[ana-dist] Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 13-04-18

[HR-Net News Distribution Manager]

Thursday,  18  April  2013          Issue No: 4338

CONTENTS
[01] PM Samaras helps save 1,000 jobs at Elefsina shipyards
[02] DM presents draft agreement on Elefsina Shipyards
[03] Prime Minister Samaras receives Mount Athos Holy Exarchate
      representatives
[04] PASOK-ND delegations discuss action against unemployment
[05] ND accuses SYRIZA of sending out conflicting messages on memorandum
      laws
[06] PASOK party criticises SYRIZA leadership over memorandum
[07] SYRIZA denounces 'systematic effort to distort its views'
[08] DIM.AR asks FinMin to reactivate working group for single property
      tax
[09] Independent Greeks leader meets breakaway MPs from LAOS party
[10] KKE: Samaras-Tsipras confrontation hides those truly responsible
[11] Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee delegation in Germany
[12] Justice ministry sg visits President Papoulias
[13] Parliament passes bill on reestablishment of merchant marine ministry
[14] Civil servants' umbrella federation ADEDY accuses government of
      "social state demolition"
[15] Opinion poll: SYRIZA marginal lead over ND, Samaras most suitable
      for PM
[16] PASOK spokesperson on the "Lagarde list" investigation
[17] Democratic Left calls for urgent closure of unofficial dumps
[18] ND new press officer
[19] Tenth anniversary of Treaty of Athens signature for accession of
      10 new member states to EU
[20] 10 years since the signature of the Treaty of Athens
[21] First 'corruption prosecutors' appointed
[22] Decision on deportation of Syrians suspended
[23] Statement by British Ambassador Kittmer on Thatcher
[24] Student elections continuing, minor incident at NTUA
[25] ONNED comment on student elections
[26] Two bids in tender to sell 33 pct of OPAP
[27] No decision by Cosco on acquiring OLP's majority package
[28] Troika proposing commercial businesses to operate 10 Sundays a year
[29] Agricultural Development minister holds meeting with Greenpeace
      delegation
[30] Greek stocks end 1.10 pct higher
[31] ADEX closing report
[32] Foreign Exchange rates - Thursday
[33] Journalist Mirella Georgiadou dies aged 87
[34] More than 20 foreign workers wounded by shots in Nea Manolada
[35] Panel discussion on the role and responsibility of the media in
      the economic crisis
[36] Scarecrows become exhibits
[37] Manhunt on for escaped inmate from Kassandra Farm Prison
[38] Two patients airlifted to Venice, Geneva, by Airforce plane
[39] Byzantine and Christian museum to acquire shop
[40] One killed, two injured in drive-by shooting in Patras
[41] Woman injured by armed robbers in Katerini
[42] Public sector work stoppage on Wednesday
[43] The Wednesday edition of Athens' dailies at a glance
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Politics

[01] PM Samaras helps save 1,000 jobs at Elefsina shipyards

An initiative to save 1,000 jobs in the Elefsina shipyards has been
undertaken by Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, as it was announced on
Wednesday during a meeting between the Government Secretary General
Takis Baltakos and employees representatives.

An amendment, that was passed in Parliament on Wednesday, allows the
continued operation of the shipyards, with workers giving assurances that
efforts will be made by all to make the shipyards a growth driver in the
country. At the same time, they thanked the premier for his initiative
that allowed a solution to a chronic problem.

Baltakos wished, for symbolic reasons as he said, that the first of
three missile boats being built at the shipyards be delivered even a
day earlier than scheduled.

[02] DM presents draft agreement on Elefsina Shipyards

Defence Minister Panos Panayiotopoulos presented a draft agreement between
the Defence ministry and the Elefsina Shipyards, achieved following
an initiative by the prime minister and negotiations by all the jointly
responsible ministries and agencies, during the discussion on an amendment
that was submitted on the issue by deputies of the New Democracy party,
PASOK, the Democratic Left and the Independent Greeks party.

The minister said that the following points are achieved by the draft
agreement:

The Elefsina Shipyards will not close and will operate immediately.

The 1,000 employees will continue working as normal, they will not lose
their jobs.

The Greek Navy missile boats are to be delivered on a new
timetable. Management has been committed to deliver the ships on specific
dates, with the missile boat Ritso being the first of the three.

There will be no increase in value, in spite of what the management is
asking for.

A draft agreement was signed for payment of employees and delivery of
the missile boats on a timetable of payments and works.

An amendment of the contract will also be signed soon without an increase
in value; the contract amendment will be tabled in Parliament.

[03] Prime Minister Samaras receives Mount Athos Holy Exarchate
representatives

Prime Minister Antonis Samaras on Wednesday met at Maximos Mansion,
government headquarters, with representatives of the Holy Exarchate
of Mount Athos who briefed him on the problems faced by the monastic
community.

Deputy Foreign Minister Kostas Tsiaras commented that the government
pays attention to the problems of the monastic community and announced
that major events will be held to mark the 100th anniversary of the
annexation of Mount Athos to Greece.

[04] PASOK-ND delegations discuss action against unemployment

Delegations from the New Democracy and PASOK parties - the first- and
second-ranking parties in Greece's coalition government, respectively -
met on Wednesday to discuss PASOK's proposal for action to stop rising
unemployment.

PASOK afterward announced that the delegation had presented the party's
proposal in detail, saying its goal was to provide work for sections of
the population at risk of absolute poverty. The proposed programme aims
to preserve 500,000 jobs and provide employment to 200,000 jobless.

The two sides "ascertained shared views with respect to the priority of
the unemployment problem as a foremost issue for everyone, as well as in
the directions for tackling this with immediate and effective measures
by the government, the announcement added, saying that both parties will
take "all necessary initiatives".

[05] ND accuses SYRIZA of sending out conflicting messages on memorandum
laws

New Democracy (ND) party, the leading partner in the coalition government,
on Wednesday commented on a statement made earlier by main opposition
Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA-EKM) parliamentary spokesman Panagiotis
Lafazanis, asking: "who is SYRIZA's leader after all, (Alexis) Tsipras
or Lafazanis?"

According to ND, Tsipras' position regarding the memorandum was not
backed by his party's parliamentary spokesman.

"Less than 24 hours after Tsipras expressed a new stance as regards the
memorandum - which, by the way, he won't rip up but suspend - Lafazanis
comes to remind him (Tsipras) that they have spoken about abolishing it
(the memorandum)," ND noted.

In statements earlier on Wednesday on the private television channel
SKAI, Lafazanis had said that "the memorandums and their enabling laws
will be cancelled, abolished and thrown in the garbage," adding that
"there is no such thing as a suspension".

Commenting on statements made by Tsipras in his address at the Economist
conference, Lafazanis added that "the memorandums were introduced with
laws that were passed overnight in an arbitrary fashion. No one had read
these laws because they were vast volumes with a mass of details. We are
still studying the content of the memorandums and their enabling laws".

Lafazanis noted that "this is not a new position. It is an annulment, an
abolition of the memorandums and their enabling laws. It is a position we
all advocate. It is in SYRIZA's agenda. It is our line, the fundamental
term of a new governance".

[06] PASOK party criticises SYRIZA leadership over memorandum

PASOK party spokeswoman Fofi Yennimata on Wednesday sharply criticised
statements by the head of the main opposition Radical Left Coalition
(SYRIZA) Alexis Tsipras and the party's deputies and Parliamentary
representatives Dimitris Papadimoulis and Panayiotis Lafazanis on "the
suspension or abolition of the memorandum".

"Mr. Tsipras is applying himself lately with great ardour to chance
games," Yennimata said, adding that "a few days ago he appeared ready to
gamble the country in a game of dice in the name of negotiating" and that
today "he is implementing the theory of the suspension of the memorandum".

[07] SYRIZA denounces 'systematic effort to distort its views'

The main opposition Radical Left Coalition (SYRIZA) party denounced in
an unofficial document on Wednesday what it called "a systematic effort
to distort the views of the main opposition party and the citizens to
be misinformed".

SYRIZA's reaction was prompted by strong government criticism of party
leader Alexis Tsipras for his address at the Economist's conference
on Tuesday.

SYRIZA speaks of the "known forging sources of ND (the New Democracy
party), assisted by PASOK's press office that 'discovered' in Tsipras's
address at the Economist's conference a backdown from SYRIZA's
positions on the memorandum's abolition and the renegotiating of the
loan contracts."

SYRIZA added that it "is yet another episode in the known serial of the
systematic effort to distort the views of the main opposition party and
the citizens to be misinformed."

SYRIZA denounced that "they focus on a single word while they are
overlooking the general spirit of the address and the specific policy
positions set out in it".

[08] DIM.AR asks FinMin to reactivate working group for single property
tax

The Democratic Left (DIM.AR) party, a junior member in Greece's coalition
government, on Wednesday asked Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras
to reactivate a working group in charge of preparing legislation for
unifying Greek real estate taxation into a single property tax.

The request was made by DIM.AR's head of economic and social policy
Dimitris Hatzisokratis in a letter sent to Stournaras, who said that
this was an immediate priority following the completion of talks with the
troika of Greece's creditors and the agreement reached by the political
party leaders supporting the government.

[09] Independent Greeks leader meets breakaway MPs from LAOS party

The head of the right-wing Indepedent Greeks party Panos Kammenos on
Wednesday had a meeting with representatives of the "Patriotic Centre",
which includes several breakaway MPs from the Popular Orthodox Rally
(LAOS) party. The two sides decided on joint participation in the
Independent Greeks founding conference, where final decisions on the
manner and form of cooperation between the two parties will be made.

The Patriotic Centre party was represented, among others, by former
MPs of the LAOS party Alekos Chrysanthakopoulos, Asterios Rondoulis and
Urania Papandreou.

In a statement to the ANA-MPA, Chrysanthakopoulos said that the
cooperation between the two parties was "only the beginning" and that the
two sides were working to coordinate the "forces of the patriotic axis, a
great democratic patriotic faction," whose shared goals will be to restore
national sovereignty and throw out the "local and foreign troikas".

[10] KKE: Samaras-Tsipras confrontation hides those truly responsible

The confrontation between Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and main
opposition SYRIZA-EKM leader Alexis Tsipras at the Economist Conference
served only to conceal those "truly guilty for the Greek people's path
toward destitution, the ruling class and the EU thieves' alliance,"
the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) said in an announcement on Wednesday.

"The scams of 'Community solidarity' proposed by the government and the
'new Marshall plan' proposed by SYRIZA for the countries of the south,
for 'suspension of the memorandum' and 'negotiation of loan agreements'
are children of the same dead-end path of growth, the capitalist crisis,
the EU, the uneven development of member-states, the anti-working class
policies that sacrifice people's needs on the altar of competitiveness,"
the announcement said.

It urged people to adopt the "one hopeful path, the path of pulling
away from the EU, the unilateral write-off of debt, abolition of the
memorandums and loan obligations and the socialisation of monopolies,
taking into their own hands the wealth they create".

[11] Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee delegation in Germany

BERLIN (ANA-MPA/F. Karaviti)

Strengthening Parliamentary diplomacy and the direct briefing of German
deputies, who are called on often to vote on issues concerning Greece
directly, was the main purpose of the mission of a delegation of the Greek
Parliament's Standing National Defence and Foreign Affairs Committee in
Berlin, that was concluded on Wednesday.

Committee president Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, vice president Dimitris
Saltouros, secretary Maria Yiannakaki and the members Constantine
Tasoulas and Vassilis Hatzilambrou held meetings with German State
Secretary of the Federal Foreign Office Emily Haber, the Chairman of
the German Bundestag's Committee on Foreign Affairs Ruprecht Polenz,
the general director of the Chancellery's Department 2, responsible
for Foreign Policy, Security Policy and Development Policy Christoph
Heusgen and the alternate secretary general and head of the European and
International Cooperation Department of the "Konrad Adenauer" Foundation
Gerhard Wahlers.

The Greek delegation expressed scepticism to its German interlocutors
regarding the prospects of the programme being implemented in Greece with
the outstanding points, as Varvitsiotis said, being unemployment and
the prolonged recession and their side-effects for society. The issues
raised included the issue of Greek claims for war reparations, for which
the Committee's president ascertained a relative distancing from the
recent statements by Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, although the
German officials made it clear that they consider the issue closed.

[12] Justice ministry sg visits President Papoulias

Justice ministry secretary general George Sourlas on Wednesday visited
President Karolos Papoulias and briefed him on the completion of the
national plan "Diaphania", on the combatting of corruption and the effort
being made for the country to exit from the deadlock, as well as on the
preparation of a national plan of action on human rights "to enable us
to respond to the demands of international organisations and protect
our country's prestige".

President Papoulias, according to a Justice ministry announcement,
termed the issues of cracking down on corruption and protecting human
rights a national duty of immediate priority and called for all to join
forces in this direction.

[13] Parliament passes bill on reestablishment of merchant marine ministry

Most of the 63 articles of the draft bill on reinstating the Merchant
Marine Ministry were passed on Wednesday evening by the Parliament's
plenum, after more than 50 amendments tabled by the government and
deputies were processed.

Shipping Minister Costas Mousouroulis eventually rejected the so-called
'Kefalogianni' amendment providing for the operation of "back-up boats"
on schedules to the islands during strikes by seamen.

Modifications were made to the controversial article 19 which was the
focus of strong criticism by the opposition and coalition government
partners, as it put into question collective employment contracts of
the junior ship crews.

[14] Civil servants' umbrella federation ADEDY accuses government of
"social state demolition"

Hundreds of public sector employees on Wednesday took part in a protest
march in downtown Athens, from Klathmonos Square to the administrative
reform ministry building, heeding a call by the civil servants' umbrella
federation ADEDY for a three-hour work stoppage from noon until the end
of the morning shift.

The protesters expressed opposition to imminent layoffs in the public
sector.

ADEDY president Kostas Tsikrikas accused the government of "entirely
adopting the catastrophic policies advocated by the country's troika of
lenders, which lead to a demolition of the social state and services".

Referring to the issue of civil servants found guilty of corruption
charges, he said that "they should have been fired yesterday, but this
did not happen and it is the government's responsibility".

He also expressed opposition to a measure for the suspension of civil
servants suspected of corruption, noting that "it violates the right to
be regarded innocent until found guilty, as well as Greek and European
legislation."

He announced that ADEDY will continue its mobilizations in cooperation
with the private sector trade union federations and with the workers'
unions in the countries of southern Europe and called on civil servants
to participate in a nationwide strike called by General Confederation
of Workers of Greece (GSEE) on May 1st.

[15] Opinion poll: SYRIZA marginal lead over ND, Samaras most suitable
for PM

Main opposition SYRIZA was leading over New Democracy (ND) by 0.2
percentage points, according to an opinion poll conducted by Marc for
the private ALPHA television station.

According to the poll results, SYRIZA was leading with 22.3 percent,
followed by ND with 22.1 percent, ultra-right Golden Dawn (Chryssi Avghi)
with 9.7 percent,  Independent Greeks with 5.9 percent, PASOK with 5.4
percent ,the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) with 5.1 percent,  Democratic
Left (DIMAR) with 4.4 percent while 6 percent of the respondents expressed
support for other parties and the blank and invalid votes and abstention
was at 10.7 percent and the unspecified vote at 8.4 percent.

To a question of who would be most suitable for prime minister, current
Prime Minister Antonis Samaras (and ND leader) was preferred by 46.6
percent of the respondents, followed by SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras
with 31.8 percent, while 21.6  percent did not answer.

The geographic coverage of the opinion poll was nationwide and was
conducted between 11 and 13 April 2013.

[16] PASOK spokesperson on the "Lagarde list" investigation

PASOK party spokesperson Fofi Gennimata, a junior partner in the
coalition government, on Wednesday said that the populism and lack of
virtue of opposition Independent Greeks (AN.EL) party are highlighted
by its decision to side with ultra-right Chryssi Avgi in demanding that
former prime minister George Papandreou be forcibly brought before the
preliminary examination committee.

Gennimata made the comment referring to the stance adopted by the two
political parties in the parliamentary preliminary examination committee
investigating the so-called "Lagarde list" case.

According to Gennimata, main opposition Radical Left Coalition
(SYRIZA-EKM) leader Alexis Tsipras "should be proud of his new allies".

[17] Democratic Left calls for urgent closure of unofficial dumps

The Democratic Left (DIM.AR) party, the smallest party supporting Greece's
coalition government, on Wednesday called for the urgent closure of all
unofficial and unmonitored dumps in Greece. The party's announcement
was prompted by the letter sent to Prime Minister Antonis Samaras by
European Commissioner Johannes Hahn on the issue.

DIM.AR urged the creation of new landfill sites and said this would
require a reduction of the bureaucratic processes involved, on the
one hand, and for local authorities to fully assume responsibility for
implementing current planning with emphasis on prevention, sorting at
source and recycling, even during the transitional phase before the
planned infrastructure was completed.

The party stressed that comprehensive waste management, implementation of
European guidelines for prioritising management and meeting quantitative
targets for recycling would not only help protect the environment but
also create viable jobs.

[18] ND new press officer

New Democracy (ND) MP for Ioannina Anna Michelle Asimakopoulou has been
appointed by Prime Minister and ND leader Antonis Samaras as the party's
press officer.

[19] Tenth anniversary of Treaty of Athens signature for accession of
10 new member states to EU

Tuesday marked the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of
Athens in the Greek capital, with which ten European countries joined
the European Union during the Greek presidency of the EU, in the largest,
single expansion of the union since its 1951 founding Treaty of Paris.

The ambassadors to Greece of those ten countries -- the Czech Republic,
Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia
and Slovakia, issued a joint statement marking the anniversary of the
historic Treaty of Athens.

[20] 10 years since the signature of the Treaty of Athens

Ten years ago, on 16 April 2003, the Treaty of Accession to the European
Union of ten European countries - the Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus,
Latvia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia and Slovakia -
was signed in Athens. This historical event took place during the Greek
Presidency of the Council of the European Union and is enshrined forever
as one of the most important documents of the reunited Europe. Later,
on 1 May 2004, all our countries became fully-fledged members of the
reunified European family comprising 25 Member States at that time. It
was the largest single expansion since the Paris Treaty of 1951,
the forerunner of the EU, in terms of population, number of states
and territory. Moreover, it was the symbolic completion of the vital
strategic goal of all the acceding member states to finally put an end to
the post World War II period by returning to the common space of freedom
and stability, democracy and prosperity. The signature of the Treaty of
Athens opened a new era for the acceding countries, for their citizens
and ultimately for the whole of Europe.

Ten years after the signature, as members of the European Union, we
all can state that it was the right decision. This was the overwhelming
choice by the people. It was not only based on the perspective of future
benefits of the common economic area, or the single market offering
free movement of capital, goods and people; it was also founded on the
understanding of inevitable internal structural reforms that had been
carried out along the integration path towards the European Union.

The 2004 EU enlargement would not have been feasible without the
strong and sincere support of all EU Member States. The prospects of EU
membership acted as a catalyst and the main driving force for positive
changes of the social climate, economic growth, better living standards,
higher incomes, more jobs and more development. However, among the
most important aspects of this change was the hope to share and enjoy
those European values that our societies had missed for so long. Our
citizens, the real players in establishing the foundation for societies,
made it possible for all ten new EU Member States to have a successful
journey. Today, they continue to serve as an example and motivation for
those candidates who wish to join the EU in the future.

As an inseparable part of the EU, we contribute to strengthening the
European project, to keeping its values alive and to spreading them in
our neighbourhood in the East and the South. Moreover, all ten Members
actively participate in the shaping of European policies, and seek to
make the EU more competitive and technologically and innovatively more
advanced. They contribute to making the Union better prepared for future
challenges in the current globalised world as an active player in dynamic
international affairs. Above all, the main task to be addressed is to
ensure that the EU continues to be a reliable and safe place to live
in. If necessary, all member states have to offer solidarity based on
the genuine efforts of all of us to show the necessary responsibility
for the benefit of the whole EU.

Looking back at those events ten years ago, one is struck how
appropriately the Greek EU Presidency chose the venue for the solemn act
of signature by heads of states, prime ministers and foreign ministers
from all the EU member states. It took place in the Stoa of Attalos,
at the Ancient Agora of Athens, in the cradle of democracy that the
Athenian philosophers developed in Ancient Greece. Democracy still
prevails as the best form of government, offering guarantees for free
and open societies and nations.

As such, the Treaty of Accession to the European Union in Athens of these
ten European countries remains a symbol of the heritage of democracy
being extended from the very place where it was born.

Hana `
ev 
?kov?, Ambassador of the Czech Republic

Andres Talvik, Ambassador of Estonia

Joseph Joseph, Ambassador of Cyprus

Ivars Pundurs, Ambassador of Latvia

Alfonsas Eidintas, Ambassador of Lithuania

Eszter S?ndorfi, Ambassador of Hungary

Walter Balzan, Ambassador of Malta

Maciej Krych, Ambassador of Poland

Robert Basej, Ambassador of Slovenia

Peter Michalko, Ambassador of Slovakia

[21] First 'corruption prosecutors' appointed

Prosecutors Eleni Raikou and Argyris Dimopoulos have been appointed
"corruption prosecutors" for Athens and Thessaloniki, respectively,
by a Supreme Court Judicial Council.

Raikou had set up the Economic Crime Squad even before the specific
department was established by SDOE.

[22] Decision on deportation of Syrians suspended

The Public Order ministry decided on Wednesday, in cooperation with
the Interior ministry, to suspend the decision on the return of Syrian
citizens to Syria, due to the state of war prevailing in the Middle
East country.

The decision concerns Syrians "who enter our country illegally or are
arrested for staying illegally, as well as those against whom a decision
for deportation/return has been issued and are being held" .

"The order is already being implemented since last week, when all Syrians
who were being held because they had been arrested for living illegally
in our country, were released after a confirmation of their identity
took place first," said the Public Oder ministry's representative for
immigration issues, during a press conference organised by the UN's High
Commission for Refugees, on developments in the crisis in the region of
Syria, as well as the state of Syrian refugees in Greece.

[23] Statement by British Ambassador Kittmer on Thatcher

"Baroness?Thatcher transformed the way of making economic policy in
Britain. She put an end to the post-war view on what the role of the
state is on the economy. She set a new equilibrium in state-private
relations. She let non-profitable businesses to close down but encouraged
the establishment of new sectors and new businesses. At the same time,
she opened the privatisation procedures for state companies - especially
utilities. She wanted to free Britons' entrepreneurship," British
Ambassador to Greece John Kittmer, told ANA-MPA on Wednesday commenting
on the death of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.

"Her vision for Britain was that on an open nation, freely developing
business activity and trade. She was the first who saw that Europe needed
to be competitive to survive. In my opinion, these are the main points of
her legacy, and together with many more I would like to pay my respect and
express my sympathy to her family and friends," Ambassador Kittmer said.

[24] Student elections continuing, minor incident at NTUA

A minor incident erupted Wednesday noontime at the building of the
National Technical University of Athens, on Patision St., when a group
of young men reportedly invaded the building where the student elections
are being held.

The invaders broke tables with electoral material of the student factions
and tore posters. Eventually they were pushed out by students.

In other respects, and university and technical college student elections
throughout the country continued without major problems.

According to students from central institutions in Athens, turnout till
noon was sluggish, but higher numbers of voters were expected later in
the afternoon. The ballots will close at sunset.

The heads of the factions felt optimistic about turnout, expressing hope
that abstinence will be less than last year.

[25] ONNED comment on student elections

A statement was issued late Wednesday evening by Andreas Papamimikos,
president of the New Democracy party-affiliated youth group ONNED,
commenting on the high turnout in the university and technical college
students elections, held throughout the country on the same day.

"People who still talk about a generation without vision and values,
for a generation away from politics, today got a resounding answer...as
more than 100,000 young people at universities and technical colleges
participated in the most meaningful political process, giving even higher
rates in the

DAP-NDFK group and rewarding the political strategy we have been following
in recent years," Papamimikos said.

?"Our proposal for an evaluation-associated funding to tertiary
institutions, as well as our insistence on the essential study upgrade,
the final implementation of the Law on Asylum and our idea for the
creation of university police, gained the confidence of students,"
he added.

"Today, the young people of our generation stated clearly that they are
choosing reforms and creative changes, away from populism and misery."

Financial News

[26] Two bids in tender to sell 33 pct of OPAP

Two bids were submitted for the purchase of a 33 pct equity stake in OPAP
SA, Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund said on Wednesday. The Fund,
in a statement, said that the two bidders are Emma Delta and Third Point.

Emma Delta Ltd is a fund management by Emma Delta Management Ltd, owned
by Jiri Smejc (66.7 pct) and Melissanidis Group (33.3 pct).

Third Point, is one of the biggest US investment funds, with a portfolio
of around 10 billion US dollars, which has invested in Greek bonds and
earned around 500 million US dollars from its investment.

Other companies, such as Fosun (China), BC Partners, TPG and Intralot
had initially expressed interest in the tender, but did not submit a
financial offer.

Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund, in its next meeting, will
assess the bids and will decide on the winner of the tender.

[27] No decision by Cosco on acquiring OLP's majority package

The government's sole choice to tap the country's major ports is the
sale of shares under guarantees, which would lead to growth and securing
of jobs, Cosco's commercial director Tasos Vamvakidis told ANA-MPA
on Wednesday.

Referring to reports speaking of interest by Cosco to acquire the majority
package of the Piraeus Port Authority (OLP), he said that so far there
is no such decision by the company which, as he clarified, will wait
for the government's official proposals on the model for utilizing ports.

Cosco's commercial director stressed that the port of Piraeus constitutes
an entry gateway for southeastern Europe, the Mediterranean and Africa
since infrastructures and the legislative framework have been completed
allowing it to play this role.

[28] Troika proposing commercial businesses to operate 10 Sundays a year

The heads of the European Commission (EC), European Central Bank (ECB)
and International Monetary Fund (IMF) troika of Greece's international
lenders is proposing that commercial businesses be able to operate 10
Sundays a year, while the Development ministry will table a proposal
in Parliament with which it will demand for a small size merchant to
be allowed to keep his business open all 52 Sundays if he so wishes,
ministry sources revealed on Wednesday.

A meeting between Development Minister Costis Hatzidakis and the head
of the Task Force Horst Reichenbach showed that the possibility exists
for the Greek Development Fund to have been created by the end of the
year. The fund will provide a breakthrough to the problem of liquidity
for small and medium-size enterprises.

According to Development ministry sources, it appears that the
arrangement on the operation of shops on Sundays will be decided
in Parliament. Reports from the Development ministry reveal that the
proposal which will be forwarded provides the possibility for small
commercial shops to operate optionally on all 52 Sundays a year. But
because the three-party government does not have the same position on
the issue it appears that the final decision will be taken in Parliament.

[29] Agricultural Development minister holds meeting with Greenpeace
delegation

Actions being promoted by the Agricultural Development ministry on
the one hand for the viable management of fisheries and on the other
for the development of aquacultures were outlined to a delegation of
Greenpeace's Greek Office by minister Athanassios Tsaftaris during their
meeting on Wednesday.

According to what Tsaftaris said, the ministry has gone ahead with the
implementation of the Collection Programme of Fishery Data, that had
not been impemented since 2007, the enactment of local and time bans on
fisihing and the creation and monitoring of artificial reefs.

[30] Greek stocks end 1.10 pct higher

Greek stocks ended significantly higher in the Athens Stock Exchange
on Wednesday, boosted by strong buying interest in bank shares and
selected blue chip stocks, such as OTE. The composite index of the
market rose 1.10 pct to end at 923.67 points, off the day's highs of
927.35 points. Turnover remained a low 54.852 million euros.

The Big Cap index rose 1.44 pct and the Mid Cap index ended 2.07 pct
higher. National Bank (11.76 pct), Eurobank (11.54 pct), MIG (9.49 pct)
and Hellenic Exchanges (8.13 pct) were top gainers among blue chip stocks,
while OPAP (5.44 pct), Coca Cola Hellenic (1.06 pct) and PPC (0.15 pct)
suffered losses.

Sector indices ended as follows:

Industrial Products/Services: 3,463.89 +1.37%

Commerce: 1,930.50 +1.09%

Constructions: 1,959.45 +1.49%

Oil/Gas: 3,022.66 +1.71%

Personal products: 3,663.22 +4.15%

Raw Materials: 2,354.23 +3.56%

Travel: 1,208.82 -4.64%

Technology: 701.25 +0.89%

Telecoms: 1,624.02 +4.24%

Banks: 118.59 +5.85%

Food/Beverage: 6,972.09 -1.00%

Health: 267.03 +1.19%

Utilities: 2,504.93 +0.39%

Financial Services: 1,182.63 +8.67%

Broadly, advancers led decliners by 102 to 36 with another 29 issues
unchanged. Pairis (29.73 pct), G.E.Demetriou (24 pct) and Lavipharm
(17.22 pct) were top gainers, while Attica Holdings (20 pct), Spider
(20 pct0 and Nafpaktos Spin Mills (9.79 pct) were top losers.

National Bank, Piraeus Bank, Alpha Bank and OTE were the most heavily
traded stocks of the day, while OTE (17.6 million euros), OPAP (5.508
million) and Coca Cola Hellenic (5.304 million euros) recorded the
biggest values of transaction.

The market's capitalization rose to 35.230 billion euros.

Blue chip stocks ended as follows:

ALPHA BANK: 0.75

FOLLI-FOLLIE: 13.65

VIOHALCO: 4.09

ELLAKTOR: 2.15

PPC: 6.59

COCA COLA: 18.60

HELLENIC PETROLEUM: 8.30

NATIONAL BANK: 0.55

EUROBANK: 0.26

JUMBO: 7.20

METKA: 11.50

MYTILINEOS: 4.64

MOTOR OIL: 8.34

OPAP: 6.61

OTE: 5.90

PIRAEUS BANK: 0.19

TITAN: 14.70

MARFIN INVESTMENT GROUP: 0.30

PIRAEUS PORT: 19.05

HELLENIC EXCHANGES: 4.92

TERNA ENERGY: 3.42

EUROBANK PROPERTIES: 5.75

FRIGOGLASS: 4.95

INTRALOT: 2.00

[31] ADEX closing report

The June contract on the FTSE Large Cap index was trading at a premium of
0.21 pct in the Athens Derivatives Exchange on Wednesday, with turnover
remaining a low 12.522 million euros.

Volume on the Big Cap index totaled 4,409 contracts worth 6.628 million
euros, with 32,445 open positions in the market. Volume in futures
contracts on equities totaled 43,507 contracts worth 5.894 million euros,
with investment interest focusing on National Bank's contracts (15,800),
followed by Alpha Bank (6,780), Piraeus Bank (8,887), Eurobank (2,895),
MIG (1,142), OTE (2,719), PPC (1,282), OPAP (1,035), Mytilineos (616),
Intralot (401), GEK (530), Ellaktor (200) and Terna Energy (319).

[32] Foreign Exchange rates - Thursday

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

U.S. dollar 1.332

Pound sterling  0.874

Danish kroner  7.568

Swedish kroner  8.599

Japanese yen  130.54

Swiss franc  1.233

Norwegian kroner  7.668

Canadian dollar  1.367

Australian dollar  1.288

General News

[33] Journalist Mirella Georgiadou dies aged 87

NEW YORK (ANA/MPA - P. Panagiotou)

Journalist Maria-Mirella Georgiadou, who had served as the ANA-MPA's
correspondent in New York for 25 years, died in a Manhattan hospital on
Tuesday night, after a heart attack.

The deceased was 87 and was born in Athens, where she lived most of her
life until her accreditation as a correspondent in the United States.

Georgiadou began her long journalistic career from the newspaper "Estia"
in 1962. She then worked for "Messimvrini" and "Kathimerini" of Eleni
Vlachou and then for the newspapers "Vradyni" and "Apogevmatini",
while she had also worked at OTE's (the Hellenic Telecommunications
Organisation) press office.

Her long service at the ANA-MPA (from 1977 until 2002) had been
acknowledged and appreciated by personalities of the political and
cultural world of Greece.

Georgiadou's funeral will be taking place on Friday in New York.

[34] More than 20 foreign workers wounded by shots in Nea Manolada

More than 20 foreign workers were wounded by shots in Nea Manolada, in the
Ilia prefecture in the Peloponnese, shortly after 6 on Wednesday evening.

According to reports, about 200 foreign workers in strawberry cultivations
carried out a protest in the region to demand six months of pay. A clash
followed with three Greeks who, according to police, are representatives
of the employer.

One of them started firing against them, resulting in about 20 people
being wounded. All the wounded people have been taken to health centres
in the region and to the hospital in the city of Amaliada. According
to reports, the police have arrested the owner of the arable region and
are continuing investigations to locate the three Greeks.

[35] Panel discussion on the role and responsibility of the media in
the economic crisis

The role and responsibility of the mass media during the present economic
crisis were the topic of a panel discussion held in the Thessaloniki
City Hall on Wednesday with  postgraduate students from Greek, German
and French universities attending.

German journalist Christiane Schlotzer, a correspondent of the newspaper
Suddeutsche Zeitung in Istanbul who also covers

Greece, spoke about a media "war" in Germany and Greece. She said
that media in both countries reproduce "stereotypes" and "cliches,"
breeding animosity between Greece and Germany. She pointed out that
Franco-German relations forged after the war between them had ended,
were the best model for rapprochement in Europe.

Schlotzer criticized the behavior of German newspapers that use "catchy
headlines", like "Greece goes bankrupt", to sell more copies. Speaking
from her own experience, she said that each time she tried to convince
her editors-in-chief not to do that and to overcome prejudices and
stereotypes.

On Germany's attitude in the EU, she said that the country appears to
be claiming its share of European geopolitical responsibility.

Regarding German Chancellor Angela Merkel, she said that Merkel was
"hounded by populism", particularly after the establishment of the
"alternative political party" which is in favour of a return to the
German mark. Schlotzer pointedout that if this new party wins 5 pct of
the vote in the elections, it would be depriving it from Merkel's party.

Greek journalist Tassos Telloglou said that he was disappointed with the
German magazine "Der Spiegel" and had decided to stop reading it after 38
years because what its portrayal of the situation in Greece had nothing
to do with the reality he experienced in the country on a daily basis.

As an example, he pointed to a report in the latest issue of the magazine,
which claimed that 80 pct of the Greeks do not pay their electricity
bills. Telloglou said that this does not reflect reality and stressed
that similar remarks had been made in a discussion concerning the role
of the media held in Athens three-and-a-half-years ago. He said that the
problems are related with a crisis in the mass media sector (accusing
the Greek mass media of being introvert) and with the vast amount of
information posted on the internet. He also noted that "stereotypes are
being revived, reminiscent of Europe fifty years ago".

The panel discussion was held at the initiative of the Centre for
Democracy and Reconciliation in Southeast Europe and the Franco-German
Youth Office with the support of the foreign ministries of Germany
and France.

[36] Scarecrows become exhibits

Scarecrows were once the guards of nature, and people built them to
protect their cultivations. However, today they are out of a job given
that pesticides now deter the reptiles and the birds.

Now, the scarecrows are preparing for a new career, that of exhibit in
a permanent exhibition in the northern Greek city of Katerini.

The scarecrows, which were once placed in fruit and vegetable gardens
and at the borders between farming plots for the purpose of repelling
whatever flying or crawling invader that posed a threat to the crops,
are now an unknown figure to the children.

The Voluntary Action Team of Pieria prefecture decided to cooperate with
primary school and kindergarten teachers of the area in order to rescue
this tradition of the agricultural life in Greece.

Thirty schools have already accepted the invitation and the volunteers
will instruct the teachers on how to build a scarecrow. Each school will
use its imagination to make its own scarecrow, and all the scarecrows
together will be put on display in a permanent exhibition in the
premises of the Tobacco Station of Katerini, while the best scarecrow
will be awarded.

[37] Manhunt on for escaped inmate from Kassandra Farm Prison

A manhunt is in progress in the greater Halkidiki region in northern
Greece for the arrest of an inmate who escaped from the Kassandra Farm
Prison, it was announced on Wednesday.

Prison authorities found out that the inmate, a foreign national, was
missing during the morning count.

Kassandra Farm Prison is an open type correctional facility for inmates
that can be reasonably trusted not to try to escape.

[38] Two patients airlifted to Venice, Geneva, by Airforce plane

A 55-year-old man and a 22-month-old girl were airlifted by an Air Force
plane to Venice and Geneva on Tuesday night for medical treatment,
by order of National Defence Minister Panos Panagiotopoulos, after a
request by the EKAB ambulance service.

An Airforce Gulfstream aircraft took off from the Elefsis airbase with the
two patients on board, stopping first in Venice where it disembarked the
man, who is suffering from respiratory deficiency, and then on to Geneva
where it disembarked the toddler, who suffers from cardiac insuffi-ciency.

The patients were accompanied by teams of physicians. The expenses of
the transport of the patients and physicians will be covered by the EKAB.

[39] Byzantine and Christian museum to acquire shop

The Byzantine and Christian Museum in Athens is to finally acquire its
own shop, which is to be inaugurated on Wednesday evening by Alternate
Education, Religions, Culture and Sports Minister Costas Tzavaras. The
shop will sell certified copies of artifacts on display in Greek state
museums, original works of art and crafts, books, posters, stationary
and various other souvenirs that can be purchased by visitors.

In statements to the ANA-MPA, museum curator Anastasia Lazaridou said
that the opening of the shop was the culmination of an effort that dated
as far back as the year 2000, since it will also sell scholarly volumes
published by the Archaeological Resources and Expropriations Fund (TAPA),
which is to manage the shop and its proceeds.

The new shop will cover an area of approximately 100 square metres in
a basement building in the museum's forecourt, designed in accordance
with modern architectural trends and in keeping with the rest of the
premises of the museum. It will be open at the same hours as the museum.

[40] One killed, two injured in drive-by shooting in Patras

A man was killed and two others were injured in a drive-by shooting
outside a nightclub at dawn Wednesday in the western port city of Patras.

The incident took place outside a nightclub when two unidentified
individuals riding a motorcycle opened fire against three men who were
on the pavement outside the club.

A 35-year-old man was fatally injured and the two others, aged 32 and 42,
were rushed to nearby Aghios Andreas hospital with gunshot wounds.

According to hospital sources, the 32-year-old is in serious condition,
while the 42-year-old suffered lighter injuries to the back and the
right thigh.

Evidence collected by police so far indicates that the shooters wore
dark-colored clothes and had their faces covered with white crash
helmets. Police collected 23 cartridges coming from a machine gun
and pistol.

Police are looking into settlement of accounts as the motive for the
shootings, but have not ruled out any other possibilities.

[41] Woman injured by armed robbers in Katerini

A female shop employee in the town of Katerini, northeast Greece, was
slightly injured on Wednesday morning when armed robbers targeting a
nearby jewellery shop fired a round that hit her in the leg. The two
robbers had already carried out the robbery but fired warning shots when
they were pursued by a passing civilian.

The robbers then got into a waiting getaway car driven by an accomplice
and drove away but were apprehended a short while later when their car
was spotted by police in Leptokarya. Police arrested two suspects, both
Albanian nationals based in Athens who had travelled north to carry out
the heist, and recovered the loot from the robbery.

[42] Public sector work stoppage on Wednesday

A work stoppage has been called in the public sector on Wednesday from
noon to the end of the morning shift, while a demonstration has also
been called at 12:30 p.m. in downtown Klafthmonos Square.

The stoppage was called by the civil servants' umbrella federation ADEDY
in protest over imminent layoffs of civil servants.

[43] The Wednesday edition of Athens' dailies at a glance

AVGHI: "SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras: We are ready to change Greece".

DIMOKRATIA: "PASOK leader Evangelos Venizelos No 2 man in the government".

EFIMERIDA TON SYNTAKTON: "Squeezing fat from a fly".

ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "In the grips of fear".

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "The new law for illegal buildings".

ELLADA AVRIO: "Give us this day".

ESTIA: "Regular briefing by Prime Minister".

ETHNOS: "All old illegal buildings become legal with 500 euros".

IMERISSIA: "Wager for 2 billion euros from OPAP (the Greek football
prognostics, numerical lottery and sports betting games operator) and DEPA
(the State Natural Gas Company).

KATHIMERINI: "Low installments for tax debtors to fill the coffers".

LOGOS: "Increase in PPC rates starting on Labour Day (May 1)".

NAFTEMPORIKI: "Facilitations to banks for loans to enterprises".

NIKI: "All the rescue arrangements for illegal buildings".

RIZOSPASTIS: "We intensify the front of the labourers', self-employed's
and poor farmers' struggle".

VRADYNI: "The final arrangement for illegal buildings'.

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