Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 02-11-05

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From: The Macedonian Press Agency at http://www.mpa.gr and http://www.hri.org/MPA.

CONTENTS

[01] ERDOGAN PLEASES GREECE ON CYPRUS

[02] DRAFT LAW ON ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION

[03] NO CHANGES IN THE ASE GENERAL INDEX

[04] THE GREEK EXPORTS TO TURKEY HAVE INCREASED

[05] EU- RUSSIA CO-OPERATION AGAINST CRIME

[06] BRITISH MPS TO ATTEND ESPIONAGE TRIAL

[07] THE ANNAN PLAN WILL BE SUBMITTED IN TWO WEEKS

[01] ERDOGAN PLEASES GREECE ON CYPRUS

The statement of Turkish election winner of the AK Party, Mr. Erdogan, to NET television, that he and his party are in favor of solving the Cyprus issue, based on the Belgian model, was characterized as very positive by Prime Minister Kostas Simitis. Mr. Erdogan will visit Athens next week, after accepting an invitation made by Mr. Simitis during a telephone call he made to Mr. Erdogan to congratulate him on his electoral victory.

Mr. Erdogan's statement on the Belgian model was made on Friday, prior to the Turkish elections, and was characterized as very significant by Foreign Minister Giorgos Papandreou, during an interview on NET. During the same interview, former President of the Cypriot Republic and negotiator for Cyprus' accession, Giorgos Vassiliou, appreciated that if Mr. Erdogan really means it, the Cyprus issue will be solved.

Mr. Papandreou stressed that Mr. Annan may present his plan within the next two weeks, and noted that while nothing is known about the plan, comments on scenarios or information will not help. The goal of the Greek government is for Cyprus to be incorporated to the EU, regardless of resolving the Cyprus issue, and that that is the battle he is going to fight in.

Prime Minister Kostas Simitis also supported this view, in statements after his meeting with President of the Republic Kostis Stefanopoulos this morning. He stated that Greece would not accept any solution to the Cyprus issue that is not in the best interest of Hellenism, and that though accession and resolving Cyprus issue are connected, one does not depend on the other.

During their meeting, Mr. Stefanopoulos' stated that Mr. Erdogan will not visit Athens as Prime Minister of Turkey, and Mr. Simitis answered that he is, nonetheless, a person in a very decisive position in the neighboring country, and that his positions on the Cyprus issue will become evident after the upcoming meeting.

[02] DRAFT LAW ON ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION

The discussion on the artificial insemination draft law got underway in the responsible Parliamentary Committee today. The draft law includes significant changes announced by Justice Minister Pfhilippos Petsalnikos, who stated characteristically that there was a significant convergence with the views expressed by the Church.

According to the changes, the Church's proposal to replace the term genetic material with the term gametes and fertilized egg was accepted. A court decision is necessary to use the stored sperm of a dead husband. The surplus embryos that will not be used will be offered to other individuals that want to undergo artificial insemination, they will be used for research or therapeutic purposes or they will be destroyed. The homosexual couples or the unmarried women, who simply do not want to have a child the natural way, will not be assisted to have a child through artificial insemination. An unmarried woman can undergo artificial insemination only if she has the legal consent of the man she lives with. The surrogate mother method is allowed only after a permission is issued by a court and in the case that the woman interested in having a child and the surrogate mother are permanent residents of Greece.

[03] NO CHANGES IN THE ASE GENERAL INDEX

The Athens Stock Exchange general index resisted the downward tendency recorded in the major European markets and received a boost as a result of the investments made in high capitalization stocks.

The general index closed at 1.834,24 points, while the volume of transactions was satisfactory at 106.1 million Euro.

Of the stocks trading today, 114 recorded gains and 196 had losses, while the value of 65 stocks remained unchanged.

[04] THE GREEK EXPORTS TO TURKEY HAVE INCREASED

Turkey became one of Greece's main trade partners in the 90s as the Greek exports reached US$582 million in 2000, while the imports from Turkey were US$395 million.

The big increase in the trade transactions between Greece and Turkey is underlined in the review issued by the Greek Exporters Association Center of Exports Research and Studies.

Turkey's exports to Greece increased with an average annual rate lower than 12%, when the Greek exports increased by 18%.

Turkey occupies the 19th place among Greece's trade partners. It should be noted that the overall trade (imports/exports) reached US$976 million in 2000 from US$223 million 1990.

[05] EU- RUSSIA CO-OPERATION AGAINST CRIME

Minister of Public Order Michalis Chrysochoidis will travel to Moscow today, in order to participate in the ministerial meeting in the framework of the EU-Russia contacts. Participants in the meeting also include the Minister of Justice of Denmark, which holds the EU Presidency, representatives of the European Commission, and ministers of the Russian government.

Among the issues to be discussed are Russian cooperation with Europol, fighting organized crime, the EU-Russia action plan, the declaration against the trafficking of children and their sexual abuse, immigration and border management.

Mr. Chrysochoidis will also meet with his Russian counterpart, with whom they will discuss issues of mutual interest.

Mr. Chrysochoidis will then travel to Tehran for his formal visit to the country, where he will meet with the Minister of the Interior in order to discuss issues concerning the Agreement for Police Collaboration.

[06] BRITISH MPS TO ATTEND ESPIONAGE TRIAL

British MPs and EuroMPs, as well as British media correspondents will attend the trial of the 12 British and 2 Dutch citizens in Kalamata, accused of espionage against Greece.

The trial of the 14 foreigners, who are already in Kalamata awaiting trial, except for one who has declared health reasons, was held in April 2002, and they were sentenced to 1-3 years in prison, but were released after appealing.

[07] THE ANNAN PLAN WILL BE SUBMITTED IN TWO WEEKS

A well-informed UN source revealed to the Cypriot news agency, CNA, that UN Secretary General Kofi Annan does not intent to submit a draft plan for the solution of the Cyprus problem for at least two more weeks.

According to the source, the UN General Secretary wants to be certain of the intentions of the new Turkish government, while he also wants to be certain that Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash or another representative of the Turkish Cypriot side will negotiate the plan.

Meanwhile, Washington has undertaken to launch contacts in Ankara according to an announcement made to UN Secretary General special envoy to Cyprus Mr. Alvaro de Soto and the UN Secretary General by US State Department special coordinator in Cyprus Thomas Weston.

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