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The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 00-05-08
From: The Hellenic Radio (ERA) <ert.ntua.gr/>
CONTENTS
[01] Economics and Finance ministers council in Brussels
[02] EU Foreign ministers meeting in the Azores, Portugal
[03] President Stefanopoulos visited Thrace
[04] Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos visited Kapadokia
[05] The list of missing Cypriots will be soon released
[06] Talks on the course of works of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens
NEWS IN ENGLISH
(THE VOICE OF GREECE - Translators Dpt.)
[01] Economics and Finance ministers council in Brussels
Final negotiations on Greece's admission to the Euro zone will be held
at the European Economic and Finance ministers council which meets in
Brussels. In the package of measures, Greece would have to comply with
after its admission to the European Economic and Monetary Union will be
analytically examined. It should be noted that European leaders agree
on the implementation of a stricter economic policy after the
continuous rise of the dollar.
[02] EU Foreign ministers meeting in the Azores, Portugal
The issue of EU-Turkey relations was discussed at the informal meeting
of the EU foreign ministers, in the Azores, Portugal, at the initiative
of Greek foreign minister George Papandreou. Mr.Papandreou reiterated
the Greek position that these relations should include the conclusions
of the Helsinki summit. The first plan of the EU-Turkey partnership
relations will be ready in September while it is expected to be
approved in October. Futhermore, the Greek foreign minister briefed his
European counterparts on his recent contacts in NY and called for a
more active involvement of the EU in the Cyprus dispute. Following
Greece's request ,the EU foreign ministers agreed on the establishment
of a EU-Cyprus association council.
[03] President Stefanopoulos visited Thrace
Both christians and moslems in Thrace warmly welcomed the president of
the Greek Republic, Kostis Stefanopoulos, who concluded a 3-day visit
to the region. It was the first time that a high-ranking state leader
visited Thrace, with its strong moslem presence. In his speeches,
President Stefanopoulos repeatedly referred -among other things- to the
peaceful coexistence of christians and moslems as well as to progress
and development in their region. President Stefanopoulos reiterated
that the peaceful settlement of Greek-Turkish diferences goes through
the international court at the Hague.
[04] Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos visited Kapadokia
Pilgrims from Greece and Konstantinopolis lived exceptionally moving
moments during the historical visit of Ecumenic Patriarch Vartholomeos
to Avana in Kappadokia. This is the first visit of a head of the
Orthodox church to Kapadokia,the center of Greek Orthodoxy,evacuated of
Greek Christians after the Greek-Turkish agreement in 1923 on the
exchange of population .
[05] The list of missing Cypriots will be soon released
Following a decision of the Cyprus cabinet, a list of all the missing
persons since the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in 1974 will be released
soon. The announcement was made by Cypriot foreign minister Yannakis
Kasoulidis, who underlined that the families of the 126 missing
Cypriots -whose names were initially in the list, but later withdrawn
and not submitted in the list of enquiry committee- would be notified.
Meanwhile, according to a medical bulletin, Cypriot president Glafkos
Cleridis' state of health is excellent after his recent operation. Mr.
Cleridis is expected to leave the hospital, where he is being treated,
in 10 days. In a separate development, Cypriot defence minister
Socrates Hasikos is scheduled to meet with the EU representative on EU
common foreign and defence policy, Xavier Solana, in Brussels on
Wednesday.
[06] Talks on the course of works of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens
This week is expected to be a crucial one regarding the reorganisation
of the program for projects related to the 2004 Olympic Games to be
held in Athens. Prime minister Costas Simitis met with Culture minister
Theodoros Pangalos and tomorrow he will chair a bi- ministerial meeting
on the matter. However, the prime minister has ruled out the
possibility of the creation of a ministry for the Olympic Games, as he
had been suggested. On Wednesday, a delegation of the International
Olympic Committee will arrive in Greece, to be briefed on the progress
of the works. On the same day, in Ancient Olympia, a ceremony will be
held for the transport of the olympic flame to Sydney for the 2000
Olympic Games.
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