Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 05-10-25

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

CONTENTS

[01] BALKAN ENERGY MARKET

[02] ATHENS WANTS THE GETTY MUSEUM TO RETURN ANCIENT ARTIFACTS

[03] THE PRIME MINISTER ARRIVES IN THESSALONIKI

[04] FOUR-DAY CELEBRATIONS OPEN IN THESSALONIKI

[05] THE "FETA" CHEESE IS EXCLUSIVELY GREEK

[01] BALKAN ENERGY MARKET

The future historian will record the decision cosigned today as a historical milestone for southeast Europe, stated Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis speaking in the ceremony for the establishment of the Energy Community in SE Europe held in Athens today.

The signing of the treaty is the result of cooperation between the European Commission, the British EU Presidency and the Greek government.

It is a historic moment because the signing of the treaty is of equal importance with the 1951 treaty signed in Paris for the establishment of the European Coal and Steel Community which in turn led to the establishment of today's Europe of the 25 member states, stated Minister of Development Dimitris Sioufas.

He added that a total of 9 years have past before the signing of the treaty was made possible. In the past 19 months, the political leadership of the Ministry of Development in cooperation with the political leadership of the Foreign Ministry, European Commissioner Andris Piebalgs, responsible for energy issues and the Energy Ministers of SE Europe, overcame many major obstacles while pending issues lingering for years were settled before being able to sign the treaty in Athens today.

In the next few years, a total of 12.5 billion euros will be needed for investments in power plants in the region of SE Europe, while 8 billion more will be needed for energy distribution networks, according to Stability Pact representative Erhard Busek, one of the main speakers in the energy treaty signing ceremony.

Minister of Development Dimitris Sioufas stressed that the idea for the establishment of the energy community first emerged when Christos Papoutsis was Energy Commissioner in 1996-1997. He added that the treaty will play a major role in the improvement of safety standards, create sufficient energy supplies, and attract large scale investments, while the European prospect of the region's countries will be strengthened and their peoples' living standards will improve.

[02] ATHENS WANTS THE GETTY MUSEUM TO RETURN ANCIENT ARTIFACTS

A request for the return of four ancient artifacts allegedly obtained through illegal sources was made by Greece to Getty Museum in Los Angeles, according to the newspaper Los Angeles Times.

Three of the objects are dated back to 400 BC and came to the museum's possession in 1993.

The fourth object, a stone statue, was purchased by Paul Getty himself in 1955. The Greek authorities maintain that the artifacts were stolen by antiquities smugglers.

Museum officials have refused to comment on the issue.

Earlier this month, the Getty Museum in Los Angeles had to return to Italy a number of artifacts which the Italian authorities maintained that they had been stolen.

[03] THE PRIME MINISTER ARRIVES IN THESSALONIKI

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis arrives in Thessaloniki this afternoon and tomorrow he will attend the doxology on the occasion of the city patron Saint Dimitrios feast day and the anniversary for the liberation of Thessaloniki in 1912.

Tomorrow at noon, the Prime Minister will leave for London to attend the informal EU Summit meeting.

[04] FOUR-DAY CELEBRATIONS OPEN IN THESSALONIKI

The four-day events commemorating the liberation of the city from the Turkish Yoke in 1912, the city patron Saint Dimitrios' feast day and the heroic NO of the Greeks to fascist Italy during WWII open with the Saint Dimitrios' holy icons and relics procession and the arrival of Hellenic Republic President Karolos Papoulias.

The events will culminate on Friday with the large military parade on Alexander the Great Avenue.

Meanwhile, the priceless icon of the city's patron saint which has arrived in Thessaloniki from the museum in Sassoferrato, Italy will be in the church of St. Dimitrios for a month.

[05] THE "FETA" CHEESE IS EXCLUSIVELY GREEK

The European Court ratified the name feta as a protected designation of origin (PDO).

The court rejected the appeals made by Germany and Denmark which, with the support of France and the United Kingdom, demanded the annulment of the registration of the name feta as a PDO in favor of Greece.

Based on the court ruling, the name feta can be used only for the cheese coming from Greece.

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