Subject: Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 17-01-15 From: "HR-Net News Distribution Manager" CONTENTS [01] PM Tsipras speaks on the phone with Cyprus President Anastasiades [02] Collective labour contracts essential for fair growth [03] Japanese State Minister for Foreign Affairs Nobuo Kishi visits center at Eleonas [04] PASOK still has open political and ideological fronts with the right, says Gennimata [05] KKE leader: Gov't seeks another 'fair' compromise with EU and IMF --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [01] PM Tsipras speaks on the phone with Cyprus President Anastasiades Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades discussed on the phone the latest developments on the Cyprus issue and exchanged views ahead of the continuation of the conference on Cyprus, said Cyprus government spokesman on his on twitter on Sunday. On Saturday, the two top officials agreed on the need to take advantage of the negotiations dynamic for a viable and fair solution for the Cyprus issue according to UN resolutions and Cyprus' capacity as EU member-state. "Greece and the Republic of Cyprus come to the negotiations for the safety and the guarantees with determination and comprehensive proposals based on their principles and far away from anachronistic logics and approaches. For a re-united Cyprus without occupation troops and guarantees for the interest of whole the people of Cyprus" said Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras' press office announcement on his contact with Anastasiades. [02] Collective labour contracts essential for fair growth The restoration of the labour collective contracts is one of the essential factors for fair growth, underlined Labour Minister Efi Achtsioglou in an interview with the Sunday edition of Avghi newspaper adding that "the government works hard to restore the institution of collective negotiations". The minister said that "positive response on the issue of collective negotiations has been recorded in all our contacts at European level". She underlined that IMF's position and part of its participation in the Greek programme remains open adding that "the quicker it decides the sooner we will come close to an agreement". Referring to the mass layoffs issue, she said that "in a country with extremely high unemployment rate the issue is not the further facilitation of the mass layoffs but the strengthening of the employment and the labour protection". [03] Japanese State Minister for Foreign Affairs Nobuo Kishi visits center at Eleonas Deputy Migration Minister Yiannis Balafas visited with Japanese State Minister for Foreign Affairs Nobuo Kishi the refugees hosting center of Eleonas on Sunday. Kishi, who is paying a three-day official visit to Greece talked with the refugees for an hour and was briefed by UNHCR staff, interpreters and social workers on the refugees' every day life in Eleonas. [04] PASOK still has open political and ideological fronts with the right, says Gennimata Democratic Alliance and PASOK leader Fofi Gennimata on Sunday reiterated her invitation to all members of the area to rally with the Democratic Alliance, in her address to PASOK committee. We seek to become the big, the progressive majority wave that will have a decisive impact to the developments in Greece. That will impose the national consensus and will guarantee that the country's course to exit from the crisis will become reality". Moreover, she clarified that the party's line is crystal clear "Autonomous course, distinct and progressive role and reforms. Our strong opposition front against SYRIZA and Independent Greeks should never make us forget that PASOK continues to have open political and ideological fronts with the right. [05] KKE leader: Gov't seeks another 'fair' compromise with EU and IMF "The government seeks another 'fair compromise' with the EU and the IMF by integrating in the contingency mechanism the tax free limit and the pensions while it continues the bargaining on the measures after 2018" stated Communist Party (KKE) secretary general Dimitris Koutsoumbas in his speech in the central Greek city of Livadia on Sunday. KKE leader said that his party is fighting hard to regroup the working class movement to build the social alliance and to strengthen the party "in order to open the way for a better day for the Greek people".