NATO chief to discuss Greek-Turkish problems in Athens

ATHENS, August 27 (Itar-Tass) - NATO secretary-general Anders Fogh
Rasmussen will discuss on Thursday in the Greek capital the development of
a new NATO Strategic Doctrine, problems between Greece and Turkey as well
as NATO and the European Union relations with Russia.
Spokesman of the Greek Foreign Ministry Grigoris Delavekouras reported
that the NATO secretary-general would meet Prime Minister Konstantinos
Karamanlis, Foreign Minister Dora Bakayannis and Defence Minister
Evangelos Meimarakis.
Baloyannis will inform Rasmussen of the talks between Athens and
Skopje on finding a mutually acceptable state name for Macedonia, the
Greek presidency in the OSCE and the discussion that started in the
organisation on European security. The sides will also examine the
question on expanding the alliance, its operations in Afghanistan and
Kosovo, struggle against piracy off the Somali coast.
The NATO chief said on the eve of his visits to Athens and Ankara that
the differences between Greece and Turkey create obstacles for training
police in Afghanistan and struggle against Somali pirates. According to
Western diplomats, Turkey bars a possibility to establish official
relations between the NATO and the EU missions. As a result, the alliance
cannot provide protection for EU instructors in Afghanistan.
Commenting on this statement, Delavekouras noted that "strange things
happen" in cooperation between NATO and the EU. "The NATO military mission
and the EU civil mission are located next to one the other in Afghanistan.
However, their cooperation runs into roadblocks," the diplomat noted.
"Greece is interested in settling these problems. Their gist lies in
paradoxical non-recognition by Turkey of the Republic of Cyprus, a member
state of the European Union. This is the prime root of the problem,
followed by all others."
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