Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 02-04-11

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From: The Macedonian Press Agency at http://www.mpa.gr and http://www.hri.org/MPA.

CONTENTS

[01] MEETING OF THE EEP THIS AFTERNOON

[02] IN MAY THE GOVERNMENT DECISIONS ON TAX REFORMS

[03] SIMITIS: DIALOGUE ON THE TAX REFORM PROPOSALS

[04] SMALL LOSSES IN THE ASE

[05] FEWER PASSENGERS IN THE NORTHERN GREEK AIRPORTS

[06] GIORGOS PAPANDREOU VISITS SAUDI ARABIA

[07] KAKLAMANIS WILL VISIT NEW YORK

[08] PAPANDREOU MEETS WITH KINNOCK AND PATTEN TOMORROW

[09] GREEK DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER IN MAROCCO

[10] PAPARIGA MEETS CUBAN REPRESENTATIVE

[01] MEETING OF THE EEP THIS AFTERNOON

The Stability Pact in Southeast Europe and developments in the Balkans, will be the main points of focus, of the three-day meeting organized by the European People's Party (EEP), the European Union and New Democracy, in cooperation with the K. Karamanlis Democracy Institute, in Thessaloniki.

The meeting will begin today at 4:30 pm at the I. Vellidis Conference Center of the TIF. At 7:30pm, President of New Democracy Kostas Karamanlis will meet with European Commissioner of External Relations Chris Patten at the Macedonia Palace hotel. At 8:30pm Mr. Patten will speak at the dinner. In the margin of the meeting, the Commissioner will visit the Seat of the European Service for Restructure at 6pm and will be briefed on the 1.6 billion euro aid programmes in Yugoslavia and FYROM.

At 10am tomorrow, President of the EPP Wilfred Martens will make his speech, followed by ND President and EPP vice-President Kostas Karamanlis, Norway's Foreign Minister Kim Travik, vice-President the Turkish Motherland's Party Bulent Akartsali and the President of the Union of Democratic Powers of Bulgaria, N. Michaelova. In the afternoon, special coordinator for the Stability Pact Erhard Busek, the Prime Minister of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Mladen Ivanic, and FYROM Minister of Agriculture Marjan Gjorcev will make their speeches.

On Saturday, at 9:30am, the vice-President of the European Commission, Loyola de Palacio, will also make her speech.

[02] IN MAY THE GOVERNMENT DECISIONS ON TAX REFORMS

The government will make its decisions on tax reform at the end of May. The proposals presented were drawn up by an independent authority and will be brought to a social dialogue, stated Undersecretary of Press Tilemachos Hitiris.

He reiterated that the government wants the adoption of tax exemptions for workers, pensioners and businesses which are active and make investments. He added that the specific bill will combat the offshore companies, inactive wealth and tax evasion.

[03] SIMITIS: DIALOGUE ON THE TAX REFORM PROPOSALS

Prime Minister Kostas Simitis gave clarifications on the tax reform issue on the occasion of the proposals made by the independent committee that was formed for this purpose.

In statements made after the cabinet meeting today that dealt with the government energy policy, Mr. Simitis stressed that the government has not assessed yet or adopted the independent committee tax reform proposals. He pointed out that those proposals will be the subject of a broad based social dialogue with the government that will take place at the end of May aimed at a socially fair and effective system that will combat tax evasion.

Mr. Simitis stressed that the government seeks a more fair and effective tax system and will try to make things easier for workers and pensioners and back businesses and investments.

Referring to the energy policy issue, Mr. Simitis pointed out that the cabinet discussed the 5.5 trillion drachmas Energy Policy Plan that will be in effect until the year 2010, creating a total of 55.000 direct job positions and 91.000 indirect job positions. The plan provides for the improvement of the Greek energy networks and Greece's link with Europe and the East. Also, promotes Greece's geo-strategic role as an energy junction in the wider region and contributes to the efforts for the promotion of Greece's role as a factor of stability in the Balkans.

[04] SMALL LOSSES IN THE ASE

Small losses were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today. The general index dropped to -0.12% at 2.204,89 point,s while the volume of transactions was at 72.5 million Euro or 24.7 billion drachmas.

Of the stocks trading today, 149 recorded gains and 152 had losses, while the value of 76 stocks remained unchanged.

[05] FEWER PASSENGERS IN THE NORTHERN GREEK AIRPORTS

The number of people who used the northern Greek airports in the first two months of the year was smaller compared to the same period last year. Specifically, in January and February the people who used four of the five airports in the region were 348.490 compared to 428.444 last year.

For example, the people who used Thessaloniki's Macedonia Airport in the month of January were less by 18.4%, at 162.700, compared to last year. In the same month, 17.824 people used the Alexandroupolis Airport (-33.0%), 206 people traveled through Kastoria (-59.3%) and 255 through Kozani (-16.4%).

[06] GIORGOS PAPANDREOU VISITS SAUDI ARABIA

Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Papandreou is in the Saudi Arabia capital of Riyadh to meet with his Saudi counterpart. The goal of his visit is to exchange views on the developments in the Middle East.

Tomorrow, Mr. Papandreou will meet with the British government special envoy to Cyprus Sir David Hanney.

[07] KAKLAMANIS WILL VISIT NEW YORK

Greek Parliament President Apostolos Kaklamanis will leave for New York on Saturday to head the festivities on the occasion of the Greek national holiday of March 25 organized by the Federation of the Greek Associations of Metropolitan New York.

Mr. Kaklamanis will have meetings with Greek-American US House Representatives and Senators, Archbishop Dimitrios of America, Cypriot Parliament President Dimitris Christofias, and New York Governor Mr. Pataki. On Wednesday, April 17, Mr. Kaklamanis will give a press conference to the Greek-American mass media and the correspondents of the Greek mass media in the United States.

[08] PAPANDREOU MEETS WITH KINNOCK AND PATTEN TOMORROW

Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Papandreou will meet with European Commission Vice-President Neil Kinnock in Athens tomorrow.

Mr. Papandreou is also scheduled to meet with European Commissioner Chris Patten, responsible for foreign relations issues.

[09] GREEK DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER IN MAROCCO

Deputy Foreign Minister Giannis Magriotis met with Prime Minister Abderrahmane Youssoufi and Foreign Secretary Mohamed Benaissa of Morocco, in Rabat yesterday.

The Moroccan Prime Minister blamed the international community for letting the situation in the Middle East develop into a crisis. He stressed that in the meeting he had with US Secretary of State Colin Powell, he asked for drastic and decisive measures to be taken for the promotion of peace.

He recognized the important role of Greece in the efforts to resolve the Middle Eastern crisis and its contribution to Euromediterranean cooperation , referring to the Mediterranean Forum to be held in Greece on May 21-22.

On bilateral relations he noted that the sectors of economy and culture will be strengthened. His response to the initiative of Foreign Minister Giorgos Papandreou for the Olympic Truce was very positive, and he asked for a relevant decleration to be signed. He also made a commitment to vote for Greece as a standing member of the UN Security Council.

[10] PAPARIGA MEETS CUBAN REPRESENTATIVE

Secretary General of the Greek Communist Party Aleka Papariga, met with representative of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party Abelardo Curbelo.

During the meeting an exchange of information on the struggle of communists and joint action of movements against globalization was made. The need for the two parties to develop more common initiatives in the sector of communist ideology, socialist prospects and research concerning specific economic aspects of constructing socialism was pointed out.

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