Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-02-22

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

CONTENTS

[01] SYRIZA MPs meet Turkish FM

[02] Budget deficit at 9.41 bln in '07

[01] SYRIZA MPs meet Turkish FM

According to reports, Babacan underlined that 2008 is a year with "new prospects" for the Cyprus issue and "peaceful co-existence".

The Turkish minister, who previously served as Ankara's chief EU negotiator, also expressed satisfaction with the improvement in Greek-Turkish relations, as well as a recent visit to the country by Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis.

The SYRIZA delegation later met with Turkish national assembly speaker Koksal Toptan, while on Saturday SYRIZA members will be received in Istanbul by Ecumenical Patriarchate Vartholomeos.

Prior to the meeting with Babacan, Alavanos held a joint press conference with Ufuk Uras, the president of Turkey's Freedom and Solidarity Party (ODP), where the former stated that a solution to the Cyprus issue "must be supported on the basis of a confederation, the existence of two communities, where there will be a right to free access".

Additionally, Alavanos said dialogue based on international law is the only path for solving Greek-Turkish differences, while he underlined the "massive sacrifices" made by each country on the "altar of defence spending".

A joint statement by Alavanos and Uras noted that "we are absolutely agaisnt the continuation of an arms race between our two countries, from which only defence manufacturers and those who desire to implemetn the dogma of 'divide and conquer' in Greek-Turkish relations benefit".

Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of SYRIZA leader Alekos Alavanos.

[02] Budget deficit at 9.41 bln in '07

A ministry report said public sector spending rose by 9.0 percent, slightly lower from a 9.8-percent growth rate envisaged in the budget, while primary spending grew by 10.6 pct and spending on interest rose by 2.1 pct, compared with growth rates of 11.7 pct and 1.7 pct, respectively, set as targets in last year's budget.

The budget deficit rose to 9.413 billion euros last year, slightly up from a 9.387 billion euros target, reflecting higher costs for compensations from last summer's devastating wildfires, the September general election and repayment of debts to Olympic Airlines.

Spending on the public investments programme rose by 7.6 percent to 8.803 billion euros in 2007, while the programme's revenues grew by 29.1 pct to 4.872 billion euros.

Caption: ANA-MPA file photo.

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