Athens News Agency: News in English, 03-01-18

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

CONTENTS

[01] Athens & Nicosia mayors sign cooperation protocol

[02] Public order minister briefs PM on terrorism issues

[03] Greek EU presidency to work towards agreement on Franco-German plan for

[01] Athens & Nicosia mayors sign cooperation protocol

NICOSIA (ANA - G. Leonidas) - Athens Mayor Dora Bakoyianni on Friday signed a protocol of friendship and cooperation with Mayor of Nicosia Michalakis Zambelas concerning cultural, social and economic exchanges between the two municipalities.

Bakoyianni announced that in April, when Cyprus will sign the accession treaty to the European Union in Athens, the municipality of Athens will organize a large exhibition of maps showing the history of Cyprus, while at the same time a series of Cypriot cultural events will be organized in the city.

''Cypriots and Greeks united are continuing their struggle to make a reality a vision we hold in common for a free and united Cyprus, rid of foreign influences and commitments,'' Bakoyianni said.

''Athens is with you, Greece is at your side and we are celebrating with you,'' she said, also making mention of the many Cypriots who applied to participate as volunteers in the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.

On his part, Zambelas said that Bakoyianni's visit has a special importance since issues concerning bilateral relations of the two cities were discussed, as well as a symbolic one since through this visit the common cultural tradition of Athens and Nicosia will be showcased.

He presented Bakoyianni with the medal of the City of Nicosia in light of her first visit to the ''only divided capital of Europe'', adding that ''I hope that the green line (dividing the occupied north and the free south) will cease to exist for the benefit of all''.

[02] Public order minister briefs PM on terrorism issues

Public Order Minister Mihalis Chrysohoidis on Friday briefed Prime Minister Costas Simitis on developments concerning ongoing police investigations of terrorist organisations and on unclarified aspects in the case of the November 17 terrorist organisation.

Police and judicial authorities are paving the way for considerable developments regarding terrorism investigations and the issue of the extortion of businessmen.

Chrysohoidis said investigations for the complete dismantling of terrorism will continue, while judicial authorities are probing the extortion case and without the issues being linked to each other.

''No aspect of terrorism and no issue linked to it in any way will be left in the dark,'' he said.

Developments in the November 17 case have been signaled by the latest arrest of Anestis Papanastasiou and by investigations continuing on specific issues which have not yet been clarified.

Suspects are expected to be rounded up over the next few days for participation in the Revolutionary Popular Struggle (ELA) and other terrorist organisations.

[03] Greek EU presidency to work towards agreement on Franco-German plan for Union

The Greek EU presidency would handle a Franco-German proposal for institutional reforms to the Union before the Brussels Summit in March and present positions on the issue before the June Summit in Thessaloniki, Prime Minister and current European Council Chairman Costas Simitis said on Friday.

He said the was issue important for the Union's future, as the Union will comprise 25 members now ''and thus there is a problem, not only on issues of functionality, but effectiveness as well''.

The proposal, Simitis said, "foresees the creation of a strong centre in the framework of the European Council and weakens to a certain degree the participation of the rest of the member states".

''This proposal should be examined and mainly we should see how we can maintain the equitable participation of all member-states, a democratic governance in a federal system, as well as the effectiveness of this whole system,'' Simitis said, in statements to the press after his meeting with President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos.

''In our view the European Union should move forward. It should have a strong center, a strong European Union, which will promote new policies, especially in the social sector, policies of convergence of regions and policies that will protect the environment and the consumer,'' he said.

"This issue does not appear at the moment to be of primary interest but it is an issue which we as a presidency must handle," Simitis stressed.

The premier also said that his briefing of the president also included developments in Iraq and the developments in the political issue of Cyprus, as well as other issues pertaining to the Greek EU presidency.

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