Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-11-29

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM Karamanlis tours natgas network

[02] Papandreou at Euro-Socialists meeting

[03] Greek survivors of Mumbai attacks safe in Paris, to return to Athens later in the day

[04] Athens Newspaper Headlines

[01] PM Karamanlis tours natgas network

Noting that the Liquefied Natural Gas station in Revithoussa had been constructed under preceding governments, Karamanlis said that his New Democracy government, in the space of 22 months, had in the summer of 2007 materialised one of the most significant energy investments in Greece, which concerned upgrading of the installation and thus tripling its capacity for supplying gas to the national grid.

The premier said that the project was continuing with the construction of a third storage tank so as to ensure the country's supply with natural gas for the coming decades.

Karamanlis also said that the extension of the natural gas network to Ahioi Theodoroi, for supplying the undistrial zone of Corinth, has been completed while relevant studies for further extension of the network to the Peloponese were currently being advanced.

The premier stressed that the first station will be Megalopolis, and in 2011 the present old-technology, polluting Public Power Corporation (PPC) electricity production units will be replaced by two ultra-modern plants that will be powered by natural gas.

The government, he said, was, "with actions, and not words", protecting the environment, and proving that economic growth and the environment were not incompatible meanings.

Karamanlis continued that this pipeline project creates the conditions for link-ups with major cities in the Peloponese, while in the coming period the extension of the natural gas network to 13 large regions of the country would also be completed.

The premier further stressed that natural gas consumption in Greece had doubled in the last five years.

All these, he said, were visible and tangible results of his government's energy strategy, a strategy which, with international agreements and major projects sucy as the Greece-Turkey pipeline and the Greece-Italy-Turkey interstate agreement, and the South Stream natural gas pipeline, was upgrading Greece's role and rendering the country a natgas transport hub from the Caspian to Europe.

[02] Papandreou at Euro-Socialists meeting

The central themes of the manifesto will be "New Direction for Europe" and "The Citizen First".

[03] Greek survivors of Mumbai attacks safe in Paris, to return to Athens later in the day

Prokopiou and Panagiotaki were met at Paris' Roissy Airport by Greek Consul Aikaterini Koika, and were due to return to Athens on another flight later in the day.

The two Greek citizens, as well as the other survivors, declined to make any statement to the media, while their expressed desire was "discretion" and their speediest possible return to Greece in order to forget "the nightmare in Mumbai".

A medical team and a psychological support team were waiting for the passengers at Roissy Airport, while it was apparent that the survivors' needs were mainly psychological support, given that only a young French woman had suffered a slight hand injury.

Prokopiou -- a businessman -- and Panagiotaki were staying at the Oberoi Hotel, one of the targets of the concerted attacks in Mumbai, and sepnt several hours as hostages before managing to escape. after which the Greek attache to India saw to their transport to Paris on the French airplane.

[04] Athens Newspaper Headlines

The Vatopedi Monastery scandal and abbot Ephraim's resignation, the global financial crisis, and the situation in the health sector were the main front-page items in Saturday's dailies.

ADESMEFTOS TYPOS: "Ephraim finito - He was...'resigned' by the Ecumenical Patriarch".

APOGEVMATINI: "The working people's bible - OAED (Manpower Employment Organization) 16-page guide on rights, benefits".

AVGHI: "Bipartisanism is hazardous to Health...".

AVRIANI: "Greece will be placed in state of emergency to confront the crisis - Public intervention by MIG (Marfin Investment Group) strongman Andreas Vgenopoulos".

ELEFTHERI ORA: "The Ecumenical Patriarch ousted Ephraim, while the former abbot claims that he resigned".

ELEFTHEROS: "Message/earthquake to ministers, bankers - Vgenopoulos (MIG vice president and Marfin Hellas president): State of emergency must be declared in Greece".

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "End to holiday loans - Banks introducing packages for re-financing of debts for overindebted borrowers - War in 'offers' of trips in view of the holidays".

ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "Where the 'crisis' package should be channeled - Five politicians and economists give their recipe".

ESTIA: "Inter-party agreement necessary to avert political impasse".

ETHNOS: "ND once again planning 'escape' from parliamentary preliminary investigation committee on Vatopedi affair".

KATHIMERINI: "Hiring in health sector without ASEP (public sector hiring examinations board) procedures - Karamanlis-Papandreou" consensus.

LOGOS: "Hiring in health sector without ASEP procedures".

NIKI: "Withdrawal of Ephraim from center stage - He will no longer have administrative and management duties".

RIZOSPASTIS: "ND and PASOK turned health into commerce at the people's expense".

TA NEA: "Crisis brings holiday austerity, as merchants begin discounts of up to 50 percent".

TO VIMA: "Government steps to curb tax-evasion".

VRADYNI: "Strong and quality ESY (National Health System) - Karamanlis called for support of the political forces and the citizens".

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