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Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 16-02-17Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] PM Tsipras to discuss refugee crisis in Brussels ahead of European Council meetingPrime Minister Alexis Tsipras will depart for Brussels on Wednesday for a meeting with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, ahead of the European Council meeting on February 18-19, his office announced. The meeting with Juncker will take place at 18.30.The Council will focus on two issues: On finding common ground for Britain's concerns ahead of a referedum in the country to stay of leave the EU and secondly on developments on migration. On Thursday (Feb. 18), the prime minister will participate in the tripartite meeting between Germany, Greece and Turkey on the refugee crisis, at 11.00. Following this meeting, Tsipras will attend a second meeting on the cooperation with Turkey, along with the leaders of 10 EU member-states, Turkey and the President of the European Council Donald Tusk. At 15.45 he will hold a meeting with Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka. He will then participate in the first working meeting of the European Council at 16.00. On Friday, Tsipras will attend the second working session of the Council at 10.00. [02] Fourteen Turkish fighter jets enter Athens' FIR without submitting flight planFourteen Turkish fighter jets, two maritime patrol aircraft and five helicopters entered Athens' FIR on Tuesday without submitting a flight plan, the Defence ministry said in a press release.In total, Athens recorded 10 violations of air traffic rules which developed into three violations of Greek airspace in the northeastern and southeastern Aegean. The Turkish aircraft were recognized and intercepted by Greek fighter jets. Four of the Turkish aircraft were armed. The first formation of 8 fighter jets which entered Athens' FIR is participating in an aerial and naval exercise conducted by the neighboring country southeast of Rhodes, while helicopters took off from Turkish ships. [03] Alt FM: 'Our goal must be to control borders better, not close them'The refugee crisis was the main focus of the talks between the EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Tuesday, in which Greece was represented by Alternate Foreign Minister for European Affairs, Nikos Xydakis.The meeting looked at preparations for the European Council summit meeting taking place this Thursday and Friday, on February 18-19. Xydakis presented Greece's positions to his European colleagues, stressing that the refugee crisis has now taken on existential dimensions for the EU itself. "The refugee and migration flows on the Mediterranean corridors, as well as the wider geopolitical turmoil, have led us inevitably to think in different terms. We need to realize that the larger part of Europe's borders are maritime borders. Our goal must be to control them better, and not to go back 60 years by closing them," Xydakis said in his statement Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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