Everything on the market has already been checked he said, and explained: Meat and other products imported from other EU member states have already been checked prior to their arrival to Greece, and bear the required stamps. Products from other countries

have been blocked and are not on the market.

Great damage has been done to the agricultural economy, pointed out Mr. Argyris. To the producers who cannot put their products on the market and watch them spoil, as well as to the imports and exports of meat, vegetables and other products that have bee n blocked.

Meanwhile there is no problem at Greece's customs in Promachonas and Evzoni in the importing of meat, according to the reassurance of their directors, despite the strike.

On the contrary, the trucks are still parked only at the Ormenio customs on the Greek-Bulgarian borders, while Burlagian, Romanian, Russian and Greek drivers are waiting for the fourth week of the strikes to end. The directors of both the Promachonas and

the Evzoni customs supported that checks are being carried out normally, while the Secretary General of the Ministry of Culture, Mr. Kalliris, supported that the government has not even considered an emergency hiring agriculturalists. "We want legality t o be applied. Whatever the court has decided must be applied."

In fact, Minister of Culture Giorgos Drys, who also gave his reassurance that the products reaching consumers' tables are safe, stated that the door of dialogue is open for agriculturalists, while he made mention of an effort of theirs to "overstep legal ity with union tricks".

The government has shown abundant sensitivity towards social groups in need, it has listened carefully to all the troubled social groups and the raises given this year were brave, said Mr. Chrysochoidis.

General of PASOK's Central Committee Michalis Chrysochoidis, immediately after his meeting with the Prime Minister at the Maximos Mansion. The government has shown abundant sensitivity towards social groups in need, it has listened carefully to all the t roubled social groups and the raises given this year were brave, said Mr. Chrysochoidis. Strikes are continuing in secondary schools and hospitals are functioning on security staffs.

"Your poll is very serious and I would like to refer you to a previous one carried out by MRB which was mentioned here in court and said that there was a serious social current which defines a social area that includes young people, the unemployed, the p oor, and politically those who do not vote, or vote for the left, or drop a blank or cancelled ballot, who clearly support 17N, as a revolutionary current, a revolutionary view", mentioned Dimitris Koufontinas.

"Now the other conclusions drawn by this poll are that despite the unprecedented misinformation campaign, the slander of the controlled media, is that less than 3% is satisfied or very satisfied with the coverage of the trial of the "17N" case. Neverthel ess, only one out of two people within society believes that this is a fair trial. And the majority believes that it is a political case", supported the defendant.

The main conclusions of the poll include: Dissatisfaction with the trial's coverage with 58.3%, certainty of the defendant's guilt, 54% stated they were definitely guilty and 24.1% that they were probably guilty, low interest in the trial, 65%, concern o n the political nature of the trial (46.5% believe that the crimes committed by 17N are probably penal, while 33.3% that they are probably political), the characterization of the trial as fair by 55% and unfair by 22.9%, and the hesitation in branding Ale xandros Giotopoulos the leader of "17N" (44% that he is probably the leader, 17.9% that he is probably not).

The Prime Minister visited the Center accompanied by deputy Minister of the Press and director of the Prime Minister's press office Tilemachos Chytiris, and during his arrival at the center he was welcomed by Minister of Labor and Social Security Dimitri s Reppas and deputy Minister of Labor Lefteris Tziolas, as well as OAED Director Giannis Nikolaou.

Mr. Simitis was fully briefed by the political leadership of the Ministry of Labor on the entire procedure being followed as far as personalized approach and support of the unemployed towards accession or re-accession to the job market, as well as the wo rk being carried out by those entrusted to the job consultants.

Following his briefing, the Prime Minister stated that unemployment dropped during the past year. "It has dropped below 9% and we hope that by the end of 2008 we will have reached an unemployment level of 6%, much lower than the present level."

Pluton Magdalinidis and his teenage son had gone fishing with friends at the region of Poros in Ferres, Evros northeastern Greece. The young fisherman got lost and ended up at the Turkish bank of Evros River. His father rushed to help him return to the G reek bank but the Turkish military patrol spotted them and they were arrested.

Of the stocks trading today, the overwhelming majority of 287 recorded losses and 40 had gains, while the value of 57 stocks remained unchanged.

Mr. Protopapas stated that this development reflects the prestige and acceptance enjoyed by Greece and distinguished Greeks in the international community.

The conference will open in Sofia tomorrow and will last until October 10. It will deal with issues concerning international terrorism and specifically, international cooperation aimed at combating international terrorism, the implementation of the relev ant Council of Europe acts as well as the justice system, both civil and penal, response to terrorism.

Also, the Bank of Piraeus announced today that it is willing to offer stocks corresponding to 6.7% of its share capital to institutional investors through accelerated book building.

Similar moves are expected soon on behalf of Emporiki Bank as well. Emporiki Bank will offer to investors close to 10% of its share capital, which is owned by the Greek state.

Mr. Papantoniou attended the Informal Meeting of the EU Defense Ministers three days ago and briefed his American audience on the plans for the development of the Euro-army within the framework of the drawing up of the European Constitution.

Referring to the Greek-Turkish relations, he pointed out that the atmosphere has improved stressing, however, that no progress was made in two crucial issues concerning the region's security and Turkey's relations with Greece. On Cyprus, he said that the

Turkish and the Turkish Cypriot sides remain intransigent in spite of the efforts made by the international community as they were expressed by the Annan peace plan.

He also referred to Greece's participation in the efforts against international terrorism and the safety of the Olympic Games to take place in Athens next year.

Mr. Papantoniou is visiting the United States to attend the NATO Defense Ministers Summit that will take place in Colorado on October 8-9.

All the Court's justices participated in the election procedure, while Mr. Skouris' office has a three-year duration.

Vassilis Skouris was born in Thessaloniki in 1948 where he went to primary and secondary school. He then studied Law at the Free University of Berlin (1965-1972) and proceeded to his post graduate studies at the University of Hamburg. In 1973 he received

his PhD and in 1978 lector of Constitutional and Administrative Law at Hamburg's Law School, where he served from 1972-1977.

He was a Professor of Public Law at the Law School of the Dimokritio University of Thrace (1977-1980) and at the Law School of Biefeld University in Germany (1980-1982). He has served as a Professor at the Law Department of the Aristotle University of Th essaloniki since 1982.

Professor Skouris served as Minister of the Interior in the Ioannis Grivas government for the elections of November 5, 1989 and Minister of the Interior for the Simitis government for the elections of September 22, 1996.

He has been the a Greek Judge at the Court of European Communities (Luxembourg), while on September 7, 2003, he was elected President of the Court of European Communities.

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