Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 16-02-15

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

Monday February 15, 2016

CONTENTS

[01] PM Tsipras to Dutch FM: European cooperation needed to manage refugee crisis

[02] Tsipras: 'Open fronts will soon close and Greece will turn a page'

[03] Dutch FM: 'Preferable to have effective border control than close Greek-FYROM borders'

[04] Migration Min. Mouzalas slams EU for delaying relocation at Lesvos refugee conference

[05] Gov't VP: Measures proposed by IMF's Thomsen on Greek social security are 'disastrous'

[06] ND VP: 'Government signed a deal and must move forward'

[07] Police showed restaint at farmers' protest in Athens, says minister

[08] After weekend respite, farmers return to road blocks next week

[09] Three British nationals arrested with heavy weapons in northern Greece

[10] Thousands demonstrate in Kos against building of hotspot, tear gas fired

[11] Greek athlete breaks youth indoor pole vault world record

[12] Weather Forecast

[13] Athens Headlines at a glance Politics

[01] PM Tsipras to Dutch FM: European cooperation needed to manage refugee crisis

"It's necessary to have a joint response to the refugee crisis and tackle the causes creating this crisis, which is the war in Syria," Tsipras said, adding that the aim is to minimize refugee flows and crush the trafficking rings that exploit them.

He also spoke for the need to implement a "credible resettlement" mechanism directly from Turkey towards the European countries, so that no more lives will be lost in the Aegean.

On his side, the Dutch official said that as president of the EU council, his country is seeking European consultations on the management of the refugee crisis and agreed with the Greek premier on the need to effectively smash trafficking and change the resettlement process.

Koenders also commented on his visit to FYROM earlier today, during which he warned on the dangers of unilateral moves. The Netherlands support Greece's position for a joint European stance on the basis of what has been agreed, he added.

[02] Tsipras: 'Open fronts will soon close and Greece will turn a page'

"The open fronts do not frighten us," he was quoted as saying, adding that the government will manage in the most "effective and decisive" manner these three challenges. "When these fronts are closed - and will close very soon, Greece will have turned a page," he said.

Commenting on the ongoing negotiations over the country's adjustment program, the prime minister warned that delaying the negotiation "serves no one" and called on those who are "unilaterally stalling the positive completion of the first assessment to stop." He said the government sent a month and a half ago its proposals for social security reforms and the institutions have not commented, while he noted that the program is being delayed because the institutions are disagreeing among themselves.

On the refugee crisis, Tsipras said the key to resolving the issue is transferring the management of the refugees to Turkey, as it has already been agreed between the EU and the neighboring country and explained that Greece accepted the intervention of NATO "under the very strict condition that they will respect our sovereignty and that both Greece and Turkey will operate within their own territorial waters."

He also dismissed any scenarios for early elections, noting that they were held three months ago and that the government's overall policy has already been judged by the people three times in less than a year.

[03] Dutch FM: 'Preferable to have effective border control than close Greek-FYROM borders'

"Some EU member-states are urging FYROM to close its borders with Greece. However, as we concluded, it is important to continue the process of European cooperation on the matter.

It is much more important to have an effective border control than to close them," he said. The Dutch foreign minister also said that his country, which holds the EU presidency for the current 6 months, believes it is very important to hold talks with Austria, Greece and FYROM in order to find an effective solution for the refugee crisis.

On Friday, Austrian Foreign Minister Sebastian Kurz urged FYROM to be ready to stop migrants at its borders with Greece, during a visit to the country.

Koenders will be in Athens this afternoon for talks with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras at 18.00 (local).

[04] Migration Min. Mouzalas slams EU for delaying relocation at Lesvos refugee conference

The minister was speaking at a conference organized by the Athens News Agency - Macedonian Press Agency (ANA-MPA) and the municipality of Lesvos in Mytilene. The aim of the conference, titled "Greece, Europe, the world before the refugee crisis", was to present not just the refugee issue, but the way it has been handled by the State, local communities, Europe and the media.

"Five months after the first European decisions on registration, relocation, resettlement, today relocation is not heard, resettlement is not heard, we only hear about registration and more intense accusations about our country," Mouzalas told the conference.

"At the same time, we have borders being closed with fences, restoring of border controls, a huge increase in the efforts to implicate our country. They lie in the best possible way, by being based on a small morsel of truth," he said.

He admitted the government made mistakes and delayed taking action because of the scale of the problem. "We made mistakes, we were confused, we didn't know how to work with this new phenomenon; we had delays. But if someone wants xenophobia to prevail and the lack of reason, one has to find a scapegoat and for some people, it is Greece," he said.

Opening the conference, ANA-MPA president and general director Mihalis Psilos said that one of the reasons for the conference was "an anger; an honest anger that grips every man who watches a country and its people to become an example of humanism".

"At the same time, some people in the civilized West are waiving a finger in front of us and are burying their head in the sand claiming that Greece is to blame for the problem," he noted, adding that the media also have a responsibility as most people do not have a daily contact with the refugees. "As ANA-MPA news agency we end with hypocrisy and crocodile tears. We're part of the people and we'll continue that way," he said.

Lesvos mayor Spyros Galinos said on his side that Greeks have been "upholding the ideals of Europe" by supporting thousands of refugees. "When for seven years Greeks are accused of not being able to put forward their own policy, these people who have been brought to their knees with the economic crisis still found the strength to stand up and take it upon itself to deal with a European problem," he said.

The conference was also attended by military officials and members of NGOs and volunteer groups.

[05] Gov't VP: Measures proposed by IMF's Thomsen on Greek social security are 'disastrous'

"Our limit is the agreement we signed [with Greece's lenders]. What [Poul] Thomsen wrote is something different. You may read e's saying 'let me make you a new program'. And the measures he's proposing, the horizontal pension cuts, are disastrous," Dragasakis was quoted as saying. "These measures are not in the agreement."

"The viability problem facing social security is real, serious and if don't find now socially just and economically viable solutions, the next options will be much more painful," he added and continued to note that a further cut in pensions would be both socially unjust and would risk pulling the economy into another recessionary circle.

"No social security system can be viable with an extended recession, a 25 pct loss of GDP, unemployment at 25 pct and a jump in undeclared labour," he explained.

[06] ND VP: 'Government signed a deal and must move forward'

He also noted that ND has backed the government where necessary and will continue to do where possible. "We supported the government and we'll continue to do it whenever we can, however the main opposition's obligation is to be the opposition," he was quoted by the paper as saying, while he urged Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras to govern because "he has signed an agreement that binds the country and he must move forward."

Commenting on the government's ongoing negotiations with the country's lenders, he said:

"If you had asked me a little while ago I would have told you that the government will pass the measures and the review will conclude. Today, I'm not betting on it. The government is in confusion and the government majority is not used to reactions," he said.

General News

[07] Police showed restaint at farmers' protest in Athens, says minister

While he recognized the seriousness of the problems facing the farmers from the proposed social security, pension and tax reforms due to the accumulation of distortions of the lack of proper planning on rural policy, he said the problem stems from the "bad understanding of reality on the essential needs and prospects of the country."

[08] After weekend respite, farmers return to road blocks next week

During the weekend, farmers from around Greece staged a massive protest rally in central Athens, demanding that the government withdraws its proposed social security and pension reform bill and starts dialog from scratch.

Tempi Valley had remained open over the weekend so that protesters could attend the labour action in the capital. Farmers at Tempi, along with their colleagues at Mikrothives, central Greece are still expecting an invitation from the government on the proposals they submitted last week with improvements to the bill.

Further north in the region of Rodopi, farmers announced they will close the Greek-Bulgarian border crossing at Nymphea for 72 hours as of Monday. This means that for three days no cars or trucks will be able to cross from Greece into Bulgaria and vice versa.

Until Sunday and until midnight, farmers at the block said they will open the crossing every two hours and for 15 minutes to allow trapped drivers to pass through.

In Xanthi, northeaster Greece, farmers announced they will close the bridge at Nestos River, on the Egnatia Highway for seven hours as of Monday noon and until 17.00 (local), according to statements made to ANA-MPA by the representative of the roadblocks in the region, Kostas Dalatsis.

[09] Three British nationals arrested with heavy weapons in northern Greece

The prosecutor charged two of the three suspects with participating in a criminal organization, involvement in terrorist acts, smuggling and transportation and possession of ammunition and firearms.

The three men were arrested by coast guard officials near the customs office at Kipoi. During the search, officials found 18 machine guns and tenths of thousands of bullets neatly packed in boxes and hidden crypts, as well as 400 U.S. dollars, 2,000 Turkish Liras and 10,000 Iraqi dinars on one of the suspects. A second suspect carried 900 euros and five cell phones.

According to the initial investigation, the weapons are likely to have been bought in Germany and Austria and were to be transferred to northern Iraq. Authorities believe the three men were a member of the same criminal group but no terrorist link has so far been established.

They say it appears that the purpose of the transfer of these weapons was to sell them. None of them has a record of a prior arrest, criminal action, or pending arrest warrant in any European country.

Police also said the suspects had been residing in a hotel in Alexandroupolis for about eight days.

[10] Thousands demonstrate in Kos against building of hotspot, tear gas fired

Protesters are demanding that the government reconsiders its decision to build the so-called "hotspot" in the area of Pyli, where work is already underway. Kos is among the several islands near the country's borders with Turkey which has borne the brunt of the refugee crisis.

Earlier, riot police clashed with protesters and tear gas was fired to disperse the crowd, after a group of people tried to enter the construction site.

On Tuesday, the municipal council on Kos is expected to convene to decide the way in which it will conduct a local referendum on whether to construct the center. The decision to hold the referendum was taken earlier this week by the council.

[11] Greek athlete breaks youth indoor pole vault world record

With his jump, Karalis topped the performance of Argentine pole vaulter German Chiaraviglio who achieved 5.51 meters in 2004. The performance was extolled by crowds at the stadium and especially the athletes' academies which had set up their own support group.

President Prokopis Pavlopoulos and Sports Minister Stavros Kontonis congratulated Karalis in messages released on Sunday.

"Your world distinction honours Greece and constitutes an irrefutable proof of the inexhaustible strength of our country's young generation. My warmest congratulations," the President said.

"Greek sports have stable bases and is standing on its own feet despite the difficult economic conditions. Our warmest congratulations to the athlete, hos couches and his team, but also to all those who participated in the National Indoors Sports for their efforts," Kontonis said.

[12] Weather Forecast

[13] Athens Headlines at a glance

PROTO THEMA: Is it [government] falling or not?

TO VIMA: They are rewriting the memorandum

ETHNOS: The IMF's dirty game

REAL NEWS: President Pavlopoulos: 'Greek society is about to explode'

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: [Greece's creditors:] Cut pensions to examine your debt

RIZOSPASTIS: We don't back down, we escalate the fight

TO HONI: 'Roi mat' with vested interests

KONTRA NEWS: French authorities have opened investigation for Kyriakos Mitsotakis' sister, Alexandra

TO PARON: Regulations to help with NPLs

AVGHI: Tsipras interview: Open fronts to close soon

VRATHINI: Greece in the streets, SYRIZA at a dead end

I EPOCHI: After the escalation, time for dialog?

TO ARTHRO: Control is lost

PRIN: Road blocks everywhere against the social security slaughterhouse

O LOGOS: Countdown for Schengen

DEMOKRATIA: Will it last? The government in a minefield, amid a storm

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