Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 05-12-09

Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

CONTENTS

[01] KARAMANLIS-BLAIR MEETING

[02] THE EXOHI BORDER CROSSING INAUGURATED BY THE PRESIDENTS OF GREECE AND

[03] PAPANDREOU TO MOUNT ATHOS

[04] FACILITATION OF VISA ISSUANCE WILL TAKE YEARS

[05] ALL CANNABIS PLANTATIONS WILL BE DESTROYED, STATES ALBANIAN OFFICIAL

[06] RESOLUTION ON FYROM ADOPTED BY THE THESSALONIKI CITY COUNCIL

[07] THE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN ON THE PRESENCE OF UNFICYP IN CYPRUS

[08] THE GREEK-BULGARIAN TIES ARE STRENGTHENED

[09] KARAMANLIS TO MEET WITH BLAIR

[10] CONFERENCE ON THE EU ACCESSION OF BALKAN COUNTRIES

[01] KARAMANLIS-BLAIR MEETING

Eight European leaders met in the past 24 hours with British Prime Minister Tony Blair in London in an effort to reach an agreement on the EU budget issue, among them Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis who had a working lunch with his British counterpart today.

Before lunch, the Prime Ministers of Britain and Greece had a ten-minute private meeting without the presence of their advisers.

Mr. Karamanlis and Mr. Blair discussed fiscal prospects and the EU budget for the period 2007-2013, an issue characterized by Prime Minister Karamanlis as very difficult.

[02] THE EXOHI BORDER CROSSING INAUGURATED BY THE PRESIDENTS OF GREECE AND BULGARIA

Presidents of Greece and Bulgaria, Karolos Papoulias and Georgi Parvanov respectively, sent a message of friendship through the statements they made after the ceremony for the inauguration of the new border crossing at Exohi, Drama.

The ceremony was held in the presence of hundreds of Greeks and Bulgarians living in the border region.

President Papoulias stated that today was one of the happiest days of his life and pointed out that Greece and Bulgaria should be model partners, forget any past sins and build the Greek-Bulgarian friendship.

The Bulgarian President stated that today's inauguration is a loud message to all the peoples in the region letting them know that friendship relations are being forged in the area. He added that he is looking forward to the establishment of joint ventures, and to the creation of new job positions and friendly relations between the local people living on both sides of the borders.

The Presidents of Greece and Bulgaria expressed the certainty that the other two border crossings at the Greek-Bulgarian borders will open soon in the prefectures of Xanthi and Rodopi.

After the inauguration ceremony, the two Presidents, the government ministers accompanying them and many people went to the customs office on the Bulgarian side of the borders where they were warmly received with folklore dances and the two Presidents had a brief meeting.

[03] PAPANDREOU TO MOUNT ATHOS

Main opposition Socialist Party PASOK President Giorgos Papandreou is expected in Thessaloniki early this afternoon and together with leading party members will visit Mount Athos after an invitation by the monastic community.

Mr. Papandreou will spend the night at the Monastery of Stavronikitas and tomorrow morning he will be formally received by the Mount Athos Holy Community at Karies.

Yesterday, the President of PASOK met with the presiding boards of the Panhellenic Confederation of Unions of Agricultural Cooperatives (PASEGES), the General Confederation of Greek Small Businesses and Trades (GSEVEE) and the General Confederation of Greek Agrarian Associations (GESASE) in view of the debate on the 2006 state budget and the draft bill on public utility companies (DEKO). He stressed that the economic policy of the government leads to poverty and high prices.

[04] FACILITATION OF VISA ISSUANCE WILL TAKE YEARS

The facilitation of visa issuance to third country citizens, among them West Balkan citizens, is expected to take many years, according to Mr. Szabols Horvath from the European Commission's Justice Directorate-General, who addressed the seminar on asylum and immigration organized in Thessaloniki for SE European parliament deputies by the European Commission, the Thessaloniki-based Stability Pact and the King Baudouin Foundation.

Relevant announcements on the adoption of a road map to facilitate the procedure are expected in January by European Commission vice-president Franco Frattini, responsible for justice, freedom and security.

Speaking in the seminar, Mr. Horvath stated that the EU is pressured by countries under the visa requirement. However, he characterized as unrealistic the liberalization of the visa issuance procedure for EU member states saying that they are not ready even to discuss such a procedure.

In any case, this process will take a long time, stated the European Council official responding to a question by ANA-MPA.

Mr. Horvath stated that the goal is to homogenize the criteria set by the member states for visa issuance, as in the recent agreement signed with Russia, while a similar agreement is under negotiation with Ukraine.

[05] ALL CANNABIS PLANTATIONS WILL BE DESTROYED, STATES ALBANIAN OFFICIAL

All cannabis plantations in the country will be destroyed stated to ANA-MPA, Albanian Parliament National Security Committee Chairman Leonard Demi characterizing law enforcement as top priority for the new Albanian government.

Mr. Demi expressed the certainty that law enforcement will help justice become more effective and stressed that cooperation with neighboring countries should become even closer at police, justice and secret services level.

Mr. Demi, elected with Berisha's Democratic Party, admitted that corruption in his country is not insignificant and expressed the Berisha government determination to limit such phenomena.

He used as an example the recent case of the illegal trafficking of women for prostitution by Albanian gangs in London, saying that Prime Minister Berisha immediately called a meeting of the responsible authorities and issued a strict order to combat this activity. He pointed out, however, that according to Albanian figures there is a decline in the illegal trafficking of women and children since 2003 and reminded that the Berisha government came to power only three months ago.

Regarding illegal trade to neighboring countries, Mr. Demi stressed the need for police to be better equipped to deal with it, mainly drug trafficking, and referred to corruption in authorities responsible for border protection.

Neritan Ceka, the predecessor of Mr. Demi for a total of 8 years and former Interior Minister, stated responding to a relevant question that cooperation on both sides of the border is very good, adding that the legalization of the immigrants in Greece took away many smalltime pushers used by drug dealers to carry the drugs across the borders.

Mr. Ceka did not agree with the view that the Albanian gangs engage in significant criminal activities and spoke of fish in a pool when the seas are full of sharks. He also categorically denied that the Albanian gangs inside and outside the country enjoy political support by any political party.

[06] RESOLUTION ON FYROM ADOPTED BY THE THESSALONIKI CITY COUNCIL

Thessaloniki mayor Vasilis Papageorgopoulos sent letters addressed to Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis and Foreign Minister Petros Molyviatis on the issue of the FYROM name communicating to them the resolution on FYROM approved last night by the Thessaloniki City Council.

The mayor of Thessaloniki will send similar letters to all European leaders and Foreign Ministers as well as to all mayors in Macedonia, north Greece.

The Thessaloniki City Council resolution on FYROM was approved yesterday by majority vote.

With the resolution sponsored by mayor Papageorgopoulos, the Thessaloniki City Council calls on the Greek government to exercise its veto right to every FYROM effort to enter the EU and NATO and if necessary to resort to a referendum on whether it should exercise its veto power to the accession process.

It was clarified that the referendum should take place in case international pressures are exerted on Greece against using its veto power.

In the resolution it is stressed that FYROM systematically violates the 1995 interim agreement, and ignores the UN Security Council and EU decisions.

The resolution points out that the FYROM state monopolizes the name of Macedonia for expansionist reasons, refuses in spite of being legally bound internationally to accept a mutually acceptable name and in every opportunity it gets it declares that it won't change its stance. Also, it usurps the Greek History and cultural heritage and exercises an irredentist propaganda against Greek Macedonia, while it preserves its hostile propaganda by including it in school books.

The Thessaloniki City Council through the resolution it approved yesterday issues an appeal to the Greek political parties, media, academic community, the young and all the Greeks in general, as well as the World Council of Hellenes Abroad, SAE, and all expatriates to support actively and united the Greek interests that are being under attack and the proposed policy on the specific issue.

The Thessaloniki City Council meeting attended representatives of Pan-Macedonian Associations.

[07] THE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN ON THE PRESENCE OF UNFICYP IN CYPRUS

The presence of the UN peacekeeping force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) with the same manpower and under the same operational structure is necessary and important for as long as Turkey's military presence on the island continues, stated Foreign Ministry spokesman Giorgos Koumoutsakos commenting on the UN Secretary General proposals on the renewal of the mandate of the UN force in Cyprus.

Mr. Koumoutsakos stated that Greece agrees with the proposals made by the UN Secretary General for the renewal of the mandate because the UN force has a specific and important role to play.

Also, the core of the Cyprus problem namely, the continuing military presence of Turkey on the island remains unchanged and therefore, within this framework the presence of the UN force with the same manpower and structure is necessary and important.

[08] THE GREEK-BULGARIAN TIES ARE STRENGTHENED

Hellenic Republic President Karolos Papoulias and Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov together with the Greek and Bulgarian Deputy Foreign Ministers, Evripidis Stilianidis and Ljubomir Kyuchukov respectively, signed in the northeast Greek city of Drama today the agreement for the opening of the Greek-Bulgarian Friendship tunnel in Exohi, Drama.

In the special signing ceremony held at the amphitheater of the Prefecture of Drama, the two Presidents underlined the significance of this new border crossing and the opportunities that are being presented to further strengthen bilateral relations and boost the economic development of both countries.

This new border crossing puts an end to an odyssey that lasted for decades and materializes a dream, a big ambition, stated Mr. Parvanov. This border crossing is a symbol of the dynamic development of the Greek-Bulgarian relations and shows that we even cut through the mountain to walk the path of friendship. We are not just allies, we are friends too, said the Bulgarian President. He added that he would be pleased to see over a million Greek tourists a year visit Bulgaria and an equal number of Bulgarians to choose Greek resorts for their vacations.

Mr. Papoulias pointed out that cooperation between Greece and Bulgaria is strengthened and stated that he is emotional because as Foreign Minister ten years ago on December 22, 1995 had signed in Sofia with his then counterpart Georgi Pirinski the agreement for the construction of three new border crossings between Greece and Bulgaria. One of them was Exohi and is the one inaugurated today.

The Exohi border crossing is unique in Greece because it is the only tunnel linking Greece with another country. Three hundred meters of the new 448-meter-long tunnel will be on Greek soil and the rest on Bulgarian. The construction of the tunnel was necessary to protect the local population of bears.

[09] KARAMANLIS TO MEET WITH BLAIR

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis will be in London today where he will meet with his British counterpart Tony Blair currently holding the EU Presidency.

The meeting will be held in view of the EU Summit meeting in Brussels next week.

Yesterday, Mr. Karamanlis addressing the ruling party New Democracy parliament deputies sent a message of determination that the radical reforms and changes will continue while, at the same time, he was optimistic that the success of the economic policy is undeniable.

The people gave us a clear and explicit mandate: to change things and face effectively the problems that amassed and grew during the years, said Mr. Karamanlis. The people call on the government to clash with past views and attitudes and dare to do what was postponed in previous years, he stressed.

[10] CONFERENCE ON THE EU ACCESSION OF BALKAN COUNTRIES

The future of the EU and its transformation is undoubtedly associated with the Balkans and the political, economic and social prospects in SE Europe, stated head of New Democracy Euro-deputies Ioannis Varvitsiotis opening the proceedings of the European Policy Conference on the accession of the Balkan countries in the EU organized in Brussels by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and the Constantinos Karamanlis Institute for Democracy.

Addressing the conference, Mr. Varvitsiotis underlined that economic prosperity plays a great role in the region's long-term stability, peace and democratic development, adding that it was proved to be the most effective way to combat nationalism and promote ethnic and religious tolerance.

He concluded that the main goal should be the strengthening of regional cooperation. If the reconstruction of the Balkans is completed through its EU integration then the region's countries should deal with their neighbors in the same way other EU member states do, stressed Mr. Varvitsiotis.

Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article