Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 05-04-11

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

CONTENTS

[01] MEETING IN THESSALONIKI

[02] THE FORMER ARCHBISHOP OF AMERICA HAS DIED

[03] RESPONSE FROM SKOPJE

[04] THE ACTING GOV'T SPOKESMAN ON THE FYROM NAME ISSUE

[05] PAPOULIAS-PARVANOV MEETING

[01] MEETING IN THESSALONIKI

The course of the Greek-Bulgarian relations and other issues related with developments in the wider Balkan region will be discussed in the meeting Hellenic Republic President Karolos Papoulias and his Bulgarian counterpart Georgi Parvanov will have in Thessaloniki today.

The meeting was originally scheduled to take place last Friday but it was postponed due to the Pope's funeral in Rome, which attended both Presidents. It is an informal meeting and takes place one day before the signing in Sofia of the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline agreement.

It is the second meeting of Mr. Papoulias with a Balkan leader after the meeting he had with Albanian President Alfred Moisiu.

Before the meeting, the Bulgarian President visited the War Museum in Thessaloniki and the Byzantine Culture Museum.

[02] THE FORMER ARCHBISHOP OF AMERICA HAS DIED

Former Archbishop of North and South America, Iakovos died in the early morning hours today at the age of 94.

He was hospitalized in Stamford, Connecticut since last week with serious respiratory problems.

His funeral will take place on Wednesday or Thursday in the Greek-Orthodox Holy Trinity Cathedral in New York and he will be buried at the grounds of the Theology School in Boston.

Iakovos was born in the northeastern Aegean island of Imvros in 1911 and studied at the Patriarchal Theology School of Halki in Istanbul.

For a total of 37 years he was the head of the Greek-Orthodox Church in America until his resignation in July 1996.

[03] RESPONSE FROM SKOPJE

Special UN mediator Matthew Nimetz will have a meeting with the FYROM ambassador to New York today during which Skopje's formal response is expected on the proposal for the official recognition of FYROM under the name Republika Makedonija-Skopje.

Last Saturday, Hellenic Republic President Karolos Papoulias citing his contribution to the signing of the interim agreement had called on the FYROM leadership to respond positively to the proposal for negotiations on the name issue thus "contributing to peace and security in the Balkans".

Prime Minister Karamanlis and Foreign Minister Molyviatis met today and discussed developments on the issue of the FYROM name and the Foreign Minister's upcoming visit to Ankara.

Mr. Molyviatis will visit Turkey on April 12 and 13 at the invitation of his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul, while he will also have meetings with the country's political leadership.

[04] THE ACTING GOV'T SPOKESMAN ON THE FYROM NAME ISSUE

Acting government spokesman Vangelis Antonaros stressed that the proposal by UN special mediator Matthew Nimetz is a proposal basis for negotiation for both sides aimed at reaching a mutually acceptable solution to the FYROM name issue. He also pointed out that the Greek government's position is that the proposal in question is a basis for negotiation but certain parts of it need to be clarified or changed.

Mr. Antonaros stated that at this point we are not in a negotiation stage because the other party has not presented its stance regarding the Nimetz proposal officially and in a binding way.

He stated that Foreign Minister Molyviatis undertook the initiative to brief the political parties on the government position toward the essence of the Nimetz proposal, while regarding the publicizing of the Nimetz letter he pointed out that Mr. Nimetz himself is the only one who has the right to give it to publicity and nobody else.

[05] PAPOULIAS-PARVANOV MEETING

The common will shared by Greece and Bulgaria to further develop bilateral relations and work for peace and security in the Balkans was reaffirmed by Hellenic Republic President Karolos Papoulias and his Bulgarian counterpart Georgi Parvanov in the meeting they had in Thessaloniki today.

Mr. Papoulias told reporters that the meeting was held in a very friendly atmosphere giving a new boost to the already very good Greek-Bulgarian relations. He characterized the meeting as very important and added that there are no problems in the Greek-Bulgarian relations, stressing that there is only the will for economic development for the benefit of both peoples.

President Papoulias stated that bilateral relations show an impressive improvement during the past few years adding that the cordial friendship between Greece and Bulgaria is a firm basis for development, cooperation and peaceful coexistence for all Balkan peoples. He concluded by saying that without peace and security in the Balkans European security will be incomplete.

The Bulgarian President welcomed the signing tomorrow of the political memorandum in Sofia for the construction of the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline and pointed out that it is an example that proves that specific results can be achieved, in spite of difficulties, if there is a political decision by both sides.

He thanked Greece for the efforts aimed at making Bulgaria a member of NATO and the EU and expressed the hope that Greece will soon ratify the EU-Bulgaria agreement for his country's accession into the European Union.

Mr. Parvanov stated that efforts will continue aimed at the opening of the Iliden-Exohi border crossing this summer as well as for the opening of other border crossings suggested by local authorities.

Mr. Parvanov also stated that Greece is a main economic partner and investor in Bulgaria and this is not only due to the fact that the two countries are neighbors. He stressed that the explanation can be found to the fact that trust has been established between the Greek and the Bulgarian state authorities and the two peoples while it is also due to the stability of economic relations.

Mr. Papoulias accepted an invitation by Mr. Parvanov to attend a cultural forum in Varna, Bulgaria.

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