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Athens News Agency: News in English, 05-10-07
CONTENTS
[01] Deputy FM attends 'Friends of Cohesion' meeting in Budapest
[01] Deputy FM attends 'Friends of Cohesion' meeting in Budapest
The working meeting of 17 European Union countries, known as "Friends
of the Policy of Cohesion", sent a "message" to the EU's presidency and
the European Commission from Budapest on Friday on securing the next EU
budget for 2007-2013 and the "4th Community Support Framework". Greece
was represented by Deputy Foreign Minister Yiannis Valynakis.
Speaking after the meeting, attended by the deputy foreign and European
affairs ministers of the "17" and of three additional countries,
Valynakis said the message has three targets. Firstly, a relevant
agreement to be acceptable to all at the European Council in December.
Secondly, the passing of the message that the Cohesion Policy is a
focal one for European unification. Thirdly, that enlargement must be
funded in a way that will proportionately burden all the countries
participating in this effort.
Valynakis added that these are also the aims on the part of Greece,
which supports two major targets in Europe. Enlargement on the one
hand, which is moving ahead with the recent beginning of accession
negotiations with Turkey and Croatia and, on the other, the
strengthening and deepening of the EU in the direction of political
unification.
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