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Athens News Agency: News in English, 07-05-04Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] Karamanlis confers with interior minister over coming 4th CSFPrime Minister Costas Karamanlis met on Friday with interior, public administration and decentralisation minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos, who briefed him on actions by the heads of regions to use future EU's 4th Community Support Framework (CSF) -- 2007 to 2013 -- and ahead of a relevant conference next Friday in the Peloponnese city of Nafplio.Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Pavlopoulos said the Nafplio conference will lay the foundations for the 4th CSF, "which have never been put in place so early, in the past" so that "we can move ahead with the 4th CSF, for the good, primarily, of the provinces." Pavlopoulos reminded that Greece's National Regional Development Plan (ESPA) has already been approved by the EU, noting that there were also "good messages" on the course of the Greek economy and reduction of the state deficit. He also reiterated that 82 percent of the CSF and the corresponding national participation would be chanelled to the periphery. Additionally, he stressed that absorption of the Regional Operational Programmes had been at 15.6 percent when New Democracy (ND) took over the government, whereas now it had exceeded 60 percent. [02] Euro Final Four this weekend in AthensAthens' Panathinaikos will be among the four European teams competing in this weekend's Euroleague basketball Final Four being played in the Greek capital.Panathinaikos, the winners of the 2002 trophy, will face tough Tau Ceramica of Spain in the semi-finals. The winner will meet either Russian powerhouse CSKA Moscow, last year's champions, or Spain's Unicaja Malaga, which makes its first appearance at the Euro Final Four. The games will take place in Athens' Olympic indoor stadium amid tight security. Caption: Panathinaikos' Costas Tsatsaris (L) battles with Tau's Luis Scola during a European championship play-off match between the two teams earlier in the year at the Athens Olympic indoor stadium, Wednesday, April 12, 2007. ANA-MPA/ INTIME SPORTS/ G. MATTHAIOS. [03] FM on official visit to China next weekForeign Minister Dora Bakoyannis will pay an official six-day visit to China next week, where she will meet with China's prime minister, foreign minister, the 2008 Olympic Games Organising Committee chief and other political and business leaders.Foreign ministry spokesman George Koumoutsakos said Bakoyannis would begin her May 8-13 visit to China in Shanghai, where she will attend a Greek-Chinese business conference, and then head to Beijing, where she will hold her various meetings. On May 11, Bakoyannis will attend a concert marking the 35th anniversary of the commencement of diplomatic relations between Greece and China, to be held in the Forbidden City. Bakoyannis will be accompanied by Deputy FM Evripides Stylianidis, Koumoutsakos said. Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of Bakoyannis. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |