Subject: Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 17-05-20 From: "HR-Net News Distribution Manager" CONTENTS [01] Fourth memorandum brings heavy burdens to all Greeks, ND leader Mitsotakis says [02] The ancient city of Aptera, Crete, to be revealed at special event in Athens [03] Tourism Minister Kountoura inaugurates 1st Greek Travel Show in Athens [04] Series of minor quakes jolted the Dodecanese islands --------------------------------------------------------------------------- [01] Fourth memorandum brings heavy burdens to all Greeks, ND leader Mitsotakis says Two days ago the fourth memorandum was voted by SYRIZA and Independent Greeks' deputies. A fourth memorandum which, unfortunately, brings very heavy burdens to the all the Greeks, mostly to the weaker, the pensioners and to the low incomes. For those that SYRIZA was, allegedly, giving a huge struggle, said New Democracy (ND) leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis who is visiting the island of Aegina on Saturday. The worst of all is that the fourth memorandum engages the country into a continuous austerity which will exceed the period after the end of the third memorandum, he added. The main opposition leader said that his party can lead the country out of the crisis and underlined that the society must not get trapped into a new circle of introversion, division, misery and defeatism. Mitsotakis said that New Democracy will work harder to present to all Greece its programme which is in parallel a realistic exit map from the crisis. [02] The ancient city of Aptera, Crete, to be revealed at special event in Athens The ancient city of Aptera, one of the most important cities of Ancient Crete will be presented in an event that will be held on Wednesday 24 May in the American School of Classical Studies at Athens. The event "Aptera, Research and promotion of an emblematic archaeological area for Western Crete" is organised by Chanian Antiquities Ephorate and the region of Crete in cooperation with the Cultural Society of Crete. Aptera was one of the most important city-states on Crete. Its strategic position on the Paleokastro Hill situated southeast of the natural port of Souda in Chania combined with the fertile valleys that surrounded it, supported its growth into a powerful trade and political centre. Aptera existed until the 7th century BC when it was destroyed by a strong earthquake. The many years of excavations and the restoration works implemented within the context of European and national programmes revealed the city's impressive fortification and the ancient theatre. Today, Aptera attracts more and more visitors who are impressed by its monuments and the view to Cretan mountains, the Souda Gulf and to Apokoronas hinterland. [03] Tourism Minister Kountoura inaugurates 1st Greek Travel Show in Athens Tourism Minister Elena Kountoura referred to the successful tourism policy and the target for tourism 365 days a year as well as to the strategic choice to develop the thematic tourism at the inauguration of the 1st exhibition Greek Travel Show that opened on Saturday at the Congress Center of Athens Helexpo Maroussi. "Our aim is to motivate a new tourist activity, additional revenues and employment as well as new works and investments to popular and new Greek destinations that we are promoting in order the profit to be allocated to the local economies throughout Greece all over the year" she said. She also referred to the excellent course of the Greece tourism in 2017 with spectacular increase in all tourist figures and after two record years. On the domestic tourism which has recovered she noted "We seek all Greeks to travel in their country, to get acquainted with every part of the country, with its history, the people and the local products and of course to enjoy the incomparable beauty and the hospitality of people". She also praised the contribution of the tourism and travel exhibitions adding that the Ministry and the Greek National Tourism Organisation will support any initiative that promotes the tourist product. [04] Series of minor quakes jolted the Dodecanese islands A series of minor tremors were recorded on Saturday in the sea region of the Dodecanese islands. A light quake measuring 4.3 on the Richter scale was recorded at 14:06 with epicentre 40km east of the island of Karpathos with focal depth 10km. At 14:11 a minor tremor measuring 3.5 on the Richter scale was recorded east-southeast of the same island. Two minor quake measuring 3.8 and 3.9 on the Richter scale were recorded earlier on Saturday 39 km south-southwest of the island of Kassos. No damages or injuries were reported.