Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 06-03-21

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

CONTENTS

[01] CHANGES IN THE CIVIL SERVANT CODE OF CONDUCT

[02] GPO OPINION POLL

[03] KARAMANLIS-BAKOYIANNIS MEETING

[04] THE KILLERS OF TWO YOUNG CYPRIOTS ARE STILL UNPUNISHED 10 YEARS AFTER

[05] MINISTER OF MACEDONIA-THRACE CALLS FOR CLOSER COOPERATION WITH BULGARIA

[06] FOREIGN MINISTER BAKOYIANNIS TO VISIT NICOSIA

[07] PREFECT ZABOUNIDIS MET WITH THE DEPUTY MAYOR OF PLOVDIV

[08] DEFENSE MINISTER MEIMARAKIS ON THE GREEK-BULGARIAN RELATIONS

[01] CHANGES IN THE CIVIL SERVANT CODE OF CONDUCT

The inner cabinet meets today under Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis to discuss the civil servants' code of conduct.

Meanwhile, the new company expected to be founded to replace Olympic Airlines will operate as a private company and have its own manager. The statement was made by Minister of Transport and Communications Michalis Liapis who briefed the prime minister yesterday on issues that fall under his authority.

On the public utility companies, DEKO, draft law, he said that a dialogue will be launched soon with employees to promote reform.

He added that this draft law does not have the employees as its target but the goal is to improve their work and working conditions and reform the DEKO finances.

Minister of Justice Anastasis Papaligouras, who also met with the prime minister yesterday, said that three draft laws on domestic violence, administrative courts and the establishment of judicial police are expected to be submitted to parliament soon.

[02] GPO OPINION POLL

Ruling party New Democracy leads over main opposition Socialist Party PASOK by one percentage point, according to a GPO opinion poll conducted on March 16 and 17 on behalf of Athens television station Mega. Specifically, New Democracy got 35%, PASOK 34%, Communist Party 6.5%, Coalition 3.2%, and LAOS 5.2%.

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis is regarded as most fit for the post of the prime minister by 47.8% compared to Mr. Papandreou's 35.7%.

[03] KARAMANLIS-BAKOYIANNIS MEETING

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis met with Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyiannis today in view of her trip to the United States.

Responding to questions on the Turkish prime minister's statements concerning the implementation of the customs union protocol, she stressed that Mr. Erdogan's statements do not bring Turkey closer to the European Union. Turkey, said Ms. Bakoyiannis, has undertaken certain obligations it has to meet in 2006.

Ms. Bakoyiannis also met with US ambassador to Athens Charles Ries.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Giorgos Koumoutsakos called to comment on the confirmation by Ankara that the exercise by Greece of its right to expand its territorial waters will be regarded as casus belli, reminded that the casus belli issue has already been raised by the European Commission in its report on Turkey last November.

He also referred to the recent statements made by Foreign Minister Bakoyiannis according to which casus belli is not a friendly stance and is unbecoming a neighbor, adding that such rationales have no place in the united Europe and Turkey will realize that if it wants to become a part of Europe. Mr. Koumoutsakos also responded positively on whether Greece maintains its right to expand its territorial waters.

Ms. Bakoyiannis will meet with her US counterpart Condoleezza Rice in Washington on Thursday while she will also have a series of contacts with members of the US House and Senate. On Monday, March 27 she will meet in New York with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and are expected to discuss the Cyprus issue, the situation in the Balkans, Iraq and Iran.

Ms. Bakoyiannis will also meet with the adviser of the US President on issues of domestic security to discuss, among others, the visa issue for the Greeks traveling to the United States. She will also meet with Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns and US Senator Paul Sarbanes. Ms. Bakoyiannis will attend a UN Security Council discussion on Haiti.

During her visit to the United States, Ms. Bakoyiannis will attend an event in the presence of the US President on the occasion of the Greek Independence Day. She will also attend a doxology at the Aghia Triada Cathedral in New York on the occasion of the Greek national holiday.

[04] THE KILLERS OF TWO YOUNG CYPRIOTS ARE STILL UNPUNISHED 10 YEARS AFTER THEIR CRIME

The sense that the sacrifices of their children and the Cypriot people as a whole have not been vindicated was conveyed by the parents of the heroes/martyrs Tasos Isaak and Solomos Solomou, killed in cold blood by Turkish Cypriot settlers during peaceful demonstrations against the Turkish occupation that took place at the buffer zone in Nicosia in August 1996.

An appeal to the European Court was made ten years ago and the parents of the two young victims, stressed that they are being called to put a price tag on their children's lives for a ruling to be issued. Solomos' father, Mr. Spyros Solomou, said that the sacrifice, the blood, cannot be measured in money and stressed that they want those responsible to be punished.

Tasos Isaak's father pointed out that neither the Turkish Cypriot who killed Solomos Solomou nor the 28 individuals captured on camera while beating his son to death have paid for their actions.

They are just telling us that they cannot travel outside the Turkish Cypriot pseudostate but for as long as the Turkish occupation continues they can enjoy total freedom there, he stressed.

The fathers of the dead heroes/martyrs will attend a special event in their memory organized by the Cypriot students in Greece organization, PEOF, to take place at Thessaloniki's Aristotle University this afternoon.

[05] MINISTER OF MACEDONIA-THRACE CALLS FOR CLOSER COOPERATION WITH BULGARIA AND TURKEY

The need for closer cooperation and better coordination with the neighboring countries, particularly Bulgaria, to improve river water management and avert the floods recorded in the region every year, was stressed by Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Giorgos Kalantzis in the meeting he had today at the ministry building in Thessaloniki with Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace general secretary Michalis Angelopoulos.

Mr. Kalantzis called for the construction of the necessary projects that will give a permanent solution to the flood problem.

Mr. Angelopoulos pointed out that the Evros River water management issue cannot be faced by the Greek side alone and cooperation at a government level is necessary between Athens, Sofia and Ankara.

Greek-Bulgarian cooperation issues and the Evros issue will be discussed within the framework of a meeting organized by the INTERREG management authority to take place in Thessaloniki on March 27.

[06] FOREIGN MINISTER BAKOYIANNIS TO VISIT NICOSIA

Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyiannis will make her first visit to Nicosia as the Foreign Minister of Greece on April 4-6 at the invitation of her Cypriot counterpart Giorgos Iakovou and as a follow up to the consultations held during the recent visit of Cyprus Republic President Tassos Papadopoulos to Athens.

During her visit to Cyprus, Ms. Bakoyiannis will be received by President Papadopoulos and Parliament President Dimitris Christofias and she will also have talks at the Foreign Ministry.

[07] PREFECT ZABOUNIDIS MET WITH THE DEPUTY MAYOR OF PLOVDIV

Deputy Mayor of Plovdiv, Bulgaria, Constantin Piskov and secretary Vasil Petrov made a ceremonial visit to Prefect of Evros in northeast Greece Nikolaos Zabounidis yesterday afternoon.

In the meeting they discussed cooperation issues between the two regions in the sectors of economy and tourism.

Mr. Zabounidis briefed the Plovdiv municipality delegation on the cross-border initiatives undertaken by the prefecture of Evros and made a special reference to the Cross-Border Cooperation Network of the prefectures of Greece-Bulgaria-Turkey. He also referred to the recent floods and stressed the need for flood protection cooperation between the three countries.

Mr. Zabounidis accepted an invitation by the mayor of Plovdiv to participate in a conference on cooperation for economic development and tourism in the wider regions of northern Greece, south Bulgaria and northwest Turkey to take place in Plovdiv on April 11-12.

[08] DEFENSE MINISTER MEIMARAKIS ON THE GREEK-BULGARIAN RELATIONS

The belief that the excellent bilateral relations of mutual understanding, friendship and cooperation are an important positive factor not only for the two peoples but for the wider region too, was expressed by Minister of Defense Vangelis Meimarakis in a press conference for the major Bulgarian mass media.

He said that Greece's stance to warmly support Bulgaria's NATO accession is vindicated because it has created a sense of security in the whole region. He added that an environment of peace and security is necessary to have economic growth, investments and new jobs, stressing that Bulgaria's EU accession will have only positive results for all.

Mr. Meimarakis also pointed out that all political forces in Greece support unanimously Bulgaria's accession into the EU on January 1, 2007.

Mr. Meimarakis said, responding to ANA-MPA, that he was left with excellent impressions after the meetings he had with Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov and Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev held in a cordial atmosphere. This fact, said Mr. Meimarakis, confirms the mutual political will for the further development of bilateral relations. The same climate characterized the meeting he had with his Bulgarian counterpart Vesselin Bliznakov.

Prime Minister Stanishev expressed gratitude for Greece's support to Bulgaria's accession into NATO and the ratification of the EU accession treaty by the Greek parliament, according to a statement issued.

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