Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 05-11-11

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

CONTENTS

[01] KARAMANLIS ISSUES INVITATION TO JAPAN

[02] LESSONS LEARNT FROM PARIS

[03] ND LEADS PASOK

[04] INAUGURATION OF THE NEW ARMENIAN EMBASSY BUILDING IN ATHENS

[05] LOW WATER LEVELS MAKE EVROS RIVER PASSABLE

[06] IVANIC CALLS ON THOSE WANTED TO SURRENDER

[07] KARAMANLIS-KOIZUMI MEETING

[01] KARAMANLIS ISSUES INVITATION TO JAPAN

The particularly good cooperation between Greece and Japan in the international fora was pointed out by Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis and his Japanese counterpart Junichiro Koizumi in their meeting in Tokyo.

Mr. Karamanlis stressed that the Japanese market can prove to be very important for the Greek farm products, while Mr. Koizumi pointed out that Greece is a factor for the economic moves in Balkan countries.

Earlier, Mr. Karamanlis had issued an invitation to Japanese businessmen to invest in Greece and open the Japanese market to the Greek farm products addressing Japanese businessmen in the lunch given in his honor by the Japanese Industrialists' Confederation (KEINDAREN).

The Prime Minister was also received by Japan's Imperial couple.

Mr. Karamanlis met with the Japanese Parliament President Yohei Kono and discussed bilateral and international issues.

[02] LESSONS LEARNT FROM PARIS

Minister of Public Order Giorgos Voulgarakis commenting on the incidents in Paris stated that from such incidents is good to get messages and learn lessons.

Mr. Voulgarakis stated that it is the responsibility of all those who are in power to protect this society so that it won't be led to conditions that in turn are likely to lead to incidents that will not be able to be faced in a way called for by the citizens.

Solidarity rallies in Athens and Thessaloniki for the socially excluded in the Paris suburbs.

A group of youngsters attacked with rocks the French Institute in Thessaloniki last night.

[03] ND LEADS PASOK

An opinion poll conducted by polling company Metron Analysis and presented yesterday by private television station Mega Channel gave a lead of 0.6% to ruling party of New Democracy over main opposition Socialist Party PASOK.

The responses to the question which party you would vote for if elections were held tomorrow gave 35.2% to New Democracy, 34.6% to PASOK, 7.5% to the Communist Party, 4% to Synaspismos and 4.2% to LAOS. For the record, LAOS in Macedonia got 6.1%.

In an opinion poll conducted by the same polling company last June, the distance between ND and PASOK was 2.2 percentage points (ND 42.4% and PASOK 40.2%).

To the question who do you trust more, 35.3% responded that they trust a ND government under Costas Karamanlis, while 30.8% trust a PASOK government under Giorgos Papandreou.

Most fit for the post of the Prime Minister is regarded Costas Karamanlis 40.5%, followed by Giorgos Papandreou 30.1%, Aleka Papariga 2.8%, Alekos Alavanos 1.1% and Giorgos Karatzaferis 3.2%.

[04] INAUGURATION OF THE NEW ARMENIAN EMBASSY BUILDING IN ATHENS

Armenian President Robert Kocharian inaugurated the new Armenian embassy building in Halandri, Athens this morning in the presence of Minister of Interior, Public Administration and Decentralization Prokopis Pavlopoulos and members of the Armenian community in Greece and the Armenian Church.

Speaking in the inauguration ceremony, Mr. Pavlopoulos stressed that Greece always was the home of the Armenian people, stressing that the Greeks and the Armenians share common ties, common values and principles they defended through time with great cost and many victims.

Mr. Pavlopoulos pointed out that Armenia is an example of progress and peaceful coexistence for humanity and expressed the hope that Armenians will be vindicated by the outcome of all their struggles for what it is theirs based on international law. He also thanked the Armenians for their huge contribution to the progress of the Greek society.

[05] LOW WATER LEVELS MAKE EVROS RIVER PASSABLE

The low water level in Evros River has caused the strong concern of enforcement authorities in Thrace, northeast Greece, because it facilitates the illegal entry of foreigners from Turkey.

Indicative of the size of the illegal immigrant entry problem in the region is the fact that the reception centres for illegal immigrants in Thrace currently host about 700 people, while during the rain season, when the river is impassable, reception centres across Thrace host no more than 100 illegal immigrants.

Based on figures provided by police authorities regarding the illegal entry of foreigners into the country, a total of 112 cases of trafficking of illegal immigrants were recorded in the east Macedonia and Thrace region from the beginning of the year until late October, while a total of 169 Greek and foreign traffickers have been arrested.

[06] IVANIC CALLS ON THOSE WANTED TO SURRENDER

Bosnia-Herzegovina Serb Bosnian Foreign Minister Mladen Ivanic called on those wanted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague, Radovan Karadjic and Ratko Mladic, to surrender on the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the Dayton Agreement.

In an interview to ANA-MPA, Mr. Ivanic stated that for Bosnia-Herzegovina and particularly for the Serbs in the country it is very important to have this difficult chapter in history closed.

Regarding the agreement itself, Mr. Ivanic is against any radical changes in the text of the agreement, underlining that such a development could only bring problems to the country, especially on ethnic issues.

In general, he characterized as positive the presence of the international community in his country but pointed out that the time has come for the institutions in Bosnia to take the situation into their hands and within this framework he called for the closing of the international community High Representative Office to be replaced by an EU Special Representative Office that will help Bosnia in its European course.

On the issue of Kosovo, he stated that it is not related directly with the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina but pointed out that in case a solution on the final status of the region is imposed by the international community and is not the product of an agreement between Belgrade and Pristina consequences are likely in the wider region.

[07] KARAMANLIS-KOIZUMI MEETING

Bilateral relations, the Balkans, investments and trade transactions were the main issues under discussion in the talks of Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis and his Japanese counterpart Junichiro Koizumi in Tokyo.

Mr. Karamanlis stated that they discussed the potential for wider cooperation between the two countries in the international fora and expressed the belief that the participation of the two countries in the UN Security Council offers an excellent opportunity to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the future. He also stressed the very positive presence of Japan in West Balkans where the political and economic interests of both countries offer room for wider cooperation.

On economic cooperation, the Prime Minister underlined that it could improve further and referred to the Greek farm products, shipping and tourism.

The Prime Minister stated that the hosting of the Olympic Games brought the two countries closer together and stressed that the exchange of high level visits contributes to the further growth of bilateral relations.

The Japanese Prime Minister thanked Greece for its support regarding the UN reform and underlined that in the meeting they assessed the progress of the common action plan agreed upon three years ago.

Mr. Koizumi characterized as useful the exchange of views on bilateral relations and international issues and referred with warm words to the role of Greece in the Balkans. The Japanese Prime Minister stated that Greece has a great influence in the Balkans and the two countries agreed to continue to support the Balkan states' efforts for more stability in the region. On bilateral relations and economic cooperation, he stated that there was agreement for greater cooperation in education and cultural exchanges.

After the meeting, the Japanese Prime Minister gave a working dinner for Prime Minister Karamanlis, his wife and the Greek delegation.

Tomorrow, Mr. Karamanlis will visit the sacred town of Nikko, north of Tokyo, famous for its ornate temples and shrines and on Sunday he will return to Athens.

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