Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 05-04-21

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

CONTENTS

[01] IN SEARCH OF A FORMULA

[02] GUARANTEES FOR TSALKA BY THE GEORGIAN PRIME MINISTER

[03] THE GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN ON THE MAIN SHAREHOLDER ISSUE

[04] THE KYPRINOS-IVAILOGRAD BORDER CROSSING TO OPEN SOON

[05] KARAMANLIS-PRIMAKOV MEETING

[06] TSALKA WILL BE PROTECTED

[01] IN SEARCH OF A FORMULA

The government is in continuous dialogue with the European Commission in search of a common ground on the issue of the law concerning the ownership of mass media, stated Minister of State and government spokesman Thodoris Rousopoulos yesterday, expressing the hope that a solution will be found by May 31 while he reiterated that the government will never stop the fight against corruption.

Mr. Rousopoulos left open the likelihood to change or suspend the law in question depending on the outcome of the debate with the European Commission while the letter it has addressed to the Greek government was given to publicity yesterday.

Main opposition Socialist Party of PASOK Parliament deputy Evangelos Venizelos spoke of a disorderly retreat by the government.

[02] GUARANTEES FOR TSALKA BY THE GEORGIAN PRIME MINISTER

The assurance that he will deal personally with the issues concerning security and the violation of the fundamental human rights of the ethnic Greeks in Tsalka gave Prime Minister of Georgia Zurab Nogyadeli to World Council of Hellenes, SAE, President Andrew Athens in the meeting they had in Tbilisi.

A total of eight ethnic Greeks were murdered recently, while squatters have occupied about 2,000 houses of ethnic Greeks, currently working in Greece and Cyprus.

[03] THE GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN ON THE MAIN SHAREHOLDER ISSUE

The government will not lose a euro from the community funds allocated for major projects in the future (implementation of the law 3310) as well as in procedures that are already in progress with the implementation of law 3021, reiterated government spokesman Thodoris Rousopoulos responding to questions on the main shareholder issue.

The government spokesman reminded that the government's strategic goal is to find common ground with the European Commission, stressing that the government wants to protect the Greek Constitution and the community funds allocated for major projects in Greece.

[04] THE KYPRINOS-IVAILOGRAD BORDER CROSSING TO OPEN SOON

A request by the Prefecture of Evros, northeastern Greece, and the people living in the region of Kyprinos appears to be on the right track and will materialize soon given the fact that the Kyprinos-Ivailograd border crossing is about to be constructed.

The Greek Foreign Ministry has already received the Bulgarian draft agreement for the opening of a new border crossing between Greece and Bulgaria. The project will be constructed as soon as both sides reach a decision and after the necessary negotiations are completed.

[05] KARAMANLIS-PRIMAKOV MEETING

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis met with Russian Commerce and Industry Chamber Chairman and former Prime Minister of Russia Gevgeni Primakov.

Deputy Foreign Minister Evripidis Stilianidis was present in the meeting and among the issues discussed were the economic cooperation between Greece and Russia and the construction of the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline.

[06] TSALKA WILL BE PROTECTED

The assurance that he will deal personally with the issues concerning security and the violation of the fundamental human rights of the ethnic Greeks in Tsalka gave Prime Minister of Georgia Zurab Nogyadeli to World Council of Hellenes, SAE, President Andrew Athens in the meeting they had in Tbilisi.

A total of eight ethnic Greeks were murdered recently, while squatters have occupied about 2,000 houses of ethnic Greeks, currently working in Greece and Cyprus.

In statements to MPA and ET3 after the meeting, Mr. Athens expressed satisfaction for the results of the talks he had with the Georgian Prime Minister held in the presence of SAE Medical Program Director Dr. Kiriakos Kanakis, Greek Associations Federation in Georgia President Kiriakos Iordanidis and ruling party Parliament deputy David Begadasvilli, whose mother is Greek from Pontos from the region of Epagan.

Mr. Athens, in the meeting that lasted over half an hour and was held in a friendly atmosphere, briefed in detail the Georgian Prime Minister on the true dimensions of the problem faced by the ethnic Greeks in Tsalka and conveyed to him his own impressions after his visit to the region last Monday together with Greek ambassador Mrs. Mavroskelidou, Georgian Minister for Refugees and Ethnic Minorities Mrs. Astemirova and representatives of local authorities.

The ethnic Greeks in Tsalka live in a state of terror especially during the past two years as a result of organized attacks by criminal elements among the settlers.

Mr. Athens pointed out that the attacks target exclusively the ethnic Greeks who live in the remote region of Tsalka and stressed that himself and SAE as well as the Greek government cannot be indifferent to the problem and will assist the efforts for its final solution in every way. Mr. Athens has briefed Washington and international humanitarian organizations, as well as UN and Council of Europe officials on the issue. Mr. Athens also had a meeting with the US ambassador to Tbilisi.

The Prime Minister of Georgia who recently came to power admitted that he was unaware of the true dimensions of the problem and pledged to take measures immediately for the protection of the ethnic Greeks, while today the SAE President will have a meeting with the attorney general at the initiative of the Georgian Prime Minister himself. The Georgian Prime Minister stated that the construction of the road linking Tsalka with Tbilisi will start immediately facilitating access to the region. The distance between them is less than 100 km by in order to cover it by car one needs over 3 hours.

The Georgian Prime Minister thanked SAE for the Medical Program it materializes for the past eight years in Georgia offering free medical services to people of Greek and other origin while he expressed strong interest in the materialization of the SAE draft program for the creation of small sized businesses in Georgia.

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