Athens News Agency: News in English, 06-11-16

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM confers with interior minister, ND party secretary

[02] FM to accompany PM on trip to UK, Russia visit

[03] Inflation remains at 3.1% in Oct., Eurostat

[01] PM confers with interior minister, ND party secretary

Pavlopoulos told reporters afterwards that the next meeting with KEDKE and ENAE will be held in December before the voting on the 2007 state budget, while he refused to comment on the contract workers issue.

On the rumours that arose after Environment, Town Planning and Public Works Minister George Soufliasâ absence from Tuesday's Cabinet meeting on the state budget, Pavlopoulos responded that Souflias had "a health problem and nothing more".

Pavlopoulos, responding to a question on whether he was satisfied with the funds earmarked in the draft 2007 state budget for the interior ministry, said that cooperation with the finance minister was excellent.

Statements by Zagoritis

Emerging from his later meeting with Karamanlis on Thursday, ruling New Democracy's Central Committee Secretary Lefteris Zagoritis played down the importance of a visit from a delegation representing the police earlier that morning.

"There was no takeover at Rigillis (ND party headquarters)," Zagoritis stressed in a statement to reporters, adding that the delegation had simply wanted to brief him on the issues that concerned them, as party secretary of ND.

Asked about the apparent dissatisfaction shown by Public Order Minister Vyron Polydoras with government measures for the police force, the party secretary said that the minister had his own view and that his role as party secretary was to speak with representatives of social groups.

"We sympathise with the problems that exist in the police, as in other sectors. But whether we can help to satisfy economic demands is an issue of a different order, which is viewed in relation to the strength of the Greek economy," he said.

The government would be able to satisfy demands such as raising OGA pensions, the EKAS low-pension supplement and benefits for teachers and police after two and half years, he added.

Commenting on a MRB opinion poll, meanwhile, Zagoritis said he was satisfied that ND appeared to take the lead over main opposition PASOK, while Karamanlis was in the lead as most suitable for prime minister.

He reiterated that elections would be held at the end of the government's four-year term and that there would not be a ND Congress but a national conference.

[02] FM to accompany PM on trip to UK, Russia visit

Bakoyannis' next stop will be Russia on November 22-23 for talks with her Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, Russian Security Council Secretary Igor Ivanov and other officials, including a meeting in Saint Petersburg with Governor Valentina Matviyenko.

Foreign ministry spokesman George Koumoutsakos said the agenda for Bakoyannis' talks in Moscow and Saint Petersburg included bilateral relations with Russia, bilateral economic ties and the entire range of EU-Russia relations, with Greece a firm supporter of EU-Russia cooperation, in addition to energy issues.

On November 28-29, the foreign minister is scheduled to take part in the NATO summit taking place in Riga, Latvia.

[03] Inflation remains at 3.1% in Oct., Eurostat

Luxembourg (0.6 pct), the Czech Republic (0.8 pct) and Finland (0.9 pct) recorded the lowest inflation rates in October, while Hungary (6.3 pct), Latvia (5.6 pct) and Estonia (3.8 pct) recorded the highest inflation rates in the month.

Eurostat said the consumer price index rose in four member-states in October, it fell in 16 and was unchanged in five member-states.

EPA/ANA-MPA file photo. Martti Kainulainen.

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