Athens News Agency: News in English, 08-07-28

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

CONTENTS

[01] Papandreou hails Cyprus agreement for negotiations

[01] Papandreou hails Cyprus agreement for negotiations

President Christofias' "agreement with the Turkish Cypriot leader for the start of direct negotiations aiming at the reunification of Cyprus in the framework of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation, with a single personality, one citizenship and one sovereignty, is a very positive development. PASOK will actively support the new effort for a solution. An effort without impositions coming from outside, artificial timeframes and arbitrage," Papandreou said in an interview with the Athens daily "Eleftherotypia'.

"Turkey must withraw its occupation troops from Cyprus, contribute in practice and cooperate constructively (towards a solution) as it has the obligation to do as an EU candidate member-state, and leave, at long last, the Turkish Cypriot community to speak freely without tutelages," Papandreou added.

Regarding the issue of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), Papandreou claimed that Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, with his letter of reply to the neighbouring country's premier, "has effectively conceded that, on the table of a bilateral dialogue, there are other issues as well."

"Greece must not abandon the framework of UN-sponsored negotiations regarding only one issue, that is, the name ...one name for all uses, a composite name with a geographical qualifier," the PASOK leader added.

He also commented on the arrest, last week, of Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic, saying that it was a "message of the will of the new Serbian government to advance in its European course, a course which we know helps the entire Balkans."

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