Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 13-03-15

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

CONTENTS

[01] America's Jewish, Greek-American communities make symbolic contribution to Greece

[02] Greece expects to raise 2.3 bln euros from sale of OPAP, DEPA

[03] Australian ambassador makes business the focus of Thessaloniki tour

[01] America's Jewish, Greek-American communities make symbolic contribution to Greece

According to the press release issued last Wednesday, the contribution "to assist the people of Greece during their Great Depression," was made to the Doctors Without Borders organization in Greece, a humanitarian aid organisation dedicated to helping the people of Greece combat health problems that have developed since the depression began, such as the reappearance in Greece of malaria.

Representing the Jewish community in that 100,000-dollar contribution was the American Jewish Committee (AJC), which is that community's most significant organization, while the Greek-American community was represented by America Archbishop Demetrios, on behalf of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, and Aphrodite Skeadas, on behalf of the National Philoptochos Society of America.amna

This contribution was part of another expression of the joint work of the Greek and Jewish communities in America. An AJC delegation visit to Greece in January included Andy Manatos, President of the Coordinated Effort of Hellenes and Manatos & Manatos, representing the Greek-American community. The delegation met with Greece's Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, Foreign Minister Dimitri Avramopoulos and numerous other ministers and dignitaries in Athens.

Manatos and the AJC have worked together closely for decades on matters of concern to the United States, Greece, Cyprus and Israel. This was not the first joint delegation visit to Greece. Andrew A. Athens began this joint activity in Chicago over four decades ago. Health concerns prohibited Mr. Athens, now 91 years old, from participating in this delegation trip.amna

[02] Greece expects to raise 2.3 bln euros from sale of OPAP, DEPA

Emiris said Greece expects to raise 2.3 billion euros from the sale of the two enterprises and reassured there will be no draw backs in a privatization programme which has been voted in Parliament and has become a government law.

He said the privatizations of OPAP and DEPA were landmarks in the course of the programme as the government expected to raise the biggest part of the target set for privatization revenues this year. A memorandum signed with the country's creditors foresees that privatization revenues will total 22 billion euros by 2020, of which 2.6 billion euros this year.

A total of five groups have expressed interest in the privatization of DEPA, while another three have expressed interest in DESFA (OSASCO Negusneft, GEK Terna and the Azeri state oil company).amna

Seven groups have expressed interest in the sale of a 33 pct equity stake in OPAP, the Greek state lottery organization with sales of 4.0 billion euros last year. The Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund also approved three bids in a tender for the exploitation of the land property of the former Athens airport in Helliniko, an area triple the size of Monaco. London & Regional, Elbiti Cochin Island Ltd and Lamda Development are participating in a second phase of the tender, while Qatar Diar Real Estate Investment Co has also expressed interest in the project.

Emiris said Greek authorities will not hesitate to halt the privatization process in case that offers were not satisfactory.amna

[03] Australian ambassador makes business the focus of Thessaloniki tour

Bloomfield was keynote speaker at a dinner for business women, organised by the Hellenic-Australian Business Council on the occasion of International Women's Day and in a separate meeting addressed members of the Thessaloniki Municipal Council on Australia-Greece relations and bilateral initiatives.

Melbourne and Thessaloniki are celebrating their 30th anniversary as sister cities and Thessaloniki's European Youth Capital year in 2014.amna

Ambassador Bloomfield also held meetings with the minister of Macedonia-Thrace, the Central Macedonia regional governor, the mayor of Thessaloniki and MPs from Thessaloniki, and with business and industry associations, with whom she discussed business missions supported by the Hellenic-Australian Business Council in Greece and Hellenic-Australian Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Australia.amna

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