Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 16-06-15

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM Tsipras: The strategic management of Greece's image is a necessity of national importance

[02] PM Tsipras to meet UN Sec-Gen Ban Ki Moon on Saturday

[03] Burdens have been allocated more fairly, says gov't spokeswoman Gerovassili

[04] Greece has met all the prior actions, Dijsselbloem says

[05] Government delegation heads to Beijing to prepare PM's China visit

[06] UN Secretary General says he hopes Cyprus issue will be resolved by end of 2016

[07] Government sources, ND continue to contend over 'Resign' movement

[08] We are experiencing days of rampant authoritarianism, ND spokesman claims

[09] Varoufakis on Greek 'depression' and homelessness at INSP Global Street Paper Summit

[10] South Korean official Kim Sang-Kyu visits Crete regional authority

[11] Greek economy to return to growth in second half of 2016, says Economy minister

[12] Athens International Airport signs contract with Intracom Telecom for operational network upgrade

[13] Olympia Group buys 33.34 pct in Softone Technologies

[14] Greek employers cautiously optimistic over hiring prospects in Q3, ManpowerGroup

[15] Philoxenia and Hotelia exhibition to be held in Thessaloniki in November

[16] Illegal tobacco trade cost Greek state 637 mln euros in lost revenue, KPMG report

[17] Greek stocks end slightly lower

[18] Greek bond market closing report

[19] ADEX closing report

[20] National Opera to mark World Music Day with concert at EMST

[21] New app for Etz Hayyim Synagogue introduces visitors to history of Cretan Jews

[22] Police complete evacuation of remaining refugee and migrant camps around Idomeni

[23] Evacuation of two remaining camps near Idomeni started early Tuesday

[24] 57,042 identified migrants and refugees in Greece on Tuesday

[25] Greek anti-establishment protesters occupy French consulate in Patras

[26] '5th Thessaloniki Pride' festival kicks off next week

[27] Fire burning forest in western Attica, no houses in danger

[28] Mostly fair on Wednesday

[29] The Tuesday edition of Athens' dailies at a glance Politics

[01] PM Tsipras: The strategic management of Greece's image is a necessity of national importance

Tsipras stressed that "we must draft a comprehensive plan of communication policy, because if we do not take care of our country's image, someone else will do it for us" and announced eight initiatives that will directly improve the image of Greece.

Doubling the advertising expenditure in tourism sector

Implementing a communications programme and activities in all public sector entities

Cooperation and connection of the press offices of the ministries with the Secretariat General of Information and Communication aiming at the promotion of the government work in the domestic and foreign market

Communication initiatives by ministry, fame trips organization, action of distinguished and innovative personalities (ambassadors)

Portal dedicated to the actions of each ministry with a clear and common communication identity

Communication support to small and large initiatives which will act as an attraction of international interest

The promotion of Athens can be one of the strategies to improve the country's image

A more extended and in depth study of Greece's image today both in the country and outside the country

The next meeting of the Council of National Communication Policy will take place in October, Tsipras announced and concluded: "There is still much work to do and everyone must be committed that will work in order to have the desired results."

The Council of National Communication Policy is responsible for the strategic planning, the evaluation and drafting of national communication policy as well as the central management of the the communication crises.

Its mission is the building and coherent management of the country's positive picture in Greece and abroad.

Interior Minister, Economy Minister, Defence Minister, Culture Minister, Foreign Minister, Finance Minister and State Minister responsible for communication policy participate in the council which is supported by the General Secretariat of Communi-cation.

It is the first meeting following its adoption by the Greek Parliament.

[02] PM Tsipras to meet UN Sec-Gen Ban Ki Moon on Saturday

[03] Burdens have been allocated more fairly, says gov't spokeswoman Gerovassili

She expressed the government's optimism that "with the completion of the review and with all those tools that have been created, Greece will stop this recessionary course in the second half of 2016."

Gerovassili underlined that this is the first year that salaries were not reduced, pensions were not reduced and the first home was protected which were our priorities in the negotiation with our lenders adding that the Labour Ministry has now ensured that European institutions' cooperation on labour issues in order to face higher demands mostly from the IMF and the conditions to solve these issues in a positive way as the first review.

Referring to the allocation of the burdens, she said that they were moved on those citizens that can bear the burden and not on those that have suffered the most from the memoranda and can't bear additional burdens.

[04] Greece has met all the prior actions, Dijsselbloem says

The president of the Eurogroup Jeroen Dijsselbloem on Tuesday said he believed that the ESM will approve the disbursement of the 7.5 billion euro loan tranche as Greece has met all the prior actions.

Dijsselbloem was speaking at the economic and monetary committee of the European Parliament in Brussels.

In reply to a question by SYRIZA MEP Dimitris Papadimoulis, Dijsselbloem underlined that Greece and its lenders have entered a different phase. Comparing the current situation to the situation last summer, the president of the Eurogroup said that last year the trust between Greece and its creditors was hurt, but since then things have changed a lot. "The climate is different; we work constructively. Of course differences exist, but we continue to work constructively," he said.

He also said that the roadmap for the debt relief has already been drafted . As he said, there are measures that can be taken earlier, but the debate on the Greek debt will be completed after the end of the Greek programme. He added that more can be done on the debt after 2018.

Finally, he admitted that the target of 3.5 percent of GDP surplus after 2018 is not realistic and may be lowered in the following years. He cleared out, however, that the issue of the primary surplus will not be raised at a Eurogroup level now, but by the end of the year.

[05] Government delegation heads to Beijing to prepare PM's China visit

According to a foreign ministry announcement, other members of the mission include Finance Ministry General Secretary for Fiscal Policy Fragiskos Koutentakis and special advisor to the government vice-president Dimitris Kontofakas, as well as Bank of Greece director for the Government Financial Operations and Accounts Department Efthymios Gatzonas.

The prime minister's trip will focus on issues concerning bilateral economic relations.

[06] UN Secretary General says he hopes Cyprus issue will be resolved by end of 2016

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed his belief on Tuesday that the Cyprus issue will be resolved by the end of the year, following a meeting in Brussels with top EU officials.

"The leaders of both sides have demonstrated commitment and significant progress has been made on pending issues," the secretary general said. "I am strongly encouraging them to make a progress, of course if they can take a good decision until the end of this year it would be most, most welcome," he added at a press conference after talks with European Council President Donald Tusk, the European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker and the president of the European Parliament Martin Schulz.

He also said he will make every effort to support the "difficult decision-making process".

On his side, Juncker said "this is the time to end this painful process" and urged both sides to complete it before Ban's tenure at the U.N. ends.

[07] Government sources, ND continue to contend over 'Resign' movement

"ND has adopted a political plan whose main axis is the formula: 'economic difficulty and anti-democratic deviation = social unrest.' This plan is very fashionable, at this time, against left-wing governments in various parts of the world," the sources noted. Now that its plan did not fit Greece's reality, ND was trying to force reality to fit its plan, they added.

"However much ND has bled to achieve the opposite, the review has concluded, the government did not face a state of political crisis and the demand for elections has degenerated into a political joke," the sources said.

Attacking the government and SYRIZA party in an announcement on Tuesday, ND said that "they have admitted that they are the worst and most authoritarian government of the post-junta era." The government had found nothing to say in response to criticism levelled by ND leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis about the way the government had downgraded Parliament, the announcement said, "just as they found noting to say about the actions, omissions and behavour of government members that offend the Constitution and the democratic order."

[08] We are experiencing days of rampant authoritarianism, ND spokesman claims

"We are experiencing days of rampant authoritarianism," said Koumoutsakos noting that the governing parties are collapsing.

Both of them attacked the government on how it tables the bills in the parliament as well as the fact that ND's request for an examining committee in relation to what happened in the economy in 2015 and we were led to the memorandum has not proceeded.

"Before these practices, ND is obliged to sound the alarm bell. These practices are not acceptable," stated Koumoutsakos.

[09] Varoufakis on Greek 'depression' and homelessness at INSP Global Street Paper Summit

Referring to his sensational half year at the helm of Greece's finance ministry, a roller-coaster ride that began in euphoria and ended with capital controls, Varoufakis said that division within the then government was to blame for the failure of the negotiations with the country's creditors and the dashing of voters' hopes.

As a result, Greece was now struggling with "depression, economic and psychological, and anger," he said.

According to the economist and former minister, the question was how to convert this depression and anger through a political process into hope.

"I very much fear that we cannot do this on our own in Greece. I fear and hope that this is a systemic crisis throughout Europe. It is not a Greek crisis. The question is whether we here in Greece can form alliances with political forces in all of Europe, in order to put pressure on the political system to deliver a new deal," he said.

During his speech, Varoufakis revealed that one of his proposals to the creditors during the 2015 negotiations had been the formation of a "bad bank" that would allow Greek banks to take non-performing loans off their books and clean up their loan portfolios, so they were once again able to lend to profitable businesses. According to Varoufakis, the troika showed absolutely no interest in this proposal and insisted that banks quickly offload problem mortgages to distress funds, which would then "chase after the owners, evict them, foreclose properties and put them up for auction."

This would have led to an "explosion" in the number of homeless people in Greece, Varoufakis said, predicting that the foreclosures that will begin in the next three or four months in the country will be "rapid, vile and brutal, making the problem of homelessness in Greece even more acute."

This modern version of homelessness, he added, was part of Europe's denial of a need to change the architecture of the economic system and introduce a "new deal" on a macroeconomic level, like that offered by U.S. President Roosevelt in 1933. He also commented on the turmoil in France over labour issues, saying this was the extension of policies first imposed on the deficit countries in the periphery of Europe to countries at the core, like France and Germany.

Talking about the refugee crisis, Varoufakis was deeply critical of the EU-Turkey agreement, calling it "scandalous" and "something of which we should be collectively deeply ashamed". What Europe had done, according to Varoufakis, was to "bribe an imperial Turkish president that attacks his own citizens" with six million euros, in order that "he allow the EU to violate international law."

[10] South Korean official Kim Sang-Kyu visits Crete regional authority

Financial News

[11] Greek economy to return to growth in second half of 2016, says Economy minister

"I'm optimistic that in the second half we'll get into positive territory and the economy will show results quickly," he told journalists.

Asked about capital controls and when he expects them to be lifted, Stathakis said: "There's a plan, which has not been announced yet, for a continuous relaxation of controls. I don't think there's anyone who can make a safe a safe prediction at this time [on when they will be lifted]. The recovery of the economy and especially the positive messages from the banking system is the crucial point to talk about a reverse course of the economy."

[12] Athens International Airport signs contract with Intracom Telecom for operational network upgrade

The project involves a highly available campus data network infrastructure able to support VoIP, video and data services, a Single Call Control entity with enhanced Unified Communication and Collaboration (UCC) and mobility services as well as a Contact Center with multitenant functionality.

Due to the criticality of the airport operations and specific operational KPI's that are in place, the project is a very demanding one thus AIA, requires a phased migration approach, providing parallel operation between the current and future voice & data network environment.

The project is expected to be implemented within 2 years and maintained for 3 years afterwards.

[13] Olympia Group buys 33.34 pct in Softone Technologies

Olympia Group, owned by Greek businessman Panos Germanos, said this investment in the Greek market was supplementary to the group's activities and in particular in the retail and distribution technology sector, where Softone has significant know-how and presence both in the domestic and international markets.

The deal also allows Olympia Group to develop synergies and expanding the prospects of Softone's access to new markets, such as Poland and other Northern Europe countries.

Softone Technologies is a business software product and services company and has an established presence in Romania, Serbia, Cyprus and Bulgaria, with a customer base of more than 15,000 companies.

[14] Greek employers cautiously optimistic over hiring prospects in Q3, ManpowerGroup

The report showed that from a total 750 employers included in the survey on employment outlook in the third quarter of 2016, a 20 pct expected an increase in the number of workers, an 8.0 pct a decline, a 67 pct expected no change in their workforce and a 5.0 pct of employers said they did not know if there were going to be any change.

Total employment outlook was +7 pct in the third quarter of the year, relatively stable compared with the previous quarter and compared with the same quarter last year. Greek employers expect an increase in their workforce in seven out of nine sectors of economic activity, particularly financial services, insurance, real estate and transport/communications. In the agricultural sector, employers expect a steady increase in workforce, while positive expectations were recorded in the public sector and the commerce sector. On the other hand, employers in the construction sector were pessimistic over hiring along with employers in the electricity/natural gas/water sector.

Employers in the wider Attica region were more optimistic over employment outlook, while hiring prospects rose by two percentage points in Northern Greece.

Employers in large and medium sized enterprises were most optimistic over employment outlook, while employers in very small enterprises were pessimistic expecting a decline in their workforce.

[15] Philoxenia and Hotelia exhibition to be held in Thessaloniki in November

All the Greek businesses and professionals operating in the sector of tourism and accomodation will participate in the exhibition which aims at "its further internationalisation," according to the organisers TIF-Helexpo's announcement on Tuesday.

107 hosted buyers from 32 countries visited the Philoxenia exhibition in 2015 and took part in over 3,000 meetings with exhibitors.

The hosted buyers are from the area of tour operators, MICE, Corporate and media and take part in meetings exclusively with exhibitors. This year the meetings will be accompanied by a series of parallel event, workshops and happenings.

The Philoxenia B2B Workshops, the Branding Destinations by Philoxenia Congress and the happening focus on new cooperations and agreements between the exhibitors and the visitors.

DPOINT SPACES will be held within Hotelia exhibition which presents and promotes the sectors of food and hotels, in which recognised Greek architects will introduce special hotel installations along with the event "the Art of Drinking" during which top experts from the sector of beverages and coffee will present their techniques.

[16] Illegal tobacco trade cost Greek state 637 mln euros in lost revenue, KPMG report

The report showed that in Greece, the vast majority of illegal cigarettes were "illicit whites" (six out of 10), ranking Greece second in the consumption of "illicit whites" in the European Union. "Illicit whites" are cigarettes usually legally produced in one country with the aim to be smuggled to other countries. KPMG, however, said that increased controls in Greece slightly reduced consumption of "illicit whites" to 19.8 pct in 2015. Poland, Greece, Italy, Romania and Spain are leaders in the consumption of "illicit cigarettes" in the EU.

In Greece, four tobacco companies (Papastratos, British American Tobacco Hellas, Imperial Tobacco and Japan Tobacco International) have launched a joint initiative called "Campaing" to coordinate and intensify efforts towards combating illegal tobacco products in Greece.

[17] Greek stocks end slightly lower

The composite index fell 0.19 pct to end at 593.45 points, off the day's lows of 580.06 points. The Large Cap index eased 0.10 pct and the Mid Cap index ended 0.14 pct higher. Turnover was a low 66.998 million euros in volume of 116,035,570.

Mytilineos (3.27 pct), PPC (3.14 pct) and National Bank (3.13 pct) scored the biggest percentage gains of the day among blue chip stocks, while Folli Follie (3.67 pct), Jumbo (3.49 pct) and Motor Oil (1.90 pct) suffered heavy losses.

Among market sectors, Raw Materials (3.27 pct) and Utilities (1.78 pct) scored big gains, while Commerce (3.67 pct), Personal Products (3.03 pct) and Telecoms (1.79 pct) suffered losses. Piraeus Bank and National Bank were the most heavily traded securities of the day.

Broadly, advancers led decliners by 52 to 49 with another 19 issues unchanged. Nereus (16.05 pct), Alpha Astika (9.51 pct) and Euroconsultants (9.38 pct) were top gainers, while Boutaris (19.28 pct), Athina (18.52 pct) and Dionic (18.18 pct) were top losers.

[18] Greek bond market closing report

In interbank markets, interest rates moved lower. The 12-month rate fell to -0.021 pct from -0.018 pct, the nine-month rate fell to -0.090 pct from -0.089 pct, the six-month rate was -0.161 pct, the three-month rate rose to -0.266 pct from -0.267 pct and the one-month rate was -0.358 pct.

[19] ADEX closing report

General News

[20] National Opera to mark World Music Day with concert at EMST

The programme will include music by Britten, Stravinsky, Rachmaninoff, Ravel, Bernstein and others, while entrance is free of charge, with the issue of priority coupons.

This is the second collaboration between the National Opera and the EMST, in the context of efforts to set up a new "culture" axis along Syngrou Avenue, with the EMST, national opera and the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre (SNFCC).

[21] New app for Etz Hayyim Synagogue introduces visitors to history of Cretan Jews

"This free tourist application will constitute an important tool, allowing users immediate access to the rich history of the Jewish community of Chania and Crete," the Charg? d'Affaires of the Embassy of Canada in Greece, Julie Cr?teau, said during the presentation adding that the Chania synagogue is an important symbol and sample of the Jewish community on the island.

On her side, the Charg? d'Affaires of the Embassy of Israel in Greece, Tammy Ben-Haim, said it is important for people to know the history of this Jewish community in Crete which dates back 2,000 years.

The app was developed by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Centre of Hellenic Studies at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, with the support of the Canadian and Israeli embassies and the Etz Hayyim Synagogue.

Later in the evening, members of the Greek Jewish community and other officials attended a ceremony to commemorate the Cretan Jews who were killed by Germans during World War II, at the monument of the "Tanais" ship victims.

On May 1944, the Nazis gathered about 300 Jews from Chania and other parts of Crete as well as other Cretans, members of the resistance, and some Italians, whom they ordered on the "Tanais". On their way to the mainland, the ship was torpedoed and all passengers were killed.

[22] Police complete evacuation of remaining refugee and migrant camps around Idomeni

Eleven coaches carrying 630 refugees and migrants from Afghanistan, Syria, Pakistan, Morocco, Algeria, Bangladesh, west Sahara and Iraq left for accommodation centres in Vagiochori, Inofita and the former Softex factory at Kordelio. One additional coach will soon be departing from the hotel at Polykastro, where some more refugees are located.

As on Monday, the evacuation was carried out calmly, with refugees boarding the coaches willingly, though eight foreign nationals (five German, two Spanish and one Polish) had to be detained during the process.

On Monday authorities evacuated an informal camp set up around a petrol station on the Athens-Thessaloniki highway at Polykastro, a few kilometres from Idomeni, transferring 1,158 refugees from Iraq and Syria to a hosting centre at Vassilika. The operations on Monday and Tuesday, following the evacuation of the main camp near the village of Idomeni in late May, complete the evacuation of the entire Idomeni region of the thousands of refugees and migrants that been living there in very poor conditions for several months, since the border with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) was closed.

[23] Evacuation of two remaining camps near Idomeni started early Tuesday

On Monday 1,158 refugees from Iraq and Syria left voluntarily from the camp they had set up at the parking lot of a gas station at Polykastro (a few kilometres away from Idomeni). The refugees were transferred to the hosting center at Vassilika.

The new refugee centre at Vasilika is on the Thessaloniki-Vasilika road and can accommodate up to 1800 refugees and migrants. Some families with children opted to leave Vasilika immediately after their arrival for other centres, while local residents also object to the decision to set up the camp there.

[24] 57,042 identified migrants and refugees in Greece on Tuesday

According to the Refugee Crisis Management Coordination Body's figures, 23,527 of the refugees are in northern Greece, 9,935 are hosted in the region of Attica, 8,449 on the Greek islands and 2,371 are hosted in different areas in central and southern Greece. 5,501 refugees and migrants are hosted in several facilities rented by the UNHCR, those that are staying in non-organised facilities (5,759) while approximately 1,500 persons are living outside organised facilities.

[25] Greek anti-establishment protesters occupy French consulate in Patras

The protesters hang banners and sprayed slogans on the walls, distributed flyers to passersby and used the fax to send protest documents to France, embassies and ministries. According to information, consulate officials didn't call the police and no damages have been caused.

[26] '5th Thessaloniki Pride' festival kicks off next week

The festival will start on June 22 with a cocktail party at Kalapothaki Street and the trans forum at the Ecopolis venue. On Thursday (June 23), a photography and art exhibition is planned, while on Friday (June 24) organizers are holding an outdoor party for the evening on Chrimatistirio square.

The festival will conclude on Saturday with the "Pride" parade on the city's main streets which will start at 19:00 (local), at Lefkos Pyrgos.

The deputy mayor for tourism and international relations, Spyros Pengas, said the municipality is not funding the event this year but is supporting its organization.

[27] Fire burning forest in western Attica, no houses in danger

About 30 firemen along with 12 vehicles, 6 fire-fighting airplanes and 4 helicopters have been deployed in the area to fight the flames. A fire department spokesman told ANA-MPA earlier that houses are not threatened.

Weather forecast

[28] Mostly fair on Wednesday

[29] The Tuesday edition of Athens' dailies at a glance

DIMOKRATIA: They cut the EKAS benefit from the poor

EFIMERIDA TON SYNTAKTON: PASOK and New Democracy officials behind the movement "resign"

ESTIA: Conveniently fines for tax evasion

ETHNOS: Express penalties for environmental violations

IMERISSIA: The Brexit virus

KATHIMERINI: The side effects of overtaxation

NAFTEMPORIKI: 10 small banks for bad loans

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