Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 06-01-31

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM KARAMANLIS, SERB PRESIDENT TADIC DISCUSS REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS

[02] AGROTICA FAIR OPENS ITS GATES ON WEDNESDAY

[03] CABINET APPROVES BILL ON CLASSIFIED ADS IN LOCAL NEWSPAPERS

[04] PRESIDENT PAPOULIAS MEETS SERB PRESIDENT TADIC

[05] SOCIALIST INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL DISCUSS MIDDLE EAST ISSUES

[01] PM KARAMANLIS, SERB PRESIDENT TADIC DISCUSS REGIONAL DEVELOPMENTS

Prime minister Costas Karamanlis and visiting Serb President Boris Tadic on Tuesday discussed developments in the region, the future status of Kosovo, Serbia-Montenegro relations, the western Balkan countries' European prospect, and bilateral relations.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Karamanlis said that Serbia today was democratic and modernising, noting that "we are advancing a new vision of Europe and the Balkans", and reiterating Greece's support for Serbia on its road to European integration, saying "the friendly country can count on the Greek support".

On Kosovo, Karamanlis reiterated Greece's position in favour of a mutually acceptable solution, in the framework of international legality, which would be the result of dialogue and negotiations with the participation of all sides involved, and not an imposed or dictated solution.

He stressed that self-control and moderacy must be displayed in the post-Rugova period, noting that the active materialisation of the criteria that have been set out must be accompanied by negotiations.

"We look forward to a multinational Kosovo in which Serbs and Albanians will live peacefully, and in which the regime will not be at the expense of stability in the Balkans".

On the State Union of Serbia-Montenegro, Karamanlis said that the volition of the people of Montenegro will be respected, adding that the result of the procedures must be free, transparent and democratic.

Tadic, in turn, welcomed the Greek stance as "positions of principle", noting that any solution to the Kosovo issue must be peaceful and arise through dialogue, and should not be the product of imposition. "We are in favour of the soverieghty and territorial integrity of Kosovo in the framework of our country," he said, adding that the municipalities and communities of the region should participate in the dialogue.

The Serb President further said that there must be a relationship with Belgrade, noting that this was the only path that provided guarantees for the Serbian population and the cultural heritage of the region, while at the same time providing stability in the Balkan region.

On the issue of Montenegro, Tadic said he was prepared to accept the result of the referendum, stressing that the desire of the citizens will be respected by 50 percent plus 1 of the registered voters in the voters' list.

The Serb president further stressed that bilateral relations with Greece were "exceptional" at both economic and political level, and addressed a new invitation to Greek businessmen to invest in Serbia.

[02] AGROTICA FAIR OPENS ITS GATES ON WEDNESDAY

Greek Agricultural Development and Foods Minister Evangelos Basiakos on Wendesday will inaugurate the 21st AGROTICA international trade fair in Thessaloniki.

This year's AGROTICA fair will attract 1,246 direct and indirect exhibitors, mainly from the Balkans, Central and Eastern Europe, the Black Sea and the Near and Middle East. The fair will also present farm vehicles and offer scheduled business meetings under the ExpoPartenariat programme. Helexpo, the organiser of the fair, has also planned four conferences during the fair.

[03] CABINET APPROVES BILL ON CLASSIFIED ADS IN LOCAL NEWSPAPERS

The cabinet on Tuesday approved a draft bill regulating the publication of classified ads and notices in local and regional newspapers, government spokesman Theodoros Roussopoulos said.

He said preparation of the bill had begun in April 2004, lasting 14 months and had now reached a stage where there was a "high level of agreement".

It establishes criteria that allow regional and local papers to publish classified advertisements, proclamations for positions and company reports, such as the size of circulation, years of publication, number of journalists employed and the balance of recent local news versus news reproduced from other sources.

Roussopoulos said that the distribution of state advertising would be regulated by another bill but noted that he had personally set up a committee made up of representatives of local papers that were abled to check the month-by-month distribution of this type of advertising.

[04] PRESIDENT PAPOULIAS MEETS SERB PRESIDENT TADIC

President of the Republic Karolos Papoulias on Tuesday met with Serbian President Boris Tadic, who is in Athens for a meeting of the Council of the Socialist International.

Welcoming Tadic at the Presidential Mansion, Papoulias said the Serb President was in Athens at a very interesting time not only for Serbia "but for all of us", and "not only for the Balkans, but also for Europe".

"We must all find paths to solve the problems, and we must all make that effort," Papoulias said.

Tadic expressed pleasure at being in a friendly country, adding that "in Serbia today we are not only resolving matters related to Serbia's interests..I believe that these matters relate to the interests of all the Balkans, and I would say of all of Europe".

Papoulias also met with the presidents of the World, European and Greek Jewish Congresses.

[05] SOCIALIST INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL DISCUSS MIDDLE EAST ISSUES

The Council of the Socialist International (SI), continued its meeting in Athens on Tuesday with a discussion of issues concerning the Middle East.

Lebanese Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) vice-president Doreid Yaghi called for implementation of the relevant UN Resolutions, and international investigations into the killings of political leaders in Lebanon. as well as the despatch of an SI delegation to Lebanon.

President of Cyprus' Movement of Social Democrats (EDEK) party Yannakis Omirou said the primary issues of the region were the Palestinian issue and the undermining of the stability in Lebanon.

On the Palestinian issue, Omirou said that despite the steps it has taken, Israel needed to do more to provide guarantees for the Palestinians, while Hamas -- which won the absolute majority in the weekend elections in Palestine -- had the obligation to respect the state of Israel. He added that dialogue was the only way for problems to be resolved.

Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) delegate Khosrow Abdollahi called for reinforcement of the democratic forces of Iran so as to rid the country of a regime "of another period", but ruled out any type of military intervention. He also called on the West to curtail its economic interests so that oppressive regimes would not be reinforced through the serving of those interests.

The delegate from Pakistan called for effective measures in order to combat fundamentalism, and for the return of the democratic leadership to Pakistan.

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