Athens News Agency: News in English, 05-05-14

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

CONTENTS

[01] President Papoulis stresses geopolitical, economic and diplomatic importance of Burgas-Alexandroupolis pipeline

[02] 'Humanitarian Marathon' to be held on June 12

[03] Public works minister Souflias outlines timetables for Ionia Way and Egnatia Way motorways

[01] President Papoulis stresses geopolitical, economic and diplomatic importance of Burgas-Alexandroupolis pipeline

Greece, Bulgaria and Russia signed a political agreement for the cross-border pipeline, budgeted at approximately 700 million euros, on April 13 in Thessaloniki. The 285-kilometre pipeline to carry Russian oil from Burgas in Bulgaria to Alexandroupolis in northern Greece has an estimated investment cost of 750-800 million US dollars with an annual capacity of 35 million tonnes of oil. It will supplement a sea route through the Bosphorus for transportation of the product in the region. It is anticipated that the pipeline will forge a new outlet for Russian oil and for oil from the Caspian Sea to Europe and America.

Papoulias said that the signing of the memorandum by the governments of Greece, Bulgaria and Russia on April 13 declaring their firm intention for the construction and backing of the pipeline sent a message of cooperation, stability, development and peace to the entire region.

Papoulias, a former foreign minister, was presented with the Gold Medal of the city, in acknowledgement of his long contribution to the consolidation of the democratic institutions, national unity, and boosting the country's standing internationally.

[02] 'Humanitarian Marathon' to be held on June 12

The event will be organised by the World Food Programme in cooperation with the interior ministry's Hellenic Aid service and was announced on Friday during a conference held in Athens by the WFP's alternate general director John Powell, with the participation of Greek non-governmental organisations.

"Our target is not only to encourage cooperation between the partners of the society of citizens in Greece, which has already been consolidated, but also to promote new cooperations at an international level. This is the reason that Hellenic Aid organised this meeting today to discuss the possibilities of cooperation between Greek NGOs and the WFP," Deputy Foreign Minister Evripidis Stylianidis said in his address to delegates.

[03] Public works minister Souflias outlines timetables for Ionia Way and Egnatia Way motorways

The Egnatia Way motorway, the most complex road-building project to be undertaken in Greece to date, is a modern closed motorway 680 kilometres long and 24.5 metres wide over the greatest part of its length, running northeast to northwest across Epirus and Northern Greece, from Igoumenitsa to Evros. The project, which was tendered in 1999, is due to be completed in 2008, while construction of the north-south Ionia Way motorway running along the country's west will begin in April 2006, with completion slated approximately 6 years after the commencement of work on the highway, environment, town planning and public works minister George Souflias announced on Saturday, speaking in Ioannina.

Souflias conferred with the Epirus region authorities, accompanied by his deputy minister Stavros Kaloyannis and ministry secretary general George Tryfonidis.

Souflias said that apart from the stretches of Egnatia Way currently under construction, the tendering procedures for the remaining works on the motorway, budgeted at 250 million euro, would be completed by September this year.

As for the Ionia Way, the companies that will undertake its construction, under the system of self-financing, would set up shop between late March to early April 2006, the minister said.

He explained that all the interested consortia had been provided last month with the studies and draft contract, so as to submit their tenders by September. The evaluation process would take place in December to select the companies that would construct the Ionia Way from Antirrio in western Greece to the Egnatia hub in Ioannina.

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