Read the Protocol to the North Atlantic Treaty on the Accession of Greece and Turkey (October 22, 1951) Read the Convention Relating to the Regime of the Straits (24 July 1923) Read the Convention Relating to the Regime of the Straits (24 July 1923)
HR-Net - Hellenic Resources Network Compact version
Today's Suggestion
Read The "Macedonian Question" (by Maria Nystazopoulou-Pelekidou)
HomeAbout HR-NetNewsWeb SitesDocumentsOnline HelpUsage InformationContact us
Thursday, 28 March 2024
 
News
  Latest News (All)
     From Greece
     From Cyprus
     From Europe
     From Balkans
     From Turkey
     From USA
  Announcements
  World Press
  News Archives
Web Sites
  Hosted
  Mirrored
  Interesting Nodes
Documents
  Special Topics
  Treaties, Conventions
  Constitutions
  U.S. Agencies
  Cyprus Problem
  Other
Services
  Personal NewsPaper
  Greek Fonts
  Tools
  F.A.Q.
 

Athens News Agency: News in English, 07-04-19

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

CONTENTS

  • [01] PASOK reiterates criticism on bonds issue
  • [02] Transport minister concludes visit to Tokyo

  • [01] PASOK reiterates criticism on bonds issue

    Main opposition PASOK party spokesman Petros Efthymiou, referring to the ongoing bonds issue, said on Thursday that the political responsibilities will be attributed as well as all other responsibilities, "whatever character they may have, will lead to the punishment of the perpetrators in the case".

    "Regardless of the outcome of the issue, at the level of political, penal or civil responsibility, what must happen is for them to return the money to the social insurance funds before the elections," Efthymiou said.

    He added that not only has the government "lost the trust of the Greek people, but it is leading the country to a deadlock in all sectors" and stressed that "it is natural for all this to be led before the judegement of the Greek people."

    PASOK's spokesman also mentioned that the bonds case "could only have been made possible with an organised plan and with the complicity of the two ministries:The finance ministry that includes (Economy and Finance Minister George) Mr. Alogoskoufis and (Deputy Finance Minister Petros) Mr. Doukas and secretary general Mr. Kouris and the employment ministry that includes (Minister Savvas) Mr. Tsitouridis, Evgenios Papadopoulos and the system of partisan appointed social insurance funds' governors."

    In another development, PASOK's employment rapporteur Maria Damanaki said on her part that "the amendment that was ratified and that concerns the way with which social insurance funds are run is the 'screen' behind which the government and the employment minister in particular are trying to conceal their responsibilities."

    Gov't spokesman

    Responding to the main opposition's charges over the pension funds issue, government spokesman Theodoros Roussopoulos on Thursday countered that these were made without due consideration, while stressing that the government had done everything it had promised to do.

    "The charges made by PASOK members were outlined just half an hour or one hour after the contract with JP Morgan [for the structure bond issue] was submitted to Parliament - this is a contract that runs to several hundred pages - and were made with the same carelessness with which they earlier claimed that the bond was for 300 million euros when it was actually for 280 million euros," Roussopoulos said.

    The spokesman also pointed out that the issue had been referred to justice precisely because there had been suspected overpricing in the transactions involving the specific bonds.

    "The government is doing those things it made a commitment to do. It submitted the contract to Parliament, it referred the case to justice, it involved the authority against money-laundering, while the Capital Market Commission yesterday released the first evidence, whereas the previous government had not strengthened the Capital Market Commission.

    "It is indicative that evidence has arisen for similar overpricing in 2002-2003 involving the Acropolis Brokerage, which had no time came to light. Therefore, some people were either unaware or knew and covered up [the irregularities]. In any case, the government now says that everything must be dragged into the light," he added.

    [02] Transport minister concludes visit to Tokyo

    Transport and Communications Minister Mihalis Liapis concluded an official visit to Tokyo, during which he held a series of meetings with Japanese ministers on relations between the two countries in various sectors, including resumption of a direct air link between the two countries.

    The Greek minister proposed the scheduling of special charter flights at an initial stage for the Athens-Tokyo route during holiday and vacation periods.

    Liapis also had consecutive meetings with the interior and communications minister and deputy minister Yoshihide Suga and Hideo Shimizu, respectively, with whom he discussed communications, informatics and communications technologies.

    Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of Liapis.


    Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article
    Back to Top
    Copyright © 1995-2023 HR-Net (Hellenic Resources Network). An HRI Project.
    All Rights Reserved.

    HTML by the HR-Net Group / Hellenic Resources Institute, Inc.
    ana2html v2.01 run on Thursday, 19 April 2007 - 18:30:16 UTC