Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 07-03-12

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

CONTENTS

[01] FinMin: Second term will be for society, but elections are not near at hand

[02] Russian President Putin due in Athens on Thursday for oil pipeline deal

[03] PASOK leader Papandreou addresses party rally in Karditsa

[04] Papandreou attends anniversary marking Karditsa's liberation from Axis forces

[05] Public order minister cites 'murderous attack' on police officers

[06] 49 accused youths to testify on Monday over student protest violence

[07] FM to brief President Papoulias on Monday

[08] The real opposition in Greece is conducted by SYN, Alavanos says

[09] President Papoulias to receive Synaspismos leader Alavanos

[10] Synaspismos' Trigazis hails demolition of wall in divided Nicosia

[11] National campaign for release of Abdullah Ocalan

[12] Feb. inflation remains at lowest rate in five years

[13] 'We do not play with public finances,' deputy FinMin says

[14] Proposal for sea link between two Greek ports and three Turkish ports

[15] Tender for Serres Labour Centre building restoration to take place after Easter

[16] Synaspismos leader meets stockbreeders of northern Greece

[17] President Papoulias attends feast of patron saint in Arta

[18] Four arrested on immigrant smuggling charges

[19] Arson at bank ATM, ND office

[20] 32nd anniversary of founding of AHI celebrated

[21] Soccer

[22] The Sunday edition of Athens' newspapers at a glance

[23] Mostly fair on Monday

[24] Cypriot President says July 8th agreement must continue unimpeded

[25] Security is the main issue in opening Ledra Street, says Cypriot President

[26] Russia welcomes demolition of Ledra Street wall Politics

[01] FinMin: Second term will be for society, but elections are not near at hand

Elections were not near at hand but still had a long way to go, Alogoskoufis said, noting that now that the public finances were improving "we can place even greater emphasis on social issues".

More specifically, he said that greater funding would be required for the educational reforms, but also for the measures aimed at confronting the inequalities and poverty.

The minister further announced that a uniform minimum salary was in the workings for all the socialy insurance recipients.

As for the drafting of the new state budget, Alogoskoufis said that "there is a serious prospect that it will be drafted on the basis of the new data on the gross national product".

Questioned on the upcoming ND Congress in July, Alogo-skoufis said that the ruling party needed to open itself up more to the youths, adding that "under no circumstances" should ND change its strategy of moderation and the middle space.

He further opined that the majority of the ND cadres should choose between party offices and public offices.

To another question, Alogoskoufis said he considered it extremely premature and foolish for one to speak at this time of a succession to ND leader and prime minister Costas Kara-manlis, and denied that he had such aspirations.

"I have aspirations where I am, and where the prime minister and the party have entrusted me, to contribute the utmost possible," he said.

Finally, Alogoskoufis called for inter-party agreement on the issues concerning the social insurance and education reforms.

[02] Russian President Putin due in Athens on Thursday for oil pipeline deal

The target set since last September, when the three countries committed themselves through the Athens Memorandum for the signing of the inter-state agreement, was for the project to start within 2008 and to be concluded early 2011.

On Thursday, Development Minister Dimitris Sioufas, Russian Energy Minister Viktor Khristenko and Bulgarian Regional Development and Public Works Minister Valentin Cerovski will sign the inter-state agreement which gives the "green light" to the companies which will participate in the project to proceed in setting up an international construction and management company.

Present at the signing, apart from Putin, will be Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev and Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis.

[03] PASOK leader Papandreou addresses party rally in Karditsa

"Last week, from the Peace and Friendship Stadium, in Piraeus, we made a new start in the great course towards victory. Today, the struggle of the Thessaly plain, the struggle of farmers, begins from Karditsa," Papandreou said.

"I'm at the Thessaly plain, with you, so as to declare my own decision to struggle uncompromisingly for a new course for the farmers. You should know that I guarantee that we shall forge the new course together," he added.

Papandreou, having referred to what PASOK achieved when it was in power, said that "already, valuable time has been lost for the farmers."

He launched a stinging attack against the government, saying that "the pitiful assessment of the three years of the (Prime Minister Costas) Karamanlis government is poverty, high cost of living, the transfer of wealth from the many to the few, the abandonment of the National Health System (ESY), the undermining of public education, cheap privatisations and very expensive buy-outs, scandals and cover-ups, shady games with the riot police and hooded individuals, authoritarianism and partisanship."

The PASOK leader said the New Democracy (ND) government "shrank Greece and wounded democracy."

Papandreou went on to say that "fortunately for Greece and for the farmers, when major negotiations will be held in the European Union in 2008/2009, Mr. Karamanlis will not be the country's prime minister."

Concluding, Papandreou said that "PASOK has a programme for the redistribution of wealth, a programme of social justice which supports the low income earners, small and medium-sized businesses, the families, the pensioners and of course the Greek farmers."

Papandreou began a three-day tour of Thessaly on Sunday.

Government spokesman responds

Responding to Papandreou, Minister of State Theodoros Roussopoulos said that Greek citizens "beyond party prefe-rences, feel disappointed when they see a young politician denying himself, backtracking on his comittments and finally compromising himself with mentalities and practices which belong to the past."

"The citizens are disappointed when they ascertain on a daily basis that the main opposition party, instead of serving seriously and responsibly its institutional role, instead of placing itself on principles, vision and a programme, it invests politically in tension, polarisation and division," Roussopoulos concluded.

[04] Papandreou attends anniversary marking Karditsa's liberation from Axis forces

"We are celebrating today, in the pioneer city of Karditsa, which, with its liberation, shed the light of hope throughout the entire democratic world in 1943," Papandreou said.

"Together, we pay tribute to the struggles of the national resistance, of EAM-ELAS, and these struggles inspire us," he said, adding that "we are also inspired by the values for which they fought, the values of freedom, democracy and progress, values which today give us strength to wage a successful struggle for a just society and for a stronger Greece."

Papandreou commenced on Sunday a three-day tour of Thessaly.

He was due to address a political gathering at the Karditsa stadium on Sunday night, while on Monday and Tuesday he was scheduled to visit the prefectures of Trikala and Larissa.

[05] Public order minister cites 'murderous attack' on police officers

"It was not a man-to-man battle, but a murderous attack against the police officers," Polydoras said.

According to an announcement by ELAS (Greek Police), a group of approximately 50 self-styled anarchists and anti-establishmentalists, at approximately 11:00 p.m., suddenly attacked the patrolling officers, beating them with clubs and crowbars and throwing home-made firebombs (molotov cocktails) at them.

During the attack, the perpetrators destroyed two shields while, as they fled the scene, they grabbed a shield, two helmets and a gas mask from the two injured officers, and scattered into the side-streets of Exarchia.

ELAS said the police officers used teargas to ward the perpe-trators off.

A number of suspects were brought in for questioning, but were released after no incriminating evidence was found.

One of the two injured police officers remained hospitalised on Sunday at the 401 Military Hospital, suffering from head injuries, including several broken teeth, and an elbow injury. The second police officer, who also suffered blows to the head and chest, was released after receiving treatment at the hospital.

In an interview appearing in To Paron newspaper on Sunday, Polydoras stressed that Greece is a peaceful country and does not want "urban guerrilla warfare rationales".

He reiterated that the police had no "vendetta" with anyone, and stressed that "the violence of the anti-establishmentalists constitutes a unilateral action that lacks solid reasoning".

He noted that the anti-establismentalists "our also our children, we don't want to see them as black sheep".

"Our thoughts and attention is also turned to them, whereas their 'recruitors' do not think about them and are indifferent to the adverse consequences," the minister continued.

Regarding Thursday's violence by hooded troublemakers during an education rally in central Athens, during which a sentinel post at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier outside parliament was set on fire, Polydoras said that the fierceness of the attack was unprecedented, adding that the police's plan had been successful, and the police who were attacked had displayed very good endurance.

[06] 49 accused youths to testify on Monday over student protest violence

The court ordered the release of 48 of them until then, while for a private employee, the court ordered the extension of his detention until Monday.

The 49 are accused of disrupting public order.

Moreover, 12 suspects were earlier charged by a public prosecutor with a number of misdemeanour offences. Nine of them will testify on Monday, while the remaining three testified on Saturday. The three, two females and a male, were released and must appear at a police station once a month.

Thirteen police officers were injured during Thursday's incidents and one of them was hospitalised.

According to police, the incidents were caused by self-styled anarchist and anti-establishment youths who participated in the rally and are responsible for the petrol bomb attacks on a number of banks, as well as for the violent clashes recorded when they attempted to break the anti-riot police cordon in front of the Parliament building hurling petrol bombs, stones and other objects against the security forces.

The same individuals are responsible for torching a sentry box at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and for the attack on a traffic police officer, forcibly removing his radio set.

The statement issued also clarified that the Evzone Guards, members of the presidential guard, were removed from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by decision of the police for security reasons.

[07] FM to brief President Papoulias on Monday

[08] The real opposition in Greece is conducted by SYN, Alavanos says

Addressing SYN voters and local party cadres, Alavanos accused the government of, for the past year, attacking the Left and SYN, an attack which he said had escalated recently prompted by the developments in the education sector.

"Every ND petty politician tries to collect votes by saying extreme things against SYN," Alavanos claimed, while at the same time he criticised PASOK over the stance it took on the prposed revision of Article XVI of the Constitution.

"The opposition in Greece is the Left. It is SYN," Alavanos said, and opined that the mass mobilisations by youths had formulated a new dynamic in Greece.

Turning to the clashes in central Athens and the defilement of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Alavanos accused the government in general, public order minister Vyron Polydoras, and certain media of pushing forward the issue of the hooded troublemakers, adding that SYN condemned the defilement of the monument.

On foreign policy issues, Alavanos accused the government of lacking policy on the Aegean and the Cyprus issue.

Turning to other issues, Alavanos claimed that the farmers and animal breeders were at the mercy of the dairy industries and the business "trusts".

He charged that the government lacked a clearcut policy on confronting the greenhouse problem, on the use of renewable energy sources and electricity production, while he also said that, with respect to labour relations, a climate of intimidation of the working people was being cultivated in Greece, and claimed that thousands of yourths were forced to work under unacceptable conditions, without basic salaries and working hours, and without social insurance, for fear of being dismissed.

Earlier on Sunday, Alavanos met with State Theatre of Norther Greece director Nikitas Tsakiroglou and discussed issues concerning the Theatre's operation, while he also held talks with representatives from the Kyminon community's farming cooperative on theproblems faced by the sector.

[09] President Papoulias to receive Synaspismos leader Alavanos

According to a Synaspismos press release on Saturday, Alavanos requested to be received by the president so as to bring to his attention the party's positions "on matters of democracy, public order and the attacks against the university and student movement."

[10] Synaspismos' Trigazis hails demolition of wall in divided Nicosia

President Papadopoulos' statement followed the start a few hours earlier of the dismantling of the National Guard wall in this commercial street in the walled city of Nicosia, the world's last divided capital.

"We hail the demolition of the wall in Ledra Street in Nicosia. This step by the government of the Republic of Cyprus constitutes a hopeful development, both on a symbolic and political level in the direction of the rapprochement of the Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots and the resumption of the bi-communal talks under the auspices of the United Nations for a solution to the Cyprus issue. What is mainly called for is the end of the Turkish occupation, the demilitarisation and reunification of the island with the creation of a bi-communal-bi-zonal federation on the basis of the UN resolutions and the European acquis communautaire, Trigazis said.

[11] National campaign for release of Abdullah Ocalan

The campaign began from the region of Kamara, Thessaloniki, central Macedonia, where representatives of the two organisations shared out leaflets to passersby and called on them to sign for the demand of the release of Ocalan who is being detained in Turkish prisons since 1999.

Financial News

[12] Feb. inflation remains at lowest rate in five years

According to an announcement issued by the minister and deputy minister, inflation in February stood at 2.7 percent, down from 3.2 in February 2006, anc compared with 3.1 percent in February 2005, 2.5 percent in February 2004, and 4.3 percent in February 2003.

Also, of the 61 goods and services that form the so-called 'household basket", 25 presented price increases that were below the inflation rate, against only 15 in the corresponding month of 2004.

Third, the average inflation stood at 3.1 percent (year-on-year) in February 2007, against 3.6 percent and 3.4 percent in February 2003 and 2004 respectively, the announcement said, remaining at the lowest levels of the past five years.

The announcement said that the effort to confront high prices, which existed and still exist, was continuing at an increasing rate.

The announcement said that the government was carrying on with the changes and reforms that tackle the chronic structural weaknesses, improve competitiveness and strengthen health competition, aimed at the continuous reinformcent of growth and further reduction of inflation.

It said the results of those initiatives have been acknowledged by the Bank of Greece which, in its latest report on Monetary Policy 2006-2007 (released in February 2007), noted on page 19 that "inflation in 2007 is anticipated to decline slightly in comparison with 2006, and also in comparison with the average for the six-year period 2001-2006".

"We reitarate," the announcement concluded, that our ally in this effort is the citizen-consumer. Our concern is the citizen."

The announcement sparked a reply by main opposition PASOK Parliamentary Council officer responsible for growth, tourism and shipping issues Christos Papoutsis, who said that the government's ministers were apparently complacently living New Democracy's virtual reality of Greece.

"But the reality of the everyday life of the Greeks is different, tough and hard to bear," he said.

Papoutsis said that the high prices, the government's incomes ppolicy and the impasses on the market had blown the family budgets sky-high and had entrapped the society in insecurity over the future. "This is the reality lived by the Greeks in their daily lives," he said.

[13] 'We do not play with public finances,' deputy FinMin says

"We do not play with public finances," Bezas said in view of the reduction of the budget deficit below three per cent.

He said that during the 1990s decade, "according to our predecessors (PASOK)," the deficit was many times below the three per cent limit.

"The difference with the past is due to the fact that we do not play with public finances. We do not offer grants with borrowed money. We do not change the figures when we do not like them, neither do we manufacture them when they do not exist. We tell the truth to our associates in Europe, we do not hide the truth from the Greek people. Our job is to correct the bad texts. Our job is to help the country's healthy forces to distinguish themselves and upon them to be built the economic growth of the next decade."

[14] Proposal for sea link between two Greek ports and three Turkish ports

The meeting was held in Alexandroupolis, northern Greece.

Prevailing at the contacts was the need to create a sea link which will connect the ports of Alexandroupolis and Samothrace with the ports of Imvros, Tenedos and Canakale, as well as the promotion of relations of good neighbourliness and cooperation between these regions.

[15] Tender for Serres Labour Centre building restoration to take place after Easter

During his visit, Yakoumatos met with Serres Prefect Stefanos Fotiadis, took part in a meeting of the prefecture's producer groups, and visited the Labour Centre, where he discussed the problems facing the sector with the Centre's president Elias Antoniou and members of the administrative board.

During a pres conference, he criticised the preceding municipal authority of Serres Municipality of making no effort to find land plots and proceed with the construction of labour housing in the city, despite the excellent cooperation with the Labour Centre and other agencies involved.

Yakoumatos also met with MPs and members of the local New Democracy office.

[16] Synaspismos leader meets stockbreeders of northern Greece

"A cartel of dairy industries is operating which has double victims. On the one hand the producers and on the other the consumers," Alavanos said.

"And here, beyond the Competition Committee, the government also has responsibility to deal with the problem of the cartel," he added.

The Synaspismos leader also said that stockbreeding production must be supported "and for satisfactory prices to be given for meat and milk."

General News

[17] President Papoulias attends feast of patron saint in Arta

Papoulias attended a doxology on Sunday monring at the St. Theodora church, followed by a procession of the icon.

After the procession, the President was given a tour of the church of the Panaghia Parigoritissa (Virgin Mother of Consolation), which was built in the late 13th century while afterwards, at the City Hall, Papoulias was declared an honourary resident of Arta and the city's mayor, Panayotis Economidis presented him with the Medal of the City.

Replying to the mayor's greeting, Papoulias spoke of Arta's cultural treasure, adding that the Epirotes have shown, throughout history, their disposition for progress, persistence in the effort to upgrade the quality of their lives, creativity and a sense of responsibility.

The Ioannina-born Papoulias said that, as an Epirote himself, he was well aware of the regin's problems and shared the local residents' concerns. "But I also know the abilities of the region. At every visit here, I become a witness of the vitality, outwardness and dynamism of the people of this land. I ascertain that Epirus has great prospects and opportunities to move ahead," the President said.

In fulfillment of an older pledge, Papoulias also visited the Foundatin of Persons with Special Needs 'Aghia Theodora", and was given a tour of the installations, where he spoke with the staff as well as with the children learning various activities at the Foundation.

At an official lunch hosted in his honour later by the Arta mayor, Papoulias dedicated his address to people with special needs, noting that "what we can do to facilitate the struggle and everyday lives of our fellow human beings is, first of all, to work to demolish the walls that frequently isolate them".

"Prejudice and conscious or unconscious rejection are only some of the problems they face," the President said, adding "that both society and the state must become increasingly sensitive to the issue of tackling their problems, because the principle of solidarity is the most important value of our society".

Antigua-flag freighter stranded at Ikonio after German captain refuses to return illegal immigrants found aboard to Turkey

Sixteen illegal immigrants were found locked up in a container on an Antigua-flagged freighter that sailed into the port of Piraeus on March 7 and, according to available information, the men, mostly Iraqis, had boarded the "Rita" two days earlier before it set sail from a Turkish port, headed for Italy with a stopover in Piraeus.

The presence of the illegal immigrants was made known when crew members heard sounds from one of the containers as the ship sailed to the Ikonio terminal in the port of Piraeus to unload some of the containers.

The vessel's German captain was immediately notified and, in turn, informed the Piraeus Central Port Authority, which sent officials who unsealed the containers.

The 16 illegal immigrants, who had been without water for two days, were examined by doctors and given food but, under a prosecutor's order, were forbidden from disembarking in Greece and remained on the vessel, under the responsibility of the captain who, under international legislation, is obliged to return to the port of embarkation, in other words, Turkey.

The Rita, which had been scheduled to leave Piraeus to continue to Italy on March 9, was still docked at Ikonio on Sunday, as the German captain has refused to return to Turkey, claiming that the vessel does not have the necessary means and expressing fear of a mutiny by the 16 illegal immigrants on a return trip to Turkey.

[18] Four arrested on immigrant smuggling charges

The police operation that led to the arrests was conducted with the assistance of the Thessaloniki Aliens Directorate and the police authorities of Alexandroupolis.

[19] Arson at bank ATM, ND office

Unidentified persons doused a Eurobank ATM with gasoline in the Patissia residential district, causing material damange, at 4:40 am.

Twenty minutes later, in the Acadimia Platonos district, unidentified persons placed a home-made incendiary device comprising small propane canisters outside the ND local organisation office. The explosion caused minor material damage to the office and a parked car.

[20] 32nd anniversary of founding of AHI celebrated

The 32nd anniversary of the founding of the American Hellenic Institute (AHI), which is based in Washington, was celebrated over the weekend.

Present at the event were hundreds of Greek-Americans, many Greek-American officials and the ambassadors of Greece Alexandros Mallias and Cyprus Andreas Kakouris.

Among those who attended were former senator Paul Sarbanes, Democratic Party congressman John Sarbanes and president of the World Council of Hellenes Abroad (SAE) in the United States, Ted Spyropuolos, based in Chicago.

[21] Soccer

Atromitos Athens - Xanthi 3-3

PAOK Thessaloniki - Egaleo Athens 2-0

Panionios Athens - Ionikos Piraeus 2-0

OFI Crete - Kerkyra 3-4

Larissa - AEK Athens 0-1

Apollon Kalamaria - Olympiakos Piraeus 1-2

Aris Thessaloniki - Iraklis Thessaloniki 1-0

Panathinaikos Athens - Ergotelis Crete 0-1

Standings after 25 weeks of play:

Olympiakos 62 points

AEK 52

Panathinaikos 51

Aris 36

PAOK 36

Panionios 35

Ergotelis 33

OFI 33

Larissa 31

Xanthi 31

Atromitos 31

Kerkyra 30

Apollon Kalamaria 28

Egaleo 27

Iraklis 22

Ionikos 4

Note: Ionikos has been deducted five points for disciplinary reasons.

[22] The Sunday edition of Athens' newspapers at a glance

APOGEVMATINI: "The tax-free ceilings for inheritences, gifts, parental gifts - The economy ministry's final regulations".

AVGHI: "It's wagering on the violence - The government playing with fire".

AVRIANI: "What mastermind set up the looting of the social insurance funds".

ELEFTHEROS TYPOS: "The 600 euros generation - Masters Degree with worker's wages - The great expectatins and the lost dreams".

ELEFTHEROTYPIA: "Brussels' bluff - Secret agreement between Karamanlis and Almunia (European Commissioner for monetary affairs) for harsh changes to the social insurance system and salary increases of only 2.5 percent".

EPOCHI (weekly): "Warfare against the yough - Government's suppression plan with arrests and chemicals".

ETHNOS: "The documentation of the 'blue' political favours - Revelation: Hiring applications with ND stamp".

KATHIMERINI: "The violence leading to developments - Concern over the next moves - Brussels and international organisations ask for acceleration of changes".

LOGOS: "Education: The morning after - POSDEP (federation of university professors' unions) and students continue the mobilisations".

NIKI: "Course towards the people - PASOK's (main opposition party) visits to the periphery begin today (Sunday)".

RIZOSPASTIS: "Insubordination and struggle by the popular labour movement - New anti-popular measures from the EU (informal) summit".

TO THEMA (weekly): "Crime and collusion with the signature of 5 ministers".

TO VIMA: "How the cartel was set up - The 17 names and the agreements - The Competition Commission's confidential report on the dairy industry".

VRADYNI: "Secret plan against the hooded troublemakers - Society rising up, the government being forced to tackle them".

Weather forecast:

[23] Mostly fair on Monday

Cyprus Affairs

[24] Cypriot President says July 8th agreement must continue unimpeded

Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos said on Saturday that the July 8th, 2006 agreement which would prepare the ground for substantive negotiations for a Cyprus solution must continue unimpeded.

''We have always supported the unimpeded implementation of the July 8th agreement without any preconditions or diffi-culties. This is where we aim our efforts but it seems that the Turkish side has other views", he said.

On July 8th 2006, Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat met in the presence of former UN Undersecretary General Imbrahim Gambari and agreed to begin a process of bicommunal discussions on issues that affect the day-to-day life of the people and those that concern substantive issues.

In statements Saturday, the president said that the Greek Cypriot side "wants to discuss in the framework of the July 8th agreement, property issues which are ¥crucial and important".

'We want to discuss property issues which are crucial and important because it is not possible for Greek Cypriot citizens to watch on a daily basis their properties being usurped, the pseudostate organizing fairs and propaganda events aiming to sell those properties, or proceeding with official announce-ments and at the same time continue discussions for other issues, as if nothing is happening on the property issue", he said.

He added that progress regarding the implementation of the July 8th agreement depends on the Turkish stance.

Referring to the opening of more crossing points to and from the Turkish occupied areas of Cyprus, the president said that on Monday work will begin at the Limnitis crossing point to prepare the crossing point.

Replying to the demands of the people living in the Pyrgos Tillirias area for the opening of a crossing point in their area, he said that "they know very well that for one and a half years now we have proposed and pushed for the opening of Limnitis".

"It does not depend on us to open it. We had planned to begin work in the area just before the UN roadblock and this will begin on Monday. So, if they want to exert pressure, they should do that to the Turkish Cypriot side", he said.

On Cyprus' bid to introduce the Euro on 1st January 2008, President Papadopoulos said that if Cyprus does not enter the Eurozone as planned, then it would be uncertain whether the country could accede the Eurozone at a later stage.

The president was commenting on concerns raised by left wing AKEL party regarding the social impact of the adoption of the Euro. AKEL, which participates in the government, says that Cyprus' accession to the Eurozone should be postponed for one year.

Answering questions, the president noted that "the government believes that we can enter the Eurozone on January 1st 2008, and at the same time continue the social benefits, since our economy can meet both goals".

"The legislation before the House of Parliament regarding the Euro aims to give the government all necessary tools to prevent any difficulties that may arise by such an important economic change", he said, and urged the political parties to vote in favor of the legislation.

The Republic of Cyprus entered the EU in May 2004. Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkish troops invaded and occupied its northern third.

[25] Security is the main issue in opening Ledra Street, says Cypriot President

The main issue in opening the Ledra Street crossing is that of security, the status of the two checkpoints and the UN control after the Turkish occupation forces withdraw from the area, Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos during the weekend.

The president was speaking at Larnaca Airport on his return from Brussels after attending the informal EU summit. On Thursday evening the government of Cyprus went ahead with the demolition of the wall at the end of the central commercial Ledra Street, in the divided walled capital city of Nicosia.

In his statements, the president said that the government proposal given to the Turkish Cypriot side, included the opening of eight crossing points, noting that the government has decided for work to be carried out to open the crossing point at Limnitis which will ''help the residents of the remote and isolated area''.

Papadopoulos said the whole operation to demolish the wall late Thursday night, had been planned for some time now, adding that it was a unilateral decision on the part of the government.

"Our proposal included eight crossing points and the most well known and debated crossing was that of Ledra Street, where the main issues were that of security in the region, the status of the area between the two checkpoints and the control of the area by the UN after the withdrawal of the Turkish troops", the president remarked.

Asked if he is optimistic the Turkish side will accept the preconditions set out by the government of Cyprus for opening Ledra Street, President Papadopoulos said that "what had been the obstacle was the refusal of the occupation forces either to withdraw from the area or end their patrols under the bridge which was constructed by the Turkish Cypriot side".

To a question if the Ledra Street issue will be tabled at the technical committees, President Papadopoulos said the Ledra Street issue concerns security, adding that "for many years now, security issues are examined during proximity contacts between UNFICYP and the Turkish forces and the Forces of the Republic of Cyprus.

Asked if the implementation of the 8 July 2006 agreement is making any progress, President Papadopoulos said that on Friday a new proposal was submitted by the Greek Cypriot side for the technical committees to start operating. The proposal, he added, is being examined.

However he refrained from giving out details, citing the media blackout on statements on the issue.

The Republic of Cyprus entered the EU in May 2004. Cyprus has been divided since 1974, when Turkey invaded and occupied its northern third.

On 8 July 2006, Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos and Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat met in the presence of senior UN official Imbrahim Gambari and agreed to begin a process of bicommunal discussions on issues that affect the day-to-day life of the people and those that concern substantive issues.

[26] Russia welcomes demolition of Ledra Street wall

Russia welcomed the demolition of the wall at the end of the central commercial Ledra Street, in the divided walled

capital city of Nicosia, describing it as a step in the direction of strengthening trust between the two communities on the island.

In a statement, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Mikhail Kaminin said "we welcome the decision of the government of Cyprus to demolish the dividing wall at Ledra Street in the centre of Nicosia. We consider the decision as a step in the direction of strengthening trust between the two communities".

He further said the call for supporting the climate of trust is especially great due to the need to resume the dialogue between the two communities "which aims to achieve a fair, viable and comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem".

According to the relevant statement of the Press Service of the Russian Foreign Ministry, which carried the statement, the solution to the Cyprus problem "is possible on the basis of the relevant Security Council resolutions and bearing in mind the mechanism decided during the visit of UN Undersecretary General for political Affairs Ibrahim Gambari to Cyprus in July 2006, as well as the exchange of messages that followed with the leaders of the two communities".

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