Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 04-09-06

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] FM Petros Molyviatis and Turkish counterpart discuss regulations concerning Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus.

[02] Deputy FM Yiannis Valinakis says government continuing to seek viable solution to Cyprus issue

[03] Five countries, including Greece, candidates for UN Security Council seat

[04] Foreign ministry and Greek Church to help finance reconstruction of tragic Beslan school

[05] Coalition of the Left party calls for solution to Chechnya problem with political means

[06] PASOK leader George Papandreou says party will be in government soon

[07] Former PM Constantine Mitsotakis proposes elections in spring in light of election of new president

[08] Election of President of the Republic must be based on broader social acceptance, Athens mayor says

[09] Kapa Research poll says public opinion finds Olympic Games organizing excellent

[10] U.S. Republicans flatter Greece for hosting excellent Olympic Games

[11] Parachutist squadron at Maleme in Crete becomes operational again

[12] Government condemns clashes taking place in wake of Albania-Greece soccer match

[13] Turkish nationalist group stages protest outside Ecumenical Patriarchate

[14] Fire Brigade in state of increased readiness due to great risk of forest fires

[15] President Stephanopoulos attends inauguration of Arsakio schools in Rio

[16] Illegal immigrants reach island of Samos in wooden boat

[17] Wildfire in district of Politeia under complete control

[18] Weather forecast Cloud, scattered showers on Monday

[19] Cyprus to protect its interests regarding direct trade regulation

[01] FM Petros Molyviatis and Turkish counterpart discuss regulations concerning Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus.

Foreign Minister Petros Molyviatis and his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul met on the sidelines of the European Union's informal Council of Foreign Ministers here on Saturday and expressed their common desire for a consensual solution to the issue of regulations concerning Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus.

"A solution must be found in the framework of the European Union and on the basis of respect for legality," Molyviatis said after the meeting.

He added that talks with Gul focused on a review of latest developments, while the common desire for close cooperation was confirmed once again.

Referring to a statement by the EU presidency on the EU's steadfast position on the preservation of the unity of Serbia-Montenegro, Molyviatis said "there was a general desire for a clarification of the European Union's position with regard to this issue."

Gul said on his part that his discussion with his Greek counter-part was, as always, friendly and constructive, and extended his congratulations for the successful holding of the Athens Olympic Games.

On the question of the European Commission's report on his country, due to be publicized next month, the Turkish diplomat expressed his confidence in the EU "which has shown objective-ness in its approach", adding that he is optimistic "as Turkey has worked hard for this in past years."

[02] Deputy FM Yiannis Valinakis says government continuing to seek viable solution to Cyprus issue

NICOSIA 6/9/04(ANA)

Speaking in an interview with the newspaper "Fileleftheros", Valinakis said "the Annan plan remains alive at a political level and the Cyprus issue is very big and important to remain locked in some diplomatic drawers for a long time."

The deputy minister also assessed that initiatives will be taken on the issue of Cyprus by both the United States and the European Union.

"At this period of time it is difficult for one to predict precisely how we will be led to a mutually acceptable solution," Valinakis said.

[03] Five countries, including Greece, candidates for UN Security Council seat

NEW YORK 6/9/2004(ANA)

The diplomats said the five countries have no rivals for the five new seats which will be part of the 15-member Council on January 1.

The Council members are elected by the UN General Assembly, numbering 191 members, and the vote will be held in October.

Candidate countries are elected for a two-year period and very often they have no rival since they are elected in accordance to the region they belong to on a rotation basis.

A third of the Council seats belong to the five permanent members which have veto powers and which are the United States, Britain, France, China and Russia.

Algeria, Benin, Brazil, the Philippines and Romania, whose term began in January this year, will also be remaining in the Council in 2005.

[04] Foreign ministry and Greek Church to help finance reconstruction of tragic Beslan school

The foreign ministry, following the recent tragic events at a school in the town of Beslan in North Ossetia and desiring to show the country's support and solidarity for the Russian people, has undertaken an initiative together with the Greek Church to help finance the reconstruction of this school, which became a place of suffering for hundreds of innocent victims.

The financing of the project will be undertaken by the foreign ministry's International Development Cooperation Service, while its implementation from a technical point of view will be the responsibility of the Church of Greece's non-governmental organization "Solidarity."

'What is the world coming to by murdering innocent children', Greek Archbishop asks:

Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Christodoulos, in a sermon on Sunday said that "the ruthless people who murdered children have provoked the disgust of humanity."

The Archbishop was referring to the tragedy which struck Russia when terrorists occupied and killed hundreds of people, among them many children, at a Russian school in North Ossetia.

The Archbishop said that the Church of Greece, in cooperation with the Greek government, will rebuild the destroyed school but also with a chapel dedicated to the protector of children Saint Stylianos.

"What is the world coming to," Christodoulos asked, noting that "nobody has the right to abuse his ideological stance to spill the blood of innocent children."

Greek Church addresses letter of solidarity to Russian President Vladimir Putin on North Ossetia terrorist attack:

The Holy Synod of the Church of Greece addressed a letter of solidarity to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday on the terrorist attack on a school in North Ossetia.

The Holy Synod condemns the inhuman terrorist act unequivocally, the letter said, adding that the Synod, the clergy and the Greek people are not only praying for a peaceful solution to the event in question but also for the serious problem of terrorism which has been a scourge for Russia for years.

Lastly, the Holy Synod expressed Greece's solidarity.

[05] Coalition of the Left party calls for solution to Chechnya problem with political means

Athens 6/9/2004 (ANA)

Nikos Hountis, the party's Political Secretariat member responsible for foreign and European policy, said in a statement the Coalition party unequivocally condemns the terrorists' hideous act, but expressed disagreement over the intervention of Russian military forces.

"Western governments, with their solidarity for the Russian government, disregard the fact that combatting terrorism cannot take place with any means and at any cost because the vicious circle of violence, with innocent civilians as its victims, is strengthened in this way," he said.

[06] PASOK leader George Papandreou says party will be in government soon

Main opposition PASOK party leader George Papandreou, speaking in an interview with the Sunday newspaper "Kyriakatiki Eleftherotypia", said he is confident the party will be in government again soon.

"The defeat (in the general elections) gave us wisdom, but PASOK has strong foundations and I am confident that we will succeed in being in government again soon," he said.

Referring to the ruling New Democracy party, Papandreou said "ND is going through an ideological crisis. Its inertia at governance level is dangerous for the country", adding that ND's effort to move towards the political centre "is moving towards a vacuum" and that PASOK will be "active and on the bastions whenever elections take place."

On the question of the election of a new President of the Re-public next spring, when the term of President Kostis Stephanopoulos expires, Papandreou said PASOK will assess the government's proposals and he believes that the political parties will be seeking the greatest possible consensus on the person to be nominated for president.

[07] Former PM Constantine Mitsotakis proposes elections in spring in light of election of new president

Former prime minister Constantine Mitsotakis, in an interview with the Sunday newspaper "Kyriakatiki Eleftherotypia", pro-poses the holding of general elections in spring due to the election of a new President of the Republic.

The former prime minister considers it "hypocrisy to always want to find consensual solutions", adding that if he were prime minister he would call a spade a spade, he would nominate no one for president and resort to elections.

Referring to the economy, Mitsotakis said Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis must not delay in taking restrictive measures and proposed "swift and real privatizations, the deregulation of forest land, salary increases not exceeding the level of inflation, boosting investments and deregulating the labor market."

[08] Election of President of the Republic must be based on broader social acceptance, Athens mayor says

Athens Mayor Dora Bakoyannis stood in favor of an individual with the most broad public acceptance for the Presidency of the Republic in an interview with the Sunday edition of "Vima".

At the same time, the mayor expressed her disagreement about the taking of "painful" economic measures and opined that Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis in his first presence at the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair next weekend should make fewer proclamations. She reiterated that she remains at the Athens Municipality "with a program and a plan for yet some time to come."

Bakoyannis also said that the time was not right for any talk of premature general elections. "I see no reason for anyone to enter such a conversation at this moment of time."

[09] Kapa Research poll says public opinion finds Olympic Games organizing excellent

All crucial sectors concerning the organizing of the Olympic Games, including the volunteers, were excellent in the view of the overwhelming majority of public opinion, according to a nationwide opinion poll conducted by the Kappa Research company for the Sunday newspaper Vima tis Kyriakis.

A high percentage also believes that Greece will benefit from hosting the Olympic Games.

On the other hand, according to the poll, public opinion is troubled by the major issue of doping and strongly opposes the practice of doping in sport.

A total of 78.1 percent of respondents would prefer the country not to win any medal if they knew that no Greek athlete used doping methods.

However, 17.5 percent said they were not opposed to doping methods provided they were applied in such a way that they would not be detected.

[10] U.S. Republicans flatter Greece for hosting excellent Olympic Games

NEW YORK 6/9/2004 (ANA/P. Panagiotou)

The Convention, which was held from Monday to Thursday, was represented by the International Democratic Union (IDU) which also organized in New York the International Leadership Pro-gram 2004. The ND's representative at the IDU and in extension at the Republican Convention, was the new alternate secretary of International Affairs and European Union of the New Democracy party Ioannis Miras.

[11] Parachutist squadron at Maleme in Crete becomes operational again

The 1st Parachutist Squadron, based at Maleme on the island of Crete, has become operational again and Army General Staff Chief Nikolaos Douvas, who attended a relevant ceremony, said on Saturday the squadron was a pilot unit for the country's armed forces.

The squadron had suspended its operation in September 2003 due to changes planned for the armed forces by the defense ministry's previous political leadership.

It will now operate as a recruitment and training centre for reservists from Crete who wish to serve in the special forces.

The ceremony was attended by Deputy Public Order Minister Christos Markoyiannakis and local authorities.

[12] Government condemns clashes taking place in wake of Albania-Greece soccer match

The government on Sunday condemned incidents which took place in the wake of the 2006 World Soccer Cup qualifying match played between the national teams of Greece and Albania in Tirana, Albania, on Saturday night.

"The government condemns unequivocally and in the most categorical way the violent incidents which took place yesterday in the wake of the soccer match between the national teams of Greece and Albania," said government spokesman Theodoros Roussopoulos.

"Acts of violence are unrelated to the spirit of sport, the spirit of celebration and of fellowship between people and peoples which, in any case, we honored in practice recently with the holding of the Olympic Games in Greece," he added.

PASOK terms violent incidents after World Cup soccer match between Albania and Greece as 'sick mentality'

The Press Office of the main opposition PASOK party in an announcement on Sunday said that the violent incidents which occurred after the World Cup soccer match between Albania and Greece in Tirana on Saturday which Albania won by 2-1, "constituted remnants of another era, of a sick mentality and of a racist ideology which should have nothing to do with Greece of 2004." The announcement added:"Greece which henceforth can win the greatest battles, at the same ôime is obliged to condemn and isolate such unacceptable phenomena."

The Coalition of the Left, Movements and Ecology (Synaspismos) also condemned the incidents, stressing that "after last (Saturday) night's street battles, the violent clashes and in particular the tragic incident in Zakynthos the condemnation of the climate of nationalism and hatred which leads people or groups of people to resort to such action is not enough. Let those who are morally guilty to consider their responsibilities".

Youth killed on island of Zakynthos during soccer celebrations:

A youth was killed on the island of Zakynthos on Saturday night after being stabbed while young Albanians were celebrating their country's win over Greece in a World Soccer Cup qualifier played in Tirana earlier in the evening.

A young Greek born in Chicago, Panayiotis Kladis, 22, rushed at a group of Albanians in the village of Tsilivi and stabbed three of them.

A 20-year-old died shortly afterwards, while two others aged 22 and 32 were taken to hospital, where one was kept for treatment while the other was allowed to return home as his injuries were not serious.

The perpetrator was arrested and is due to be brought before a public prosecutor on Sunday.

Five people injured as Greeks and Albanians clash in wake of soccer match:

Five people were hospitalized for stab wounds on Saturday night in clashes in various parts of Athens where Albanians were celebrating their country's 2-1 win over Greece in a 2006 World Soccer Cup qualifier played in Tirana, Albania, earlier in the evening.

Four of the injured people are Albanians and one is Greek. Two Albanians hospitalized were stabbed in the Athens district of Kolonos, while two others were injured in downtown Athens and the Greek was injured in the district of Bournazi. The lives of the injured persons are in no danger.

Albanians burnt a car with a flare at the Peloponnisos train station in Athens and damaged six others.

Police had taken precautionary measures earlier in the day, keeping the offices of far-right organizations in Athens under surveillance, while police forces were on standby at Omonia Square and in other parts of the capital. A major clash was ultimately averted but limited clashes occurred in some neighborhoods in the capital.

About 200 Albanians who had gathered at Omonia Square around midnight nearly came to blows with a group of Greeks who were also in the square. Clashes between them were prevented when police rushed to the scene, pushed the Albanians back towards the region of Haftia and used tear gas on a limited scale, while afterwards they also dispersed the Greeks.

Another group of Albanians walking down Panepistimiou street was also turned away by police before reaching Omonia Square. The Albanians turned back to Syntagma Square where they traded insults with Greeks passing in cars.

Limited clashes during celebrations also occurred at Pasalimani in Piraeus, in Thessaloniki and on the island of Corfu.

Several people were taken to police stations for questioning, but according to press reports nobody has been charged for any offence.

Greece loses to Albania 2-1 in World Soccer Cup qualifier:Greece's national soccer team lost to Albania 2-1 in a group 2 qualifying match played for the 2006 World Cup at Kemal Stafa stadium in Tirana, Albania, on Saturday night.

Albania's goals were scored by Edwin Murati 2 and Adrian Aliai 11, while Stelios Giannakopoulos pulled one back for Greece in the 39th minute.

In other matches played for the same group Denmark and Ukraine drew 1-1 and Turkey and Georgia also drew with the same score.

Greece will play its next match in the group on Wednesday against Turkey in Athens.

[13] Turkish nationalist group stages protest outside Ecumenical Patriarchate

ISTANBUL 6/9/2004 (ANA)

The protest , announced in a newspaper last Thursday, began at 1.45 p.m. and lasted for an hour. Police had cordoned off the area to protect the Ecumenical Patriarchate from any aggressive action.

The demonstrators shouted that Turkey cannot be divided and in some cases threw stones at the Ecumenical Patriarchate's external wall.

[14] Fire Brigade in state of increased readiness due to great risk of forest fires

The Fire Brigade is in a state of increased readiness as weather conditions currently prevailing, with the existence of strong winds, favor the breaking out of forest fires.

According to an announcement by the Civil Protection General Secretariat, there is a great risk of forest fires breaking out on Sunday and Monday in the regions of Attica, Viotia, Fthiotida, Evia, Lesvos, Samos, Chios, the Cyclades islands, Hania, Rethymno, Corinth, Argolida, Arcadia and Laconia.

It also advised the public to avoid activities in the countryside that could accidentally start a forest fire and to notify the Fire Brigade immediately if a fire is seen.

[15] President Stephanopoulos attends inauguration of Arsakio schools in Rio

President Kostis Stephanopoulos attended the inauguration of the Arsakio schools in the town of Rio, near the city of Patra in western Greece, on Saturday. The new school complex will operate over an area of 3,000 square metres.

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis and the government were represented at the event by Deputy Education Minister George Kalos.

Addressing the inauguration ceremony, Educational Society President and Athens University rector George Bambiniotis said the complex was a gem, adding that 3,500 teachers have graduated from the Arsakio academy in the area of Patra who have become distinguished members of the educational sector.

The project cost two billion drachmas, but the creation of separate buildings to house a library, a theatre and a gym will in-crease the total cost to 10 billion drachmas.

President Stephanopoulos toured the classrooms and wished students all the best.

[16] Illegal immigrants reach island of Samos in wooden boat

A total of 22 illegal immigrants, 21 men and a woman, reached the Aegean island of Samos in a wooden boat on Sunday, where they were discovered by local authorities.

The illegal immigrants, who are from the Ivory Coast and Afghanistan, were taken to the Accommodation Centre in good health.

They told officials that more of them are waiting patiently for an opportunity to reach the Aegean islands.

[17] Wildfire in district of Politeia under complete control

A wildfire breaking out in the district of Politeia, outside Athens, at 1.10 p.m. on Saturday was reported under complete control about an hour later. The fire destroyed almost an acre of forest land.

Prompt action by the Fire Brigade resulted in the wildfire being placed under control before it could threaten nearby houses, but firemen are still on standby as strong winds blowing in the area might rekindle the fire.

[18] Weather forecast Cloud, scattered showers on Monday

Cloud and scattered showers are forecast in most parts of the country. Winds northerly moderate in the west and very strong in the east, turning to gale force in the Aegean. Temperatures in Athens from 20C to 27C; and in Thessaloniki from 18C to 25C.

[19] Cyprus to protect its interests regarding direct trade regulation

NICOSIA 6/9/2004 (CNA/ANA)

In statements to CNA, Iacovou said that there are disagreements regarding the issue of direct trade and the illegal use of ports in occupied Cyprus, noting that if there is no conclusion that would satisfy the government, Cyprus Republic would then bring the issue to the European Court.

He noted that for many European countries, the time is running out, since they support the adoption of both regulations as soon as possible.

''We do not wish to be in disagreement with our European partners but we should also protect the interests of the Republic and its citizens'', Iacovou said from Maastricht, where he attended the

Informal ministerial meeting of the EU Foreign Ministers. Iacovou discussed in Maastricht the direct trade regulation with his European counterparts, mainly with Dutch Foreign Minister, whose country holds the EU presidency and explained Cyprus government's positions.

''There are strong disagreements regarding the illegal use of occupied ports. We proceeded to many compromise proposals, such as the use of the legal ports (by Turkish Cypriots) and the proposal for joint operation of the Famagusta port. We do not lack arguments or proposals, which we submitted to deal with a possible deadlock'', he stressed.

On Thursday, the Committee for Permanent Representatives (COREPER) will continue its discussion regarding the European Commission's regulations for financial assistance to the Turkish Cypriots and direct trade, in an effort to reach a decision. If this is not the case, the issue will be remitted to the General Affairs and External Relations Council, due to convene September 13, 2004, or to a later stage, most probably in October.

''For many Europeans the time is running out'', he said, and reminded that Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul had sent a letter to his European counterparts, urging them to adopt the Commission's regulations the soonest possible.

The ''25'' EU Foreign Ministers also met with their counterparts from the West African Cooperation.

''We had a structured dialogue, mainly on issues regarding west Africa. I also had the chance to meet with my counterparts from west Africa who participate at various international fora, like the

Organization for the Islamic Conference and the UN Security Council'', he said.

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