Athens News Agency: News in English, 06-09-29

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

CONTENTS

[01] Papandreou to speak in Peristeri on Friday

[02] FM addresses Greek Americans in NY

[03] Papariga urges votes against main parties

[04] Greek population among EU's oldest, Eurostat finds

[01] Papandreou to speak in Peristeri on Friday

Speaking in Lesvos on Thursday, meanwhile, Papandreou accused the government of indifference to the periphery, despite its big campaign pledges, and of ignoring the realites, preferring instead to concentrate on political friends and holding the citizens captive for vote-grabbing reasons.

PASOK's leader also commented on the marina in Mytilene, capital of the island of Lesvos, was proof of the very serious investment over the past 10-15 years for the upgrading of its tourism product.

Speaking on the second day of his visit to Lesvos, Papandreou said that the infrastructures have helped the island enter the field of specialised tourism, adding that the marina could be instrumental in developing quality tourism, while he also accused the current local government on the island of leaving a section of the marina unexploited, thus leaving the marina infrastructure incomplete.

[02] FM addresses Greek Americans in NY

Bakoyannis conveyed prime minister Costas Karamanlis' best wishes and greetings to the Greek Americans, stressing that they are "an individsible part of Greece and Hellenism and make us all proud".

Speaking on Greece's image today, Bakoyannis said that the country was "moving ahead with development and abilities for its citizens". "We have taken important steps, but we must make still more," she added.

On Greece's foreign policy, the minister said that "we are following a policy of self-confidence...Greece is a country that is a pole of stability. We are a country that has excellent relations with all its neighbours".

Turning to Greece's presidency of the UN Security Council during the month of September, she said that "we are seen as a credible and serious interlocutor, and we are a country that has a say in and knowledge of the problems in the region".

Bakoyannis further referred to the specific problems faced by Hellenism, with the Cyprus issue at the top of the list, stressing that "Greek foreign policy will never tire of fighting for a just and viable solution to the Cyprus problem".

Greece, she continued, "supports Turkey's European prospect, but we want a neighbouring country that is a modern European democracy".

"Turkey itself, however, must also want to become a European country, it must accept the European criteria, and it must respect the European principles and values," she stressed.

Finally, turning to the FYROM name issue, "which is open also within the framework of the UN", Bakoyannis said that "we will work to find a mutually acceptable solution".

[03] Papariga urges votes against main parties

According to Papariga, votes cast for ruling New Democracy or main opposition PASOK candidates would simply lead these parties to conclude that they could continue to fool the electorate through demagoguery.

KKE's leader also criticised the new primary school books introduced this year, asking that they be withdrawn, and said that teachers' were not to blame for the crisis in education.

[04] Greek population among EU's oldest, Eurostat finds

BRUSSELS (ANA-MPA - V. Demiris) Greece is among European Union member-states with the highest proportion of over-65s in its population, according to a survey released on Friday by the European statistics agency Eurostat to mark International Day of Older Persons on October 1.

People aged over 65 accounted for 18 percent of the Greek population in 2005 (up from 15 percent in 1995), while in the EU they represent 17 percent, up from 15 percent in 1995.

The EU countries with the highest percentage of old people are Germany and Italy with 19 percent, followed by Greece, while the lowest percentages occur in Ireland (11 percent) and in Cyprus and Slovakia (12 percent).

Eurostat expect the trend to continue and the number of old people to rise to 30 percent of the EU's overall population in 2050, with the highest percentages in Spain (36 percent) and Italy (35 percent), followed by Greece, Germany and Portugal with 32 percent.

The lowest percentages at this time are expected in Luxembourg (22 percent), the Netherlands (23 percent) and in Denmark and Sweden (24 percent).

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