Athens News Agency: News in English, 09-03-04

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

CONTENTS

[01] Int'l Friends of Kazantzakis society presents awards

[02] Painter Yiannis Palaiologos dies

[03] SEB assumes UBCCE presidency

[04] SEB assumes UBCCE presidency

[05] Parliament president on global crisis

[06] Tourism conf' on global crisis

[07] ASE : Marginal rise

[01] Int'l Friends of Kazantzakis society presents awards

The Society wa set up 21 years ago in Geneva, where Eleni Kazantzaki was living, and aims at promoting the great Greek thinker and author's work and, in that context, the Greek intellect and culture in general.

The Society paid tribute to Bakoyannis for ther "material and moral" contribution to its work, and especially for the mobilization of the Greek embassy's around the world on the events organized by the Society in 2007 marking the 50th anniversary of Kazantzakis' death.

Commendments were also awarded to Cyprus former education minister Claire Angelidou, the ambassadors of France and Switzerland in Athens, secretary general for information Panos Livadas and secretary general for communication Maria Papada, ANA-MPA director of the Greeks Abroad desk Diamantenia Riba, Greek state radio ERA 5 and journalist Noah Parlavatzos, and Crete University rector George Grammatikakis, who is also president of the Kazantzakis Museum Foundation.

[02] Painter Yiannis Palaiologos dies

Palaiologos was one of the top representatives of moderm Greek figurative painting, and a student of Yiannis Tsarouchis, with whom he had collaborated in the decoration of the renowned Athenian cinema theater Rex.

His works have been presented in numerous one-man shows and group exhibitions, while one of his most recent paintings is on display at the Athens War Museum in a group exhbition titled 4 Seasons, which runs through Sunday.

His funeral will be held at 3:30 p.m. on Thursday at the Koropi cemetary, northeast of Athens.

[03] SEB assumes UBCCE presidency

The UBCCE, headquartered in Istanbul, is a non-governmental international Union composed of central, private, voluntary, nationally representative, horizontal business organizations from the countries neighbouring or having strong geographical ties with the Black Sea and Caspian Region.

The UBCCE's objectives are:

- to establish institutionalized cooperation between central, voluntary, private, non-governmental, horizontal business organizations from member countries with a view to assisting the economic and social development of the region.

- to permit concerted action by these central, voluntary, private, non-governmental, horizontal business organizations vis-à-vis governments and the business community, favouring the adoption, where necessary, of policies conducive to the better functioning of a market economy under optimal conditions for member countries.

- to promote the social and economic interests of the companies represented by its members.

- to provide its members with information, carry out commissions studies, adopt positions and promote these.

[04] SEB assumes UBCCE presidency

The UBCCE, headquartered in Istanbul, is a non-governmental international Union composed of central, private, voluntary, nationally representative, horizontal business organizations from the countries neighboring or having strong geographical ties with the Black Sea and Caspian Region.

The UBCCE's objectives are:

- to establish institutionalized cooperation between central, voluntary, private, non-governmental, horizontal business organizations from member countries with a view to assisting the economic and social development of the region.

- to permit concerted action by these central, voluntary, private, non-governmental, horizontal business organizations vis-?-vis governments and the business community, favoring the adoption, where necessary, of policies conducive to the better functioning of a market economy under optimal conditions for member countries.

- to promote the social and economic interests of the companies represented by its members.

- to provide its members with information, carry out commissions studies, adopt positions and promote these.

[05] Parliament president on global crisis

Sioufas told reporters afterwards that "there is no doubt that the entire world and Europe are facing an -- unprecedented in the post-war period -- financial crisis, the repercussions of which are also touching Greece".

He said that the present crisis had different characteristics than those of the '70s and '80s, but also of beginning of the current decade, adding that no one could safely predict the depth and intensity of the crisis.

Sioufas said, however, that he was among those who believe that this crisis can be converted into a significant opportunity for the economy, society and the country itself.

With prudence, cool-headedness, national understanding and social solidarity, and with the proper interventions, the effects of the crisis can be drastically restricted, he said, adding that this was everyone's responsibility -- the political leaders, social partners, banking system and the business community itself.

Caption: Parliament president Dimitris Sioufas outside the Maximos mansion (government's headquarters) on Wednesday 4 March 2009/ANA-MPA/ALEXANDROS BELTES

[06] Tourism conf' on global crisis

Petralia noted that not a single wage must be lost by hotel employees, so that they may receive the work benefit for the period in which the hotel unit is closed.

She also called on hotel owners to manifest responsibility in this difficult conjuncture, and outlined her ministry's policies for boosting domestic tourism, noting that this year, for the first time, the number of people eligible for social tourism will be 700,000 from 400,000 last year.

Panhellenic Federation of Hoteliers president Andreas Andreadis painted a black picture of tourism movement, noting that hotel reservations were currently 20 percent down from the same period last year, and called for a second package of tourism-boosting measures to be taken, if required, in order to belie speculation that tourist arrivals in 2009 would drop by 10 percent over last year.

Andreadis noted, however, that the reduction in the throughput fee at Athens International Airport (AIA) and abolition of landing fees would be a breather for the tourism industry, as the cost reductions would be passed on to visitors to Greece through discounts on the overall price of their tourist packages.

He further said that the Greek hoteliers would do everything possible to maintain the jobs in the sector and keep their hotels open for the entire tourism period, stressing that they have already made substantial discounts in the packages offered without discounts in the quality of their services. He noted that the discounts reached 30 percent for reservations in May, and 20 percent for the rest of the tourism period.

Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) president Constantine Michalos said that the creation of an independent Chamber of Tourism would not be the advisable solution for exiting the crisis, given that the times required the uniting of forces, rather than fragmentation.

Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of Employment Minister Fani Palli-Petralia

[07] ASE : Marginal rise

Individual sector indices were moving mostly upward, with the biggest gains in Public Utilities, up 3.18 percent; Personal & Household Goods, up 2.83 percent; and Construction, up 2.55 percent.

The biggest losses were Travel & Recreation, down 1.53 percent; Financial Services, down 0.94 percent; and Banks, down 0.48 percent.

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavily traded stocks was up 0.09 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index was up 1.17 percent, and the FTSE/ASE-80 small cap index was up 0.03 percent.

Of the stocks moved, 89 were up, 83 were down, and 57 were unchanged.

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