Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 12-12-09

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

CONTENTS

[01] 'National issues are not settled in haste'

[01] 'National issues are not settled in haste'

Samaras, who was invited by the Papadopoulos family, said that "in these hard years Hellenism needs leaders and Tassos Papadopoulos lights our steps".

Referring to the period of the referendum on the Annan Plan for Cyprus, Samaras noted that in 2004 some quarters had attempted to punish the Republic of Cyprus for the rejection of then UN Secretary General Kofi Annan's plan on Cyprus, remembering Papadopoulos' statement that he had taken governance of a state and would not turn over a community, adding that he had been speaking then on behalf of all the Greeks.

He also recalled that it was during Papadopoulos' tenure that Cyprus became a full member of the EU and Cyprus' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) was declared, calling it a greatly inspired political move.

Samaras arrived in Nicosia on Saturday night, and afterwards attended a dinner in his honor hosted by Cyprus President Demetris Christofias at the latter's summer home in Kellaki, near Limassol.

Samaras had a series of meetings on Sunday with the leaders of the Cypriot parties, with talks focusing on the Cyprus issue and the economic crisis that was plaguing both Greece and Cyprus.

An announcement by the Cypriot left-wing AKEL party said that Samaras and party leader Andros Kyprianou exchanged views on the economic crisis and ways in which Cyprus could more effectively deal with the consequences of the Memorandum.

An announcement by the Democratic Party (DIKO) said talks with party leader Marios Garoyan focused on the common positions on the national issues, the economic crisis and the critical problems faced by the two countries and Hellenism.

In an interview in the Cypriot daily "Simerini" (Today) appearing on Sunda6, Samaras stressed that the big, long-standing national issues "are not settled hastily", but "mature and are resolved", warning that those who hasten to "close" such issues under conditions of external pressure are most likely to reproduce them".

He also stressed that Greece's economic difficulties were not left to lead the country to isolation and to losses on national issues.

He expressed his conviction that Cyprus will manage to overcome the consequences of the economic crisis and its recourse to the support mechanism more quickly and with fewer losses than Greece.

"My dream is that we will together unfold our virtues for the prosperity, security and glow of all of Hellenism, for the stability and security of our entire region," Samaras said.

He also said that the populism in Greece did not succeed in destabilizing the country, adding that despite the recent difficulties, the opinion polls themselves showed that "the Greek people appreciate the work we have done and do not see another, alternative, solution existing".

Samaras left Cyprus in the early afternoon for Munich, where he will meet on Monday with Bavarian Minister President (local prime minister) and leader of the Christian Social Union (CSU) party Horst Seehofer.

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