http://www.presseurop.eu/en The best of the European press in 10 languages enhttp://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/news-brief/896861-qatar-invests-greek-banksTa Nea, along with the rest of the Greek press, delightedly reports on what amounts to an "interbank honeymoon" in the wake of the "marriage of the year": the merger of Alpha and Eurobank, the second and third largest Greek banks, assisted by a cash injection from Qatar, which is "the largest foreign investment in Greece in years." The 29 August announcement of the merger was particularly well received by the markets, with the Athens stock exchange gaining 14%. "Thanks to the support from Qatar which has provided 500 million euros for a 17% stake, the new entity will now become the largest bank in Greece and the Balkans. The merger will also pave the way for the opening of the Greek banking sector," explains Ta Nea.

(News in brief)]]>Tue, 30 Aug 2011 13:45:19 +0100896861 http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/news-brief/521021-madrid-turns-qatar-financial-help"Helping hand for savings banks," headlines ABC, in the wake of the announcement made by Qatari Premier Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani, on the occasion of José Luís Rodriguez Zapatero’s visit to the Arab Gulf States: Qatar "will  invest 2.7 billion euros in the Spanish economy and 300 million in the  recapitalisation of Spanish banks," which, the Madrid daily explains, are very vulnerable in the wake of the collapse of the property market. The money is to be provided Qatar Investment Authority, which is funded by oil and gas revenues. ABC notes that Qatar is the third largest gas supplier in Spain, and, in the light of the politically unstable situation in the Maghreb, which could affect supplies from Algeria and Libya, it was natural for Madrid government to turn to its counterpart in the Arab state. With regard to Spanish companies, the newspaper points out that, in the run-up to the Doha World Cup in 2022, they will participate in the bidding for Qatari infrastructure projects worth an estimated 150 billion dollars (€108.5 bn).

(News in brief)]]>Tue, 01 Mar 2011 12:57:05 +0100521021 http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/news-brief/486881-911-mystery-menOne of the rare European dailies not to devote its front page to events in Egypt, the Daily Telegraph reveals the existence of the "9/11 gang that got away." According to the newspaper’s report – based on information from WikiLeaks – "three Qatari men conducted surveillance on the targets, provided 'support' to the plotters and had tickets for a flight to Washington on the eve of the atrocities." The three men, who left the United States for London and later travelled on to Doha, are still being sought by the FBI. The existence of the three presumed terrorists was revealed by cable between the US embassy in Doha and the Department of Homeland Security in Washington.

(News in brief)]]>Wed, 02 Feb 2011 11:29:56 +0100486881 http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/news-brief/415421-european-fury-over-world-cup-racket“Russia-Qatar. Only goal: money!” headlines Le Soir, somewhat bitter after Russia and Qatar won the bidding to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. So much for the Belgian-Dutch, English, and Spanish-Portuguese bids. This decision “falls right in with the trend towards moneymania and excess”, rages the Brussels daily. “The football racket was born about 20 years ago, driven by personalities like Berlusconi and Bernard Tapie [ex-president of Olympique de Marseille], and has flourished ever since – especially in England thanks to Russian magnates and Persian Gulf princes (how symbolic!).”

(News in brief)]]>Fri, 03 Dec 2010 11:54:16 +0100415421 http://www.presseurop.eu/en/content/article/106641-all-pipelines-lead-ankaraWed, 30 Sep 2009 14:31:56 +0100106641