[ALBSA-Info] Interfax news

[Agron Alibali]

December 5, 2001, Wednesday 
Russia welcomes broad cooperation with Greece 

 Interfax news agency, Moscow, in English 1059 gmt 5 Dec 01 




Text of report in English by Russian news agency Interfax 

Moscow, 5 December: The development of comprehensive cooperation with Greece meets Russia's interests, Foreign Ministry spokesman Aleksandr Yakovenko told journalists today. 

Russia and Greece are expanding "cooperation in pressing issues of current international politics, where the two countries' positions are traditionally close or coincide", Yakovenko said. Moscow and Athens "have a foundation for continuing the coordination of joint efforts in the Balkans, including stabilization of the situation in Macedonia", he said. 

In the UN, the two countries maintain close contacts in relation to a Cypriot settlement. 

"A tendency for growth has become clear" in bilateral trade, Yakovenko said. Trade turnover reached 1.22bn dollars in 2000, up from 892m dollars in 1999, he said. 

"Implementation of an agreement for Russian gas supplies to Greece ensures stability and long-term prospects for Russia-Greece ties," he said. 

"Operation of a Russia-built gas pipeline began in January 1997 in Greece," he recalled. 

The economic importance has grown for "a currently drafted project, with the participation of Russia and Greece, for construction of the Burgas-Alexandropolis oil pipeline for pumping oil from Novorossiysk to Europe," he said. 

"Implementation of these large joint projects meets the long-term interests of both Russia and Greece, promotes their closer economic cooperation and creates a basis for a new fuel and energy infrastructure in the Balkans," he said. 



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