Subject: Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 17-02-10 From: "HR-Net News Distribution Manager" CONTENTS [01] Dijsselbloem: 'Substantial progress' has been made on Greek program review [02] Italian embassy to honour soldiers killed in 1944 'Oria' shipwreck on Sunday --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [01] Dijsselbloem: 'Substantial progress' has been made on Greek program review BRUSSELS (ANA/M. Aroni) – Greece and its creditors made "substantial progress" on the state of play over Greece's second program review and the two sides are close to agreeing on the conditions that will allow the return of the mission chiefs in Athens next week, Eurogroup President Jeroen Dijsselbloem said on Friday. "We made substantial progress today and are close to common ground for the mission to return to Athens the coming week," Dijsselbloem said after the high-level talks held between Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos, Alternate Finance Minister George Chouliarakis and representatives of the country's creditors. "There is clear understanding that timely finalization of the second review is in everybody's interest," he added, noting that any new progress will be discussed at the next Eurogroup on March 20. [02] Italian embassy to honour soldiers killed in 1944 'Oria' shipwreck on Sunday The Italian embassy in Athens is organizing on Sunday a ceremony at the monument for the victims of the ship "SS Oria" which sank in a storm on February 12, 1944, near the islet Patroklos, killing 4,115 Italian soldiers, heading to German concentration camps. The islet is located a mere 3 klm off the coast of Sounio, southeast of Athens. The event is scheduled at 11:00 on the 60 klm of the Athens-Sounio coastal avenue. "In this way, the embassy expressed its admiration for the humanity shown by the Greek people immediately and spontaneously, honoring every year the memory of the victims of this horrible tragedy," the embassy said. "We also wish to pay homage to the 4,115 Italian soldiers who lost their lives in this shipwreck, but at the same time to the many others who perished in similar conditions in Greece at that time," it added.