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Athens News Agency: News in English, 05-12-02
CONTENTS
[01] SYN leader addresses Middle East Forum
[01] SYN leader addresses Middle East Forum
Representatives of European leftist parties, parties from the Middle
East, movements and scientific and research foundations participating
in the "Euro-Middle East Forum of the Left" focused their assessments
on that "the key opening the gate to peace in the Middle East is a
solution to the Palestinian issue and an end to foreign occupation in
Iraq."
The Forum is being hosted by the Coalition of the Left, Movements and
Ecology (Synaspismos) party and it began its two-day sessions in Athens
on Friday.
"The path to a different world passes to a great degree today from
Jerusalem and Baghdad," Coalition party leader Alekos Alavanos said in
his address, adding that what must remain in the nucleus of actions is
the creation of an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as
its capital and terms of peaceful coexistence with the neighbouring
country of Israel.
Referring to the war in Iraq, Alavanos said it took place as part of
the new Bush doctrine on "pre-emptive wars" in the framework of the
so-called "war against terrorism."
The Coalition party leader said that the issue of Iraq showed once
again the inability of Europe to play its own autonomous role in favour
of peace in the Middle East, an inability which was exploited by the
"hawks" of the United States. Alavanos proposed that Greece, being a
member of the European Union and of the UN Security Council at this
time, should take an initiative for a conference in the Middle East and
prepare a specific action programme with them.
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