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The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 99-12-14
From: The Hellenic Radio (ERA) <ert.ntua.gr/>
CONTENTS
[01] PRIME MINISTER BRIEFS PRESIDENT ON HELSINKI EU SUMMIT
[02] OPPOSITION PARTIES DIVIDED OVER HELSINKI RESULTS
[03] CYPRIOT OFFICIALS SEE HELSINKI AS POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT
[04] TURKEY SATISFIED WITH HELSINKI RESULTS
[05] "YANNOS KRANIDIOTIS AMPHITHEATER" AT FOREIGN MINISTRY
[01] PRIME MINISTER BRIEFS PRESIDENT ON HELSINKI EU SUMMIT
Following a meeting with Greek president Kostis Stefanopoulos, prime
minister Kostas Simitis appeared optimistic about the course of
Greek-Turkish relations and the consolidation of peace and security in
the region in the wake of the EU summit in Helsinki. Mr Simitis said
that new opportunities for stability, the development of peaceful
relations and economic cooperation were being created, while Mr
Stefanopoulos expressed the hope that Greek national issues and
stability in the region would benefit from developments at the Helsinki
summit. For his part, government spokesman Dimitris Reppas said that
the text describing the results of the Helsinki summit coincided with
Greek positions, adding that from now on Turkey would have to resolve
its differences with other countries in a peaceful way. In a related
development, speaker of the Greek parliament Apostolos Kaklamanis said
in an radio interview that the results of the Helsinki summit were
above and beyond all expectations, adding that it was a difficult
battle won by Greece. Finally, Mr Simitis will give a press conference
for foreign correspondents today, while tomorrow a pre-agenda debate
will be held in parliament on Greek foreign policy, by request of the
Democratic Social Movement.
[02] OPPOSITION PARTIES DIVIDED OVER HELSINKI RESULTS
Opposition New Democracy party leader Kostas Karamanlis has issued a
negative assessment of the results of the Helsinki summit, saying
characteristically that "we opened the door to Turkey without gaining
anything." But there were different points of view in the New Democracy
party. Top members, such as deputy Dora Bakoyanni and Athens mayor
Dimitris Avramopoulos, described developments in Helsinki as positive.
The Greek Communist party and the Democratic Social Movement criticised
the government, while leader of the Coalition of the Left wing and
Progress Nikos Konstantopoulos said the Helsinki decision was a
positive one. Replying to the criticism, government spokesman Dimitris
Reppas said it was due to either ignorance or a willful alteration of
the facts for partisan reasons.
[03] CYPRIOT OFFICIALS SEE HELSINKI AS POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT
In Nicosia, Cypriot government spokesman Michalis Papapetrou described
the Helsinki summit decision as an important development for Cyprus' EU
accession process. For his part, former president of the Cyprus
Republic Giorgos Vassiliou described the results of the Helsinki summit
as a positive development, underlining that Nicosia's position that
Cyprus should not be Turkey's hostage had been adopted by the European
Union.
[04] TURKEY SATISFIED WITH HELSINKI RESULTS
Turkey's leadership has accepted the results of the Helsinki summit.
Turkish prime minister Bulent Ecevit criticized some of the negative
positions adopted by the Turkish Cypriot leadership on the Helsinki
agreement, while later Turkish Cypriot representative Rauf Denktash
tried to alter first impressions by stating he was satisfied with the
results of the Helsinki summit since Ankara had been justified. For his
part, Turkish foreign minister Ismail Cem said in a press conference
yesterday that Turkey would proceed at a fast pace towards admission to
the EU, where it would carry the heritage of a country which had always
been looking both at the Christian West and the Islamic Middle East.
[05] "YANNOS KRANIDIOTIS AMPHITHEATER" AT FOREIGN MINISTRY
The Greek foreign ministry's amphitheater was renamed the "Yannos
Kranidiotis Amphitheater" during a ceremony yesterday. Foreign minister
Giorgos Papandreou spoke about the personality and contribution of the
late politician and pointed out that in Helsinki Greece attained one of
the aims set by Yannos Kranidiotis which was the full consolidation of
Cyprus' European prospects.
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