Three different protestations took place in the centre of Athens today. The Skaramagha shipyards workers who remain unpaid for the past 18 months, along with Metallurgy Workers Syndicate and the Workers Centre of Pireus marched from Omonia square to the Greek Parliament at Syndagma square. The Confederation of People with Disabilities protested outside the ministries of Employment and Finance.

Pensioners protesting against cuts in Social Solidarity Allowance for Pensioners (EKAS) and raised medicine prices were gathered at Kotzia square.

The Federations of Primary and Secondary Schools teachers held a Pan-Hellenic rally today at 6 pm. “Our participation in the rally is a way to protest against the Greek administration, European Union and IMF policies, resulting in the schools dissolution” the two federations stated in a common press release.

It should be noted that both federations will participate in the general strike of Wednesday November 6, declared by Greek Workers Confederation and Civil Servants Association.

Athens University and National Technical University staff, being on the 8th week of strike, decided to form a common front with employees of Wind, Vodafone and Ethnodata companies.

They gave a common press conference declaring their intention to participate in today’s rally at Propylea and in the general strike of November 6.

Greek Premier Antonis Samaras met with government vice-president and PASOK leader, Evangelos Venizelos.  The meeting agenda included planning of the forthcoming discussions with the Troika, the real estate tax and several other pending issues.

The two coalition government partners seem to agree against any new “horizontal” measures in view of Monday’s discussions with the Troika delegates.

Two more meetings were scheduled for today on the issues of Skaramagha shipyards and National Strategic Reference Framework (ESPA).  According to Mr. Venizelos’ statement, they will be followed by a series of meetings concerning ALL other issues until everything has been settled.

Radical Left Coalition – SYRIZA stated that “the bravados are over and the new measures will soon be implemented”. Democratic Left referred to a “limited revenue tax” and mockery in the face of the unemployed and the financially weak due to the so-called exemptions. The Greek Communist Party stated that “this taxation will lead to the Greek people’s annihilation”

S&P Dow Jones agency downgraded Greece from the level of “developed market” to that of “emerging market” today, due to issues at the Athens stock market and the constant shrinking of the market.

Russian Foreign minister’s visit to Greece signals a new era in the relations of the two countries. Sergey Lavrov stated that Moscow supports all efforts made by the Greek administration and expressed his country’s deep interest in Greek companies’ privatization in general and the National Railways in particular.
Mr. Samaras underlined the need for a further reduction in the natural gas price in order for the country’s development to be facilitated.
Mr. Venizelos described the relation between the two countries as a “strategic partnership” and included the improvement of the European-Russian relations among the goals of the Greek EU presidency.
Radical Left Coalition leader, Alexis Tsipras presented the Russian diplomat with a picture of the social crisis both in Greece and in Europe along with his party’s proposal towards exiting the crisis.

Mr. Lavrov pointed out the great potentials for collaboration between the two peoples and the two countries.