Athens News Agency: News in English, 06-02-10

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

CONTENTS

[01] Karamanlis-Merkel meeting next Wednesday

[02] EU unveils anti-bird flu measures for Greece

[03] Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos in Mexico

[01] Karamanlis-Merkel meeting next Wednesday

According to the announcement, Karamanlis and Merkel will hold a joint press conference after 15 minutes of private talks, after which there will be a meeting between Greek and German delegations.

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[02] EU unveils anti-bird flu measures for Greece

The course of action essentially called for establishing two zones around the area where the three wild swans were found dead.

The first zone will be protective and have a radius of three kilometres, within which strict measures will be enforced. This will include the obligatory confinement of all poultry within closed facilities and disinfection measures. Poultry will be forbidden to leave poultry farms in this zone except when they are being taken to be slaughtered, while outdoor poultry markets will be forbidden.

The second, outer zone will be a "monitoring" zone and have a radius of 10 kilometres. Here again, there will be restrictions on the movement of poultry and a ban on outdoor poultry markets, as well as a ban on hunting.

According to the Commission, it was the job of Greek authorities to locate the poultry farms in the two zones and to take measures to inform poultry farm staff of the measures.

Todd said the situation would be reviewed by a special EU scientists committee next Wednesday, when the Community Reference Laboratory (CRL) in Weybridge had announced the results of further tests on the suspect samples to locate the deadly H5N1 form of the virus.

If the samples were negative for H5N1 then the measures might be lifted, while if they were positive the measures would be extended for 21 days in the first zone and 30 days in the second zone, he added.

The spokesman said that there were no plans at present to send Community experts to Greece and that this would only happen if the Greek government decided it was necessary.

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[03] Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos in Mexico

Vartholomeos said, "We are unequivocally in favour of respect for the faith and religion of all people."

He added that "Just as we want others to respect our faith, our religion, our Church, so too must we respect and honour the faith of all our fellow human beings."

Vartholomeos noted that on February 2 all representatives of Christian churches and the Chief Rabbi in Istanbul signed a joint statement condeming "these cartoons and improprieties at the expense of the Muslim faith."

Speaking during a press conference held in Mexico City, Vartholomeos said that "We came to Mexico at a time when there is much going on due to the upcoming elections in your country. Of course, as men of the cloth, we do not become involved in politics nor in the domestic affairs of the country hosting us. We are only interested in the people's progress and prosperity."

Asked to comment on the recent murder of a Catholic priest in Turkey, Vartholomeos said, "Of course, we condemn such a terrorist, criminal act and not only because it was against a Christian priest. We would condemn it if it was done to any other human being."

On Thursday evening, Mexican President Vicente Fox hosted a dinner in Vartholomeos' honour.

Fox welcomed the Ecumenical Patriarch to Mexico, a country which agrees with Vartholomeos' message of peace, tolerance and dialogue.

On his part, Vartholomeos referred to Mexico's cultural legacy as well as to the role the country plays on the international political scene.

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