Greek Politics:

Ρωσικό ενδιαφέρον για τις έρευνες ορυκτών και υδρογονανθράκων στην Ελλάδα
Συνεργασία Ελλάδας και Ρωσίας στους τομείς των γεωλογικών ερευνών για υδρογονάνθρακες συμφωνήθηκε, κατά το ρωσικό πρακτορείο ΡΙΑ-Νόβοστι, στην πρόσφατη συνάντηση, που είχαν στην Αθήνα, ο γενικός διευθυντής της ρωσικής εταιρείας «OAO Rosgeologia», Ρομάν Πάνοφ και ο πρόεδρος της Copelouzos Group, Δ. Κοπελούζος, με τον υπουργό Παραγωγικής Ανασυγκρότησης, Περιβάλλοντος και Ενέργειας, Παναγιώτη Λαφαζάνη.  

An exclusive report has published in the Kremlin on Monday prepared by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs states that President Putin has ordered an immediate deployment of at least 125 special forces operatives to Greece to “insure the protection of life at all costs” of that nations new Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.

According to this report, Prime Minister Tsipras took office this past week after his Coalition of the Radical Left (SYRIZA) party won a “blowout” election victory sending shockwaves through the corridors of power in both the European Union and the United States.

Upon taking office, this report continues, Prime Minister Tsipras further “shocked and stunned” both the EU and US by holding his first official government meeting with Ambassador of Russia to Greece Andrey Maslov.

In addition to those special forces authorized by Ambassador Maslov to protect Prime Minister Tsipras, this report states, President Putin’s new order authorizes a further deployment to Greece of Foreign Intelligence Service operatives and a contingent of specialists from the Psychological Security Department (PSD) of the Presidential Security Service (SBP).

- See more at: http://www.sahos24.com/english/2015/02/02/3113#sthash.QDaKhOsW.dpuf  

"Athens, February 18, 2015
Dear President of the Eurogroup,
Over the last five years, the people of Greece have exerted remarkable efforts in economic adjustment. The new government is committed to a broader and deeper reform process aimed at durably improving growth and employment prospects, achieving debt sustainability and financial stability, enhancing social fairness and mitigating the significant social cost of the ongoing crisis.

The Greek authorities recognise that the procedures agreed by the previous governments were interrupted by the recent presidential and general elections and that, as a result, several of the technical arrangements have been invalidated. The Greek authorities honour Greece's financial obligations to all its creditors as well as state our intention to cooperate with our partners in order to avert technical impediments in the context of the Master Facility Agreement which we recognise as binding vis-a-vis its financial and procedural content.

In this context, the Greek authorities are now applying for the extension of the Master Financial Assistance Facility Agreement for a period of six months from its termination during which period we shall proceed jointly, and making best use of given flexibility in the current arrangement, toward its successful conclusion and review on the basis of the proposals of, on the one hand, the Greek government and, on the other, the institutions.

The purpose of the requested six-month extension of the Agreement's duration is:
(a) To agree the mutually acceptable financial and administrative terms the implementation of which, in collaboration with the institutions, will stabilise Greece's fiscal position, attain appropriate primary fiscal surpluses, guarantee debt stability and assist in the attainment of fiscal targets for 2015 that take into account the present economic situation.
(b) To ensure, working closely with our European and international partners, that any new measures be fully funded while refraining from unilateral action that would undermine the fiscal targets, economic recovery and financial stability.
(c) To allow the European Central Bank to re-introduce the waiver in accordance with its procedures and regulations.
(d) To extend the availability of the EFSF bonds held by the HFSF for the duration of the Agreement.
(e) To commence work between the technical teams on a possible new Contract for Recovery and Growth that the Greek authorities envisage between Greece, Europe and the International Monetary Fund which could follow the current Agreement.
(f) To agree on supervision under the EU and ECB framework and, in the same spirit, with the International Monetary Fund for the duration of the extended Agreement.
(G) To discuss means of enacting the November 2012 Eurogroup decision regarding possible further debt measures and assistance for implementation after the completion of the extended Agreement and as part of the follow-up Contract.
With the above in mind, the Greek government expresses its determination to cooperate closely with the European Union's institutions and with the International Monetary Fund in order: (a) to attain fiscal and financial stability and (b) to enable the Greek government to introduce the substantive, far-reaching reforms that are needed to restore the living standards of millions of Greek citizens through sustainable economic growth, gainful employment and social cohesion.
Sincerely,
Yanis Varoufakis
Minister of Finance
Hellenic Republic"

(Reuters) - Former French President Valery Giscard d'Estaing, once a champion of Greece's EU membership, now believes Athens should consider leaving the euro single currency to avoid inflicting the pain of deflation on its people

Giscard is a longtime friend of Greece. He pressed Greece's EU candidacy over German objections, clearing the way for Athens to join what was then called the European Economic Community in 1981. Two decades later Greece joined the euro.

In an interview at his Paris home, Giscard said Greece faced a difficult choice. On Tuesday, the Greek government approved another round of austerity measures as protesters clashed with police outside parliament. Its economy will shrink again next year, a fifth straight year of recession.


"Greece could stay in the euro zone but it is very difficult to achieve economic recovery with a strong currency," the 85-year-old former president said. "Is it better to use a national currency for a period, or have the safety of a strong currency? It is Greece's choice."

US Preparing Coup to Prevent Greece from Falling Under Russian Influence



by Kurt Nimmo | Infowars.com | July 6, 2015
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The United States and Germany are prepared to engineer a coup in Greece to keep the country operating as a strategic asset on NATO’s vulnerable southeast European flank.

“A putsch in Athens to save allied Greece from enemy Russia is in preparation by the US and Germany, with backing from the non-taxpayers of Greece – the Greek oligarchs, Anglo-Greek shipowners, and the Greek Church,” writes John Helmer, the longest continuously serving foreign correspondent in Russia not connected to the corporate media.

The primary tip-off something is brewing can be detected by the presence of Victoria Nuland, assistant secretary of state for European and Eurasian affairs, in Athens in March.

Nuland, The Guardian reported on March 17, “flew into the capital amid mounting US concerns that the great euro debt crisis has begun to pose a geopolitical threat. Allowed to veer out of control, Greece could end up in the ambit of Russia, financially bereft and without the EU links that keep it bounded to the west. Nato’s south-eastern flank would be immeasurably weakened at a time of mounting global security worries over Islamic fundamentalists in the Middle East.”

Nuland and the United States may be working closely with Greek military to foment a coup following the historic “No” vote in a referendum of the demands of the banksters.

She is notorious for her role in the overthrow of the democratically elected government of Ukraine and it now appears she has been assigned for a repeat in Greece. Helmer writes that when Nuland

visited Athens to issue an ultimatum against breaking the anti-Russian sanctions regime, and the Anglo-American think-tanks followed with warnings the Russian Navy is about to sail into Piraeus, the object of the game [became] clear. The line for Operation Nemesis has been that Greece must be saved, not from itself or from its creditors, but from the enemy in Moscow.

Russia to Rescue Greece from Bankers

Russia is reportedly prepared to help Greece as it battles the banksters on Wall Street and Brussels. It is believed a Greek exit from the eurozone will move the country closer to Russia and deepen divisions within NATO.

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras of the socialist Syriza party said in mid-June an alignment with Russia is possible and hinted Greece was “ready to go to new seas to reach new safe ports.”

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov and Deputy Prime Minister Arkady Dvorkovich said during the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum Russia would consider providing loans to Greece if requested.
Greek Military Sends Strong Message

On Friday a number of Greek military officers publicly called for a “yes” vote.

“Retired General Fragkoulis Fragkos, a former defense minister and one-time head of the Greek army general staff, called for a ‘loud yes on Sunday.’ In 2011, Fragkos was cashiered by then-Prime Minister George Papandreou amid rumors of a coup,” writes Alex Lantier.

Clearly referring to Tsipras, Fragkos said that “the moral values and principles that have always defined us Greeks are not under negotiation with any clueless and historically ignorant politician who is advancing his own party interest.”

A group of 65 retired high-ranking officers issued a statement citing their “oath to the Fatherland and the Flag” and warning, “By choosing isolation, we place the Fatherland and its future in danger.”

Tsipras and Syriza prepared for a possible coup in January by shuffling military staff.

“The leadership (of the military and intelligence services) was changed,” sources told Heller, “but not radically. The defense minister (Panos Kammenos) is rightist so there are no ‘radicals’ in command.”
Greek Military is an Operation Gladio Asset

US intervention in Greece is nothing new. Between 1987 and 1989 the US made a concerted effort to overthrow the elected Greek government of Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou.

Prior to this in 1967 the Greek military installed the Regime of the Colonels following a coup d’état .

The Greek military was under the control of the CIA following Greece’s entrance into NATO in 1952. Elements of the Greek military were part of the CIA’s “stay behind” network under Operation Gladio and these elements (specifically LOK, or Lochoi Oreinōn Katadromōn, i.e. “Mountain Raiding Companies”) were directly involved in the 1967 coup.

Mitsotakis starts to shape new ND team

Kyriakos Mitsotakis held his first meetings as New Democracy leader on Tuesday and began putting together his frontline team. Mitsotakis held separate talks with two of his predecessors, Costas Karamanlis and Antonis Samaras, on Tuesday lunchtime. There were no leaks regarding the content of the meetings but after speaking with Karamanlis, Mitsotakis said there had been a “very good” atmosphere during the gathering.

http://www.ekathimerini.com/205010/article/ekathimerini/news/mitsotakis-starts-to-shape-new-nd-team

KiloGolf wrote:The opposition has a new leader, more of a centrist guy but he seems to be more serious than Meimarakis.

Mitsotakis starts to shape new ND team

Kyriakos Mitsotakis held his first meetings as New Democracy leader on Tuesday and began putting together his frontline team. Mitsotakis held separate talks with two of his predecessors, Costas Karamanlis and Antonis Samaras, on Tuesday lunchtime. There were no leaks regarding the content of the meetings but after speaking with Karamanlis, Mitsotakis said there had been a “very good” atmosphere during the gathering.

http://www.ekathimerini.com/205010/article/ekathimerini/news/mitsotakis-starts-to-shape-new-nd-team

George1 wrote:

KiloGolf wrote:The opposition has a new leader, more of a centrist guy but he seems to be more serious than Meimarakis.

Mitsotakis starts to shape new ND team

Kyriakos Mitsotakis held his first meetings as New Democracy leader on Tuesday and began putting together his frontline team. Mitsotakis held separate talks with two of his predecessors, Costas Karamanlis and Antonis Samaras, on Tuesday lunchtime. There were no leaks regarding the content of the meetings but after speaking with Karamanlis, Mitsotakis said there had been a “very good” atmosphere during the gathering.

http://www.ekathimerini.com/205010/article/ekathimerini/news/mitsotakis-starts-to-shape-new-nd-team

It is possible that potami (river) party and even Pasok to merge into New Democracy

2nd opinion poll shows New Democracy leading Syriza by 3.3%



A second opinion poll in as many days shows that main opposition party New Democracy (ND) has stormed ahead of governing Syriza a week after the election of Kyriakos Mitsotakis in the leadership of ND. The poll by Alco for newspaper Proto Thema shows that ND is ahead of Syriza by 3.3%. Yesterday a poll by Metron Analysis for Parapolitika showed the lead of the main opposition party at 3.7%.

Alco’s poll shows that the ruling party lost almost half of its strength since the September 2015 elections, whereas half of the respondents say that the election of Mitsotakis is a positive development. The voting intentions are as follows:

New Democracy: 21.3%
Syriza: 18%
Communist party KKE: 5.4%
Golden Dawn: 5.2%
Pasok-Dimar: 3.1%
Centrists Union: 2.6%
Independent Greeks: 1.9%
Potami: 1.6%
Popular Unity: 1.3%

http://www.thetoc.gr/eng/politics/article/second-opinion-poll-shows-new-democracy-leading-syriza

Greece does not often have the chance to show the world the value of an independent judiciary and of other democratic institutions, the chance to honor the principles of Europe.

But on Thursday, despite the dangers that this may bring upon the country, the Supreme Court rejected Turkey’s request for the extradition of eight members of the Turkish military whom Ankara accuses of being involved in the attempted coup of July 15.

It was not an easy decision, as the course of the issue had shown from the day after the coup attempt, when the eight arrived in the northern town of Alexandroupoli in a helicopter and requested asylum.

But from the moment that the Turkish government’s campaign against real or perceived opponents undermined the Turkish judiciary’s independence, the Greek judges had no real choice. Extraditing the eight would have left an indelible stain on a nation that has only its pride and democratic ideals left after years of crisis, after the gross devaluation of its name and property.

As political opportunism and expediency sweep the world – in Greece and Britain, in other European countries and the United States – the Greek judges’ verdict becomes even more important. It displays the independence and courage needed to fortify democracy.

Everywhere. In Britain, the judges who ruled that Brexit had to be debated in Parliament were branded “enemies of the people” by supporters of Britain’s exit from the EU.

Donald Trump’s election has lead to an unprecedented attack on news media that don’t see things as he does. We can only imagine how he will react to any judicial decisions that he does not like. Across the world, judges will be on the front line in the battle between justice and chaos.

When “might makes right” begins to dominate everywhere, the Greek judges’ verdict is cause for respect as well as pride.

The angrier Ankara’s response, the more important the verdict. It is imperative that we press home simple truths – that the issue is not whether we like or agree with those whom Turkey accuses of treason but whether they would be granted a fair trial in their country, whether their lives would be in danger.

Turkey’s judiciary is under the thumb of a government that has said it intends to reinstate the death penalty retroactively. The Greek judges carried out their obligation to decide without considering the political consequences.

Extraditing the eight would have damaged not only the standing of Greece’s judiciary but the very idea of justice.

It would have tainted all Greeks, whose myths, literature and history are a series of brave decisions and often desperate acts against the “right” of the mighty.

Thursday's ruling may cause damage in the short term, but it is a breath of air and a moment of pride on an endless uphill slog.

Sujoy wrote:George1 will have a better idea if this is exactly how things are unfolding

Greece Rushes to Establish Military Alliance With India As Turkey, Pakistan Develop Close Defence Collaboration

https://eurasiantimes.com/greece-rushes-to-establish-military-alliance-with-india-as-turkey-pakistan-inch-close-to-defence-pact/


https://twitter.com/NikosDendias/status/1321801258034958337?s=20

George1 wrote:Υes its true, because Pakistan traditionally supports Turkey's positions in foreign affairs. Ιndia also stated that they respcet the International Law of the Sea