Athens News Agency: News in English, 07-03-14

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

CONTENTS

[01] Russian President Putin, Bulgarian PM Stanishev in Athens to attend signing of oil pipeline deal

[01] Russian President Putin, Bulgarian PM Stanishev in Athens to attend signing of oil pipeline deal

During their stay in Athens, Putin and Stanishev will meet with President of the Hellenic Republic Karolos Papoulias, who returned from an official visit to Croatia late on Wednesday night, and hold talks with Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis.

The Russian president landed at Athens' 'Eleftherios Venizelos' international airport shortly after 21:00, arriving on a special flight at the airport's VIP lounge where an official reception ceremony took place.

He immediately departed for the restaurant 'Dionysos' in central Athens, where Karamanlis hosted an official dinner in honour of him and the Bulgarian premier.

Also present at the dinner were, from the Greek side, Development Minister Dimitris Sioufas, Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis, Defence Minister Evangelos Meimarakis, State Minister Theodoros Roussopoulos, Macedonia-Thrace Minister George Kalantzis and Deputy Foreign Minister Evripidis Stylianidis.

A meeting between Putin and Karamanlis is scheduled to take place at the Greek premier's office on Thursday morning at 10:00, following a meeting between the Greek and Bulgarian prime ministers at 9:00. Afterwards, the three will make their way to the presidential mansion to witness the signature of the oil pipeline agreement that begins at 11:00 and the subsequent press conference.

The agreement will be signed by Greek Development Minister Dimitris Sioufas, Russia's Industry and Energy Minister Viktor Khristenko and Bulgarian Regional Development Minister Asen Gagaouzov.

A half-hour meeting between President Putin and President Papoulias will begin at 11:50, after which the Russian president will head for the airport and a bilateral meeting with Stanishev before he boards a special flight to Moscow at 13:30 is scheduled.

Papoulias will receive the Bulgarian premier at 10:00, shortly before the signing ceremony for the oil pipeline begins at 11:00.

There will also be a meeting between Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis and her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov at the Greek foreign ministry on Thursday morning.

Government, Sioufas on signing of oil pipeline agreement

Thursday's signing in Athens of the trilateral agreement between Greece, Bulgaria and Russia for construction of the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline would put Greece on the international energy map, and close an issue that has been pending for 14 years, alternate government spokesman Evangelos Antonaros said on Wednesday.

He stressed that the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline agreement, coupled with an existing agreement for a Turkey-Greece-Italy natural gas pipeline that goes into effect in June, as well as the recent establishment of the SE Europe Energy Community, were placing Greece on the East-West energy corridor.

Development Minister Dimitris Sioufas stressed that the signature of the agreement was "a historic moment for our country and the Greek people.

"Tomorrow our country will be the centre of interest for the world," Sioufas added, repeating that an issue that had been outstanding for 14 years was coming to a close in the best possible way.

"The importance of this project for all is obvious. For Greece, for its citizens, for our country and for Bulgaria, which through the construction and operation of this pipeline will get onto the global energy map," he said.

Commenting in Brussels, meanwhile, a spokesman for European Commissioner for energy Andris Piebalgs said that it was an important, innovative project that would help reduce the volume of tanker traffic in the busy Bosporus Straits.

Asked whether the initiative undermined EU efforts for a common stance on energy issues toward Russia, the spokesman said it was important that the interested parties (belonging to the Community) spoke with a single voice toward Russia.

Regarding the companies participating in the construction of the pipeline, the spokesman said that these were investments by private investors, on which the Commission could not comment.

PASOK, Synaspismos on Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline

Main opposition PASOK party officials on Wednesday commented on the geostrategic and environmental significance of the signing of the agreement on the construction of the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline on Thursday.

PASOK's development, tourism and shipping rapporteur Christos Papoutsis said the signing of the agreement was an event of considerable importance, stressing that it was a project for which "the governments of PASOK, the governments of Andreas Papandreou and of Costas Simitis, and George Papandreou personally as foreign minister, had worked methodically, consistently, planning and with continuous negotiations."

Papoutsis added that "the importance of this pipeline, as the final although not the only exit of Caspian oil to the Mediterranean, is now recognised internationally since it will constitute part of a multinational and continental oil transportation network."

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