Athens News Agency: News in English, 07-03-21

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

CONTENTS

[01] Papandreou to meet with Serb president

[02] FM holds talks with UN chief in NY

[01] Papandreou to meet with Serb president

Papandreou, heading an SI delegation also comprising Bulgarian prime minister Sergei Stanishev, Romanian Social Democratic Party leader Mircea Geoana and SI secretary general Louis Ayala, arrived in Belgrade on Tuesday afternoon, and attended a dinner in their honour hosted by Tadic, during which they discussed the issue of Kosovo, while they also touched on the political developments in Serbia, focussing on the prospect of formation of a new government.

Tadic reiterated that Serbia cannot accept independence of Kosovo, ruling out any possibility of backing down on that position.

The Socialist International delegation received the impression, from their discussion with the Tadic, that the Serbian leadership counted seriously on the backing of Russia, a UN Security Council permanent member, in averting the prospect of a Security Council resolution that would enable Kosovo to declare independence.

Papandreou stressed that the Kosovo issue was a very sensitive one, and underlined the need for both sides to display goodwill and self-restraing so as to avoid new tension in the region.

On the political developments in Serbia, President Tadic briefed the SI delegation on his party's deliberations with prime minister Kostunica's Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS) and finance minister Mladjan Dinkic's G-17 Plus party, saying they were on a good path, and expressed hope that agreement would be reached soon on the formation of a coalition government.

The Socialist International delegation is due to depart in the early afternoon on Wednesday for Pristina, where they will have successive meetings with Kosovo prime minister Aghim Ceku, Democratic Party of Kosovo chairman Hashim Thaci, and representatives of the Kosovo Serbs.

[02] FM holds talks with UN chief in NY

Bakoyannis, who is due to go to Washington on Thursday for talks with US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice and other Bush administration and Congress officials, described her discussion with Ban and other high-ranking UN officials during the working dinner, held at the Manhattan home of Greece's permament representative to the UN Ambassador Adamantios Vassilakis, as "excellent" and "useful".

Speaking to waiting reporters after the dinner, Ban said the discussion focused on the Cyprus issue, FYROM and Kosovo, but also covered other topics. Asked if he was satisfied with what he had heard, he replied "Yes".

Bakoyannis, in turn, said that the talks during the working dinner with the new UN chief and his staff had been a "first, interesting and particularly useful discussion on regional issues, UN affairs and the reforms, and naturally with the main weight on matters of Greek interest such as the Cyprus issue and FYROM".

She said the discussion centred on outstanding matters and Kosovo, and on Ban's programme as UN chief.

"I believe it was an exceptionally useful, constructive discussion at which we were given the opportunity to present the entirety of the Greek positions," Bakoyannis said.

Asked whether she had been given the impression that the UN secretary general was preparing a new initiative on the FYROM name issue, Bakoyannis replied: "At this time, no. He did not give me the impression that a new initiative on the Skopje issue is being prepared. The discussion was very broad and we had the opportunity to brief the Secretary Genera and his staff, which is a new staff -- and I remind you that it is the first discussion we have had -- and he was briefed on our positions and on Greece's proposals".

On Cyprus, Bakoyannis said that the agreement of July 8, which she described as "very important", must be implemented.

She said they also discussed the issue of Lebanon, on which the two sides felt that "things are going better", while Bakoyannis added that "the Siniora government must be backed".

Regarding Kosovo, Bakoyannis said that time existed for further negotiations and for discussion of the future status after the formation of the new Serbian government.

Taking part in the working dinner, on the Greek side, were Bakoyannis, Vassilakis, diplomatic office director Ambassador Constantine Halastanis, foreign ministry spokesman George Koumoutsakos, Greece's alternative permanent representative to the UN Ambassador Alexandra Papadopoulou, and Greek permament delegation to the UN second secretary Grigoris Delavekouras. The UN team comprised secretary general Ban, Ban's chief of staff Vijay Nambiar, under-secretary-general for peackeeping operations Jean-Marie Guehenno, under-secetary-general for political affairs B. Lynn Pascoe, and the secretary general's special adviser Ibrahim Gambari.

Bakoyannis handed Ban an invitation by prime minister Costas Karamanlis to visit Greece, with Ban replying "I will definitely come".

The UN chief is also due to attend a symposium being organised by Greece at the UN headquarters o April 30 on the theme: "The imposition of sanctions". The one-day event will be addressed by diplomats and academics.

The foreign minister leaves on Wednesday for Washington, where on Thursday she will hold talks with US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice.

She will also have meetings on Thursday with US Senate majority leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) and minority leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), after which she will attend a lunch in hour honour hosted by Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi (D-California).

While in Washington, Bakoyannis will further have meetings with US National Security Advisor Steven Hadley and the US president's Assistant for Homeland Security director Frances FragosTownsend, with whom she will discuss developments regarding Greece's inclusion in the US visa waiver programme

On the following day (Friday, March 23), Bakoyannis will take part in a special event at the White House marking Greek National Indepdence, during which US President George Bush will proclaim March 25, 2007 as "Greek Independence Day: National Day of Celebration of Greek and American Democracy". She will have the opportunity to hold a brief discussion with Bush during the event.

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