Local Gov’t Reform Saves € 1.2 bln

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• Local Gov’t Reform Saves € 1.2 bln
• Diplomatic Corner
• Rescued Chilean Miners to Holiday in Greece
• Blue, Clean Waters
• ATHENA ’11 Crisis Management Con’f
• Hellenic Festival Feast Begins!

Local Gov’t Reform Saves € 1.2 bln Posted: 02 Jun 2011 01:42 AM PDT The merging of municipalities and the creation of regions to replace prefectures has saved Greece more than € 1 billion, the government announced on May 31. Interior, Decentralisation and E-Government Minister Yiannis Ragousis sent a letter to the country's party political leaders, which included official data concerning the streamlining of operations and finances of local government, one year after the enactment of the law on the Kallikratis Programme. According to this data, the fixed revenues of local authorities amount to € 4 billion for the municipalities and € 670 million for the regions, which more than cover the cost for their operation and the performance of their responsibilities - calculated to a total of € 3.8 billion for municipalities, and € 582 million for the regions, including the cost of servicing their loans. The minister also stressed that the overhauling of local administration has been accompanied by a 25% saving in operating costs compared to 2009. In fact, the scrapping of 709 municipalities and communities, the merging of 6,000 organizations into 1,500 and the replacement of 57 prefectures with 13 regions has reduced government spending by € 1.2 billion. Greek News Agenda: Kallikratis is reforming Local Administration

Diplomatic Corner Posted: 02 Jun 2011 01:42 AM PDT FM Visit to the Ukraine Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas carried out a two-day visit to Ukraine (May 30 -31). On the first day of the visit Droutsas had a one-on-one meeting with the Ukrainian Foreign Minister Kostyantyn Hryshchenko, followed by a meeting between the two delegations, during which a Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation between the two states was signed. The Greek minister expressed Athens' political will to broaden bilateral relations, especially in tourism and trade. He also noted that instructions were given to facilitate visa-issuing procedures by abolishing bureaucratic obstacles and said that Greece supports the abolition of visas for Ukrainian citizens, following the system applied for certain western Balkan countries. On May 31, Droutsas was received by Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, who underlined the "considerable momentum" in forging a "closer cooperation" between Greece and the Ukraine. While in Kiev, the Foreign Minister also met with Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov, the Speaker of the Ukrainian Parliament, Volodymyr Lytvyn, and representatives of the Greek Ukrainian community. He also gave a speech at the International Relations Institute, Taras Shevchenko Kyiv University. Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Bilateral relations with the Ukraine

Rescued Chilean Miners to Holiday in Greece Posted: 02 Jun 2011 01:42 AM PDT Thirty-three miners who, last year, had been rescued after having being trapped underground in a Chilean mine for more than two months, arrived with their families in Athens on May 31. The miners are visiting Greece at the invitation of the Hellenic Mining Enterprises (ELMIN), employees of which gave them a warm welcome at Athens airport. Yesterday, the miners were received by Hellenic Republic President, Karolos Papoulias and then visited the Acropolis Museum following an invitation by Culture & Tourism Minister Pavlos Yeroulanos. Today they are departing to Chania, Crete. Greek News Agenda: From Darkness to …Greek islands!

Blue, Clean Waters Posted: 02 Jun 2011 01:42 AM PDT The Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature -coordinator of the international Blue Flag programme in Greece- announced the awarded beaches and marinas for 2011, on May 25. Greece was awarded blue flags for 387 beaches and 9 marinas by the international non-profit Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), achieving second place among 41 countries worldwide. Among the 387 awarded beaches, 98 of them were on the island of Crete. The Blue Flag is an internationally recognised standard for quality, rewarding sustainable development at beaches and marinas, relying on strict criteria dealing with water quality, environmental education and information, environmental management, and safety. Meanwhile, the Special Secretariat for Water of the Environment, Energy and Climate Change Ministry released recently its report on bathing water quality, concluding that 95% of the bathing water in Greece is of exceptional quality. Special Secretariat for Water: Report on bathing water quality (in Greek); Visit Greece: Seaside in Greece [VIDEO]

ATHENA ’11 Crisis Management Con’f Posted: 02 Jun 2011 01:42 AM PDT The 13th International ATHENA '11 Crisis Management Conference is currently taking place in the city of Thessaloniki from June 1 to 4. The conference, which is under the auspices of National Defence Ministry, provides an international forum for new ideas, concepts and approaches concerning the field of crisis management. Featuring a range of special sessions, the Athena' 11 focuses on analyzing current instabilities in the international crisis management system and exploring emerging methods, possibilities for increased cooperation and specialization.

Hellenic Festival Feast Begins! Posted: 02 Jun 2011 01:42 AM PDT The Hellenic Festival kicks off on June 1, with two Greek National Opera productions, Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci, performed as a double bill on four consecutive evenings at the Herodes Atticus Theater, and two free-admission concerts set to take place on a specially constructed mobile stage in nearby Thiseio area. The festival is supporting rising talent while at the same time maintaining its ties to leading international artists. Tributes will have a leading role this year. Among them, a tribute to composers Iannis Xenakis and Gustav Mahler and to Nobel laureate poet Odysseas Elytis. The programme also features the screening of the documentary Bare Hands on Greek composer Dimitri Mitropoulos. This annual event has for the last 6 decades been a constant feature of the Greek summer. It takes places in several venues around Athens – most prominent of which is the Herodes Atticus Theatre - and at the Epidaurus Theatre and last 3 months. Hellenic Festival Programme; Kathimerini daily: Summer festival opens with Cav/Pag opera double bill

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