The Greek government on Thursday said it had found no evidence of an alleged secret deal made between the European Union and the United States when Greece held the rotating EU presidency in the first half of 2003.

Responding to a report in the Greek newspaper "Pontiki", which said that the EU had undertaken to provide services to the aircraft of U.S. services at European airports, alternate government spokesman Evangelos Antonaros said that an investigation at the foreign ministry had revealed no sign of such an agreement, either secret or open.

The spokesman also noted that reporters should seek more details from the current leader of main opposition PASOK, George Papandreou, who was foreign minister during that period.

Answering questions concerning a later agreement signed in November for the participation of 2000 Greeks in a European battle group, Antonaros pointed out that this had been officially announced and was well known.

In fact, he added, the inclusion of Cyprus into the "Balkan" battle group that will be headed by Greece had been seen as something of a coup for Greek diplomacy.

Source: Athens News Agency

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