Athens News Agency: News in English, 05-12-06

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

CONTENTS

[01] FM Molyviatis meets with Kosovo president

[02] US reaffirms Patriarch's ecumenical status

[01] FM Molyviatis meets with Kosovo president

The deputy foreign ministers of Romania and Croatia were also present.

Rugova said that an independent and democratic Kosovo that will be a member of Euro-Atlantic organisations, have a steady relationship with the US and good relations with its neighbouring countries and respect minority rights is the only way for peace and stability to be achieved in the region.

Referring to minority rights in particular, Rugova said that while the legislative framework is recent it is continuously being improved and stressed that an independent Kosovo will mean better living conditions for all its citizens.

Finally, Rugova thanked the three ministers for their interest and for their countries' military presence in the region.

On his part, Molyviatis spoke about the need for close cooperation between Kosovo's leadership and neighbouring countries and expressed hope that the principles adopted by the international community will serve as the basis for upcoming negotiations regarding Kosovo's status.

[02] US reaffirms Patriarch's ecumenical status

Asked by a reporter what the US government position was on this issue, in a question prompted by recent statements by Turkish officials that Ankara does not recognise the ecumenical title and role of the Ecumenical Patriarch, the written response said "The US considers Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew to be a religious leader of global standing".

"The U.S. takes very seriously the issue of religious freedom in Turkey, as illustrated in the 2005 International Religious Freedom Report. Among specific concerns highlighted in the report are issues related to the Ecumenical Patriarchate, including the reopening of the Halki Seminary, as well as issues related to other religious minorities in Turkey," the statement continued.

"The U.S. has consistently raised our concerns regarding the Ecumenical Patriarchate with Turkish authorities at the highest levels for many years. President Bush urged the re-opening of Halki Seminary in his June meeting with Prime Minister Erdogan. Under Secretary of State Karen Hughes also discussed this issue with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew during her visit to Istanbul in September," the State Department's written reply concluded.

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