Athens News Agency: News in English, 06-03-10

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

CONTENTS

[01] Bakoyannis, Gul meet on sidelines of informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Salzburg

[02] Merkel welcomes recent talks with PM

[01] Bakoyannis, Gul meet on sidelines of informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Salzburg

Bakoyannis made the statement after her first official meeting with her Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul, on the sidelines of the informal meeting of the European Union's Foreign Ministers Council.

"We believe that our two peoples wish for us to have a very good and friendly relation. We also believe that the Turksih people have a European future and during the course we will have alot of work," said the Greek foreign minister who noted that during her meeting with Gul she had the opportunity to raise to her interlocutor the various issues of mutual interest.

The two foreign ministers termed their meeting as "constructive and useful" and stressed that many meetings will follow in the future.

Bakoyannis announced that she invited Gul to visit Athens soon.

"We will have many opportunities to meet. If not, we will create them," said the Turkish minister, noting that with his Greek counterpart "there is a relation of mutual trust which will also give a new impetus in the relations between the two countries."

The twenty-minute meeting between the ministers precededed a meeting between the two delegations and was held in an exceptionally good climate.

According to diplomatic sources, the two sides confirmed their willingness for closer cooperation in the future, without going into details.

Bakoyannis was due to take part on Friday night in a discussion organised by the Austrian Television with the participation of five foreign ministers, including Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik, on the topic of developments and prospects in the Balkans.

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[02] Merkel welcomes recent talks with PM

"A few days ago I had a very cordial conversation with Premier Karamanlis on Greco-German ties, and it appears that political relations become simpler when people meet each other," Merkel told Tourism Minister Fani Palli-Petralia at the ITB exhibition.

Greece is the partner country at this year's event, attracting favourable publicity with its slogan "Live your myth in Greece", featured at the ITB and in Berlin streets.

Welcoming Merkel, Palli-Petralia noted that Greece was the second favourite holiday destination for Germans, and the government would work hard to make it their top venue.

"Greece is a country with a high level of hospitality, and people who travel there know that," the chancellor said.

Inviting Greeks to visit Germany, from the Baltic to Bavaria, she congratulated Greece on its pavilion and publicity campaign.

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