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Athens News Agency: News in English, 06-11-28Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] PM Karamanlis to meet with French President on sidelines of NATO SummitGreece's prime minister Costas Karamanlis will meet Wednesday afternoon with French President Jacques Chirac in Riga, Latvia, it was announced on Tuesday.Karamanlis, who is due to arrive in the Latvian capital on Tuesday evening to attend the NATO summit meeting, will meet with Chirac at 4:00 p.m. (Greek time). Heads of state and government from the 26 NATO member countries are meeting in Riga on November 28-29 to discuss the Alliance's operations, transformations and partnerships. NATO's engagement in Afghanistan, as well as its missions and operations in Darfur, Iraq, Kosovo and the Mediterranean are on the agenda for discussion. The leaders will also focus on the upgrading of NATO's military capabilities aimed at meeting the challenges of today's versatile security environment, with discussions covering key elements of the transformation process such as strategic transport, the NATO Response Force, missile defence and other initiatives considered vital to adapting NATO's military capabilities to new security threats, according to Alliance officials. Broadening and strengthening partnerships will also be at the top of the summit agenda, with the leaders expected to reconfirm NATO's open door policy and underscore their intention to deepen the Alliance's relations with non-NATO countries building on the existing partnerships and through new programmes. Caption: Greece's prime minister Costas Karamanlis (L) with French President Jacques Chirac during the premier's official visit to France in September 2005. (ANA-MPA/A. Goulielmos) [02] FM, PASOK MP on Pope's visit to TurkeyForeign Minister Dora Bakoyannis in statements after the convening on Monday of the National Council on Foreign Policy, said that the visit to Turkey on Tuesday by Pope Benedict XVI is very important, adding that "I hope it will be successful and that Turkey will show its hospitable face."The foreign minister expressed certainty that Turkey will do everything possible so as to condemn certain extreme elements and wished for the Pope's visit to the neighbouring country to be successful, as well as his talks with Ecumenical Patriach Vartholomeos. Main opposition Panhellenic Socialist Movement (PASOK) deputy and head of the party's Foreign Policy, Security and Defence Department, Christos Papoutsis, said during the National Council on Foreign Policy session that the Pope's visit to Turkey was important. He stressed in particular that "the recognition of the Ecumenical character of the Patriarchate constitutes an honour." Caption: ANA-MPA file photo Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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