Athens News Agency: News in English, 06-09-06

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

CONTENTS

[01] Government seeks strategic partner for state-run telecoms

[02] PM receives national basketball team

[01] Government seeks strategic partner for state-run telecoms

Speaking to reporters after a scheduled meeting of the inter-ministerial privatisation commission, the minister said the commission agreed to begin procedures for a further privatisation of Hellenic Telecoms and to seek a strategic partner to co-share the management of the organisation.

The Greek state will maintain a minority right in OTE. Alogoskoufis said the consultants for the sale would be hired over the next few weeks, while he stressed that the decision considers the vital national interests in the telecommunications sector.

Transport and Communications Minister Mihalis Liapis said the government's aim was to find an investor for the utility and to offer cheaper and better services to customers.

Development Minister Dimitris Sioufas said the commission's decision was following the policy of reforms promoted by the government, adding that achieving this goal would strengthen competition and lead to better services and prices.

The commission left open the size of the stake to be offered.

In a later statement, government spokesman Theodoros Roussopoulos stressed that the "government is looking for a strategic partner amongst internationally recognised telecoms organisations, with the candidate offered a stake of the management".

In response to a bevy of questions that coincided with several front-page articles in Athens dailies the same day, Roussopoulos pointed directly to a pre-election promise by the ruling New Democracy party to reform and privatise the wider public sector.

Opposition

In a later reaction to the announcement, main opposition PASOK issued a statement condemning the prospect of OTE's privatisation.

"The plan for downgrading and selling off OTE, which began by the ND government in March 2004, is being finalised today. OTE's sale is exclusively aimed at generating income; it is injurious to the national economy and undermines the country's effort to cover the distance between it and other European countries in developing national broadband infrastructure for all citizens," PASOK said.

In its statement, the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) roundly criticised the decision, referring to the "completion of OTE's privatisation by the government, one which will be against employees' interests as well as against the working-class portions of society in general. Workers must not be trapped in the dangerous pseudo-dilemma regarding the structure and manner in which the privatisation will proceed," KKE said.

Along the same line, the leader of the Coalition of the Left (Synaspismos), Alekos Alavanos, said the development was an "extreme attack by the government against the country's own interests."

[02] PM receives national basketball team

The Greek team won the silver medal in the 15th World Basketball Championship, held in Japan recently.

They were also welcomed by Deputy Sports Minister George Orfanos, Sports Secretary General Stavros Douvis, Communist Party of Greece Secretary General Aleka Papariga, main opposition PASOK party Secretary Mariliza Xenoyiannakopoulou, Fotis Kouvelis on behalf of the Coalition of the Left party, and the managing director of the national team's sponsoring company, Nikos Nanopoulos.

"I wish to express to you a big thank you. I wish to express congratulations to you for this great success. You made us proud, you gave us joy and you are an example for the young children of our country. Primarily, however, you are proving the possibilities that this country has," the prime minister said in his address.

The national team's coach, Panayiotis Yiannakis, gave the prime minister a basketball shirt and a basketball with the signatures of all the players, while Mrs. Karamanlis received from Yiannakis two small basketballs with the players' signatures.

Karamanlis then told Yiannakis "we shall be here again next year, after the Eurobasketball competition in Spain. We take it for granted."

Later in the day, the players of the national basketball team were also received by Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Christodoulos.

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