Athens News Agency: News in English, 05-10-03

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

CONTENTS

[01] Athens rules out renegotiation of paragraph 5 in EU-Turkey talks framework

[02] Clear skies gave unobstructed view of partial eclipse on Monday

[01] Athens rules out renegotiation of paragraph 5 in EU-Turkey talks framework

Earlier, diplomatic sources said that Greek Foreign Minister Petros Molyviatis had informed the British EU presidency during bilateral contacts that changes to paragraph 5 would mean renegotiating a whole series of issues, which Athens would bring to the negotiating table, from scratch.

Despite the best efforts of the British presidency, hopes that accession negotiations with Turkey might begin in the near future were looking more and more faint as Monday progressed.

One stumbling block was Austria's insistence that Turkey's negotiations should not automatically lead to full membership of the bloc. Another were last-minute objections raised by Ankara to paragraph 5 in the negotiations framework, which is considered particularly important for the interests of Greece and Cyprus.

The clause in question stipulates that Turkey, in the period leading up to its accession, must gradually harmonise its policies toward third countries and its positions within international organisations, including those related to the participation of all EU member-states in these organisations, with the policies and positions of the EU.

In effect, paragraph 5 indirectly requires Turkey to lift the obstacles it has raised so far to the Cyprus Republic - now a member-state of the EU - joining NATO and other international organisations.

Greek diplomatic sources said the British presidency, after being informed of Athens' positions, was continuing to make strenuous efforts to achieve a compromise and lead the EU out of the impasse.

According to an announcement from the Turkish foreign ministry, meanwhile, Ankara had rejected all changes to the negotiating framework for its talks with the EU. A spokesman said that Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul would not depart for Luxembourg until a solution concerning the negotiations framework had been found.

[02] Clear skies gave unobstructed view of partial eclipse on Monday

The eclipse was total for sections of Spain, Portugal and Africa and partial in Greece, with a maximum 57 per cent coverage of the sun's surface over Iraklio.

The phenomenon began on Crete at around 11:42 and reached peak coverage of the solar disc at 12:40, ending three hours later at 14:11.

Among observers of the phenomenon were astronomy students at Crete University, using a telescope with a special solar filter and a telescope owned by the Crete University Physics Department, again equipped with a special solar filter. Both telescopes were placed on the roof of the physics department, eight kilometres outside the city of Iraklio.

Scientists advised the public that special glasses or other specialised equipment are needed in order to observe a solar eclipse and cautioned against the use of ordinary sunglasses, which do not provide adequate protection. They also noted that smoked glass, which is often used in order to observe an eclipse, does not block ultraviolet rays.

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