Subject: Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 17-05-08 From: "HR-Net News Distribution Manager" CONTENTS [01] PM Tsipras' next steps after conclusion of second review [02] FinMin Tsakalotos stresses need to combat tax evasion [03] Tourism Min Kountoura meets with Fabien Cousteau --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [01] PM Tsipras' next steps after conclusion of second review Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras will assume the responsibility to lead the country forward after the conclusion of the programme review, speeding up the government work and holding diplomatic contacts aiming at safeguarding the economy and Greece's geostrategic position. The prime minister outlined all the steps that need to be taken during the party parliamentary committee meeting. According to government sources, the draft law on the measures and the offset measures of the agreement is expected to be tabled in Parliament this week. Moreover, Tsipras will travel to China this week and he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. During his visit to China, Tsipras is likely to meet with IMF chief Christine Lagarde to discuss the debt issue, sources said. [02] FinMin Tsakalotos stresses need to combat tax evasion Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos on Monday stressed the need to combat tax evasion in order to increase tax revenues and reduce tax rates. Tsakalotos was addressing a conference of the Independent Public Revenues Authority on the dispute resolution and the protection of tax payers. The Finance Minister explained that the times when economic forces were uncontrollably tax evading has come to an end. "For many years, revenues in Greece were below the European average of 6-7 pct, a fact that was also considered legal tax evasion. This period has come to an end, the revenues must increase so that the tax rates are reduced," he said. He also stressed the importance of examining the issue of dispute resolution that is critical for the relations between tax payers and tax authorities. Referring to his meeting with the Bavarian State Minister for Finance, Dr. Markus Söder, he said that it aims to the provision of technical aid on our tax system. [03] Tourism Min Kountoura meets with Fabien Cousteau Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura met with ocean conservationist Fabien Cousteau, grandson of Jacques-Yves Cousteau, to examine cooperation possibilities. Fabien Cousteau has recently expressed interest in marine research programmes in Greece. At the same time, they discussed diving tourism issues. Kountoura gave Cousteau two films of the Greek National Tourist Organisation's archive regarding the work of Jacques-Cousteau and particularly the submarine excavations in the Aegean and Antikythera, and the exploration of the Britannic wreck. The famous oceanographer Jacques-Cousteau was invited by the then Greek government, the Ministry of Culture and the Greek National Tourism Organization, in the period from 1975 to 1977.