Bruton briefs Greek PM on peace and beef

THE Taoiseach, Mr Bruton, briefed the Greek Prime Minister, Mr Costas Simitis, yesterday on the goals of the Irish presidency of the European Union, the Peace process and the disease free nature of Irish beef.

At a press conference afterwards in a Dublin hotel, Mr Simitis said it had been a "very good meeting". They were in agreement that the main goals of the Irish presidency should be tackling unemployment and looking at the EU policies on that issue.

They also discussed the InterGovernmental Conference. "Greece and Ireland have the same general view of the problems we are both for a more federal structure of the EU and we do not believe the EU should be only a single market. It should be something more."

On Cyprus, the Prime Minister said Mr Bruton was of the opinion that the EU should play a role in the solution of this problem.

The Cypriot application to join the EU was also discussed and Mr Simitis expressed satisfaction with the level of Irish support for this.

The Taoiseach had asked him about the Greek government's decision to block an EU aid package to Turkey because of a dispute over islands in the Aegean. "I answered that we cannot change our position."

They also discussed the issue of Economic and Monetary Union. "Mr Bruton explained what the position of the Irish Republic is, because of your relations with Great Britain; it depends also on the position of Great Britain."

Mr Simitis was accompanied by the deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr George Romeos, and the Minister for the Press and Mass Media, Mr Dimitris Reppas.