[ana-dist] Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 13-04-17

[HR-Net News Distribution Manager]

Wednesday,  17  April  2013          Issue No: 4337

CONTENTS
[01] PM Samaras says Greece shall recover, signs of exit from crisis
      appearing soon
[02] 'SYRIZA guarantees an orderly and safe exit from crisis,' Tsipras
      tells Economist Conference
[03] Task Force chief: Gov't has determination, backing of European
      Commission
[04] FinMin: National target a primary surplus in order to further reduce
      state debt
[05] Finmin briefs President Papoulias on agreement with troika
[06] PASOK leader Venizelos addresses joint meeting of parliamentary
      group, political council
[07] PASOK leader meets with Council on Foreign Relations
[08] Tsipras retables question on the operation of HRADF
[09] SYRIZA parliamentary spokesman Papadimoulis' interview on AMNA WebTV
[10] Council on Foreign Relations members visit SYRIZA in Parliament
[11] Greek PM sends telegram of condolence to Obama after Boston bombings
[12] FM expresses abhorrence over Boston Marathon attack
[13] PASOK on the Boston Marathon bomb attack
[14] SYRIZA-EKM expresses 'abhorrence' for Boston bombings
[15] KKE condemns the Boston bomb attacks
[16] KKE congratulates new Venezuelan president on election
[17] KKE elects members of Political Bureau
[18] Deputy FM meets CFR delegation in Athens
[19] Defence Minister Panagiotopoulos met with Israeli ambassador
[20] Turkish fighter planes fly over Greek island, defence ministry
      reports
[21] Former PM Papandreou responds to investigation committee summons
      with memorandum
[22] Archbishop Demetrios attends Obama's Faith Advisory Council session
      in DC
[23] Greek authorities determined to move forward with privatizations
[24] Alt. Finance Minister reports encouraging rise in tax revenues
      in April
[25] Greek inflation lowest in the EU in March
[26] Greek banks cut funding from ECB, ELA in March
[27] Alpha Bank says share capital increase plan "key" for the country's
      banking system
[28] Alpha Bank's shareholders approve share capital increase plan
[29] PPC to raise electricity rates from May 1
[30] Car loading dock at Piraeus port ready by September
[31] Greek stocks continue moving lower
[32] Greek bond market closing report
[33] ADEX closing report
[34] Foreign Exchange rates - Wednesday
[35] 111 tons of horsemeat entered Greece in 2011-2012, document submitted
      to parliament says
[36] Tourism minister meets famous British actor Stephen Fry
[37] Papoulias visits Juvenile Prison Facility
[38] Prime Minister Samaras, Piraeus' chamber president, offer condolences
      for the death of George Kassimatis
[39] 42 pct of Greeks are overweight or obese
[40] Fire breaks out at Ierissos police station
[41] Prisoner who escaped from hospital in Thessaloniki apprehended
[42] Contraband cigarettes shipment seized on Crete
[43] Noted Greek painters' works to be auctioned at Sotheby's
[44] Cloudy on Wednesday
[45] The Tuesday edition of Athens' dailies
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Politics

[01] PM Samaras says Greece shall recover, signs of exit from crisis
appearing soon

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, addressing the Economist's conference
on Tuesday evening, sent a message of optimism that Greece shall recover
and the signs of the exit from the crisis will be appearing soon.

Samaras began his address with a reference to the Boston bombings, saying
that "my mind turns to the saddening and inhuman events in Boston and
I hope that such events will never be repeated".

"We are viewing the future with greater certainty. We have not overcome
the crisis, however the light is visible at the end of the tunnel. It is
not only the quantitative indexes, but the qualitative ones as well, such
as the competitiveness of the Greek economy. They say that the deepest
darkness is shortly before dawn, it is beginning to dawn now, Greece's
success shall be a message within Europe," the prime minister said.

Samaras further said "a few months ago many predicted the ruin of the
euro and took for granted Greece's exit. Today Greece is remaining and
its state is becoming stabilised, while the euro appears more stable. It
has not overcome some of its structural problems. A year ago Greece was
considered the weak link, some were saying that it is the 'Iphigenia'
of the eurozone, today Greece is achieving its targets, it is close
to the first stage surplus, the programme is changing and its banking
system is becoming stabilised, Greece is making reforms that it had not
done for decades. And all these in conditions of crisis, with six years
of recession and high unemployment. Today many are astonished".

He referred to the main causes of the recession and added that today they
are being reversed: "The recession that brought the Greek economy to its
knees had as a cause the austerity measures, the fact that the state since
2010 made a halt in payments and the fact that for a year, liquidity in
the banking system has gone dry. We now have the preconditions to overcome
all three causes. From early May the banks will be fully capitalised, the
state is paying off its obligations, the economy will start to move and
businesses will be able to absorb the ESPA (National Strategic Reference
Framework) capital. The causes of recession are being reversed. We do not
only have austerity but we also have measures that balance the cutbacks
and bring restarting to economic activity".

"We are not making any discount in the structural changes. We restored
Greece's reliabiity that was essential, while we also began to change
the policy that had been imposed on us as well. Last year we changed
the external conditions by reducing the debt and the loaning interest
rates. We achieved the greatest debt restructuring that has taken place
in history and without default. This was also the result of European
solidarity. We are now changing the internal adjustment with measures
of relief that do not slacken the effort nor adulterate targets but
help society withstand the shock of adjustment and maintain social
cohesion. Restructuring and recovery go and must go together," the prime
minister also underlined.

Samaras spoke, however, of social reactions: "The adjustment is causing
two kinds of reactions, those who are justifiably complaining because
they cannot stand the downgrading of their living standard due to the
crisis despite the fact they had made wise planning and we must back them,
and on the other hand those who had become complaisant in a parasitical
state and a state-fed economy. We shall clash with them because they do
not want anything to change while everything must change. All who are
reacting are not unjustified, some are suffering but also all who are
protesting are not justified".

Concluding, the prime minister underlined that "it is essential that we
change the tax system because it has collapsed in an orgy of tax evasion,
but after the haircut it would be a mistake for us to keep taxation
at the same height. We must reduce VAT in food services," adding that
in income tax we have already taken small steps for the low incomes,
while the target remains for a unified 15 percent tax rate for all
business activity."

[02] 'SYRIZA guarantees an orderly and safe exit from crisis,' Tsipras
tells Economist Conference

Speaking at the Economist Conference taking place in Athens on Tuesday,
main opposition SYRIZA-EKM leader Alexis Tsipras offered assurances that
his leftist party "guarantees an orderly and safe exit from the crisis,
guarantees that it will change Greece."

He underlined that his party was ready to undertake the historic
responsibility of governing the country, for which it was planning to
implement major, progressive structural reforms.

"We are certain that we will succeed," he added, outlining his party's
positions. He presented these as a strategic plan for exiting the crisis
but also a reply to the prime minister's address on Monday concerning
the outcome of negotiations with the EU-IMF troika.

Tsipras accused the prime minister of deliberately attempting to "dress
up" the currently grim reality and said that Samaras appeared to be
preparing for "either a heroic exit or elections".

"If it is the latter, we forgive him and encourage him to take the next
step - it will be good for both himself and the country," SYRIZA-EKM's
leader added.

Tsipras was also highly critical of Germany's policy in the EU and
expressed concern about the deepening north-south divide in Europe,
saying that the Eurozone was "balancing on a knife-edge" as a result of
Germany's actions. He accused German Chancellor Angela Merkel of using
the crisis as an opportunity to impose German economic hegemony via
Roman-style tactics of "divide and rule".

Noting the rise of a German party favouring the country's exit from the
euro, SYRIZA-EKM's leader predicted that similar parties will arise in
other countries, possibly even Greece, but stressed that SYRIZA-EKM was
not among them and remained firmly Europhile, despite constant attempts
to distort its positions.

"Our choice is not a return to the national currency, our choice is to
save Greece within the euro," he emphasised.

Outlining his party's priorities, Tsipras stressed the need for an
"immediate and radical change of course for the economy, a major political
change, immediate suspension of the memorandum and abolition of the
disastrous austerity policy." He also called for a renegotiation of
Greece's loan obligations and a "vision for reforms and escape forward".

A 'national salvation' government with SYRIZA-EKM as its core will
replace the failed austerity memorandums with a national plan for
restructuring production and economic growth, aiming to boost domestic
demand and reverse the recession through rapid-return public investments,
he said. He also repeated a promise to restore the minimum wage to the
same level as on December 31, 2011 and radically overhaul Greek politics.

Greece and the entire European south need a new plan for European public
investments, a new Marshall Plan, in order to recover and thus bring
about a recovery of the Eurozone's cohesion, he added.

Gov't spokesman returns main opposition barbs on economy

Up to a short while ago, Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA) leader Alexis
Tsipras "was promising to bring the minimum wage back to the levels of
year 2009," government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou said on Tuesday. "Now
he is saying he will bring it back to the  2011 level. We expect that
in two or three weeks he will bring it to its present level."

Kedikoglou was responding to criticism Tsipras levelled at Prime Minister
Antonis Samaras during his address at the Economic conference taking place
in Athens, charging him with "dressing up" the current grim reality and
preparing for "either a heroic exit or elections."

Responding to the main opposition leader, Kedikoglou said, "Once he
used to say he would abolish, tear up and negotiate the memorandum;
now he says he will just ask for its suspension. The only certain thing
Tsipras has suspended is common sense and responsibility."

[03] Task Force chief: Gov't has determination, backing of European
Commission

"The Greek government has the determination and ability to continue
on the path of reforms for growth and employment, and they see this in
Europe. The European Commission has the desire to support Greece on the
recovery path, as they see in Europe that the government's intentions
are serious," European Commission Task Force for Greece chief Horst
Reichenbach told an Economist conference on Tuesday.

Addressing the second-day of an Economist round-table on "Reforms
in Greece for restoration of growth, employment and competitiveness"
Reichenbach said in reply to a question that he is optimistic, following
his contacts with the Hellenic Association of Banks and with members
of the government on the recpitalisation of the banking system over the
coming months, but added that there is still remains to be seen whether
that decision will be attained.

On the restoration of liquidity, he said there is a hopeful prospect that
this will be achieved by 2015, adding that this hope is founded on the
4 billion euros annually t0 be forthcoming via the National Strategic
Reference Framework (NSRF), noting that 2 billion euro are available for
small and medium size enterprises (SMEs), although the recapitalisation
of the banks remains the 'key'. He also referred to the creation of a
financial tool so that capital exceeding 8 billion euro could be utilized
by the real economy.

Reichenbach further noted the importance of efforts being made at all
levels to simplify the licensing procedures, increase exports, improve
the taxation and businesses climate and liquidity.

The picture of a new, productive Greece is linked with merchant shipping
and taking advantage of the uniquenesses of the Greek land morphology,
Shipping and Aegean minister Costas Mousouroulis told the same conference,
focusing particularly on utilizing the elements of shipping and tourism
for the economy, while on the privatisations he said that everyone should
know their role and keep to it, to enable results to come out of their
collaboration.

He said growth with realism is needed, noting that with changes made
recently the registration of a vessel in the Greek Shipping Registry
now takes only 10 days and requires 9 signatures, where 7 1/2 months
had been needed before, and in a short while a vessel of any category
will be able to be registered under the Greek flag with "just one click".

As for the ports, he said "we need modern infrastructures, not so that
they will meet their own expenses but in order for investments to be
made", adding that a bill on marine tourism will soon be put to public
deliberation.

Deputy Development Minister Notis Mitarakis underlined the importance
of increasing the provision of technical support by the Task Force and,
commenting on the efficient operation of the sate on the course of
reforms, he said "it is not important for everyone to hang on to their
castle but that there is group effort".

He announced that in the coming weeks announcements will be made for
the public-private sector cooperation tender for a cruiseship port in
Attica prefecture.

[04] FinMin: National target a primary surplus in order to further reduce
state debt

Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras set out achievement of a primary
surplus this year as a "national target" in order to activate the
Eurogroup clause for a further reduction of the state debt, at a press
conference on Tuesday during which he itemized the 17-point agreement
reached with the European Commission (EC), European Central Bank (ECB)
and International Monetary Fund (IMF) troika of Greece's international
lenders.

Stournaras said that the agreement "sends out a message of optimism,
but the road is rugged until Greece returns to the markets."

"The government now anticipates the smooth disbursement of the tranches
(1.8 billion euro remaining from December and 6 billion euro in the
first quarter of 2013) and the 7.2 billion euro that have been approved
for the recapitalisation of the banks.

The troika's next review will be in June, when a reduction of VAT
on restaurant  services to the 13 percent bracket will be examined,
he said, while, according to the government's economic staff, if the
fiscal progress continue in the first quarter of the year, there will
be no fiscal shortfall for 2013 in June either. He said that the fiscal
shortfall for the period 2015-2016 is estimated at 2.5 euro and a better
execution of the 2013-2014 budget can more than make up for it.

The full text of the agreement with the troika will be made public in
approximately two weeks.

More specifically, the agreement foresees that the number of civil
servants will have been reduced by 160,000 (chiefly due to the ratio of
one hiring per five departures and the mandatory departures). The minister
believes that with the mandatory of 15,000 civil servants (4,000 this
year and 11,000 in 2014), there will be a very great benefit, chiefly
due to their replacement with an equal number of youth with degrees.

On the overdue debts to the Tax Bureau and social security funds(which
have been created up to December 31, 2012), the new arrangement provides
for their repayment in 48 installments, while all natural entities, in
agreement with the tax officer and depending on their financial abilities
(unemployed, etc). will be able to increase the number of installments.

For legal entities and the self-employed, the 48 installments will be
strictly held to, while those who had entered into an older arrangement
will not be able to make use of the new arrangement. But for legal
entities, there will be a reduction (for debts incurred up to 31 December
2012) of 50 percent of the increment.

For debts above 75,000 euro, an accountant's signature will be required,
while for debts above 300,000 euro collateral will be required.

The Finance Ministry anticipates revenues of more than one billion euro
from the new arrangement on the overdue debts.

Also being examined is increasing the minimum for instituting legal
proceedings from 5,000 euros to 10,000 euros. In the first 10 days of
April, the Finance Ministry paid out an additional 200 million euro in
outstanding state debts to the private sector, and a total of 600-700
million are expected to be paid out by the end of the month.

Stournaras further said that there will be an across-the-board reduction
of 15 percent in the new, single real estate tax that will replace the
extraordinary surtax on real estate (EETHDE). He added that there will
be no tax-free limit this year, while the possibility of a tax-free sum
will be considered for 2014, depending on the course of revenues.

He further said that the recapitalisation of the banks needs to be
completed by the end of April, while the 50 billion euro that have been
earmarked for this purpose were adequate. In the period April-July, the
four systemic banks could incorporate the smaller banks via buy-outs. To
date, there has been no interest in the Greek banks by foreign investors,
he said, adding "would that there was".

Stournaras noted that 20 billion euro in deposits have returned to Greek
banks since last June, adding that the role of the Secretariat General
for Revenues was being enhanced, as preventive audits by the financial
crimes squad (SDOE) were being transferred to the secretariat.

The Finance Minister also announced that the new taxation bill will be
unveiled in May.

According to the government's economic team, the priorities set out are
improvement of the tax administration, supporting growth and employment,
and creating a social protection network.

The other points of the agreement with the troika include efficiency
of expenditures, tax incentives for investments and Renewable Energy
Sources (RES), adequate liquidity for the market, boosting the Hellenic
Fiscal Stability Fund (HFSF), advancing structural changes (expansion
of the liberalisation of professions, retail trade, boosting exports),
and accelerating the procedures for the privatisations.

[05] Finmin briefs President Papoulias on agreement with troika

Greek Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras on Tuesday paid a visit to
President of the Republic Karolos Papoulias, in order to brief him on
the details of the programme negotiated by the Greek government and the
troika of Greece's lenders (the European Commission, European Central
Bank and the International Monetary Fund).

"We did the best we could, under the circumstances," the minister told
the president when asked about the outcome of the negotiations. "In
the Eurogroup they told me plainly: if you don't solve it, the money
is blocked. The prime minister took it upon himself and the issues
were resolved."

Replying to Papoulias' questions concerning the National Bank of Greece,
Stournaras said the government would wait and see whether the bank would
succeed in raising 10 percent of the recapitalisation money needed from
the market and that, otherwise, it will have to go to the Financial
Stability Fund.

In statements as he left the meeting, Stournaras told reporters that he
had briefed the president on the outcome of the talks with the EU-IMF
troika, when Greece might expect the disbursement of the next tranches
of bailout loans and the difficulties that arose during the course of
the talks.

He denied that there was any "issue" outstanding with Greek banks and
said he did not fear the prospect of more austerity measures when the
troika returned in June.

"No, I do not fear new measures. The troika's review, in any case,
expressly mentions that new measures aren't necessary, provided we do
the things we have promised to do," Stournaras stressed.

The minister appeared confident that the May tranche of bailout loans
will be disbursed as planned, repeating that the prime minister had
stepped in to save the day.

"There are, of course, the public sector prior actions that, I have to
say, gave us great difficulty. Right up to the last moment we failed to
find a compromise solution with the troika. At the Eurogroup I was given
a clear warning, I informed the prime minister and he did, in fact,
take it on himself and solved the issue, because it had put us in a
really difficult position," Stournaras explained.

He did not offer any details on how Samaras had resolved matters, however,
and in response to reporters' questions replied only: "You will see".

The minister was also asked whether a failure to dismiss 4,000
public-sector employees by June might be a thorn in the June negotiations
with the troika and clarified that the deadline for the 4,000 dismissals
was actually the end of the year, though a percentage will have to be
carried out sooner.

[06] PASOK leader Venizelos addresses joint meeting of parliamentary
group, political council

PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos, president of one of the two junior
parties supporting Greece's coalition government, on

Tuesday addressed a joint meeting of his PASOK's political council and
parliamentary group.

According to Venizelos, the completion of the negotiations with the
(EC-ECB-IMF) troika was a "positive event" which, however, "should have
taken place sooner".

Venizelos said that the goal of the negotiations was not met 100 percent
but two very important results were reached. Firstly, the troika had
acknowledged that the country and its society cannot withstand additional
fiscal measures and taxation and secondly, the partners' commitment for
an additional haircut of debt was rekindled, considering that "we are
close to achieving a primary budget surplus".

He also said that a strategic planning national committee will have to
be set up to address all political powers and the powers of real economy.

The leader of PASOK noted that the positive points of the agreement with
the troika should be utilized putting an emphasis on structural changes.

He criticized the leadership of main opposition Radical Left Coalition
(SYRIZA-EKM) by saying that "if they believe that the lessons received
in the past few weeks confirm that an alternative plan is possible,
then we do not live in the same world."

Venizelos pointed out that the Cyprus experience tested the "easy
theories" and stressed that "there is no plan B unless we are talking
about leaving the eurozone like the Communist party and (former SYRIZA
leader Alekos) Alavanos".

[07] PASOK leader meets with Council on Foreign Relations

PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos reviewed Greek, European and
international relations during a working breakfast he hosted for a
visiting delegation of the think-tank Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)
on Tuesday.

A PASOK announcement said that the topic of the "very interesting"
discussion with the CFR, headed by Ambassador Richard Haas, was
the political situation in Greece, the prospects of the governmental
collaboration, the crisis in the Eurozone, the Euro-Atlantic relations
as they are developing in the context of the current economic and fiscal
crisis, the role of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), a review of
NATO's and the IMF's role in relation to security and defence policy and
economic and monetary policy, respectively, and the wider framework of
Greek-American cooperation.

Venizelos expressed his abhorrence for Monday's "dramatic and provocative"
events in Boston and expressed the Greek people's sentiments of friendship
and support for the American people.

[08] Tsipras retables question on the operation of HRADF

Main opposition Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA) leader Alexis Tsipras on
Tuesday retabled a question in parliament addressed to the prime minister
charging that the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (HRADF)
operates in violation of the Constitution and the national legislation.

Tsipras characterized HRADF as the "vehicle for the implementation of
the extreme programme of selling off the state property" operating with
procedures that are not transparent.

He also noted that "the initial goal of creating the HRADF was the
collection of monies to pay off the state debt, which is now considered
not sustainable and will not become sustainable without a generous
haircut, regardless of the sell off of state assets".

Tsipras said "the appraisal of the state assets has no relation
whatsoever to the initial appraisals, since, according to the 2013-2016
denationalisations programme, it is just 9.6 billion euros, while the
initial programme of the first Memorandum anticipated the collection
of 50 billion euros, and before 2010 these assets were appraised at a
minimum of 285 billion euros".

He charged unprecedented circumvention referring to the HRADF board's
omission in making public, on the internet, its quarterly reports as
required by law, noting that the parliamentary parties have no access
to the minutes of the HRADF board's meetings.

[09] SYRIZA parliamentary spokesman Papadimoulis' interview on AMNA WebTV

Main opposition Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA-EKM) parliamentary
spokesman Dimitris Papadimoulis on Tuesday said that imminent layoffs
in the public sector will result in "a new Klafthmonos Square," though
possibly to a lesser extent  than a century ago, when civil servants
were fired on mass every time there was a change in government.

Klathmonos Square in downtown Athens took its name from the weeping
civil servants who had lost their jobs with the change in administration.

Speaking on AMNA WebTV, he stressed that "we have a government that says
it negotiates but, in the end, the troika does what it wants."

Papadimoulis strongly criticized Democratic Left (DIM.AR), a junior
partner in the coalition government, saying that it has become the
"deodorant of a tough neoliberal memorandum policy and has shifted
notably to the right".

He also predicted that elections will be held before the end of the
present government's four-year term, adding that SYRIZA will seek
political and social alliances, even if it wins enough votes in the next
elections to form a majority government.

[10] Council on Foreign Relations members visit SYRIZA in Parliament

Main opposition Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA) leader Alexis Tsipras and
a party delegation met with the visiting delegation of the New York-based
Council on Foreign Relations on Tuesday.

A party press announcement said that the visiting think-tank delegation
met with the main opposition party in the Parliament building, where
Tsipras described elements and facets of the

Greek and European crisis and the party's alternative proposals to
exiting the crisis and the visitors had the opportunity to have their
queries answered.

[11] Greek PM sends telegram of condolence to Obama after Boston bombings

Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras on Tuesday sent a telegram to
U.S. President Barack Obama, expressing the condolences of the Greek
government and the Greek people for the deaths caused by twin bomb blasts
during the annual marathon organised in Boston.

"It is with great sorrow that I was informed about the bomb attacks on
Boston's Marathon, which resulted in the loss of human lives and many
injuries. Such heinous actions, whose targets are innocent citizens,
are absolutely condemnable.

"On behalf of the Greek government and the Greek citizens, who have
suffered similar cowardly acts of violence, I want to extend by deepest,
heartfelt condolences to the American people and my sincere sympathy to
the families of the victims," the Greek premier's message said.

[12] FM expresses abhorrence over Boston Marathon attack

Foreign Minister Dimitris Avramopoulos on Tuesday expressed the Greek
government's absolute abhorrence of the 'barbarous attack" at the Boston
Marathon, in a statement from London, where he will attend former British
prime minister Margaret Thatcher's funeral.

"The Greek government expresses its absolute condemnation and abhorrence
of the barbarous attack on the Boston Marathon," Avramopoulos said.

"It is an attack against all of us. Against the symbolism of the Marathon
and the values it represents. In these difficult hours, our thoughts are
with the injured and the families of the victims. Greece stands at your
side," he added.

[13] PASOK on the Boston Marathon bomb attack

PASOK, a junior partner in the coalition government, on Tuesday expressed
"self-evident indignation" for Monday's bloody and provocative events"
in Boston, pointing out that "indiscriminate acts of violence, like
those in Boston, during an international celebration of sports and peace,
target all free democratic societies."

PASOK offered "condolences, honest friendship and support to the American
people who are being tested once again".

[14] SYRIZA-EKM expresses 'abhorrence' for Boston bombings

Main opposition Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA-EKM) party on Tuesday
expressed its abhorrence for the bomb attacks in Boston.

A party statement also expressed unreserved solidarity with the families
of the innocent victims.

[15] KKE condemns the Boston bomb attacks

Opposition Communist Party of Greece (KKE) on Tuesday condemned the bomb
attacks in Boston, which killed three people and injured dozens.

KKE expressed solidarity with the victims' families, underlining that
it is important to find out who is behind the attacks.

[16] KKE congratulates new Venezuelan president on election

The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) on Tuesday congratulated the new
Venezuelan President Nicol?s Maduro on his election, in a message from
KKE's central committee to the Communist Party of Venezuela.

The KKE "will always stand by the side of the Communist Party of Venezuela
and the people of Venezuela against all imperialist intervention and
threat," the message stressed.

The Communist Party also sent a message to Venezuelan ambassador in
Athens, expressing congratulations for Maduro's election. The KKE
said that it "condemns the efforts of the Venezuelan 'opposition' and
American imperialism to dispute and annul the people's will, as this was
expressed in the presidential elections for the second time in a short
period of time."

[17] KKE elects members of Political Bureau

The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Central Committee elected on Tuesday
its 11 member Political Bureau.

The members elected are:

Dimitris Koutsoumbas, secretary general of KKE, already elected in the
first session of the Central Committee.

Costas Avramopoulos, Dimitris Arvanitakis, Dimitris Gontikas, Tilemachos
Dimoulas, Theodossis Constantinidis, Giorgos Marinos, Eleni Bellou,
Costas Paraskevas, Louisa Razou and Nikos Sofianos.

Moreover, the party's central financial committee elected Chryssa
Kakoulidou as president.

[18] Deputy FM meets CFR delegation in Athens

Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Dimitris Kourkoulas on Tuesday met with
a delegation from the U.S.-based Council on Foreign Relations (CFR)
Think Tank, which is considered to have a powerful influence in shaping
U.S. foreign policy.

The meeting focused on developments in the European Union and the
Eurozone, Greece's upcoming EU presidency in 2014 and its priorities,
illegal migration, EU-U.S. relations and the possibility of a free trade
agreement between them, the Arab

Spring and developments relating to Cyprus and Turkey.

The head of the 15-member delegation was CFR President Richard Haass,
a former director of policy planning in the U.S. State Department and
a close advisor to former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell. Among
the think tank's 4,700 members are former U.S. government officials,
including former defense secretary Chuck Hagel, Powell and his predecessor
Madeleine Albright, academics and senior business executives.

The CFR organises meetings, carries out research and publishes analyses,
as well as the magazine Foreign Affairs dealing with U.S. foreign policy
and international affairs.

A CFR delegation met with Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras on Monday to
discuss the state of the Greek economy and investment prospects in Greece.

[19] Defence Minister Panagiotopoulos met with Israeli ambassador

The ministries of defence in Greece and Israel will continue forging
closer cooperation following specific steps, Defence Minister Panos
Panagiotopoulos and Israeli Ambassador to Athens Arye Mekel commented
after meeting at the ministry of defence on Tuesday.

The Israeli ambassador said that "Greek-Israeli relations have strong
foundations and do not depend on developments in the Middle East or on
Israel's relations with any other country in the region," adding that
bilateral cooperation is very strong "to be exact, it has reached an
unparalleled level and will continue in several sectors, such as defence,
energy, tourism and business."

Issues concerning the greater southeast Mediterranean region were also
examined.

Defence Minister Panagiotopoulos has extended an invitation to his
Israeli counterpart Moshe Yaalon to visit Greece and arrangements are
being made via diplomatic channels.

[20] Turkish fighter planes fly over Greek island, defence ministry
reports

After a hiatus of 14 months, Turkish fighter planes on Tuesday flew
over a Greek island, the Greek armed forces general staff announced. A
formation of four Turkish fighter planes, made up of two F-4s and two
F-16s, entered the Athens Flight Information Region (FIR) between the
Aegean islands of Samos and Chios at 10:53 a.m. and flew over the islet
Anthropofagi in the Fournes island complex at 11:06 a.m. at a height of
1,000 and 3,000 feet, respectively.

The formation exited the Athens FIR at 11:11 a.m. and, in each case,
the Turkish aircraft were intercepted and identified.

The last occasion when Turkish fighter jets flew over a Greek island
was on February 15, 2012 when two planes had flown over the southeast
section of Lesvos at 2,700 feet.

A Turkish T-38 training aircraft had flown over the island of Agathonissi
at 15,000 feet on November 14, 2012.

[21] Former PM Papandreou responds to investigation committee summons
with memorandum

Former prime minister George Papandreou responded to a summons by the
preliminary investigative committee of Parliament on the Lagarde list by
resubmitting on Tuesday the same four-page memorandum he had originally
submitted, following a telephone communication with the committee's
chair Christos Markogiannakis.

"This memorandum, which you have access to, contains in full and clearly
all information I have to present before the committee in terms of the
case under investigation," Papandreou said in a letter to the committee
members.

In the memorandum, he said he had never been briefed on the contents of
the so-called Lagarde list of large depositors abroad who may be liable
for tax evasion.

Meanwhile, a proposal by main opposition SYRIZA to reissue a subpoena
to Papandreou did not make majority vote.

[22] Archbishop Demetrios attends Obama's Faith Advisory Council session
in DC

NEW YORK (ANA-MPA/ P. Panagiotou)

Archbishop Demetrios of the Greek Orthodox Church of American took part
in a two-day meeting of President Barack Obama's faith advisory council
at the White House.

Archbishop Demetrios is one of the 15 religious and secular leaders
appointed by Obama to his Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood
Partnerships.

"On April 9-10, Archbishop Demetrios participated in the meetings of The
President's Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships
to which he had been appointed by President Barack Obama. The Archbishop
is one of the 15 members of this Council, ?a Greek Orthodox Archdiocese
statement said.

"The two-day meetings took place at the Eisenhower Executive Building
of the White House in Washington, D.C. The purpose was to submit the
Council's Final Report of Recommendations to the President concerning
the building of partnerships between the government and faith-based and
neighborhood organizations to eradicate modern-day slavery. Comprised by
leaders from diverse religious and non-profit backgrounds, the task of
the Council was to produce, in the course of several months, a report
which addressed issues of human trafficking at home and abroad, that
is, the exploitation of children, women and men for compelled labor
or sexual exploitation through the use of force, fraud or coercion,"
the announcement said.

The Council worked in close cooperation with Joshua DuBois, Special
Assistant to the President and Executive Director of the Office of Faith-
Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and his successor in the same Office
Melissa Rogers.

"The report contains 10 recommendations which, in partnership with the
government, will help to combat and eventually eradicate modern-day
slavery and bring healing and dignity in the life of those who have been
victimized by it. Among the recommendations are the raising of public
awareness to the problem, the appropriate education of the public, the
sharing of information, the increasing support from the public, and the
collaboration with federal agencies and organizations to combat human
trafficking," the announcement continued, adding that President Obama
met privately with the Council members in the West Wing, and thanked
them for their dedication and input in the preparation of the report
and its recommendations.

Commenting on the work of the Council, Archbishop Demetrios said: "It has
been a great honor indeed to be appointed by President Barack Obama to a
Council of such importance, comprised of outstanding religious and civic
leaders. The task has been awesome because we had to deal with the tragic
condition of slavery in our own times, of human trafficking ruthlessly
involving millions of innocent people. Now is the moment of decisive
action to eliminate slavery from the face of the earth. Once and for all!"

The final report was officially presented to the representative
of the government, Cecilia Mu?oz, Director of the Domestic
Policy Council, for further utilization and incorporation in
the policies of the US Administration, and it is available at:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/docs/advisory_council_humantrafficking_report.pdf

Financial News

[23] Greek authorities determined to move forward with privatizations

The Greek government and the Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund are
determined to move forward -with a sense of urgency without succumbing
to petty-politics interests- with the implementation of a privatization
programe, Stelios Stavridis, the Fund's president said on Tuesday.

Addressing an Economist conference in Athens, Stavridis said it was
a big mistake to link privatizations with the fiscal and not with the
development leg of the country's economic programe. "Privatizations mean
growth, new job positions, creating wealth and revenue for the state. A
flattening of wages and incomes and a barbarous taxation are the results
of three years of unwillingness and inability to move forward with
privatizations. All those saying 'No' to privatizations, essentially say
'Yes' to cuts, taxes and deeper recession," Stavridis added.

Commenting on the privatization of OPAP, he said that binding bids to
buy a 33 pct stake in the organization will be submitted on Wednesday
and that the results of an evaluation process will be announced early
next week. He said that more news in the privatization of DEPA and DESFA
were expected by the end of the month.

"The price for buying DEPA-DESFA must be combined with European
rules. Everyone involved in a tender to sell the group should know that
they should accept EU's rules," Environment, Energy and Climatic Change
Deputy Minister M. Papageorgiou said on Tuesday.

Addressing the Economist conference in Athens, the Greek minister noted
that EU authorities will clear their stance during the last stage of
the privatization process. Final bids in the tender were expected to be
submitted in April 29.

Meanwhile, DEPA was in talks for the supply of natural gas from the
Shah Deniz gas field in Azerbaijan. DEPA's chairman and chief executive
Chr. Sahinis, addressing the conference said the aim was to boost
competition and achieving the best prices for DEPA's customers.

Constantinos Frouzis, president of the Association of Pharmaceutical
Enterprises of Greece, addressing the conference said that the state
failed to achieve its goals in offering unlimited access of sick people
to medicine, sustainability of business activity in the sector and a
further rationalization of pharmaceutical spending. Frouzis said the
pharmaceutical industry sector was one of the most important in leverage
and growth that could lead to a higher GDP over the next years, although
he noted a lack in the implementation of laws. Frouzis said that wrong
prices in pharmaceutical products were not easily corrected over time
adding huge problems to sick people and the economy. He noted there
was a small war by the state against pharmaceutical innovations and
research. "For the past 2.5 years we don't have the right to distribute
our innovative medicines to Greeks, who were considered as second class
citizens compared with other Europeans," he said.

Nasos Zarkalis, president and chief executive of Wind Hellas said the
company resisted the crisis by restructuring its debt twice over the past
few years, while the company was sold to a group of international funds
fully clear from borrowing. "We made two voluntary retirement plans,
we cut our operating costs by 140 million euros, invested 200 million
euros and currently we enjoy a very significant cash flow," Zarkalis said.

Jerome Loubere, chief executive of Marinopoulos SA, acknowledged that
changes made in the past 12 months surpassed those made in the previous 12
years and called for abolishing existing limitations in the distribution
of certain goods to boost competition and lower retail prices in the
domestic market.

Constantinos Antonopoulos, chief executive of Intralot, addressing
the conference said the group had two roads to follow in its effort to
grow. The first, attracting investments in the domestic market and the
second, through exports, although he noted "we need to attract strategic
investors and not short-term investments".

[24] Alt. Finance Minister reports encouraging rise in tax revenues
in April

Figures for April show encouraging signs of a recovery in tax revenues,
Alternate Finance Minister Christos Staikouras told Parliament's Economic
Affairs Committee on Tuesday.

The minister particularly highlighted a 50 percent rise in revenues from
Special Consumption Tax and VAT on tobacco products in the first 10 days
of April, as compared with the same period in 2012, which he said showed
signs of becoming entrenched.

Presenting figures concerning the execution of the state budget in the
first quarter of 2013, Staikouras said that revenues from a special
consumption tax on fuel products had also increased by 55 million euros
or 5.1 percent, while there were categories of revenue where targets
had been exceeded.

These included a 1.5 percent rise in income tax revenue (31 million
euros), a 16.6 percent rise in property tax revenue (101 million euros)
and an increase in the payment of indirect taxes from previous years
by 75.8 percent (99 million euros), chiefly as the result of payment of
overdue VAT.

"We are closely monitoring this encouraging development, which offers a
significant safety 'pillow' since revenues from indirect taxes to date
have been below targets," the minister said.

[25] Greek inflation lowest in the EU in March

BRUSSELS (ANA-MPA/V.Demiris)

Greece recorded a negative inflation in March, with the consumer price
index falling to -0.2 pct from 0.1 pct in February, Eurostat said on
Tuesday. The EU executive's statistics service, in a report published
here, said that the average inflation rate in the Eurozone eased to 1.7
pct in March from 1.8 pct in February, while in the EU-27 the average
inflation rate eased to 1.9 pct from 2.0 pct over the same periods,
respectively.

Greece (-0.2 pct), Latvia (0.3 pct) and Sweden (0.5 pct) recorded the
lowest inflation rates, while Romania (4.4 pct), Estonia (3.8 pct)
and Holland (3.2 pct) the highest rates.

[26] Greek banks cut funding from ECB, ELA in March

Greek banks further cut their dependence from European monetary
authorities in March, the Bank of Greece said on Tuesday.

In a report, the central bank said that Greek banks cut their dependence
in funding from the European Central Bank and the Emergency Liquidity
Assistance mechanism by around 4.0 billion euros in March compared with
February. Greek banks' funding from ECB and ELA fell to 91.95 billion
euros in March from 96.3 billion euros in the previous month. Funding
from ECB fell to 70.73 billion euros in March, from 75.2 billion in
February, while funding from ELA remained almost unchanged at 21.22
billion euros. This positive development reflected mainly a continuing
fall in lending and a return of deposits to Greek banks. Finance Alternate
Minister Christos Staikouras said that Greek banks have recorded a return
of deposits of up to 20 billion euros in the period from July to March.

[27] Alpha Bank says share capital increase plan "key" for the country's
banking system

Alpha Bank's chairman Yiannis Kostopoulos on Tuesday invited all
shareholders to participate in a forthcoming share capital increase plan
of the bank, as part of its recapitalization.

Addressing an extraordinary general shareholders' meeting, Costopoulos
said the success of the share capital increase plan was a "key" not only
for the bank but for the country's banking system in general.

Alpha Bank's board will convene soon to determine the terms of the
share capital increase scheme, which is expected to be launched in
May. The bank's officials expresss their confidence that Alpha Bank will
successfully cover a 10 pct of private participation needed in the scheme.

[28] Alpha Bank's shareholders approve share capital increase plan

Alpha Bank's shareholders on Tuesday approved a board plan for a
share capital increase scheme as part of the bank's recapitalization
process. An extraordinary general shareholders' meeting approved the
board plan which aims to cover 10 pct of the bank's recapitalization
needs from private shareholders.

Alpha Bank officials said the bank was progressing rapidly with a full
operational unification with Emporiki Bank, with the aim to have completed
the project before the end of the year. The bank is currently designing
new joint products to be offered by the two banks' networks even before
their full unification.

[29] PPC to raise electricity rates from May 1

The Public Power Corporation will raise its electricity rates from
May 1st and proceed with a full liberalization of prices from July 1st,
Environment, Energy and Climate Change Deputy Minister Makis Papageorgiou
said on Tuesday.

Addressing an Economist conference in Athens, the minister said that
the introduction of a community directive calling for a liberalization
of PPC rates from July 1 meant that electricity rates must be relative
to production costs. "The first steps towards adjustment of electricity
rates have been made in January 1 and the next step is scheduled for May
1. Rates are not expected to rise significantly, but rather slightly since
we have achieved a smooth transition in the liberalization of prices. PPC,
in any case, but take into account the opinion of the market's watchdog,"
Papageorgiou said.

Commenting on hydrocarbon research currently underway, the Greek minister
said: "We are assessing findings of seismic research to have a first
image of domestic fields and to proceed with the next steps towards
large scale exploitation".

He underlined that Greece must expand its role in the energy market,
taking advantage of its strategic geographic position as a cross-road
linking East with West.

[30] Car loading dock at Piraeus port ready by September

The car terminal loading dock at the G2 Neo Ikonio area of the main Greek
port of Piraeus will be fully operational by September of this year,
according to authorities on Tuesday.

The announcement was made after a conference at the Port Authority of
Piraeus (OLP) main offices between the managing directors of OLP, Giorgos
Anomeritis, and ErgOSE, the large projects subsidiary of Hellenic Railways
(TrainOSE), Kostas Spiliopoulos.

Pending work on the container and car terminals will be completed by
end-June, the officials said.

Talks among TrainOSE, OLP, and shipping and logistics companies have
continued ahead of the expected completion of the car terminal area
by September. The cargo rail line linking the Thriasio valley (which
includes the refineries towns of Elefsis and Aspropyrgos) with the
facilities of Chinese-owned container company Cosco in Neo Ikonio,
17 km long, was completed in February. An extension will be added to OLP.

The railway will convey goods and cars between OLP, through the Cosco
container terminal, on to Thriasio, helping move merchandise and
cars faster from Piraeus on to markets in the Balkans and Europe, and
facilitate trade with Asia as well.

Cars handled through the Piraeus port reached close to half a million cars
in 2012 (458,755), of which 403,970 were conveyed through OLP to other
ports in the Mediterranean, while 54,785 were imported to Greece. OLP
said the figures show an overall increase of 9.8 pct over 2011. The
number of cars sent through Piraeus to other Mediterranean ports went
up by 22.8 pct in 2012, while domestic imports dropped by 38.2 pct.

In March, Greece's state-owned TrainOSE signed a major agreement with
Cosco and Hewlett-Packard to use the facilities in the distribution of
the American electronic giant's products to European, African and Middle
Eastern markets.

[31] Greek stocks continue moving lower

Greek stocks continued moving lower in the Athens Stock Exchange on
Tuesday, reflecting losses in bank shares and other blue chip stocks,
such as Coca Cola Hellenic. The composite index of the market fell 1.28
pct to end at 913.62 points, off the day's lows of 902.69 points. Turnover
remained a disappointing low 50.592 million euros.

The Big Cap index fell 1.67 pct and the Mid Cap index rose 2.08 pct. The
Technology (5.37 pct), Financial Services (4.75 pct) and Raw Materials
(4.67 pct) sectors scored gains, while Banks (6.06 pct), Food (5.23 pct)
and Personal Products (2.05 pct) suffered the heaviest percentage losses
of the day. MIG (7.87 pct), Mytilineos (4.65 pct) and Terna Energy (3.75
pct) were top gainers among blue chip stocks, while Eurobank (15.22 pct),
Alpha Bank (8.70 pct) and National Bank (7.85 pct) were top losers.

Broadly, advancers led decliners by 76 to 61 with another 22 issues
unchanged. Intertek (21.77 pct), Nutriart (19.75 pct) and PC Systems
(19.51 pct) were top gainers, while G.E.Demetriou (23.08 pct), Alsinco
(17.65 pct) and Eurobank (15.22 pct) were top losers.

Sector indices ended as follows:

Industrials: +0.91%

Commercial: -1.38%

Construction: -0.65%

Oil & Gas: +0.30%

Personal & Household: -2.05%

Raw Materials: +4.67%

Travel & Leisure: -0.87%

Technology: +5.37%

Telecoms: -0.35%

Banks: -6.06%

Food & Beverages: -5.23%

Health: +2.99%

Utilities: +1.50%

Financial Services: +4.75%

The stocks with the highest turnover were HBC Coca Cola, OTE, National
Bank, OPAP and PPC.

Selected shares from the FTSE/ASE-20 index closed in euros as follows:

Alpha Bank: 0.74

Public Power Corp (PPC): 6.60

HBC Coca Cola: 18.80

Hellenic Petroleum: 8.13

National Bank of Greece: 0.49

EFG Eurobank Ergasias: 0.23

OPAP: 6.99

OTE: 5.66

Bank of Piraeus: 0.18

Titan: 14.46

[32] Greek bond market closing report

The yield spread between the 10-year Greek and German benchmark bonds
widened to 10.13 pct in the domestic electronic secondary bond market
on Tuesday, from 9.87 pct on Monday, with the Greek bond yielding 11.39
pct and the German Bund 1.26 pct. There was no turnover in the market.

In interbank markets, interest rates were largely unchanged. The 12-month
rate was 0.53 pct, the nine-month rate was 0.43 pct, the six-month rate
was 0.33 pct, the three-month rate was 0.21 pct and the one-month rate
was 0.12 pct.

[33] ADEX closing report

The June contract on the FTSE Large Cap index was trading at a premium
of 1.32 pct in the Athens Derivatives Exchange on Tuesday, with turnover
shrinking to 11.694 million euros.

Volume on the Big Cap index totaled 5,077 contracts worth 7.544 million
euros, with 31,177 open positions in the market. Volume in futures
contracts on equities totaled 24,743 contracts worth 4.150 million euros,
with investment interest focusing on National Bank's contracts (7,434),
followed by Alpha Bank (3,550), Piraeus Bak (1,596), Eurobank (897),
OTE (1,321), PPC (5,654), Intralot (828), Ellaktor (628), GEK (475),
MIG (394), Mytilineos (376) and Jumbo (103).

[34] Foreign Exchange rates - Wednesday

Reference buying rates per euro released by the European Central Bank:

U.S. dollar 1.332

Pound sterling  0.869

Danish kroner  7.567

Swedish kroner  8.508

Japanese yen  130.3

Swiss franc  1.234

Norwegian kroner  7.634

Canadian dollar  1.361

Australian dollar  1.284

General News

[35] 111 tons of horsemeat entered Greece in 2011-2012, document submitted
to parliament says

A total of 111 tons of horsemeat entered Greece in the years 2011 and
2012, according to figures from the independent Hellenic Statistical
Authority (ELSTAT) cited in a document submitted to parliament on
Tuesday by alternate Agricultural Development and Foods minister Maximos
Harakopoulos.

According to the document, 37 tons of horsemeat entered Greece in 2011,
of which 35 tons from Romania and 2 tons from Spain, while in 2012 the
quantity of horsemeat entering Greece rose to 74.2 tons, of which 24
tons from Spain, 15.9 tons from Romania and 34.3 tons from Bulgaria.

The data was forwarded to parliament following MPs' questions on food
checks, and Harakopoulos notes in the document that the first official
results of lab analyses for traces of horse DNA in food samples carried
out with the method Real Time-PRC (Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction),
adding that of the approximately 200 food samples sent for testing,
12 were found to be positive for horse DNA.

He said all the measures provided by law were taken for the specific
shipments from which the positive samples came, and the relevant
sanctions will be imposed by the relevant services while, given the
breadth of the problem at European level and the fake addresses that
the supplier companies had declared, prosecution and police assistance
(from the European countries) has been requested for the prosecution of
the individuals responsible for these companies, and for inspections of
these enterprises

Harakopoulos noted that the veterinary services of the country have
been instructed to conduct inspections not only on beef but also on all
foods containing beef (minced meat, meat by-products, prepared foods
containing meat).

[36] Tourism minister meets famous British actor Stephen Fry

Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni met on Tuesday with
internationally-known British actor Stephen Fry and accompanied him on
his tour of the Acropolis Museum.

Fry, who is on holiday in Greece until the end of the week, was briefed
during his tour on the history and culture of ancient Greece by the
Museum's director Dimitris Pantermalis.

Speaking after his tour, the tourism minister said "I am very pleased
that the famous actor Stephen Fry came to Greece. The messages coming
from abroad for tourism are optimistic. But we will not rest; a great
deal of work remains to be done. Fry loves Greece and is a real friend of
the country. Through Twitter, he reproduces the message that Greece is a
safe and hospitable country. And this is very important for our country,
at this crucial period".

On his part, Fry said among other things that British tourists love Greece
and look on it as an ideal, safe destination for holidays. World culture
owes a great deal to Greece and we must never forget this, he stressed.

[37] Papoulias visits Juvenile Prison Facility

President of the Republic Karolos Papoulias accompanied by Justice
Minister Antonis Roupakiotis, on Tuesday paid a surprise visit to
the Juvenile Incarceration Facility at Avlona Prison, at Roupakiotis'
invitation.

At Papoulias' request the visit took place without the presence of media
or TV crews.

The visit was initially scheduled to take place a couple of weeks ago
but was postponed due to the recent events in Cyprus.

During his visit, Papoulias visited the dormitories of the juvenile
inmates and spoke with many pf them. Later he was briefed by the facility
chief and the teachers on the operation of the high school in the prison,
toured the classrooms and observed the education programme for the
juvenile inmates.

[38] Prime Minister Samaras, Piraeus' chamber president, offer condolences
for the death of George Kassimatis

Former president of the Central Union of Chambers of Greece George
Kassimatis passed away early Tuesday at the age of 62, after a long
struggle with cancer.

Kassimatis, also a former president of Piraeus Chamber of Commerce and
Industry, will be buried at the Keratsini Cemetery on Wednesday, while
the memorial service will be held earlier at the Holy Trinity church
in Piraeus.

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, in a message, expressed deep grief saying
that the deceased was a creative man with proven social sensitivities and
long contribution to the upgrading of the chamber institution dedicated
to the efforts aimed at boosting entrepreneurship and the country's
economic growth.

The prime minister added that Kassimatis was a friend who honored the
party of New Democracy with his presence and ideas. "He was a great Greek
who had won everybody's respect. I extend my heartfelt condolences to
his family," the prime minister's statement concluded.

Professional Chamber of Piraeus President Giorgos Benetos noted that
the deceased was "our teacher and companion in the trade unionist
actions. An honest man with great courage and an endless desire for
genuine contribution."

[39] 42 pct of Greeks are overweight or obese

Overweight and obese individuals account for 42 percent rate of the
Greek population, according to the Greek Endocrinological Society,
while the average for the rest of Europe does not exceed 38 percent.

According to the Society's president, Giorgos Mastorakos, Greek children
are the most overweight in Europe - about 3 in 10 teenage boys and 1 in
6 teenage girls are overweight, rates that have been increasing sharply
in recent years.

Obesity will be one of the main issues at the Society's 40th Panhellenic
conference of the Society and the Panhellenic Union of Endocrinologists
starting in Athens on Wednesday.

Professor Mastorakos stressed that, according to the World Health
Organisation, a Body Mass Index of over 30 is considered obese. The BMI
results from dividing body weight in kilos by height in metres squared
- for example, a person weighing 82 kilos and 1.74 metres tall would
have a BMI of 27 (82:1.74:1.74). If the BMI is between 25 and 29.9,
the person is considered overweight.

[40] Fire breaks out at Ierissos police station

A fire broke out at dawn Tuesday in the building that up to recently
housed the Ierissos police station in Halkidiki.

The fire, which broke out due to reasons as yet unknown, was extinguished
by firefighters who rushed to the spot.

The operation of the police station was suspended by order of police
headquarters due to serious damage caused to the building Wednesday last
week by residents of Ierissos village after two of their fellow-residents
were arrested by police for involvement in the February arson attack
against a Hellenic Gold mining facility in nearby Skouries.

Police had announced at the time that the damage to the interior of the
police station as well as its equipment and furnishings was extensive,
and the remaining equipment and the staff were being moved to the police
station in Polygyros, which has taken over the policing of Ierissos.

[41] Prisoner who escaped from hospital in Thessaloniki apprehended

A 32-year-old prisoner taken to Thessaloniki's Ippokration Hospital to
undergo medical tests who managed to escape on Monday afternoon was fiound
and apprehended at 2.50 a.m. in the Ampelokipi district of Thessaloniki.

The 32-year-old Greek national of Georgian descent managed to escape
in a taxi after slipping past his guards in the waiting room of the
hospital's out-patient clinic. In slippers and with bandages on one leg,
he left via the hospital's main exit and hailed a taxi, asking the driver
to head west.

The taxi driver's suspicions were aroused, however, and after letting
the 32-year-old off at the location requested, he immediately informed
the police. Thessaloniki police authorities had launched a manhunt to
locate the fugitive and take him back into custody.

The 32-year-old had been arrested a few days earlier for an outstanding
conviction and eight-year prison sentence for theft and was being held
at the Evosmos police lock-up.

[42] Contraband cigarettes shipment seized on Crete

Police on the south Aegean island of Crete seized 100,000 packs of
contraband cigarettes under the brand name Royal Sarajevo which, according
to information, were packaged in Kosovo, it was announced on Tuesday.

The contraband cigarettes were found buried under a pile of stones
outside a private business in the region of Elos, in Hania prefecture,
by the owner who notified the police.

Most likely, the illegal shipment arrived on Crete by sea and the
smugglers for unknown reasons decided to hide it.

A police investigation is underway to trace the culprits and determine
the shipment's destination.

[43] Noted Greek painters' works to be auctioned at Sotheby's

Five works of noted Greek painters, Constantinos Volanakis, Nikos
Hatzikiriakos-Ghika and Nikolaos Gyzis are included in Sotheby's European
works of 19th century auction that will be held on May 23 in London.

Hatzikiriakos-Ghikas' paintings "Nocturnal Hydra" and "Night outside
a Church" have the highest estimated value between 35,200-59,000 euros
among the works of the Greek painters.

Weather forecast

[44] Cloudy on Wednesday

Cloudy weather and northerly winds are forecast in most parts of the
country on Wednesday. Winds 3-8 beaufort. Temperatures between 5C and
21C. Slightly cloudy in Athens with northerly 3-7 beaufort winds and
temperatures between 10C and 20C. Same in Thessaloniki with temperatures
between 7C and 20C.

[45] The Tuesday edition of Athens' dailies

AVGHI: "Prime Minister Antonis Samaras' psychedelic message".

DIMOKRATIA: "Raid on illegal buildings and parcel plots'.

EFIMERIDA TON SYNTAKTON: "The total subjugation".

ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "Al Qaida double terror in USA".

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "Arrangement with bonus for thousands of borrowers".

ELLADA AVRIO: "Samaras' exercises of optimism".

ESTIA: "SYRIZA threatens with mobilisations".

ETHNOS: "Marathon of terror in Boston".

IMERISSIA: "Towards change of page - Agreement/breather for the economy".

KATHIMERINI: "Lethal explosions in Boston".

LOGOS: "One goes, one comes in public sector".

NAFTEMPORIKI: "IMF: Greece can't withstand more taxes and cutbacks".

NIKI: "The final package for illegal buildings'.

RIZOSPASTIS: "Forward with enthusiasm and spirit of struggle".

TA NEA: "Terror returns to USA".

VRADYNI: "The sacrifices now bearing fruit".

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