Subject: Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 17-02-28 From: "HR-Net News Distribution Manager" CONTENTS [01] World Tourism Organisation sec gen Rifai to visit Athens [02] ZARO'S named best bottled water in the world [03] Agreement at technical level may be reached in the next two weeks, Europarliament VP Papadimoulis says [04] No migrants or refugees arrived on the northern Aegean islands in the last four days [05] No metro, tram on Wednesday and Friday --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [01] World Tourism Organisation sec gen Rifai to visit Athens The secretary general of the World Tourism Organisation, Taleb Rifai, will visit Athens from February 28 to March 3 at an invitation of Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura. Rifai will be the keynote speaker at a conference organised by the Tourism Ministry and the Greek National Tourism Organisation on sustainable tourist development. [02] ZARO'S named best bottled water in the world ZARO'S natural mineral bottled water won the golden prize award in the "Bottled Water" category in the framework of the 27th Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting, a competition which brought together more than 600 bottled waters from around the world. ZARO'S water, bottled from water sources located at the feet of the mountain Psiloritis in Crete, was evaluated by 12 judges -among them internationally famous water conoisseurs- who examined criteria such as smell, view, taste and texture. The evaluation process lasted two days. Artesia water -coming from the famous Crystal water falls of Michigan, USA ranked second and Svalbaroi Polar Iceberg Water, a Norwegian water -the so-called "100 euros water"- ranked second and third, respectively. It is the second successive distinction for ZARO'S water, after it has won the "iTQi" Superior Taste Award by the iTOi institute in Brussels last year. [03] Agreement at technical level may be reached in the next two weeks, Europarliament VP Papadimoulis says An agreement at technical level may be reached in the next two weeks so that the programme review is concluded in the next Eurogroup, European Parliament Vice President Dimitris Papadimoulis on Tuesday said in statements to the Athens Macedonian News Agency's radio station Praktoreio 104.9 FM. He also stressed that it is in everyone's interest to have the second programme review concluded as soon as possible. The conclusion of the second programme review will mean for Greece the gradual recovery of the economy and the reduction of unemployment. The creditors, he added, do not want the Greek issue to coincide with the election period in France and Germany. On the Turkish provocations, he said that they raise concern although they are made for domestic reasons and stressed the importance of Greece being adamant on the protection of its sovereign rights. "We are exiting a crisis with positive prospects and we are a pole of stability in a turbulent region," he stated. [04] No migrants or refugees arrived on the northern Aegean islands in the last four days No migrants or refugees arrived on the northern Aegean islands in the last four days, police said on Tuesday. Meanwhile,the number of stranded refugees, that have sought asylum and their request have not been examined yet, was 9,275. 4,259 were hosted in hotspots on Lesvos, 3,386 in hotspots on Chios and 1,628 in the hotspot on the island of Samos. [05] No metro, tram on Wednesday and Friday Workers on Athens fixed-rail transport systems (tram, metro and Kifissia-Piraeus electric railway) will hold 24-hour strikes on Wednesday and Friday in protest against legislation that hands over the commercial exploitation of STASY fixed-rail transport stations and premises to the Athens urban transport organisation OASA. According to fixed-rail transport unions, the change in the law will significantly reduce STASY's revenues and cause massive and irreparable harm by depriving it of legal income that undermines its public-sector nature.