Subject: Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 17-02-17 From: "HR-Net News Distribution Manager" CONTENTS [01] ND lawmaker Koumoutsakos requests meeting of National Council on Foreign Policy [02] Mytaras funeral to be held on Monday, at public expense [03] Athens mayor slams government 'reluctance' to remove squatters from shelter for refugee children --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [01] ND lawmaker Koumoutsakos requests meeting of National Council on Foreign Policy New Democracy's shadow foreign minister Giorgos Koumoutsakos called for a meeting of the National Council on Foreign Policy on Friday, to discuss developments in Greek-Turkish relations. Koumoutsakos' proposal came after a Turkish military patrol boat fired shots in the area around the island of Farmakonisi, in the eastern Aegean. In a letter to Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias, the ND lawmaker expressed his deep concern over Turkey's insistence in causing provocations and maintaining a climate of tension in the Aegean, noting that the violations of Athens' FIR and the country's national airspace from Turkish fighter jets have become regular. [02] Mytaras funeral to be held on Monday, at public expense The funeral of Greek painter and academic Dimitris Mytaras will be held at public expense by order of Interior Minister Panos Skourletis. The funeral will take place on Monday at noon, at Athens 1st Cemetery. Mytaras passed away at the age of 83 on Thursday due to serious health issues which had resulted in the loss of his eyesight. "If you remove Mytaras from the history of Greek art, then you know it will be poorer," the Director of the National Gallery Marina Lambraki-Plaka once stated about the great painter. Born in 1934 in Chalkida, he studied at the Athens School of Fine Arts under Yiannis Moralis. He continued his studies in stage design at the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Arts Decoratifs in Paris. From 1964 till 1972, he directed the Interior Decoration Workshop of the Athens Technological Institute. He has participated in more than 30 international group shows, including the 1972 Venice Biennale. Mytaras was also selected to create one of the official posters for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. [03] Athens mayor slams government 'reluctance' to remove squatters from shelter for refugee children Athens Mayor George Kaminis on Friday again expressed impatience over what he called the government's "reluctance" to tackle the occupation of buildings by squatters. The mayor's criticism was prompted by the occupation in recent days of a Red Cross building in Athens, where the aid organisation had intended to house some 40 unaccompanied refugee children. Even though the building belonged to the Greek Red Cross and all necessary work had been done to prepare for the arrival of the refugee children, unidentified squatters had then moved in and taken over the building, he said. "A very important initiative and opportunity is in danger of being lost," Kaminis said, adding that both he and the municipality had promptly expressed their concerns over the conditions prevailing in squats, while denouncing the government's unwillingness to take serious action. "The protection of these children is a paramount obligation of every well-ordered state, which respects international rules and its obligations," he added.