Athens News Agency: News in English, 05-03-04

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

CONTENTS

[01] BSEC members sign "Alexandroupolis Declaration" on energy

[02] PM says gov't to pay LAFKA rebate to pensioners from June 2006

[03] Tourism ministry targets US tourist market

[04] Greek FinMin gives priority to Ionian Road project

[01] BSEC members sign "Alexandroupolis Declaration" on energy

The primary conclusion the BSEC ministers reached was that liberalisation of electricity and natural gas markets in full accordance with EU directives is a must, with the aim of creating a regional energy market, thus achieving economies of scale that will in turn lead to greater growth.

A meeting of the working groups on electricity networks and energy earlier in the week preceded Friday's meeting.

By adopting the Alexandroupolis Declaration, BSEC members have agreed on a common framework for collaboration in the future.

According to the declaration, some of the points BSEC members have agreed on include: strengthening cooperation in order to improve energy efficiency and promote renewable sources of energy, instituting a common legislative framework with common rules that will apply to all BSEC member countries, create a common market of electricity networks and natural gas within the context of the EU market, etc.

All of the BSEC members - Albania, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Moldavia, Romania, Russia, Serbia and Montenegro, Turkey and Ukraine - were represented at the meeting, while committees of energy experts also participated.

Development Minister Dimitris Sioufas represented Greece. Macedonia-Thrace Minister Nikos Tsiartsionis, Deputy Foreign Minister Evripidis Stylianidis, Deputy Development Minister George Salagkoudis and Secretary General for Development N. Stefanou were also in attendance.

[02] PM says gov't to pay LAFKA rebate to pensioners from June 2006

Speaking to reporters, the Greek PM announced that retroactive rebates would be paid in five six-month tranches beginning in June 2006, and stressed that this decision was the best the government could do without undermining the economy. "That is what the economy can afford," he stressed.

Karamanlis said the country's economy was in a crisis and accused the previous PASOK governments under Costas Simitis of presenting false data on the economy. "This government is telling you the truth, and will always do so," Karamanlis said.

He added that his ND government was battling to restore transparency and said his initiative was directly linked with transparency in the government's intentions.

Karamanlis, moreover, said the government's economic policy was dictated by the current economic situation and underlined that "we will do everything possible to support pensioners within the limits of the economy".

He also noted that efforts were made to cut public sector spending and that he has asked each minister to cut expenses and boost productivity.

[03] Tourism ministry targets US tourist market

Avramopoulos, who is currently in New York, met with various members of the tourism industry here on Thursday and Friday. At 1:30 p.m. local time, he would be inaugurating the New York Times' Travel Show.

In comments he made to the Athens News Agency, Avramopoulos said that in approximately 1-2 months, a major conference will be held, in which members of the US tourism industry and of all other sectors involved in promoting tourism will be participating. The conference's focus will be on issues and factors that affect efforts to promote Greece as a tourist destination in the US market.

The minister also said that the Greek-American presence will be capitalised upon for this purpose and announced that branches of the Greek National Tourism Organisation (EOT) will open in Miami, Los Angeles and Chicago, while the existing New York branch will be further reinforced.

Additionally, Avramopoulos presented the Greek government's tourism policy in detail at a seminar organised by the Greek-American Commercial Chamber. Among other things, he underscored the good relations existing between Greece and the US, and the willingness of both sides to further strengthen those ties.

Finally, the minister also met with Archbishop of America Dimitrios and members of the Archdiocese Council. After the meeting, Avramopoulos made reference to the historic role the Greek Orthodox Church has played and continues to play in the US and spoke about the new prospects of Greek tourism and the US market.

[04] Greek FinMin gives priority to Ionian Road project

Economy and Finance Minister George Alogoskoufis on Friday agreed with local authorities in Epirus to promote the Ionian road project, a network linking western Greece.

Alogoskoufis said the govermnent was actively promoting the Third Community Support Framework and a new development law, which envisages additional financial support of 15 percent to regions with low growth rates.

The Greek minister said the Epirus region was recording a 19.5-percent absorption rate of EU funds this year, up from 8.2 percent in March 2004.

Regional programmes in Epirus were progressing slowly, finance ministry data showed, with state-owned enterprises and public sector companies recording the highest rates.

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