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Athens News Agency: News in English, 11-06-21Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] Barroso: Plan to boost competitiveness, jobsBRUSSELS (ANA-MPA) -- European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso on Tuesday announced that he intends to propose a European Union plan to help Greece boost competitiveness and create jobs, giving it access to developmental funds of roughly one billion euro.He said that the plan could be financed by EU structural funds but also any member-states that want to contribute. Barroso underlined that fiscal austerity programmes for reforming public finances had to run in parallel to action designed to boost the country's (ANA-MPA) flailing economy. The European Commission president said aspects of such a programme had been discussed during his meeting with Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou the previous day and that he would raise the issue at the upcoming EU summit. Clarifying that the money to Greece would come with tighter supervision and technical assistance, he said the aim would be to "concentrate funds on where it matters most", frontloading some projects and allowing accelerated payouts of money available to Greece from structural funds. He also spoke about having better coordinated cohesion policies and ways to help Greece tap into the funds available. The Commission's goal would be to return Greece to growth in 2013, Barroso said. (ANA-MPA) Caption: European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso (R) welcomes Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou (L) prior to a meeting at the EU commission headquarters in Brussels on 20 June 2011. ANA-MPA/EPA/OLIVIER HOSLET © ANA-MPA SA. Intellectual rights and copyright belong to the ANA-MPA S.A. Reproduction of ANA-MPA content by visitors of this website is strictly forbidden. More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form [02] Samaras briefed by FinMin on Eurogroup(ANA-MPA) -- Main opposition New Democracy (ND) leader Antonis Samaras was briefed by Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos on the recent Eurogroup meeting in Luxembourg, during a telephone contact on Tuesday morning, the finance ministry said in an announcement.Venizelos, in reply to press questions, said he discussed the closely watched Medium-Term Fiscal Programme, due to be voted in on Parliament on June 28, and on the programme's implementation law. He also said that Samaras said he understands the need to abide by the timetable agreed in the Eurogroup regarding the ratification of the two laws (Medium-Term programme and application law) by the end of June, regardless of the position ND will take on the substance of the measures. To another question on whether the reference to national unity contained in the Eurogroup announcement after the Luxembourg meeting meant that the a condition for progress in the procedures was the opposition's positive vote for ratification of the Medium-Term Programme and its application law, Venizelos replied that this has not been placed as a condition, although it would be desirable for the government. © ANA-MPA SA. Intellectual rights and copyright belong to the ANA-MPA S.A. Reproduction of ANA-MPA content by visitors of this website is strictly forbidden. More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form [03] Minister addresses FT con'f on health careThe urgency of the implementation of measures leading to the reorganisation of the National Health System in Greece was underlined by most of the speakers who addressed a Financial Times conference held in Athens on Tuesday.Speaking in the conference entitled "Shaping the future of Healthcare in Greece: From past weaknesses and present challenges to a new vision", Health Minister Andreas Loverdos stressed that Greece should hurry because the implementation of reforms in the health sector cannot be delayed much longer. Loverdos underlined the urgency of creating a smaller public sector, adding that "electronic" health is a top priority. He also stressed that his goal is to further reduce pharmaceutical expenditures forecasting that the reduction will be at least 1.3 billion euros in 2011. More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form [04] Special Olympics athletes hosted in HalkidikiMore than 300 Special Olympics 2011 athletes and their escorts will be hosted in verdant Halkidiki, northern Greece, until June 24, within the framework of the "Host Town Programme" (Polis Amphitrion).The 313 guests from Bonaire (Netherlands Antilles), Botswana, Brunei, Iceland, Montserrat (British West Indies), Samoa, Senegal, Sri Lanka and Turkey, will stay in 11 hotels in the holiday regions of Kassandra and Sithonia. Delegations from around the world will be hosted for four days throughout the 13 regions of Greece within the framework of the "Host Town Programme", prior to their arrival in Athens for the Special Olympic Games on Saturday, June 25. More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form [05] Árrivals of Special Olympics nat'l delegations(ANA-MPA) -- Official delegations of Special Olympics athletes, staff and coaches began to arrive in Athens from around the world on Tuesday, ahead of the opening of the 2011 Games on Saturday. Up until midday on Tuesday, 2,812 people had arrived from more than 58 countries.The rest of the delegations are expected to arrive over the next day and some have arrived directly at their "Host Town" elsewhere in Greece. Several delegations have departed for their "Host Town" Programme cities on several Greek islands and provinces, including the major holiday islands of Rhodes, Crete and Evia, "Host Towns" on the Ionian Islands, in the mainland provinces of Thrace and Macedonia, in northern Greece, as well as even on the island republic of Cyprus, in the eastern Mediterranean. Local organising committees welcomed the delegations with ceremonies and with traditional Greek hospitality. Hoteliers have provided free rooms to all delegations. (ANA-MPA) In total, more than 25,000 hotel room nights will have been donated during the "Host Town" programme. The "Host Town" Programme is a special event of World Games. Delegations from around the world will be hosted for four days throughout the 13 regions of Greece prior to their arrival in Athens for the Special Olympic Games. (ANA-MPA) Caption: Torch-bearers are shown during a reception of the Special Olympics flame in Aristotelous Square, in the northern port city of Thessaloniki on Wednesday, 15 June, 2011. ANA-MPA / S. BARBAROUSIS © ANA-MPA SA. Intellectual rights and copyright belong to the ANA-MPA S.A. Reproduction of ANA-MPA content by visitors of this website is strictly forbidden. More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form [06] T-bill auction raises 1.625 bln euros(ANA-MPA) -- Greece on Tuesday raised 1.625 billion euros from the market in an auction of a 3-month Treasury bills issue.The Public Debt Management Organisation, in an announcement, said the interest on the three-month issue rose to 4.62 pct from 4.06 pct in the previous auction of same T-bills. Bids submitted totalled 3.675 billion euros, or 2.94 times more than the asked sum. The auction was held through the marketâs primary dealers with settlement date set for Sept. 23. The organisation covered the asked sum of 1.250 billion euros and accepted non-competitive bids totalling 375 million euros. (ANA-MPA) © ANA-MPA SA. Intellectual rights and copyright belong to the ANA-MPA S.A. Reproduction of ANA-MPA content by visitors of this website is strictly forbidden. More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form [07] Merchants decry PPC strikeThe National Confederation of Greek Trade (ESEE) on Tuesday asked striking Public Power Corp. (PPC) employees to opt for forms of mobilisations "that will not further burden a faltering" market.In an announcement prompted by rolling 48-hour strikes by the federation of PPC employees, GENOP, that commenced at midnight Sunday, ESEE said that "to the degree that the government cannot give the proper solutions, given that further capitalisation (denationalisation) of the PPC is part of the 50 billion euros (state properties denationalisation plan) under the Medium-Term fiscal programme, it is now up to us, who comprise the society of the citizens, to manifest the required social solidarity". © ANA-MPA SA. Intellectual rights and copyright belong to the ANA-MPA S.A. Reproduction of ANA-MPA content by visitors of this website is strictly forbidden. More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form [08] Greek-Israeli collaboration(ANA-MPA) -- The potential for new business collaborations between Greece and Israel in water resources management, as was the case between Israel with Italy and Spain, was at the focus of an event entitled "Water and Renewable Energy Sources - New techniques, regulations and trends", organised on Tuesday by the Greek-Israel Chamber of Commerce and Technology.The event was held within the context of activities aimed at enhancing Greece-Israel relations in the fields of trade, research and technology. Israeli water resources management innovations were presented at the event, such as reuse of waste and desalination with use of renewable energy sources. (ANA-MPA) Caption: A file photo dated 11 December 2007 shows a worker at the Via Maris desalination plant in Palmahim, south of Tel Aviv, Israel, drinks potable water as it comes out from the hundreds of high-pressure filters during one of the last steps in producing fresh water from salt water. The plant uses state-of-the-art reverse osmosis technology to provide some 100,000 cubic meters of fresh drinking water daily to Israel's national water company. ANA-MPA/ EPA/JIM HOLLANDER © ANA-MPA SA. Intellectual rights and copyright belong to the ANA-MPA S.A. Reproduction of ANA-MPA content by visitors of this website is strictly forbidden. More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form [09] Bank stocks rally bourseStocks rose strongly on Tuesday at the Athens Stock Exchange, riding on sharp gains in the banking sector that corrected Monday's heavy losses. The composite index of the market rose 3.74 pct to end at 1,275.47 points. Turnover was 110.066 million euros.The Big Cap index jumped 4.64 pct, the Mid Cap index rose 2.53 pct and the Small Cap index ended 2.26 pct higher. ATEBank (-0.79 pct) was the only blue chip stock to post losses, while top gainers were Ellaktor (10.19 pct), Alpha Bank (9.81 pct), Eurobank (8.97 pct) and Piraeus Bank (7.00 pct). Among sector indices, the biggest gains were in Banking (6.93 pct), Telecommunications (5.09 pct), Financial Services (4.7 pct) and Raw Materials (4.65 pct). The biggest losses were in Insurance (-1.92 pct), Chemicals (-1.16pct) and Commerce (-0.39 pct). Broadly, advancers trailed decliners by 103 to 36 with another 41 issues unchanged. © ANA-MPA SA. Intellectual rights and copyright belong to the ANA-MPA S.A. Reproduction of ANA-MPA content by visitors of this website is strictly forbidden. More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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