Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 02-12-12

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From: The Macedonian Press Agency at http://www.mpa.gr and http://www.hri.org/MPA.

CONTENTS

[01] THE BATTLE AT COPENHAGEN

[02] GREEK PEOPLE BELIEVE THE FORMER KING IS DISHONEST

[03] SMALL LOSSES IN THE ASE

[04] THOUSANDS OF JOBLESS IF OA IS SHUT DOWN

[05] INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION IN GREECE DROPPED IN OCTOBER

[06] AUSTRIA AND SWITZERLAND WILL CO-HOST THE "EURO 2008"

[07] THE EURO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PRICE INCREASES

[08] KONSTANTOPOULOS VISIT TO TURKEY

[09] KAKLAMANIS: GREECE AND CYPRUS MUST BE VIGILANT

[10] PRIME MINISTER SIMITIS' PRESS CONFERENCE IN COPENHAGEN

[11] GREECE BACKS THE OPENING OF TURKEY'S EU ACCESSION NEGOTIATIONS IN 2004

[01] THE BATTLE AT COPENHAGEN

A harsh diplomatic battle is expected to be fought today and tomorrow in the margin the Copenhagen Summit Meeting, which all sides consider crucial, since it will judge Europe's enlargement, Cyprus' accession, Turkey's accessional prospects and a solution that has been sought after for 28 years for the Cyprus issue.

The Greek side is optimistic on Cyprus' accession and Foreign Minister Giorgos Papandreou stated that the related decision will be made with no footnotes. He was not as optimistic on the Cyprus issue, while Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash said that he would not sign the new revised Annan proposal, because he does not have enough time to study it. It is important to the Greek side that the Greek main opposition party is steadily in favor of Cyprus' accession, and ND President Kostas Karamanlis is promoting it within the European People's Party.

Prime Minister Kostas Simitis had a meeting with the President of the Cypriot Republic Glafkos Cleridis in the framework of the Copenhagen Summit. The discussion was analytical and it was stressed that our first priority is the clear accession of Cyprus. There are intense discussions underway regarding whether the text of the Summit's findings will include a special citation for the resolving of the Cyprus issue, if no solution has been found by the end of the Summit.

Foreign Minister Giorgos Papandreou, who also participated in the meeting, told the press that the messages from the Turkish side so far are not the ones expected, a fact that leaves little room for optimism at the moment. An essential dynamic must be retained, he added.

Furthermore, he expressed his belief that Cyprus will be incorporated to the EU, because Cyprus and Greece have put in a lot of work in that direction, while he supported Turkey's accession.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister will have meetings with Turkish leadership today in the Summit's margin. He will meet with the President of the AK Party, and winner of the Turkish elections, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish Prime Minister Abdullah Gul and Foreign Minister Yasser Yakiz. Those discussions will mainly be concentrated on resolving the Cyprus issue and Turkey's other European goals.

At the same time, the President of the Greek main opposition party, Kostas Karamanlis, also met with President Cleridis in Copenhagen. In statements to the press after their meeting, the ND President said: Cyprus must be incorporated to the EU here at Copenhagen, regardless of whether the political problem has been resolved, and of course without terms and requirements.

Mr. Karamanlis added that regardless of the appreciations on the Annan proposal, it is now obvious which side is not prepared to make an effort for progress.

[02] GREEK PEOPLE BELIEVE THE FORMER KING IS DISHONEST

Former king of Greece Konstantinos is not being honest as far as the so-called royal estates are concerned. This is the belief of 49% of those asked, according to a telephone opinion poll of the ALKO company, carried out for ALTER television, and 33.4% believed that he was being honest. 72% of PASOK's voters consider him dishonest, while 66% of ND's voters consider him honest.

His return to Greece as an equal citizen, after he has acquired a surname, was supported by 67.6%, while 20.5% are against it. 59.3% of PASOK's voters support it and 32.5% are against it. 84.7% of ND voters say yes, and 11.1% say no.

Meanwhile, 47.4% believe that the former king wants to play some political role, while 33% support that he does not.

At the same time, 41.4% characterized the way the government handled the issue of the royal estates successful, and 36% consider it a failure.

[03] SMALL LOSSES IN THE ASE

Small losses were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today. The general index dropped to -0.19% at 1.828,09 points, while the volume of transactions was at 192m euros.

Of the stocks trading today, 84 recorded gains and 224 had losses, while the value of 69 stocks remained unchanged.

[04] THOUSANDS OF JOBLESS IF OA IS SHUT DOWN

A huge social problem will be created if the unfavorable scenario predicting the shutting down of the state-run airline Olympic Airways will be confirmed. It is estimated that in such a case a total of seven to eight thousand people will lose their jobs.

This dramatic warning was issued by Greek European Commissioner Mrs. Anna Diamantopoulou in the European Commission meeting yesterday that ruled against the OA, which will have to return to the Greek state a total of 194m euros in aid.

Mrs. Diamantopoulou was the only one that gave a negative vote rejecting the decision that in essence will accelerate the developments that will lead to the OA shutdown. If the unfavorable scenario is confirmed, all OA employees will be fired and part of its assets will be sold.

The Greek European Commissioner referred to the fact that 30 of the 40 airports in Greece are in islands and therefore, if OA is shut down the effects on the everyday life of such regions will be very negative and tourism will be hurt.

[05] INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION IN GREECE DROPPED IN OCTOBER

Industrial production in Greece followed a downward course in October for a second month in row.

According to figures provided by the National Statistics Agency, industrial production dropped by 1.4% on an annual basis.

The overall picture in the January-October ten-month period was different as there was an increase of 1%.

[06] AUSTRIA AND SWITZERLAND WILL CO-HOST THE "EURO 2008"

Austria and Switzerland will be the co-hosts of the Euro 2008 European Football Championship. Their candidature was the favorite to win as their file was the most comprehensive.

According to the Austria-Switzerland file, the cities that will host the European Championship are, Vienna, Salzburg, Innsbruck, Klagenfurt, Basel, Zurich, Bern and Geneva.

Both are purely football countries with excellent transportation systems and football fields.

Greece and Turkey were also among the candidates to host the 2008 European Football Championship.

[07] THE EURO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PRICE INCREASES

Nine in ten Europeans believe that the prices of consumer goods have increased after the introduction of the Euro, according to the results of a research conducted by Eurobarometer.

Specifically, 89% of the Greeks believe that the new currency is responsible for the high prices. However, 71% is in favor of the single European currency, while in the Euro-zone the Euro enjoys the support of 63% of the citizens.

Also, 41% of the European citizens believe that the economic situation in their countries will worsen in 2003, while 44% believe that unemployment will increase.

[08] KONSTANTOPOULOS VISIT TO TURKEY

The President of the Coalition of the Left, Nikos Konstantopoulos, will visit Turkey on December 15-16, heading a party delegation.

The Coalition President will have meetings with Turkish leadership this coming Monday, after having visited the Istanbul Patriarchy the previous day.

Also, during its visit, the Coalition delegation will meet with Turkish intellectuals and social organizations.

[09] KAKLAMANIS: GREECE AND CYPRUS MUST BE VIGILANT

The accession of the Cypriot Republic to the European Union, with no terms or requirements, at the Copenhagen Summit, is an event of the greatest importance to Hellenism. This expected decision is consistent to European acquis and responds to the vision of the peoples of our continent, for a powerful, united Europe, a factor of stability, development, peace, security, and the securing of human rights.

The above was underlined by the President of the Greek Parliament Nikos Kaklamanis, upon receiving the resolution of the National Cypriot University Student Union of Athens, which visited him at his offices yesterday.

The resolution pointed out that the Cyprus issue is a political problem that must be solved peacefully, in the framework of International Law, UN resolutions and the decisions of the Security Council, so that a just, functional and viable solution can be secured.

Mr. Kaklamanis stressed that the Hellenism of Cyprus and Greece must be vigilant, and noted that Turkey, which is asking for a date to begin its accession negotiations to the EU, should understand that its European prospects require the just resolving of the Cyprus issue, on which it can no longer demand in an uncompromising tone, but it must contribute.

[10] PRIME MINISTER SIMITIS' PRESS CONFERENCE IN COPENHAGEN

Optimism on Cyprus' EU accession without terms and preconditions, and pessimism on the solution of the Cyprus problem, was expressed by Prime Minister Kostas Simitis in a press conference he gave before the Copenhagen Summit meeting today.

Mr. Simitis stressed that Greece came to the Summit in Copenhagen with three goals: Cyprus' EU accession, the solution of the Cyprus problem and the setting of a date for the opening of Turkey's EU accession negotiations.

The Prime Minister stressed that no terms can be set for Cyprus' EU accession. Mr. Simitis stated that Cyprus' course to the EU was not without problems and a great effort was made by the Greek government. He stressed that Cyprus' EU accession will promote peace and stability in the region, adding that it would have been best if a solution was reached to the Cyprus problem. He said that the Cyprus problem will be hard to be resolved in Copenhagen and mentioned that if it was going to be solved the UN Secretary General would be in the Danish capital.

Responding to relevant questions, he said that the solution of the Cyprus problem cannot wait for Turkey's EU accession and insinuated that certain steps can be made in the proximity talks held by UN envoy Alvaro de Soto with representatives of the two sides in Cyprus.

The Greek Prime Minister stressed that all likely developments and the way the Greek side should react were examined in the meeting he had last night with Cypriot President Glafkos Clerides.

On the third target set by Greece concerning the opening of the EU-Turkey negotiation and the strengthening of Turkey's European course, Mr. Simitis stressed that Greece believes that Turkey's EU accession negotiations can get underway in 2004.

Responding to a question on whether the Turkish Prime Minister briefed him on his intention to send a protest note to the 15 in case Cyprus becomes an EU member and Turkey receives no date for the opening of the EU accession negotiations, Mr. Simitis stated that he has no such information and underlined that if this happens Turkey will put itself in a difficult position.

[11] GREECE BACKS THE OPENING OF TURKEY'S EU ACCESSION NEGOTIATIONS IN 2004

The Cyprus issue and the setting of a date for the opening of Turkey's EU accession negotiations dominated in today's meeting of the Greek and Turkish leaders in Copenhagen.

Greece was represented in the meeting by Prime Minister Kostas Simitis and Foreign Minister Giorgos Papandreou, while Turkey was represented by Prime Minister Abdullah Gul and governing party leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Mr. Simitis stated that Greece supports the opening of Turkey's EU accession negotiations in 2004, adding that the Cyprus issue was also discussed in the meeting.

Mr. Gul stated that in order to solve problems like that in Cyprus, Turkey should receive a date for the opening of its EU accession negotiations in 2004, maintaining that an unresolved Cyprus problem is not a solution.

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