The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 01-05-09

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From: The Hellenic Radio (ERA) <www.ert.gr/>

CONTENTS

9/5/2001 2:38:00 ��

[01] Statements on Turkey's new provocation

Mr. Reppas maintained that Greece will not be represented in this event if there are limitations imposed. He said that legally and politically Turkey's position is wrong and Greece's position is clear namely, nobody can impose restrictions inside the Greek territory. Mr. Reppas also stated that NATO' s legal services have ruled that flights can be held over regions which are regarded as demilitarized by Turkey.

Meanwhile, foreign minister George Papandreou attributed the turkish negative stance on the issue to the country' s military regime which is concerned about the progress that has been achieved in Greek-Turkish relations.

[02] Military exercise ''Sarisa - 2001''

The annual exercise is to take place in to Central Macedonia and its aim is to examine the operational possibilities of the Second Army Corps. The final phase of the exercise will be held on May 15 and the defense ministry's civil and military leaderships have been invited to attend.

Meanwhile, the Navy's medium-scale exercise code-named "Kataigida 2001" is currently underway in the south, central and eastern Aegean. The final phase of the exercise will be observed by National Defense General Staff Chief Manousos Paragioudakis.

[03] Prince Charles' visit in Mount Athos

Prince Charles arrived at Chrisoupolis Airport in Kavala, northern Greece yesterday afternoon and boarded the "Rio Rita" yacht. The Prince and his entourage got to Mount Athos on board small boats from Ierissos in Chalkidiki.

It is Prince Charles' second visit to Mount Athos within a year. In early May 2000, he had visited again the monasteries of Vatopedi, Iviron and Megistis Lavras. The police and port authorities in the region as well as the representatives of Mount Athos have stated that his entourage hadn't briefed them on the schedule of his visit to Greece, stressing that the Prince of Wales didn't want any publicity to be given to his visit.

[04] EPP-ED' s group session in Thessaloniki

The leader of Greece's main opposition party of New Democracy Costas Karamanlis is to give a keynote address this morning, thus inaugurating a series of debates that are organized in three thematic forums.

The first forum will deal with the future of the Balkans and their restructuring with a view to their membership of the European Union. Aside from Mr. Karamanlis, other keynote speakers are Bulgaria's Foreign Minister Nazeda Mihailova, and European Parliament members Elmar Brok, Doris Pack and Arie Oostlander.

The second forum will address the issues of asylum and immigration policy, especially in light of the EU's enlargement. Distinguished speakers include the director of "EUROPOL" Jurgen Storbeck and the Interior Ministers of Austria Ernst Strasser, and Estonia Tarmo Loodus.

The debate will be introduced by Austrian eurodeputy Hubert Pirker, who is also the spokesperson for the EPP-ED Group. Intervening in the debate are eurodeputies Hartmut Nassauer, G�rard Deprez, Christos Zacharakis and George Dimitrakopoulos.

The third and last forum concerns Health and Consumer Protection in the EU. Spain's Health Minister Celia Villalobos is to be the featured keynote speaker, while the debate will include contributions from eurodeputies Antonis Trakatellis, EP's rapporteur on the EU Public Health Program (2001-2006), Francoise Grosset�te, John Bowis and Giuseppe Nistico. The debates are organized at the invitation of the Greek Delegation and presided by Hans-Gert Poettering, Chairman of the EPP-ED Group.

[05] Archbishop pondering papal pardon

"We handled the Pope's recent visit as a challenge, not as a trial", Mr. Christodoulos stated, adding that he set forth the Orthodox peoples problems and secured, aside from the apology, the pontiff' s condemnation of proselytism and the use of violence.

Furthermore, he stated that he secured a statement from the Pope calling on the European countries to retain their Christian character and not return into secular states.

The Archbishop refused to term his role as an intermediary one between the pontiff and the other Orthodox sects, especially the Russian, albeit adding that he would be willing to carry out such role if it is requested by him.

The representative of the Russian Orthodox Church Metropolitan Cyrill stated that Moscow freely conducts talks with the Vatican and is not in need of any intermediaries.

At the same tine, he added that a potential meeting between Pope John Paul II and Russian Patriarch Alexy II should not turn into a "media show" without resolving the pending issues, reiterating the Patriarch's earlier statement that "open wounds" still remain.

[06] Social Security to be given public funds

When asked if the government intends to maintain the tripartite funding of pension monies, Mr. Simitis responded that "the social security system should be public and there should also be public funding. And to a great extent there is public funding". "You only have to see the figures, the amounts anticipated in the budget. A big amount of tax revenues will be used to support social security," he added.

Mr. Simitis is heading a ruling PASOK party delegation that includes Central Committee Secretary Costas Skandalidis, Foreign Minister George Papandreou and Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos.

The "Security in Change" conference, is being attended by 11 prime ministers and a total of 281 delegates from 20 parties. Issues to be discussed are European Union enlargement, modernizing the European social and economic model, the EU' s global role on the creation of a fairer world and promoting institutional reforms in the EU in light of the inter-governmental conference and Euro-elections in 2004.

[07] Common foreign policy, a top priority

Referring to the Balkan region, Mr. Simitis stated that Europe has a duty to ensure regional security. "The bloodshed in the Balkans has bitterly made us aware of the fact that Europe is not immune to instability", he said, noting that the EU should undertake a more active role in regional security, even outside its borders as "the prevention of conflicts is the top issue on the international agenda".

Moreover, the Greek Premier added that the European Union has plenty of abilities, sources and experience to confront the new challenges we are faced with.

Calling on the European socialists and social democrats to develop "new ambitions", Mr. Simitis stressed that the future of the Union is inexorably bound with the future of European social democrats and both are connected with the dynamics of the wider international system.

He also stated that Europe should promote democratic institutions and should find new balances between governments, the market and the citizens, pointing out that there is a "deficit of democracy and responsibility" within the international economic and political system.

Moreover, the Greek premier stated that one of Europe's greatest advantages is the social model built in the recent years by the social democrats upon the values of democracy, social justice and solidarity. This social model, he explained, combines freedom with equality, social cohesion with economic competitiveness, and, while it is characterized by the "market economy" it categorically rejects the "market society".

Lastly, the Greek Premier stressed that Europe' s international obligations include combating poverty on the planet and protecting the environment.

[08] Inflation in April

[09] Athens stock exchange

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