newsitems

*Paris/Elysée Palace/Angelo Marcopolo/- Turkey's threat to freeze relations with the EU on 2012 during Cyprus' rotating Chairmanship of EU Council is an "unacceptable" "nonsense", and Ankara would be better advised to seek a solution to Cyprus' issue which would "respect UN Security Council Resolutions", practically reacted French President Nicolas Sarkozy to Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan's recent provocative statements in the Occupied Territories of Cyprus, which were denounced by the President of the Country, Demitres Christofias today at Elysée palace, an experienced Sarkozy's counsellor told "EuroFora" after the meeting.

    -  "This is Nonsense !" - "It's incomprehensible", and, at any case, "it is Unacceptable", Sarkozy strongly reacted, according to his Counsellor, to Erdogan's recent controversial declarations.

    + "EU has 27 Member States, and that's all. It's not up to (a 3d Country as) Turkey to tell us (EU) who are our (EU's) Member Countries, or not !" EU Rules have to be applied and respected , Sarkozy reacted critically according to his counsellor.

.    Turkey's persisting failure to meet its obligation to recognize all EU Member Countries, including Cyprus, was a "classic" leit-motiv for frequent Sarkozy critical statements in the Past, even before his brillant 2007 Election.

    But the main thrust of Sarkozy's famous and popular opposal to Turkey's controversial EU bid was afterwards mainly based on his wish for a "Political" Europe, where politicians responsible to the People debate the Future of a Europe with its own Identity, Culture, History and Geo-political Borders, able to attract a solid Popular support. German Chancellor Angie Merkel, who notoriously agrees with Sarkozy on this crucial point, focused more on the question of "EU Values", such as respect for Human Dignity, base of all Human Rights.

    According to the experienced President of Germany's prestigious Adenauer Foundation, former EU Parliament's President, and long-time Chairman of the ChristianDemocrat/EPP Group of MEPs, Hans Gert Poettering, speaking to "EuroFora"s co-Founder, Sarkozy could even Legaly base the popular Refusal to accept Turkey's controversial EU bid, precisely, on Ankara's persistent failure to recognize EU Member Cyprus.

    But, in fact, this is necessary even for Turkey to have any other kind of Closer Relationship to the EU, as another Sarkozy's counselor had earlier told "EuroFora", during a previous Christophia's visit at Elysée Palace, on September 2009, (See previous "EuroFora"s NewsReport from the spot : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/sarkozyxristofias.html )

    + Moreover, "President Sarkozy expressed France's Solidarity to Cyprus' efforts during the on-going (UN-sponsored, inter-communal) Talks", the French President's counsellor added, in reply to an "EuroFora"s question on the UNO process searching a solution of Cyprus' political issue, particularly after the recent, July 7, Geneva Top meeting, between UNO's Secretary General Ban Ki Moon, Cyprus' President Christofias and Turkish Cypriot leader Eroglou, which resulted in a RoadMap including "intesified" Talks with an "enhanced" UN role,  (See "EuroFora"s NewsReports from Geneva, both on January and July 2011, as well as UN SG Ban Ki Moon's own Reply to our Questions at his Press Conference in EU Parliament in Strasbourg, as early as since October 2010).

     - "He (Sarkozy) also stressed that, for us (France) a Solution must pass .. through a Compromise between the two communities of Cyprus, in full respect of UNO Security Council's Resolutions",  Presidential palace "Elysée"'s Counsellor went on to point out in conclusion on this issue.

This is another important and Timely reminder vis a vis Turkey, since, unanimously, all Cyprus' political parties, officially denounced Erdogan's declarations as threatening to exit the Cyprus issue from the Framework of the basic Principles enshrined in a series of relevant UN Security Council Resolutions on Cyprus' ReUnification, through undue pressure to some officials inside UNO's Secretariat.
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- "Both President Sarkozy himself, but also myself, we dealt, for a long time, with the Behavior of Turkey, and, in particular of Turkey's Prime Minister Erdogan, during his illegal visit in the Occupied Territories of Cyprus", also said earlier Cyprus' President Christofias, speaking to Journalists, including "EuroFora", at Elysée palace.  

- "It's our common view, that this Behavior of Turkey is Unacceptable, Provocative, and Insulting even for the EU itself, and will not be tolerated", he stressed.
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Cyprus' President declared himself "Happy", from "the contacts,  exchanges of view and discussions with Nicolas Sarkozy, the President of the French Republic, a Friend of Cyprus"

 - "In this visit, for which I warmly thank the President (Sarkozy), we had a real discussion, we exchanged views for Cyprus' (political) issue and its course, (and) I spoke about the meeting with UNO's Secretary General (Ban Ki Moon) in Geneva, its results (outcome), and I informed him also of the Beginning of Intensified (intecommunal) Talks", Christofias added.

- "I'd like to warmly thank President Sarkozy for his Crystal-clear stance on Cyprus' issue", he concluded. "A position based on Principles, which are very Important for us, because, as you know, France, a stable Friend of Cyprus and UNO Security Council's Permanent Member, is a Country which plays a Crucial (Decisive) Role on EU issues and of the Mediterranean area".

 - I'd like to wholeheartidly thank President Sarkozy and his Team, (f.ex.) the Foreign Minister (Alain Juppé), and other Collaborators, (as f.ex. his Diplomatic Sherpa, David Levitte, etc), who were Present at the meeting, for the full Understanding, his Friendship and the support that he gives to Cyprus and on the (Political and Human Rights') Cyprus' issue", he concluded on this point.
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Turkish Prime Minister, Erdogan, has reportedly threatened, (during his recent visit to the Occupied Territories of Cyprus), that Turkey "will not negotiate" with the EU from July 2012 if EU Member Cyprus takes over the rotating EU Presidency for its July - December term.  - "We shall not (even) speak to them !", he boasted.

He didn't say what might happen, then, about the more than 800 Millions € that EU gives to Turkey each Year, even during the Global Financial Crisis, precisely thanks to those EU - Turkey "Open-ended" Negotiations, on which Erdogan spoke with such a contempt..

Moreover, he reportedly went as far as to warn that Turkey has, definitively, no intention at all to show a better stance vis a vis any EU's desiderata, as things stand. (I.e. as long as EU Summits of 27 Heads of State/Government continue to block 8 Chapters as they have officially decided since 2006, because of Turkey's persisting failure to honour its commitment to stop discriminating against Ships and/or Airplanes which use Cyprus' Seaports or Airports by hindering them to use also Turkey's, in exchange of EU's decision to start lucrative Negotiations with Turkey from 2005. In addition, France and other EU Countries, since 2007, block at least 4 or 5 more chapters in EU - Turkey Negotiations, in order to be sure that they will never lead towards full accession, after growing Majorities of EU Citizens, (both in France, Germany, and several other EU Countries, as well as in EU Parliament's 2009 Elections), repeatedly expessed their crystal-clear opposition to Ankara's controvezrsial and unpopular EU bid.

To make it even more clear, the Turkish PM stressed, reportedly, that Ankara would never open its Airports and Seaports to Cyprus'-related Airplanes and Ships, contrary to the only explicit commitment that it undertook when EU decided to open on 2005 Negotiations with Turkey, (for whom they represent today almost 1 Billion € in Grants , from EU Taxpayer's Money, every Year), unless Cyprus' Government also accepts for the Territories of Cyprus Occupied by Ankara's Foreign Army, (and from where amost all Greek Cypriots, representing some  20% of the Country's Population, were brutaly obliged to flee the Turkish Military, and are still, illegaly hindered to return, often replaced by Settlers from the Turkish mainland, in a systematic "Ethnic Cleansinge", which has been already denounced and condemned, on several occasions by CoE, ECHR, EU and UNO),  despite UN Security Council Resolutions condemning the illegal breakaway Occupation Regime, declaring it as invoid and non-existent, and calling alll  UN Member Countries to avoid doing anything which might facilitate its activities.

On the contrary, Erdogan said nothing, and fully ommitted any reference to the December 2005 EU Summit's landmark decision to give Turkey a Time Deadline until December 2009 in order to start fullfiling its obligation to normalize its relations with all EU Members, including Cyprus.

Astonishingly, instead of imposing any kind of Sanction to Turkey for blatantly failng to meet its obligations, on the contrary, the December 2009 EU Summit in Brussels totaly skipped that "burning" issue, (apparently because of pressure from a pro-Turkish lobby, anxious to avoid any risk whatever to eventually block lucrative (for Ankara) EU - Turkey negotiations), and, since then (12/2009) almost all EU Summits' Agenda has been largely and systematically accaparated, until now, almost exclusively, by the unprecedented Financial problems provoked against the Greek Economy and People, as well as agaists all the EU, by Global Markets' Speculation and Anglosaxon Rating Agencies' often abusive or exagerated coups, over-exploiting a uselessly alarming handling, by US-born Socialist current Prime Minister Giorgos Papandreou, of a big Debt notoriously provoked by Clientelism, Nepotism and Corruption of many other, mainly Socialist previous Governments since the 1980ies and the 1990ies, (resulting in an excessive number of cushy job holders, petty lackeys, and other corrupted staff hired in the Public Sector, who still ask for Salaries, Retirement Pensions, Primes, etc., so that it obviously aggravates the situation), which was scandalously hidden on 1998-2002 Statistics, in order to facilitate an earlier than normal, €uroZone Entry for Greece, in exchange of an EU - Turkey controversial and unpopular "Accession" process, even without doing previously any necessary Economic Reform, so that an outgoing former Socialist Government in Greece stayed 4 more years in power only with less than 1% more in the latest Elections, just by claiming "victory" over a too early and unprepared yet entry in €uroZone, which risks now to undermine Greece's Economy and upsets the entire €uroZone).

Moreover, concerning UN efforts to solve ths poliical issue of Cyprus' reUnification, the Turkish Prime Minister reportedly claimed that, if it's not solved (i.e. agreed)until July 2012, in a way that Turkey likes, then, Ankara threatens to "decide what (it) will do", i.e. implicitely but obviously pointing at the Risk of some kind of even more Negative Turkish reaction, which, apparently, might aggravate even more Cyprus' semi-Occupation and Forced Division, imposed by Ankara's Foreign Military Invasion and Occupation since 1974, which still persists, despite various EU, CoE and UNO calls to withdraw Turkey's troops.

But, at the same time, Mr. Erdogan practically threatened also to ..hinder any agreed Solution of Cyprus' ReUnification issue, by provocativelly declaring that Turkey would never accept any solution which might not be based on the recognition of "2 Equal States", i.e. putting at the same level in an obviously UnDemocratic way the 80% Greek Cypriot Majority and the 18% Turkish Cypriot Minority, according to the latest official Population data before the illegal Turkish Military Invasion and Occupation of 1974-2011, i.e. seeking to oblige Cyprus to become only a shaky and instable, loose Con-Federation, ready to break down at the first externally provoked conflict on whatever pretext, and excluding, on the contrary, one Federal State, as UNO Security Council Resolutions ask, while also practically rejecting any  Real ReUnification of Cyprus, preferring to keep it permanently under any kind of Forced Division.

Last but not least, the Turkish Prime Minister even excluded any Hope for, at least, some Territorial Adjustments, often hoped by those Greek Cypriots who (without acknowledging it explicitely) might, eventually, accept Ankara's persistent stance towards  some degree of  "Partition" in a Divided Cyprus, if, at least, Turkey gave over to the Greek Cypriots some interesting parts of the Territories Occupied by Ankara's Army, including  f.ex. the Western City of Morphou, etc., as it was already proposed by some controversial UN Secretariat Drafts in the Past, asking, in exchange, from the Greek Cypriots to make many other Hard Sacrifices, mainly to the detriment of Refugees/Displaced Persons' Human Rights to return to their Family Homes and Ancestral Land, restore their Private Properties, etc.. But any such Territorial concession will be Excluded from now on, anounced the Turkish Prime Minister, dangerously diminishing any hope for any kind of agreed settlement.

But, at the same time, dissident Turkish Cypriot demonstrators, critical to Mr. Erdogan, were reportedly aggressed and oppressed by the Occupation Regime's Securiy forces during the Ankara's Prime Minister's visit for the anniversary of the 1974 Turkish foreign Military Invasion and Occupation of the northern territories of Cyprus.

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Longer term issues postponed, (Gas findings, EU Chairmanship, etc).
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Meanwhile, on other outstanding, topical issues, contrary to what was expected, Christofias revealed, in reply to another question, that he hadn't yet spoken today with Sarkozy on the huge "Gas" underSea deposits due to be found and start to be exploited in the South-Eastern Mediterannean, between Cyprus and Egypt, Israel/Palestine and Lebanon, etc..

This was later confirmed to "EuroFora" also by a Sarkozy'"s counselor. It might be related, among others, also to the fact that the meeting, (which had been Scheduled since a long time ago, more than a Month earlier), was expected, according to a Christofia's' aide to durate "about 1 hour", but in fact appeared ready to end in about 30 minutes, (as Elysée's aides invited "EuroFora" and other Journalists to be ready for eventual last minute statements earlier than initially expected), even if it was, finally, prolonged up to about 40-45 minutes, at this late Afternoon hour. (It started on 5 p.m., local time, instead of 1 p.m. as in the previous, 2009 visit of Christofias to Paris : Comp. f.ex. the respective "EuroFora"s Photos from these 2 visits, made in differend contexts, on 9/2009 and on 7/2011).

- But, "we are due to meet with President Sarkozy also at several other occasions, both in Paris and, I can now confirm, also in Cyprus, (as he said, obviously evoking an Invitation for a Sarkozy visit to the island), as well as elsewhere", (f.ex. on the sidelines of EU Summits in Brussels, etc), and (during such other meetings) we examine such matters of Common Interest", Cyprus' President added on the question for the Energy Resources' findings..

Sarkozy's counsellor also said to "EuroFora" that the exchange of views didn't touch yet another medium/long term issue with Christofias, that of the most important, general EU issues expected to be dealt with during the forthcoming 2012 EU Presidency by Cyprus, starting in less than a year (from the 1st of July 2012), such as, f.ex. EU's Pluri-Annual Financial Perspectives' framework, whose discussion starts, later this Week, with the present, Polish EU Presidency, (See f.ex. Replies of Poland's Foreign Minister Sikorski to "EuroFora"s Questions in a Press Conference at EU Parliament in Strasbourg, earlier), but is generally expected to conclude, with final Decisions, most probably during Cyprus' EU chairmanship, before the end of 2012.

On the contary, Christofias took, this time, the initiative to brief Sarkozy, among various oher special "bilateral" matters, also "on the efforts that we are making to create a Franco-Cypriot School".

 - However, "President (Sarkozy) was interested to be informed on the Economic situation of Cyprus, and I made him an Analysis on this issue", Christofias revealed.
 - " (But) we didn't enter (now) into deeper details concerning the €uroZone Crisis, because we discuss that very often inside EU Council and inside €uroGroup", he replied.

According to well informed sources from the French Presidential palace Elysée, Christofias roughly said earlier that, despite a rather Good stand for Cyprus' Economy during even the last 2 Years, suddenly, the cascading Economic and other Consequencies of the Giant Explosion at the Naval Base/Power Plant, have started to provoke serious threats which must be faced by efficient measures.
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Marking the mainly Political dimension of this meeting, David Levitte, the experienced Sarkozy's Diplomatic Sherpa and former Ambassador to Washington, and Alain Juppé, Foreign Minister and former Prime Minister, assisted at the encounter, (Juppé being obliged to leave a little bit earlier, because of other meetings as well as urgencies : Comp. infra).

Indeed, by an astonishing "coincidence", the same Day and even Hours that Sarkozy was speaking with Cyprus' President reportedly on Critical reactions to Turkish Prime Minister Erdoga's recent provocative threats, (See supra), suddenly, an Unknown and Hidden Terrorist Group brutally aggressed, wounded and kiled, for the 1st time after many Years, French Soldiers who Monitor Lebanon's Borders with Israel as part of an International, UNO-sponsored, Peace-keeping Force since 2006, (for the establshement of which, the practical  help of Cyprus' previous President, Tassos Papadopoulos, offering Seaports, Naval and Air Bases, Land and Communications Logistics, Transport, etc. made a Strategicaly helpful contribution).

The Iranian-origin Munitions that Cyprus' Authorities had been urged by the International Community to confiscate on 2009 and store in controversial material conditions between the Naval Base "Florakis" and the Power Plant "Vassiliko", until they curiously exploded on 2011, were suspected to be destinated, in fact, through Syria, to some Hezbollah Groups, precisely in Lebanon...

(I.e. there where Turkey's spreading influence after the infamous "Turkish Flotilla" 2009 provoked and exploited incidents, as well as its 2010 isolation inside UN Security Council over Iran, etc., had notoriously manipulated some Arabs to even forget the Hard Sacrifices that all Arab People had to make in the Past in order to Liberate their Countries from the Ottoman-Turkish Military Invasions and Occupations which had destroyed the once famous, Historic "Arab Civilisation").

[For other aspects of Sarkozy's meeting with Cyprus' president see spefific "EuroFora"s NewsReports].

*Paris/Elysée Palace/Angelo Marcopolo/- According to information given by French Presidential Palace Elysee's sources to "EuroFora", after a meeting of President Sarkozy with his Cypriot counterpart Christofias, about 7 qualified and experimented Experts of the French Gendarmerie, (a special Police Unit which depends from the Ministry of Defense) have already started to help Cyprus in the Investigation of the most Deadly and Destructive Explosion in the island's History, which wounded 62 and killed 13 People, including the Head of the country's Naval Forces, captain Ioanides, and knocked off its main Power Plant, throwing all cities into an unprecedented wave of recurrent Electricity cuts, while, at the same time, it considerably damaged its Economy, largely based on Tourism and Services to Off shore International Businesses, both big consumers of permanent current, serving from air-conditioning to Computers, etc.

 It also provoked an unprecedented series of Postponements of a Politically crucial National Council dedicated to discuss the outcome of an eceptionaly important Geneva meeting by Christofias with UNO's Secretary General Ban Ki Moon and Turkish Cypriot Community Leader Eroglou, which highlighted a RoadMap including an "intensification" of intecommunal Talks for a solution of the problem of Cyprus' ReUnification, (See "EuroFora"s NewsReports from Geneva).

    The July 26 meeting with Sarkozy had been scheduled a long time ago, (perhaps even 1 Month earlier), i.e. long before the Explosion at the Base Florakis, but, finaly, was focused, according to an earlier Official Communiqué by the French Presidency, inevitably also on the "expression of France's Solidarity to Cyprus, following the Catastrophe" provoked on July 11.
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The examination of the Facts concerning this unprecedented Explosion reveal an astonishing series of highly improbable "coincidencies" on several important issues :

Christofias had fixed the Date of that crucial National Council for 3 Days after he returned to Cyprus, i.e. for Monday, July 11, but, suddenly, this Geneva-related Top Political meeting (that almost all Cyprus' Media anounced "Stormy", because of all oher Parties' mounting criticism), was .. Postponed at the last minute, because of the unexplained yet Explosion at a Military Base (See supra), which, curiously occured the same Day and just a few Hours before the National Council's start, scheduled for 9 o'clock a.m.  

 People were also surprised by another mathematically improbable "coincidence", which was the fact that the Explosion, astonishingly, took place in the Military Base named after "Evangelos Florakis", the former  Head of Cyprus' Defense, who had been killed at an unexplained Helicopter Crash, ...a Decade earlier, i.e. in 2002 at exactly the Same Date as the 2011 Deadly new incident !

    Adding to these Strange, improbable "Coincidences" was also the fact that Florakis had been killed, a Decade earlier, together with another Army Officer, who was a Key person, then in charge of organizing, for the first time, a "Unified Air Defense" between Greece and Cyprus, colonel Demenagas, who curiously died the Same Day, and just a few Hours before, EU Parliament's competent Committee starts to debate and vote, for the 1st time, on a Report of crucial importance for EU's Airspace, which included Civil and Military areas.

    While,  precisely at the 2011 Anniversary of that terrible incident, it is, now, ... the Head of Cyprus' Naval Forces, Captain Ioanou, who was among the 13 Killed, at a moment when Turkey notoriously eyes Cyprus' Territorial Waters and Exclusive Economic Zone at the South/East Mediterranean Sea, facing Egypt, Israel/Palestine, Lebanon and Syria, where Oil and mainly Gas underSea deposits (of similar importance and Geologic structure as that of Mexico's Gulf, which were estimated by former US President GWBush to cover 50% of USA's Energy needs, as "EuroFora"s co-Founder had already guessed, according to a PanEuropean Geologists' Conference in Strasbourg as early as since 2002, and various other converging Data coming even from earlier : 1998-2000, etc)..

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    + This 1st team of French Experts will be followed soon by another one, made of EDF (France's Electric Power Company), destinated to help Repair and Restore Eletricity production and distribution throughout the country, according to Christofias anouncement.

    - "We are going to reinforce the team of Experts also from EDF (the National Electricity company of France) in order to help rerstore the Power" in the island, confirmed a Sarkozy's counselor, speaking to Journalists, including "EuroFora" at Elysée palace.
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    - The initial Team of Experts is composed of  "Gendarmes", who "help to identify the elements" which are needed for the "Enquiry" on what really happened at the Naval Base "Florakis" and Cyprus' Elecrtic Authority ("AHK")s Power Plant,  another, specialized Elysée counselor told "EuroFora".

    - "It's mainly about the Methodology" to use "in order to take specimens, f. ex. from the soil, etc", he revealed.

    + Questioned by "EuroFora" about the specific "Experience" that this 1st Group of "Gendarmes"-Experts  might have had acquired at a similar kind of Explosions earlier in France, the specialized Elysée's counselor replied by giving, mainly, the concrete "example" of the famous "AZF" Chemical Plant mega-Explosion.
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    This Toulouse city Explosion, which Killed some 35 persons, but wounded Tens of Thousands more, many seriously, and provoked huge Destructions and other Damages counted in Billions €,  had a big impact on Media, because it curiously came just Ten Days after September 11 in the USA :  on September 21, 2001, and was never fully elucidated in public.

    Despite Court proceedings in 2009, many interested parties have appealed against a 1st ruling, that they consider flawn and insufficient, and the case may come, at one moment or another, anew in the Limelights of current affairs..

    Moreover, by another astonishing "coincidence", (this time specifically for Cyprus), that AZF Explosion took place at the eve of an exceptionally important CoE's Parliamentary Assembly's sesssion in Strasbourg, during which, it was to be addressed, for the 1st time in History, by the President of Cyprus' Parliament, then ...Christofias himself, in his first official visit, then, to Strasbourg !

    Indeed, Christofias had just got the job previously held by famous Spyros Kyprianou (1996-2000),  twice President of Cyprus (1977-1988), with a unique Experience as former Office Director for the Founder of Cyprus' Republic, Makarios (1960-1976), and founder of DHKO Centrist Party (which later brought also Tassos Papadopoulos on Cyprus' Presidency 2003-2008), immediately after Kyprianou fell victim of a strange, deadly illness when aged 68, which killed him at the End of March 2001, (i.e. just 1 Year after Kyprianou became personaly acquainted and linked also with "EuroFora"s co-Founder, between March 2000 and March 2001, working directly together on "hot" Topical issues related to Human Rights, Press Freedom, and UNO's role on Cyprus issue : Comp.f. ex. reply of then UN Secretary General Koffi Annan to our Question at EU Parliament's Press Conference on October 2000, etc), replacing him in the top Parliamentarian job from June 2001, so that Christofias' venue to CoE Assembly in Strasbourg on September 2001 was his 1st important move abroad.

    The AZF Explosion, adding even in France a Terrorist Scare, immediately after 9/11 Terrorist Attacks in the USA, and just a few Days before Christofias arrival at the PACE in Strasbourg, was obviously exploited by some in order to provoke an exceptionally aggravated, "heavy" and counter-productive climate to the detriment of Freedom of Press and other elementary Human Rights, that the notoriously oppressive Turkish regime and its lobies obviously like...

    Contrary to an official version of an unfortunate technical error which would have mixed up two dangerous Chemicals in an Agricultural Fertilizers' Factory, (which may provoke, sometimes, Explosions as deadly as that of the recent ...Norway Terrorist attacks, partialy provoked by Explosions resulting from Chemicals obtained by Agricultural fertilizer traders, etc), many Critics suspect, still today, that it might have been either a Terrorist Attack, or an "Accident" provoked by a High-Tech. Military Research Centre, located nearby, and covered by Top Secret regulations, and that, at any case, a possible "Electro-Magnetic Pulse", alias "Electro-Magnetic Bomb", (similar to those reportedly used by the US' Army, 2 Years later, in the controversial Iraq Invasion of 2003).

    Such EMP or EMB's reportedly penetrate, in waves, f.ex. inside an electric machine's centre, where they can provoke a first explosion, fire, etc., often leading to a growing, cascading effect also on other, surrounding elements, (f.ex. dangerous chemical substances as in the AZF French case, amunition as in Cyprus' case, etc). In addition, the 1st explosion being, thus, triggered inside a Machine and/or a Plant, etc, in consequence, all its destructive Energy is directed from Insider locations towards the Outside world, resulting in a kind of that apparently Strange Phenomenon, (obvious in Cyprus' 2011 case at the Vasilikon Electric Power Plant as many Photographs clearly show), where most Buildings' Architecture remained intact, but Windows, Doors, etc. imploded, with various objects being brutally thrown from inside towards the outside, surrounding areas... (SEE PHOTO)

    But, as it's well known in the AZF case, many People, among the numerous Victims, various Journalists, simple Citizens, including some eye-witnesses, etc, have strongly criticized the, comparatively lenient, official version given to the event by the then French officials, (even accusing them to block any serious, independent Investigation, with various strange incidents), which were, almost all of them, from the "Socialist" Party : both the Ministers of Defense, Interior and Foreign Affairs, as well as the Prime Minister, Jospin, (i.e. from a political horizon partly similar to Christofias' AKEL).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
    AZF was a Factory depending from Oil Company TOTAL, which participated in the Turkish Baku-Ceyhun Oil Pipeline, with a comparatively "small" 5%, i.e. under the leadership of UK's "British Petroleum" (30,1%), USA's Unocal, ConocoPhilips ad Amerada Hess (14%), Norway's Statoil (8,7%), and Japan's Itochu and Inpex (5,90%), as well as Azerbaijan's Socar' (25%) and Turkey's TPAO (6,5%), but equal to Italy's Eni/Agip (5%). Germany, Russia, China, and other Big Countries didn't take any part in that controversial Turkish-British too long pipeline, (which replaced an earlier, shorter and cheaper Project, crossing Armenia, since it was blocked by the Nagorno-Karabach conflict with Azerbaijan, that Turkey obviously exploited)..

    However, the very fact that French Authorities, Courts, Scientists and even the Public at large, were already confronted with such a "hard nut to crack" in at least one recent, Deadly and Destructive, Giant Explosion, placed at the crossroads of various possible factors, (Comp. supra), probably gave to French Experts a unique and precious Experience on how to avoid any eventual errrors in the Future, and how to conduct a Real Enquiry, also in other, more or less similar or equivalent cases, in a more and more efficient way, so that they might, indeed, be of precious help for Cyprus.
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    - Earlier today, Cyprus' President Christofias, speaking to Journalists present at the Elysee Palace after the conclusion of his meeting with the French President Sarkozy,  confirmed that he "informed" him "for the latest, Unfortunate developments of the Accident with the Explosion which shaked the (Naval) Base", as he said, apparently with reserve.

     - On this point, "I received the expression of Condoleances and of the Solidarity of President (Sarkozy) and his Readiness to Help in Various Issues", he anounced, but without going into concrete details.

    The only thing that Christofias anounced in public was that, in his view, the French "Help" should focus on "issues which are considered as Necessary by the Republic of Cyprus", as he carefully said.

    Questioned specifically what kind of Help he expected from France to Cyprus "in concrete terms", Christofias didn't enter into details :

     - French "President Sarkozy expressed his Willingness to give Instructions in order for Cyprus' Electricity Authority (AHK) to be able to valorize some Tools, and I'll naturally transmit that message", he simply replied. -

    Also, "President (Sarkozy) was interested to be informed on the Economic situation of Cyprus, and I made him an Analysis on this issue", Christofias revealed in reply to another question. - " (But) we didn't enter (now) into deeper details concerning the €uroZone Crisis, because we discuss that very often inside EU Council and inside €uroGroup", he added

    But, according to well informed sources from the French Presidential palace Elysée, speaking to "EuroFora" and other Media from France, Christofias roughly said earlier that, despite a rather Good stand for Cyprus' Economy during even the last 2 Years, suddenly, the cascading Economic and other Consequencies of the Giant Explosion at the Naval Base/Power Plant, have started to provoke serious challenges, which must be faced by more efficient measures.

    Notoriously, the concrete Ways and the Timing in which should be Investigated the Deadly and Destructive Explosion at the Naval Base Florakis, which destroyed also the biggest Power Plant of the Country, is a matter of Hot Debates in Cyprus, both among Politians and Victims' Families, as well as of the People in general, with a largely shared feeling that any Enquiry must be Transparent and Efficient as well as Fast enough, in order to discover all the Truth about what really provoked that Explosion, and find and punish those Responsible.

    According to the latest Polls, a Majority of Cyprus' People don't trust at all a .."One Person Committee", apointed by Christofias himself, and Cyprus' Attorney General's currently evolving "Investigations", fearing that they would cover up any eventual big Political Responsibilities.

    Many People, demonstrators, Media and Politicians go as far as to ask for Christofias' own Resignation, that they hold responsible for what happened, (See earlier "EuroFora"s NewsReport on this specific point).

Even one of the Historic legends throughout the World-wide former Non-Aligned Movement :  Cyprus, joined the growing number of Countries which have called upon controversial Libyan colonel Gaddafi to drop power and get out of the way of efforts to leave Libyan People free to choose its Future :

- "The Kadhafi Regime must End, and the Sovereign Libyan People, to determine the Fate of its Country with Democratic means", declared Cyprus' President, Dimitris Christofias, after meeting in Paris with French President Nicolas Sarkozy, speaking to Journalists at Elysee palace, including "EuroFora".

 - "We have Common Positions .. for Libya", Christofias stressed about the President of "France, ... a UNO Security Council's Permanent Member, (and) a Country which plays a Crucial (Decisive) Role on EU issues and of the Mediterranean area", as he said on this occasion.

-  "We examined together (with Sarkozy); also, the (overall) situation in our Neighborhood, and (in particular) on Northern African Countries", added Chistofias, who has been, nevertheless, a long-time leader of the former Communist (currently Socialist/Leftist) Party in Cyprus, often visiting Venezuela's President Chavez and even Cuba's President Castro....

By the Timing of his position on this matter, he followed closely the spectacular change of stance by Russia    , (the country in which Christofias has studied), whose President, Dmitri Medvedev, explicitly called for controversial Libyan colonel Kadhafi to go, at the conclusion of the latest, 2011 "G-8" Heads of State/Government Summit in Deauville (France : See relevant "EuroFora"s NewsReport from that G8 Summit in Deauville).            

 

His party, AKEL, had traditionaly supported, most of the time, the Historic 1st President of Cyprus, Orthodox Christian Archibishop Makarios, (1960-1976), who headed the island's Independence from British Colonialism, (which had earlier exiled him at Seychelles), and had become one of the World-wide famous leaders of the former "Non Aligned" Movement inside the UNO.                  
----------------------
+ "The same is also valid for ... the need to Stop the Violence in Syria, and to make Profound Democratic Reforms", Christofias went on to add, at this same occasion about one of the closest Neighbouring Countries of the South-Eastern Mediteranean island.

But he obviously fell short, on this 2nd point, from advancing as far as the main Critics of the controversial Syrian regime of Bashar Assad, (f.ex. USA, France, the UK, etc), as well as its own People, growing parts of which currently struggle to change oust Assad and change his regime, which has already killed more than 2 Thousand Victims and arrrested Tens of Thousands of People...  

Comparatively, even Turkey, who has notoriously profited from controversial Bashar Assad's openly pro-Turkish stance (to the point to make .. Propaganda in favor of Turkey's unpopular EU bid even in front of Sarkozy, during a Press Conference at ELysée palace on the sidelines of the "Union for Mediterranean" Summit of Heads of State/Government back on 2008 in Paris : Comp. "EuroFora" co-Founder's NewsReports from that event), has recently softened its stance on Syria, hypocritically joining now those who simply ask for so-called "Democratic Changes" in Syria, (already promised by Bashar Assad himself), but without daring raise the issue of an International, UNO-sponsored, Action...

Christofias is, indeed, currently contested strongly by his own People in Cyprus, (See relevant "EuroFora"s NewsReport), mainly for playing doubtfull games with Turkey and Syria, particularly after a recent, Deadly and Destructive Explosion in Naval Base "Florakis", which killed the Head of Cyprus' Naval Force, and heaviily damaged its biggest Electricity producing Power Plant, when fire appeared on Amunitions confiscated, according to UN Law and after USA and EU insistance, on a Ship carrying a suspicious payload from Iran and destinated to Syria, that he was reportedly obliged to seize, after strong USA, Russia, a.o's protests.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Accused to have kept that Iranian Ship payload, which contained Munitions, in Cyprus for .. 3 Years (2009-2011), apparently hoping that it would be transfered back to Iran or given to Syria, Christofias is now held responsible by a Majoriy of Cypriot People, for the Deadly and Destructive Explosion which was privoked on July 11, and many calls to Resign have been launched both by protestors and various political parties' Heads..

Whoever might, eventually, succeed to Christofias as New President of Cyprus, would certainly be much more Critical on the Syrian regime of Mr. Bashar Assad...

EU Citizens' Polls are booming, following Stock Markets' initially upward trend, as French President Sarkozy and German Chancellor Merkel, while also spearheading an €uroZone Summit's New Deal, appeared to make some resolute Steps towards the 2 Main Targets that the French President had described in landmark speeches in Strasbourg, both before and after his brillant 2007 Election, on February and July 2007  : The Creation of an EU Economic Governance, and the development of EU's Identity, both being conceived as integral, key parts of a "Political" Europe, away from any Bureaucratic/Technocratic domination, and closer to elected Political leaders in constant Debates with their Citizens over main decisions affecting their Future.

After getting +1% twice, during 2 consecutive Months' Polls, Sarkozy has just added even a spectacular +6% rise in Positive opinions (i.e. +8% in total) for the 3rd Month in a row, just after his former Electoral Campaign Director, and Elysee palace Secretary General, current Minister of Interior, Claude Gueant, started to stress "Integration", "Values" and "Identity" issues, as focus for Next Year's, crucial 2012 French Presidential Elections, (See also Gueant's recent Statement to "EuroFora"), due to be shortly followed also by Elections in Germany on 2013, as well as for EU Parliament on 2014.
----------------

    -  "Before the end of August", Ambitious Plans to boost €uroZone's Economic Convergence, in order to deepen its Integration, are due to be decided and anounced jointly by the Franco-German EU motor, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angie Merkel, as they both anounced in their respective Press Conferences at the conclusion of Brussels' €uroZone Summit, which was focused on urgent measures to face the Debt on Greece, but also on the creation of general Tools able to prevent any eventual Contagion in other Countries, and to avoid other Debt Crisis by taking Timely action, as well as on €uroZone's Future.
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    - "What is at stake is our Historic Responsibility vis a vis Europe and the Common Currency : "€uro is an irremplaceable, unique EU Acquis, that we must Defend and Reinforce... "It's forbidden to fail". i.e. We are condemned to Win this Fight, strongly stressed Nicolas Sarkozy.

     - "The €uro is more than a Currency : It is a great expression of Solidarity in the EU, and an example of Deep Integration, while it also gives responsibilities to European institutions", explained Merkel.

    + This also implies that "we are Determined to Help Greece as a EuroZone Member", since "€uroZone creates Solidarity, and we can't abandon a Member if it commits itself in a Reform Program  and respects its commitments", as "we are conscious of the efforts required by the Greek People", the French President added, speaking of the "Main Political Lines" of the July 2011 €urozone Summit.
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 - Regarding both points, "'this is an Historic U-turn", stressed from the outset the French President. - "We want to make of this Crisis (about the Debt on Greece) an opportunity to ameliorate, develop, the EU Tools in EuroZone. We want to seize this Debt Crisis in Greece, as an  opportunity in order to cross a Qualitative  threshhold;towards an  €uroZone's Economic Governance"; Sarkozy declared.

Indeed, as German Chancellor Merkel also observed, €uroZone's 3rd Summit (Comp. "EuroFora"s NewsReports from the spot during the 1st and 2nd €uroZone Summits, back on October 2008 in Paris, and on March 2011 in Brussels), has not only "adopted a 2nd Package for Greece", but also "much more, well Beyond that" :

- "We have now reached an Important Stage. We have taken a significant step on the way to 2 fundamental Objectives : ...to stabilize permanently  Greece, .... and to find out our (€uroZone's) way Out of Debt, through Solidarity  and ... improved Competitiveness", as she resumed the overall decisions.
-----------------
So, "We basically did 3 things"; Merkel explained :

(A) "We have decided a New Program for Greece as a whole", where there is, "for the 1st time, also a Voluntary contribution of Private creditors".  

(B) But, "in order to keep the entire €uroZone Stable, we need additional Instruments, so that No Contagion" takes place.

(C) "Plus,  a "Closer Political Cooperation", and the Future "Stability and Growth pact", she added.
-----------------------------------------
On €uroZone's Future :
------------------------------
  - Concerning the 3rd, and more Forward-looking, Strategic point, Sarkozy revealed that, "on the issue of €uroZone's Future, we spoke last Night with Chancellor Merkel, (in Berlin), and we decided that  we must advance in Economic Governance, during the Next Weeks, in an extremely Ambitious and very Voluntarist way".

 - "From now up to the Summer's End, we shall make Common Proposals on  €uroZone's Economic Governance , so that (EU) President Van Rompuy will be able to officially table certain proposals on October"'s (EU) Summit in Brussels.

- "€uroZone's Government is composed by Heads of States/Governments in 17 member Countries", and, therefore, France and Germany will make proposals "before the end of the Month of August", on €uroZone's Government by the 17 Heads of State/Gov, ..., and highlight our Vision for €uroZone's Future" :

 - This could include, f.ex.,  "the creation of a European Rating Agency, etc"; while, even if "we don't have yet an EU Monetary Fund, nevertheless, we made some progress", "and we must continue to advance in this direction", he revealed.             
-------------------
    - Prefering to better "use Credible words", such "as "Convergence", ..a word on which we worked a lot last night with Chancellor Merkel", Sarkozy stressed, in a pure "Freiburg Spirit", (from the December 2010 Franco-German Summit there : Comp. "EuroFora"s NewsReport from the spot), that "Economic Convergence,  stands in order to prepare Economic Integration".

    - "Economic Convergence, specially in terms of Competitiveness, is absolutely necessary in order to avoid Monetary Tensions, which would be, otherwise,  inevitable if we kept only a Currency without any link whatever to the Economy. Thus, Convergence is needed in order to succeed Integration", Sarkozy explained.

    - "It's on this line that we are going to work". "It doesn't mean that we shall have the same Budgets", but "we are absolutely aware of the fact that France and Germany have to be exemplary" on that, because, "France and Germany being the 2 biggest EU Countries, we have to give en exemple", he observed.
--------------------
    - "The last 15 Years (1996-2011) have made it clear" that "we must better Cooperate in Europe", and that "we must, above all, build the Right Tools for the Future",  Merkel also stressed.

    - "We made, today, an Important Step, but, for Competitiveness and Debt Sustainability everywhere, we still have to travel a distance", the German Chancellor warned.

     - "Therefore, an Important result was that the €uroGroup decided to show more flexibility for negotiations with the European Parliament, when it comes to the renewal of the Stability and Growth Pact", (as "EuroFora"s questions in EU Parliament's latest Plenary Session in Strasbourg highlighted : See relevant previous NewsReport). We have the Future Stability Pact, referred to as the "Six pack", where we now once again made the fundamental decision to negotiate with EU Parliament, where, indeed, it was quite Stuck, and make it clear that we want a Quick Deal. I am certain that we'll find, indeed, a Quick Deal", she optimistically stressed.

    + But we also "realized that.. our Economic and Fiscal Policies still need to better Coordinate with each other". "For this purpose, ...Germany and France ... will  bring together our bilateral Proposals .. at the end August / early September", and "on the October" EU Brussels' Summit, (EU President) Herman van Rompuy will make (Official) Suggestions" to all 17 €uroZone Countries, Merkel agreed with Sarkozy.
------------------------------------------
European Monetary Fund ?
----------------------------------------------
    - Meanwhile, "we (€uroZone's Summit) already decided, at first, to create an Embryon of an EU Monetary Fund : We decided  to reinforce and make more flexible... the Mecanism that we have created some Months earlier, the EU Financial Stability Mechanism", Sarkozy anounced.

    - Thus, it "will be able to intervene even in a Preventive manner, to help a State in a Transitory Stage", (i.e. before an looming, possible Crisis becomes really effective and hard to tackle, precisely in the direction that the incoming Polish EU Presidency has recently highlighted also in Statements to "EuroFora", as a kind of "FireFighter" tool, allowing to Rapidly start to act before it becomes too or very late : See earlier Newsreport from the lateste EU Parliament's session).

    - It "could, if needed, help to ReCapitalize the Banking sector, and it can intervene in the Secondary Market of Debt, when ECB finds a problem" ! This is a considerable "Structural" Change "since we created the FSF"; the French President observed.
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    As German Chancellor Merkel explained later, in order to prevent for any undesirable "effects to skip to other counties", "we (€uroZone Summit) have taken steps to counter this very closely, by consistently making our EFSF instruments more Flexible" In addition, "this of course means that we can react in the Future much Better".

    In particular, "we will improve the Effectiveness and increase the Flexibility of the EFSF and the following ESM, in order to Prevent Contagion", she pointed out   

"There are 3 variants:

1) "a Precautionary Loan program, (i.e.) a way to ReCapitalize financial institutions'.

2) "Just when banks must be recapitalized, it is decided by the Governments, and does also include the Non-Program Countries. This is important because Attack effects can then be Contained".

3) "Then, thirdly, possible Interventions in the Secondary Market, in strict Conditionality : ECB is the institution that gives the signal. Decisions must be Unanimous. There must be an Extraordinary financial market situation. Risks to financial stability have to be there. It must be made in order to Prevent Attack effects, the so-called "Contagion"; she explained.
---------------------------
    - Concerning the question of a "European Monetary Fund" (as French President Sarkozy called it), I believe that with the permanent mechanism the ESM, we have an institution that can act on a permanent basis", i.e. as the IMF", the German Chancellor admitted.

- "But there are certainly some Differences between the €uro area and the International Monetary Fund. F.ex., the did IMF does Not act on the Secondary Market, because it is not necessary, since, generally, there is No Contagion effects" at a Global level. "This means that the €uro area still has a Specificity", and "these are 2 Different things", she noted.
-------------------------------------------
+ New, Stronger Plan to tackle the Debt on Greece :
----------------------------------------------------
    Concerning the well known Urgency currently existing in Greece, Sarkozy anounced "Extremely Strong Measures to reinforce the sustainability of the Debt on Greece",  i.e. "give a better chance to Greece to sort it out, by Reducing the Weight of its Debt" !
    - "Greece has a 230 Billions € GDP, i.e. 2% of €uroZone's GDP, but the Debt on Greece is ..350 Billions €, i.e., i.e. 160% of its GDP for the next 10 Years !"; " But, what we decided, allows to reduce Greece's Debt for - 12 points", he anounced

    - " We reached, last night (in Berlin) a Draft Agreement with Chancellor Merkel, that EU President Van Rompuy has succeeded to transform into an 17 Countries €uroZone deal", Sarkozy reminded.

    - In particular, it's about "Lower Rates for Future Loans from the Private sector, (i.e.) and average of 4,5% over 30 Years". I.e. about 3 to 4% for State Loans, according to Market developments, and on Private Loans, an average of 4,5% in the next 10 Years, Reducing the Debt on Greece at about  - 12%, he noted.

    - " We help Greece to reimburse by acting with Voluntarism on Rates,
through an Embryon of a European Fund, and we'll Guarantee the New Loans by the Banks with the above mentioned Rates", he promised.
----------------
    + In addition, "while being convinced that Greece must continue to make efforts and reforms, we (€uroZone) shall also strongly help Greece to find anew a road towards Growth", Sarkozy stressed.

    - "Because, obviously, if you ask from a country to make efforts, it has also to find a way to bring Growth back, otherwise it won't sort it out".

    => This will be done mainly "with a resolute policy of Structural Funds' allocation in the service of Greece's Competitiveness", the French President anounced, (apparently developing further an idea earlier proposed also by EU Commission's President Jose Barroso, as he had suggested at a Press Conference concluding an earlier EU Brussels' Summit  : Comp. "EuroFora"s previous NewsReports from Brussels).     
---------------
    + It's, indeed, "very important"  that we (€ureoZone Summit) discussed a Plan  ...to Strengthen  Growth in Greece. It will provide technical support", and  "help, wherever necessary", added German Chancellor Merkel on the same point.     

    - "'It will, first of all, ensure that Greece's Structural Funds can finally be really used, even with Better conditions for their own Co-Financing, (i.e. f.ex. by rising EU's part to more than 75% or even 80%, so that Greece's part becomes less costly than before), so that there will be no reason not to absorb those EU Funds", she observed.

     - "We want to make our contribution to that effort in the direction of Growth, in order to ensure that the Greek government is using all available means towards Growth, Jobs, f.ex. improving Education, in order to improve its overall Competitiveness", Merkel noted on a point of particular interest for her policies.

    + "In turn, the EU Commission, the IMF and individual member countries, as well as the adopted Program, are of great Technical support for Greece  when it comes to introducing, implementing and improving Competitiveness", the German Chancellor found.

-------------------  

 => Therefore, "about Greece, our (€uroZone's) Hope is that its Plan succeeds, so that Greece finds anew a Growth and Reimburses us, so that there will Not be any Cost !" , Sarkozy replied to a question about how much might cost this plan.

    - "It's almost as an earlier French Plan to support Banks, (during the 2008-2009 Global Crisis triggered in the USA). At that time, there were a lot of Debates about how much it was going to cost. But, finally, it brought 2 Billions 400 Millions € of .. Gains to the French Peopl !" Sarkozy reminded.

     - "The Cost of a Plan is better seen when it Ends. And the point about the Plan for Greece is for Greece to succeed, and we give it the means to do so.  Thus, it's after the 1st Stage of this Plan, in about 3 Years, that it will be better to Reply accurately to this question, because it's difficult to say now how much it might, eventually cost", the French President observed.

    - "The only thing that we could say Now, is how much we may Advance in this Plan".

    - But, "there is also a question about the ReCapitalisation of Greek Banks", since, "according to the reactions of the Markets, there might, perhaps, be this or that event, which could incite the European Fund to take part into refunding Greek Banks. Because, naturally, Greek Banks must be able to work. But we cannot anticipate. However, we don't exclude a Re-Funding action by the FSF, (as it's officially anounced in today's Communiqué), if necessary".

    - Therefore, "what we can say now is that there is a mass of Money, about 100 Billions, but, during the coming Days we'll be able to adjust the various sub-divisions inside the global envelope", he carefuly avoided more concrete details.

    In fact, this is an issue related to the so-called "Private Sector Contribution", exclusively for the Debt on Greece :
---------------------------
Private Sector Participation
-------------------------------------------
    - Notoriously, it was mainly "Debates on Private Sector's Participation, technically complicated and politically difficult", which almost monopolized the greatest part of the Debates, Sarkozy observed.

    - "We spoke with Private Banks, both last Night (in Berlin) and Today (in Brussels), because the Debt on Greece is held both by Public and Private Banks".

    - The €uroZone Plan on Private Banks' Contribution  "is based on a Voluntary basis, but this doesn't exclude a Discussion : We (€uroZone States) are making an effort, everyone must make an effort, and we must ensure that all this is coherent".

    - "As it's well known, Germany wanted a participation of the Private sector, but the CEB didn't want that, because it was afraid of its eventual consequences. So that we {€uroZone Summit) had to find a Compromise".   

    - "France was very much involved in efforts to find that kind of compromise, which was found last night (in Berlin). And we had to take into account also the difficulties of all" EuroZone Members, as well as to "ensure that all had understood well" what was proposed, "and that wasn't always simple".   

 - So, we had 7 Hours of discussion" in Berlin, (up to 3 or 4 earluy Morning !), and, afterwards, some 10 Hours of Discussions" in Brussels, Sarkozy revealed.

    - "On the Private Sector, Negociations were concluded, may be not on all details, f.ex. Bank by Bank, Loan by Loan,  but the Great Lines and the Principle were agreed".

      - "Of course there is a Political Vision, but this is concretely crystalised in Numbers; the Debt on Greece is 160% of its GDP :  It has a GDP of 230 Billions € GDP, and a Debt of 350 Billions €", he observed...
-----------------------------------
    >>>" Greece is a Special case. Therefore, ...the contribution of the Private creditors applies for Greece in its Particular situation", noted later Merkel.

    - In particular, we (€uroZone States) "will provide a net (Public) contribution of 37 Billions € to fund Greece in the period 2011-2014, and of 106 Billions € in the period 2011-2019"

    + "If we add the Private participation, through a Debt Buyback program, then we come to 12,6 Billions € as a contribution of private creditors to the overall program, so that we arrive, for the period 2011/14, up to 50 Billions €" in all, she explained.

     - In the "Private Creditors' Contribution", among "Various Options", "including overdue loans", are "several things, various Options, .. such as an Exchange of Bonds into New bonds with a Maturity of 30 years, with an unchanged nominal Amount", or, "Alternatively, in a bond with a Reduced notional Amount and Shorter duration, f.ex. 15 Years", (etc); Merkel observed.
--------------------------
    Replying to a Question on an eventual "Partial Default" for Greece, the French President stressed that he "would Not use this Wording". Simply, "for Greece to be able to reimburse its Debt, we prolonge its Duration and lower the Rates, the Private Sector contributing to do so", Sarkozy explained.

    - Afterwards, Rating Agencies or anyone else can say what he likes. But Greece will pay its Debt, and we (€uroZone) act to Lower Rates, and prolonge its Duration". Moreover, "there will be Guarantees for the Private Sector which will give such Loans to Greece", he added. (See also Infra, about Merkel's observations on that point).

    + "We also strongly declare that, what we are doing for Greece won't be done for other" Countries, Sarkozy clearly exluded.

    Indeed, that particular "question on Rates Quest is Exclusively limited to Greece, No other Country", he stressed.

    + Indeed, the so-called "Contagion" issue kept us busy for a while, both between France and Germany, as well as vis a vis the other €uroZone Countries.  It wasn't easy, but we had to find the Right Way, amidst Gaps on both sides, it had to be extremely accurate"; he aditted.

    - Thus, "for the other 2 Countries, (needing €uroZone's help), Portugal and Ireland, we are going to lower Rates, and extend the maturity of Loans by the European Monetary Fund, (almost as for Greece),  but we Exclude the Participation of the Private Sector : That's Not for them", Sarkozy explained.

    - On the 1st out of these 2 points, "the reason for which we lower Rates for them too, is that there can't be different rates, unless to claim that a country which respected its commitments should have, nevertheless, a Higher Rate, but that would obviously be an Injustice", he observed..

    - "But the EU Fund will continue working for all €uroZone Countries on Other Issues", he added.

    - "However, the Private Sector's involvement, we do it only for Greece, but not for any other Country".  It's, indeed, "Important" to note that, "what we do for Greece, we shall Not do for any Other €uroZone member. Because, in this Sustainability issue, what is at stake is the "Contagion". That's why, we (€uroZone) clearly say that Greece is a Specific case, so that what we do for Greece, we won't do for any other Country. That's  an extremely firm Political Choice", Sarkozy stressed.
-------------------------
- To the question, why a previous €uroZone decision wasn't enough, and what guarantees that, this time, the measures decided will be sufficient,  he reminded that, a few Months ago, IMF had said that the Debt on Greece would be sustainable. But the Markets (i.e. Rating Agencies) decided otherwise. Now,  what makes us firmly believe that, this time, the new Plan will work, is the fact that, with such Rates (i.e. so Low), we give every Chance to Greece", he estimated.

 - "Because it's as if FSF gave loans to Greece at the Same Rates with which it finds funds for itself, so that it uses the maximum it can do", as a lending facility, he noted in concludion.

"EuroFora" understands that, obviously this logical assumption implies that the Greek Government of Mr. Giorgos Papandreou would use these Loans mainly in efficient Economic Projects, able to create enough Growth, and therefore, Public Revenues, in order to become able to pay back the debts on time.

On the contrary, this would be, naturally, incompatible with any eventual Waste of all that €uroZone Money (as in the Past) only in order to continue paying Salaries, Retirement schemes, Primes, etc. to a notoriously excessive Mass of Cushy Job holders and other Lackeys in the Public Sector, including Media, etc., who have already usurpated too much Public Money (provoking a growing Debt since the 1980ies) all the way long through the entire last 3 Decades : 1980-2010+, particularly those which were notoriously marked by Clientelism, Corruption, Nepotism and other Abuses...

But, since this last Risk is obvious (Comp. also Prime Minister Giorgos Papandreou's 1st relevant Statements in Reply to "EuroFora" Question, right from the start of his 1st EU Summit in Brussels, back on December 2009, already), then, €uroZone's Economic Efficiency legitimate requirements, paradoxically, could only find a real Hope to be fulfilled, if it used as a Socio-Political Ally, the currently growing Popular Movement of independent Citizens' Massive Demonstrations at Syntagma square and elsewhere throughout all Greece, which include a strong Criticism of the State Authorities' induced Corruption and oppressive Nepotism, as well as People's calls for a "Purge" against all Corrupted Nepotists in the Greek State and Media, without any Time Limit, i.e. from the re-establishement of Democracy, back on 1974, throughout the 1980ies and 1990ies, as well as after 2000...

F.ex., Efficient Investigations should open, without any Time limit, so that, whoever is holding a Public Sector post, totally or partially, without doing a Productive activity, or without Deserving that, or abusing of that in order to get illegitimately enriched, and/or to serve illegitimate interests of those who gave hilm/her  that job, should be immediately fired and/or fined, condemned to return the money he usurpated and/or compensation for the abuses committed and their Victims, etc, with interest rates for the time elapsed. to be calculated according to the gravity of the abuses committed by the culprits, (naturally, independently  of any eventual Crimininal procedure).

Already, even some mainstream Political Parties of the Opposition, have officially proposed to launch systematic Investigations for any Corruption and/or other unlawful enrichement, by any Political responsibility post in the Greek State, since the 1974-2011 period of the re-establishement of Democracy in modern Greece. But, in order to be both economically Efficient, and to serve People's thirst for Justice, this should obviously be extended also to any other individual to whom a parcel of State, Public Enterprise or Public Media, etc. responsibility was unduly entrusted, and/or he/she abused of it, to the detriment of the General Interest of the Society.
------------------------------------------------------------
Meanwhile, as German Chancellor Merkel also observed, shortly after Sarkozy's Press Conference in Brussels, reacting to a question concerning, in particular, the total of estimated Private creditors' loss, (that some might call "selective default" for the "1st time in €uro area"),  Merkel perefered to carefully, but calmly reply that " the Rating Agencies will look at all this".

- But, now "we [€uroZone) have a Secure Framework, in which we can Act", and this stands "on Solid ground", the German Chancellor observed.

Because, for "debt Sustainability, the Contributions of the Private Creditors are extremely Important". "I Welcome this Voluntary contribution of the Banks"; as  "the Right Signal at a Difficult time. It is therefore an important signal", the German Chancellor pointed out.

Therefore,  "this will also be taken into account into the Evaluations by the Markets ", she concluded.