Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 16-09-09

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

CONTENTS

[01] EU Med '7' adopt Athens Declaration, hold joint press conference in Athens

[02] Positive action not third-party intervention needed in Mediterranean, Rhodes Conference agrees

[03] More 'fresh' money returns to Greek banks, reaching one billion euros

[01] EU Med '7' adopt Athens Declaration, hold joint press conference in Athens

Both the Summit and the adoption of the Athens Declaration mark "our joint will for the unity of Europe," Tsipras commented, while also announcing a decision to hold the next EU Med meeting in Portugal.

"We have an obligation to submit our own approach to handling and overcoming the challenges we face, replying to the forces of nationalism and xenophobia. We are not and do not aspire to be yet another initiative that divides Europe. We are and will continue to be an initiative for dialogue," Tsipras said.

The Greek prime minister's statement was followed by those of the other participants in the summit, starting with French President Francois Hollande, who also stressed the need for unity and cohesion and said that Mediterranean countries could contribute to the launch of a dialogue that was useful for Europe, contributing to its security and prosperity.

"We need a programme for growth and it is important to send a message of cohesion at a time of Brexit and the rise of populism in Europe," Hollande said.

Cyprus President Nicos Anastasiades said the meeting was not an effort to create a group within the EU and noted that Mediterranean countries had much to contribute to dialogue in Europe.

"It is time to take specific and substantive decisions to deal with the causes of the alienation our citizens feel," he said, noting the need to adapt policies to tackle the challenges in security, migration and growth.

Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said the real challenge presented by the meeting was to outline Europe's future at the upcoming Bratislava summit of '27' member-states - excluding Britain. He stressed that the future Europe must be a social Europe, a Europe of ideals, and that the Athens Declaration was an added value toward a "different Europe".

Portugal's Prime Minister Antonio Costa called for greater support of the EU's relations with Africa and also greater sharing of responsibility for refugees arriving in European territory. He said terrorism must be fought through the cooperation of the coast guards and border police and social integration, while calling for investments to boost growth and employment.

Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said the summit had arrived at solutions on how to move forward, while expressing support for the European Commission and the Juncker Plan.

"The idea of 'social Europe' was forgotten for a long period of time and we say that we will support the development of the Union toward the return of this idea," he added.

Spain's acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy was represented by the country's State Secretary for the European Union Fernando Eguidazu, who said Rajoy had wanted but been unable to attend. He described the summit as an important initiative and said that Spain is "an inseparable part of the Mediterranean Sea and will always support such meetings that address common problems."

[02] Positive action not third-party intervention needed in Mediterranean, Rhodes Conference agrees

An initiative launched by Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias, the conference was welcomed by participating states and resulted in commitments for practical actions that will be prepared for the coming year.

"We agreed to hold the conference every year and that is must be based on principles. The first principle is that we do not want intervention by third parties in the region. We can cooperate with and use help from third parties but the region must develop its own internal relations, on the basis of trust and a positive agenda that will develop the networks and public goods in the region," Kotzias said in a press conference afterward.

The idea of a positive approach for security in the southeast Mediterranean, through cooperation networks in all sectors between Mediterranean countries, was warmly received by participants, who said it provides new tools for bringing peoples and governments closer in an area normally associated as an arena for conflict and disputes. The initiative also raised Greece's prestige as "bridge-maker" between the European and Arab worlds and a country that contributes to the security and stability of the region.

In addition to standard issues such as migration, corruption, the fight against terrorism, energy networks and transports, intense interest was also expressed at the conference in the prospects of cooperation in commercial shipping to create a corridor linking north Africa to Europe via Egypt and the port of Thessaloniki, as well as in 'green' technology and renewable energy sources. Participants also emphasised cooperation between universities and research institutes, in culture and youth issues.

The meeting concluded with six decisions for specific joint actions, such as cooperation between Italy and Libya in green technology and a decision to support a Film Festival on Mediterranean issues in Egypt.

The 11 countries taking part (Albania, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Egypt, Italy, Lebanon, Libya, Slovakia, Tunisia and UAE) signed a joint statement acknowledging the need to enhance constructive dialogue and continuous cooperation and coordination between the countries of the region, including the European Neighbourhood Policy and Union for the Mediterranean, on border security, human trafficking, terrorism, water and food security, energy and climate, interconnectiveness, infrastructure and disaster management.

[03] More 'fresh' money returns to Greek banks, reaching one billion euros

Domestic banking sources told Athens-Macedonian News Agency (ANA) that the return rate of cash in Greek systemic banks continued to be strong (ANA exclusively reported in September 6 that more than 800 million euros had returned to Greeks), and noted that this money was mostly cash held by Greek households.

The sources attributed this development to the fact that, following a decision taken by Finance Minister Euclid Tsakalotos on July 22, a 420-euro per week limit on cash withdrawals does not apply to deposits of "fresh" money. They also stressed the fact that the Greek economy was stabilising and was currently on the verge of recovery, a development which combined with promoted reforms and anticipated short-term debt relief measures will give the "green light" for the return of large-scale investments in the country.

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