Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 16-09-06

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

CONTENTS

[01] FM Kotzias: The Rhodes conference will bridge the European and Arab world

[02] German Interior Min statement on refugees serves internal interests, Mouzalas says

[03] No plans to raise tax on fuel, Energy Min. Skourletis says

[04] Two Greek volunteers awarded with Nansen Refugee Award

[01] FM Kotzias: The Rhodes conference will bridge the European and Arab world

"For the first time in many decades we will discuss the relations between southeast Europe and the eastern Mediterranean, without Israel, Palestine or Turkey being the focus of the debate," Kotzias said.

"The conference was welcomed by all participants and especially the Arab countries which expressed strong interest," he added.

The Greek minister explained that security is not defined as "military", but as "the creation of different networks - from energy to infrastructure - that stabilize the wider region as well as political initiatives and joint actions."

"Our aim is to establish the Rhodes Conference. The institutionalization of the previous initiative of the head of the Greek diplomacy, the quadripartite Cooperation of Thessaloniki with our northern neighboring countries- Albania, Bulgaria, FYROM- which was held last April is progressing and, as Kotzias announced, it will be repeated in October in Thessaloniki, as well as the Athens Conference on the Cultural and Religious Communities Protection which took place last October and will be repeated in 2017.

The full interview is available in Greek at AMNA's website.

[02] German Interior Min statement on refugees serves internal interests, Mouzalas says

Thomas de Maizière on Sunday suggested that Germany could send migrants back to Greece in statements to a German newspaper.

"The issue has taken excessive dimensions. But such statements do not help," Mouzalas underlined adding that this statement served internal interests ahead of the German elections.

The Greek minister spoke of the "very positive role" played by Germany and Chancellor Angela Merkel and added: "There was a European agreement from the past, when refugee flows were 5,000-10,000 annually, when an undocumented migrant was arrested and sent back to the EU member state in which he first arrived. This member state was usually Greece or Italy. This is not applied any more because it was unfair. This could be applied when there were 5,000-10,000 migrants a year. When there are 850,000, it does not make sense."

"The European Commission and the European Councils," he added "decided to establish a Commission that will examine a new way that will be based on distribution."

"You cannot speak of readmission to a country with 60,000 refugees. The 60,000 refugees correspond to 580,000 in Germany. And you cannot talk about these things when you have promised and have voted that 30,000 refugees should have been relocated from Greece to Europe in 2016 and only 3,500 relocations have been carried out yet." said Mouzalas.

[03] No plans to raise tax on fuel, Energy Min. Skourletis says

In comments made to public broadcaster ERT , Skourletis said that budget revenues were moving within targets adding that August figures would be boosted by an increased tourist product.

Skourletis stressed that Public Power Corporation has arranged arrears worth 1.0 billion euros and added that the government wanted that a 17 pct of PPC to be transferred to the exploitation fund of state assets from Hellenic Republic Asset Development Fund. The minister said that the head of HRADF should be conformed with government policy. Commenting on DESFA, Skourletis said negotiations were currently underway to sell a 17 pct of DESFA to a non-producer company, while he added that the price of 400 million euros was low since an evaluation of DESFA exceeded 2.0 billion euros.

[04] Two Greek volunteers awarded with Nansen Refugee Award

According to an announcement of the UNHCR, the Greek Rescue Team was chosen "for its unrelenting efforts to save refugees in distress at sea" and Efi Latsoudis "for her compassion and care to the most vulnerable refugees arriving on Lesvos."

Once a year the Nansen Refugee Award honours extraordinary service to refugees, and outstanding work on behalf of the forcibly displaced.

The Nansen Award was established in 1954 in memory of the Norwegian Arctic explorer and first High Commissioner for Refugees in 1921, Fridtjof Nansen. The aim of the prize is to draw attention to the difficulties faced by refugees and to encourage international assistance and cooperation.

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