Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 02-05-08

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Deterrence & foreign policy to establish security for Greece, premier says

[02] FM spokesman denies reports of Nativity Church Palestinians arriving in Greece

[03] Bulgarian premier to arrive in Greece on Thursday for unofficial visit

[04] ND leader congratulates Chirac, Raffarin

[05] Eurozone growth rate over 2.5 per cent by year's end, ECOFIN says

[06] Chinese tourism official in Athens for talks

[07] Arabs interested in Greek tourism

[08] Four freighters hoist Greek flag

[09] Thousands of Greeks visit Istanbul during Easter

[10] Britain's Prince Charles arrives at Mount Athos

[11] Greeks almost at the bottom of EU's book readers, Eurobarometer report says

[12] Clerides and Denktash enter fourth round of direct talks

[13] Spokesman says UN notes not a form of agreement on Cyprus

[14] Cyprus abides by EU list of terrorist organizations

[01] Deterrence & foreign policy to establish security for Greece, premier says

Athens, 08/05/2002 (ANA)

''Greece is not alone at the edge of Europe anymore. It is part of the European Union, which has set procedures for the resolution of any and all crucial problems neighboring countries think they have with Greece, always in the framework of the implementation of international law and international regulations,'' Simitis added.

The Greek premier also expressed his optimism that ''in a few years' time the surroundings will have changed drastically, these years, however, will not be easy and without confrontations''.

In his speech, Simitis also made mention of the Union's policy for island regions, adding that in cooperation with Interior Minister Costas Skandalidis a regulation will be tabled in Parliament mandating special treatment in state hirings for local residents of the Aegean islands.

He also spoke of issues related to the island's passenger shipping connections with the mainland and of construction projects of sports installations as part of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.

The municipality of Kastelorizo named Simitis an honorary resident.

Skandalidis, Aegean Minister Nikos Sifounakis, PASOK Parliament deputies and local officials, accompanied the premier.

During his stay on the small Aegean island the premier visited men of the country's armed forces.

[02] FM spokesman denies reports of Nativity Church Palestinians arriving in Greece

Athens, 08/05/2002 (ANA)

He added that Greece will continue its mediation effort to lift the impasse, but that did not mean that Greece would accept Palestinians on its territories.

[03] Bulgarian premier to arrive in Greece on Thursday for unofficial visit

Athens, 08/05/2002 (ANA)

Saxe-Coburg-Gotha will depart from Thessalo-niki on Friday morning for his one-day visit to the monastic community of Mount Athos where the Bulgarian Orthodox Church maintains the monastery of Zografou.

[04] ND leader congratulates Chirac, Raffarin

Athens, 08/05/2002 (ANA)

''Allow me to express my warmest congratulations for your reelection to the highest office of the French Republic. The historic dimension of your victory reaffirms the commitment of the French people to the grand democratic ideals,'' Karamanlis' telegram said.

In his telegram to Raffarin, Karamanlis stressed ''the important issues, which your government is called on to face, which in turn are in their majority common problems to both our countries, need, as elsewhere in Europe, a strategy of changes, for which you have the necessary credentials''.

[05] Eurozone growth rate over 2.5 per cent by year's end, ECOFIN says

BRUSSELS, 08/05/2002 (ANA - Y. Zitouniati)

Specifically, the ministers said that the rate of growth was expected to outpace 2.5 per cent, with inflation stable around 2 per cent.

Greek Economy Minister Nikos Christodoulakis, who represented Greece, said that this economic recovery is helpful for the Greek economy, which has higher rates of growth than that of the rest of Europe.

He added that the higher rates of the Greek economy's growth make the job creation targets more attainable, while at the same time it helps maintain the inflation in check.

This effort of maintaining inflation under control, he added, includes such actions as the combatting of profiteering, increased checks in the market for prices hikes following the euro's introduction and the protection of consumers.

The 12 ministers of the Eurozone also discussed the coordination of the zone's economic policies, concluding that they would avoid formalistic procedures and will table the issue to the European Union's Conference on the Future of Europe now underway.

ECOFIN ministers also discussed in depth a first European Union tax, which will be levied on energy, thus adopting a proposal tabled by the Spanish presidency. The tax will be applied over a ten-year adjustment period and will take into account the problems that might arise from such a tax to the industry.

The 15 finance ministers decided to continue the subsidizing of the Union's airliners' insurance payments for as long as that is done by the United States for their airlines.

They also met with the representatives of trade unions and employers and ascertained the need for maintaining the competitiveness of businesses and controls of salaries, as well as the creation of new jobs.

[06] Chinese tourism official in Athens for talks

Athens, 08/05/2002 (ANA)

The Athens talks are a continuation of talks, which had begun last month when Georgakopoulos had visited Beijing to further strengthen and promote Greek-Chinese relations on issues concerning tourism as well.

The Chinese delegation will also be visiting Ancient Olympia and Epidauros.

Greek-Chinese talks will continue with a visit former Chinese Alternate Prime Minister Kou Li Langing will be paying to Greece on May 17-22. The Chinese official will meet with Development Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos.

[07] Arabs interested in Greek tourism

Athens, 08/05/2002 (ANA)

Greek Tourist Organization (EOT) President Yiannis Patellis, who ascertained this, headed a Greek delegation, which paid an official visit to the Dubai International Tourist Exhibition in which Greece is participating. Eighty countries are participating in the exhibition, which has been visited by 15 official delegations.

Patellis met with representatives of Arab countries and also held talks with Dubai's general director of tourism Halid Bin Sulayem with whom he exchanged views on achieving closer cooperation between the two countries in the tourism sector.

After his official visit to Dubai, EOT's president will be leaving for Cyprus to visit the International Tourist Exhibition in which EOT is also participating.

[08] Four freighters hoist Greek flag

Athens, 08/05/2002 (ANA)

The four ships are the "Kaiti L", 31,600 DWT, "Iro", also 31,600 DWT, "Anatoli", 27,566 DWT and "Chios", 27,835 DWT. The first three vessels belong to Liberian shipping companies and the fourth to a Panamanian one.

EU Commission proposes creation of joint European police BRUSSELS,

08/05/2002 (ANA - Y. Zitouniati/DPA)

''Today only some member states have the burden'' of tackling the mass arrival of illegal immigrants, EU Commission President Romano Prodi told reporters.

The creation of a European Corps of Border Guards would ensure a fairer share-out of the current burden and costs of dealing with illegal immigrants among the 15 EU governments, he said.

But Prodi warned that creating such a police force would require time, warning: ''This is a long-term objective.''

European Justice and Home Affairs Commissioner Antonio Vitorino on his part clarified that the Commission's proposals referred to the creation of a joint community control system. He also underlined that the free movement in the EU should not be equated to insecurity of its citizens.

Vitorino admitted the issue was extremely sensitive, almost touching the national sovereignty of EU member states, but expressed optimism that all countries will understand the necessity of taking measures on a EU level regarding a problem with an interstate character.

Once created, the EU guards would work to ensure the ''common surveillance'' of the ''most sensitive places on external borders by joint multinational teams,'' the commission said.

''The day we have European border guards, they will have the power to arrest people,'' Vitorino underlined.

The border force proposals are part of a larger package of commission measures calling on governments to ensure a joint and ''integrated management'' of the EU's external borders.

Vitorino insisted that the commission was not pandering to the anti-immigration sentiments expressed by extreme right-wing European politicians like French National Front leader Jean-Marie Le Pen.

''This is not about protection or nationalist views,'' Vitorino insisted.

Instead the commission's focus was on ensuring more efficient action against crime, controlling migratory flows and ensuring security in a Europe without internal frontiers.

[09] Thousands of Greeks visit Istanbul during Easter

ISTANBUL, 08/05/2002 (ANA - A. Kourkoulas)

All flights, often exceeding three a day, were fully booked, while tourist coaches carried thousands of Greek holidaymakers to Istanbul from cities in northern Greece such as Ioannina, Kozani, Kavala and Alexandroupolis.

Stratos Doltsiniadis, director of the OPUS travel agency specializing in organizing excursions from Greece, told the Athens News Agency (ANA) "during Easter Week this year, the number of visitors from Greece exceeded 10,000."

[10] Britain's Prince Charles arrives at Mount Athos

Athens, 08/05/2002 (ANA)

Charles arrived at the monastic community on board the yacht of shipping magnate Yiannis Latsis along with his friend Camilla Parker Bowls.

[11] Greeks almost at the bottom of EU's book readers, Eurobarometer report says

BRUSSELS, 08/05/2002 (ANA - B. Demiris)

The report entitled ''Europeans and Culture'' also said that Greeks are the most likely European Union citizens to listen to their national music and go to concerts of traditional and local popular music.

The report was compiled by an opinion poll with the participation of 16,162 Europeans of which 1,001 Greeks and it was conducted between August 22 and September 27, 2001.

Specifically, the Portuguese, the Greeks and the Spaniards are the least likely Europeans to read books, only 32 per cent of the Portuguese, 45 per cent of the Greeks and 47 per cent of the Spaniards responded that they did read at least one book over the past one year.

Swedes came first with 80 per cent having declared that they read at least one book over the last year, while Fins came second with 75 per cent and the Britons third with 74 per cent, when the European Union average was 60 per cent.

[12] Clerides and Denktash enter fourth round of direct talks

NICOSIA, 08/05/2002 (CNA/ANA)

Tuesday's meeting, which was the first in the context of the fourth round of talks, lasted about an hour.

[13] Spokesman says UN notes not a form of agreement on Cyprus

NICOSIA, 08/05/2002 (CNA/ANA)

He said that ''in the context of their role and offering their good offices, the UN have not only the right but the obligation at some point to assist the process in any way they deem appropriate''.

Referring to Tuesday's first meeting of the fourth round of talks, Papapetrou said the leaders of the two communities would enter a substantive discussion ''on what Denktash has mentioned and all that the Greek Cypriot side has said as a reply during the last meeting''.

Asked if an agreement had been reached on security, Papapetrou said ''there are still points where there are serious difficulties and different views between the two sides''.

He reminded that ''a fundamental principle of these talks is that nothing is considered to be agreed until everything is agreed''.

Papapetrou said that any recording on paper on behalf of the UN of what goes on at the talks ''cannot be considered an agreement or an interim agreement or a temporary agreement''.

He added that President Clerides has called a National Council meeting for Saturday morning. The National Council is the top advisory body to the president on the Cyprus problem, comprising the leaders of parliamentary parties.

Asked about the forthcoming visit to Cyprus of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, Papapetrou said there was no specific information about the trip yet, apart from his expected arrival on May 14, in the evening.

Papapetrou added that the government was not aware of Annan's schedule and noted that there would be no problem for the UN chief to cross over into the Turkish occupied areas of the republic.

He said the government's position since 1975 was that it would not oppose anyone crossing over for meetings, if their content was related to the Cyprus problem, either in the form of mediation or to promote a solution.

''When the visit is to the Republic of Cyprus, then of course that is a different matter'', he clarified.

Referring to Cyprus' EU accession course, which began in 1998, Papapetrou said ''we should be on the alert until the last moment, because especially if a solution to the Cyprus problem is achieved, it is obvious that some people will try to react, firstly Turkey''.

President Clerides and Denktash began face-to-face talks in mid-January this year, with a view to negotiating until they reach an agreement on the problem of Cyprus, divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third. The talks are held in the presence of the UN Secretary General's Special Adviser on Cyprus, Alvaro de Soto.

US and Britain welcome Kofi Annan's intention to visit Cyprus: The US government has welcomed and strongly supported UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's intention to visit Cyprus, describing it as a ''clear reflection of the importance the UN and the international community place on resolving the Cyprus issue''.

A statement issued by the Office of the US State Department's spokesman Richard Boucher says that the US ''stand ready to continue assisting the UN Secretary General and his Special Adviser Alvaro de Soto in the vital effort to reach a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus issue''.

''We would like to reiterate that the United States welcomes and strongly supports the Secretary General's intention to visit Cyprus.

It is a clear reflection of the importance the UN and the international community place on resolving the Cyprus issue and the need for more urgency in the negotiations to reach an agreement by the June target date'', the statement says.

The UN Secretary General is expected to arrive here mid of May and stay for 2-3 days, before his visit to East Timor. Annan plans to call on the two leaders separately and to meet them jointly.

In London, British government officials told CNA that this visit ''is aiming to give a greater momentum to the talks so that they can reach something like a breakthrough by June.''

''We give our strong support to this development. We do not interpret this decision as an effort to save the talks from collapse,'' they added.

[14] Cyprus abides by EU list of terrorist organizations

NICOSIA, 08/05/2002 (CNA/ ANA)

He said ''Cyprus' position and policy is that it harmonizes itself with the positions of the EU'' regarding the description of any organization as terrorist or otherwise, noting that this also applies for ''the relevant bank accounts that may exist''.

Papapetrou noted, however, that ''no PKK branch or organization has been found to exist or operate in any way in Cyprus''.

Replying to questions, Papapetrou said the Committee for Solidarity with the Kurds ''is different'' and noted that ''there is no EU decision on Solidarity Committees''.

The EU added 18 names to its list of terrorist organizations last week, including some at the suggestion of Turkey and Spain. PKK, which was renamed Kadek (congress for freedom and democracy in Kurdistan), was among these names.

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