Athens News Agency: News in English, 09-01-22

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM sends congratulations to Obama

[02] Papoulias hosts reception

[03] Hatzigakis, farmers negotiations

[04] Farmers continue road blocks

[05] Athens Newspaper Headlines

[01] PM sends congratulations to Obama

The prime minister stressed his appreciation in his letter for the new U.S. President's commitment to tackling the ongoing global crisis in cooperation with the international community.

Karamanlis further pointed out that President Obama's momentous speech on Tuesday, that also had an appeal extending beyond the borders of the United States, sent forth the principles of understanding, cooperation, solidarity and of the power of the example, values that both leaders jointly embrace.

Lastly, Karamanlis expressed his hope of cooperation with President Obama, looking forward to meeting him in the near future.

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

[02] Papoulias hosts reception

Those attending the event included Deputy Foreign Ministers Yiannis Valynakis, Theodoros Kassimis and Miltiades Varvitsiotis, former prime ministers Constantine Mitsotakis and Tzannis Tzannetakis, Popular Orthodox Rally (LAOS) party leader George Karatzaferis, Defence Minister Vangelis Meimarakis, Merchant Marine and Island Policy Minister Anastasis Papaligouras and Deputy Minister Panayiotis Kammenos, Deputy Education Minister Andreas Lykourentzos, main opposition PASOK party foreign policy political representative Andreas Loverdos and the former president of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games Organising Committee Yianna Angelopoulou-Daskalaki.

Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of President of Republic Karolos Papoulias

[03] Hatzigakis, farmers negotiations

The minister further said that out of the 28 billion euros given to banks, the part belonging to them will also go to the farming economy, meaning that loans will be given to farming industries.

The farmers' representatives said on their part that the struggle will continue and that the meeting was deadlocked.

Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of Agriculture Minister Sotiris Hatzigakis

[04] Farmers continue road blocks

Road blocks set up with tractors remained in place Thursday for a fourth consecutive day, with blockades along the Athens-Thessaloniki national highway at Tembi, central Greece, the Mikrothebes intersection, Nikaia in Larissa, and Kastro.

Blockades also continued at the two northern border crossings of Promachonas in Serres prefecture and Exochi in Drama prefecture on the Greek-Bulgarian frontier.

Tractors were further deployed at the Strymonas River bridge.

Blockades were also expected to resume throughout the day at the Nea Chalkidona junction, the Mavroneri intersecion in Kilkis, on the Florina-Edessa stretch of the national highway, as well as the Kavala-Xanthi stretch of the old national highway, ner Chryssoupollis, and at the entrance to to the town of Komotini.

Local farmers' coordinating committees were also due to hold meetings on Thursday to decide on the further course of the mobilizations.

Agricultural Development and Foods Minister Sotiris Hatzigakis had separate meetings on Wednesday with representatives of farmers' organizations from areas where farmers are carrying out mobilizations.

He said after a meeting in the afternoon afternoon with farmers' representatives from Thessaly, central Greece, that the amounts of money to be given to support crucial products will be determined in the coming days, while the farmers' representatives said that their struggle will continue, and that the meeting ended in deadlock.

The minister also met with a farmers' committee from Crete, who earlier in the day had suspended a takeover of Nikos Kazantzakis airport in Heraklion.

Further, the government announced after an Inner Cabinet meeting earlier in the day that it would soon announce measures designed to address problems faced by farmers, which were discussed during the meeting.

Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of a farmers blockade at Tembi, central Greece.

[05] Athens Newspaper Headlines

Farmers' mobilizations and the government's intention to enhance their income, the global financial crisis and speculation on early elections dominated the headlines on Thursday in Athens' newspapers.

ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: "Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis to decide on a support measures package for the farmers".

APOGEVMATINI: "Marathon meeting between Agriculture Minister and farmers' representatives reached an in - principle agreement that gives a solution to the farmers".

AVGHI: "Government uses PR tricks to face the crisis in the farming sector ".

AVRIANI: "Karamanlis gives everything to the farmers - He is determined to support the low strata that are suffering from the financial crisis".

CHORA: "War between Deutsche Bank and Piraeus Bank - Pireaus Bank CEO Michalis Sallas threatens the Germans with lawsuits".

ELEFTHERI ORA: "By the time the farmers blocked with tractors the national highways, Agriculture Minister Sotiris Hatzigakis was 'elsewhere' ".

ELEFTHEROS: "Knock off war between Karamanlis and main opposition PASOK party leader George Papandreou - Government raises the temperature of the elections thermometer".

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "European Commissioner Joaqin Almunia and ECB governor Jean Claude Trichet give guarantees on deficit, debts and Spread".

ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "The farmers uprising terrified Karamanlis, who ordered his ministers to resolve the issue immediately".

ESTIA: "National cooperation on the economy - Prime Minister must take a necessary initiative".

ETHNOS: "The government is bargaining on the farmers backs ".

KATHIMERINI: "Policy of appeasement for the farmers - The government prepares measures to support farmers' income".

LOGOS: "The situation in the blockades is out of control - The farmer uninionists are divided".

NIKI: "Barefoot in the crisis - The government gives vain hopes without having a plan".

RIZOSPASTIS: "The government provokes and deceives the small and medium size farmers".

TA NEA: "They are seeking a life jacket in state bonds - Act of despair over the state debt".

TO VIMA: "PM Karamanlis will make a pre- elections trip to Washington on the occasion of the anniversary of the Greek revolution against the Ottoman rule".

VRADYNI: "Karamanlis orders (ministers) to support the farmers - Tractors blocked highways - Mobilizations thoughtout the country".

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