Subject: Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 17-02-22 From: "HR-Net News Distribution Manager" CONTENTS [01] Environment and Energy Minister Stathakis to visit Baku on Thursday [02] 'Offset' measures 'the greatest fraud since parallel programme,' KKE says [03] 145 refugees and migrants rescued off Chios --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [01] Environment and Energy Minister Stathakis to visit Baku on Thursday Environment and Energy Minister George Stathakis is due to visit Azerbaijan on Thursday, in order to attend the third ministerial meeting of the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) Advisory Council taking place in Baku to discuss related infrastructure projects. Stathakis is to meet European Commission Vice President and Commissioner for Energy Union Maroš Šefčovič, Trans-Adriatic Pipeline (TAP) Managing Director Ian Bradshaw, Bulgarian Energy Minister Nikolay Pavlov, BP Regional President for Georgia, Turkey and Azerbaijan Gordon Birrell and BP Vice-President for the SGC Joe Murphy. An environment ministry press release noted that the planning of the TAP, EastMed and IGB pipelines is a high priority for the European Union, which has included them in the Projects of Common Interest package for Energy Union. [02] 'Offset' measures 'the greatest fraud since parallel programme,' KKE says The 'offset' measures cited by the SYRIZA-ANEL government to justify the new massacre of the income tax allowance, pensions and labour law are "a greater fraud than even the 'parallel' programme," the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) said on Wednesday in a press release. "Not only because these measures diminishingly small compared to what wage earners and pensioners have lost and will lose or because they will always be given with the approval of the 'institutions' but also because they mainly concern support for capital through tax exemptions and other such interventions in the name of growth," KKE said. [03] 145 refugees and migrants rescued off Chios One hundred and forty-five refugees and migrants arrived in Chios on Wednesday breaking a two-week lull in arrivals. The first group of 18 people, six of whom were children, was located in the sea area near the Inousses islet complex. Authorities arrested the 38-year-old Turkish trafficker. The Coast Guard and Frontex then located two plastic boats with 127 people onboard. All passengers were transferred to the port of Chios and from there to VIAL registration center.