Athens News Agency: News in English, 05-06-16

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

CONTENTS

[01] UK Chancellor Brown welcomes talks with Greek finmin

[02] Avramopoulos announces measures to improve Greek tourism product

[03] Stolen bronze sculpture returned to Greece

[01] UK Chancellor Brown welcomes talks with Greek finmin

?It was an especially great pleasure for me to have the Greek minister with me today. I am looking forward to cooperation between us during the UK presidency in coming months, and I believe that what the cooperation between Greece and the UK may achieve will be a success for the European Union in its entirety,? Brown said.

Alogoskoufis said that he had informed Brown of matters of interest to Greece during the presidency, chiefly an EU deficit-reduction process that the country is undergoing, which is linked to revision of the stability and growth pact.

He also reported that he had outlined recent initiatives undertaken by the government, involving the banking system, public administration, taxation, investment, growth and job creation.

In addition, Alogoskoufis spoke at a conference arranged by the Hellenic-British Chamber of Commerce that aimed to present to UK-based business the key role Greece could play as a partner in ventures in the Balkans and southeastern Europe.

The minister detailed steps the government had taken to spur growth, corporate activity and investment.

Development Minister Dimitris Sioufas, who accompanied Alogoskoufis to London, noted that the government supported companies and legally obtained earnings in order to aid job creation and tackle unemployment by means of fiscal and development policy.

He also noted that joint ventures were being promoted between the private and public sectors, especially for the use of installations from the Athens 2004 Olympics, tourism real estate and port facilities.

Moves taken by the government would encourage ventures involving investors from Greece and abroad, Sioufas added.

Also outlining the governmentâs plans to spur business was the UK ambassador in Athens, Simon Gass.

[02] Avramopoulos announces measures to improve Greek tourism product

Speaking to reporters, during a news conference, Avramopoulos said that messages sent by National Tourism Organisation's offices abroad were optimistic and were showing an increase in tourist arrivals in Greece.

The Greek minister also announced a series of measures aimed to improve the country's tourist product. Avramopoulos announced that Haris Kokkosis would take over as special secretary at the Tourism ministry, responsible for planning, leaving his position as secretary general at National Tourism Organisation. He will be replace by Mr. Fotinopoulos, while Mr Vassilis Rizas will take over as secretary general at the ministry.

Avramopoulos stressed the need for Greek tourism agencies to unite under one umbrella, and announced the creation of a Tourism Chamber of Greece to help towards achieving this goal. He said that the Institute for Tourism Research and Forecasts (ITEP) would be upgraded covering also all statistics related with tourism.

The Greek minister said he would submit to parliament a draft legislation on spa tourism and religious tourism. He reiterated actions taken to combat profiteering during the summer months with widespread inspections currently made around the country. Avramopoulos said the ministry was awaiting the formal recommendation of an expert for the construction of a Formule One race track in Greece.

[03] Stolen bronze sculpture returned to Greece

The sculpture had been bought by James Ed, a British antique dealer and president of the international antique dealers' association, who was later informed by a friend that the sculpture belonged to the Museum of Samos.

The dealer contacted the Greek embassy in London and after verifying the information turned it over to the embassy.

The sculpture, which measures 11 cm high and is valued today at 30,000 British pounds, had been stolen from the museum during World War II.

The Cultural Attache of the Greek embassy in London, Victoria Solomonidou, gave the sculpture to Alternate Culture Minister Fani Palli-Petralia during a ceremony on Thursday.

Among those present at the ceremony were Ed and Secretary General of the Culture Ministry Christos Zahopoulos.

Solomonidou referred to the continuous efforts the Greek embassy in London is making regarding the return of stolen antiquities.

On her part, Petralia linked the return of the sculpture to the return of the Parthenon marbles, noting that a new museum is under construction which will hopefully showcase the marbles as part of its exhibit.

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