fine or shut down insurance firms that fail in timely compensation payments to customers, or use the cash to plug deficits.

Papathanassiou had previously stated that the three may have their licenses withdrawn.

Addressing a recent conference held by the Union of Insurance Companies of Greece, he said that a drastic decline in the capitalization of insurers was due to the adoption of new international accounting standards.

[22] Deputy agriculture minister discusses issues of cooperation with Egyptian ambassador

ATHENS, 8/12/2005 (ANA)

Kontos also informed the Egyptian ambassador that Egypt's request for imports of Egyptian potatoes from the port of Kiato in the Corinthia prefecture has been denied.

He informed Losa that, according to a relevant decision, potatoes from his country will be imported from the ports of Piraeus, Thessaloniki, Patra and Rhodes.

Also discussed were possibilities of Greek farm products being exported to Egypt.

[23] Coalition of the Left party leader discusses latest developments in

PPC ATHENS, 8/12/2005 (ANA)

Alavanos said that his party has tabled a question in Parliament for the government to provide all evidence concerning the contracts, procurements and construction projects of DEH over 300,000 euros each since the year 2000.

"Unfortunately, DEH is handled by governments as a croupiere who takes money from the Greek people and places it on fixed numbers on which state-fed capitalists and pseudo-businessmen place their bets," the Coalition party leader said.

Referring to the employees, Alavanos said "the business with the employees, whom they accuse so easily gave 85 dead over the period of a decade, working in conditions of difficulty and danger without technical support, without labor doctors, etc."

[24] State grants cash for Greek-Turkish natgas pipeline

ATHENS, 8/12/2005 (ANA)

The part of the pipeline included in the current financing package links Komotini, Alexandroupoli and the Greek-Turkish border, the ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

[25] Analyst sees ECB raising rates by 25 bps in March

ATHENS, 8/12/2005 (ANA)

The Athens-quoted bank's analysis department anticipates that the ECB rate will be around 3.25% at the end of 2007.

[26] Athens Bourse close: Bullish trend continues

ATHENS, 8/12/2005 (ANA)

The general share index closed at 3,534.92 points, posting an increase of 0.55%. Turnover was 227.1 million euros.

The FTSE/ASE-20 index for high capitalization shares ended 0.40% up; the FTSE/ASE-40 for medium cap stocks closed 0.36% higher; and the FTSE/ASE-80 for small cap shares finished marginally up by 0.16%.

Of stocks traded, advances led declines by 135 to 125, with 65 remaining unchanged.

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