Page 6 - aruba-today-20200929

A6 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 29 sepTember 2020
Pompeo pledges U.S. support to ease Greece-Turkey dispute

By COSTAS KANTOURIS important that they're re-
Associated Press solved in a way that deliv-
THESSALONIKI, Greece (AP) ers outcomes that each of
— U.S. Secretary of State the two nations find more
Mike Pompeo said Monday than acceptable."
that Washington will use European Union members
its diplomatic and military later this week are to dis-
influence in the region to cuss imposing sanctions on
try to ease a volatile dis- Turkey for its actions.
pute between NATO allies In Istanbul, Turkish Presi-
Greece and Turkey over dent Recep Tayyip Erdo-
energy rights in the eastern gan voiced support for the
Mediterranean. peaceful resolution of dis-
Pompeo began a five-day putes and renewed a call
regional tour in the north- for solutions that would pro-
ern Greek city of Thessa- tect everyone's rights.
loniki, days after Greece "I invite all countries in the
and Turkey committed to Mediterranean that are our
restarting a diplomatic neighbors, and especially
dialogue on the dispute Greece, to stop viewing the
that triggered a danger- eastern Mediterranean as
ous military build-up — and a zero-sum game. Come,
fears of military conflict — let's together turn the Medi-
in the disputed maritime U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, left, and Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias touch elbows terranean into a basin of
area over the summer. The during their meeting in the northern city of Thessaloniki, Greece, Monday, Sept. 28, 2020. peace once again ... let's
Associated Press
United States and Greece make energy a matter for
"reiterated their dedication dias. Relations between Greece claims is on its logue, not demonstrations cooperation, not conflict,"
to enhancing their close Greece and neighboring own continental shelf and of power. "We've watched Erdogan said.
cooperation as NATO al- Turkey deteriorated sharp- where it claims exclusive the Greeks move in that Pompeo had discussed
lies, using all appropriate ly this year over disputed economic rights. Athens direction trying to achieve the situation in the eastern
means at their disposal, in maritime boundaries and sent warships of its own to that," he told Greece's ANA Mediterranean late Sun-
order to safeguard stabil- exploration rights in the the area. Pompeo wel- state news agency. "We day with NATO Secretary-
ity and security in the wider eastern Mediterranean. comed the decision of Ath- hope the Turkish govern- General Jens Stoltenberg
region," the two countries Turkey sent a research ves- ens and Ankara to restart ment will see it the same as he headed to Greece.
said in a joint statement af- sel, accompanied by war- exploratory talks and said way, and we hope the Pompeo's regional tour will
ter Pompeo met with Greek ships, to prospect for en- maritime disputes should exploratory talks not only also include Italy, the Vati-
Foreign Minister Nikos Den- ergy resources in an area be solved through dia- get kicked off right, but it's can and Croatia. q

3 countries to assess new info about 1994 ferry sinking

tries said that they "rely on the survivors have said they the surface. The wreck is
final conclusions" of a 1997 saw a ship close to Estonia, considered a graveyard,
report that concluded that the most likely cause is (the which gives the area pro-
the ferry sank after the bow ferry) collided with a sub- tection under the law, and
door locks failed in a storm. marine," Kurm told Estonian the agreement criminal-
It flatly rejected the theory television. ized activities that would
of a hole, which has long He ruled out that a fishing disturb it. However, Finnish
been the focus of specula- boat could have created and Swedish coast guards
tion about a possible explo- the hole, telling the daily cannot stop any diving en-
sion on board. Postimees that the Estonia deavor because the wreck
"It cannot be ruled out that "collided with something lies in international waters.
the damage was impor- big enough to pierce the Last year, the production
tant for the sinking process," hull." team behind the docu-
Joergen Amdahl, professor Ann Linde, Pekka Haavisto mentary sent an underwa-
of marine technology in and Urmas Reinsalu — the ter robot to film the wreck.
In this Nov. 19, 1994 file photo, the bow door of the sunken Trondheim, said in the five- foreign ministers of Sweden, Jessica Linnman, head of
passenger ferry M/S Estonia is lifted up from the bottom of the episode documentary to Finland and Estonia — said communications for Dis-
sea, off Uto Island, in the Baltic Sea. be aired Monday. in a joint statement that covery Sweden, said "the
Associated Press Margus Kurm, the former they "have agreed that film crew found that it was
By DAVID KEYTON the Baltic Sea in 1994 that head of the Estonian gov- verification of the new in- journalistically justified to
Associated Press killed 852 people. ernment's investigative formation presented in the dive to the wreck using a
STOCKHOLM (AP) — The A television documentary group, said in a television documentary will be made robot."
governments of Sweden, aired to coincide with the interview that the ship most in accordance and full "The case is of great pub-
Finland and Estonia said 26th anniversary of the sink- likely sank after a collision respect" of a 1995 agree- lic interest and this was the
Monday they will jointly as- ing of the M/S Estonia in- with a submarine. ment to protect the wreck only way for the production
sess what that they called cludes video images from "Considering that the hole as a final place of rest for to determine if the official
"new significant informa- the wreck site showing a is below the water line victims of the disaster. statement available today
tion" in connection with hole in the hull measuring 4 and considering no one Some 758 bodies remain is credible, or if there are
one of Europe's deadliest meters (13 feet) on the star- has ever mentioned that entombed on the car ferry, circumstances that have
peacetime maritime disas- board side. another ship could have which rests on the seabed not been revealed to the
ters, the sinking of a ferry in However, the three coun- sunk Estonia and none of 80 meters (265 feet) below public," she said.q