Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 05-05-04

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

CONTENTS

[01] Greek-Italian natural gas pipeline works to begin soon, development minister says

[02] PM and foreign minister meet to discuss foreign policy

[03] Deputy FM to attend EU informal European Affairs meeting in Lisbon

[04] Greek deputy culture minister to visit Australia, inaugurate Benaki Museum exhibition

[05] Russian delegation's visit to northern Greece a first step in expanding bilateral ties

[06] Minister of state issues message on occasion of World Press Day

[07] 4th Vice-President of Parliament meets German parliamentarians

[08] Turkey agrees to Bulgarian proposal that Greece participate in Balkan political cooperation

[09] Greece chairs UN Sanctions Committee for Sudan

[10] Measures for farmers to be included in bill to be tabled in Parliament soon

[11] Merchant marine ministry to move in time to utilize EU funds for sea lanes

[12] Finance Minister to represent Greece at OECD meeting in Paris

[13] Greece promotes Thrace as tourist destination for Russians

[14] Athens Stock Exchange opening: stocks level

[15] Failure of radio-communications behind 'piracy' fears for Norwegian-flagged 'Banner'

[16] Party leaders, MPs attend funeral service for journalist Panos Geramanis

[17] Weak tremor jolts the island of Crete during midnight hours

[18] Leading musician Odysseas Dimitriadis dies in Tbilisi aged 97

[19] US official: The ball is in Cyprus government's court

[01] Greek-Italian natural gas pipeline works to begin soon, development minister says

PARIS 4/5/2005 (ANA/O.Tsipira)

In talks with his Italian counterpart Claudio Scajola, it was agreed that Greece and Italy should sign a bilateral protocol for speeding up implementation of a Greek-Italian natural gas pipeline, whose operation will make Greece and Italy a major energy conduit for natural gas from the Caspian Sea to the larger European markets.

Sioufas and Scajola agreed to create a Greek-Italian committee charged with drafting the protocol. This decision comes on the heels of a memorandum of intention signed by Greece's Public Gas Corporation (DEPA) and Italy's Edison on April 27 for the construction of the pipeline.

"This is a very significant development," Sioufas said in reference to the agreement between the two companies. "[This pipeline] in combination with the Greek-Turkish natural gas pipeline, on which work will soon commence, creates an energy ring linking Turkey, Greece and Italy and consequently all of Europe for the transfer of natural gas from the countries of the Caspian Sea," Sioufas told reporters.

Regarding the Turkish-Greek natural gas pipeline, Sioufas met with his Turkish counterpart Mehmet Hilmu Guler with whom he discussed the details of beginning construction on the project as well as expanding the two countries' cooperation on other energy-related issues.

Construction of Greek-Turkish natgas pipeline to begin soon, Sioufas says: Construction of a Greek-Turkish natural gas pipeline is due to begin in the next few weeks, Development Minister Dimitris Sioufas said on Tuesday, after a meeting of International Energy Agency (IEA) ministers in Paris.

While in Paris, Sioufas had a meeting with European Commissioner for energy Andris Piebalgs and his counterparts from Italy and Turkey.

In talks with his Italian counterpart Claudio Scajola, it was agreed that Greek and Italy should sign a bilateral protocol for speeding up implementation of a Greek-Italian natural gas pipeline, whose operation will make Greece and Italy an major energy conduit for natural gas from the Caspian Sea to the larger European markets.

[02] PM and foreign minister meet to discuss foreign policy

Athens, 4/5/2005 (ANA)

No statements were made by Molyviatis after the meeting.

[03] Deputy FM to attend EU informal European Affairs meeting in Lisbon

Athens, 4/5/2005 (ANA)

It will be the 5th consecutive working meeting aimed at coordinating the efforts of the "17" to support the European Commission's proposal on the 4th Community Support framework (CSF) and the rest of the EU's funds.

The meetings are the result of the initiative undertaken by the relevant deputy foreign ministers of Greece and Portugal in September 2004. Tripartite meetings followed, with the participation of Spain, which were gradually enlarged with other member-states, totalling 17 in all during the meeting held in Athens in January.

Valinakis will be having contacts with counterparts from participating member-states on the sidelines of the meeting.

[04] Greek deputy culture minister to visit Australia, inaugurate Benaki Museum exhibition

MELBOURNE 4/5/2005 (ANA - S. Hatzimanolis)

The exhibition opens at Sydney's Powerhouse Museum and is also due to travel to museums in Melbourne and Perth after September 4.

The exhibition will feature over 160 treasures spanning eight thousand years of Greek history, from 6,000 B.C. to the early 19th-century Greek War of Independence.

[05] Russian delegation's visit to northern Greece a first step in expanding bilateral ties

Athens, 4/5/2005 (ANA)

"The meeting between [Prime Minister Costas] Karamanlis and [Russian President Vladimir] Putin in December, signaled a new beginning of cooperation between the two countries," Deputy Foreign Minister Evripidis Stylianidis said during a joint press conference with Deputy Tourism Minister Anastassios Liaskos.

"Effectively, it was the beginning of a targeted approach towards the Russian market, which was established after Greece assumed the presidency of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization (BSEC)," Stylianidis added.

"After discussions we had with [President of Russia's Chamber of Commerce and Industry Yevgeny] Primakov during our recent visit to Moscow, the first steps of cooperation between the two countries will begin in Thrace. The first step was the signing of the agreement concerning the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline, the next step will be holding a business forum in Athens in order to promote new collaborations, and the third was the visit of [Russian] journalists to get to know the area so that Russian tourists will visit later," Stylianidis explained.

Travel between Greece and Russia will be facilitated with the launch of direct flights on June 2 by Ionian Lines, which on Monday signed an agreement with Russia's Tupolev for the purchase of two airplanes. The flights will operate through the end of September and an estimated 10,000 Russian tourists are expected to visit Evros.

"We are helping in the effort the prefecture of Evros is making and we proved through our presence here today and through funding that the Ministry of Tourism Development is making every systematic effort to promote the country, but also certain important prefectures such as Evros, as tourist destinations," Liaskos said.

Evros Prefect Nikos Zampounidis said that the prefecture's efforts to attract Russian tourists began in 2003, following a collaboration with the Russian embassy's section in Thessaloniki, when it was deemed appropriate that a bilateral cooperation should begin in the tourism sector first.

On their part, journalists of the Russian delegation stressed the need to simplify and shorten the waiting time for the issue of visas, as well as the need to accelerate the timeframe for the construction and operation of the Burgas-Alexandroupolis pipeline.

[06] Minister of state issues message on occasion of World Press Day

Athens, 4/5/2005 (ANA)

"The quality of the press, both printed and electronic, is an issues concerning our entire society collectively and for every citizen separately and constitutes one of the safest indicators of the quality of democracy and for this reason it constitutes a leading target for the new governance," he said.

Roussopoulos added that "we are dedicating our strength in this direction with the belief that investing in institutions is a steadfast foundation for every optimistic thought for the future."

Opposition leaders' statements on World Press Freedom Day: Main opposition PASOK Spokesman Nikos Athanassakis and Coalition of the Left, Movements and Ecology (SYN) President Alekos Alavanos highlighted the close relationship between freedom of the press and democracy in separate statements they made on Tuesday on occasion of World Press Freedom Day.

"Democracy and freedom of the press are two concepts that are absolutely linked," Athanassakis said in his statement.

"The degree of freedom of the press constitutes the safest and most essential criterion of how democracy operates; the quality of democracy is reflected in the press - both print and electronic - of each country," Athanassakis continued.

"I consider it my responsibility to express on behalf of SYN a message of solidarity and support to the daily struggle of journalists everywhere in their efforts to inform, to communicate, to publicize, to disseminate knowledge and for all those elements that make this occupation an organic part at the core of democracy," Alavanos stated in his message.

[07] 4th Vice-President of Parliament meets German parliamentarians

Athens, 4/5/2005 (ANA)

Raised during the talks were current foreign policy issues, such as Turkey's European course, the Cyprus issue, the situation in the Balkans and the future of Kosovo, the issue of the name of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), the next European union enlargement and Greek-German relations.

Petsalnikos retreated to his German interlocutors that Greece supports Turkey's European prospects on condition that it fully implements the Copenhagen criteria. "This will be good for Turkey itself and the Turkish people," he said, adding: "The fulfillment of these terms depends on Ankara and she has the first word. We are interested in the creation of peaceful and friendly relations with the country."

[08] Turkey agrees to Bulgarian proposal that Greece participate in Balkan political cooperation

Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer agreed to Bulgaria's proposal on Tuesday that Greece participate in Balkan political cooperation.

Specifically, the proposal was made by Bulgarian President Georgy Parvanov during his meeting with Sezer in Ankara.

Since 1974, Bulgaria and Romania would meet separately with Turkey and Greece, due to strained Greek-Turkish relations.

Following Parvanov's proposal, all four countries will meet together simultaneously. Parvanov explained that the meetings will focus on solving problems pertinent to all four parties.

The first forum in which all four will participate will be held in Varna, Bulgaria, on May 20-21.

[09] Greece chairs UN Sanctions Committee for Sudan

Athens, 4/5/2005 (ANA)

Specifically, Greece was chosen to head the committee, provided for under UN resolution 1591 (2005), after the conclusion of Friday's Security Council meeting.

According to Greek UN Ambassador Adamantios Vassilakis, the committee will be in charge of monitoring the implementation of specialized sanctions and an arms embargo in the three provinces of Darfur, as well as regularly briefing the Security Council on the progress made.

The Foreign Ministry, in a statement issued on Tuesday, said that the council's decision to put Greece in charge of such a significant committee, "proves the Security Council's trust in our country and the positive role it's playing as a non-permanent member of the Security Council." Greece thanked the Council and emphasized that it is fully aware of the gravity of the tasks it has been assigned.

According to diplomatic sources, the UN committee could play a decisive role in dealing with the crisis in Darfur, western Sudan, where tens of thousands have died and more than a million have been displaced.

[10] Measures for farmers to be included in bill to be tabled in Parliament soon

Athens, 4/5/2005 (ANA)

Basiakos said the measures primarily serve new farmers and stockbreeders, who will be able to legalize unauthorized sheepfolds they have created without having to pay fines.

The measures include interest-free short-term loans for operational costs faced by new farmers in mountainous and underprivileged areas, as well as medium and long-term loans for new farmers in the same regions to enable them to obtain necessary fixed equipment for their farms.

Interest-free loans will also be provided for new farmers in mountainous and underprivileged areas for the purchase of land and for farming facilities on such land which serve farming activities exclusively.

[11] Merchant marine ministry to move in time to utilize EU funds for sea lanes

Athens, 4/5/2005 (ANA)

According to a relevant announcement by the merchant marine ministry, the selection of projects for the development of the specific lane , which will be promoted for evaluation by the European Union, will be carried out by a relevant Interministerial Committee.

Selection will be made possible on the basis of the relevant EU institutional framework, development targets and priorities, strategic national policy plans for transportation and of national port policy, as well as in the framework of cooperation to be achieved with other member-states.

With the purpose of making cooperation with neighboring member-states on the joint tabling of proposals on the implementation of sea lanes more specific, cooperation memorandums were signed recently with Italy and Cyprus, while the widening of cooperation with Malta and Slovenia will be pursued.

[12] Finance Minister to represent Greece at OECD meeting in Paris

Athens, 4/5/2005 (ANA)

[13] Greece promotes Thrace as tourist destination for Russians

Athens, 4/5/2005 (ANA)

The journalists arrived in Alexandroupolis on an Olympic Airlines aircraft, leased by Greece's Tourism ministry on the occasion.

The tourism ministry will support and finance the prefecture authority's effort to promote the region of Thrace as a tourism destination for Russian tourism, Tourism Deputy Minister Anastasios Liaskos said on Tuesday.

The Prefecture Authority of Evros, in cooperation with a Greek businessman and Russian aircraft manufacturer Tupolev, set up a new airline company to service Alexandroupolis with Russian cities. The company has already acquired two aircraft.

Russian journalists, speaking during a news conference, said they would carry with them back home the finest impressions from their stay in Greece.

[14] Athens Stock Exchange opening: stocks level

Athens, 4/5/2005 (ANA)

Individual sector indices were mixed, with the biggest gains in IT solutions, up 2.03 percent; Information Technology, up 0.88 percent; and Wholesale, up 0.36 percent; the biggest losses were in Telecoms, down 1.74 percent; Investments, down 0.42 percent; and Minerals, down 0.21 per cent.

The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavily traded stocks was down 0.16 percent, the FTSE/ASE MID 40 index was up 0.41 percent, and the FTSE/ASE SmallCap 80 index was up 0.04 percent.

Of the stocks moved, 45 were up, 34 were down, and 41 were unchanged.

[15] Failure of radio-communications behind 'piracy' fears for Norwegian-flagged 'Banner'

Athens, 4/5/2005 (ANA)

Coast guard officers had boarded the vessel on Monday evening, in accordance with procedure in cases of piracy, following an official request from Norway to investigate.

The ship was asked to change course and return to Greek waters, after which it was escorted to the harbor in Pylos by two coastguard patrol boats in the early hours of Tuesday.

Officers of the Greek coastguard remained aboard the vessel for about one hour while they investigated the cause of the problem and obtained the necessary explanations from the skipper and 19 foreign sailors on board.

The local harbor office has forbidden the ship's departure until it submits documents certifying that the failure in its radio-communications system has been restored.

The "Banner" was carrying a load of cement destined for Portugal.

[16] Party leaders, MPs attend funeral service for journalist Panos Geramanis

Athens, 4/5/2005 (ANA)

Among them was Communist Party of Greece (KKE) General Secretary Aleka Papariga, main opposition PASOK's spokes-man Nikos Athanassakis and MPs Maria Damanaki, Stefanos Tzoumakas and Panagiotis Lafazanis.

Geramanis was later buried at his home town of Vassiliko on the island of Evia.

Several stars of the Greek music scene were also among the mourners, including Marinella, Mary Linda, Kaiti Grey, Poly Panou, Maria Farandouri, Manos Eleftheriou, Stamatis Kokotas, Dimitris Mitropanos, Manolis Mitsias and Lakis Halkias.

Geramanis had a illustrious career in the press and radio, beginning with the sports paper "Fos ton Spor" at 17 before moving on to work as a editor and music critic in a number of respected Greek dailies. He was also the voice behind the state radio's "Popular Bards" program, which presented well-known but also unknown masters of Greece's popular music scene.

[17] Weak tremor jolts the island of Crete during midnight hours

Athens, 4/5/2005 (ANA)

The epicenter of the quake was located in the sea about 280 kilometers south of Athens and just north of the prefecture of Iraklion on the island.

No damages were reported as a result of the quake, while seismologist stressed that there was no link with a minor earthquake that occurred in Crete just before midnight on Easter Sunday, since the two earth tremors had different epicenters and fell within the pattern of normal seismic activity for the area.

A prefecture inspection team will be visiting the villages of Sokara and Asimi on Tuesday to inspect and confirm damages reported from the earthquake on Easter Sunday.

[18] Leading musician Odysseas Dimitriadis dies in Tbilisi aged 97

Athens, 4/5/2005 (ANA)

Born in Batumi, Dimitriadis was a leading musician in the Balshoi orchestra and in the Tbilisi opera. He was repatriated to Greece in 1993.

He had also directed the Athens State Orchestra during a performance at the National Opera.

The Athens Prefecture had awarded him the distinction of "Ambassador of Hellenism" in 1998.

Prime Minister and Culture Minister Costas Karamanlis said in a statement that Odysseas Dimitriadis "had the unique privilege in his long life to speak with the inter-cultural language of music to the hearts of the peoples of the then Soviet Union, of Greece and Georgia."

The prime minister added that for the friends of music from all over the world, Dimitriadis has already been included among the group of the great teachers of the past century and extended his condolences to his family.

[19] US official: The ball is in Cyprus government's court

NICOSIA 4/5/2005 (CNA/ANA)

According to AFP, Kennedy said after her meetings in Ankara on Tuesday with Turkish officials, with whom she discussed inter alia the Cyprus question, that ''the unresolved status is in no one's interests.''

After Turkey, Kennedy will fly to Athens to meet with Greek officials. From Athens she will fly to Cyprus to meet with Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali

Talat. After Cyprus she will visit Britain and Brussels.

According to Anadolu News Agency, Kennedy also noted that firstly the Greek Cypriot side should convey its concerns to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to start a new tour of talks for a solution to the Cyprus question.

The US official reiterated that the United States supports UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's goodwill mission, adding that Annan should see the necessary political will in both sides to resume the talks.

Kennedy said that Annan wants to know about concerns of Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos. Annan wants to learn about those concerns, she said, noting that they wanted to encourage Papadopoulos for solution within that scope.

Replying to a question, Kennedy said that they have not decided yet whether to start direct flights from the United States to Cyprus Turkish occupied areas, adding that the United States makes every effort to lift the ''isolation'' over the Turkish Cypriot pseudo state, according to Anadolu.

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