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Athens News Agency: News in English, 05-01-31
CONTENTS
[01] Farmers suspend roadblock at Tempi Valley, tractors remain on
stand-by
[02] New U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to include Greece in
European tour
[03] EU considering Europe-wide criminal database
[01] Farmers suspend roadblock at Tempi Valley, tractors remain on
stand-by
Protesting farmers, mostly central Greece cotton growers, on the
weekend suspend a high-profile roadblock they had set up at the Tempi
Valley bottleneck, as farm tractors had cut-off the main
Athens-Thessaloniki highway for roughly 24 hours.
Although the roadblock was called off, the vehicles would remain parked
by the highway, farmers' representatives said.
Farmers in Macedonia also suspended roadblocks.
Cotton growers over the past month have threatened roadblocks with
their tractors in order to gain better prices for their crop, whereas
the representatives for the entire agricultural sector have complained
for falling incomes for farmers and stockbreeders.
[02] New U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to include Greece in
European tour
WASHINGTON (ANA/T.Ellis) - New U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza
Rice and newly appointed deputy secretary Robert Zoellick intend to pay
visits to all NATO member-countries, including Greece, according to
U.S. State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher.
Responding to a relevant question during a regular press briefing,
Boucher said that Greece is one of the most important U.S. allies,
adding that in this spirit Rice and Zoellick will prepare their
programme so as to include a visit to Athens before next spring.
[03] EU considering Europe-wide criminal database
BRUSSELS (ANA - M. Spinthourakis) -- The European Union is apparently
leaning in the direction of creating a Europe-wide criminal database
that will give member-states the opportunity to access the criminal
record of a European citizen anywhere in the 25-nation bloc.
On his part, Greek public order ministry general secretary Leonidas
Evangelidis said the issue dominated an unofficial council meeting of
EU justice and home affairs in Luxembourg, which began late last week.
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