Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 05-02-10

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

CONTENTS

[01] PATRIARCH OF JERUSALEM DENIES ANY ACQUAINTANCE WITH VAVILIS

[02] COURT JUDGE WITH A CRIMINAL RECORD

[03] INVITATION TO MOLIVIATIS TO VISIT THE USA

[04] THE ACTING GOV'T SPOKESMAN ON THE ECONOMY

[05] GREECE SHOULD HAVE A MORE DYNAMIC PRESENCE IN THE BALKANS

[06] THE JUSTICE MINISTER TO VISIT THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE

[07] DRAFT BILL ON TRANSPARENCY IN THE JUSTICE SECTOR

[01] PATRIARCH OF JERUSALEM DENIES ANY ACQUAINTANCE WITH VAVILIS

The role of the elusive Apostolos Vavilis, the man with the thousand faces, continues to torment the Greek Orthodox Church Hierarchy and scandalize the Greek public opinion. According to new evidence coming to light every day, his presence next to Patriarch Erineos of Jerusalem is being certified as well as his involvement in Church affairs with the tolerance or the encouragement of the Hierarchy leadership.

Apart from the court sentences he has received for drug trade and his Ministry of Public Order supply companies it has also been revealed that in 2002 Apostolos Vavilis participated as a representative of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem in the inter-religious meeting in Azize, Italy organized by the Vatican.

The name he had used then was Rafael Anagnostakis and accompanied Archimandrite Nikolaos Farmakis.

Patriarch Erineos has denied that he ever knew Vavilis through a written statement by his legal representative.

[02] COURT JUDGE WITH A CRIMINAL RECORD

Evangelos Kalousis, a First Instance Court judge in Chania, Crete, was led before an Athens prosecutor today. He was arrested yesterday when he tried to cash a counterfeit cheque of US$ 500 at a National Bank of Greece branch in Pankrati, Athens.

The bank employees spotted the fake cheque, called the police and the judge was arrested. Kalousis had already been summoned to appear before the Supreme Court facing dismissal accused of promoting prostitution.

Kalousis maintained that he is the victim of defamation and stated that he found the cheque on the street.

Meanwhile, court judge Leonidas Stathis will give explanations tomorrow regarding the allegations that he received 5,000 euros to issue a favorable ruling in a case he was trying.

[03] INVITATION TO MOLIVIATIS TO VISIT THE USA

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice invited Foreign Minister Petros Moliviatis to visit Washington before this summer.

The invitation was accepted and the exact date will be decided through the diplomatic route.

The invitation was extended during a brief meeting they had on the sidelines of the NATO Ministerial Summit meeting at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels.

[04] THE ACTING GOV'T SPOKESMAN ON THE ECONOMY

The government proceeds with the restoration of financial transparency and the adoption of mild adjustment aiming at cutting deficit, stated acting government spokesman Vangelis Antonaros. He stressed that the government restores the country's credibility in the EU in spite of the fact that the fiscal problem is big and crucial.

Mr. Antonaros stated that inflation increase to 4% in January from 3.1% in December was the result of the fact that winter sales opened in February instead of January as it happened last year. Therefore, the increase recorded is coincidental and according to the predictions of the National Statistics Agency, inflation in February will be at 3%.

[05] GREECE SHOULD HAVE A MORE DYNAMIC PRESENCE IN THE BALKANS

The United States expect from Greece a more dynamic presence and more active role in the Balkans given its participation in the UN Security Council as a non permanent member for the next two years, according to John Sitilides, director of the Western Policy Center and now Chairman of the Woodrow Wilson Center Plan for SE Europe.

Within this framework, he stressed that Greece should speed-up the materialization of the Balkan Reconstruction Plan stating that the previous government did not undertake the necessary initiatives. He pointed out that out of a total of 600 million euros allocated only 90-100 million were used.

In an interview with MPA, he stated that Greece could play a more important role in the Balkans as a member of NATO and the EU and undertake initiatives to help normalize the existing situation.

Referring to Kosovo, he said that it is wrong to believe that the United States support Kosovo's independence, stressing that it is a difficult and sensitive issue for the United States, the EU and the UN. He added that there are many independent US analysts who believe that Kosovo's independence is almost inevitable but this is not the official US position.

On the Albanian nationalists and the vision of the Greater Albania, he underlined that the most responsible Albanian politicians try to avert such ideas because they are interested more in protecting the country and want democracy, prosperity and the country's full EU accession. On the other hand, the US and the UN have pledged to find a solution meeting the needs and interests of all ethic groups in regions like Kosovo and FYROM.

Mr. Sitilides stated that the US proceeded with the recognition of FYROM under its constitutional name fearing that FYROM nationalists could violate the Ochrid Agreement.

He said that high-level diplomatic talks between Athens and Skopje to reach a mutually acceptable solution to the name issue are still underway and time will tell if the US policy is wrong.

He also referred to the new military bases in Bulgaria, Romania and possibly FYROM pointing out that they are being created within the framework of the NATO realignment in the Balkans to face a series of new non conventional threats against security and stability in the region of the Black Sea, the Balkans and the Aegean.

[06] THE JUSTICE MINISTER TO VISIT THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE

Justice Minister Anastasis Papaligouras will be on a visit to Istanbul and meet with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. According to information, they will discuss, among others, developments in the Church of Greece.

Mr. Papaligouras will visit the Ecumenical Patriarchate within the framework of his formal visit to Turkey.

No statements have been made on behalf of the Ecumenical Patriarchate regarding developments in the Greek Orthodox Church.

[07] DRAFT BILL ON TRANSPARENCY IN THE JUSTICE SECTOR

The Justice Ministry draft bill on transparency in the justice sector was presented in Parliament today.

The report accompanying the draft bill mentions that the government regards as necessary to take tougher measures against corruption phenomena in the judiciary that hurt justice and treat with disdain the work of honest justice servants who are the majority.

It is also pointed out that with the proposed legislative measures control mechanisms are being strengthened, penalties become stricter and the allegations investigation procedures accelerate.

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