MPA NEWS IN ENGLISH (30/07/1996)

From: Macedonian Press Agency <mpa@philippos.mpa.gr>

Macedonian Press Agency News in English Directory

MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Thessaloniki, July 30, 1996

NEWS IN ENGLISH

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

TITLES

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

NEWS IN DETAIL

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[01] GOLDEN NIGHT FOR GREECE, FOURTH GOLD MEDAL WON IN SAILING

All of Greece is rejoicing the victory of its athletes who earned the gold medals in yesterday's weightlifting, floor gymnastics and sailing competitions at the Atlanta-held centennial Olympic Games.

In the sailing competition, Nikos Kaklamanakis won the gold medal in the "Mistral" race yesterday, while weightlifter Akakios Kakhiasvilis broke the world record by lifting 235 kilos, in total 420, competing in the 99 kilos category.

Floor gymnast Yiannis Melissanides amassed the high score of 9,850 with his impressive performance gaining the gold medal in gymnastics, the first ever won by Greece in this sport.

The Greek weighlifting team holds first place worldwide, after the two gold medals of Pyrros Demas and Akakios Kahiasvilis, along with the three silver medals of Leonidas Sabanis, Valerios Leonides and Leonidas Kokkas.

All of Greece is rejoicing the victory of its golden athletes who will be celebrated grantly upon their return to Greece. The greek government will charter a flight from Atlanta to Athens on August 5 for the champions and that evening an event celebrating their victories will be held at Athens' Panathinaikon Stadium.

[02] GREEK LEADERS SALUTE NIKOS KAKLAMANAKIS, GOLD MEDALIST IN SAILING

A wave of congratulatory telegrams has flooded Nikos Kaklamanakis for his victory in yesterday's "Mistral" race in the sailing competition during the centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta where he won the gold medal.

In his congratulatory telegram to the gold medalist, the Prime Minister Kostas Simitis wrote "the Argonauts don't only live in mythical worlds, as your 'golden fleece' proved. Your victory opens the golden sails for a Greece of creation."

Main opposition New Democracy leader Militades Evert wrote that "your glorious and worthy victory in the Olympic Games honors Greece and justifies your lengthy efforts and noble expectations."

Antonis Samaras, the minor opposition party president, wrote to Kaklamanakis "you've made us all very proud. Even in foreign waters you sailed the greek flag. Congratulations."

Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) leader Nikos Konstantopoulos wrote "you gave new air to greek athletics which open sail now."

[03] PATRIARCH PARTHENIOS BURIED TODAY, ORTHODOXY MOURNS

Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria and all of Africa Parthenios was buried today in Cairo at the Saint George Monastery. The Patriarch died of a heart attack on July 23 while he was vacationing at the Greek island of Amorgos. His body has been lying in state since Saturday at the Saint Nicholas Patriarchal Church in the Egyptian capital.

In honor of the late Patriarch's memory, the Patriarch of Antioch Ignatios traveled to Cairo, while representing the Greek President Konstantinos Stephanopoulos was the director of the Diplomatic Office to the Presidency of the Republic, Mr. Kaklikis.

A delegation of greek government officials also travelled to Cairo, headed by the Minister of Education and Religion George Papandreou, Alternate Foreign Minister George Romeos (he is also responsible for issues of overseas Greeks), the Ministers of Environment, City Planning and Public Works Elizabeth Papazoi, Health and Welfare Theodoros Kotsonis and the Secretary-General of the Ministry of the Interior, Public Administration and De- centralization Evdokia Sereli.

Present at the funeral were the following parliamentarians: Gerasimos Aravanis, Vasilios Korahais, Stelios Papathemelis, and Theodoros-Stephanos Stephanopoulos.

Also present were the metropolitan bishops Mr. Cyrillos, Mr. Irinaios, Mr. Nikodimos, and the bishops Mr. Theoklitos, Mr. Philimon, Mr. Theodoros, and Mr. Ioakim.

Representing the cypriot government were the Minister of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment, Kostas Petrides who will be accompanied by the general director of the Cypriot Foreign Ministry Alekos Siabos.

[04] METROPOLITE OF ITALY, SPIRIDON, ELECTED NEW ARCHBISHOP OF NORTH AND SOUTH AMERICA

The Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate, made up of 12 Metropolites, unanimously elected Metropolite of Italy, Spiridon as new Archbishop of North and South America.

The three contestants for the position, elected in the Patriarchal Cathedral of St.George, were Metropolite of Italy, Spiridon, Metropolite of New Zealand, Dionisios and Bishop of Zinoupolis, Aristarchos.

The new Archbishop of North and South America comes from the island of Rhodes and graduated from the Theology School in Chalki, where he studied in the period of 1962-1966. He continued further his education in Switzerland (1967-1968) and in Germany on an Ecumenical Patriarchate scholarship (1969-1973).

He served in the Ecumenical Patriarchate's permanent delegation in the World Council of Churches (Geneva 1966-1967) and he has been secretary of the Ecumenical Patriarchate's Orthodox Center in Geneva, while at the same time he was editor-in-chief in "Episkepsis" magazine.

Since 1984, has served as secretary of the Ecumenical Patriarchate's delegation in the Theological Dialogue between the Orthodox and the Catholic Churches, while in November 1985 was elected Bishop of Epamia by the Ecumenical Patriarchate's Holy Synod and in November 1991 was elected Metropolite of Italy, at the See of Venice.

The enthronement of the new Archbishop of North and South America will be held on September 21st.

[05] MAIN OPPOSITION LEADER CRITICISES GOVERNMENT ON ALL POLICIES

Main opposition party leader New Democracy's Miltiades Evert criticised the government on all areas of its performance during Prime Minister Kostas Simitis' first six months in office, in his speech to the opposition parliamentarians in the Parliament's summer session today.

Mr. Evert stated that the government has adopted a "conceding" line of policy which, as he stated, has allowed Turkey to claim that there are "grey" regions in the Aegean.

Moreover, Mr. Evert criticised the government for lifting its veto over Turkey's funding from the European Union's MEDA program, and stated that the greek people were not told the complete truth in the matter.

[06] MITSOTAKIS SAYS: GOVERNMENT DID NOT HANDLE FYROM NAME ISSUE WELL

Former Prime Minister and New Democracy's honorary President Konstantinos Mitsotakis was equally critical towards the government on the issue of Greece's interim agreement with FYROM.

Mr. Mitsotakis criticised Mr. Simitis for his statement that Greece is not in a hurry to resolve the name issue. Mr. Mitsotakis said that this was the last blow in the effort to reach a solution on the name issue that would be in Greece's benefit.

[07] ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE'S SYNOD TO FOUND THREE NEW METROPOLES

The Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate has decided to create three new Metropoles in Toronto, Canada, Buenos Aires, South America and Mexico, Central America.

The decision was drawn concurrently with the appointment of the Archbishop of North and South America Spyridon.

[08] DRAFT LAW ON THE MILITARY SERVICE WAS PRESENTED BY THE GREEK MINISTER OF DEFENCE

Draft law on the military service was presented by greek Minister of Defence, Gerasimos Arsenis. According to the draft law that will be tabled soon in Parliament, compulsory military service is set at the age of 19.

Reduced military service will have all the volunteers who are enlisted before they are called up to serve in the greek army, also those who did not use their option to be deferred on the grounds of being students and anyone facing certain social, family or economic problems.

Draft-dodgers will have to serve in the army at least for three months, while they can buy out their military service.

[09] THE FOREIGN TRAVEL EXCHANGE INFLOW IN GREECE WILL BE INCREASED BY 17,25% IN 1996 COMPARED TO 1995

The foreign travel exchange inflow expected in Greece will be increased by 17,25% in 1996 compared to 1995, based on the National Statistics Agency.

According to data provided by the agency, the foreign exchange that poured into Greece in January and February of 1996, showed an increase of 11,59% and 25% respectively compared to the same months in 1995, while the same tendency is expected to continue and in the following months.

Based on official estimates of the National Statistics Agency, in 1996 the foreign exchange inflow will reach 8.040,5 million US dollars, compared to 6.857,4 million US dollars in 1995.

Regarding the average per capita sum spent in Greece by foreign tourists, it has showed an increase of 11,64% in the first two months of 1996. The total travel exchange inflow expected this year will reach 17,25% and is estimated at 4.814,7 million US dollars.

Meanwhile, according to the same sources, the increase in the number of foreign tourists arriving in Greece on charter flights, is expected to be spectacular.

In 1996, charter flights will bring to Greece 10.265.572 foreign tourists, compared to 6.184.894 in 1995. Specifically, in the period of January-March 1996 there was an increase of 65,98%.

[10] THRACE UNIVERSITY TO BECOME EUROPE'S SCIENTIFIC CENTER DURING AUGUST

Thrace's Democritus University will be turned into a european scientific center between August 1-14 due to the holding there of the interantional Intensive Summer Seminar.

Within the framework of the preparatory stage of the SOCRATES program, the Anthropology lab will organize the seminar "Mathematics in Biological Sciences-Applications in Anthropology."

Participating at the program will be 47 graduates and post- graduates from 160 european universities which collaborate with Democritus.

Speaking to the Macedonian Press Agency, Calliope Simitopoulou, scientific advisor at the University, said that the aim of this international seminar is to transform Democritus University into "a magnetic pole for the european scientists."

Also, the internationally-known geneticist N.Nei will be appointed honorary citizen of Komotini.

[11] FOSSILIZED PALM TREES THAT DATE 15-20 MILLION YEARS FOUND IN KASTORIA

Fossilized palm trees whose age is estimated at 15-20 million years have been discovered at the "Nostimos Fossilized Forest" in Kastoria.

Speaking to the Macedonian Press Agnecy, Athens University professor of Paleontology and Paleobotanics Evangelos Velijelos streesed the significance of these findings and emphasized the importance of their maintenance since these specific fossilized trees are the best kept ones in the country.

Mr. Velijelos is visiting the region, where he is responsible for research, with his German associate, professor Ulf Thewalt. The two men are collaborating on the creation of a joint european program for these findings.

[12] ARISTOPHANES' "LYSISTRATA" TO BE PERFORMED BY WOMEN ONLY

The National Theater of Northern Greece will present Aristophanes' "Lysistrata" this Thursday and Friday at Thessaloniki's Forest Theater.

Yet, it what at first glance appears to be a routine performance, this play has an original twist as, for the first time ever in the play's chronicles, alll roles will be played by women, even the parts written for men.

According to the play's director, G. Regas, it was an opportunity to include all of the women who participate in the theatrical group.

"We wanted to give a modern, feministic air to the performance," the director said.

[13] BRITAIN'S "SUNDAY TIMES" RECOGNIZE SECURITY OF ATHENS AIRPORT

An article published by London's "Sunday Times" newspaper wrote today that the United States are faced with an incredibly difficult task in giving their airports the same level of security enjoyed by the european airports.

According to the article, which referred to the fallen TWA #800 flight that exploded over New York recently, "it is an irony that after the initial implications that the bomb was placed at Hellenikon, reports surfaced that made it clear that Athens' airport is a lot safer that those of New York."

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

[14] FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTER RESPONSIBLE FOR EUROPEAN AFFAIRS MET TODAY WITH THE CYPRIOT LEADERSHIP

French Foreign Minister responsible for European Affairs, mr.Barnier had separate meetings today with Cypriot President, Glafkos Kliridis and turkish-cypriot leader, Rauf Denktash.

The french ambassador to Nicosia characterized as important the contacts the french minister will have in the cypriot capital, while he stressed that in the European Union there is still hope that the turkish-cypriot leadership will participate in the EU accession course.

The french ambassador also underlined that France, which played an importatnt role in the March 6th decision, feels morally commited to help Cyprus and the other side to find a solution before the opening of the accession negotiations.

[15] FBI INTERROGATES SUSPECTS ON BOMBING AT ATLANTA'S OLYMPIC PARK

The US Federal Bureau of investigations has interrogated two men suspected of being involved in the bombing that occured on Saturday at Atlanta's Olympic Park.

The two suspects were released after the interrogation and no charges were filed against them.

The police sketch depicting the main suspect was broadcast yesterday by french television stations and he is presented as a white male, 25-30 years old, with cropped short hair, full lips and bushy eyebrows.

Meanwhile, the Olympic Games organizing committee announced that it will provide financial aid to those who were wounded during the explosion so that they can meet their medical and hospitalization expenses.

[16] GREEK-CYPRIOT FISHERMEN'S TRIAL ADJOURNED BY TURK-CYPRIOT PSEUDO-COURT

The trial of the two Greek-Cypriot fishermen has been adjourned by the Turk-Cypriot pseudo-court of the occupied territory.

The two amateur fishermen were arrested by the Turks in the free zone of Famagusta.

The parents of the two young men, who are being held illegally by the occupation regime for supposed violation of the pseudo-state's territorial waters, have not been allowed yet to visit their children.

[17] US: THE TURKISH GOVERNMENT SHOWED FLEXIBILITY IN PRISON STRIKE

The United States government has showed "flexibility" in order to end the hunger strikes of the prison inmates, according to State Department spokesperson Nicholas Burns.

Mr. Burns characterized the turkish Justice Ministry's decision to examine the prison conditions as a "welcomed initiative" and added that his government is "concerned over the condition of Turkey's correctional system.

Mr. Burns also stated that Washington adopted a position that "maintained the balance", as opposed to other governments which he declined to name.

Thirteen inmates have died so far from the hunger strike, which -after two months- ended yesterday with Ankara's announcement that it will accede to some of their demands.

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