Athens News Agency: News in English, 07-10-31

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

CONTENTS

[01] High Court OK's police videotaping of protests

[02] W. Balkans need policies of dialogue, FM stresses

[01] High Court OK's police videotaping of protests

In an opinion released on Wednesday, prosecutor George Sanidas said cameras should begin recording at the start of demonstrations and that video footage and photographs taken by Greek Police can then be used to assist in police investigations or as evidence in court against individuals arrested during protests and rallies.

However, police are not allowed to seize footage of alleged offences recorded by media crews, photojournalists or even private individuals, but can only request the owners to voluntarily handover the images for police use.

Caption: A police car is engulfed in flames after protesters threw firebombs at it during an anti-war demonstration in front of the Supreme Court building, in a photo dated Saturday, May 6, 2006. ANA-MPA / MARGARITA KIAOU.

[02] W. Balkans need policies of dialogue, FM stresses

She was speaking in Athens just one day before the start of a new round of UN-mediated talks between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) in New York, in order to arrive at a mutually acceptable solution in their dispute over FYROM's use of the name 'Macedonia'.

Greece objects to the name 'Macedonia' on historical grounds and because it is also the name of a northern Greek province on the border of landlocked FYROM, saying that this could give rise to future irredentist claims.

The Greek foreign minister made the comments while inaugurating the "Ambassadors' Forum" in Athens - a new ministry initiative providing a forum to discuss current affairs - with Portuguese ambassador to Greece Carlos Neves Ferreira the inaugural speaker.

She emphasised the need for a constructive effort to find areas of consensus and common views while noting that Greece, as one of the oldest members of the European Union and NATO, was aware of the importance of working constructively to this end. "Only in this way can there exist and be forged solidarity between partners and allies," she said.

"It is our deepest conviction that insistence on sterile and futile obstinacy prolongs harmful outstanding issues and becomes the source of serious problems," Bakoyannis added.

Portuguese envoy

In his address to the forum, Portugal's ambassador referred to his country's policy in the Mediterranean and Africa and the relations of the two areas with Europe in general.

He said that the Lisbon Declaration of December will be a landmark in relations between the two sides of the Mediterranean, north and south, but declined to comment on an initiative by French President Nicolas Sarkozy for the creation of a "Mediterranean union", saying the details of this proposal were not yet known.

He also called for better coordination between the various initiatives and forums existing between the Mediterranean north and south, such as the Barcelona Process or Mediterranean dialogue on security within NATO, in order to better deal with joint challenges to security, peace, development, illegal immigration and energy cooperation.

Caption: FM Dora Bakoyannis addresses the inaugural "Ambassadors' Forum" in Athens on Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2007. ANA-MPA / ANTONIS DOUKAS

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