Athens News Agency: News in English, 07-03-15

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

CONTENTS

[01] PASOK on oil pipeline deal

[02] MPs tour new Acropolis Museum site

[01] PASOK on oil pipeline deal

"We are now entering a new period that is extremely crucial for the successful completion of this project. Trade agreements that are of paramount significance for all must follow now. Just like the transit agreements on the settlement of issues concerning taxation and transit dues as well," he said.

Papoutsis further pointed out that "the Greek people must know exactly what the partnership composition is of the joint venture undertaking the construction and operation of this major project, the pipeline. What the percentages will be of transit dues that will be provided for the Hellenic state, what will the percentages be that will be provided for the companies participating and what will the percentages be of dues provided for society and the local economy of Evros."

Lastly, PASOK's rapporteur said "we remind that the New Democracy party government has the obligation for a full and complete briefing of the Greek Parliament on the content of the agreement it signed today. We also remind of the commitment which is of vital importance for Greece for strong guarantees to exist for the protection of the environment in all the phases of the pipeline's construction and operation."

KKE, Coalition

The Communist Party of Greece (KKE) and the Coalition of the Left, Movements and Ecology (Synaspismos) party also commented on the signing of the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline agreement signed earlier in the day by Greece, Russia and Bulgaria.

"The need for the creation of alternative solutions for the transportation of oil and natural gas to our country, which is dependent as regards energy, must not lead the working classes to believe the celebrations of the government on the big benefits which it claims will result from the construction of the Burgas-Alexandroupoli energy pipeline," the KKE said in an announcement.

"Those who greatly benefit from the conclusion of this agreement is the European Union, Russia and the plutocracy of Greece, which makes an important step towards utilising the country as an energy corridor in the region," it added.

The KKE further stressed that "the claims of the government that the energy pipeline will function, by itself, as a factor of peace and stability are unfounded at a time when imperialist contradictions are intensifying in our region."

Coalition party Political Bureau member and economic and social policy rapporteur Panayiotis Lafazanis said that "the government, with the consent of the main opposition party, is delivering in an absolutely unacceptable way a project of strategic importance to private profiteering exploitation and to the selfish plans of companies aiming at the total takeover of the neuralgic sector of energy. It cannot be ruled out, indeed, that these private interests will then cede a part or all of their participation in the pipeline to American oil companies, such as the interested Chevron one."

[02] MPs tour new Acropolis Museum site

Voulgarakis stressed that the project is progressing as planned, with a completion date due this summer.

In a related development, MPs expressed concern over a warning issued by scientists a decade ago regarding the structural integrity of Acropolis Hill itself, which hosts the remnants of the Parthenon and other Classical-era structures. The deputies were assured that any problems will be dealt with by geologists.

Meanwhile, a study has been commissioned to ensure that the artifacts currently on display at the old museum atop the Acropolis will be safely transferred to the new museum, which lies across from the southern side of the Acropolis.

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