Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-02-11

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM to present key social security reforms on Fri.

[02] DM on 'name issue' prospects

[03] Interior Minister in Egypt

[01] PM to present key social security reforms on Fri.

Referring to unions' mobilisations -- a strike is scheduled for Wednesday -- in protest to the planned reforms, alternate government spokesman Evangelos Antonaros said the right to strike is inalienable under the condition that violence is avoided.

Antonaros added that the Greek people recognise the necessity of social security reforms, noting that a relative draft law will be presented in Parliament for approval following an off-the-agenda debate.

He also stressed that reforms constitute a priority, as pledged in the ruling New Democracy's election campaign.

Meanwhile, on Monday Karamanlis met with Development Minister Christos Folias.

Replying to press questions afterwards concerning profiteering, Folias said consumers needed to be better informed.

Earlier, Karamanlis received Archbishop of Tirana and All Albania Anastasios. No statements were made after the meeting.

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

[02] DM on 'name issue' prospects

Meimarakis spoke during an informal alliance summit meeting on security taking place in Germany.

He was referring to Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) President Branko Crvenkovski's rejection of the prospect of a composite name.

On his part, FYROM Defence Minister Lazar Elenovski said a new proposal was due in the coming period from the UN special mediator on the FYROM name issue, Matthew Nimetz. He said that the Skopje government would examine the proposal "with our friends and with the Greek side", speaking in Munich after a meeting with the US permanent representative to NATO Victoria Newland.

Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis leaves Athens on Tuesday for the United States, where she will have talks on Thursday with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Rice is scheduled to meet with FYROM FM Antonio Milososki on Tuesday.

Nimetz is due in Athens in late February to announce his final proposal on the thorny FYROM "name issue".

Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of Defence Minister Evangelos Meimarakis.

[03] Interior Minister in Egypt

He that during a meeting with his Egyptian counterpart Habib El-Adly he will thank the Egyptian government for its attention to the ethnic Greek community. He also thanked all the Greek communities of Egypt on behalf of Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, while stressing that the Greek state will make necessary efforts to solve whatever problems.

On his part, Greek community of Cairo President Christos Kavalis referred to the upgrading of the Greek Hospital in Cairo with the establishment of a new cancer ward, while he also requested that public employees from Greece be allowed to transfer to Egypt and serve in the ethnic communities in Cairo and Alexandria as well as at the Patriarchate of Alexandria and All Africa, a practice in effect between 1975 and 1983.

Caption: Interior and Public Administration Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos (L) with his Egyptian counterpart Habib El-Adly in Cairo on Monday, Feb. 11, 2008. ANA-MPA / STR

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