Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 05-12-08

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

CONTENTS

[01] THE NEW BORDER CROSSING AT EXOHI OPENS

[02] MEETING OF THE GREEK AND BULGARIAN TRANSPORT MINISTERS

[03] THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF DEVELOPMENT IN SOFIA

[04] PRESIDENT PAPOULIAS OPENS THE PANHELLENIC ASSOCIATION OF EXPORTERS

[05] PAPANDREOU MEETS WITH PRODUCTION SECTOR REPRESENTATIVES

[06] THE ECONOMY AT ISSUE

[01] THE NEW BORDER CROSSING AT EXOHI OPENS

The inauguration of the new border crossing in the region of Exohi (Drama) linking Greece and Bulgaria and the signing of the relevant protocol will take place tomorrow in the presence of Hellenic Republic President Karolos Papoulias and Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov.

According to a statement issued by the Foreign Ministry, the new border crossing linking Greece and Bulgaria through the Greek-Bulgarian Friendship Tunnel is a model border crossing for Greece because it is the only tunnel linking Greece with a neighboring country. Three hundred meters of the new 448-meter-long tunnel will be on Greek soil and the rest on Bulgarian.

The event will attend Minister of Transport and Communications Michalis Liapis, Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Nikos Tsiartsionis and Deputy Foreign Minister Evripidis Stilianidis. The Bulgarian side will be represented by Minister of Regional Development and Public Works Mr. Gagauzov and Deputy Foreign Minister Mr. Kyuchukov.

The new border crossing was constructed based on international standards, is environmentally friendly and was co-funded by the Greek government and the EU (INTERREG program). Apart from the tunnel, an additional 800-meter-long road was also constructed to ensure the safe and unobstructed operation of the border crossing.

[02] MEETING OF THE GREEK AND BULGARIAN TRANSPORT MINISTERS

Minister of Transport and Communications Michalis Liapis met with his Bulgarian counterpart Petar Mutafchiev in Thessaloniki today to discuss the promotion of high quality service trains linking Thessaloniki with Sofia to attract more passengers as well as the initiative promoted by the Hellenic Presidency within the framework of the Inter-Balkan Cooperation to create a high quality service railway network linking the major SE European cities.

In a joint resolution signed by the two ministers it was agreed to upgrade the transportation infrastructure along the Paneuropean Axis IV and particularly, the improvement of railway Axis IV (Thessaloniki-Sofia-Vidin Kalafat) by 2011; the construction of a motorway by 2013 and the road and railway link of Thessaloniki with the Danube port of the Bulgarian city of Lom by 2013.

They also agreed to make every effort necessary for the improvement of the border crossings between Greece and Bulgaria through the signing of a relevant protocol promoted within the framework of Axis X and the promotion of the liberalization of bus service between the two countries.

Mr. Mutafchiev stressed that Bulgaria's cooperation with Greece in the sector of transportations will be further strengthened not only through the new transportation links and the more frequent passenger train service but through the facilitation of the transportation of goods as well.

Both sides have the political will to further develop bilateral relations particularly concerning the improvement of infrastructures and transportation in the region, stated Mr. Mutafchiev.

Tomorrow, the two ministers will attend the inauguration of the new border crossing Drama-Exohi-Delchev and the final signing of the agreement for the opening of the Exohi tunnel in the presence of Hellenic Republic President Karolos Papoulias and Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov.

[03] THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF DEVELOPMENT IN SOFIA

Deputy Minister of Development Giorgos Salagoudis is in Sofia today to attend the Ministerial Conference within the framework of the Energy Community SE Europe Treaty (EUSEE).

In the meeting participants will analyze and compare the conclusions adopted by the High Level Team formed in Vienna in July 2005.

They will discuss the strategy plan on natural gas, approve the social issues concerning the transitional phase of the energy sector in the region, approve the observer status for Ukraine and reconfirm the observer status for Norway and Moldavia.

[04] PRESIDENT PAPOULIAS OPENS THE PANHELLENIC ASSOCIATION OF EXPORTERS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

Hellenic Republic President Karolos Papoulias characterized the extraversion of the Greek economy and the continuous rise of Greek exports, particularly under the current conditions of increased competitiveness in world trade, as national goal.

Opening the International Conference organized by the Panhellenic Association of Exporters on the occasion of its 60th anniversary, Mr. Papoulias stressed that the continuous rise of exports creates new job positions, reinforces social cohesion and strengthens the country.

The President also characterized as promising the fact that the Greek exports increased 12.3% during the past 9 months.

President Papoulias also referred to the importance the quality of the product -whether industrial, tourist, agricultural or services- has for national economy, adding that the effort for quality production starts in the school years.

[05] PAPANDREOU MEETS WITH PRODUCTION SECTOR REPRESENTATIVES

Main opposition Socialist Party PASOK President Giorgos Papandreou continues his contacts with representatives of institutions and social groups.

He meets today with representatives of Panhellenic Confederation of Unions of Agricultural Cooperatives (PASEGES), General Confederation of Greek Small Businesses and Trades (GSEVEE), and National Confederation of Hellenic Commerce (ESEE).

Yesterday, he visited the Labor Unions Center in Piraeus and later he met with the presiding boards of the Greek General Confederation of Labor (GSEE) and the Confederation of Public Servants (ADEDY).

There is an alternative way for the economy and the country, stated Mr. Papandreou after the meetings.

The government spokesman accused him of nihilistic rejection.

[06] THE ECONOMY AT ISSUE

A meeting on Economy and Development for today and tomorrow is held by the ruling party of New Democracy parliamentary group at the Senate Hall in the parliament building today presided over by Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis.

Invited to presented their positions and the proposals of the institutions they represented are the presidents of Greek General Confederation of Labor (GSEE) Christos Polizogopoulos, Confederation of Public Servants (ADEDY) Spiros Papaspiros, General Confederation of Greek Small Businesses and Trades (GSEVEE) Dimitris Asimakopoulos, Federation of Greek Industries (SEV) Ulysses Kyriakopoulos, National Confederation of Hellenic Commerce (ESEE) Dimitris Armenakis, Central Association of Greek Chambers Giorgos Kassimatis and Panhellenic Confederation of Unions of Agricultural Cooperatives (PASEGES) Tzanetos Karamichas.

Minister of Economy and Finance Giorgos Alogoskoufis and Minister of Development Dimitris Sioufas will also address the meeting.

The proceedings will be closed by the Prime Minister.

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