Athens News Agency: News in English, 06-09-18

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

CONTENTS

[01] Government will be inexorable on corruption, illegality, Prime Minister warns

[02] "Turkey is obliged to recognise Cyprus", FM says

[03] Serb crowned Balkan Beauty Ambassador 2006

[01] Government will be inexorable on corruption, illegality, Prime Minister warns

The premier reiterated his warning that the government would be tough, inexorable and merciless in all instances of corruption and illegality, while addressing his ruling New Democracy (ND) party's Central Committee on Sunday, stressing the governmental policy of "zero tolerance" on corruption, which was also avowed by ministers and party officials, including party secretary Lefteris Zagoritis.

"We are particularly strict in every direction. We are in a constant clash with corruption. We do not tolerate any deviation from legality, we will not be partial to anyone. There will be no exception for anyone. The eras of tolerance, cover-up and impunity are irrevocably a thing of the past. Let no one have delusions. The social mandate is for zero tolerance to corruption and illegality. Our strength is the broad social alliance," Karamanlis stressed.

He added that the duty of the political leadership is to set the good example, and the government will not be partial to anyone, regardless of who he was, where he was, his political convictions, and what party he voted for.

The premier said that the most difficult battles were those that concern deeply-rooted pathogenies, and specifically mentioned tax evasion, contribution evasion, corruption, proboems that are not confronted from one day to the next. "Our position is clear. We do not hide the problems, but bring them to light and confront them," Karamanlis said, adding that the government was reinforcing the institutional framework for tackling corruption, tax evasion, and contribution evasion, outlining a series of measures that have already been taken, such as rendering breach of trust in a public service from a misdemeanour into a felony, and the creation of the Public Administration Auditors' Corps.

Karamanlis said that the path of reforms was being continued, and made special reference to the reforms in the State, the economy, and the health and education sectors. "The first goal, and an imperative necessity in the coming period were the reforms that were leading to the Education of the future," such as the upgrading of the public universities, the premier said, warning that populist backtracking was harmful to the entire society.

"We are holding and continuing dialogue, we want everyone's views. Refusal of dialogue is unfathomable, and reflects a deeply undemocratic, outdated and reactionary mentality," he said.

Karamanlis made specific mention of the dialogue on the major reforms, which he said would continue after the next general elections, focusing on the constitutional revision, the reform and decentralisation of the administrative structure, the reform of the social insurance system so that it will be just and viable.

[02] "Turkey is obliged to recognise Cyprus", FM says

In an interview with the Associated Press news agency, Bakoyannis reiterated that Greece wants Turkey to become a full member of the European Union, but stressed that Turkey was obliged to recognise EU member Cyprus if it wanted to join the 25 nation bloc.

Bakoyannis is due to meet with Gul at 9pm Monday (Greek time), while she will also meet with the foreign ministers and representatives of several UN member countries during her stay in New York, before heading next week to Washington for talks with US secretary of state Condeleezza Rice and other US government officials, as well as members of the House of Representatives and Senate.

On Tuesday, Bakoyannis will attend a coordination meeting of the EU foreign ministers, before addressing the inauguration of an exhibition titled "Encomium to the Olive", which she will inaugurate together with UN secretary general Kofi Annan at the UN's headquarters, which will run for the entire month as part of a series of parallel events throughout Greece's presidency of the UN Security Council. The exhibition was first presented during the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, and is organised by the Athens Academy's Archive Centre for Folklore.

She will also attend receptions hosted by Annan and US president Bush for the heads of the foreign delegations to the UN General Assembly.

On Wednesday, Bakoyannis will chair a thematic meeting of the Security Council with regional organisations, being organised at the initiative of the Greek Security Council presidency, and will later host a luncheon for the Security Council members.

On Thursday, Bakoyannis will take part in a NATO foreign ministers' meeting, while afterwards she will address a World Leadership Forum luncheon in her honour organised by the Foreign Policy Association on the theme "Greek foreign policy at the beginning of the 21st century", while she will also attend a dinner hosted by the French foreign minister for the member countries of the International Francophony Organisation.

On Tuesday, September 26, Bakoyannis will go to Washington for meetings with Rice, other US government officials, and members of the US Senate and House of Representatives.

AP interview

"Greece wants Turkey to become a full member of the European Union, but Ankara is obliged to recognise Cyprus if it wishes to become an EU member," Bakoyannis said in an interview with the Associated Press, stressing that, as all the countries that look to acceding the 25-member EU, Turkey too must fulfill the accession conditions, which include respect of human rights and religious freedoms, good relations with neighbouring countries, and unobstructed Customs Union.

Bakoyannis underlined that it had come as a surprise to a lot of people around the world that Greece's foreign policy was so clear-cut in its support of Turkey's European aspirations, adding "The truth is that, for Greece, it is of vital importance that it borders with a European Turkey, that it borders with a European democracy, and it is for this reason that we are clearly in favour of supporting Turkey's accession to the EU".

The Greek foreign minister warned, however, that this did not entail "unconditional support".

"What we truly desire is Turkey's conversion into a European democacy, which means that the conditions are in force as for any other European candidate country," she said, stressing that "these conditions, or criteria, were not invented for Turkey...they are European criteria that are in effect for every EU applicant country".

"I hope that Turkey understands this and will fulfill the specific obligations, which it has accepted," Bakoyannis added.

On the Cyprus issue, Bakoyannis said that political volition was required for resumption of the UN-brokered talks, aimed at the reunification of Cyprus.

Asked how such a political volition for the resumption of negotiations could be achieved, Bakoyannis said that both sides were looking to the future, and were aware that Nicosia could not remain divided, as it is today.

For the Turkish Cypriots, it was indeed very important that a solution be found and that they could live as citizens of the EU, Bakoyannis said. "And this is the goal. This is what we want. Naturally, Ankara must also agree, because you mustn't forget that Ankara maintains 40,000 soldiers on the island, and no solution can be viable so long as the occupation in Cyprus continues," she warned.

[03] Serb crowned Balkan Beauty Ambassador 2006

Gordana Strajin an economics student from Novi Sad, Serbia was the winner of the beauty contest held on Sunday evening on the grounds of Thessaloniki International Trade Fair, while the titles of Balkan Beauty Ambassador 2006 first and second runner-up were won by 18-yearold Ekaterini Evangelinou from Greece and 18-yearold Teodora Marcic from Serbia.

Raluca Voina, 21, from Romania won the Balkan Beauty Tourism 2006 title and Nada Milinic, 19, from Montenegro is the Best Balkan Beauty Model 2006.

The 18 contestants participating in the pageant shared a total of 10 titles and the winner of the Balkan Beauty Ambassador 2006 title will visit all Balkan countries to promote humanitarian and environmental protection issues.

The event attended, among others, Crown Prince Alexander Karadjordjevic of Yugoslavia and Miss Universe 2006 Zuleyka Rivera Mentoza from Puerto Rico, who crowned the contest winner.

Caption: Gordana Strajin an economics student from Novi Sad, Serbia was the winner of the Balkan Beauty Ambassador 2006 pageant held on Sunday evening on the grounds of Thessaloniki International Trade Fair. (ANA-MPA/N. Arvanitidis)

Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article