Athens News Agency: News in English, 06-09-15

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

CONTENTS

[01] Prime minister Karamanlis reiterates 'no tolerance' for corruption

[02] PASOK leader to visit TIF on weekend

[03] Tourism-only curriculum at selected universities

[04] Balkan communist parties meet in Thessaloniki

[05] Serbian President to visit Mt. Athos, Thessaloniki

[01] Prime minister Karamanlis reiterates 'no tolerance' for corruption

Karamanlis stressed that the government was determined to proceed with reforms in all sectors, such as the economy, public administration, education and health.

"We are on the right path and the time has come to rid ourselves of the pathogenesis and problems of the past," Karamanlis said.

Meanwhile, alternate government spokesman Evangelos Antonaros on Friday told a press briefing that employment minister Savvas Tsitouridis refutes media reports concerning his alleged connection the three accused in the MEVGAL blackmail case.

"[The minister] is sending two letters entitled '24 lies' - one to the National Broadcasting Council and one to the Athens Journalists' Union ESHEA - pointing out several inaccuracies that were said and written in the past few days by the mass media regarding the MEVGAL case," the spokesman announced.

The spokesman repeated that the government had already adopted a position on the issue of political responsibility and that these responsibilities are not collective but individual.

Antonaros against stressed that the present government did not tolerate phenomena of corruption and that anyone arrested, whatever position he might occupy and wherever he may belong, will suffer the consequences of the law. The government's tolerance is zero, he repeated.

Questioned about political responsibilities that may arise for Tsitouridis through the possible involvement of Evgenios Papadopoulos in the MEVGAL case, Antonaros said that the government will take all phenomena of corruption to justice and there will be no cover-ups.

To questions regarding the operation of the Competition Commission and whether there was a dairy industry cartel, Antonaros said the existence of a cartel was the subject of an ongoing investigation.

Regarding the Competition Commission, he said that the law-breaking behaviour of one individual did not stop the operation of the entire Commission, which had several members. He said the democratic system had rules and principles that work and lead to conclusions.

Where delinquent behaviour exists the regulations provided are applied and measures and penalties are imposed. "We must let the institutions do their work," Antonaros said.

[02] PASOK leader to visit TIF on weekend

Papandreou will also meet Saturday night with Cyprus House of Representatives president Dimitris Christofias, while on Sunday noon he will give a press conference at the Vellidis Conference Centre, after which he will hold meetings with the unions of workers of local factories, before touring the TIF pavilions.

[03] Tourism-only curriculum at selected universities

The announcement came following a meeting between Education Minister Marietta Yiannakou and Tourism Development Minister Fani Palli-Petralia.

According to the latter, the ministry has already sent interested universities the proposal.

Caption: Education minister Marietta Yiannakou (ANA-MPA/K. Mavrona).

[04] Balkan communist parties meet in Thessaloniki

The purpose of the meeting is an exchange of views, experiences, concerns and proposals based on the developments in the region, and "the assumption of specific initiatives to strenthen the anti-imperialism struggle and the class struggle, and coordination at regional and international level", according to the organisers.

The delegates were examining "the action of the communist parties against imperialism and the capitalistic exploitation of the Balkans".

In a greeting to the meeting, KKE political bureau member Dimitris Koutsoumbas stressed the need to strengthen cooperation among the Balkan communist parties through joint actions and initiatives for reactivation of the Balkan Anti-NATO Centre, strengthening the struggle "against the imperialistic military presence in the Balkans, the foreign bases and troops", and against the "so-called Balkan Brigade and the participation of military corps from the Balkan countries in NATO and EU missions to other countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere".

He called for the return of the troops from the Balkan countries that were currently outside their countries, and the non-involvement of the countries of the region "in the new imperialistic wars and the threats being launched against the peoples of Iran, Syria and other peoples".

Koutsoumbas called on the communist parties to "reinforce, with their presence, the solidarity delegations with the people of Lebanon and Palestine" and to take active part in the anti-NATO demonstrations being prepared to take place during the NATO conference in Riga, Latvia, in November.

Taking part in the conference were representatives of the communist parties of Albania, Bulgaria, FYROM and Turkey, and the socialist and/or labour parties of Croatia, Romania and Turkey. Greetings and written interventions have also bee sent by the Bosnia-Herzegovina communist labour party, the socialist alliance party of Romania, and the communist party of Romania.

The KKE is represented at the conference by MP Aggelos Tzekis, Koutsoumbas, political bureau member Theodosis Constantinidis, members of the KKE central committee, and Thessaloniki Prefect candidate Yannis Ziogas.

Caption: ANA-MPA file photo from KKE anti-NATO demonstration in May (ANA-MPA/D. Dimitriou).

[05] Serbian President to visit Mt. Athos, Thessaloniki

Kostunica is due to visit the historic 10th century Hilandarion Monastery, where some 25 monks of Serb origin live.

At noon on Monday, Kostunica is due to visit the Thessaloniki City Hall, where he will meet with mayor Vassilis Papageorgopoulos.

The visit coincides with the inauguration of an exhibition of paintings by 28 Serbian artists at the Municipal Gallery, titled "Visit to the Mount", as part of this year's Dimitria Festival programme.

The Monastery, which was built in 1188, suffered serious damage in a fire in March 2004, and restoration works are still underway. Fortunately, the fire caused damage only to the structure, as the monks and firefighers managed to remove the priceless relics from the blazing building.

Hilandarion Monastery was founded by Hilandarios (or Helandarios) Ratskos, the son of Serbian King Stephen Nemania, who went to Athens where he became a monk at the St. Panteleimonos Monastery, under the name Savvas. He was followed by his father, who also became a monk under the name of Simeon, and the two men built the Monastery. Savvas later became the archbishop of Serbia. When the two monks died, they were proclaimed saints, and their graves are located to the northeast of the main temple.

The monastery is dedicated to the Presentation of the Vrigin Mary, which is celebrated on November 12.

Caption: Hilandarion Monastery on Mt. Athos (ANA-MPA file photo/N. Kotsiaris)

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