mseap

NEWS

Board View
SUBJECT [July 8] Greek Elections: Victory for New Democracy Party, new Prime Minister; Armenia Prime Minister seeks to boost ties with Vietnam; Speaker of Bosnian Parliament meets with President of the Federal National Council
DATE 2019-07-08
DOWNLOAD

 

PHOTO: CNN. Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the new Prime Minister of Greece

 

Conservative Kyriakos Mitsotakis is to become the next Greek Prime Minister after votes gave his New Democracy Party a parliamentary majority on Sunday, July 7th.

 

It was the sixth time in a decade that the Greeks went to the polls to elect a new government. It is also the first time the center-right party won the national elections since Greece exited a bailout regime a year ago, signaling a clean break with years of firebrand populism and a return to mainstream politics.

 

In his victory speech, Mitsotakis thanked the electorate for the “strong mandate” which he said would help him “change Greece”. He pledged to work hard to ensure every Greek citizen, particularly the young who were disproportionately impacted by the financial crisis and its aftermath, would be given the opportunity to “fulfill their potential.”

 

He also reiterated that his government will reduce tax, increase wages, boost investment and employment and added that he will make Greece’s voice stronger on the European stage.

 

The results from the election suggest a complete reversal of fortunes in Greece, with a return to a party that has been a pillar of Greece’s pre-bailout establishment. Initial projections for the ruling Syriza, Coalition of the Radical Left Party, give it 31.6% of the vote. In May, Syriza called a snap election after suffering a major blow in European Parliament elections.

 

“Today, with our head held high, we accept the people’s verdict. To bring Greece to where it is today, we had to take difficult decisions with a heavy political cost,” Alexis Tsipras, Greek Prime Minister and leader of leftist Syriza Party said during his concession speech.

 

The outgoing Prime Minister said he would hand the country to Mitsotakis in a better state than when he had inherited it with “restored credibility” and “positive growth rates.”

 

Syriza will command 86 seats in parliament and thus become the country’s main opposition party, a platform they will use to “defend the interests of the people,” Tsipras said.

 

In Greece’s new age of pragmatism, Mitsotakis personifies the country’s proactive, comprehensive reform plan that will lead the country out of the economic labyrinth. He called on the hundreds of thousands of Greeks who were forced to leave the country during the crisis.

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/07/world/europe/greek-elections-results.html

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/07/07/europe/greece-elections-new-democracy-intl/index.html

https://www.euronews.com/2019/07/07/watch-live-greece-elects-2019-is-this-the-end-of-the-line-for-tsipras-and-syriza

 

 

 

 

 

PHOTO: VNA. Armenian PM (middle) speaking at the working session with Vietnamese businesses in Hanoi, Vietnam on July 6th

Nikol Pashinyan, the Prime Minister of Armenia, had a working session with major Vietnamese businesses in Hanoi, Vietnam on Saturday, July 6th, to seek ways to facilitate bilateral trade and investment.

 

The event was attended by representatives of the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) and big enterprises in such industries as textile-garment, jewelry and information technology.

 

“The investment climate in Armenia is improving in a way that facilitates businesses’ development, and there are almost no barriers to foreign investment attraction there,” Pashinyan said.

 

Armenia is investing big in developing information and digital technology. It has also exported a number of high-tech products in the agricultural and processing sectors, which are also the fields the country wants to seek opportunities for investment cooperation.

 

Pashinyan said, “Armenia is looking for opportunities for investment and trade partnerships in certain aspects, including textile-garment, agricultural products, food, alcoholic beverages and dried fruit export, in which both Armenia and Vietnam have advantages and potential.”

 

At the session, the VCCI Chairman Vu Tien Loc voiced his belief that there remains much potential for the two countries’ economic relations.

 

He said, “Vietnam has demanded for many commodities of Armenia’s strength like machinery, equipment and textile-garment materials. Meanwhile, it can also step up the export of aquatic products, farm produce, electronic devices and apparel to the European nation.”

 

Echoing the view, Chairman of the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association (VITAS) Vu Duc Giang said, “There are numerous cooperation opportunities for Vietnamese textile-garment businesses and Armenian firms.”

 

He elaborated that VITAS imports a large volume of cotton, over 1.5 million tons each year, from foreign suppliers while Armenia holds potential for producing this commodity. Therefore, this can be an area in which the two nations can work together in the future.

 

Also, Pashinyan showed his interest in Vietnamese coffee products, noting that these might be potential products and if any Vietnamese companies wish, they could be assisted to develop their market in Armenia.

 

http://sggpnews.org.vn/business/armenian-pm-seeks-to-boost-trade-investment-ties-with-vietnam-82542.html

 

 

 

 

 

PHOTO: Borjana Kristo (left), Speaker of Bosnian Parliament with Dr. Amal Abdullah Al Qubaisi (right), President of the Federal National Council of the United Arab Emirates

On Sunday, July 7th, Dr. Amal Abdullah Al Qubaisi, President of the Federal National Council, met with Borjana Kristo, Speaker of the Parliament of Bosnia and Herzegovina, on the sidelines of the participation at the second meeting of the Standing Committee of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Mediterranean, which was held in Milan, Italy under the title of “The Alternative Capital Markets for Economic Growth in the Mediterranean: The Critical Role of Parliamentarians.”

 

During the meeting, both sides discussed improving their parliamentary relations, exchanging expertise and visits, strengthening their coordination and discussion on various issues during international parliamentary events, and supporting the directives of their governments.

 

They also highlighted their keenness to expand their overall cooperation in combating terrorism and extremism, achieving regional and international peace, security and stability, caring for refugees, and offering humanitarian and development aid.

 

Both sides then discussed the latest regional and international issues and developments, while affirming the importance of achieving global peace, security and stability, providing a better future for the world’s peoples, and maintaining global security and stability.

 

They also highlighted the strong strategic relations between the governments of the UAE and Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the importance of strengthening their political, parliamentary, economic, investment and commercial relations.

 

Dr. Al Qubaisi said, “The visions, plans, and strategies, as well as the leadership’s belief, of the UAE are the foundation of our development, while affirming the importance of strengthening the role of parliamentary institutions through parliamentary diplomacy and participation in combatting terrorism and extremism, and encouraging communication and cooperation between communities.”

 

Kristo praised the UAE’s humanitarian and developmental support for her country and its people, while highlighting her country’s keenness to enhance its overall cooperation with the UAE, and her appreciation for the FNC’s role in the area of parliamentary diplomacy.

 

http://www.wam.ae/en/details/1395302772715

 

By MSEAP Cyber Secretariat (mseap@assembly.go.kr