Athens News Agency: News in English, 11-01-03

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

CONTENTS

[01] Papandreou in Turkey this week

[02] Emphasis on opening 'closed professions'

[03] Press reports: Searches in Greece related to Bulgaria's 'robbery of the century'

[04] Turkish Dep. PM meets Patriarch

[05] ND: Eurobond idea a 'gimmick'

[01] Papandreou in Turkey this week

Papandreou will be accompanied by his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who will address the meeting of Turkey's top diplomatic corps.

The third annual Turkish ambassadorsâ conference, entitled "Visionary Diplomacy: Global and Regional Order from Turkeyâs Perspective", will be chaired by Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and will be attended by Turkish diplomats serving abroad and at the country's foreign ministry.

The week-long session opened in Ankara on Monday and will continue in Erzurum. (ANA-MPA)

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[02] Emphasis on opening 'closed professions'

"Proceed immediately and through dialogue with the opening of the closed professions. This reform will make services more affordable, will reduce red tape and reinforce the competitiveness of the economy," Papandreou was quoted as saying.

Within the next two weeks - based on the government's timetable - competent ministers will have to launch a dialogue with various professional sectors so that a ministry of finance-sponsored draft law for the opening of closed professions is ready to be tabled in Parliament by the end of the month. (ANA-MPA)

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[03] Press reports: Searches in Greece related to Bulgaria's 'robbery of the century'

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[04] Turkish Dep. PM meets Patriarch

The a high-profile meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, members of the Holy Synod and representatives of the dwindling ethnic Greek minority of Istanbul was held at the Patriarchate's Fanar-district headquarters.

This is the second time a senior member of the Turkish government has visited the Fanar since the 1952 visit of then premier Adnan Menderes.

The talks between the Ecumenical Patriarch and the top Turkish government official focused on several pending and pressing issues, including the reopening of the Theology School of Halki and the smooth operation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the "primus inter pares" of the world's Christian Orthodox Patriarchates. (ANA-MPA)Another long-standing issue involves property seized over the decades from the Ecumenical Patriarchate and ethnic Greek charitable foundations in Turkey, as the return of such real estate holdings requires the Turkish government's direct cooperation.

Bartholomew thanked his interlocutor for the return of the historic Greek Orthodox orphanage on the Marmara isle of B?y?kada (Prinkipo) to the Ecumenical Patriarchate (ANA-MPA) and reminded that 2011 marks 40 years since the Theology School on the isle of Halki was shut down.

Commenting on the Prinkipo Orphanage case, Arinc underlined that "the law and court decisions were implemented".

During his visit to the Fanar, which lasted more than an hour, Arinc also met several Hierarchs, members of the Holy Synod, while he was also met with leading representatives of the ethnic Greek minority in Istanbul.

The visit of the Turkish deputy PM bears heightened symbolism, the latest in a string of several noteworthy changes that have taken place in recent years in relations between the Patriarchate and the Turkish government. (ANA-MPA)

Caption: A general view of the Orthodox Orphanage on the isle of Buyukada in the Sea of Marmara on 29 November 2010, the day the European Court of Human Rights announced its decision calling on the Turkish government to return the orphanage to the Patriarchate and to pay 6,000 euros for non-pecuniary damage and 20,000 euros for costs and expenses. ANA-MPA/EPA/ERHAN ELALDI

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[05] ND: Eurobond idea a 'gimmick'

An announcement by the party's press office stressed that "ND President Antonis Samaras had replied in an explicit and categorical way on the issue of the eurobond during his address in Parliament on the 2011 budget. Addressing the prime minister himself, he had referred to a 'communication gimmick', such as the latest with the announcement on the gathering of signatures for the holding of a referendum in Europe."

The party reminds in its announcement that in the discussion in Parliament Samaras mentioned that "one million signatures from anywhere are not enough. They must come from seven member states, at least, and indeed, with enacted minimum signatures in every member state.

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