Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 16-09-15

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM Tsipras: Cyprus' issue is a matter of occupation; we are cautiously optimistic

[02] PM Tsipras expresses support for Cypriot government in finding viable solution

[03] Social solidarity minister, Alt. Finmin, brief Greece's creditors on 'social solidarity income' benefit

[04] Negotiations on labour reforms will be based on International Committee of Experts report, says minister

[05] The budget and fiscal performance to dominate talks with institutions on Thursday

[06] Jean Claude Juncker: EU needs more solidarity

[07] PM Tsipras comments on Juncker's statements

[08] 'Extremely positive points' in Juncker speech, Greek government sources say

[09] PM Tsipras marks day of Remembrance for genocide of Asia Minor Greeks

[10] PM Tsipras to meet Austrian Labour minister on Thursday

[11] Cyprus Parliament speaker meets FM Kotzias, expresses satisfaction with 'clearcut' Greek position on guarantees

[12] Migration, protection of EU's external borders the focus of Bratislava summit, says official

[13] President Pavlopoulos warns of risks to representative democracy in forum speech

[14] SYRIZA government will lead Siemens case to trial, Dep. FM Amanatidis tells ANA from Istanbul

[15] The government can remain in power until 2019 even 2023, ANEL leader Kammenos says

[16] ANEL leader says any intervention in ELSTAT case is 'unacceptable'

[17] ND leader meets ESHEA journalists' union board, condemns closure of TV channels

[18] HRW chief hails importance of defending human rights ahead of awarding ceremony

[19] State minister to attend 'Global Progress 2016' forum in Canada

[20] Justice ministry denies media claims about the publication of wealth statements on Oct. 1

[21] Interior ministry meeting discusses relief for flood-stricken Messinia, Lakonia

[22] Lesvos residents announce protest march to request decongestion of refugee center

[23] WWF, Greenpeace slam PPC and Energy minister over MoU for lignite plant

[24] EIB, Eurobank sign 40-mln-euro credit line for SMEs

[25] Cooperation of Greek enterprises with Alibaba will boost exports to Chinese markets, Dep.FM Mardas says

[26] Alt.Tourism Minister Kountoura invites Chinese entrepreneurs to invest in Greek tourism

[27] Alibaba presents Tmall Global platform to Greek enterprises

[28] Greek tourism, wine and olive oil attractive to Chinese consumers, Alibaba official says

[29] Alt.Tourism Min Kountoura meets Zakynthos' mayor

[30] Senior economy ministry source denies 'bad bank' rumour; unveils plan to transform ETEAN

[31] Greek banks reduced borrowing from Eurosystem in August

[32] Greece to launch tender for privatization of Egnatia Road next week, sources

[33] In times of crisis, one must dare, Papastratos head says

[34] Intralot to issue 250-mln-euro five-year bond loan

[35] Greek import price index down 3.2 pct in July

[36] Megas Yeeros continues growing rapidly, CEO says

[37] Dimitriou takes over as chairman of Athens International Airport

[38] International passenger arrivals up 6.5 pct at Greece's main airports in Jan-Aug 2016

[39] Greece raises 1.3 bln euros from T-bill issue

[40] Visitors, revenues in museums down in Jan-May

[41] Greek stocks end slightly lower

[42] Greek bond market closing report

[43] Hetionian Gate to open three days a week to public

[44] UNESCO names Athens World Book Capital for 2018

[45] Sea Shepherd's expedition to clean Lesvos' seabed and shores

[46] 54 migrants and refugees arrived on Greek islands in the last 24h

[47] 23 migrants and refugees arrested on Kos

[48] PM and President send congratulations to athlete Pavlos Mamalos for Paralympic Powerlifting gold

[49] Mostly fair on Thursday

[50] The Wednesday edition of Athens' dailies at a glance Politics

[01] PM Tsipras: Cyprus' issue is a matter of occupation; we are cautiously optimistic

On his part, Syllouris said that optimism exists but "let's stay to this, it is useful by itself, but not enough," he said adding "I believe that it is very important that you acknowledge that the Cyprus issue is an matter of occupation and invasion."

"Greece's stance is very important. Although it is a guarantor country, it states that it does not want to be a guarantor and that Cyprus' future cannot be based on a military guarantee," he added

"Military guarantee means that any problems in the future will be solved military instead of politically or legally according to the European acquis. So, Greece's position that such measures are outdated is correct."

[02] PM Tsipras expresses support for Cypriot government in finding viable solution

"Greece supports the decisions of the Cypriot government for a just and viable solution of the Cypriot issue," he tweeted.

[03] Social solidarity minister, Alt. Finmin, brief Greece's creditors on 'social solidarity income' benefit

Finance ministry sources said the meeting was requested by the Greek side and sought to brief the heads of the lenders' missions in Athens on the government's planning and course of primary spending, in order to find sources of funding for the SSI benefit and other social programmes.

[04] Negotiations on labour reforms will be based on International Committee of Experts report, says minister

"Our differences with the IMF are so extreme that no substantial debate could take place if we didn't have a reference text, such as that of the International Committee of Experts," he told journalists, adding the meeting was mostly an exploratory and procedural discussion.

Asked about mass layoffs, Katrougalos said that any substantive, binding talks on the issue will have to be held after the decision of the European Court which is expected to be issued towards the end of October, or start of November. He also said that the Christmas and Easter bonuses will not be abolished.

The next meeting with the institutions on labour reforms has been scheduled for October 17.

[05] The budget and fiscal performance to dominate talks with institutions on Thursday

Thursday's programme is as follows:

10:00-12:00 Fiscal issues (Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos and Alternate Finance Minister George Chouliarakis)

12:00 - 13:00 Pensions (Labour Minister George Katrougalos)

14:00 - 18:00 Financial issues (Tsakalotos, Economy Minister George Stathakis, Bank of Greece, Hellenic Financial Stability Fund)

18:30 - 19:30 Justice issues (Justice Minister Nikos Paraskevo-poulos)

[06] Jean Claude Juncker: EU needs more solidarity

"We propose the establishment of a European solidarity institution," Juncker said.

He stressed the importance of the immediate reunification of Cyprus adding that he supports both leaders.

Juncker also proposed the doubling of the size of his signature investment plan to 630 billion euros and announced measures to help young people hit by the eurozone debt crisis, with youth unemployment still at record levels in Greece and southern Europe.

Moreover, the president of the European Parliament called on Greece to protect unaccompanied underage refugees that are on its territory.

[07] PM Tsipras comments on Juncker's statements

"Intelligent flexibility" in implementing Stability and Growth Pact, as Juncker suggested, is key to growth and employment in EU, he added.

[08] 'Extremely positive points' in Juncker speech, Greek government sources say

The government sources also highlighted the similarities between these positions and the Athens Declaration signed a few days earlier by the leaders of the EU's Mediterranean states, noting that they should be included in the upcoming informal EU summit in Bratislava.

Juncker's statement that Europe is "insufficiently social and this has to change," was especially significant, as was the announcement about a doubling of funds for the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI) and Juncker's reference to "intelligent flexibility" in applying the Stability and Growth Pact, the sources noted.

Also important was the Commission's commitment to make the fight against poverty and unemployment, especially youth unemployment, a top priority, as well as a pledge to fight tax invasion and unfair taxation competition in Europe, they added.

With respect to the refugee issue, the Greek government welcomed Juncker's references to a need for solidarity and a fair allocation of the refugee burden between the member-states through resettlement and relocation, as well as the need to form a European border and coast guard to guard EU borders. In addition, the EU's international and regional role was being strengthened by the appointment of an EU foreign minister and a European strategy on Syria.

"The above positions, which are in the same direction with the Athens Declaration, signed a few days ago by the Mediterranean Countries of the EU, can and must be a object for serious processing at the upcoming summit in Bratislava," the government noted.

[09] PM Tsipras marks day of Remembrance for genocide of Asia Minor Greeks

"September 14th, National Day of Remembrance of the Genocide of the Greeks of Asia Minor, reminds us an important piece of our history: The uprooting and exile," Tsipras said in a post on the prime minister's official Twitter account.

"Historical memory remains alive, strengthening our values," he added.

[10] PM Tsipras to meet Austrian Labour minister on Thursday

[11] Cyprus Parliament speaker meets FM Kotzias, expresses satisfaction with 'clearcut' Greek position on guarantees

"Therefore, I consider that if at the end of a solution of the Cyprus issue this happens, then we can truly say that we are facing a solution," he added.

[12] Migration, protection of EU's external borders the focus of Bratislava summit, says official

Migration and protection of the EU's external borders will be the main topics of an unofficial summit of the EU's 27 leaders - without Britain -which will be held in Bratislava on Friday, a senior EU official told journalists on Wednesday.

The meeting's main aim will be to discuss the negotiation process with the United Kingdom but also the future of the 27 member-states.

"The aim is for stability and hope to return and regain confidence. Not only between the institutions and the governments but also the citizens' confidence towards the EU," he said, adding that it is an opportunity for leaders to show they have "received the message" about what European citizens are afraid of.

[13] President Pavlopoulos warns of risks to representative democracy in forum speech

Pavlopoulos focused on today' s challenges facing Democracy, saying that anything that undermines it, eventually undermines European and Western culture in general and noted that representative democracy is a "precious yet fragile good".

"The foregoing evince that representative democracy is an invaluable and yet fragile good. Therefore we are under obligation to protect it continually against its 'enemies'. Failure to do so risks Democracy itself and by extension, European and Western culture in general," he said.

Pavlopoulos said nobody doubts that representative democracy is in jeopardy today, not just in underdeveloped countries, but also in very developed ones. Describing the dangers, Pavlopoulos named "government despotism", that is, the arbitrary or abusive imposition of the executive power over the other two, the major obstacles encountered by a person when attempting to defend his rights through the judiciary, the no-barriers intervention of the markets and the ratings agencies in the sovereignty of states and the decadent path of the welfare state.

He also stated that representative democracy prevails over direct democracy, mainly because opposition and respect for the right of the minority are ultimately unthinkable in the context of the latter. "There is little doubt that representative democracy may be beneficially enhanced with direct democracy institutions such as the legislative referendum and the referendum on crucial political, social and economic issues," he noted.

[14] SYRIZA government will lead Siemens case to trial, Dep. FM Amanatidis tells ANA from Istanbul

The German translation of the judicial decision in the Siemens case, a total of 4,188 pages, is being delivered to the First-instance Prosecutors' Office today," Deputy Foreign Minister Yiannis Amanatidis said on Wednesday, in statements to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA) while visiting the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Fanar, Istanbul.

He said the translation was being delivered as scheduled and that the French translation will also be delivered within the next few days.

"As we had promised we are pressing ahead and, with a SYRIZA government, the Siemens case will come to trial," he said.

Amanatidis arrived in Istanbul on Tuesday to attend the mass for the raising of the Holy Cross on the Patriarchal Church of St. George in Fanar, expressing his pleasure to be in Istanbul for the celebration. The minister will have a meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and visit the School of Thelogy in Halki before departing for Athens on Thursday.

[15] The government can remain in power until 2019 even 2023, ANEL leader Kammenos says

Regarding his party's cooperation with SYRIZA and Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, he said that it is "excellent" and "honest." He admitted that there are differences, but these are resolved with full respect for the red lines of both sides and in the best possible way.

Referring to the refugee issue, Kammenos said that the Greek people embraced the refugees in difficult times, adding that the Greeks who left Smyrna in 1922 were first hosted in boats from Syria.

[16] ANEL leader says any intervention in ELSTAT case is 'unacceptable'

Kamennos said Justice must be allowed to do its work and criticized New Democracy for its stance on the issue. "The case of Georgiou, the case of manipulation of statistics, has to do exactly with the attempt to nullify the work of the Karamanlis government," Kammenos said.

"I find it unacceptable that we have intervention and pressure on the Georgiou case not to investigate the issue of the first memorandum, the reason why we got into this hell of an economic crisis," he added, noting that "after the convictions on the penal part, the economic and political results must also be investigated."

[17] ND leader meets ESHEA journalists' union board, condemns closure of TV channels

"It is inconceivable that media employees should lose their jobs because the government arbitrarily decided to restrict the licences to four, creating an oligopoly in the media," he said.

ND sources said the meeting was requested by Mitsotakis so that the party's leader might be briefed on how ESHEA intends to handle the issue that has arisen and the repercussions of the TV stations' closure on journalists. Mitsotakis repeated the party's standing position on the need to ensure pluralism and freedom of news coverage by restoring the Hellenic Radio and Television Council's role, in accordance with the Constitution, as well as full utilisation of the digital spectrum, which allowed for several channels and not just four.

The party's position could be summed up "More democracy, more channels, more money, more workers," ND said.

[18] HRW chief hails importance of defending human rights ahead of awarding ceremony

Roth, who was chosen for his work in defending human rights, will be presented with the award by the mayor of Athens, Giorgos Kaminis, in a ceremony at Attalos Arcade on Thursday.

"My selection reflects the importance of human rights in establishing Democracy. Unfortunately some populists today address the fears of the majority -economic, cultural and physical insecurity - to undermine the political system," Roth said.

"The solution is not to bend, hoping that the winds of hate will pass over us, but to vigorously defend Democracy, which is based on rights. I hope my being awarded will encourage its defense," he added.

The award will be bestowed on an individual or organisation, in recognition of globally acknowledged achievements, which demonstrate a lasting and compelling commitment to the advancement of democracy and to its enhancement on an international scale. The City of Athens also wishes to honour all democratically active citizens, who not only defend democratic principles, but substantively contribute to the continuous promotion of democracy as a system of ethical values.

It is presented annually during the Athens Democracy Forum on September 15th, the U.N. International Day of Democracy.

[19] State minister to attend 'Global Progress 2016' forum in Canada

The Global Progress forum connects progressive think-tanks, initiatives, institutions and movements from around the world. It also shares ideas, resources and talent in the pursuit of a more socially and economically progressive international community.

The event will gather more than 200 representatives from 20 countries who will discuss, among others, issues such as prosperity, diversity, innovation and digital democracy.

[20] Justice ministry denies media claims about the publication of wealth statements on Oct. 1

According to the justice ministry, the report was incorrect and that the wealth statements were not made public with the exception of those submitted by the prime minister, the leaders of political parties represented in the national or European parliaments and individuals receiving state funding, such as ministers, alternate ministers, deputy ministers, MPs, MEPs, regional authority governors and mayors, as well as individuals managing political party finances.

The wealth statements made public were posted on the Parliament website, while there were no significant changes in relation to those made public under previous laws, the announcement said.

[21] Interior ministry meeting discusses relief for flood-stricken Messinia, Lakonia

The meeting was also attended by Labour Minister George Katrougalos, Deputy Interior Minister Yiannis Balafas, Deputy Economy Minister for NSRF issues Alexis Charitsis, General Secretary for Public Investments Panagiotis Korkolis and local government officials and MPs.

The government asked local authorities in the area to quickly complete a record of damages to homes, businesses, farms and other concerns in their areas, so that they can apply to the interior ministry for financial relief. This will allow the government to quickly issue orders to disburse the necessary funds, they said.

Households stand to receive between 600 and 6,000 euros in compensation, while businesses can suspend payment of social insurance contributions for six months and then pay these over a period of 12-24 months, in addition to compensation amounting to 30 pct of damage to buildings and equipment.

Kouroumblis said the top priority will be to assist local authorities in repairing rural roads ahead of the olive harvest, for which the government had asked for the assistance of the army.

[22] Lesvos residents announce protest march to request decongestion of refugee center

According to the local council, Moria residents will hold a protest march to the center of Mytilene and a symbolic occupation of the elementary and high school of their village. They also plan to protest outside the city hall and another government building.

"A village cannot lift the burden of the island's refugee issue, with 5,000 trapped and angry people who rightly complain," the president of the local council, Nikos Trakellis said. "But the people here cannot take it any longer," he added.

A few months ago, the consecutive burglaries in homes and damage to farmland led to an eventful local council meeting during which residents demanded solutions from the relevant ministries and authorities. Instead, said Trakellis, the number of refugees and migrants increased. The damages caused in the village by refugees and migrants who have left Moria's center were the last straw for the locals.

"We call on all the citizens of Lesvos to stand on our side and participate in the protest for an issue that concerns the entire local community. We ask for the immediate decongestion of Moria's hot spot. The island cannot welcome so many people, cannot lift this burden any longer," he added.

[23] WWF, Greenpeace slam PPC and Energy minister over MoU for lignite plant

The MoU concerns the building of the second lignite-fired unit at its Meliti station near Florina and will foresee the creation of a joint company with the participation of PPC, CMEC and the owners of the lignite mines from which the Meliti project will be fuelled.

The two NGOs also criticized Energy Minister Panos Skourletis, who attended the signing, saying he supported "a black memorandum".

"Both PPC and the Greek government are aware that any investment in new lignite plants are not only environmentally, but also economically destructive. However they insist on promoting the most polluting and outdated technology for generating power, which will leave behind social and environmental wrecks," WWF and Greenpeace said in a joint statement.

"At the same time, their drawers are filled with negative responses from the European Commission, to requests for free greenhouse gas emissions. Also they have no evidence that Greece 'needs' new lignite plants," they added.

WWF and Greenpeace also asked the government to "stop stringing along Greek citizens and the residents of western Macedonia" and protect the country from climate change. They also requested that the government implements its commitment to withdraw from lignite.

Financial News

[24] EIB, Eurobank sign 40-mln-euro credit line for SMEs

The agreement is part of the "Grouped Loans for SMEs" program, allowing Eurobank to exploit a portfolio worth 140 million euros for the support of SMEs' plans through investment loans and moving capital injections.

"The agreement integrates the competitive interest rates of the "Jobs for Youth" program for enterprises seeking to promote youth employment. It comes at the right time so that the two banks will contribute to the strengthening of business activity in the country, boosting sustainable growth and supporting employment of young people. This agreement is part of a European strategy for the return of the Greek economy to growth," a statement said.

Jonathan Taylor, vice-president of EIB, responsible for loans in Greece, said EIB remained steadfast in its commitment to support the development of the private sector and to invest in new people.

"The agreement with EIB is part of Eurobank's initiatives to support Greek SMEs and in extension efforts for the recovery of the Greek economy. This program is particularly important for us since it aims to combat unemployment among young people which is a priority for use," Fokion Karavias, Eurobank's chief executive said.

The new credit line agreement with Eurobank is the third such partnership signed by EIB with a Greek bank in the last two months.

[25] Cooperation of Greek enterprises with Alibaba will boost exports to Chinese markets, Dep.FM Mardas says

"Following the recent visit of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in China in July, and his meeting with the president of the Chinese online sales group Alibaba, Jack Ma, we met yesterday at the Foreign Ministry with executives of the Chinese Alibaba group and discussed the opportunities and prospects for cooperation.

"During the meeting," he added, "we expressed our interest in promoting Greek agricultural products through Alibaba platform, as well as the promotion of Greece as a travel destination for Chinese tourists. We believe that the cooperation of the Greek business with Alibaba, as with other similar electronic platforms, will contribute significantly to increasing our exports to the Chinese market and strengthen the tourist flow to Greece."

[26] Alt.Tourism Minister Kountoura invites Chinese entrepreneurs to invest in Greek tourism

Greece, said Kountoura, is the ideal destination for tourists from China and at the same time offers the opportunity to entrepreneurs to operate in Greece.

Towards this direction Alibaba web platform will also give the opportunity to Greek tourism businessmen for cooperation with China.

Kountoura said that her ministry puts emphasis on the opening of new markets. The opening and approach to China's market that started in 2015 is already bearing fruit, said Kountoura adding that a substantial increase in tourists from China was recorded in 2016.

The key for the increase of tourist flows to Greece from China is the upgrading of the airlink from China to Athens, said Kountoura.

Finally, the ministry focuses on movie productions since the recent Chinese film productions in Greece had a positive result.

[27] Alibaba presents Tmall Global platform to Greek enterprises

Addressing a special event organised by the Athens Chamber of Tradesmen, Mrs Fontana, presenting the Tmall Global platform said it was one of Alibaba's 35 platforms, covering b2c exports and said that already 13 Greek enterprises were active in this platform (Folli Follie, etc), adding that commercial access in the Chinese market was not an easy case as it required plan, goals and understanding of the Chinese culture, to have good results.

The platform gives the opportunity for early access in the Chinese market without physical presence, so that a company can obtain the data and to be able to obtain the necessary infrastructure on Chinese soil in the next two to three years.

The cost for participating in the Tmall gate ranges from 5,000 US dollars to 10,000 US dollars, depending on the product, while companies are obliged to pay a commission on sales ranging from 1-5 pct and an additional 1.0 pct for cross-border commerce.

Mrs Fontana said the platform offered to a Greek partner real-time statistics, such as demographic data, age profile of consumers and the region of origin.

[28] Greek tourism, wine and olive oil attractive to Chinese consumers, Alibaba official says

Addressing an event organized by the Athens Chamber of Tradesmen, Cipriani said that tourism was a sector with significant growth prospects, wile products with comparative advantages such as wine and olive oil could also have a significant presence in the e-platform. He added that middle class Chinese consumers were very interested for international brands and particularly European products and services.

He noted there was a dynamic consumer category in China, belonging in the middle class, young in age and familiar with e-commerce and Internet, interested to travel to Greek islands and to buy Greek products.

Alibaba's platform includes hundreds of millions of products in 40 different main categories. Buyers of these products are located in more than 190 countries and regions, exchanging 100,000 messages on a daily basis.

Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Dimitris Mardas, addressing the event, said the Foreign ministry was examining the possibility of Greek commercial delegations to international trade fairs electronically. He noted that the ministry was searching for the right solutions from IT specialists and was expected to make announcements soon, and said that the calendar of commercial delegations for 2017 will be released soon.

Ioannis Hatzitheodosiou, president of the Athens Chamber of Tradesmen, said the event surpassed 500 participations, a proof of the interest among business world for export actions and e-commerce platforms.

He said that exports were an one-way road in this difficult environment prevailing in the Greek economy.

Christos Staikos, president of Enterprise Greece said the joining forces was a significant factor to lead the country out of the crisis.

[29] Alt.Tourism Min Kountoura meets Zakynthos' mayor

Kountoura expressed the support of the ministry to advertise the island in the foreign markets, especially in South Korea and China. She also urged the close cooperation between the ministry and the island's organisations with the aim to extend the tourist season and promote new tourist destinations as well as thematic tourist products.

[30] Senior economy ministry source denies 'bad bank' rumour; unveils plan to transform ETEAN

"The banks themselves can do what they want with the new instruments. We have passed all the legislation we are going to pass," the source said in response to press questions after a meeting with the institutions representing Greece's lenders.

The issue will be discussed at a meeting with the lenders on Thursday but only with respect to "improving" a law passed by the former New Democracy government so as to increase the efficiency of an out-of-court settlement process that allows for the expulsion of uncooperative shareholders, the source said.

Wednesday's meeting with the lenders focused on a Greek proposal for a major overhaul of the Hellenic Fund for Entrepreneurship & Development S.A. (ETEAN) so that it can be transformed into a powerful 'Development Fund', based on a plan drawn up by the economy, development and tourism ministry.

The source said the institutions raised objections to the plan on the grounds that it might impact fiscal stability, while they also noted that it would have to be approved by Commission agencies. They were more positively disposed to the Greek side's proposal that ETEAN manage more funds and programmes, however.

There was also extensive discussion on the government's developmental planning, with the institutions making their own observations. The completed plan, which is to be presented in coming weeks, will concern "life post-memorandum" and include financing tools and other changes relating to the medium-term strategy for growth, the source said.

The institutions expressed satisfaction with the developmental law and the course of the National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF).

The ministry's plans for ETEAN include the planning of specialised financing programmes, multiplying the funds that it manages, targeted intervention in the financing of start-ups and SMEs, incorporating the New Economy Development Fund (TANEO) and creating a mechanism for evaluating investments jointly funded by banks.

The above will be negotiated with the institutions in the legislative framework to be tabled after the second review is completed.

[31] Greek banks reduced borrowing from Eurosystem in August

The central bank said this development reflected a decline in direct borrowing from the European Central Bank to 29.56 billion euros from 31.39 billion euros in July and a decline in borrowing from ELA (the emergency lending assistance mechanism) to 48.89 billion euros in August from 51.44 billion a month earlier. The central bank attributed this development to a partial return of deposits and a continuing deleverage of loan portfolios.

[32] Greece to launch tender for privatization of Egnatia Road next week, sources

The privatization tender is one of the landmarks agreed for the disbursement of a 2.8-bln-euro sub-tranche to Greece. The tender envisages a 35-year concession of Egnatia Road.

The government will also table for ratification in Parliament next week a contract for Helliniko project, also one of the 15 landmarks.

HRADF sources said Italian railways has expressed interest to buy Rosco -OSE's rolling stock company- with the deadline for submitting an offer ending on September 30.

[33] In times of crisis, one must dare, Papastratos head says

In an interview with ANA, Harpantidis said that "this is what we are trying to do in Papastratos not only now, but for the past 85 years. And this is what we will continue to do".

"In Papastratos we care and inspire our workers and we struggle together to build a better future for our company and each one of us. Despite an economic crisis, we continue offering competitive wages, focusing on the development of our workers, acknowledge and award excellence, offer opportunities for international career and make every effort to have an excellent work environment," Harpantidis said.

Papastratos is a leader in the tobacco industry for 85 years. "We made bonds with tobacco production at a very early stage. We always supported our farmers, with tobacco purchases and their constant training. With our export we traveled and continue traveling Greek oriental tobacco around the world. We've always believed and invested on our people. Employment was fundamentally supported with real care for the workers and our partners. And we' ve always contributed significant to the economy. Just think that 2.5 pct of state budget comes from Papastratos," he said.

Harpantidis noted that the company always contributed to the society with several and fundamental actions, lately focusing on dealing with a humane crisis. "But mostly, in Papastratos, we always believed we had a duty to create, to care and inspire people and communities around us, to cooperate with the state and society. And of course, all this with a lot and hard work. This is the secret of our success that made us the "Most Remarkable Company in Greece" for 2016, according to Fortune magazine," he noted.

He presented three elements to highlight the importance placed by Philip Morris International on Papastratos and Greece. First, the value of our parent company's investments in Greece, combating tobacco smuggling and other significant social actions, totaling 700 million euros. Second, Philip Morris International renewed for another three years an agreement signed with the Greek government in 2013 to buy Greek tobacco. This agreement safeguards 30,000 tobacco growers and workers in the country and ensures adequate quantity of excellent tobacco quality for PMI's operations worldwide. Finally, Papastratos, in early 2016, took over in charge of the markets in Romania, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Malta.

"In Papastratos we believe that in times of crisis one must dare, to make strategic and investment moves and changes. That's exactly what we did, with the support of PMI. Our investment plan extends for several year and we are implementing it consistently to safeguard development and competitiveness, to further enhance our position in the market and to exit the crisis unscathed. Our latest investment move was worth 25 million euros for new production machines and a state-of-the-art tobacco processing unit which allowed us to significant raise exports," Harpantidis said.

He stressed that export growth was vital for all Greek enterprises and a very significant priority of Papastratos. The company always exported tobacco and final product. A few months ago, in April, Papastratos inaugurated a new investment which allowed the company to export more than 60 pct of its production to more that 30 countries around the world, from the Balkans, to Europe, Singapore, Mexico and Indonesia.

Harpantidis said that the problem of tobacco smuggling became more acute with the beginning of the economic crisis in 2009, because of over-taxation and a significant decline in consumers' purchasing power. A KPMG survey showed that 20 pct of cigarette consumption in Greece was illegal today, compared with only 3.0 pct in 2009. Papastratos is a leader in combating tobacco smuggling since 2012, with information campaigns in close cooperation with the state and we continue this cooperation with other large tobacco industries, he noted.

He said that Papastratos continued offering competitive wages to workers, focusing on the development of workers, acknowledging and awarding excellence, offering opportunities for international career and make every effort to have an excellent work environment. "Our efforts have been acknowledged with multiple awards in the last few years," Harpantidis said.

He added that business activity was a main element in a triangle of State-Entrepreneurship-Society which offers miracles when it has honest conversation and cooperates with transparency and efficiency.

[34] Intralot to issue 250-mln-euro five-year bond loan

The new bonds will be listed in the Euro MTF market of the Luxembourg Exchange, while JP Morgan, Societe Generale, BofA Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley and Nomura will act as joint global coordinators and joint bookrunners.

Intralot Finance Luxembourg SA, a subsidiary of Intralot Group, will announce on Wednesday a public offer to repurchase bonds from a bond loan worth 276,682,000 euros (paying an annual coupon of 9.75 pct) maturing in 2018 at a repurchase price of 105.155 pct, plus interest arrears. The public offer will be valid until September 20, 2016.

[35] Greek import price index down 3.2 pct in July

The statistics service, in a monthly report, attributed this development to the so-called imported inflation to a 0.6 pct decline in the import price index from Eurozone countries and a 5.7pct decline in the index from countries outside Eurozone.

The composite index fell 0.9 pct in July from June, after a 2.4 pct decline recorded in 2015.

[36] Megas Yeeros continues growing rapidly, CEO says

He said that sales of its subsidiary in the United States -a US factory completed one year of operation recently- totaled 3.0 million euros last year and were expected to surpass 7.0 million in 2016. In total, sales of the two production units are expected to surpass 33 million euros this year.

In 2015, sales amounted to around 25 million euros from 21.2 million in 2014 and this year are expected to surpass 27 million euros, Loustas said, adding that EBITDA totaled 3.3 million euros in 2015. Exports in Europe totaled 2.5 million euros and are expected to surpass 4.5 million euros this year.

Megas Yeeros is the largest company in the sector and won the European National Champion award in 2015.

US activities -led by George Nikas one of the main shareholders- expands to a sales network in all States, along with Canada, Mexico, Panama and the emirates (Dubai and Qatar). Exports to Arab Gulf states are made from the US since the US factory is certified with Arab legislation on food.

Based on existing plans, the US company will double its sales each year -rising to 12-15 million euros in 2017.

Loustas said Megas Yeeros will seek to list in the Athens Stock Exchange and in the London Stock Exchange (parallel market) after 2020 when sales were expected to surpass 80 million euros. The company unsuccessfully tried to list its shares in the ASE in 2014 and in the London market in 2015, the first because of adverse market conditions ahead of general elections in Greece and the second because of the introduction of capital controls in the country.

The Greek factory employs 180 workers. Main shareholders are George Nikas and Nikos Loustas and the Arista and Demerkon funds.

[37] Dimitriou takes over as chairman of Athens International Airport

The government proposal was signed by Infrastructure, Transport and Networks Minister Christos Spirtzis and Finance Minister Euclede Tsakalotos. Dimitriou is a member of the board in the Athens International Airport since May 2015.

[38] International passenger arrivals up 6.5 pct at Greece's main airports in Jan-Aug 2016

The increase in air passenger arrivals was highest for the Ionian islands (11 pct), Crete (10.7 pct) and Cyclades (10.6 pct), while arrivals fell sharply for the islands associated with refugee flows, such as Kos, Samos and Lesvos.

SETE said a stronger performance for last-minute bookings in August increased chances of meeting SETE's target for a 6 pct increase in overall arrivals compared with 2015 but a similar rise in revenues over the same period was seen as more unlikely.

[39] Greece raises 1.3 bln euros from T-bill issue

[40] Visitors, revenues in museums down in Jan-May

The number of free admission visitors in May increased by 11 percent.

Visitors to archaeological sites dropped by 18.7 percent, however, revenues posted a 63.6 percent compared to the same month in 2015. Free admission tickets dropped by 0.3 percent.

In the period January-May 2016 visitors to Greek museums dropped by 2.2 percent and revenues fell 1.4 percent while free admission tickets increased by 21 percent.

In the same period the number of visitors to archaeological sites fell by 6.5 percent and the revenues posted a 50.2 percent increase. Free admission tickets increased by 50.2 percent

[41] Greek stocks end slightly lower

The composite index of the market eased 0.15 pct to end at 556.13 points, after rising as much as 0.54 pct early in the day. The Large Cap index eased 0.30 pct and the Mid Cap index ended 1.60 pct higher. Turnover was a low 40.650 million euros in volume of 69,277,768 shares.

Athens Water (3.20 pct), PPC (2.31 pct) and Eurobank (1.36 pct) were top gainers among blue chip stocks, while Metka (1.90 pct), OTE (1.76 pct) and OPAP (1.64 pct) suffered the heaviest percentage losses of the day.

Among market sectors, Financial Services (2.04 pct) and Utilities (1.98 pct) scored big gains, while Technology (1.85 pct) and Telecoms (1.76 pct) suffered losses. National Bank and Piraeus Bank were the most heavily traded securities of the day. Broadly, decliners led advancers by 52 to 48 with another 21 issues unchanged. Levenderis (29.19 pct), Athina (18.18 pct) and MIG (15.93 pct) were top gainers, while Unibios (28.41 pct), Q&R (18.41 pct) and Forthnet (15.72 pct) were top losers.

[42] Greek bond market closing report

In interbank markets, interest rates were mixed. The 12-month rate rose to -0.054 pct from -0.055 pct, the nine-month rate was -0.125 pct, the six-month rate was -0.199 pct, the three-month rate fell to -0.303 pct from -0.302 pct and the one-month rate was -0.372 pct.

General News

[43] Hetionian Gate to open three days a week to public

The visitors will be able to observe the course of the maintenance and upgrading works of the largest archaeological site of Pireaus coast which is located on the port opposite of Gate E2.

Important remnants of the ancient fortification of Piraeus port from early building stage dated back to Themistocles until the Macedonian domination in the Hellenistic era can be observed on the finds.

[44] UNESCO names Athens World Book Capital for 2018

The city of Athens was chosen for the quality of its activities, supported by the entire book industry. The proposed programme includes meetings with writers, translators and illustrators, concerts, thematic exhibitions, poetry readings and workshops for publishing professionals. The aim of the programme is to make books accessible to the city's entire population, including migrants and refugees. Members of the Advisory Committee also praised Athens' cultural infrastructure and its expertise in organizing international events.

Cities designated as UNESCO World Book Capital undertake to promote books and reading and to organize activities over the year which starts with the celebration of World Book and Copyright Day (23 April).

The Advisory Committee brings together representatives of UNESCO, the International Publishers Associations (IPA) and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). It recently met in Paris, at UNESCO's Headquarters, to examine a record number of candidacies for the title of World Book Capital.

Athens is the 18th city to become World Book Capital. It was preceded by Madrid (2001), Alexandria (2002), New Delhi (2003), Antwerp (2004), Montreal (2005), Turin (2006), Bogota (2007), Amsterdam (2008), Beirut (2009), Ljubljana (2010), Buenos Aires (2011), Yerevan (2012), Bangkok (2013), Port Harcourt (2014), Incheon (2015), Wroclaw (2016) and Conakry (2017).

[45] Sea Shepherd's expedition to clean Lesvos' seabed and shores

Seven divers from France along with a speedboat and an organisation's caravan arrived on the island to assist in the cleaning of the seabed. The organisation submitted a request to Mytilene port authority to be allowed to proceed in environmental activities for two weeks.

Australia-flagged Brigitte Bardot catamaran has taken part in a number of dangerous operations that has declared war to the Japanese 'murderous fleets' who are responsible for the massacre of whales in the Antartic Ocean.

The vessel is named after the famous French actress who has financed the actions of the organisation for the protection of whales.

[46] 54 migrants and refugees arrived on Greek islands in the last 24h

No arrivals were reported on Lesvos, 2 persons arrived on Chios while 48 migrants and refugees arrived on Samos.

According to police, the number of refugees and migrants that sought asylum in Greek and are currently trapped on the Greek island reached 9,973.

[47] 23 migrants and refugees arrested on Kos

The refugees came from the opposite Turkish coasts.

Paralympics

[48] PM and President send congratulations to athlete Pavlos Mamalos for Paralympic Powerlifting gold

"Your golden success today in the Paralympic Games in Rio and your enviable athletic career since the previous Paralympic Games prove that the strength of your body and your spirit will always lead you to the top. We are proud of you," the president said in a telegram.

The prime minister posted his own message on Twitter:

"P. Mamalos grants Greece a 3rd gold medal and, following last night's success by T. Konstantinidis, the 10th in total. "Congratulations!"

Weather forecast

[49] Mostly fair on Thursday

[50] The Wednesday edition of Athens' dailies at a glance

DIMOKRATIA: (New Democracy leader) Kyriakos (Mitsotakis) to set up private universities

EFIMERIDA TON SYNTAKTON: Our grandfathers are refugees, our parents are migrants, are we racists?

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: Confiscations for debt below 5,000 euros

ESTIA: Why ancient Greek?

ETHNOS: Thousands of inheritance renunciation statements

IMERISIA: Three-day deadline

KATHIMERINI: The institutions' objections to Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' announcements

NAFTEMPORIKI: Two 'no' from the institutions

RIZOSPASTIS: A roadmap for the capital's exit from the crisis

TA NEA: Refugee issue: Insufficiency or prejudice

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