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Athens News Agency: News in English, 11-03-03Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] PM convenes meeting on events in Libya(ANA-MPA) -- Prime Minister George Papandreou on Thursday convened a meeting with the leaderships of the foreign and defence ministries to discuss the situation in Libya, while he was also briefed on the operational capabilities of NATO bases in Souda, Crete and Aktio, in western Greece.At the meeting were Defence Minister Evangelos Venizelos, Foreign Minister Dimitris Droutsas, Alternate Defence Minister Panos Beglitis, Deputy Foreign Minister Dimitris Dollis (who visited both Egypt and Libya while coordinated operations for the evacuation of Greeks in those countries) and foreign ministry general secretary Ioannis Zeppos. The prime minister, who returned to his office on Thursday after a four-day bout with flu, asked to be briefed on the latest diplomatic and military developments in Libya and the action taken by the Greek government to defend the country's interests. Papandreou also chaired a meeting with his closest aides to prepare for a session of PASOK's National Council on Friday and a meeting of the Party of European Socialists (PES) presidency that will take place in Athens on Friday and Saturday. More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form [02] Gov't: Migrants' supporters hypocritical(ANA-MPA) -- The government on Thursday lambasted the most vocal supporters of the 250-plus hunger striking migrants -- mostly North Africans -- demanding their legalisation, with a spokesman referring directly to unbridled "hypocrisy"."Hypocrisy has its limits much more when human lives are at stake," spokesman Giorgos Petalotis said, referring to "those who are supposedly in solidarity" with the illegal migrants still on hunger strike at the Hypatia street building in downtown Athens. Petalotis said the government "calls on all those who allegedly support the struggle of the migrants to realise that they have no right to play with the lives of these people and the country's fate internationally." He underlined that the government respects the migrants' right go on a hunger strike, while nevertheless emphasising that "we will not allow those exploiting these people to prevent them from receiving food and water". The government proceeded even further, charging that there is evidence showing that specific physicians tending to the hunger strikers, as well as supporters, prevented them from receiving food and water when they (migrants) requested it. (ANA-MPA) "The hypocrisy of those allegedly in solidarity with the hunger strikers has crossed all limits ... we should see who these people are." He also said that hospital authorities will be ordered to proceed with the "self-evident", referring to specific accusations made by Attiki Health Inspector Aris Mousionis in a radio interview, according to which, hunger strikers admitted to hospitals were prevented by their escorts from receiving food. Caption: One of the 250-plus hunger strikers on Thursday, March 3, 2011. ANA-MPA / O. PANAGIOTOU. More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form [03] Turkish FM to visit(ANA-MPA) -- Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu is expected in Athens for a three-day official visit starting on March 8, foreign ministry spokesman Grigoris Delavekouras officially announced on Thursday.Commenting on Wednesday's large rally by Turkish Cypriots in northern Cyprus, meanwhile, the spokesman noted that "the occupation army and the settlers have created a huge pressure on Turkish Cypriots, obstructing a solution and making their future more difficult". He called on Turkey to "read the message" in the protest and act responsibly, facilitating progress and pushing aside obstacles that did not allow all the people of Cyprus to enjoy the benefits of the country's accession to the European Union. The positions of Turkish Cypriot leader Dervis Eroglu were "echoes of the past" and hampered the efforts for progress, Delavekouras added. (ANA-MPA) More details on the subscriber's page of ANA-MPA | Subscription request form Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |