Athens News Agency: News in English, 03-05-24

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

CONTENTS

[01] FM Papandreou attends G8 Paris meeting on global affairs

[01] FM Papandreou attends G8 Paris meeting on global affairs

PARIS (ANA O. Tsipira) A meeting of the G8, the group of the worlds eight most wealthy nations, foreign ministers opened here on Friday, with discussion focusing on Iraq, the Middle East and Afghanistan.

Greeces Foreign Minister and current president of the EU General Affairs Council George Papandreou represented the European Union.

Speaking to Greek reporters on the sidelines of the meeting, he said that ?the G8 foreign ministers are evaluating global developments and crisis areas. Today we especially referred to regions such as Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, the Mid East and Iraq. On the occasion of yesterdays discussion on narcotics, we referred to Colombia. We also looked into Congo, where a serious humanitarian situation prevails and could possibly extend into a greater dimension.?

According to the Greek foreign minister, all participants hailed the United Nations Security Council resolution to lift sanctions on Iraq, a move that brings out a fresh unity among the international community. ?Let us hope that such unity would prove real and that the UNs role would again be weighty, not only with regard to Iraq but also on an international level,? Papandreou added.

In addition, he noted that ?as European Union, we hailed the (UN) resolution, which now allows the EU to take initiatives not only in the humanitarian area but also in the areas of reconstruction, supporting democratization and creating a better future for the Iraqi people.?

Asked to comment on US Secretary of State Colin Powells visit to Paris and whether this signaled a normalization of relations between the US, Europe and France, Papandreou said that irrespective of recent disagreements on Iraq, there is now the will to move forward in a way that would safeguard the UNs role, as well as peace and stability in the wider region.

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