Athens News Agency: News in English, 06-05-15

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

CONTENTS

[01] EU General Affairs Council discusses Iran, Middle East

[02] Gov't tenders first private electricity plant

[03] PASOK leader speaks with IAEA director

[01] EU General Affairs Council discusses Iran, Middle East

European proposals on the issue of Iran's nuclear energy, developments in the Middle East and what will become of the European constitution in the future were the main issues discussed in Brussels on Monday at the European Union's Council of General Affairs. Greece was represented at the meeting by Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis and Deputy Minister Yiannis Valynakis.

Speaking to the press on the issue of Iran's nuclear energy, the foreign minister said that "we are in the middle of a considerable diplomatic initiative" whose aim is for Iran "to have the nuclear energy it needs and for it to be, in parallel, a foregone conclusion that it will use it for peaceful purposes".

Commenting on the European proposals, Bakoyannis said that they comprise a package to Iran, which has both an economic and a scientific aspect.

As regards the nature of the package, she said that it will be binding for Iran and clarified, however, that the term binding concerns the diplomatic aspect of the issue and not the use of force.

On the question of developments in the Middle East, the "25" appeared to agree with the need for the creation of a special fund in support of the Palestinians which will function independently from the Hamas-controlled Palestinian government.

On the part of Greece, Bakoyannis stressed the need for the activation of the EU to meet the needs of a humanitarian nature of the Palestinian Authority, while also stressing the need for a positive response from the government of Israel as well.

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[02] Gov't tenders first private electricity plant

"This is a major development for the economy, for growth and energy. The conditions have been ensured through rules of transparency for large-scale investments that in coming years will exceed four billion euros in the energy sector," the minister said in April when he first announced the scheme.

Another two private plants are due to be tendered at the end of 2006 and in April 2007.

Total investment in the three natural-gas fired plants is estimated at 750 million euros in current prices in the tender called for the development ministry by DESMIE, the state's electricity transmission system manager.

In the current tender, whose winner should be named early in 2007, bids should fall within a range of 75,000 and 92,000 euros per megawatt per year.

The deadline for bids is due in November, six months after publication of the tender in the European Union's official publication.

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[03] PASOK leader speaks with IAEA director

According to PASOK Spokesman Nikos Athanassakis, the discussion between the two men concerned developments regarding Iran, under the prism also of the process of shaping the European Union's proposals.

Papandreou briefed ElBaradei on the meeeting he had last week with Iran's Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani, while he insisted that "a solution to the problem must be diplomatic and is feasible."

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