[01] TRACHEOTOMY APPLIED ON GREEK PRIME MINISTER

[02] PAPANDREOU'S SUCCESSION DISCUSSED BY PROSPECTIVE CANDIDATES

[03] ACTING PRIME MINISTER RECEIVED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC

[04] A JUST SOLUTION WILL FINALLY PREVAIL IN ISSUE OF NAME OF SKOPJE

[05] NATIONAL YOUTH COUNCIL IS THE NUCLEUS OF THE COMMUNICATION

[05] UNIFIED BALKAN AIR-SPACE BASED ON THESSALONIKI PROMOTED

[06] NAME "MACEDONIANS" FOR THE SKOPJANS IS NOT ACCEPTED

[07] NEWS IN BRIEF NEWS IN ENGLISH

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[B] EIDHSEIS STA ELLHNIKA

[01] TRACHEOTOMY APPLIED ON GREEK PRIME MINISTER A tracheotomy therapy was applied today on the greek prime minister mr Andreas Papandreou who has been in hospital since November 20th. Mr Papandreou had been breathing for the last seven days with the help of a respirator which was applied on him when it was found that he had difficulty in breathing. According to information availiable the doctors feared that there as the eventuality that implications appear in his lungs after the long-term use of the respirator which is not indicated. The serious problem which appeared yesterday concering the briefing of the covering the stay of mr Papandreou's at the Onassion Cardiology Centre of Athens, one of the best equipped in Europe, after they refused to receive a briefing by the general director of the hospital who is not a doctor himself, continued today as well. Ministers of the government today rejected the petition for a written daily briefing on mr Papandreou's health, submitted in a letter sent today to the Minister of Health mr Dimitris Cremastinos who has been treating mr Papandreou since 1988 by the president of the main opposition party of New Democracy mr Miltiades Evert. Mr Papandreou's situation has been extremely critical since eight years ago, in September 1988, he was submited to an open heart operation by the famous egyptian surgeon dr Magdi Yacub in the London Hospital of Heartfiled. The greek prime minister, born in February 1919, is married to ms Demetra Liani Papandreou and has four children from a previous marriage, one of whom is the minister of education mr Giorgos Papandreou.

[02] PAPANDREOU'S SUCCESSION DISCUSSED BY PROSPECTIVE CANDIDATES Prospective candidates for the succession to the Greek Prime Minister mr Andreas Papandreou, treated in hospital since November 20th, continued today their meetings altough they sometimes contradict that these meetings are connected with the sucession. Today ex-Minister of Trade and Industry mr Constantinos Simitis who is included among the prospective successors of mr Papandreou's met after an initiative of his, the speaker of the parliament mr Apostolos Kaklamanis who is expected to deposit candidature. The governmental Panhellenic Socialistic Movement (PASOK) was founded, after the fall of the military dictatorship in 1974 by mr Andreas Papandreou. Led by him, the party has governed the country for ten years having won three general elections.The first two were successive in 1981 and 1985 and the third in 1993. The party holds 169 seats in the 300-seat greek parliament and according to the greek constitution, the new prime minister is elected by the parliamentary group of the majority party. The highest decisive body of the party is the 19- member executive bureau which in a session held last night under the secretary of the central committee mr Constantinos Scandalidis disapproved of all scenarios on the succession which appear in the dailies. This was the second session of the bureau since mr Papandreou has been admitted in hospital while the 150- member central committee has not met yet. According to the statute of the party, the secretary of the Central Committee can not be a member of the government.

[03] ACTING PRIME MINISTER RECEIVED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC Acting prime minister mr Akis Tsohadjopoulos was received by the President of the Republic mr Constantinos Stephanopoulos whom he informed on the 1996 budget and the preparations afor the greek participation in the December European Union Summit due in Madrid next week, where he will head the greek deligation. Later today mr Tsohadjopoulos left for Brussels where he will represent the governing socialsitic PASOk in the session of the parties of the European Socialistc party. Mr Tsohadjopoulos, 59, a civil engineer, who has been replacing mr Papandreou as he should according to the greek law for government, has been one of the most loyal supporters of the greek prime minister's and held the post of the secretary of its central committee for five years until September 1995 when he left the secretariat to return to the government.

[04] A JUST SOLUTION WILL FINALLY PREVAIL IN ISSUE OF NAME OF SKOPJE The belief that the useful and the just will prevail in the issue of the name of Skopje was expressed by Archbishop of North and South America, Iakovos in an exclusive interview with MPA. In the extensive interview the Archbishop pointed out that the United States show every minute their "protectionism" toward this newly created state but added that 1996 is election year for the US and for this reason the problem can be resolved with good results for Greece. Archbishop Iakovos appeared pesimistic over the solution of the Cyprus problem by saying characteristically that "the Turks do not undo what they do". He said that Turkey should not threaten Greece with the occupation of the rest of Cyprus adding that the issue could have been solved a long time ago if reason had prevailed. He said that when the turkish presence in the south-eastern european region is handled in a more rational way then Turkey will realize that is not to its interest to maintain a permanent presence of a military or colonizing nature in Cyprus. Referring to his relations with the Ecumenical Patriarch he stressed that they are secondary and they can not create problems within the Church. He admitted that the difference of opinion has to do among others, with the issue of his resignation from the Bishopric, the way the Theology School in Boston operates and the structure of the Greek - Orthodox Church in the United States. Archbishop Iakovos said that the United States want to avert any danger even of a limited conflict in Skopje adding that President Clinton wants to prove in a dynamic way that he supports the peace and reconciliation among the peoples. According to Archbishop Iakovos, a turn of events satisfying truth and history is not impossible. He said that Macedonia can not be divided and has been one since the times of Herodotus and Homer, adding that this is a historical truth and a historical demand.

[05] NATIONAL YOUTH COUNCIL IS THE NUCLEUS OF THE COMMUNICATION The establishment of the National Youth Council will be the nucleus of the youth networks said Young Generation general secretary mr.Panagiotis Tsilingaridis. Speaking in the forum of the young greeks living abroad held in the framework of the organizing conference of the Council of Overseas Hellenism mr.Tsilingaridis said that youth networks must be established for the better communication between the greek state and the greek youth organizations all over the world, while similar networks should start operating for the better communication and cooperation among the youth organizations of greeks living abroad. One of the forum's objectives is the election of the members of a committee that will represent the young greeks living abroad in the World Assembly of Hellenism. Mr.Tsilingaridis said that the communication problem of youth has been resolved on european level with the programme "Youth for Europe" in which participate youth organizations from the EU, Eastern European countries, the Black Sea, Cyprus and Malta. Secretary General for the Overseas Hellenism mr.Nikos Dimadis said that education is very important and stressed the need for teachers who will be members of the greek communities abroad as they are more familiar with the people and the region where they will be teaching. Minister of Macedonia-Thrace mr.Kostas Triaridis speaking in the opening of the forum he stressed that a great effort is being made today for the country's development which is in period of transformation while he underlined that above all the young greeks living abroad must be good citizens in their host countries.

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[05] UNIFIED BALKAN AIR-SPACE BASED ON THESSALONIKI PROMOTED

Two important plans are being promoted by the Civil Aviation Service. The first one concerns the establishment of a unified Balkan Air-Space based in Thessaloniki while the other one concerns the eastern Mediterranean region and will be based in Larnaca, Cyprus, according to Minister of Transport and Communications mr.Evangelos Venizelos.

He said that the goal is to become Thessaloniki's Macedonia Airport the second in importance after the Athens Airport that will be constructed in Spata and also the second operational center of Olympic Airways.

[06] NAME "MACEDONIANS" FOR THE SKOPJANS IS NOT ACCEPTED The position that the greeks from northern Greece living abroad will never accept a name for Skopje that will include the term "Macedonia" or any of its derivatives was declared during a press conference of the Presidents and representatives of Pan-Macedonian Associations participating in the founding conference of the Council of Overseas Hellenism. They also announced that in 1997 when Thessaloniki will be the Cultural Capital of Europe there will be a World Conference of Pan- Macedonian Associations held in the city. President of the Pan-Macedonian Association of Europe, Paschalis Papachristopoulos stated that the associations do not agree with the interim agreement signed in New York because it has many shortcomings. He also said that most important is the settlement of the issue of the name that will be used by Skopje which has not been resolved yet and its discussion has been postponed to take place sometime in the future. Mr.Papachristopoulos also reminded the statements made yesterday in New York by a representative of the skopjan government who said that there is no issue of a change in the name of his country.

[07] NEWS IN BRIEF * The Prime Minister's state of health remains unchanged while he is still breathing with the help of a respirator. According to the medical communique issued today, the doctors have decided to perform tracheostomy on the patient in order to stop being dependent on the special breathing apparatus. The dialysis treatment continues and the functioning of his heart remains unchanged. * The delegations participating in the founding conference of the Council of Overseas Hellenism declared their position that they will not accept the use of the name "Macedonia" or any of its derivatives by Skopje. * The National Youth Council will be the nucleus of the youth networks, according to secretary general of Young Generation mr.Tsilingaridis speaking in the forum held in the framework of the Council of Overseas Hellenism. * Archbishop of North and South America, Iakovos in an exclusive interview to MPA expressed the belief that "the useful and the just" will prevail in the issue of the name of Skopje. * Two important plans for the creation of a Unified Balkan Air-Space based in Thessaloniki and of a Unified Eastern-Mediterranean Air-Space based in Larnaca, Cyprus are being promoted by the greek Civil Aviation Service. * The NATO Foreign Ministers' meeting continues in Brussels in order to be discussed the issue of the alliance's expansion eastwards. The russian Foreign Minister reiterated today that Russia is against any expansion of NATO. * Referendum on the acceptability of the Dayton peace agreement will be held next week among the serbs living in the serb-held parts of Sarajevo. The Dayton agreement provides that the bosnian capital will be under the croat and muslim control.