Athens News Agency: News in English, 06-09-25

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM Karamanlis and other EU leaders issue joint letter on problem of illegal immigration

[02] FM Bakoyannis warns Skopje on name issue

[01] PM Karamanlis and other EU leaders issue joint letter on problem of illegal immigration

The letter notes the need for the joint confrontation of the problem of illegal immigration in the Mediterranean and in southern Europe which has taken on explosive proportions.

According to the prime minister's press office, this issue will be at the focus of a series of EU meetings in the coming period, mainly in view of the informal European Council in Finland's city of Lahti on October 20.

According to the announcement, the Greek government these past two years has firmly supported and at all levels, within the framework of the EU, the need for cooperation between the member-states in the direction of an effective control of the Union's external borders. This initiative is now taking a new momentum, while it is noted that the Greek prime minister, who has undertaken to promote the idea for the creation of a European coast guard, has repeatedly raised the issue to his EU counterparts and to the president of the European Commission.

[02] FM Bakoyannis warns Skopje on name issue

"I had the chance yet again to underline to him (United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan) Greece's position and decision to proceed and contribute to the finding of a mutually acceptable solution but that it is impossible for Skopje to advance towards NATO and the European Union if there is not such a solution," Bakoyannis told reporters after a meeting here with Annan. Talks focused on the Cyprus issue, the FYROM name issue, the future status of Kosovo and developments in the Middle East.

Bakoyannis said there "is optimism" regarding ongoing talks in Nicosia, while on the FYROM name issue she noted that "there is no change" on Skopje's position.

Greece objects to the use, by the former Yugoslav republic, of the name 'Macedonia' arguing that it conceals irredentist designs against its northern province Macedonia.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 61st session of the UN General Assembly during the Greek presidency of the Security Council.

"The UN Secretary General congratulated me on the Greek Security Council Presidency while, at the same time, I had the chance yet again to discuss the two issues which are of particular interest to Greece - the Cyprus issue and the issue of Skopje - on how negotiations are developing on these two fronts. There is no concrete news. There is optimism over talks taking place in Cyprus that they will advance," Bakoyannis said.

Responding to a question whether there was a certain change forseen in Skopje's stance after her talks with the UN secretary general and with her FYROM counterpart last Friday, Bakoyannis said: "As for me I have not seen any change. The (FYROM) minister was too new (at his post) to be able to commit himself on anything. But I had the chance to explain closely the Greek position."

Regarding her meeting earlier in the day with Lebanon's Foreign Minister Fawzi Salloukh, Bakoyannis noted that they had the chance to overview developments and "how UN Resolution 1701 was advancing" as well as bilateral cooperation and Greece's development aid to the Middle East country.

Salloukh had said on his part that his country appreciated Greece's position noting that "the Palestinian issue is the core of the Middle East problem."

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