Athens News Agency: News in English, 04-05-09

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

CONTENTS

[01] Erdogan concludes visit to Greece; expresses satisfaction

[02] Weather - Showers in the northeast, drop in temperature

[03] Greek gov't condemns terrorist strike in Chechnya stadium

[04] Transport minister meets Turkish counterpart, announces new rail link

[05] Deputy FM hails Erdogan visit as start of 'new era' in bilateral

[06] PM briefed on minister's efforts to mediate Church dispute

[01] Erdogan concludes visit to Greece; expresses satisfaction

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan concluded his historic visit to Greece late Saturday evening after a private tour of the northeast Thrace border region earlier in the day -- a region that hosts a Muslim minority and marks the only land borders between the two SE European neighbours.

Erdogan called on Thraces Muslims ?to work for a strong Greece?, while he initially referred to my ?brothers in western Thrace? before saying that a robust Greece means that their happiness and prosperity will grow as well.

He arrived in Greece at the head of a large Turkish delegation on Thursday for talks with Greek leadership, while he dined twice with his Greek counterpart Costas Karamanlis.

In other comments, the Turkish PM said no bilateral problem should be left unsolved for future generations.

[02] Weather - Showers in the northeast, drop in temperature

Showers are forecast in northeastern parts of the country on Monday, accompanied by a drop in temperatures in the north and west. Mostly sunny elsewhere. Winds north northwesterly, moderate to strong. Temperatures between 8C to 23C in the north and west; 9C to 25C elsewhere on the mainland, and 14C to 24C on the islands.

Mostly sunny in Athens, 13C to 24C; cloud in Thessaloniki, 11C to 22C.

[03] Greek gov't condemns terrorist strike in Chechnya stadium

Minister of State and government spokesman Theodoros Roussopoulos on Sunday expressed the Greek government's categoric condemnation of the latest terrorist strike in Chechnya, which claimed the life of the region's pro-Moscow president Akhmad Kadyrov and five others.

Roussopoulos extended condolences on behalf of the Greek government to Kadyrov's family and the other innocent victims of the attack.

An announcement by the main opposition party PASOK also expressed the ''strongest condemnation of the murderous terrorist attack,'' which it said perpetuated the cycle of violence and destabilisation in the region.

''The solution of problems in Chechnya is linked with the need for political dialogue, respect for human rights and the territorial integrity of the Russian Federation,'' the announcement said.

The blast tore through the VIP stand at a stadium in the regional capital Grozny during Sunday's celebrations for the 59th anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany in World War II. Among those killed was an eight-year-old girl, while more than 50 people were wounded.

[04] Transport minister meets Turkish counterpart, announces new rail link

ISTANBUL (ANA/A. Kourkoulas) - Greek Transport Minister Mihalis Liapis on Sunday announced a new rail link between Thessaloniki and Istanbul from this coming September, after a meeting with his Turkish counterpart Binali Yildirim.

He said the new rail line, which is considered particularly important for Greece's railway network, will have trains equipped with sleepers and carriages for transporting cars.

Liapis informed Yildirim of the new developments being prepared by the Greek side and also discussed other issues concerning cooperation in transport.

The Greek minister, who attended Sunday the foundation ceremony for a new undersea rail tunnel that will link Europe with Asia starting in Istanbul, noted that Greece and Turkey had common interests regarding the development of road and rail links that will connect Europe with Asia.

Meanwhile, Athens Mayor Dora Bakoyianni also attended the foundation ceremony for tnew undersea rail tunnel, as the guest of Istanbul metropolitan mayor Kadir Topbas.

Bakoyianni also had meetings with members of the Turkish government to discuss issues relating to preparations for the Olympics in Athens and cooperation between the City of Athens and the Istanbul metropolitan municipal authority.

Both Liapis and Bakoyianni held lengthy talks with Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on regional and bilateral issues.

[05] Deputy FM hails Erdogan visit as start of 'new era' in bilateral relations

Athens sees the visit, last week, to Greece by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan as the start of a new era in bilateral relations between Greece and Turkey and between Turkey and Europe, Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Yiannis Valynakis told the Turkish television channel N-TV on Saturday.

He said the visit highlighted the mutual trust and shared desire of the two governments to show all sides that they were looking forward and striving to solve the problems of the past.

Valynakis also reiterated Athens' support for Turkey's European prospects:

''Unless something bizarre or peculiar should happen before December, the Greek government will say 'yes' to Turkey because we believe that this will make our part of the world a European neighbourhood, because it is good for the Turkish people and for Turkey's neighbours, who will feel that their problems can be solved more quickly, more easily, in a more European way,'' he stressed.

[06] PM briefed on minister's efforts to mediate Church dispute

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis received Education and Religious Affairs Minister Marietta Yiannakou at his office on Saturday morning, a meeting that followed the latters contacts with Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos in Istanbul this past week.

Yiannakou is scheduled meet with Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Christodoulos on Monday at the Church of Greeces headquarters as part of the governments initiative to bridge recent differences, often bitter, between two of the affiliated Orthodox Churches on the question of how new Metropolitans are appointed in northern Greece bishoprics the so-called ?New Territories?.

According to press reports, Yiannakou briefed Karamanlis on her latest contacts at mediating the brewing dispute.

Nevertheless, the government will issue three presidential decrees on Monday recognizing the election of three new Metropolitans in northern Greece (Thessaloniki, Kozani and the Kavala-area) by a majority of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Greeces Holy Synod a development that brought about the Istanbul-based Patriarchates most recent condemnation of the Greece Churchs leadership.

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