Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 06-04-07

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

CONTENTS

[01] LOCAL ADMINISTRATION FREE OF PARTY CONTROL

[02] COALITION PRESIDENT ALAVANOS IN BERLIN

[03] VAVYLIS RECEIVED THE SAME 7-YEAR PRISON TERM IMPOSED EARLIER BY AN

[04] STYLIANIDIS MET WITH A GEORGIAN GOVERNMENT DELEGATION

[05] COMMUNIST AND LABOR PARTIES MEET IN ATHENS

[06] NEW ADAE FINDINGS ON THE PHONE TAPPING AFFAIR

[01] LOCAL ADMINISTRATION FREE OF PARTY CONTROL

We put an end to past practices attempting to place local administration under pressing party control limiting its resources.

We have confidence in, support and upgrade local administration being a pylon of democracy, a creative force and a citizens' participation institution in affairs that concern them directly and on a daily basis, stressed Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis addressing the ruling party's national congress on local administration taking place at the Peace and Friendship Stadium in Athens today to decide on the framework within which New Democracy will move in the next municipal and prefectural elections.

The citizen's voice should be strong and strong local administration, strong society, are the two main messages in the national congress during which the political framework and the criteria for the selection of the mayors and prefects New Democracy will back in the October elections will be outlined.

Incumbent mayors and prefects have a priority over other prospective candidates while local societies will have the last word in the selection of candidates.

[02] COALITION PRESIDENT ALAVANOS IN BERLIN

Coalition President Alekos Alavanos met in Berlin today with Die Linke party co-presidents Oskar Lafontaine and Gregor Gysi.

Mr. Alavanos congratulated them because the German parliament has elected a leftist vice-president for the first time in modern German history.

They discussed the latest developments in Europe, the development of social movements, the imminent European Social Forum meeting and cooperation for joint action both within the framework of the European Left Party and at bilateral level.

[03] VAVYLIS RECEIVED THE SAME 7-YEAR PRISON TERM IMPOSED EARLIER BY AN ITALIAN COURT

The 7-year prison term imposed on Apostolos Vavylis by a Venice court in 1994 remains, according to an Athens court decision today.

Vavylis was extradited from Italy and during the trial he told judges that it was his own request to be returned to Greece to serve the rest of his sentence.

He maintained that he was innocent and stated that he was sentenced in absentia in Italy for essentially the same case for which he had received a 13-year prison term when tried in a Larisa court, central Greece.

Vavylis is accused of playing a leading role in a trial fixing case as well as in a case involving Irineos, the deposed Patriarch of Jerusalem.

Responding to a question by reporters, he said that he would have done anything for his country and his faith.

[04] STYLIANIDIS MET WITH A GEORGIAN GOVERNMENT DELEGATION

Georgia offers investment opportunities and the Greek government encourages Greek entrepreneurs to become active in the country, stated Deputy Foreign Minister Evripidis Stylianidis after meeting with a Georgian government delegation headed by Economic Development Minister Irakli Chogovadze.

In the meeting, they also examined the likelihood of a Greek participation in the process for the privatization of the Black Sea port of Batumi and cooperation on energy issues.

Mr. Stylianidis stated that Georgia is a priority country on Greece's development policy and Mr. Chogovadze thanked Greece for the aid sent to his country referring particularly to the Hellenic Aid funding of a vocational training school in Tbilisi aimed at conveying know-how in the tourist sector.

On the energy sector cooperation, Mr. Stylianidis stated that the natural gas pipeline from Baku to Greece passes through Georgia and constitutes a positive precedent for further cooperation. The two countries are also interested in alternative energy sector cooperation where Greece has acquired considerable know-how during the past decades.

[05] COMMUNIST AND LABOR PARTIES MEET IN ATHENS

The Greek Communist Party will host the European meeting of Communist and Labor parties at Perissos, Athens tomorrow to discuss the capitalist restructuring of education systems.

They will also discuss the changes taking place in the sector of education concerning privatization, examine ways to further develop cooperation among Communist parties and consider joint initiatives for an education system that will serve the popular needs.

[06] NEW ADAE FINDINGS ON THE PHONE TAPPING AFFAIR

The Hellenic Authority for Information and Communication Security and Privacy (ADAE) forwarded its second findings on the phone tapping affair to parliament's Special Permanent Committee on Institutions and Transparency.

Committee chairman Mr. Karamarios announced that the committee meetings' minutes will be given to justice.

Yesterday, the committee completed its proceedings on the issue with the testimonies of the prime minister's political office director Yiannis Angelou and the face-to-face examination of Vodafone CEO Mr. Koronias and Ericsson CEO Bill Zikou.

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