The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 02-11-15

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From: The Hellenic Radio (ERA) <www.ert.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Weather forecast

Gale force winds will be blowing in the northern Ionian Sea.

The temperature in Athens will range from 13 to 23 C, while in Thessaloniki the temperature will range from 10 to 19 C.

(15/11/2002 11:13:00 рм)

[02] Annan&#8217;s plan under scrutiny

At the same time, Prime Minister Costas Simitis, who is in Warsaw participating in the two-day European Socialist party conference, stated that an agreement for the beginning of negotiations on the basis of the Annan plan for the solution of the Cyprus issue could be reached before the Copenhagen Summit meeting.

Mr Simitis is meeting with the leader of the Turkish opposition Deniz Baykal, who maintained that the time until the Copenhagen Summit meeting is not enough, since a government should be created in Turkey first.

Meanwhile, the President of the Cyprus Republic Glafkos Clerides is paying a two-day official visit to Greece on Saturday.

On a relative development, Mr Simitis rejected references made by the Turkish Foreign Minister regarding secret diplomacy between Athens and the winner of the Turkish elections Recep Tayyip Erdogan. However, he added that Mr Erdogan has that absolute majority in the Turkish national assembly and plays a leading role in developments.

From his side, Special State Department envoy for the Cyprus issue Tom Weston, who met with Foreign Minister George Papandreou, described Mr Annan&#8217;s plan a good proposal, adding that this opportunity for the solution of the Cyprus issue might not ensue in the future.

At the same time, briefing the Parliamentary Committee of Foreign Affairs, Mr Papandreou said that although deadlines have been set, they are not ultimatums, while PASOK MPs Theodoros Pangalos, Gerasimos Arsenis asnd Giannis Kapsis criticized through a joint text Mr Annan&#8217;s plan, maintaining that it is not negotiable but completely binding and in reality it institutionalises the partitioning of Cyprus.

From his side, New Democracy MP Petros Molyviates stated that with the Annan plan, Cyprus will be excluded from the European defence and if the protocol that is accompanying it is adopted, then all deviations from the Community patrimony are legalized.

At the same time, contradictory messages are reaching from Ankara.

The Turkish Chief of Staff spoke of two states in Cyprus, describing Cyprus&#8217; accession to the European Union a threat to the safety in the eastern Mediterranean, while the Turkish Defence Minister described Mr Annan&#8217;s plan a step towards negotiations.

Finally, the Turkish-Cypriot representative Rauf Denktash is returning to the occupied part of Cyprus hastily, despite his original statement that he would be returning on December 10. Mr Denktash is scheduled to meet with Mr Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday, who will finally visit the occupied part of Cyprus before his visit to Athens.

(15/11/2002 11:16:00 рм)

[03] Celebration of students&#8217; uprising begin as of today

will begin today, with the Coordination committee calling all employees and the youth to participate in the events. To prevent any incidents 5,000 police officers will be on the alert

(15/11/2002 11:17:00 рм)

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