Athens News Agency: News in English, 06-09-14

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

CONTENTS

[01] Kosovo dominates Bakoyannis' talks in Belgrade

[02] Papandreou hails Skandalidis' decision to resign

[03] KKE leader tours OTE headquarters

[01] Kosovo dominates Bakoyannis' talks in Belgrade

Immediately after her talks with Serbia's leadership, Bakoyannis left for Kosovo's capital Pristina and meetings with the Kosovo government and political party leaders, as well as the Special Representative of the United Nations for Kosovo Joachim Ruecker.

In statements after meeting Tadic, the Greek foreign minister said they had chiefly discussed Kosovo, which she said had ?entered a crucial turning point?.

Outlining Greece�s positions, she said Athens was ?committed to the idea of a multicultural Kosovo without entrenchment and national divisions,? in which human rights and minority rights would be secure and the Serb Orthodox religious community effectively protected.

?This is the goal that we are working toward in international organisations and this is what we want to see carried out,? she said.

Regarding her talks in Kosovo, Bakoyannis said she would indicate the need for a more constructive spirit at the negotiations being held in Vienna for the future of Kosovo, as well as tangible progress on the issue of protecting the province�s Serb minority in particular.

?The only way for regional stability is to achieve a mutually acceptable compromise solution,? the minister added.

She also commented on the outstanding issue of Serbia�s cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal at The Hague, which had stalled the country�s negotiations with the European Union. Bakoyannis stressed that both Greece and its European partners remained convinced that Serbia�s European vision should be encouraged, supported and implemented.

Tadic outlined Serbia�s position regarding the future status of Kosovo in Serbia�s constitution, stressing that independence for Kosovo was unacceptable to Serbia.

?Our goal for Kosovo is peace and compromise. No more violence,? the Serb President stated.

He also expressed Serbia�s appreciation of Greek positions, noting that Greece was the most important representative of South East Europe in the EU.

?We will go to New York to support Serbia�s arguments and to confirm that Serbia is ready to take part in the negotiating process,? he added.

The two sides described the Greek minister�s contacts in Belgrade as ?constructive?, even though brief, while Bakoyannis noted that this confirmed the close ties between Greece and Serbia.

They pledged to continue their talks in New York, during the UN General Assembly and Security Council meetings.

During her visit to Pristina, Bakoyannis is scheduled to meet officials of the Kosovo government and Parliament, Kosovo's main opposition leader Hashim Thaci, who heads the Democratic Party of Kosovo, the chief representative of Kosovo Serbs Oliver Ivanovic who heads the Serb List for Kosovo-Metohija, the leader of the ORA party Veton Surroi and Ruecker.

The foreign minister will then depart for Brussels to take part in the EU General Affairs Council, after which she departs for the UN General Assembly in New York.

[02] Papandreou hails Skandalidis' decision to resign

The meeting came a day after Skandalidis announced his resignation from Parliament and statements, to the effect, that he was focusing on the municipality, win or lose.

While amongst the best-known former PASOK ministers, Skandalidis is attempting to disprove several opinion polls giving ruling New Democracy-backed candidate Nikitas Kaklamanis a victory in the first round of next month's local government election.

"Costas Skandalidis took a personal but also a symbolic, and I would add, a courageous decision," Papandreou said of Skandalidis' decision to leave Parliament, something that MPs are not obliged to do when running for lesser offices while serving in the legislature.

The latter also resigned from the party's political council.

In his comments, Skandalidis noted that he would need at least two four-year terms to change the situation in the congested Greek capital.

[03] KKE leader tours OTE headquarters

Expected, Papariga reiterated her party's opposition to the further privatisation of OTE via flotations on the stock market, while she was particularly critical of the two major parties' for their policies to distance the utility from the state's embrace.

Among others, the communist party head said the complete privatisation of OTE would "benefit big capital and damage consumers".

The government recently announced that it was actively seeking a 'strategic investor' to purchase a major share of OTE and to assume its management.

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