27.07.08 - 19:40 SEEMO Protest Greece

H.E. Kostas Karamanlis

Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic

Athens

Greece

Fax: +30 210 9098253

E-mail: [log in to unmask]">[log in to unmask]

H.E. Prokopis Pavlopoulos

Minister for the Interior and Public Order

Athens

Greece

Fax: +30 210 6929764

E-mail: [log in to unmask]

Vienna, 22 July 2008

Your Excellencies,

The Vienna-based South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), a network of editors, media executives and leading journalists from South East Europe and an affiliate of the International Press Institute (IPI), wishes to express its concern after the Greek authorities denied a group of journalists from the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (Republic of Macedonia) entry into the country.

According to information before SEEMO, on 19 July, journalists from TV A1, TV A2, Forum and Makedonsko sonce were on their way to report on a cultural event in northern Greece, and were bearing standard passports with regular Greek visas. However, at the border the journalists were denied entry with the explanation that they did not have the permission of the Greek government to report on the event. One journalist from Forum was denied entry although he had a journalist’s visa. An offer to enter Greece as non-journalists, without their cameras and other technical equipment, was declined by the journalists. They were also told they could enter the country as journalists after the cultural event was over.

SEEMO condemns this move by the Greek authorities. Greece is a member of the European Union, and expected to uphold the right to press freedom, one of the pillars of democracy. Decisions like this prevent the ability of journalists to work freely and hinder the free flow of information. We urge Your Excellencies to do everything in your power to ensure that cases like this do not happen in the future.

Yours Sincerely,

Oliver Vujovic

SEEMO Secretary General

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SEEMO is a regional network of editors, media executives and leading
journalists in South East Europe.

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27.07.08 - 13:00 POLITICAL TRADING

Athens urges Sofia, Belgrade to change their positions on Macedonia’s constitutional name

According to A1 TV, authorities in Athens have been urging Bulgaria and Serbia for a few weeks to change their positions on Macedonia’s constitutional name.
“Encouraged by Sofia’s most recent positions presented publicly on Macedonia’s history, which according to some politicians there has Bulgarian roots, Athens proposes unreserved support for Bulgaria in Brussels where European funds have already been suspended for Bulgaria,” comments the television.
In exchange for the change in the stance, Athens suggests to Serbia support for its Euro-Atlantic integration, as well as lobbying for Kosovo, which is one of the reasons for Greece not to recognize Kosovo’s independence up to now. For now Athens has a positive answer neither from Sofia, nor from Belgrade. Unlike Serbia, which still awaits the decision of the new government in Skopje about Kosovo recognition, the Bulgarian government has replied that it has no dilemmas as to Macedonia’s constitutional name.
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