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Athens News Agency: News in English, 11-01-03Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>CONTENTS
[01] Papandreou in Turkey this weekISTANBUL (ANA-MPA) -- Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou will attend a Turkish ambassadorsâ conference in the northeast Anatolia city of Erzurum this week, following a formal invitation.Papandreou will be accompanied by his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who will address the meeting of Turkey's top diplomatic corps. The third annual Turkish ambassadorsâ conference, entitled "Visionary Diplomacy: Global and Regional Order from Turkeyâs Perspective", will be chaired by Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu and will be attended by Turkish diplomats serving abroad and at the country's foreign ministry. The week-long session opened in Ankara on Monday and will continue in Erzurum. (ANA-MPA) More details on the subscriber's page of APE-MPE | Subscription request form [02] Emphasis on opening 'closed professions'(ANA-MPA) -- Prime Minister George Papandreou on Monday underlined the government's volition to proceed with the EU-ECB-IMF "troika" mandated opening of so-called "closed professions", speaking during a meeting with relevant ministers at the Maximos Mansion government house."Proceed immediately and through dialogue with the opening of the closed professions. This reform will make services more affordable, will reduce red tape and reinforce the competitiveness of the economy," Papandreou was quoted as saying. Within the next two weeks - based on the government's timetable - competent ministers will have to launch a dialogue with various professional sectors so that a ministry of finance-sponsored draft law for the opening of closed professions is ready to be tabled in Parliament by the end of the month. (ANA-MPA) More details on the subscriber's page of APE-MPE | Subscription request form [03] Press reports: Searches in Greece related to Bulgaria's 'robbery of the century'SOFIA (ANA-MPA) -- Authorities here merely said an investigation is continuing within the framework of international cooperation, when asked to confirm Greek press reports that searches are underway on Greek territory to trace a portion of a large quantity of precious metals stolen last October from the Sofia Airport.More details on the subscriber's page of APE-MPE | Subscription request form [04] Turkish Dep. PM meets PatriarchISTANBUL (ANA-MPA) -- Turkish State Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Arinc on Monday expressed the Ankara government's desire for "equal treatment of all citizens", speaking during a closely watched meeting at the seat of the Ecumenical Patriarchate here.The a high-profile meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, members of the Holy Synod and representatives of the dwindling ethnic Greek minority of Istanbul was held at the Patriarchate's Fanar-district headquarters. This is the second time a senior member of the Turkish government has visited the Fanar since the 1952 visit of then premier Adnan Menderes. The talks between the Ecumenical Patriarch and the top Turkish government official focused on several pending and pressing issues, including the reopening of the Theology School of Halki and the smooth operation of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, the "primus inter pares" of the world's Christian Orthodox Patriarchates. (ANA-MPA)Another long-standing issue involves property seized over the decades from the Ecumenical Patriarchate and ethnic Greek charitable foundations in Turkey, as the return of such real estate holdings requires the Turkish government's direct cooperation. Bartholomew thanked his interlocutor for the return of the historic Greek Orthodox orphanage on the Marmara isle of B?y?kada (Prinkipo) to the Ecumenical Patriarchate (ANA-MPA) and reminded that 2011 marks 40 years since the Theology School on the isle of Halki was shut down. Commenting on the Prinkipo Orphanage case, Arinc underlined that "the law and court decisions were implemented". During his visit to the Fanar, which lasted more than an hour, Arinc also met several Hierarchs, members of the Holy Synod, while he was also met with leading representatives of the ethnic Greek minority in Istanbul. The visit of the Turkish deputy PM bears heightened symbolism, the latest in a string of several noteworthy changes that have taken place in recent years in relations between the Patriarchate and the Turkish government. (ANA-MPA) Caption: A general view of the Orthodox Orphanage on the isle of Buyukada in the Sea of Marmara on 29 November 2010, the day the European Court of Human Rights announced its decision calling on the Turkish government to return the orphanage to the Patriarchate and to pay 6,000 euros for non-pecuniary damage and 20,000 euros for costs and expenses. ANA-MPA/EPA/ERHAN ELALDI More details on the subscriber's page of APE-MPE | Subscription request form [05] ND: Eurobond idea a 'gimmick'(ANA-MPA) -- The main opposition New Democracy (ND) party on Monday said it considers a high-profile initiative by Prime Minister George Papandreou regarding the Eurobond as nothing more than a "communication gimmick".An announcement by the party's press office stressed that "ND President Antonis Samaras had replied in an explicit and categorical way on the issue of the eurobond during his address in Parliament on the 2011 budget. Addressing the prime minister himself, he had referred to a 'communication gimmick', such as the latest with the announcement on the gathering of signatures for the holding of a referendum in Europe." The party reminds in its announcement that in the discussion in Parliament Samaras mentioned that "one million signatures from anywhere are not enough. They must come from seven member states, at least, and indeed, with enacted minimum signatures in every member state. More details on the subscriber's page of APE-MPE | Subscription request form Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |