Athens News Agency: News in English, 07-05-09

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

CONTENTS

[01] Karamanlis chairs Inner Cabinet session on economy; leaves for Zagreb summit Thurs.

[02] FinMin: EU recognises Greek economic progress

[03] Events in Athens commemorate WWII victory

[01] Karamanlis chairs Inner Cabinet session on economy; leaves for Zagreb summit Thurs.

The Greek prime minister, meanwhile, will depart for Zagreb on Thursday afternoon to attend the 10th summit meeting of southeast European countries.

On Tuesday evening, Karamanlis hosted a formal reception in honor of Panathinaikos Athens basketball team, the new Euroleague champions, at his Maximos Mansion offices.

Panathinaikos won the Euroleague Basketball Final Four 2007 championship after beating CSKA Moscow 93-91 at the indoor Athens Olympic Stadium on Sunday night.

It is the fourth time that the Athens team wins the Euroleague championship. The last time was in 2002.

The prime minister greeted each team member separately beginning with Coach Zeliko Obradovic.

Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of PM Costas Karamanlis.

[02] FinMin: EU recognises Greek economic progress

Addressing an Inner Cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, the minister said the lower budget deficit is consider sustainable by the European Commission, while he noted that the EU also acknowledged "dynamic economic growth" and a reduction in unemployment, and added that this was a successful mixture of economic policy.

Alogoskoufis said the EU was expected to promote the necessary procedures to remove Greece from an excessive deficit procedure and underlined that all negative forecasts made over the past years were proved to be wrong and noted that Greece has regained credibility and prestige, while he stressed that the country must continue satisfying all its European obligations.

Development Minister Dimitris Sioufas, addressing the inner cabinet meeting, said the Education and Development ministries were expected to table to Parliament soon a draft bill on research and technology to provide a much needed fillip to R&D in the country.

Caption: European Union Monetary Affairs Commissioner Joaquin Almunia (L) and Greek Economy & Finance Minister George Alogoskoufis (R) attend the second day of a conference in the seaside resort of Vouliagmeni, southeast of Athens, 25 April 2007. ANA-MPA/MARGARITA KIAOU

[03] Events in Athens commemorate WWII victory

A memorial service was held at the Athens Metropolitan Cathedral, officiated by Bishop Pavlos of Neochorio and followed by a brief address by veteran leftist politician Leonidas Kyrkos.

Wreaths were laid at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by representatives of various political parties and WWII-era resistance groups. The government was represented by Public Order Minister Vyron Polydoras.

The event was also attended by noted resistance figure Apostolos Santas who, along with Manolis Glezos, removed the Swastika from atop the Athens Acropolis in May 1941, just more than a month into the German and Axis occupation of the country -- considered a seminal act of resistance in German-occupied Europe at the time.

Caption: A pair of Hellenic Army "Apache" attack helicopters fly past the Parthenon atop the Acropolis in downtown Athens on Sunday, March 25, 2007, during an annual military parade for Greek Independence Day. ANA-MPA / S. PANTZARTZI.

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