Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 15-05-13

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM Tsipras chairs cabinet meeting, notes 'significant progress' in negotiations

[02] New cabinet meeting on Wednesday

[03] Optimism for deal with creditors within May, government source says

[04] Government's economic staff considers the outcome of Monday's Eurogroup positive

[05] Eurogroup's decision was expected and process needs to speed up, say gov't sources

[06] Schaueble: Improved atmosphere in Greek talks not matched by substance

[07] Brussels Group's intensive discussions will continue-EU Commission spokeswoman Andreeva

[08] Local governments have transferred 600.3 mln euros to BoG-gov't spokesman Sakellaridis

[09] ForMin Kotzias pleased with high-level meetings in Turkey

[10] Greek and Turkish FMs express joint will for peace in Aegean, Cyprus solution

[11] Foreign Minister Kotzias meets Turkish President Erdogan in Ankara

[12] ForMin Kotzias says 'satisfied' with 'very high level talks' in Turkey

[13] German ForMin Steinmeier welcomes resumption of Cyprus talks

[14] PM Tsipras plans to visit St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, says minister

[15] Putin spokesman: 'Happy' to receive PM Tsipras at St. Petersburg's Forum, but no confirmation yet

[16] IMF confirms payment of 750-mln-euros by Greece

[17] Potami party asks government to brief Parliament on negotiations

[18] Potami criticises government for its stance towards Greek cenbanker Stournaras

[19] KKE comments on developments after the Eurogroup meeting

[20] Golden Dawn trial adjourned to May 15

[21] Parliament decides to strip immunity from Golden Dawn MP Kassidiaris

[22] ECB raises Greek banks' ELA ceiling to 80 bln euros

[23] ECB has the excuse to maintain liquidity line for Greek banks, Bloomberg report

[24] TAP defends tender policies, says no discrimination of Greek companies

[25] Greece's privatisation agency defends tender on lease of regional airports

[26] Greece completes payment of 750-mln-euro to IMF

[27] CEO of Greece's bank bailout fund resigns

[28] Greek real estate officials express concern over market situation

[29] Minoan Lines says net profits 2.4 mln euros in Q1

[30] Sarantis ABEE reports improved Q1 results

[31] Fieldscale gets 150,000 euro funding from Jeremie

[32] Building activity up 36.6 pct in Feb

[33] Greek stocks end significantly higher

[34] Greek bond market closing report

[35] ADEX closing report

[36] Merkel dismisses cliches about Greeks and Germans in visit to Berlin school

[37] About 200 migrants found off Chania transferred to land

[38] Mostly fair on Wednesday

[39] The Tuesday edition of Athens' dailies at a glance Politics

[01] PM Tsipras chairs cabinet meeting, notes 'significant progress' in negotiations

His comments came during an Inner Cabinet meeting in the afternoon.

"The Greek side has so far fulfilled, to the fullest extent, all that was foreseen in the Eurogroup decision of Feb. 20. It (Greek government) has taken more steps towards European partners, demonstrating respect for procedures, laws and the Eurozone's framework of operation. Now it's the partners' turn to take the necessary steps so that they can demonstrate, in practice, their respect for peoples' democratic verdict, within a common European framework," he said, referring to the most recent election result in Greece.

Moreover, Tsipras again repeated his government's so-called "red lines", namely, no more austerity measures aimed against wage-earners and pensioners, while he reportedly cited what he called "protection for the working-class family", which he said has been devastated by five years of fruitless memorandum-mandated austerity.

The Greek PM told Cabinet members that his government is committed to tough negotiations, but always in tandem with ensuring the country's smooth operation, as he was quoted as saying.

[02] New cabinet meeting on Wednesday

The meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, will focus on the draft bill on taxation.

[03] Optimism for deal with creditors within May, government source says

"The Greek side has so far fulfilled to the letter all that was foreseen in the Eurogroup decision of February 20. It has taken as many steps as can be made toward the European partners, actively demonstrating its respect for the procedures, the laws and the operating framework of the eurozone," a source quoted Tsipras as saying during the meeting.

Noting that the February 20 agreement had referred to "finding a common ground," the source stressed that Greek side had already covered its own part of the distance and that "it was now the turn of the partners to take the necessary steps in order to actively demonstrate their respect for the democratic verdict of the people, within a common European framework."

During Tuesday's meeting, the prime minister briefed the cabinet and carried out an assessment of the situation after Monday's Eurogroup. There was no discussion on either the possibility of a referendum or snap elections, the source added.

In the government's view, the negotiations had now reached the most critical stage, "when a distance has been crossed that makes an agreement visible and which is the point at which a negotiation reaches its peak," the government source said.

The prime minister and finance minister assessed the results of Monday's Eurogroup and there followed a discussion on the policy the government will follow, both on the level of technical teams and in terms of the negotiations.

The government source said Monday's result was expected, with some progress and some issues yet to be settled, such as labour laws, the pension system and aspects of fiscal policy, like the size of the primary surplus and the fiscal gap.

"The government's intention is that any measures taken will not be measures imposing more austerity and reductions in incomes," the source stressed, adding that the creditors were insisting on a zero deficit clause for the pension system.

The government source noted that there were key dates, such as the European leaders' summit in Riga, where there will be an effort to raise the Greek issue, with a series of meeting sought on the sidelines of the Riga summit. The source did not rule out an emergency meeting of the Eurogroup, while referring to the atmosphere at Tuesday's cabinet meeting as "open and creative," without objections and disputes.

Tsipras pointed to the results of Monday's Eurogroup, sources added, and said the eurozone finance ministers had noted the progress made in the negotiations. He also emphasised the need to protect wage earners, pensioners and working-class families "from the fruitless austerity of the memorandums".

[04] Government's economic staff considers the outcome of Monday's Eurogroup positive

The Eurogroup's announcement records the progress made in the negotiations with Greece's creditors in comparison with the previous meeting of eurozone's Finance ministers in Riga, said government's economic staff sources.

Although Monday's statement of progress will not likely open the way for the approval of an increase of the borrowing limit at the ECB meeting on Wednesday, the government estimates that the climate has significantly improved and that in the coming period the two sides will further converge towards a final agreement.

The Finance ministry does not expect any changes at the ECB meeting. The borrowing limit of the Greek state through T-bills will not increase and the Greek request will not be fulfilled.

Moreover, a negative ECB decision for a 'higher haircut' of the Greek bonds that Frankfurt accepts as guarantee to finance banks is not expected either. It is estimated that the financing via ELA will not be increased again.

Regarding the context of the negotiations, it is clear that the biggest thorns in the negotiations are two. The labour issues and the social insurance issue. The creditors request, among others, cuts to early pensions and no cancellation of the zero deficit clause for the supplementary pensions. On labour issues, the main disagreement is the institutions' proposals for deregulation of the mass layoffs and the restoration of the collective negotiations as well as the minimum wage.

A major convergence has been recorded in other sectors such as the settlement of bad loans, VAT rate and the independency of the General Secretariat of the State Revenues as well as on the privatisations issue.

[05] Eurogroup's decision was expected and process needs to speed up, say gov't sources

According to the sources, the country's partners expressed their satisfaction for the progress which has been made in negotiations adding that at this critical point in the talks" everyone realises that time is neither on the side of Greece, not on the side of the Eurozone or our creditors". Therefore, the Greek government believes it's crucial to speed up the process to find common ground, by respecting both the eurozone's laws and Democracy in Europe.

The same sources also noted: "The fact that few issues remain open and the government welcomes the realization that time and effort will be required to close them. However, there needs to be mutual effort, without fixations, dogmatism and obsessions in order to reach an agreement on those issues."

The Greek government will take all the necessary initiatives in the coming days to achieve this deal, while at the same time respecting the popular mandate, the sources added.

[06] Schaueble: Improved atmosphere in Greek talks not matched by substance

In statements to German reporters on Tuesday, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said that the Eurogroup's statement on Greece did not hail the progress made in the substance of the negotiations between Athens and the institutions so much as the progress in the working procedures.

"On the issues, progress in the talks is not comparable to the improvement in the atmosphere," he said.

According to the German finance minister, with regard to the substance of the talks, a lot of time had been wasted without anything getting done. He also noted that the Greek ministers' insistence on talking only to minister and not technical teams created a problem.

Asked to comment on the progress made on the issue of privatisations, Schaeuble said the Greek government had simply corrected a "back-tracking".

Regarding the possibility that the Greek loans might be released in small installments, the German finance minister stressed that if the Eurogroup makes such a decision, it must ask for the German Parliament's approval.

[07] Brussels Group's intensive discussions will continue-EU Commission spokeswoman Andreeva

The Brussels Group's work will continue and there will be intensive discussions over the next few days to make further progress at a technical and political level, European Commission spokeswoman Mina Andreeva said on Tuesday.

According to EU sources, the joint statement after the Eurogroup meeting was the initial target of the Commission, while it was a result of the significant progress made in the negotiations between the Greek authorities and the representatives of the institutions during the weekend.

The Commision's target is to continue intensive discussions while, according to sources, an agreement could be reached at a staff level agreement even in 10 days although there are still some issues to be resolved, including the primary surplus target.

The same sources said that an emergency Eurogroup will be held as soon as there is an agreement with the institutions.

[08] Local governments have transferred 600.3 mln euros to BoG-gov't spokesman Sakellaridis

The information has been published following a relevant question during Monday's press briefing.

"Following the implementation of the legislative act (20/4/2015), up to yesterday local governments have transferred 64.5 million euros and other general government bodies 535.8 million euros to the Bank of Greece, a total of 600.3 million euros," according to the announcement.

[09] ForMin Kotzias pleased with high-level meetings in Turkey

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias expressed his satisfaction for the series of meetings he held in Turkey with the country's leadership, following a meeting with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday and his two-hour discussions with Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu in Ankara.

Kotzias is scheduled to fly to Antalya to attend NATO's two-day Foreign Ministerial Meeting.

The minister told journalists that Greece wants to build bridges with Turkey by solving problems in Greek-Turkish relations and by promoting prosperity and development of both peoples. He also said the Cyprus issue was discussed, on which Kotzias analysed his position for a solution which will benefit both communities on the island. "Turks told us it is a good opportunity to resolve the Cyprus issue, which would have a positive impact in general."

The two sides also discussed tourism, on which Turkish officials said they want to multiply the number of exchanges by increasing it tenfold.

[10] Greek and Turkish FMs express joint will for peace in Aegean, Cyprus solution

Kotzias said the two-hour meeting was held in a friendly atmosphere and a willingness to find solutions on all issues.

Among others, they decided on a resumption of exploratory talks for delineating the Aegean continental shelf and to promote confidence building measures, especially for maritime security, the Greek minister said.

The present juncture also presented an opportunity to find a solution to the Cyprus issue that protected the rights of both communities on the island, he added.

Kotzias said it was important for Cyprus to once again become an independent and sovereign state, free of guarantor powers, which had friendly relations with all sides. In response to questions, he stressed the Greek government's support for the negotiations on the Cyprus problem and Athens' willingness facilitate a solution in every way.

"We want the Cyprus issue to be solved but in the right way," he added, noting that the election of Turkish-Cypriot leader Mustafa Akinci was a very good opportunity.

The Greek minister also underlined Athens' steadfast support for Turkey's EU accesion.

Another key issue discussed at the meeting was that of illegal migration, where the two minister agreed to enhance bilateral cooperation on the level of the justice and foreign ministries of both countries, as well as on a much stricter framework of laws.

Cavusoglu confirmed a shared desire for peace and cooperation in the Aegean, noting that it was now possible to implement measures that averted dangers and tensions.

He said Turkey wanted to build its relationship with the new Greek government within a "positive agenda" and noted the two-way rise in tourism between the two countries in recent years, calling for improved transport links by sea and air.

On the Cyprus issue, he said there was joint political will for its solution and expressed satisfaction with the resumption of negotiations on May 15. Cavusoglu referred to "determination" in both Greece and Turkey to encourage a Cyprus solution and said the dinner between Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades and Akinci on Monday night was a "reason for optimism".

Referring to an invitation that Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu extended to the Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to visit Turkey, Kotzias said that Tsipras will be glad to come to Turkey and discuss all issues where this was necessary.

[11] Foreign Minister Kotzias meets Turkish President Erdogan in Ankara

No statements were made to the press following their meeting.

[12] ForMin Kotzias says 'satisfied' with 'very high level talks' in Turkey

The meeting between Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias and Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu in Istanbul on Monday evening took place in a very good climate and the minister expressed his satisfaction for the "very enhanced meeting".

Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Kotzias said talks between the two sides were attended at a very high level and issues discussed included the launch of exploratory contacts and expanding confidence-building measures.

A meeting between Kotzias and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was also arranged on Tuesday in Ankara, while Davutoglu invited Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to a meeting before December.

"Turkey is willing to cooperate and help on any issue," Davutoglu told Kotzias and the two sides decided to expanding confidence-building measures on aeronautical issues and other non-strategic sectors which concern society, culture, education and the economy.

[13] German ForMin Steinmeier welcomes resumption of Cyprus talks

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier welcomed on Tuesday the imminent resumption of Cyprus negotiations, which were agreed upon by Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades and the newly elected leader of the Turkish-Cypriot community Mustafa Akinci.

In a statement released by the ministry, Steinmeier said the news "rekindles hopes that it is possible to overcome the division." He also noted that both sides would benefit from a reunification as the existing status is not satisfactory for anyone, adding that the solution to the Cypriot problem would be beneficial for the entire region of the southeastern Mediterranean.

"Jointly with our European and international partners we are calling on both sides to seize this momentum for a comprehensive agreement," he said.

[14] PM Tsipras plans to visit St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, says minister

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is planning to visit the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) in June, Alternate Defence Minister Costas Isychos said on Tuesday, according to Russian news agency RIA-Novosti.

Isychos also said that Greece will be able to assist, on behalf of Europe, in opening new grounds of cooperation not just with Russia, but also with BRICS countries.

Referring to Russia's invitation for Greece to become member of BRICS' new development bank, he said that during the visit of the Greek delegation to St Petersburg, officials will present details and hold more extensive discussions on the issue.

"This will mean new opportunities for cooperation between Greece, Russia and Europe; it is a sign that we can overcome the ghosts of the Cold War, which began with the crisis in Ukraine," the minister was quoted as saying.

[15] Putin spokesman: 'Happy' to receive PM Tsipras at St. Petersburg's Forum, but no confirmation yet

The spokesman of Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday said the government would be "happy" to see Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), noting however that this has not been confirmed yet.

The annual Forum, which will be held on June 18-20, is held under the auspices of the Russian presidency and the personal supervision of Putin since 2006. Russian officials haveexpressed in the past their dissatisfaction for the fact that such an important political and economic event has until now been ignored by Greece.

"We would be happy to see Greek representatives and Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum," Putin's spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists. "At the moment, there's no final confirmation (for the arrival of Tsipras). As soon as the Greek government confirms it officially, we will have something to be based on," he added, following a question about whether Tsipras will meet Putin.

[16] IMF confirms payment of 750-mln-euros by Greece

According to press reports, the money used to pay off the IMF installment was money from a special account kept at the Bank of Greece kept for the last 30 years, which was designed to cover "extreme emergency needs" of the public sector, at the suggestion of Bank of Greece governor Yannis Stournaras.

[17] Potami party asks government to brief Parliament on negotiations

According to a statement by party spokesman Dimitris Tsiordas, "neither the Parliament knows it, nor the parties from which the government is requesting their backing. As the result, good or bad, will determine the country's fate for many decades, the government must hold an official briefing. Tactical games offer temporary benefits in polls, but are short lived. "

Potami also criticized the way the government informs public opinion, saying the government propaganda through leaks and non-papers has become the norm in trying to convince people that everything is going well.

[18] Potami criticises government for its stance towards Greek cenbanker Stournaras

"This time, the 'bad guy' is Yannis Stournaras, who allegedly undermines the government. Of course, SYRIZA and ANEL officials keep silent about the successful efforts of the Governor to date to maintain the financing of the banking system, in cooperation with the European Central Bank," the party said in a press release.

Potami also said that if the aim is to change the head of the central bank "they should say it publicly and not and not engage in a war behind the scenes, which hurts the institution and ultimately the Greek economy."

It went on to note that the government is essentially trying to control - through party officials - the Bank of Greece, thus violating European rules.

[19] KKE comments on developments after the Eurogroup meeting

"At the same time, the creditors' acception statements over a possible referendum confirm that this would have one and only target: To have the popular support to this new agreement with the, well known from the past, coercing dilemmas and in the name of the allegedly renewal of the popular mandate which the government attempts to bring to its own measures every time," noted the announcement.

KKE calls on the people not to show tolerance to the new agreement and to reject "the apparent and covered blackmails of the government and of the partners by choosing the road of resistance and of the real rift with the EU, the lenders and the capitalist way of growth that brought us the crisis."

[20] Golden Dawn trial adjourned to May 15

The lawyers that have been appointed by the court asked for the suspension of the trial for a few days in order to study the case file.

Regarding the transfer of the trial to another place, the president of the court said that as soon as the ministry has a proper venue "we are ready to be transferred immediately."

[21] Parliament decides to strip immunity from Golden Dawn MP Kassidiaris

Kassidiaris is facing charges for alleged breach of an Article of the Criminal Code, after his speech which allegedly incited hatred.

Financial News

[22] ECB raises Greek banks' ELA ceiling to 80 bln euros

This means that Greek banks will once again have a buffer of around 3.5 billion euros, while the ECB has not decided to make any change to the haircut imposed on Greek bonds that Greek banks must give as collateral.

[23] ECB has the excuse to maintain liquidity line for Greek banks, Bloomberg report

The report, commenting on the results of a Eurogroup meeting in Brussels, said that pressure on the two sides had intensified as the ECB is due to reassess the emergency liquidity lines keeping the Greek banking system in business on Wednesday.

"Although some central bankers are pushing for stricter terms, it is now unlikely that policy makers will decide to restrict funding this week," according to two European officials, the report noted.

Another report by FT also said that a statement issued on Greece on Monday was not expected to give the ECB the way out it needed to waive limits on treasury bill issuance from Athens, which are almost exclusively purchased by Greek banks.

[24] TAP defends tender policies, says no discrimination of Greek companies

In a letter to Productive Reconstruction, Environment and Energy Minister Panagiotis Lafazanis, in reply to a minister letter asking for the strengthening Greek companies' participation in the construction of the pipeline project, John Attrill, chairman of Trans Adriatic Pipeline, said that the consortium was already taking measures "to ensure that a tender process includes the value of local experience and does not discriminating against Greek companies". These measures included, lifting hurdles in tender process which could hinder the participation of local companies, focusing on local language and expertise preconditions, publishing announcements in local media, organizing events bringing together international contractors and Greek companies (around 350 Greek enterprises participated in such events in Thessaloniki and Alexandroupoli in January 2015).

Attrill noted that the presence of Greek companies in several tender was proof that these measures were efficient and that bids were evaluated based on criteria set in tenders.

[25] Greece's privatisation agency defends tender on lease of regional airports

In a press release, the agency said the tender was held in "transparent and reliable conditions", adding that it followed strictly the procedure, which includes "a series of independent monitoring mechanisms in accordance with the highest international standards and transparency principles."

The agency also said that according to HRADF's founding law, before any asset sale takes place, an independent evaluation is conducted for the asset in question. The agency explained that during the tender and before the selection of the preferred investor, HRADF hired a company of international standing with proven extensive experience in the aviation industry and valuations.

Commenting on the tender in question, HRADF noted it was conducted under intense competition and the agency secured by the winning an especially high bid of 1.23 billion euros, as well as an annual rent of 22.9 million euros, linked to inflation.

The consortium is also expected to spend about 330 million euros in the first four years to upgrade the airports, which will total 1.4 billion euros over the 40 years of lease.

[26] Greece completes payment of 750-mln-euro to IMF

Finance ministry sources told ANA-MPA that the money was transferred to a special account at the Bank of Greece, used for automatic payment of the IMF. The Finance ministry has ordered the Public Debt Management Organization and all related banks to pay the installment.

The IMF is expected to issue an official statement later today confirming the transaction.

[27] CEO of Greece's bank bailout fund resigns

Anastasia Sakellariou has been chief executive of the Fund since February 2013.

"During her term the recapitalization of the systemic banks, as well as the agreement of the restructuring plans, were successfully completed and the stability of the Greek banking system was ensured in adverse financial conditions," the Fund said.

It added that according to HFSF's founding law the CEO position has to be covered within sixty days following a procedure undertaken by the finance ministry.

[28] Greek real estate officials express concern over market situation

Aris Karytinos, chief executive in National Pangaea, addressing an event held in Athens ahead of a Prodexpo 2015 congress, underlined the need to urgently exit this situation. In the last six months, all activity froze and the main aim is to escape "a perfect storm", Karytinos said, adding that Pangaea group could invest around 2-2.5 billion euros (from the Astir Hotel and National Pangaea projects).

Dimitris Andritsos, chief executive in Eurobank Property Services said that challenges for real estate developers grew in recent months and a change in climate deteriorated. He expressed concern that taxation will continue to be governed by the same mentality although he noted that a rapid agreement with the country's partners could help turn 2016 into a better year for the sector.

George Mantzavinatos, head of Alvarez & Marsal, said that Greece remained outside the international investment map and noted the need for a stable tax and urban planning status in order to attract investments.

On his side, Yiannis Paraskevopoulos, managing director in Danos-BNP Paribas Real Estate, said investment policy in Greece is deeply political, explaining that real estate assets is a means for tax collection.

Spyros Pollalis, professor of Planning, Technology and Management Harvard Design School, stressed the need for sustainable growth with respect not only to the environment but the economy and social cohesion in general.

[29] Minoan Lines says net profits 2.4 mln euros in Q1

Consolidated equity capital totaled 244.2 million euros, or 2.28 euros per share, while bank loans totaled 211.4 million euros and cash reserves totaled 14 million euros.

Minoan Lines further strengthened its position in the northern Adriatic Sea with the sea line Patras-Igoumenitsa-Ancona-Trieste, with passenger traffic totaling 53,000, vehicle traffic totaling 11,000 cars and 20,000 lorries. Its market share in the Ancona line rose to 60.1 pct for passengers, 58.4 pct for vehicles and 57.4 pct for lorries.

[30] Sarantis ABEE reports improved Q1 results

Domestic sales rose 12.01 pct to 20.96 million euros, while international sales (accounting for 62.16 pct of group sales) grew 7.18 pct to 34.43 million euros. A company announcement said that actions aimed at lowering production costs continued benefiting gross earnings, while the gross earnings margin fell to 48.70 pct due to higher raw material prices from 49.90 pct last year. EBIT margin rose to 4.83 pct from 4.32 pct.

Sarantis Group said its net cash position was positive, worth 4.99 million euros at the end of March. A regular general shareholders' meeting on Tuesday approved a board plan to pay a 0.15 euros per share dividend to shareholders. The company's management expects this year's sales to grow by 8.0 pct to 268.4 million euros and earnings to grow by 12.9 pct to 19.36 million euros.

[31] Fieldscale gets 150,000 euro funding from Jeremie

[32] Building activity up 36.6 pct in Feb

The statistics service, in a report, said that the size of private building activity totaled 1,074 permits, up 10.2 pct from February 2014. In the two-month period from January to February, private building activity grew 2.8 pct in permits and 25.4 pct in volume, compared with the corresponding period last year.

[33] Greek stocks end significantly higher

Piraeus Bank (8.17 pct), Piraeus Port (5.72 pct), GEK Terna (3.98 pct) and Folli Follie (3.72 pct) were top gainers among blue chip stocks, while Coca Cola HBC (1.43 pct), Athens Water (1.36 pct) and Grivalia Properties (0.38 pct) suffered the heaviest percentage losses of the day.

Among market sectors, Media (8.95 pct), Commerce (3.68 pct) and Banks (3.29 pct) scored big gains, while Food (1.41 pct) and Utilities (0.21 pct) suffered losses.

Broadly, advancers led decliners by 69 to 39 with another 18 issues unchanged. Logismos (29.89 pct), Teletypos (19.30 pct) and NEL (17.86 pct) were top gainers, while Progressive (19.57 pct), Mohlos (16.98 pct) and G.E. Demetriou (15 pct) were top losers.

Sector indices ended as follows:

Banks: +3.29%

Insurance: unchanged

Financial Services: +2.79%

Industrial Products: +1.75%

Commercial: +3.68%

Real Estate: +0.02%

Personal & Household: +1.48%

Food & Beverages: 7.241.13 -1.41%

Raw Materials: 2.557.67 +2.11%

Construction: +1.38%

Oil: +1.54%

Chemicals: +0.08%

Media: +8.95%

Travel & Leisure: +1.17%

Technology: +1.81%

Telecoms: +2.76%

Utilities: -0.21%

Health: +2.66%

The stocks with the highest turnover were National Bank, OPAP, Eurobank, Piraeus Bank and Alpha Bank.

Selected shares from the FTSE/ASE

Large Cap index closed in euros as follows:

Alpha Bank: 0.318

Public Power Corp (PPC): 5.49

Coca Cola HBC: 19.36

Hellenic Petroleum (ELPE): 4.45

National Bank of Greece: 1.21

OPAP: 8.50

OTE: 8.20

Piraeus Bank: 0.450

Titan: 22.50

Grivalia Properties: 7.92

Aegean Airlines: 7.62

[34] Greek bond market closing report

In interbank markets, interest rates were largely unchanged. The 12-month rate rose to 0.169 pct from 0.168 pct, the nine-month rate was unchanged at 0.108 pct, the six-month rate was 0.061 pct, the three-month rate was -0.009 pct and the one-month rate rose to -0.0448 pct from -0.045 pct.

[35] ADEX closing report

General News

[36] Merkel dismisses cliches about Greeks and Germans in visit to Berlin school

"It's wrong to say that Greeks are not hard-working or that Germans are stingy," she said. "When the crisis of the euro erupted, which I think it was a very difficult test...I was always against it when someone stated something like 'Ah, yes the Bulgarians, the Greeks, we know well what they are like'...We must never speak that way," she told the students of the school, many of whom come from families of migrants, especially Turks.

"Germans are all so different from one another, Turks are so different...If I start saying 'Greeks are not hard-working and Germans are by nature hard-working but stingy...', both are wrong," she noted during a discussion to mark Europe Day, which was established by Merkel herself nine years ago to educate young people about Europe.

She continued to say that there are generous and stingy people everywhere and urged students to avoid generalisations.

[37] About 200 migrants found off Chania transferred to land

According to a local mayor, among the migrants are many women and children, but the exact number of the people rescued will be determined after authorities finish counting and the ship is checked. Doctors are offering first aid, while water and food have been distributed.

Authorities also said the migrants will be transferred to a closed swimming centre in Akrotiri which has been used in the past to house refugees found on the islet of Gavdos, south of Crete.

Weather forecast

[38] Mostly fair on Wednesday

[39] The Tuesday edition of Athens' dailies at a glance

DIMOKRATIA: The noose is tightening on Greece; not a word about money

EFIMERIDA TON SYNTAKTON: The responsibility now lies with (ECB president Mario) Draghi

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: First the measures and then we'll talk about the installments

ESTIA: Giant mistakes in the negotiation

ETHNOS: A positive signal for the final sprint

IMERISSIA: Half step for solution

KATHIMERINI: Recognition of progress without anything in exchange

KONTRANEWS: 850,000,000 euro scandal at the airports

NAFTEMPORIKI: Progress amid suffocation climate

RIZOSPASTIS: 'Progress' in the agreement of anti-popular measures

TA NEA: Referendum on the horizon

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