Subject: Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 17-02-10 From: "HR-Net News Distribution Manager" CONTENTS [01] High-level meeting between Greece and its creditors concludes in Brussels [02] ADMIE elects new president and CEO after former executives' wage furore [03] No deal at farmers' meeting with ministers on Friday --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [01] High-level meeting between Greece and its creditors concludes in Brussels A crucial high-level meeting between Greece and its creditors, aimed at breaking the deadlock in the negotiations for the country's second program review concluded late on Friday in Brussels. Greece is represented by Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos and Alternate Finance Minister George Chouliarakis, while the other side will be represented by Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem, and the representatives of the institutions. [02] ADMIE elects new president and CEO after former executives' wage furore The supervisory board of state-owned Independent Power Transmission Operator (ADMIE) elected on Friday its new president and CEO, after the resignation and dismissal of their predecessors over their decision to increase their wages. ADMIE board member Athanasios Koronidis was named president and Yiannis Kambouris was named CEO. The board also appointed Ekaterini Vasiou and Kambouris as its members. The former president and CEO of ADMIE Manolis Koroniotakis and Ioannis Blanas used a 2015 law to increase their wages to 20,000 euros per month and receive a one-year back pay totaling 200,000 euros each. Koroniotakis submitted his resignation, but Blanas didn't and was fired by the company. According to ADMIE, the remunerations of Koroniotakis and Blanas will be calculated according to the salaries they received before they decided to increase their wages. [03] No deal at farmers' meeting with ministers on Friday Protesting farmers and government ministers failed to reach agreement during their meeting on Friday, with farmer representatives saying that the meeting had not "led to any positive results". They urged farmers to continue the roadblocks and said they would escalate their action, while calling on their fellow farmers to take part in a protest rally in Athens next Tuesday. A large delegation from the national protest blocks committee on Friday met with the agriculture ministry's leadership, in a meeting also attended by Deputy Labour Minister Tasos Petropoulos, Deputy Economy Minister Katerina Papanatsiou and Alternate Environment Minister Sokratis Famellos. The government ministers were more positive about the results of the meeting, with Rural Development Minister Vangelis Apostolou saying there had been a "fertile discussion" on issues that had no fiscal impact. He announced that the government would battle to establish a 'unseizable' minimum in farmers' bank accounts and said that the farmers had been presented with a 10-point plan for legal interventions designed to reduce production costs. Papanatsiou clarified that social insurance and tax legislation will not change, adding that the tax-free allowance for farmers will remain the same in 2017. She said that the government was reviewing the special tax on wine and the 'labour stamp' in family businesses.