Athens News Agency: News in English, 09-06-15

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

CONTENTS

[01] First major wildfires reported

[02] FM on illegal migration issue

[01] First major wildfires reported

The first blaze, in the hills above the upscale Ano Glyfada district of southern coastal Athens, generated an urgent preliminary inquiry by a prosecutor into the cause of the wildfire, especially on whether arson is the cause.

The fire was reported at noon on Monday in open land covered with brush and other low-growing vegetation. Ano Glyfada is replete with pricey apartment houses and two-storey villas.

Another wildfire broke out after 6:30 p.m. at the Vrana site in the Marathon district, where a portion of a pine tree forest was burning, while the other two wildfires were reported in the Marmari district of southern Evia and at Inoi, north of Athens.

[02] FM on illegal migration issue

One of the Council's main tasks was to prepare the EU's summit, which will take place in Brussels on Thursday and Friday, where the issue of illegal immigration will be examined, among other issues.

According to the Greek foreign minister, the display of EU solidarity must take place in principle with the upgrading of the European Frontex organisation for managing the external borders of EU member-states, meaning a greater presence of patrol vessels in the Aegean, as well as with financial participation in the management of migrants who, as she said, "are people with rights, who are desperate and lacking financially who place all their hopes in a boat."

Bakoyannis underlined that the handling of these people must also be humane, something that, as she pointed out, Greece will be doing with the reception centres it is setting up.

On the question of references existing in the draft text of the EU summit's final conclusions on dealing with illegal immigration, Bakoyannis said the text does not cover Greece's aims at this stage.

She stressed that Athens wants specific references on repatriation conditions, with the agreements that the EU must sign with the countries of origin.

Bakoyannis also added that, as Greece believes, an emphasis must be placed on the need for financial support for handling the problem within Greek territory.

Caption: A file photo dated Sunday June 14, 2009, shows the French naval vessel "Zeppelin" at the port of Mytilene, on the eastern Aegean island of Lesvos, after the vessel disembarked a group of illegal immigrants intercepted aboard a boat headed for Greek waters. The vessel had departed from the opposite Turkish coast, according to coast guard officials. ANA-MPA / STR

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