Athens News Agency: News in English, 06-09-06

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

CONTENTS

[01] DM Meimarakis on Putin visit

[02] Gov't seeks strategic partner for state-run telecoms

[03] Foreign tourist arrivals rose 8.3% in 2005

[04] Greek frigate to depart for Lebanon

[01] DM Meimarakis on Putin visit

Meimarakis called the Putin visit "very useful", while he nevertheless termed various local press reports citing purported "new deals" for Russian weapons systems as "exaggerated".

"Greece is a country with open and transparent procedures for weapons purchases. In every arms procurement programme we use international tenders open to everyone ... and we, based on what serve Greeceâs best interests, the available quality and the price, select the one that best one for the countryâs defence," Meimarakis said.

[02] Gov't seeks strategic partner for state-run telecoms

Speaking to reporters after a scheduled meeting of the inter-ministerial privatisation commission, the minister said the commission agreed to begin procedures for a further privatisation of Hellenic Telecoms and to seek a strategic partner to co-share the management of the utility.

The Greek state will maintain a minority right in OTE. Alogoskoufis said the consultants for the sale would be hired over the next few weeks, while he stressed that the decision considers the vital national interests in the telecommunications sector.

Transport and Communications Minister Mihalis Liapis said the government's aim was to find an investor for the utility and to offer cheaper and better services to customers.

Development Minister Dimitris Sioufas said the commission's decision was following the policy of reforms promoted by the government, adding that achieving this goal would strengthen competition and lead to better services and prices.

The commission left open the size of the stake to be offered.

In a later statement, government spokesman Theodoros Roussopoulos stressed that the "government is looking for a strategic partner amongst internationally recognised telecoms organisations, with the candidate offered a stake of the management".

In response to a bevy of questions that coincided with several front-page articles in Athens dailies the same day, Roussopoulos pointed directly to a pre-election promise by the ruling New Democracy party to reform and privatise the wider public sector.

Opposition

In a later reaction to the announcement, main opposition PASOK issued a statement condemning the prospect of OTE's privatisation.

"The plan for downgrading and selling off OTE, which began by the ND government in March 2004, is being finalised today. OTE's sale is exclusively aimed at generating income; it is injurious to the national economy and undermines the country's effort to cover the distance between it and other European countries in developing national broadband infrastructure for all citizens," PASOK said.

Along the same line, the leader of the Coalition of the Left (Synaspismos), Alekos Alavanos, said the development was an "extreme attack by the government against the country's own interests."

[03] Foreign tourist arrivals rose 8.3% in 2005

According to the ESYE figures, arrivals from Europe, which account for 93 percent of the tourist market, rose by 6.5 percent in 2005, with the largest proportion (19 percent) coming from the UK, followed by Germany (15.7 percent), and Italy (7.9 percent).

A substantial increase was also recorded in arrivals from Romania (51.5 percent), Bulgaria (36.3 percent) and Russia (28.1 percent).

With respect to a breakdown of data concerning "travel means" and "point of entry", the airports with the highest rate of traffic in 2005 were Athens' Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport (AIA), with 24.1 percent, followed by Irakleio Airport (Crete) with 12.8 percent; Rhodes with 7.8 percent and Corfu with 5.6 percent.

In a comparison with 2004, the airports with the largest increase in traffic in 2005 were Mykonos (14.8 percent) and Santorini (10.5 percent), while declines in arrivals were recorded at the airports of Kavala (25.6 percent), Rhodes (77.8 percent) and Patras (Araxos) (49.3 percent).

A 2.6-percent increase was also recorded in passenger arrivals on charter flights in 2005 as opposed to 2004.

Caption: A view of the Platy Yialos beach on the popular Cyclades holiday island of Mykonos. ANA-MPA photo.

[04] Greek frigate to depart for Lebanon

Government spokesman Theodoros Roussopoulos made the statement during his regular press briefing, adding that Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis informed UN Chief Kofi Annan of the development during a same-day telephone conversation.

In response to a press question, Roussopoulos said the Greek vessel will operate within the framework of the "rules of engagement" laid down by the United Nations.

Caption: A file photo of the Hellenic Navy frigate "Psarra" during its recent mission to Beirut to evacuate third country nationals from Lebanon, July 20, 2006. ANA-MPA / STR

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