Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-07-09

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

CONTENTS

[01] Greek, German economy ministers

[02] Municipal Police bill approved

[03] Barcelona Initiative summit in Paris

[04] Athens Newspaper Headlines

[01] Greek, German economy ministers

Glos also said that it was important to maintain a steady course in Greece's reforms program, while noting that the reverberations of the international crisis have reached Europe.

Alogoskoufis, in turn, said that the policy of stability and reforms must continue, while there must also be flexibility for boosting the financially weaker strata.

He said that this was a critical period for the international economy, adding that the European Commission was drafting a scheme for better confrontation of the repercussions that have already appeared in inflation, growth and interest rates.

The two ministers also discussed Greek-German relations, which Alogoskoufis said were at a "very good point", and that the the Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation (OTE)-Deutsche Telekom (DT) agreement was a very significant development, while they also expressed the hope that German investors will manifest the same interest in Greece in the future.

Glos further invited Greek investors to select the German economy for their investors.

To a question on the Siemens scandal, Glos explained that, "as a state, we have no relation" to the affiar, adding that "it is the courts that are seeing to the materialisation of the just state, while the company itself is doing everything possible to resolve these matters of the past", and stressing that the new leadership at Siemens has earned the German government's "absolute confidence".

Caption: Economy and finance minister George Alogoskoufis (L) with German economics and technology minister Michael Glos (R). (ANA-MPA/P. Saitas)

[02] Municipal Police bill approved

In statements afterwards, Pavlopoulos said that the bill was important because it delineated the relations between police and municipal police, which he explained needed to function complementarily, with specific roles, so that the Greek Police (ELAS) could deal with routine issues falling strictly under its authorities, whereas the municipal police would deal with local affairs, and consequently allowing both forces to be more effective in the exercise of their duties.

He said that the draft law precisely determines the authorities of the municipal police, adding that this was made possible following the introduction of the Municipalities and Communities Code that sets out the authorities of the first and second degree local government organizations.

Thus, he continued, the municipal police knows what it must do, leaving ELAS to deal with its own duties, and in a manner that renders both police forces more efficient.

The bill further organizes the municipal police as an autonomous entity with its own infrastructures, while it also foresees the establishment of a hierarchy and promotions/retirements in its leadership.

Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of General Police Directorate (GADA) headquarters in Athens.

[03] Barcelona Initiative summit in Paris

?The Union of the Mediterranean is an excellent opportunity promoting growth in the region through the materialization of specific programmes of developmental, economic and social dimension,? foreign ministry spokesman George Koumoutsakos told a regular press briefing on Wednesday.

The French initiative has been backed by Greece from the beginning through specific proposals.

Meanwhile, FM Bakoyannis will be present at the meeting between PM Karamanlis and his Spanish counterpart Jos? Luis Rodriguez Zapatero scheduled for Thursday at noon at the government headquarters in Athens.

Caption: Foreign minister Dora Bakoyannis. (ANA-MPA/M. Marogianni)

[04] Athens Newspaper Headlines

New evidence on the Siemens scandal, Tuesday�s meeting of main opposition PASOK party cadres under leader George Papandreou, and a Siemens-Public Power Corporation SA (PPC) project were the main front-page items in Wednesday�s dailies.

ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: "Water is the only thing not imported from China - 109 tons of imported goods impounded".

APOGEVMATINI: "14,250 work opportunities - Detailed lists with available job positions".

AVGHI: "Despite the crisis the EU '27' insist on neol-iberal policies - (European Commissioner) Almunia warns of aggravation of crisis in the months to come".

AVRIANI: "New shocking revelations will cause more turbulence across the political landscape".

CHORA: "Who are conspiring against PM Karamanlis? - Destabilization of political scene sought".

ELEFTHERI ORA: "Ministers� alchemies in the culture ministry - Parliament to receive prosecutor investigation findings on the ministry�s special account movement in 2001-2007".

ELEFTHEROS: "Two prosecutors target three ministers on the management of millions of euros by the ministry of culture".

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "Government ministers under the microscope on the culture ministry special accounts - (Former culture ministry general secretary) Zachopoulos case investigation activates law on government minister accountability - Tens of millions of euros illegally withdrawn under PASOK and ND governments".

ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "3.3-million-euro gift from PPC to Siemens - Penalty clause erased while electricity consumers are inadequately served in the midst of the heatwave".

ESTIA: "Political system reaches an impasse - ND expansion a likely solution".

ETHNOS: "PPC subsidy to Siemens - 3.3-million-euro penalty clauses erased, while scandal continues to unfold".

KATHIMERINI: "Public debt widens due to international crisis - Loans of over 37 billion euros".

LOGOS: "(ND MP Petros) Tatoulis on the way out - Expulsion issue is open".

NIKI: "PPC-SIEMENS together in 2008 - Provocative 42-million-euro contract in March".

RIZOSPASTIS: "ND and PASOK propose reactionary interventions in the operation of political parties - Cross-party committee on political black money".

TA NEA: "Minister�s shadow behind the Siemens kickbacks - Scandalous contract signed in 1998".

TO VIMA: "Ruling ND MPs defend their right to speak their mindm reacting to the imposition of a party-applied gag".

VRADYNI: "Picture becomes clearer on the 10-million-DM kickbacks".

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