09/08/2004 (Agence Europe) - In an interview with Le Monde newspaper on 8/9 August, Greek prime minister Costas Caramanlis said his country wanted to be part of the EU's avant-garde through strengthened cooperation. He said he favoured enlargement, but could not imagine everybody moving forward at the same speed in a greater Europe. The countries which believe in a strong Europe, he said, should form an avant-garde. He added that Greece was already in that avant-garde, with the euro, Schengen, the defence policy, etc. On Turkey's prospects of joining the EU, Caramanlis said that a Europeanised Turkey was in the interests of everyone. Asked whether the situation in Cyprus could hinder Turkey's accession negotiations, Caramanlis said he did not believe so. Commenting on the Cypriot government's reservations about the aid for Turkish Cypriots being considered by the European Commission, he said he totally supports the aid measures to improve the standard of living of the Turkish Cypriot community as long as the EU acquis and EU legislation are not violated or got round. (See Europe of 28 July, p.5).