Greek PM Meets with Outgoing NATO Secretary General

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)   Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis met on Thursday (May 14) in Athens with the outgoing NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer.  Pointing out that during Scheffer’s term the alliance was enlarged twice, while in the field of operations NATO was called to meet very demanding challenges, Karamanlis praised the efforts to promote the Alliance’s relations with Russia as well as the progress made in relation to Ukraine and Georgia and the countries of the ‘Partnership for Peace’, the ‘Mediterranean Dialogue’ and the ‘Istanbul Initiative.’  On his part, the NATO SecGen stressed that “Greece’s participation in NATO’s operations and missions was and still is very important.” He also referred to energy and internet security issues as well as to the participation of Greek Navy frigates in the efforts to combat sea piracy.  De Hoop Scheffer also met with Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyannis and National Defence Minister Evangelos Meimarakis.

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Greece: Reliable Ally in EU Security

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)    Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis inspected the Hellenic Navy frigate “Psara,” on Monday April 13 , docked at Salamina, and expressed his satisfaction over the crew’s efficiency and seamanship, as the vessel recently headed a European Union mission against piracy in the sea region off Somalia. He added that “the Greek frigate ‘Psara’ is the first leading vessel of the first purely European naval formation that operates in the history of the EU, in the framework of common European Security and Defence Policy, operation “Atalanta.”  “Greece steadfastly pursues the strengthening of all the pillars of the European edifice. We want a Europe with a unified and strong voice in international issues, as well as an active role in international developments. It is in this direction that Greece took up its mission within the ‘Atlanta’ operation,” Karamanlis said.  EU European Security and Defence Policy: EU Naval operation against piracy