Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-11-13

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

CONTENTS

[01] Karamanlis briefed by Transport Minister

[01] Karamanlis briefed by Transport Minister

After the meeting Hatzidakis told reporters that he briefed the premier on progress in the international tender for national aircarrier Olympic Airways, in which he said interest has been manifested by 38 investors, adding that the EU transport commisioner recently stressed that the OA sale plan could become the model for other ailing European carriers such as Alitalia.

He also referred to the project for development of regional airports, noting that the Civil Aviation Authority (YPA) will very soon appoint consultants to seek out private investors.

Hatzidakis said he further discussed with Karamanlis the new generation optic fibres, a 2 billion euros investment in which the state will participate by 30 percent. The country will be divided in three large peripheries and in coordination with the EU, in autumn next year, the ministry will be ready to launch the relevant international tender.

The transport Minister stressed that the government has decided to proceed with another major reform that concerns the transport of goods by road, namely a new framework affecting trucks and tanker trucks.

He also said that with consensus and careful attention, and in cooperation with the interested parties, but without making hasty moves, we will go ahead with this reform and give new momentum to the country's economy.

The landscape in this particular sector reminds us of the decades of '50s and '60s, and therefore modernisation is imperative in order to establish a new framework that will move us from the 'outskirts' to the heart of Europe.

Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis

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