Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 02-11-07

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Simitis, Chirac discuss EU enlargement with special reference to Cyprus

[02] Simitis, Schroeder to discuss Greek-Turkish rapprochement, Cyprus issue

[03] Gov't: Athens ready to respond to UN plan for Cyprus whenever this comes

[04] ND leader: UN resolutions, acquis communautaire conditions for Cyprus solution

[05] Erdogan clarifies statements on 'Belgian model' for Cyprus

[06] Turkey's AKP stands behind Erdogan on Cyprus issue comments

[07] Erdogan to visit Greece on Nov. 18

[08] ND leader meets with ambassadors of UN Security Council permanent members

[09] Karamanlis sends congratulations to Bush for mid-term election success

[10] Greek Communist party seeks meeting with foreign minister

[11] Deputy FM, Armenian envoy discuss bilateral economic relations

[12] Synaspismos leader calls for common action with KKE in European Social Forum

[13] Court acquits 13 British and Dutch plane-spotters charged with espionage

[14] Civil servants repeat strike pledge

[15] EU transport commissioner to visit Athens November 14-15

[16] Former auditing official reportedly involved in OLAF probe

[17] Athens Bourse Close: Stocks rise, led by banks

[18] Latest IOC inspection for 2004 Games begins

[19] Exhibition on post-Byzantine period to open in New York

[20] Avgoustinos Xiros set free without terms by 'N17' magistrate

[21] 5 Richter earthquake rocks Zakynthos island

[22] Accession to the EU a natural progression, says President Clerides

[23] Government expects solution plan

[24] Eckhard: Annan is considering his options for Cyprus

[25] Issue of illegal settlers on peace talks agenda, says spokesman

[01] Simitis, Chirac discuss EU enlargement with special reference to Cyprus

PARIS 07/11/2002 (ANA - O. Tsipira)

Speaking of the EU enlargement process, the two men also made special reference to Cyprus.

According to the spokeswoman, Catherine Colonna, the French president underlined that that ''we should do all we can'' within the next few weeks before the Copenhagen Summit, to conclude a political solution.

Simitis, on his part, reiterated that according to the Helsinki decisions a political solution does not constitute a precondition for Cyprus accession to the European Union.

Especially, concerning Turkey, the Greek premier said that he was disposed positively in giving the new Turkish government a positive message from Copenhagen.

Concerning the enlargement of the European Union, Chirac expressed his satisfaction for the positive developments that took place in Brussels and underlined that the ''funding of the enlargement should be accomplished in a just fashion for all in the spirit of European solidarity''.

According to the spokeswoman, Chirac said to Simitis that he is expecting of the Greek presidency to promote the negotiations with Bulgaria and Romania, so that these countries may achieve the entry target in 2007.

PM Simitis reconfirms Greek positions on EU enlargement, Cyprus in Paris talks: Visiting Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis termed as friendly and cordial the meetings he had here on Wednesday with French President Jacques Chirac and his French counterpart Jean-Pierre Raffarin.

Simitis invited Raffarin to visit Greece at the end of Greece's EU presidency in the first half of 2003.

Speaking to reporters, the Greek prime minister said that the aim of his visit to Paris, but also to other European capitals, is to reconfirm the Greek positions on EU enlargement and Cyprus in view of the EU summit in Copenhagen in December and to see whether there was any problem.

Simitis said the outcome of his meetings were ''particularly positive,'' adding that the progress of accession is proceeding without objections. ''We are heading towards Copenhagen in accordance with what we had planned,'' he concluded,

Special reference at the talks was made to the Helsinki decisions, according to which a political settlement of the Cyprus issue does not constitute a precondition for the island republic's accession to the European Union.

The Greek prime minister said that he found Chirac in full agreement that the relevant agreements for the accession of the new EU members should be signed on April 16.

Asked by reporters on the ''recent contradictory statements by the winner of Turkey's elections, Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, for a settlement of the Cyprus issue, Simitis said that ''it is wrong for us to attempt to understand the positions of the new leadership through statements.''

Already two foreign ministry officials have gone to Ankara where a date for Erdogan's visit to Athens is expected to be announced, Simitis said, adding that ''then we will be able to talk accurately on the Turkish positions.''

On Turkey's EU accession prospects, Simitis said that a positive message should be sent from Copenhagen and this because for some time now a promise has been given to Turkey. Consequently, he said, there must be continuity.

''It is not proper for the European Union to close the door,'' he said, adding that the ''15'' should decide whether they will set a date for the start of negotiations according to Turkey's progress or whether the effort should continue.

The Greek prime minister said that the common agricultural policy was also discussed at the meetings with the French leadership and that both sides agreed that the new Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), whatever this may be, will be implemented after 2006.

''We will firmly support'' small producers and the countryside, Simitis said, adding that ''the CAP should be a leverage for the development of the countryside.''

The issue of illegal immigration was also on the agenda of the talks, he said, stressing that a great effort must be made for implementing the already existing measures.

''Our aim is for us not to open the doors of the European Union to anyone who is immigrating without a political problem and to restrict the number of immigrants to Europe.''

Greece, he added, is also asking, due to its geographic position, European participation for the protection of its borders.

Simitis said that it costs Greece five million euros annually to send back illegal immigrants.

On the Conference for the Future of Europe, Simitis said it would be good for the relevant procedure to be concluded before Greece's assumption of the EU presidency so that the relevant agenda can be prepared.

Finally, Simitis announced that President of the conference for the future of Europe Valery Giscard d' Estaing will visit Athens from February 20-21 to cooperate with the Greek EU presidency.

[02] Simitis, Schroeder to discuss Greek-Turkish rapprochement, Cyprus issue

BERLIN 07/11/2002 (ANA - P. Stangos)

German diplomats are observing with particular interest developments taking shape in Greek-Turkish rapprochement following Sunday's elections in Turkey and preparations for the visit to Athens by the winner of the elections, Justice and Development Party (AKP) leader Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and mainly the repercussions of this visit to the Greek capital with regard to both Turkey's EU accession prospects and the Cyprus issue.

The Greek prime minister will arrive in Berlin from Paris on Monday morning and will depart from the German capital in the afternoon.

It is not yet known whether Simitis will return to Paris or whether he will make another stop somewhere else before returning to Athens on Sunday.

The main issues on the agenda of the Berlin talks are the Cyprus problem and the island republic's accession to the European Union, the EU summit in Copenhagen in mid-December and the priorities of Greece's EU presidency in the first half of 2003.

Simitis and Schroeder will also discuss the combatting of international terrorism and developments in Iraq.

[03] Gov't: Athens ready to respond to UN plan for Cyprus whenever this comes

Athens, 07/11/2002 (ANA)

''When the UN judges that it is ready to make the draft solution for the Cyprus issue public, we will be ready to study it and express our reactions to it in close cooperation with Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides,'' Protopapas said.

The spokesman asked reporters not to link Cyprus accession to the European Union with the process of solving the Cyprus issue.

According to the spokesman, an agreement in principle on the Cyprus issue before the Copenhagen Summit was feasible but he stressed that the two processes could not act as preconditions for each other.

"The accession process will go ahead according to the Brussels decision," he added.

Any proposal put forward within the framework of the UN would be a development triggered by Athens, Protopapas said, pointing out that the Turkish-Cypriot side had at not time requested the UN's intervention for a solution.

With respect to the Turkish occupation troops on Cyprus, the spokesman noted that a single sovereignty and single identity for Cyprus was incompatible with foreign troops.

In any case, Protopapas concluded, we want a viable, functional and fair solution with single representation and sovereignty that will deal with issues of single nationality.

[04] ND leader: UN resolutions, acquis communautaire conditions for Cyprus solution

Athens, 07/11/2002 (ANA)

Karamanlis' first meeting was with Chinese ambassador Tang Zhenqi, whose country chairs the Security Council this month, followed by meetings with British ambassador Sir David Madden and the charge d�Affaires of the French embassy, as French ambassador Jean-Maurice Ripert is accompanying Greek PM Costas Simitis on his official visit to Paris. His last meeting was with Russian ambassador Mikhail Botcharnikov.

In his meetings, Karamanlis stressed the need for Cyprus' EU accession to be approved at the EU summit in Copenhagen next month, independent of a solution to the island republic's political problem.

He also cited the fact that ND would not accept any last-minute conditions or coercion, party sources said.

Sources said the foreign envoys told Karamanlis that a draft solution for Cyprus had not, as yet, been finalized, and that the UN chief was not ready to table such a text, since there was no official interlocutor on Turkish side at present following last Sunday's general elections in the neighboring country.

British ambassador Madden reaffirmed that the EU had ''agreed that a political settlement is not a condition for accession, but I think that most would agree that if we can have simultaneous accession and a political resolution of the problem, this would be a great advantage''.

Karamanlis statements

After his contacts, Karamanlis told reporters that �we want to hope that a solution to the Cyprus problem will finally materialize.�

However, he cautioned that the long-awaited solution to the island republic�s 28-year division is most definitely not a precondition to Cyprus� European Union accession.

Moreover, the ND leader again reiterated that a solution should be consistent with UN Security Council resolutions and the Union�s acquis communautaire, whereas he added that the permanent Security Council members comprise the �natural guarantors� for all sides to conform to the Council�s resolutions.

Finally, he stressed that no plan can be accepted if it does not fulfill these �self-evident conditions�.

[05] Erdogan clarifies statements on 'Belgian model' for Cyprus

ISTANBUL 07/11/2002 (ANA � A. Kourkoulas)

�We do not want to imitate the Belgian model for the Cyprus issue, but we are inspired by it,� AKP party leader and former Istanbul mayor Recep Tayyip Erdogan said during an interview on the Turkish television station �NTV�.

�We are talking about two equal and sovereign states,� he said in response to press questions, before adding: �there are two peoples, and there must be some type of compromise � Let the two peoples confer amongst themselves. If that happens, then I believe there will not be any problem between Turkey and Greece.�

Finally, he said in respect to the long-standing Cyprus issue that �mutual concessions are needed.�

Asked what the limit of Turkey�s concessions would be, Erdogan simply noted that, �the limits of concessions will become known at the negotiating table, based on the conditions at hand. There is no issue of retreating from Turkey�s policy and positions on the Cyprus issue�.

Erdogan, who is prevented from holding the prime minister�s office in Turkey at least until the first half of 2003, has been invited to Athens by the Greek government.

PM�s envoy meets with Erdogan: In a later ANA dispatch from Istanbul, it was confirmed that Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis� special envoy had met with the AKP leader earlier in the day in Ankara.

�We met to better prepare for the visit Mr. Erdogan will soon make to Athens,� envoy Theodoros Sotiropoulos said after the meeting, adding that he believes the visit will further promote the ongoing positive climate that exists in bilateral relations.

[06] Turkey's AKP stands behind Erdogan on Cyprus issue comments

ISTANBUL 07/11/2002 (ANA - A. Kourkoulas)

Erdogan came in for strong criticism from ministers in the outgoing secular government on Wednesday, who said his statements on applying the Belgian model and his references to 'two communities' on Cyprus showed ''deep ignorance'', while the Turkish daily ''Cumhurriyet'' ran the statements on its front page under the headline ''Erdogan's first gaffe''.

Though party leader, Erdogan is barred from becoming prime minister or holding government office after serving four months in jail in the 1990s for reading a poem deemed to incite religious hatred in public.

AKP vice-president Abdullah Gul, who has been tipped as a likely choice for prime minister, said that applying the Belgian model on Cyprus was part of the party's program in the run-up to the elections.

''It is a general approach, we are talking about a single state where there will be two separate sovereignties. It is a formula that is included in the proposals of (Turkish-Cypriot leader Rauf) Denktash. The details of this proposal can be assessed but the Cyprus issue must be resolved,'' Gul said.

In statements to Turkish television, meanwhile, Erdogan referred to his decision to carry out a tour of EU member-states in order to promote Turkey's EU candidacy, beginning with Athens in about a week.

The AKP leader said Greece would be his first stop because it was the first country to express support for Turkey's bid to join the EU, while Athens would be taking over the EU presidency at the start of 2003, as well as being Turkey's neighbor.

He once again expressed a desire for a swift solution to the Cyprus problem, saying it would open the way for resolving all Greek-Turkish differences and especially issues pertaining to the Aegean.

Erdogan was again criticized by outgoing Turkish Foreign Minister Sukru Sina Gurel for the planned visits, who asked in what capacity Erdogan could represent Turkey.

[07] Erdogan to visit Greece on Nov. 18

Athens, 07/11/2002 (ANA)

According to diplomatic sources, Erdogan earlier in the day met with Ambassador Theodoros Sotiropoulos, director of Prime Minister Costas Simitis' office, and with foreign ministry councilor, to prepare for his visit to Greece.

Erdogan made his announcement during a dinner he hosted for the Union's ambassadors.

Athens preparing for Erdogan visit, gov't spokesman says: Close aides of Prime Minister Costas Simitis and Foreign Minister George Papandreou were currently in Ankara working on the date and agenda of a visit to Greece by the head of Turkey's Justice and Development Party (AKP) Recep Tayyip Erdogan, government spokesman Christos Protopapas said on Wednesday.

Erdogan's Islamist-leaning party emerged victorious from the Turkish elections last weekend, though Erdogan himself is barred from holding government office after serving a four-month jail sentence in the 1990s for reading verses deemed to "incite religious hatred" in public.

[08] ND leader meets with ambassadors of UN Security Council permanent members

Athens, 07/11/2002 (ANA)

Karamanlis' first meeting was with Chinese Ambassador Tang Zhenqi, whose country chairs the Security Council this month, followed by meetings with British Ambassador Sir David Madden, and the charge 'affairs of the French embassy, as the ambassador was in Paris for Prime Minister Costas Simitis' visit there. He was further due to meet with the Russian ambassador later in the day.

In his meetings with the ambassadors, Karamanlis was stressing the need for Cyprus' EU accession to be approved at the EU summit in Copenhagen next month, independent of a solution to the island republic's political problem.

He was also stressing the fact that his party would not accept any last-minute conditions or coercion, ND sources said.

Karamanlis was further making it clear that ND desired a just and viable solution to the Cyprus issue based on the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the EU's acquis communautaire, noting that ''it is not possible for everything we have believed in the past 30 years, which are expressed in official documents, be reversed overnight under the threat of non-accession''.

Sources said that the foreign diplomats told Karamanlis that a draft solution for Cyprus had not as yet been finalized, and that the UN chief was not ready to table such a text since there was as yet no official interlocutor from Turkey.

British ambassador Madden reaffirmed that the EU had ''agreed that a political settlement is not a condition for accession, but I think that most would agree that if we can have simultaneous accession and a political resolution of the problem, this would be a great advantage''.

Karamanlis was due to make statements in the afternoon, after completing his round of talks with the ambassadors.

[09] Karamanlis sends congratulations to Bush for mid-term election success

Athens, 07/11/2002 (ANA)

Republicans regained control of the Senate and expanded their majority in the House in the 2002 mid-term elections that defied history by picking up seats for the party controlling the White House.

In his telegram, Karamanlis expressed his hope for a further strengthening of Greek-US ties.

[10] Greek Communist party seeks meeting with foreign minister

Athens, 07/11/2002 (ANA)

[11] Deputy FM, Armenian envoy discuss bilateral economic relations

Athens, 07/11/2002 (ANA)

The meeting came in light of a joint inter-ministerial committee meeting scheduled to take place in Armenia at the end of the month.

[12] Synaspismos leader calls for common action with KKE in European Social Forum

Athens, 07/11/2002 (ANA)

During a press conference, Constantopoulos held on Wednesday, in light of the founding of the European Social Forum in Florence, he said ''we want to be together with the rest of Europe's left, with all social movements, with all the ecology forces.''

[13] Court acquits 13 British and Dutch plane-spotters charged with espionage

Athens, 07/11/2002 (ANA)

The court accepted that eight of the accused believed that they could record facts on military aircraft and ruled them innocent on grounds that they were misled.

As for the other five, the court accepted that they had no involvement in the matter.

Public prosecutor Nikos Pantelis had previously asked of the court to find eight of them guilty of espionage and the other five innocent due to doubts.

[14] Civil servants repeat strike pledge

Athens, 07/11/2002 (ANA)

The pledge was restated after a meeting earlier in the day with Finance Minister Nikos Christodoulakis, who reportedly said that a 2.5 percent rise would act as a base for incomes policy.

[15] EU transport commissioner to visit Athens November 14-15

BRUSSELS 07/11/2002 (ANA - G. Daratos)

De Palacio will visit the Greek capital to attend the meeting of Balkan countries' energy ministers, organized by the government for the creation of a big unified Balkan electric power market.

She will also be having private talks with the Balkan countries' transport and energy ministers.

[16] Former auditing official reportedly involved in OLAF probe

BRUSSELS 07/11/2002 (ANA - V. Demiris)

This was revealed by the Belgian news agency ''Belga'', which invokes statements by Flemish ecologist Eurodeputy Bart Stas.

The reason for Stas' statements was the publication of OLAF's annual report which noted that a probe has got underway against ''a high-ranking employee of an institutional body of the European Union'', but without referring to a specific name.

According to Stas, Nikolaou, who had served as an Auditing Council commissioner from 1996 to 2001, is accused of abusing authority, using public goods for her own benefit, such as using her staff as a commissioner for private purposes, illegally receiving a housing benefit and issuing forged receipts.

The case is already being examined by justice in Luxembourg, while OLAF has already appealed for compensation.

[17] Athens Bourse Close: Stocks rise, led by banks

Athens, 07/11/2002 (ANA)

The general share index gained 0.78 percent to end at 1,848.56 points, up 0.78 percent. Turnover was lower at 87.1 million euros.

The FTSE/ASE-20 index for blue chip and heavily traded stocks ended 1.06 percent up; the FTSE/ASE-40 for medium capitalization paper 0.19 percent higher; and the FTSE/ASE-80 for small cap equities 0.29 percent down.

Of stocks traded, declines led advances at 174 to 122 with 58 issues remaining unchanged.

The most heavily traded stocks in value were Hellenic Telecommunications Organization, Football Pools Organization, Alpha Bank, Informatics, and National Bank of Greece.

Derivatives Market Close: Turnover at 73.9 mln euros Wednesday

Equity Index Futures: