Athens News Agency: News in English, 09-01-06

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

CONTENTS

[01] DEPA: No risk of natgas shortage in Greece

[02] Papandreou: Difficult year ahead

[03] Athens Newspaper Headlines

[01] DEPA: No risk of natgas shortage in Greece

More specifically, Greece's reserves were capable of supplying the country with 7 million cubic meters per day, while Turkey has already expressed its intention to increase its supply to Greece from the present 700-800 thousand cubic meters per day to 2.5 million cubic meters per day in the event that Greece faces a natural gas shortage, DEPA said in an announcement.

DEPA said that the Greek market's needs in natural gas were approximately 8.5 million cubic meters daily, adding tht, due to the discontinuation of supply via Bulgaria, the countries being supplied would turn to their reserves, which could cause a shortage after Sunday.

In such an eventuality, they would discuss the prospect of reducing the quantities of natgas supplied to big consumers.

The arrival of the next cargo of liquefied gas from Algeria to Greece was scheduled for January 20, DEPA added.

[02] Papandreou: Difficult year ahead

Papandreou condemned the attack against a 3-member team of MAT riot police guarding a culture ministry building in the Exarchia district of Athens in the early hours of Monday, in which a 20-year-old police officer was critically wounded, calling it a "cowardly and condemnable act".

"We are entering a very difficult hear, and we in Greece are already witnessing it with the cowardly and condemnable act, a murder attack against a young policeman," Papandreou said, adding also in reference to the Israeli attacks on Gaza that "we are witnessing this difficult year in the wider region as well, with the new tragedy being suffered by the Palestinian people, and we express our support to their own destiny and hardship, and to their struggle for an independent Palestinian State".

Papandreou stressed: "It is time to moblize all our forces, the forces of Hellenism, in order to be able to guarantee the self-evident that is tacking today in our country. To guarantee social cohesion, the citizen's dignity, protection of every Greek family that has an average or lower income, real growth of the periphery, real development of the small and medium size enterprise, to guarantee a well-governed state that protects the Greek citizen and guarantees his rights, dignity and safety."

After the Blessing of the Waters ceremony, Papandreou paid a visit to City Hall where he met with Patras mayor Andreas Fouras, Achaia prefect Dimitris Katsikopoulos, local MPs and representatives of various organizations and agencies.

[03] Athens Newspaper Headlines

Monday's early morning attack against three police officers guarding a culture ministry building in Athens' Exarchia district resulting in the critical injury of 21-year-old policeman Diamantis Mantzounis, the Palestinian issue and taxation matters were the main front-page items in Tuesday's newspapers.

AVGHI: "Terrorism scenery - ELAS (Greek Police) hastens to link the assailants with '17N'."

KATHIMERINI: "Nightmare of new terrorism - 'Revolutionary Struggle' believed to have 'upgraded' its action to be behind the attack on the police officer".

LOGOS: "'Scent of terrorism' from the murderous attack - Officer Mantzounis in hospital in serious condition".

NIKI: "The spotlight once again on terrorism - They struck police officer with 'Revolutionary Struggle' weapons".

RIZOSPASTIS: "Israel escalating the crime with ground offense - Everyone at the side of the Palestinians so that they will acquire a homeland".

TO VIMA: "New generation of terrorists - Fears of second cycle of bloodshed".

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