No subject

to 2008, he was the Minister Counsellor for Political Affairs at the
U.S. Embassy in Rome, during which time he served on two excursion tours
to Iraq in 2007 and 2008 to serve as a Senior Advisor to Ambassador
Ryan Crocker.

>From 2003 to 2005, Ambassador Pearce was Chief of Mission and Consul
General at the U.S. Consulate General in Jerusalem.  Additional overseas
posts include: Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Damascus,
Syria and Consul General at the U.S. Consulate General in Dubai, United
Arab Emirates.

Prior to joining the Foreign Service in 1982, Ambassador Pearce worked
for nearly a decade as a reporter and foreign correspondent.  He was a
writer and editor for The National Geographic Society, The Washington
Post, United Press International, The Rome Daily American, and the
Associated Press in Ohio.

He received an A.B. from Bowdoin College and an M.A. from The Ohio
State University.

[23] National Health System (EOPYY) director resigns

The director of the National Health System (EOPYY) Eleftherios
Papageorgopoulos resigned from his post, the government announced on
Wednesday.

He will be replaced by the farmer's insurance fund (OGA) director Dimitris
Kontos, who in turn will be replaced by Xenophon Verginis.

[24] Constantine Tasoulas new president of 'Constantine Karamanlis'
Democracy Institute

Ioannina deputy Constantine Tasoulas was appointed, by decision of
New Democracy party president and Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, new
president of the "Constantine Karamanlis" Democracy Institute.

The Institute's president to date Yiannis Mihelakis was appointed Interior
minister in Monday's cabinet reshuffle.

[25] Unknown group claims responsibility for attack on ND offices,
in Jan. 2013

A new group calling itself the "Group of People's Fighters" has claimed
responsibility for an armed attack on the headquarters of the New
Democracy party on January 14, 2013.

In a notice posted on the website "athens.indymedia.org," the group
said they attempted to fire a rocket against the ND offices but the
launching system failed to work, making them to pull the trigger on a
Kalashnikov riffle targeting the office of Prime Minister and ND leader
Antonis Samaras.

The lengthy proclamation refers extensively to the economic and social
conditions in Greece and internationally.

Financial News

[26] Vodafone, Wind telecoms present expansion plan to PM Samaras,
Dev't Ministers

A plan for an agreement between telecoms companies Vodafone and
Wind Hellas to expand activities by sharing parts of their networks
was presented to Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and Development and
Competitiveness Minister Costis Hatzidakis and Deputy Minister Notis
Mitarakis on Wednesday.

According to a joint statement by the two companies, the agreement
includes investments worth 150 million euros in construction and telecoms
equipment, and will create 650 new jobs, mostly in the construction
sector, in the next three years.

Under the agreement, a new company will be set up for the project, in
which Vodafone and Wind Hellas will each have a 50 percent stake and will
include staff from both companies, under the same employment contracts.

Vodafone will continue to operate exclusively the 4G network in Greece
and Wind Hellas will continue to modernise the Greek network, 70 percent
of which has been completed in major urban centres.

The 15-year agreement is being reviewed by the National Committee of
Telecommunications and Post Offices (EETT) for final approval.

The ministers hailed the investment agreement as good news, as the
companies directors told the officials it will create over 650 new jobs
in the next three years.

[27] High-speed rail project budgeted at 293.1 ml euros awarded to Aktor,
J&P-Avax and Intrakat joint venture

A joint venture comprised of the companies Aktor, J&P-Avax and Intrakat
SA on Wednesday signed a contract with Erga-OSE SA for the project titled
?Construction of infrastructure for the new twin railway line in the
section Rododaphni-Psathopyrgos marked from 91+500 to 113+000 and the
Panagopoulas Tunnel?, budgeted at 293.1 million euros. The announcement
was made by J&P-AVAX S.A.

The project pertains to the construction of the infrastructure for an
approximately 21.5-km section of the new high-speed rail line, along
with all related railway and road works, bridges, underpasses, sewerage,
irrigation and other smaller technical works.

It also includes the twin Panagopoula Tunnel of roughly 4.4 km in
length with intermediary connecting corridors, 0.55 km escape tunnel
and associated infrastructure.

The contract sets a 36-month deadline for completion of works.

[28] Greek bank deposits 'absolutely secure', FinMin Stournaras

"The guaranteed bank deposits are absolutely secure," Finance Minister
Yannis Stournaras told parliament on Wednesday, adding that he is sorry
for those who speak about another "bank deposit haircut".

Stournaras lashed out at opposition Independent Greeks (ANEL)
parliamentary spokesman Vassilis Kapernaros and underlined that his
responses to Parliament were well-documented. "I feel sorry for you,
for wanting to intimidate the Greek people by stating that there will
be a haircut of bank deposits," the minister said, adding that the Greek
state is paying out maturing bonds, in compliance with the law. "We will
not make the country go bankrupt. If we had not paid, we would have been
bankrupt by now," he underlined.

The minister also said that Greece can definitely meet its fiscal goals
and implement its reform programme, noting that a consensus of the
political forces is necessary to meet the goals set.

Addressing parliament, Stournaras also said that main opposition Radical
Left Coalition (SYRIZA) is in a state of confusion and, lacking a
proposal, it resorts to populist arguments.

"We have positive indications that things are going better and that
there are responsible political forces like New Democracy (ND), PASOK,
Democratic Left (DIMAR), and independent deputies, who have the courage
to speak their mind and help us lead the country out of the impasse,"
he underlined.

He said that recent political developments showed that economic
improvement is directly linked with political stability. "Political
stability is the most serious factor in attracting investors and meeting
the reform goals," he noted and called for a consensus that will allow
the country to succeed. "Our country can meet its fiscal and reform
programme goals. The broadest possible consensus in the government and
in parliament is necessary for the efforts to succeed," he underlined.

Responding to the SYRIZA rapporteur on the draft bill currently under
discussion in parliament, who said that the memorandum is leading the
country to destruction, Stournaras said that he does not see any such
thing: "Our country goes through tough times and tries to stand on
its feet".

Addressing the SYRIZA deputies, he wondered "what is SYRIZA all about,
after all? Is it a political party opposing the memorandum and what is
its alternative proposal? I have been asking this question for a year
and I get no response. Do you believe that we can be in the eurozone
without a memorandum? The Portuguese, the Irish, the Cypriots who have
signed and the Spanish who have partly signed for the banks are all in
error? Are you the only ones who are right?"

He also added that two economists favourably disposed towards SYRIZA,
wrote a day ago that the party is anti-memorandum and pro-American,
and there was no reaction to that. "Unfortunately, the two economists
do not know what they're talking about and you have not decided yet what
you want. I just think that you are deeply confused. The last thing the
country needs today is populist arguments maintaining that we can be in
the eurozone without a memorandum. Well, I would like that myself. But
can it happen? Unfortunately, it can't," he said.

On the compensation that will be paid to the former employees of the
shut-down ERT public broadcaster, Stournaras said that it will be
paid in full "when we will be able to enter the ERT facilities and get
the necessary figures," adding that last Friday former employees with
open-ended contracts received two paychecks as a first installment of
the compensation they are entitled to.

Referring to the amendments tabled by SYRIZA and Communist Party of
Greece (KKE) MPs, he said that the two partners in the government have
set a specific framework for an agreement which, pursuant to relevant
court decisions, includes the terms and preconditions for the ERT's
transitional operation and the establishment of the new broadcaster.

He added that Pantelis Kapsis, the newly appointed press deputy minister,
has undertaken to implement this agreement with the assistance of the
ministry of finance.

[29] Piraeus Bank completes share capital increase successfully

Piraeus Bank completed on Tuesday successfully its share capital increase
plan as part of the bank's recapitalization.

In an announcement Wednesday, the bank said that it raised private
capital of 1.455 billion euros, covering 19.83 percent of its goal of
7.335 billion euros.

The event will allow the bank to avoid issuing converticle bonds (CoCos).

A full report on the final coverage of the total recap will be published
on Friday, following checks by the bank's board of managers and the
Hellenic Financial Stability Fund.

[30] New page in Greek banking system with four big systemic banks'
recapitalisation

A new page is beginning in the Greek banking system with the successful
completion of the recapitalisation process of the four big systemic banks
that was concluded on Tuesday night with the successful completion of
the share capital increase process of the Piraeus Bank. The successful
share capital increases of Alpha Bank and the National Bank had taken
place earlier, while in the case of Eurobank the bank's recapitalisation
was carried out entirely by the Financial Stability Fund.

The National Bank, Alpha Bank and Piraeus Bank succeeded in overcoming
the target set for the coverage of 10 percent of their capital needs with
private capital, without the use of the costly, due to their high interest
rate, convertible bonds becoming necessary in this way, maintaining their
banks' management at the same time as well. In the case of Eurobank,
the Financial Stability Fund undertook the increase's full coverage, that
also resulted in the changing of its administrative structure that will
be announced officially on Thursday during the bank's general assembly.

As bank officials say, the period starting cannot be compared with the
period of easy and mass borrowing with the high rates that existed in
the period before the crisis.

Also considered important is the fact that many foreign institutional
portfolios also participated in the banks' share capital increase
process with hundreds of millions of euros, something considered a vote
of confidence for both the further prospects of the Greek banking system
and the economy's course in general.

[31] Shipping & Aegean Minister Varvitsiotis holds meetings on seaport
exploitation

The issue of exploiting the country's seaports dominated in the meetings
chaired by the new  Shipping & Aegean Minister Militiadis Varvitsiotis on
Wednesday, ahead of a formal visit by Cosco Group President Captain Wei
Jiafu for the inauguration of the Piraeus Container Terminal S.A. (PCT
S.A.) - a subsidiary of Cosco Pacific Limited - Wharf III facilities in
Neo Ikonio.

A meeting between Varvitsiotis, Piraeus Port Authority S.A. President
Giorgos Anomeritis and Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund (HRADF)
CEO Yiannis Emiris was held in the presence of a representative of Prime
Minister Antonis Samaras. Earlier, Varvitsiotis had met with the prime
minister at Maximos Mansion, government headquarters.

HRADF, the state privatization agency, presented a seaport exploitation
strategy report to the prime minister and the troika of Greece's creditors
in early May. A definitive proposal will be ready by the end of July,
according to HRADF President Stelios Stavridis.

[32] Development & Competitiveness Minister Hatzidakis to visit Berlin

Development & Competitiveness Minister Costis Hatzidakis will be on
a two-day visit to Berlin on Thursday for a series of meetings with
members of the German government and parliament deputies focusing on the
establishment of a Greek Development Fund sought by the Greek government.

Hatzidakis will meet on Thursday with Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble,
State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology
Stefan Kapferer and CDU/CSU Parliamentary Group deputies.

On Thursday afternoon, Hatzidakis and Parliamentary State Secretary at
the Federal Ministry of Finance Steffen Kampeter will address an event
hosted by Konrad Adenauer Stiftung.

On Friday, Hatzidakis will meet with  KfW Bankengruppe CEO Dr. Ulrich
Schroder.

[33] Deputy Development minister on foreign investments

Direct foreign investments in Greece amounted to 2.9 billion dollars
in 2012, compared to 1.1 billion dollars in 2011, according to annual
data provided by the UN's World Investment Report 2013 on direct foreign
investments worldwide, with the biggest volume of investments, however,
coming from foreign fiscal group inflows to support the share capital
increase process of their subsidiaries in Greece.

Speaking on the course of foreign direct investments in Greece, Deputy
Development Minister Notis Mitarakis stressed that Greece needs all the
foreign investments in Greece, big and small, that respect environmental
preconditions and safeguard labour rights.

Miarakis referred analytically to the basic pylons contributing to
attracting foreign direct investments and assessed that the direct foreign
investments in Greece from 1.5 percent of GDP currently can reach 7.5
percent in the next seven years, placing emphasis on the importance of
restoring the economy's fiscal balance, as well as on the restoration
of Greece's international image that has taken place.

Presenting analytically the data of this year's World Investment Report,
Marina Papanastasiou, a Middlesex University professor, who represents
UNCTAD in Greece, said that at international level the global inflows
of foreign direct investments decreased in 2012 by 18 percent, totalling
1.35 trillion dollars, due to the economic and political instability in
many countries.

As regards Greece, she stressed that the foreign direct investments
deposit in 2012 increased to 37.8 billion dollars from 29.1 billion
dollars in 2011. The net foreign direct investment outflows in 2012 were
39 million dollars from 1.7 billion dollars in 2011.

[34] Hellas Gold, local labour unions, contest suspension of works in
Skouries mining site

Hellas Gold S.A., a subsidiary of Canadian-based goldmine operator
Eldorado Gold Corp. that operates the Skouries mining site in Halkidiki
peninsula, northern Greece, and the local Center of Labour Unions appealed
to the Council of State (CoS) on Wednesday to contest an order to suspend
works to dig a new mine in the area.

The company and unions said a decision by a local authority urban
planning agency ordering the suspension of works (earthworks etc) for
the installation of electrical equipment and machinery in Skouries is
unconstitutional and illegal. The local authority agency claimed the
decision was taken after an inspection showed extensive earthworks and
other constructions that had no legal license.

Both Hellas Gold S.A. and the Center of Labour Unions in Halkidiki
maintain that no building license is required because the goldmine falls
under the jurisdiction of the mining regulatory agency in northern Greece.

[35] Canadian MP visits Skouries goldmine area

Canadian MP and head of the Green Party Elizabeth May is visiting the
Hellas Gold mining area of Skouries in the northern peninsula of Halkidiki
today, Wednesday.

In Greece following an official invitation by the Green party of Greece
(Ecologi-Prasini), May attended a Balkan Greens event at the Halkidiki
town of Ierissos on Wednesday. She had planned to speak with employees
at the Hellas Gold worksite but this was cancelled after the company
revoked its permission, according to members of her retinue.

Company spokesman Constantine Georgantzis told AMNA that the permission
to meet at the site was cancelled because of protesters at the nearby
Hondro Dentro, and "the company decided it does not want to be part of
this PR campaign on behalf of those reacting to the mining activity."

A bulldozer blocked the road leading to a worksite where gold was to be
extracted, so the car with May was turned back. The road had to shut
down for half an hour for work to be completed, as the road is under
construction, employees said.

[36] Tax Bureau, Finance Ministry employees strike on Thu., Fri.

Tax Bureau and Finance Ministry employees will strike on Thursday and
Friday, to protest government plans about the future of Finance Ministry
services, they said Wednesday.

According to an announcement, "The dissolution of the services and
agencies, the privatisation of the services offered and the incrimination
of the employees have prepared the ground. The next stage is layoffs. They
are planning a rally on Thursday at 10.30 a.m in central Athens.

[37] Cement industry fined for layoffs

The Labour Inspectors' Corps fined AGET Heracles cement industry,
a subsidiary of Lafarge Group, 7,500 euros for violating mass layoffs
legislation after ruling in favour of former employees recently laid off
in its cement factory unit in Halkida essentially shutting down the unit,
it was announced on Wednesday.

By closing the unit and laying off 236 employees, the industry was found
in violation of article 4 of Presidential Decree 240/2006 according to
which, employees have to be notified and consulted in advance.

The cement industry had said that it proceeded with the shutdown of
its unit in Halkida due to financial reasons, as a result of the plunge
in domestic construction activity and after failing to distribute its
surplus production to international markets.

[38] ASE down 0.49 pct in volatile trade

Greek stocks lost ground in a volatile session marked by low turnover
on the Athens Stock Exchange on Wednesday. The composite index fell 0.49
pct to end at 836.58 points, with fluctuations covering a range of 32.50
points during the session. Turnover was a very low 35.32 million euros.

The Large Cap index fell 0.84 pct and the Mid Cap index fell 5.96
pct. OPAP (3.97 pct), Folli Follie (3.48 pct), National Bank (3.27 pct)
were the top three gainers among blue chip stocks, while MIG (-7.59 pct),
Intralot (-6.32 pct), and Viohalco (-5.34 pct) were top losers.

The largest gains among individual sector indices were for Commerce
(3.38 pct), Travel (2.59 pct) and Oil (0.89 pct); the sectors that
suffered losses were Industrial Products (-3.30 pct), Health (-3.29 pct)
and Telecommunications (-2.88 pct). Broadly, decliners led advancers
by 56 to 71 with another 22 issues unchanged. Ideal (29.95 pct), Pairis
(27.98 pct) and Attica Bank (20.63 pct) were top gainers, while Eurobank
(-28.57 pct), Nafpaktos Yarns (-28.54 pct) and Eurobrokers (-20.00 pct)
were top losers.

Sector indices ended as follows:

Industrials: -3.30%

Commercial: +3.38%

Construction: -1.21%

Oil & Gas: +0.89%

Personal & Household: -3.55%

Raw Materials: +0.49%

Travel & Leisure: +2.59%

Technology: -0.05%

Telecoms: -2.88%

Banks: -0.39%

Food & Beverages: -2.69%

Health: -3.29%

Utilities: -1.56%

Financial Services: -1.75%

The stocks with the highest turnover were OTE, OPAP, PPC and Piraeus Bank.

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

Alpha Bank: 0.383

Public Power Corp (PPC): 6.710

HBC Coca Cola: 17.300

Hellenic Petroleum: 6.520

National Bank of Greece: 3.160

Eurobank Properties : 7.0

OPAP: 6.550

OTE: 5.390

Piraeus Bank: 1.330

Titan: 12.500

[39] Greek bond market closing report

The yield spread between the 10-year Greek and German benchmark bonds
widened slightly in the domestic electronic secondary bond market on
Wednesday, to 9.44 pct from 9.41 pct on Tuesday, with the Greek bond
yielding 11.23 pct, up from Tuesday's 11.22 pct and the German Bund 1.79
pct. There was no turnover in the market.

In interbank markets, interest rates moved slightly higher. The 12-month
rate rose to 0.52 pct, the nine-month rate rose to 0.43 pct, the six-month
rate rose to 0.33 pct, the three-month rate was 0.21 pct and the one-month
rate was 0.11 pct.

[40] ADEX closing report

The July contract was trading at a premium of 1.06 pct in the Athens
Derivatives Exchange on Wednesday, with turnover rising to 12.44 million
euros. Volume on the Big Cap index totaled 6,196 contracts worth 8.761
million euros, with 48,647 open positions in the market. Volume in futures
contracts on equities totaled 8,902 contracts worth 3.679 million euros,
with investment interest focusing on OTE's contracts (2,152), followed
by MIG (1,477), PPC (1,282), GEK (1,053), OPAP (602), Hellenic Exchanges
(468), Mytilineos (357), Eurobank (319), Intralot (257) and Hellenic
Petroleum (169).

[41] Foreign Exchange rates - Thursday

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

U.S. dollar 1.321

Pound sterling  0.860

Danish kroner  7.571

Swedish kroner  8.892

Japanese yen  129.24

Swiss franc  1.244

Norwegian kroner  8.066

Canadian dollar  1.385

Australian dollar  1.424

General News

[42] Orthodox Interparliamentary Assembly celebrating 20th anniversary
in Athens

The Interparliamentary Assembly of Orthodoxy will be celebrating the
20th anniversary of its founding with its Plenum's General Assembly
in Athens and many parallel events from Wednesday until June 30. This
year's Assembly will be held with the participation of representatives
of Parliaments from 21 countries and with the focal theme being
"Parliamentary Democracy-Christianity-Orthodoxy: values and meanings".

The Interparliamentary Assembly of Orthodoxy began an ambitious
effort from Athens in 1993, supported by Russia's dynamic presence and
succeeded in being transformed from European to a living presence on the
international scene, as was said at the organisation's press conference
at the Parliament by Secretary General Anastasios Nerantzis.

It is a purely Parlimentary movement which, as he explained, is trying
to contribute to the shaping of a world with a peaceful resolving of
differences on the basis of the principles of Christian Orthodox culture,
calmness and rapprochement.

[43] Tourists awarded for years of holidaying on Crete

Three tourist couples were honoured on Wednesday for their long preference
on visiting and holidaying in Hersonisos, Iraklio, on the island of Crete,
by the region's mayor Zacharias Doxastakis at the Hersonisos city hall.

The mayor awarded the faithful friends of Hersonisos the municipality's
diploma of honour for their trust and love.

The couples, two from Britain and one from the Netherlands, have been
visiting Hersonisis over a number of years and prefer small lodgings
for their holidays. One of them has been visiting Hersonisos since 1982.

Doxastakis said the visitors' preference does special honour to the
municipality and stressed that tourism helps people develop strong bonds
of friendship, in turn creating cultural ties and cooperation..

Weather forecast

[44] Rainy on Thursday

Rainy weather and northerly winds are forecast in most parts of the
country on Thursday. Winds 3-7 beaufort. Temperatures between 18C and
34C. Slightly cloudy in Athens with northerly 3-6 beaufort winds and
temperatures between 21C and 34C. Local showers in Thessaloniki with
temperatures between 19C and 29C.

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

AVGHI: "Prime Minister Antonis Samaras admits new austerity measures"

EFIMERIDA TON SYNTAKTON: "The first crackings" in government.

ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "The 'surgeons' summoned urgently to Maximos Mansion"
(government's headquarters)

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "Record drop in university entrance exam base marks"

ELLADA AVRIO: (Vice president, Foreign Minister and PASOK leader)
"Evangelos Venizelos: I will coordinate you"

ESTIA: "Political experiment of major importance"

ETHNOS: "Huge drop in university entrance base marks"

IMERISSIA: "Two-front battle over the 8.1-billion-euro tranche of
the loan"

KATHIMERINI: "Samaras, Venizelos send similar message"

LOGOS: "Greeks ready to immigrate"

NAFTEMPORIKI: "Layoffs and new measures in government's agenda"

RIZOSPASTIS: "No compromise with drugs" (refers to World Day Against
Drugs)

TA NEA: "University entrance base marks down!"

VRADYNI: "Samaras: The country's rescue is our ideology"

36, TSOCHA ST. ATHENS 115 21 GREECE * TEL: 64.00.560-63 * FAX: 64.00.581-2

INTERNET ADDRESS: http://www.ana.gr * e-mail: anabul at ana gr * GENERAL
DIRECTOR: ANTONIS SKYLLAKOS

[46] Greece signs host government agreement with TAP consortium

reece and the Trans Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) consortium on Wednesday
officially signed the Host Government Agreement initialed last week, at
an official ceremony held in Athens. In statements after the ceremony,
Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras emphasised the invest-ments and jobs
that the construction of the pipeline will create, as well as Greece's
future position as an energy hub for the region.

Though the agreement was signed on Wednesday, the final decision for the
pipeline's construction is not expected before Friday, when the Shah
Deniz II consortium in Azerbaijan will announce the pipeline that is
to be supplied first. All signs point to the selection of TAP - which
starts on the Greek-Turkish border and goes to Italy via Albania and
an underwater section in the Adriatic Sea - but there is no official
announcement yet, though there is an announcement that the rival Nabucco
West pipeline has been rejected.

The agreement was also signed by Deputy Environment, Energy and Climate Change Minister Assimakis Papageorgiou, who said he was extremely optimistic regarding the Shah Deniz consortium's final decision. He stressed that the construction of the pipeline will place Greece on the international energy map and bring benefits on a geopolitical level, creating a positive investment climate and boosting competition for the benefit of consumers.