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Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-04-22
CONTENTS
[01] Inner Cabinet meeting on social security reform
[02] Interview: Defense Minister
[03] Anti-doping draft law
[01] Inner Cabinet meeting on social security reform
The timetable for the implementation of the social security reform was
discussed and approved at an Inner Cabinet meeting on Tuesday chaired
by Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis. Employment Minister Fani
Palli-Petralia told reporters afterwards that certain pension funds
will be incorporated into IKA, (the state-run Social Security
Foundation, Greece's largest social security organization) after June
1, and mergers of the remaining pension funds will follow beginning
August 1. Referring to proposals for limited wage increases submitted
by the governor of the Bank of Greece, and by an experts' committee for
raising the layoffs ceiling, she said that committees prepare reports
and submit recommendations, but labor policy is planned by the
government and the competent minister. Caption:ANA-MPA file photo of
Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis
[02] Interview: Defense Minister
Defense Minister Evangelos Meimarakis stressed that Greece wants all
its neighbors to become members of NATO, pointing out that Athens is
expecting goodwill gestures from Skopje concerning the FYROM name
issue. In an exclusive interview with ANA-MPA, he also underlined that
Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis is contributing to the region's peace
and stability by accepting a composite name with a geographic qualifier
for FYROM. Meimarakis stated that he is optimistic that a solution
will be found to the problem, stressing, however, that he does not know
when this will occur considering that FYROM is in a pre-election
period. Referring to NATO and its enlargement, he pointed out that
Greece wants all neighboring countries to become members, adding that
the alliance is now a political organization, rather than a military
one, interested in stability and peace and operating under the UN
umbrella. NATO will not decide to launch a military operation without
an earlier political decision and the UN's consent, he said. The NATO
Summit in Bucharest was of historical importance because a decision was
reached defining the alliance's new role, he stated, adding that a
committee has been formed to hold high level discussions on the
NATO-Russia relations and the prospect of being further strengthened.
Regarding FYROM, he said that the country is Greece's neighbor, and
forging good relations is necessary, stressing that this can only
happen if existing problems are resolved. Premier Karamanlis is a
Macedon himself, said Meimarakis, and the fact that he accepts a
composite name with a geographic qualifier for FYROM is an immense
contribution to the region's stability and peace, which should not be
regarded as a concession.
Caption:ANA-MPA file photo of Defence Minister Evangelos Meimarakis
[03] Anti-doping draft law
"It's better to foresee than cure," Culture Minister Michalis Liapis
said on Tuesday, outlining the purpose of the measures that will be
contained in a new draft law against doping, which will be tabled in
Parliament in early May.
Liapis and Deputy Culture Minister for Sports Yannis Ioannidis
stressed at a press conference the State's determination to
eradicate the doping plague from sports. Among the measures
contained in the new bill is the abolition of most of the benefits
currently enjoyed by athletic champions, including their free entry
to the higher education institutions.
Caption: Culture Minister Michalis Liapis (R) and Deputy Culture
Minister for Sports Yannis Ioannidis(L) at a press conference in
Athens on 22 April 2008 .ANA-MPA/MARIA MAROYANNI
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