Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 08-07-07

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

CONTENTS

[01] Papoulias concludes 4-day visit to Austria

[02] French envoy to speak at foreign ministry

[03] Gov't: All significant documents in Siemens case translated

[04] Liapis replies to criticism over Siemens case

[05] KKE declaration for next June's Euro-election

[06] SYN leader sees 'turning point' for bipartisan system

[07] High cost of living biggest nat'l problem, opinion poll shows

[08] Exhibition on Maria Callas in Trieste

[09] Events in Vienna honor Rigas Feraios

[10] Woman arrested for heroin-trafficking in Larissa

[11] Earthquake shakes west Peloponnese

[12] Wildfires in central Greece

[13] Migrant-laden yacht intercepted off Greek mainland

[14] Pontian Confederation honors cosmonaut Yurchikhin

[15] Hot on Monday

[16] The Sunday edition of Athens' newspapers at a glance

[01] Papoulias concludes 4-day visit to Austria

Greek Pesident Karolos Papoulias concluded a four-day official visit to Austria on Sunday afternoon and departed from Salzburg, in the presence of his Austrian counterpart Heinz Fischer. He returns to Athens.

Earlier in the day, the two presidents, their wives and the two delegations had arrived in the city where they were welcomed by the federal state's local governor Gabi Burgstaller and then headed to a well-known local resort.

Referring to Turkey, Papoulias had stressed the importance that a solution to the issue of Cyprus has for the European Union, as well as the political irrationality of 40 percent of a member-state being under military occupation by a candidate member, such as Turkey.

Papoulias also inaugurated an exhibition "Antiquity and Modern Art: Reminiscences of Antiquity in Modern Greek Art" that opened on Saturday at the Kunsthistorisches Museum (Art History Museum) of Vienna. The official opening was held on Friday night, in the presence of Fischer.

On show are 53 works by major modern Greek painters and sculptors, such as Parthenis, Gkikas, Eggonopoulos, Moralis and others, collected and organised by the National Gallery of Greece, in collaboration with the Alexander S. Onassis Public Benefit Foundation.

It was first organised and presented in the winter of 1999-2000 for the inauguration of the Onassis Foundation's Arts Centre in New York and also kicked off the Cultural Year of Greece in Beijing in October 2007.

The official visit reciprocates that carried out by Austria's federal president Athens in May 2007 and included a series of meetings with Austrian officials, including Austrian Federal Chancellor Alfred Kusenbauer, Vienna Mayor Michael Haupl, and Austrian parliament (National Council) President Barbara Prammer, the parliament's first woman president.

Papoulias also met with Metropolitan Michael of Austria and the Ecumenical Patriarchate's Exarch of Hungary and Middle Europe, at the Holy Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Austria, which houses the historic Greek National School of Vienna, the oldest Greek school abroad.

Before inaugurating the exhibition on Friday, Papoulias took part in the Greece-Austria Economic Forum with Fischer, held talks with Vice Chancellor Wilhelm Molterer, and had a meeting with representatives of the Greek community.

[02] French envoy to speak at foreign ministry

The French envoy will focus on the recently inaugurated six-month French presidency of the European Union. The event will take place at the foreign ministry's auditorium, beginning at noon.

[03] Gov't: All significant documents in Siemens case translated

"However, we will work with all our powers to reach the truth. Neither the prime minister nor the justice minister owes anything to anyone, nor do we have any 'commitment', 'obligation' or 'unpaid bills'," he was quoted as saying in an interview in the Sunday edition of "Eleftherotypia".

[04] Liapis replies to criticism over Siemens case

"Over the last few days I have been experiencing a relentless attack. Waves of mud; slander with no bounds, just because I went with my son, just like thousands of other Greeks did, to see our national team; a private trip at my own expense. A major issue for some, a major hypocrisy as far as I am concerned. Is this the issue that concerns the Greek people? A trip by the minister?" he said, while asking: "who is behind this attack."

He also dismissed charges of mismanagement at the Hellenic Railways Organisation and the telephone utility (OTE) during his tenure as transport minister, reiterating that his had no involvement in the latter two entities' management.

The minister further said that the aim in the attacks against him is to disorientate the public opinion in order to create confusion and to conceal the real culprits, as he said, and to harm the government.

Speaking at the culture ministry, he also ruled out any thoughts of resigning.

PASOK response

In statements afterwards, a PASOK spokesman said Liapis remained exposed on the issue, adding that he is avoiding taking political responsibility.

Spokesman George Papaconstantinou also referred to "shadowy relations" between a minister and business interests.

[05] KKE declaration for next June's Euro-election

"The European Parliament elections offer the opportunity to condemn, at a national level, both the anti-popular policies and their vehicles, the ND government, and in general all the political parties espousing the policy of a single European path and the EU," KKE, which continues to oppose the EU and Greece's participation in the bloc, announced.

Along those lines, the KKE said it was the "only Greek party that has been vindicated by its clear position vis-à-vis the European Union".

Additionally, the declaration states that both of Greece's main parties "serve the ruling class, and work in favor of monopolies," whereas leftist SYRIZA, the political formation headed by the Coalition of the Left (Synaspismos), only serves as an indirect support for the "anti-popular EU".

[06] SYN leader sees 'turning point' for bipartisan system

"The development of recent years that makes [main opposition] PASOK and [ruling] New Democracy so proud is based on these kinds of transactions. This is common knowledge. And what we are watching is a key political game that's being played with the statute of limitations," he claimed.

Tsipras criticised Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis for not agreeing to a Parliamentary investigative committee to look into the Siemens case until the judicial investigation was over. According to Tsipras, justice had already decided during the preliminary inquiry that there was no evidence to implicate political figures, in the same way that no such evidence turned up in the phone-tapping scandal or the structured bonds scandal or the stock market.

Essentially, these cases were "a huge, money-making game played at the expense of working people, the unemployed, the vulnerable and pensioners, without rules and in every possible way: using kickbacks, cartels, even public utilities like the Public Power Corporation, which increases its rates every now and again to satisfy its shareholders," Tsipras said.

[07] High cost of living biggest nat'l problem, opinion poll shows

Unemployment, picked by 42.7 percent of respondents, figures as the second biggest problem, followed by the state of the economy, at 40.5 percent.

Some 57.6 percent of respondents said they are facing difficulties with their finances, while 31.3 percent of the former believe they will not improve their financial situation.

In terms of culpability, 55.6 percent of respondents answered that both major political parties, ND and PASOK, bear the same responsibility for the state of the economy; 20.8 percent blamed previous PASOK governments and 22.6 percent blame the current ND government.

The opinion poll was conducted by the Kapa Research firm and published in the Sunday edition of the Athens daily "Vima".

General News

[08] Exhibition on Maria Callas in Trieste

An exhibition on the life of opera diva Maria Callas was inaugurated here on Friday evening by Parliament President Dimitris Sioufas, as the exhibition, entitled "Maria Callas: 30 Years of Absence", is co-organised by the Greek Parliament Institute for Democracy, along with the Municipality of Trieste and Institute for Hellenic Culture in the historic northern Italian port city.

[09] Events in Vienna honor Rigas Feraios

A pilgrimage in the footsteps of pre-revolutionary visionary Rigas Feraios, beginning in Vienna and ending in Belgrade, is being carried out by a delegation of about 50 residents of Feraios' birthplace of Velestino, in Magnesia prefecture of east-central Greece.

The delegation's visit to Vienna began with a memorial service at the oldest of the two Greek Orthodox Cathedrals, St. George, for Feraios, his comrades in arms and for those who fell during the Greek War of Independence.

The laying of wreaths followed at the commemorative plaque placed in the facade of the cathedral on the 200th anniversary of Feraios' death.

The Metropolitan of Austria and Exarch of Hungary and Central Europe Mikhail noted that Rigas Feraios, "the great son of Velestino will remain in Greek history as one of its greatest heroes and a visionary firebrand."

[10] Woman arrested for heroin-trafficking in Larissa

The 19-year-old had been placed under surveillance after police received a tip-off that she was a member of the drug-trafficking ring. She was stopped and searched at the Larissa long-distance bus depot and was found to be carrying the heroin.

[11] Earthquake shakes west Peloponnese

According to the Seismological Station of Thessaloniki's Aristotelian University, the epicentre of the quake lay southwest of Patras and did not engender concern, since it was considered part of the normal post-seismic activity expected from the much stronger tremor that wreaked widespread destruction in the prefectures of Achaia and Ileia on June 8.

[12] Wildfires in central Greece

The blaze is now being fought by two small water-bombing aircraft from Lamia airport and a helicopter, while for fire brigade vehicles from nearby Atalanti are on the ground, reinforced by another six fire engines being sent from surrounding areas.

[13] Migrant-laden yacht intercepted off Greek mainland

The vessel was initially detected sailing without lights and headed for the coast near the resort of Aghiokambos, Larissa prefecture of central Greece.

Another two men, also foreign nationals, were later arrested in a van on land near the potential landing point for the illegals.

In preliminary statements to authorities, the would-be migrants said they had disembarked with the vessel, registered as YXA0610K, from the Turkish coast.

[14] Pontian Confederation honors cosmonaut Yurchikhin

The event was attended, among others, by Deputy Foreign Minister for Overseas Hellenism Theodoros Kassimis, local administration representatives and members of the World Council of Hellenes Abroad (SAE) and several ethnic Pontian organisations.

Distinguished Greek-American physicist and theorist Dimitris Nanopoulos was a special guest and the main speaker at the event.

"We are honoring tonight our fellow countryman who has lifted Pontian Hellenism to the stars," said the Confederation president, Dimitris Tomboulidis, of Yurchikhin.

Weather Forecast

[15] Hot on Monday

[16] The Sunday edition of Athens' newspapers at a glance

ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: "Two million euros up in the air. (PASOK leader George) Papandreou's close associate, Vassilopoulos, charged with massive mismanagement in public sector."

APOGEVMATINI: "One million households in the red. 110 billion euros in mortgage, consumer borrowing debt".

AVGHI: "Unemployment at 15 percent. Nightmare scenarios for citizens' day-to-day life"

AVRIANI: "Bribe takers should return kickbacks they received from Siemens".

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "Beware of (ex-Siemens Hellas CEO Mihalis) Christoforatos bearing gifts", a direct reference to the ongoing furor regarding charges of bribes and kickbacks handed out in Greece by German multinational Siemens.

ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "Water torture. Siemens scandal: cavernous indictment leading to slow progress, new evidence tortuously slow"

EPOCHI: "Bi-partisan political system seeks a way out"

ETHNOS: "Commission of 770,000 euros in Spring 2005 during tenure of then transport minister Mihalis Liapis"

KATHIMERINI: "Time for responsibility for politicians (due to Siemens furor)"

LOGOS: "Rendezvous in September with government reshuffle"

NIKI: "Kickbacks a noose for parties"

PARON: "New names in Siemens affair"

PROTO THEMA: "Evidence proves government wrong. (Culture minister Mihalis) Liapis) was also on executive jet of collusion. What will the PM do now?"

RIZOSPASTIS: "Declaration by communist party for Euro-elections in June 2009"

TO VIMA: "Opinion polls and audits reveal the scope of poverty that threatens, undermines society"

VRADYNI: "Exit needed from Siemens scandal. Courageous initiatives by PM Karamanlis for transparency"

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