Athens News Agency: News in English, 07-10-30

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

CONTENTS

[01] 94 stolen �eolithic artifacts returned

[02] Greece pushes for EU measures on illegal migration

[01] 94 stolen �eolithic artifacts returned

The archaeological treasure was stolen 22 years earlier during an armed robbery at the house of collector Constantinos Theodoropoulos in Larissa and was then sold to a museum in Munich. They include stone and clay seals, stone tools and vials and some 63 marble and clay figurines. According to the National Museum's curator, these last stand out because depictions of the human form "were special in the Neolithic era".

Commenting on the return, Culture Minister Mihalis Liapis stressed that dealing with theft and the illegal trade in antiquities remained at the centre of the culture ministry's policies and said he was satisfied with the outcome in this specific case.

The minister also read out a message from his predecessor George Voulgarakis, who was unable to attend the ceremony for the handover of the antiquities.

"An effort that had remained outstanding for about 20 years has been completed and brought to the surface a huge political issue: the inefficiency that exists in public affairs when there is no continuity in the state and its functionaries," Voulgarakis' statement stressed.

Liapis particularly concurred with a statement by Voulgarakis that "Greek successes in the area of stamping out antiquities smuggling create and reinforce a new climate in Greece and abroad for a new approach to the great moral problem of illegal trade in cultural treasures".

Caption: The repatriated collection of Neolithic artifacts on the display at the National Archaeological Museum of Athens on Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2007. ANA-MPA / STR

[02] Greece pushes for EU measures on illegal migration

"It is clear that control and management of this phenomenon (illegal immigration) has a European dimension, and affects us all ? in the face of this reality, however, the Greek government is pushing forth with major and sincere efforts in order to deal with the problem, whereas the Greek taxpayer is burdened with huge expenditures, which, in reality, correspond to all European taxpayers," Pavlopoulos' letter read.

The Greek minister said the country's borders with non-EU states, and in a region where peace is threatened, result in waves of illegal immigrants attempting to enter the east Mediterranean nation's borders, and by extension, western Europe.

In quoting figures, Pavlopoulos cited the arrest of 13,151 illegals in September alone, of which 2,777 were intercepted in the southern and northern Aegean.

Regarding the number of political asylum requests fielded by the Greek government, an issue over which Athens has come under sharp criticism in previous years, Pavlopoulos cited a 35-percent increase in the number of applicants in Greece, as opposed to a decrease of 15 percent Europe-wide.

Finally, the top Greek minister, whose portfolio now includes the public order sector, said "Greece was now expecting a substantive response from Turkey within the framework of a bilateral (repatriation of illegal immigrants) agreement between relevant authorities, as well as the timely drafting of an EU-Turkey repatriation agreement ... It is particularly troubling that no essential progress has been made in negotiations (between Europe and Turkey)," he underlined.

Caption: ANA-MPA file photo of Greek Interior Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos.

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