Athens News Agency: News in English, 05-10-06

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

CONTENTS

[01] EU negotiating framework for Turkey is 'rule of thumb' for Greece during Turkey's accession course, foreign ministry spokesman says

[02] PM meets EU Monetary Commissioner Almunia

[03] Maria Farandouri captivates audience at Vienna concert

[01] EU negotiating framework for Turkey is 'rule of thumb' for Greece during Turkey's accession course, foreign ministry spokesman says

He said that Ankara's interpretations and statements just 48 hours after the formal commencement of its EU accession negotiations were "its own", when asked to comment on recent statements by Turkish officials regarding the provisions of the negotiating framework with respect to application of Turkey's Association Agreement Protocol, which extends its Customs Union agreement with the EU to the 10 new EU members, including Cyprus.

On July 29, Ankara signed the Association Agreement Protocol, by virtue of which Turkey extended its Customs Union agreement with the EU to the 10 new member states, including Cyprus. In tandem, Ankara also submitted a separate, unilateral declaration stating that it refused to recognise the Cyprus Republic and that its ports and airports would remain closed to Cypriot ships and planes.

However, the negotiating framework agreed by the Council of EU Foreign Ministers late Monday, enabling the commencement of the accession negotiations, set as one of the conditions for membership: "The fulfilment of Turkey's obligations under the Association Agreement and its Additional Protocol extending the Association Agreement to all new EU Member States, in particular those pertaining to the EU-Turkey customs union, as well as the implementation of the Accession Partnership, as regularly revised". (Paragraph 6, sub-paragraph 4)

Koumoutsakos further reiterated that a stattement issued by the British EU presidency regarding the right of veto retained by Turkey on Cyprus' accession to international organisations "has no legal bearing", nor does it affect the content of Paragraph 7 of the Negotiating Framework, adding that the Greek side accepted it since it was "something self-evident in international relations".

The spokesman clarified, however, it was Ankara's exercise of its right of veto that would be judged in the framework of the accession process.

Paragraph 7 of the negotiating framework stipulates: "In the period up to accession, Turkey will be required to progressively align its policies towards third countries and its positions within international organisations (including in relation to the membership by all EU Member States of those organisations and arrangements) with the policies and positions adopted by the Union and its Member States."

To a question on the continued presence of Turkish occupation troops on Cyprus, Koumoutsakos said that everything would be taken into account and assessed throughout the access negotiations process.

"The issue of the presence of occupation troops has been repeatedly condemned by the international community. Turkey is accountable for that. It is a complicated matter related to the resolution of the Cyprus problem within the framework of the UN," he added.

Koumoutsakos stressed, however, that the situation "creates a specific climate" in the European Union.

He also pointed out that Turkey's tactic of infringements of the Athens Flight Information Region (FIR) and violations of Greece's national airspace by Turkish fighter planes "is not compatible" with Turkey's obligations regarding good neigbourhood relations.

[02] PM meets EU Monetary Commissioner Almunia

Economy and Finance Minister George Alogoskoufis also attended the meeting. The government's economic team believes that a plan to securitize future public revenues would be approved by Eurostat, as it happened before in Portugal.

[03] Maria Farandouri captivates audience at Vienna concert

The crowd of 2,000 spectators, mostly Austrians, were swept away by Farandouri's emotive performance of some 25 songs written by award-winning Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis to poems by Greek Nobel laureates Odysseas Elytis and George Seferis, as well as Federico Garcia Lorca, Yannis Ritsos, Tassos Livaditis, Iakovos Kampanellis, Leonidas Malenis, Lefteris Papadopoulos, and Theodorakis himself.

Her orchestra comprised Thanassis Zotos on percussion and vocals, Vangelis Trigas on bouzouki, George Psyrakis on saxophone, Henning Schmiedt on the piano, Jens Naumilkat on cello, and Martin Lillich on double bass.

In statements to the ANA after the concert, Farandouri said she was deeply moved to perform again in Vienna after 19 years, when she had again appeared at the Vienna Concert Hall with Theodorakis.

Farandouri's concert launched the events of the "Children of Olympus" Greek Music Festival at the Vienna Concert Hall, at the intiative of the Greek embassy in Austria, which also includes concerts by Elli Paspala on October 13 with a dedication to the music of Manos Hatzidakis, followed by a concert by George Dalaras on October 22 with a dedication to Greece's rebetika music, and will close with a concert on October 27 by Dionyssis Savvopoulos.

The Greek Music Festival is part of events that commenced last month in Vienna under the title "Greek Autumn in Vienna".

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