Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 17-06-01

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

CONTENTS

[01] Final farewell to the late statesman Constantine Mitsotakis on Crete

[02] FM Kotzias repeats Athens' full support for FYROM's security and stability

[03] Deciding on Greece's fate behind closed doors cannot continue, says Moscovici

[04] Court acquits man charged for attempt to stop police brutality against arrested migrant

[01] Final farewell to the late statesman Constantine Mitsotakis on Crete

The burial service was held on Thursday afternoon, after Mitsotakis' body had lain in state at the Church of Aghia Magdalene overnight. The coffin containing his remains was then placed on a gun carriage and taken to the cemetery in a solemn procession through the streets, accompanied by a military honour guard and Cretans in traditional dress.

Mitsotakis was buried beside his wife Marika, in a deeply moving ceremony and blessing led by the Archbishop of Crete Irineos. At the graveside to bid a final farewell were the late stateman's four children - main opposition New Democracy leader Kyriakos Mitsotakis, ND MP Dora Bakoyannis, Alexandra Mitsotakis Gourdain and Katerina Mitsotakis - as well as his many grandchildren.

A Navy military band played as the casket was lowered into the ground, while honour guards from all three branches of the Armed Forces presented arms and the 1st Paratroopers' Squadron fired in salute for the former Greek prime minister, minister and honorary ND party president. Cretans wearing traditional mourning dress then sang his favourite 'rizitika' Cretan songs, followed by singers Manolis Kontaros and Nikos Zoidakis singing mantinades to the accompaniment of a Cretan lyra.

One of his grandchildren deposited a Cretan shepherd's crook on the coffin and the national anthem was sung, after which an army officer presented the Greek flag that had covered the coffin to Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the late statesman's medals to his daughter, Dora Bakoyannis.

[02] FM Kotzias repeats Athens' full support for FYROM's security and stability

Kotzias, as he had done during a press conference with his Crotian counterpart Davor Ivo Stier on Wednesday, replied that FYROM's security and stability were essential for the entire region.

In his letter to Fokas, Kotzias said that Greece closely monitors respect and protection of fundamental freedoms and human rights, especially minority rights. "Ensuring the protection and respect for human rights in FYROM, regardless of ethnic descent, is not only a treaty obligation of the country as a member-state of the Council of Europe but is also monitored as part of its course toward the European Union," he added.

Kotzias again expressed the Greek foreign ministry's intention to work closely with the new government in Skopje, both on finding a mutually acceptable solution to the long-pending name dispute and to help establish a culture of compromise between political forces, the principles of the rule of law and democratic institutions in the neighbouring country.

"Our country's cooperation with all the countries in the region, the countries that are candidates for EU membership and our European partners and allies, must be based on mutual respect, mutual understanding and the fundamental principles of good neighbourhood and regional cooperation and stability. In this light, bilateral cooperation is evaluated each time and further steps are decided to continue it. Our cooperation with FYROM will be judged in this light also," he said.

[03] Deciding on Greece's fate behind closed doors cannot continue, says Moscovici

"We must not be so proud that there is no accountability […] Deciding behind closed doors on Greece's fate, without any democratic accountability is something that cannot continue forever," he said , adding that decisions taken at the Eurogroup should in the future be brought to the European Parliament, whose role must be strengthened.

Moscovici also noted that to strengthen the economic and monetary union, the member-states must, among others, agree to share more responsibilities and decisions on euro area issues within a common legal framework.

"The decision-making process must be transparent and democratic," he said and reiterated the idea for the creation of a Eurozone fund – possibly with a Eurozone budget – as well as the appointment of a full-time Eurozone finance minister.

"This is in the interest of all European citizens. After Britain's exit from the EU, Eurozone's economies will represent 85 percent of the EU's total GDP. This underlines the central role that the euro will have in the future of the EU's 27 [member-states]," he explained.

[04] Court acquits man charged for attempt to stop police brutality against arrested migrant

The incident occurred on the night of July 21, 2012 in the Athens area of Kolonos when Kapetanopoulos heard a commotion outside his house and came out to investigate. Seeing police officers stamping on a migrant that they had just arrested for suspected theft, Kapetanopoulos objected strenuously and was also placed under arrest. He was brought before a public prosecutor, who added the criminal charge of complicity in theft to the minor offences listed by the police officers.

The criminal charge was thrown out by a Criminal Appeals Justices' Council, however, which indicted Kapetanopoulos for attempting to free a prisoner, resisting arrest and giving false testimony under oath. These charges were also dismissed by a court on Thursday, in line with a prosecutor's recommendation for acquittal, which found that there was insufficient evidence to support them.

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