Athens News Agency: News in English, 06-09-13

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

CONTENTS

[01] FM to visit Belgrade, Pristina on Thurs.

[02] Gov't on Commission report for Turkey

[01] FM to visit Belgrade, Pristina on Thurs.

Also scheduled are meetings with officials of the Kosovo's province's government and parliament, Kosovo's main opposition leader Hashim Thaci, who heads the Democratic Party of Kosovo, the chief representative of Kosovo Serbs Oliver Ivanovic, who heads the Serb List for Kosovo-Metohija, the leader of the ORA party Veton Surroi and the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Kosovo Joachim Ruecker.

The foreign minister will then depart for Brussels to take part in the EU General Affairs Council, after which she departs for New York.

On the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Bakoyannis will have numerous contacts with foreign ministers from other countries, among them a meeting on September 18 with Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul.

The last meeting is in line with the practice in recent years of alternating meetings by the Greek and Turkish foreign ministers at the offices of the representations.

Meetings are also planned with Bakoyannis' counterparts from Egypt, Iran, Spain, Syria and others, while she will also host a dinner for the members of the Security Council and participate in a meeting of her counterparts from NATO member-states, as well as a meeting between the foreign ministers of Russia and the EU.

ANA-MPA file photo.

[02] Gov't on Commission report for Turkey

Greece on Wednesday declined to make predictions about a closely watched report to be issued by the European Commission next month regarding candidate-state Turkey's progress.

A foreign ministry spokesman in Athens nevertheless noted that the Union is "comprehensively briefed" over Greece's positions regarding the fulfillment by Turkey of its commitments to the 25-nation bloc.

Spokesman George Koumoutsakos added that the Greek government is doing "all it can and must do" so that the neighboring country's obligations are met.

In a related development, and in reference to reports over a violation, by the Turkish side, of a summer moratorium prohibiting the holding of military exercises in the Aegean, Koumoutsakos emphasised that any attempt to seal-off areas for the holding of maneuvers is, therefore, illegal.

He added that such actions are routinely countered by Greece's Civil Aviation Authority and the foreign ministry on the basis of standing directives issued by a relevant inter-ministerial committee.

ANA-MPA file photo of Koumoutsakos.

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