Athens News Agency: News in English, 05-03-15

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

CONTENTS

[01] EU to jointly fund two Greek programmes

[02] PASOK leader briefed by Syrian FM on steps to ease Lebanon crisis

[03] Deputy foreign minister in Washington for talks

[04] Contraband cigarettes seized in Patras port

[01] EU to jointly fund two Greek programmes

The Commission ratified 10 programmes valued at 20.5 million euros, with EU funding amounting to 50 percent in each programme. Programmes ratified by the Commission regarding Greece concern olive oil and poultry.

The decision is part of regulation 2702 which anticipates, among other things, advertising campaigns in third countries on advantages provided by the EU's products regarding quality, nutricious food and methods of production which are not harmful for the environment.

[02] PASOK leader briefed by Syrian FM on steps to ease Lebanon crisis

Papandreou had previously visited Beirut on Sunday where he had met with the opposition's political leadership in the wake of the assassination of Rafik Hariri.

Leaving the foreign minister's office, Papandreou said "I had the opportunity to visit Lebanon and Syria these days with a delegation of European Union socialists, Lebanon first, to see the foreign minister with their support and to discuss these developments. This crisis must be settled in a peaceful way, there should be a new substantive relation between the two countries, based on UN resolutions, while the Syrian foreign minister assured me that the government of his country is determined to withdraw its forces in accordance with article 1559, as a first stage for which a timetable has already been set and, as a second stage, in close cooperation with the UN and Lebanon for the adoption of a timetable which shall not be delayed and which will be certain."

Shortly before departing for Greece, Papandreou once again had a telephone conversation with the UN's special emissary Ters Red-Larssen, whom he briefed on his contacts in Lebanon and Syria.

[03] Deputy foreign minister in Washington for talks

At the White House, Valynakis will meet Daniel Fried, head of European affairs at the National Security Council; and at the State Department, William Burns, assistant secretary for political affairs.

Valynakis earlier visited New York, where he held talks with Matthew Nimetz, the special UN secretary general's special envoy, on the status of talks under UN auspices aimed at finding a mutually acceptable solution on a name for the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia.

[04] Contraband cigarettes seized in Patras port

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