Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 96-11-29

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

Macedonian Press Agency: News in English Directory

MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Thessaloniki, November 29, 1996

NEWS IN ENGLISH

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

TITLES

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

NEWS IN DETAIL

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[01] BUDGET TABLED IN PARLIAMENT TODAY, TO BE DISCUSSED ON WEDNESDAY

The 1997 budget was tabled in Parliament today by Minister of National Economy and Finance Yiannos Papantoniou.

Mr. Papantoniou reiterated that the new tax reforms will affect those who have and possess. While admiting that there is a need to index the tax brackets, the National Economy and Finance Minister said that the state's economy could not withstand such indexing. He added that the upcoming year's budget is the "tightest within the last 15-year period."

The Parliament's Permanent Committee on Finance will hold three consecutive discussions on the annual budget beginning on Wednesday, December 4, thereby giving the opportunity to the Opposition parties to prepare.

The debate over the budget will begin on December 17 in the Parliament's Plenary Session and will be completed at midnight on December 21.

Prime Minister Kostas Simitis will meet with the presidiums of the General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE), and the Civil Servants Supreme Administrative Council (ADEDY) on Tuesday December 3. .

[02] MOST OF GREECE'S WORKFORCE STRIKES, COUNTRY ALMOST PARALYSED

Greece's workforce in unisom expressed its indignation at the Government, as public and private soctor employees participated in the 24-hour strike protesting the State's economic measures and the 1997 budget.

Today farmers blockaded the country's north-south highway with 2,000 tractors, cutting off the motorway-artery that links Athens with Thessaloniki, while the country's cities remained without public transportation as air, sea and train transit was greatly disrupted.

The General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE), which said that over 70 per cent of its three million members participated in the strikes yesterday, and the Civil Servants Supreme Administrative Council (ADEDY) will meet with the Premier Kostas Simitis on Tuesday, December 3.

[03] FARMERS CONTINUE TO STRIKE, NATIONAL HIGHWAY BLOCKED, MOMENTUM RISES

Greek farmers are continuing their strike for a second day, by blockading the country's north-south highway with 2,000 tractors, halting traffic from Athens to Thessaloniki.

The farmers -just as the majority of the country's public servants and private-sector workers- are protesting the tough budget for 1997 but, yesterday, farmer representatives accepted the Prime Minister's proposal to hold a meeting this evening with a delegation of government officials, headed by the PM's undersecretary George Paschalides.

Meanwhile, the President of the Federation of Agricultural Associations of Larisa Yiannis Patakis stated that the farmers will be unyielding on their demands that the Government immediately settle their bank loans and cover their lost income.

[04] THERE WILL BE NO MORE TAXES IMPOSED IN 1997, STATED THE MINISTER OF NATIONAL ECONOMY AND FINANCE

Minister of National Economy and Finance, Yiannos Papantoniou tabled the 1997 state budget in Parliament and stated that there will be no more taxes imposed next year.

Mr.Papantoniou maintained that all the tax measures announced concern the high incomes and stated that in the following days will be given to publicity the names of big tax evaders whose cases are already in court. He also stated that in early 1997 will be publicized more names of tax dodgers based on the investigations conducted by the authorities.

The minister mentioned that the objective for 1997 is to cut inflation to 4,5% by December and called on the workers and the country's production forces to limit their wage demands while he also called on the businessmen to hold prices down.

Next week, will be tabled in Parliament the tax draft law which includes the new taxes and the abolished tax breaks.

[05] MR.REPPAS COMMENTED ON THE ISSUE OF ARSONS BY TURKISH AGENTS TARGETING GREEK FORESTS

Greece has the capability to exploit, at the right moment, politically and through the courts the issue of arsons by turkish agents targeting greek forests, stated greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas.

Mr.Reppas added that the greek government examines carefully and through the diplomatic route the accusations made and clarified that, for example, it can ask the turkish justice to sentence the arsonists.

[06] THE PRIME MINISTER WILL BE IN LISBON ON SUNDAY

Greek Prime Minister Kostas Simitis will be in Lisbon on Sunday, accompanied by Minister of Press and Mass Media Dimitris Reppas and alternate Foreign Minister Giorgos Papandreou, to attend the OSCE Summit.

The Plenary Session will be held on Monday and after the meeting the portuguese Prime Minister will host a formal dinner in honour of the leaders of the OSCE member states.

[07] GREECE'S ALTERNATE FOREIGN MINISTER EMBARKS ON SERIES OF VISITS

Greece's alternate Foreign Minister George Papandreou has embarked on a series of contacts with his European counterparts, in light of the upcoming Intergovernmental Conference.

Today, Mr. Papandreou arrived in Istanbul where he will represent the Greek Government at the Patriarchate's commemoration of Apostle Andreas. Also, during his stay there, Mr. Papandreou will meet with the Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos.

On December 4, the alternate Foreign Minister will depart for London where he will participate at a conference concerning the Bosnian issue.

Between the 5th and 7th of December, Mr. Papandreou will be in Brussels where he will partake at the European Union's Council of General Affairs.

[08] MORE DATA GIVEN ON FOSSILIZED HUMAN BONE DATING BACK 11 MILLION YEARS

The 11 million-year-old fossilized human tibia (shinbone) that was discovered in September at northern Greece's village of Trillie, in Halkidiki, belonged to an approximately 25-year-old male whose height was 1,20m (almost four feet tall).

According to the Greek anthropologist who made the discovery, Aris Poulanios, this tibia shows that the man of that era, Homo Erectus Trilliensis, was already able to stand.

Mr. Poulianos, a member of the Permanent International Council of Anthropological and Ethnological Sciences and of the New York Academy of Sciences, will present his finding this evening in Thessaloniki.

During his lecture, titled "Macedonia: Cradle of the Human Race-Anthropology in the Region of Greece", Mr. Poulianos will present additional human bones discovered in Halkidiki which document that the human race first appeared in the region of Macedonia.

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

[09] CIRCOM REPRESENTATIVES MEET IN THESSALONIKI TO DISCUSS CO- PRODUCTIONS AND EXCHANGES OF TELEVISION PROGRAMMES

The cooperation among television stations in over 40 countries is being discussed in the three-day meeting of European Association of Regional Television (CIRCOM) representatives that is held in Thessaloniki.

The prospect of co-productions, the exchange of television programmes and the organizing of seminars and conferences will be discussed in the meeting that for the first time is being held away from Stransburg, where the Association is based.

Thessaloniki's candidature for the hosting of scientific seminars and the association's participation in the Lisbon exhibition are among the issues that will be discussed in the meeting.

[10] THE ISSUE OF THE MISSING IN CYPRUS HAS REACHED A DEADLOCK, STATED THE CYPRIOT PRESIDENT

Cypriot President Glafkos Kliridis shares the fears expressed by the relatives of those still missing since the turkish invasion of Cyprus, according to which the case will soon be closed without having any results.

In a meeting the cypriot President had with the Committees of the relatives of the missing, that was held in the presence of Foreign Minister Alekos Michailidis, it was established that the issue has reached a deadlock.

The greek-cypriot side will make intense efforts in order to deal with the situation, while for the better coordination of those efforts a new meeting was scheduled between mr.Kliridis and the Committees of the relatives of the missing to take place on December 12.

[11] NEGOTIATIONS FOR ROMANIA'S MEMBERSHIP IN THE CENTRAL-EUROPEAN FREE TRANSACTIONS AGREEMENT ARE TO BEGIN IN BUCHAREST

The negotiations for Romania's accesion to the Central- European Free Transactions Agreement are to begin in Bucharest.

Romania's membership is considered as a very important step toward the country's accesion to the European Union, according to the Bucharest radio station, which will also allow the development of free trade among the member states. In the Central-European Agreement participate Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Slovenia.

[12] ROMANIA'S NEW PRESIDENT WAS SWORN-IN TODAY

Romania's newly elected President Emil Constantinescu was sworn-in today in the Parliament Building in Bucharest. In his speech mr.Constantinescu stressed that Romania finally became a democratic state after the transitional period of the past two weeks.

He also said that the great challenge of the century for Romania is its accesion to the EU and NATO, adding that those goals are hard to achieve but they can become a reality.

Meanwhile, President of the Upper House of Parliament was elected Democratic party leader Petar Roman, while Lower House President was elected National Agrarian party leader Ion Diakonescu.

[13] THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN ALLIANCE FOR CANADA'S UNITY WAS PROPOSED BY THE GREEK, ITALIAN AND JEWISH CONGRESS

The establishment of an alliance aimed at preserving Canada's unity was announced in a press conference yesterday by representatives of the Greek, Italian and Jewish Congress.

An appeal was also made to all the ethnic minorities and groups living in the country to support the government's measures in order to close the gap between the residents of Quebec and the rest of Canada.

In the press conference was present and Federal Minister responsible for endogovernmental relations, Stephane Dion who said that such initiatives should be encouraged. The initiative is being placed within the framework of the close cooperation among the ethnic congresses on issues concerning the country's unity.

[14] GERMANY TO PAY REPARATIONS TO VICTIMS OF CONCENTRATION-LABOR CAMPS

The German Government decided yesterday evening to grant lump sum reparations payments to victims of Nazi concentration and labor camps during the Second World War, albeit to select countries from eastern Europe, thereby refusing a collective settlement for all of Europe's victims.

According to BBC, the full payment rises to DM80 million and wil be allocated to war victims who come from eastern European countries, mainly Hungary, Romania and Bulgaria. The payments will be issued between 1998-2000.

[15] BURGAS-ALEXANDROUPOLIS OIL PIPELINE DISCUSSED IN BULGARIA TODAY

Talks concerning the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline and the economic collaboration between Greece and Bulgaria were held in Sofia today between Greece's ambassador Panayiotis Karakasis and the vice-president of the Bulgarian Government Dontco Konaktciev.

Both sides agreed that Athens and Sofia are two cities ready to cooperate on solving their common problems and the two countries will promote peace and cooperation in the Balkan region.

[16] HALKIDIKI'S CASINO MAGIC SOLD TO CANADIAN FIRM FOR ONE MILLION DOLLARS

With a freshly-signed contract, negotiations concerning the sale of Casino Magic in Halkidiki came to a successful end at midnight last night, when a one-million-dollar agreement was signed between Casino Magic Corporation and Carras Bros' Tourism Agricultural Exports firm.

The new owners, a greek-canadian joint venture, have committed themselves to paying the firm's debt, while Casino Magic will retain the managing part of the business.

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