Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-07-10

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM confers with FinMin on international economic situation

[02] 'PASOK does not reject Crossparty Committee'

[03] Zapatero in Athens on working visit

[04] Pollution kills fish in Litheos River

[05] Athens Newspaper Headlines

[01] PM confers with FinMin on international economic situation

Alogoskoufis told reporters after the 90-minute meeting that the government wants to ensure that the growth momentum of the Greek economy, the improved employment rate and the good performance observed over the past few years in curbing unemployment, will be maintained as much as possible.

?Any initiatives will be aimed at supporting the social groups that are most affected by the international economic crisis,? the minister said. ?There is no doubt that this is a tough international conjuncture and the government will do its best for the country to go through it with the least possible fall-out,? he concluded.

Karamanlis was due afterwards to meet with his Spanish counterpart, Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, who arrived in Athens on Wednesday afternoon on a working visit.

Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of prime minister Costas Karamanlis.

[02] 'PASOK does not reject Crossparty Committee'

PASOK party spokesman George Papaconstantinou, referring on Wednesday to relevant statements by the government spokesman, said that PASOK does not reject the Crossparty Committee -proposed by Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis- adding that what it rejects "is the delay" and stressed that "if necessary, we shall be tabling our views there as well."

Papaconstantinou reiterated the main points contained in Tuesday's statements by PASOK leader George Papandreou, such as the convening of the House Plenum and the immediate creation of a Factfinding Committee and the activation of the Institutions and Transparency Committee which, as he said, is "a crossparty one and this committee, which also functions in the summer group, can not only discuss the prime minister's proposal on illegal political money but all of the proposals submitted by PASOK as well." He mentioned that this can take place now and not in October, "as is anticipted by the proposal made by the prime minister".

The spokesman said that Papandreou will be sending letters on these issues to the prime minister and to the Parliament president, while the process of collecting signatures on the proposal for the creation of a Factfinding Committee is under way.

Commenting on the issue of the Public Power Corporation (DEH) and the Siemens company, PASOK's spokesman claimed that the corporation "has increased electricity rates, while at the same time it is giving away 3.5 million euros to Siemens which has not delivered, as it was obliged to do, two upgraded units of the Agios Dimitrios plant."

PASOK, as he added, is not convinced by DEH's reply and is expecting explanations from the relevant Development Minister Christos Folias.

Also replying to a question on the release from prison of the former secretary of the Culture Ministry's former secretary general Christos Zachopoulos, Evi Tsekou, Papaconstantinou said that "for some time PASOK had been wondering why with so many scandals the only imprisoned person in the country had been Mrs. Tsekou."

Evi Tsekou, the main suspect for the extortion of former culture ministry general secretary Christos Zachopoulos was released on Wednesday, by order of the Misdemeanour Justices' Council. The 35-year-old Tsekou, a former employee of the culture ministry, had been remanded in custody over the affair earlier this year.

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis addressed a letter to Parliament President Dimitris Sioufas on Monday, calling for the creation of a Crossparty Committee on transparency in public life.

Caption: Main opposition leader George Papandreou. (ANA-MPA)

[03] Zapatero in Athens on working visit

Zapatero visited the Acropolis on Wednesday afternoon, while later he was given a guided tour of the New Acropolis Museum.

The Spanish prime minister is due to have talks with his Greek counterpart Costas Karamanlis and be received by President of the Republic Karolos Papoulias on Thursday.

The Spanish premier will also meet with main opposition PASOK leader and Socialist International (SI) president George Papandreou.

Caption: Spanish prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, on a working visit to Greece, toured the Acropolis and the New Acropolis Museum with his wife. (ANA-MPA/P. Saitas)

[04] Pollution kills fish in Litheos River

Water samples and dead fish have already been collected and sent to the General State Chemical Laboratory for testing to determine the cause of the pollution.

Possible pollution sources include urban activities and pesticides used in farming that result in poor quality of surface waters.

Pinios River, the parent river of Litheos, has similar problems and dead fish have been spotted repeatedly as a result of pollution caused by pesticides that are being washed into the river through drainage channels from farmersā fields, according to environmentalists in the city of Larissa, central Greece.

Caption: Dead fish along the Pinios River bank. (ANA-MPA/V. Paschali)

[05] Athens Newspaper Headlines

The Siemens scandal and contracts with the Public Power Corporation (DEH) and Hellenic Railway Organization (OSE), and economy minister Alogoskoufis' statements on the course of the economy were the main front-page items in Thursday's dailies.

ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: " 'Rocos' sinking PASOK - Under pseudonym, the DM 10 million to (former PASOK minister Tasos) Mantelis", referring to Aristidis Mantas, Mantelis' advisor under his term as transport minister, adding that Mantas was the "author" of the hand-written note giving orders to a Siemens official to deposit the sum of 10 million Deutschemarks to an account belonging to a person with the pseudonym of Rocos.

APOGEVMATINI: " 'Rambos' (special investigators) against contribution-evasion - Three measures/shields to stop the haemorrhage in the social security funds" announced by employment minister Fani Palli-Petralia.

AVGHI: "Agricultural Development ministry draft law: New 'window' to declassification of forestland".

AVRIANI: "Charges pressed against businessman Dimitris Contominas on 3 felonies - He's charged with (several counts of) embezzlement of (sums ranging from) 18-22 billion drachmas, defrauding investors, and (moral instigation for) issuing false certifications".

CHORA: "Roco turns PASOK into a wrestling ring - The labyrinth of offshore companies leads to Simitis' (PASOK former prime minister) gang", adding that the vise around Simitis and the 'modernizers' bloc' was tightening since, after Tsoukatos (Simitis' governmental economic advisor during his premiership) and Mantelis, Aristidis Mantas, a close associate of Mantelis, was also expelled from PASOK, given that the graphological examination of the note ordering the deposit of DM10 million into an account at the Canadian Imperial Commer LTD bank in the name of mystery-man A. Rocos ascertained the note had been written by Mantas.

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "Tactical manoevers in the gray zone of the...151 (ruling New Democracy party's slim majority in the 300-member parliament) - Rigillis (ND headquarters) operation to approach MPs differentiating (themselves on governmental policy) aimed at restoring peace".

ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "New raid 'touches on' confidential state matters (contracts with Hellenic Armed Forces and other state organisations) - The American (law firm that is auditing Siemens' financial transactions) Debevoise coming for 'hearings' with Siemens officials".

ESTIA: "Crocodile tears over the (expiration of the) statue of limitations (for the DM10 million kickback to PASOK former minister) - The politicians themselves instituted the impunity".

ETHNOS: "They gave another 40 million euros (in contracts) to Siemens - Blue (color representing the ruling ND party/government) assignments of 11 projects under one Operational Program alone (in the past few years, even as the investigation into the 'black funds' was underway)".

KATHIMERINI: "Terror and crisis in Turkey - Six dead in attack on US Consultate in Istanbul".

LOGOS: "Households, businesses owe 230 billion euros to banks - Home loans declining, business loans increasing".

NIKI: "They're cutting the 'power' to Athanassopoulos (DEH chairman) - Explanations to (development minister) Folias over the 'gift' (power station upgrade contract) to Siemens".

RIZOSPASTIS: "The agreement on the 'Anti-Missile Shield' dangerous for the peoples".

TA NEA: "Alogoskoufis sees Black September - Dramatic confession to the Inner Cabinet".

TO VIMA: "Gratuitous contracts by OSE and DEH compromise the government - The Siemens scandal has tentacles that spread throughout the entire public sector".

VRADYNI: "Diesel...from used frying oil - Innovative discovery by post-graduate students at Crete Polytechnic", adding that the time when we can, ourselves, produce, at zero cost and substantial environmental conservation, the fuel oil required by a family or small enterprise appears to be closer than we imagine, due to the post-graduate students who succeeded in producing biodiesel fuel from used frying oil, using solar energy.

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