Athens News Agency: News in English, 10-05-18

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM in Spain for EU-LAC Summit

[02] Samaras addresses party event

[03] Philippi and Thassos museums open again to the public

[04] EU investigates CDS role in crisis

[05] Dep.Tourism Minister resigns

[06] Renewable Energy Sources

[07] Credit conditions worsen

[08] Athens Newspaper Headlines

[01] PM in Spain for EU-LAC Summit

At the invitation of Prime Minister of Spain, José Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, whose country currently holds the rotating EU presidency, leaders from the EU and the Latin America and Caribbean countries meet in Spain from 16 to 19 May to hold political dialogues at the highest level in a series of regional summits with specific LAC countries and sub-regions, as well as the main EU-LAC summit on Tuesday. These Summits, according to host Spain, will be an opportunity for addressing key global issues such as the global economy, the new international financial architecture and climate change.

The European Union will be represented by Herman Van Rompuy, President of the European Council, and José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission. High Representative/Vice-President, Catherine Ashton and Commissioner Karel De Gucht will also participate.

The regional (mini) summits include the EU-Mexico summit held Sunday in Santander, the EU-Chile summit held Monday in Madrid, the EU-Cariforum and EU-Mercosur summits also held Monday in Madrid, and the EU-Andean and EU-Central America summits to be held Wednesday in Madrid.

Preceding the main Summit, EU-LAC foreign ministers met in Madrid on Monday.

[02] Samaras addresses party event

Samaras said that ND is being built from the start with strong foundations, with new ideas and new people and its human potential, the political staff of all levels is being renewed.

He stressed that the committee in question will be comprised of distinguished party members who will evaluate all the candidacies.

"All, but all will be evaluated and they will be judged on the basis of their political and personal course. The party has wealth. Those who have caused pain to it, those who have harmed the party will have no role in the new New Democracy," Samaras pointed out.

He mentioned that he had proposed, among other things, the change in the law regarding the responsibility of ministers, the generalisation of sources of income for public functionaries, incompatibility between the capacity of party member and the head of a public organisation and the need for a revisory Parliament that will proceed with reforms for the shielding of public interest.

Samaras underlined "we are experiencing extraordinary situations that require extraordinary solutions" and pointed out that initiatives must be undertaken which pave the way for bold reforms with the greatest possible agreement of the political world on the governance system and the economy.

[03] Philippi and Thassos museums open again to the public

The Archaeological Museum of Philippi is housed in a 1962 building which was closed to the public in the mid '90s for restoration works. The project cost 760,000 euros and was financed by "Interreg IIIA/ Greece-Bulgaria" community initiative programme.

On display are archaeological findings that present the region's history from the Prehistoric Times to the end of the ancient world.

The two-storey Archaeological Museum of Thassos is located in Limenas and consists of two sections, one built in 1932 and a recent wing that was completed in 2000. The museum remained closed during the extension works and only a small section of the building opened to the public in 2004. The extension project was financed by the 3rd Community Support Framework with over one million euros.

Touring its 16 halls visitors can learn about the northern Aegean island's history starting from the Prehistoric Times up to the Byzantine Era.

[04] EU investigates CDS role in crisis

The Commissioner announced that he intends to propose controls that will curb speculative trading in CDS with the aim of increasing transparency and ensuring greater responsibility by those operating in this market. Barnier said the measures will require that there be a record of all operators in the CDS market "in order to shed light on a sector that until now preferred the darkness."

He also underlined the need to change the way that credit rating agencies operate, pointing out that problems arose because they were both few in number and the repercussions of their assessments were automatic and very significant.

The Commissioner announced a new legal framework in this area by December, stressing the need to ensure transparency and especially in relation with open access by any interested party to the figures on which the credit rating agency reports were based.

[05] Dep.Tourism Minister resigns

Gerekou is the wife of noted singer Tolis Voskopoulos. She reisgned following press reports according to which, her husband owes 5.5 million euros to the tax bureau.

[06] Renewable Energy Sources

The meeting which is taking place at an Athens hotel will begin officially on Tuesday.

The minister referred to the national targets that have been set so that by the year 2020 the participation of Renewable Energy Sources in covering the final energy consumption will reach 20 percent, as well as to the arrangements to facilitate investors for the incorporation of Renewable Energy Sources in electric power production.

She also placed emphasis on the arrangements that improve licensing and pricing procedures and underlined the impetus that the development of Renewable Energy Sources will provide for the country's economy, with the creation of new jobs, the reduction of energy dependence and the corresponding strengthening of energy self-sufficiency.

[07] Credit conditions worsen

A monthly report by Teresias SA, credit marketâs watchdog, showed that bounced checks rose 4.79 pct in volume and fell 7.94 pct in value in April, to 15,719 and 138.8 million euros, respectively, compared with March, but fell 43.3 pct in volume and 48.8 pct in value compared with the same month last year. In the four-month period from January to April, bounced checks totaled 52,423 units, worth 504.8 million euros.

The number of unpaid bills in April totaled 10,145 worth 15.6 million euros, down 19.74 pct and 22 pct, respectively, compared with March, while in comparison with the same month last year, volume fell 3.18 pct and value was down 0.44 pct. In the four-month period from January to April, volume totaled 41,729 worth 71.1 million euros.

[08] Athens Newspaper Headlines

Deputy Tourism Minister Angela Gerekou's resignation after the revelation that her husband popular "laika" singer Tolis Voskopoulos had a huge debt to the Tax Bureau, the new social security bill and Prime Minister George Papandreou's overture to Greeks abroad to invest in Greece, mostly dominated the headlines on Tuesday in Athens' newspapers.

ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: "Suburban 'Proastiakos' railway's building illegal - State's chaos has no limits".

APOGEVMATINI: "Social security bill's traps - Experts and unionists every day discover new secret regulations and grey points".

AVRIANI: "Brussels and IMF demand from the government ....the abolition of bonuses in private sector and new painful changes in labour and social security".

ELEFTHEROS: "Tolis' tax evasion beheaded Gerekou - Government at a loss in the face of the revelations".

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "They were hiding Tolis' and Angela's file - Gerekou's resignation does not solve the government's problem".

ELEFTHEROTYPIA: Tolis' debts cost Angela's appointment".

ESTIA: "How foreign investments are attracted - Private initiatives and less state".

ETHNOS: "Agony and....terror - Tax Bureau inspectors are investigating Vatopedi scandal and former Minister George Voulgarakis' offshore companies".

IMERISSIA: "The government, via the Guarantee Fund for Small and Micro Businesses (TEMPME), will channel to the market 1.5 billion euros".

KATHIMERINI: "Deputy Minister removed for reasons of principle".

LOGOS: "Salaries in private sector targeted - IMF's pressure unbearable".

NAFTEMPORIKI: "Creation of enterprises will be cheaper and quicker'.

NIKI: "How to restructure your loan repayment installments".

RIZOSPASTIS: "Onwards to the classes' struggle with new momentum and with the people as protagonist".

TA NEA: "Gerekou sacrificed via removal-message".

TO VIMA: "Hurricane 'Angela' hits Maximos Mansion (government headquarters) - Gerekou tendered her resignation over Tolis' debts".

VRADYNI: "Quo Vadis Europa? - The euro declines and the eurozone is at risk'.

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