Athens News Agency: News in English, 03-03-23

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

CONTENTS

[01] EU, UN advocate safeguarding of borders of Iraq and neighbouring

[02] Greece opposes any re-delineation of borders in Iraq, DM says

[01] EU, UN advocate safeguarding of borders of Iraq and neighbouring countries

The Greek European Union presidency and UN secretary general Kofi Annan on Sunday advocated the safeguarding of the borders of Iraq and its neighbouring countries, while Athens expressed concern over the moves of Turkish forces in northern Iraq.

Greece's foreign minister and current chairman of the EU Council of Ministers George Papandreou on Sunday had a telephone conversation with UN secretary Kofi Annan, whom he briefed on the outcome of the recent EU summit vis-a-vis the Iraq issue, and mainly on the EU position endorsing support for the role of UN throughout the duration of the military intervention in Iraq as well as in the context of relief efforts for the Iraq population and reconstruction of the region.

Papandreou also reassured the UN chief of Greece's backing of the UN's role, and expressed Athens' intentions to undertake initiatives, on behalf of the EU presidency, for the submittal of a draft resolution providing for UN involvement in the provision of humanitarian assistance to and the reconstruction of Iraq.

The two men also discussed the situation in northern Iraq, with Papandreou expressing concern over the movements of Turkish forces in the region.

He asked Annan that the UN monitor the developments there, while the two officials agreed that a strong message needed to be sent on the safeguarding of the territorial integrity of Iraq as well as its neighbouring countries, including Turkey.

[02] Greece opposes any re-delineation of borders in Iraq, DM says

Greece opposed any re-delineation of borders in Iraq, defence minister Yiannos Papantoniou said late Saturday, after being briefed by the chief of the National Defence General Staff (GEETHA), general George Antonakopoulos, on the development of US-led military operations in Iraq.

At the same time, Papantoniou expressed concern over information according to which Turkish troops had entered northern Iraq, given that such an eventuality affected the national security environment of Greece.

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