Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 97-02-97

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

Macedonian Press Agency: News in English Directory

MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Thessaloniki, February 21, 1997

NEWS IN ENGLISH

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

TITLES

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

NEWS IN DETAIL

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[01] GREEK PRESIDENT TO VISIT LITOCHORON THIS WEEKEND, TO COMMEMMORATE MT. OLYMPUS REVOLUTION OF 1878

The President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos will attend this weekend's festivities at Litochoron commemmorating the anniversary of the Mt. Olympus Revolution of 1878.

Mr. President will be appointed as an honorary citizen of Litochoron and will attend the festivities and parade held in his honor. A.F.

[02] SIMITIS: NOT EVEN AN INCH OF GREEK TERRITORY CAN BE AN OBJECT OF NEGOTIATION

Prime Minister Kostas Simitis speaking in the governing party of PASOK Central Committee meeting stated that his party is the only political power that has concrete proposals and solutions for the Greek economy and society, while it is the only political party that can protect and serve the national interests, development and prosperity.

The Prime Minister issued a warning to Turkey and to anyone else is necessary that the Greek national sovereign rights are not an object of negotiations. He said that there is not even an inch of Greek sea, Greek land, Greek air space that can be an object of negotiations and this must be realized well by Turkey or anyone else is necessary. Mr.Simitis said that the Greek policy has as its main goal to avert and weaken the Turkish aggressiveness.

Mr.Simitis said that Greece wants to help Turkey find its European orientation but first it has to give tangible indications that is giving up the vision of the Ottoman expansionism and that it respects international law and sovereign rights in Greece and Cyprus. If this happens, he underlined, then there will be found a way to overcome today's relation and Greece will offer its assistance to Turkey, while the Aegean will become a bridge of peace and cooperation.

Referring to the strikes, mr.Simitis clarified that the government will continue the same course as the needs stemming from the country's defence shielding and the european convergence do not leave room for other options.

He stressed that the state budget is not a party money-box with billions of drachmas and condemned the opposition parties for suggesting that the economic demands of different sectors should be met, while he pointed out that the cost of benefits is a burden for each tax-paying citizen.

On the teachers' strike, he said that the wage increases they will receive in 1997 will be 9-16% with an inflation rate of 6,8%.

[03] STRIKING HIGH-SCHOOL TEACHERS HOLD MASSIVE RALLY IN CENTRAL GREECE

For a sixth consecutive week, Greece's high-school teachers will continue their strike, while today they are holding a massive rally in the country's central city of Larisa, to be followed with rallies in other cities on the mainland and in island of Crete.

The teachers' national union OLME disputes the government's promises of hefty raises to the new teachers. A.F.

[04] THE VICE-CHANCELLOR AND FOREIGN MINISTER OF AUSTRIA IS ON A VISIT TO ATHENS

Austrian vice-Chancellor and Foreign Minister Johanne Shushell met with Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos in Athens. Earlier, he was received by President Kostis Stephanopoulos and had talks with Prime Minister Kostas Simitis.

The meeting of the two ministers focused on bilateral relations but they also discussed the Cyprus issue, the Greek- Turkish relations and the developments in the Balkans.

Mr.Pangalos expressed the Greek government's strong reaction to the German and British persistence for a specific referrence to the role of the Turkish-Cypriots that they want to be included in the joint statement of the 15 in the EU-Cyprus Association Council meeting that will be held in Brussels on Monday.

The Greek Foreign Minister stressed the belief that the EU will go to the EU-Cyprus Association Council meeting with a common stance which will express the firm positions of the European Union, adding that otherwise, the Community will become involved in a major adventure, as Greece has repeatedly warned.

In his statements the Austrian official pointed out that there is a binding EU decision for the opening of Cyprus' accession negotiations six months after the Inter-Governmental Conference.

[05] GREEK FOREIGN MINISTER STERNLY WARNS EU ALLIES ON CYPRUS' ACCESSION

A stern warning was issued today by Greece's Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos towards the European Union regarding Germany's and Great Britain's proposal to include the Turkish-Cypriots in the negotiations regarding the accession of Cyprus to the EU.

Following the Minister's meeting with the Austrian Foreign Minister and deputy chancellor Wolfgang Schussel, who is currently in Athens, Mr. Pangalos stated that "I believe that a common position will result from the EU-Cyprus Association Council which will express the community's firm positions, otherwise the EU will have major problems. As we have warned, Greece will not accept this position." A.F.

[06] GREECE'S SUPPORT WAS CONVEYED TO SOFIA BY THE ALTERNATE FOREIGN MINISTER

A message of support from Greece was delivered to the suffering people of Bulgaria by Greek alternate Foreign Minister Giorgos Papandreou, who visited the bulgarian capital for a few hours today.

According to mr.Papandreou, the 1.700 tons of grain and corn gathered by Greece will be followed by a humanitarian mission to Bulgaria organized by the mayors of 30 municipalities and communities.

Mr.Papandreou also outlined the Greek initiative for the mobilization of the EU aimed at sending humanitarian and economic aid to Bulgaria, Albania and Serbia. The initiative will be formally presented in Brussels on February 24. Mr.Papandreou stressed that Greece has prepared a special package of measures aimed at helping the South-Eastern European countries, which are associated with the EU, to reach the necessary level for their full accession into the EU.

In his meeting with Bulgarian Foreign Minister Stoyan Stalev and alternate Foreign Minister Valentin Dobrev, mr.Papandreou expressed the Greek government's backing to Bulgaria's decision to apply for NATO membership.

From their part, the Bulgarian officials gave the assurance that Sofia supports the Greek proposal for the holding of a meeting in Sofia or Athens next March within the framework of the initiative for stability and good neighbourly relations in South- Eastern Europe. Also, mr.Dobrev thanked the Greek government for the assistance offered to his country.

[07] THE CULTURAL CAPITAL OF EUROPE ORGANIZATION THESSALONIKI '97 WILL TURN THESSALONIKI INTO A MODERN EUROPEAN CITY

A second praising report on Thessaloniki as the Cultural Capital of Europe for 1997 was dedicated in a period of a few days by the Yugoslav newspaper "Nasa Borba" under the headline "On the tracks of Aristotle, Alexander the Great and Ataturk".

According to the newspaper, preparations began very early while in the programme prepared by the Organization is included the restoration of 60 old buildings and the construction of 300 projects with a total value of 75 billion drachmas, which will turn Thessaloniki into a modern European city.

The city of Thessaloniki is described as being classical Greek, Byzantine, Roman, Mediterranean, eastern and European and to this multi-faceted personality is attributed its charm.

The newspaper refers to King Philippos and his son Alexander the Great, Apostle Pavlos, Galerios, Saint Dimitrios, Cyril and Methodius and to the indelible marks they left on the city, while it is also mentioned that in Thessaloniki was born the founder of modern Turkey, Kemal Ataturk.

Referring to the cultural events that will be held within the framework of the Cultural Capital of Europe, the newspaper mentions that a special role will be played by the symposiums on the works of Aristotle, the events concerning the cultural dimension of the Balkans and Alexander the Great.

[08] PANEPIROTIC UNION'S 30TH SESSION OF US, CANADA, AUSTRALIA BEGINS IN FLORIDA

The 30th session of the Panepirotic Union of the United States, Canada and Australia is currently in motion in Florida, with the participation of Greece's Minister of the Interior Alekos Papadopoulos and Minister of Merchant Marine Stavros Soumakis and Greece's Ambassador to the U.S. Lukas Tsilas.

Mr. Papadopoulos relayed Prime Minister Kostas Simitis' warm salutation to the delegates, emhasizing that Greece's culture must be taught to the newer generations.

Mr. Soumakis stated in his address that "Hellenism, and especially the element from Epirus, serves as a spear in protecting Greece's interests and rights." Also attending the four-day session are various US senators and congressmen of Greek heritage, as well as Greek-origin deputies of the Albanian parliament. A.F.

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

[09] EU'S EASTWARD EXPANSION DISCUSSED BY EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

The European Parliament's plenary session discused the crisis plaguing Bulgaria, as well as the European Union's expansion towards eastern European countries.

Addressing the Euro-deputies, Dutch Commissioner Hans Van Den Broek developed the latest outcomes in the region and expressed the hope that the European Council of Luxemburg, to be held in December, will finalize the list of countries that will be ready to begin pre-accession negotiations with the EU.

Greece's Euro-deputy Nikos Papakyriazis, also president of the EU-Bulgaria joint parliamentary committee, tabled a question with the House in regards to the Commission's stance in Bulgaria's social, political and economic crises. In his response, Mr. Van Den Broek was guarded in regards to the developments and avoided making any assessments regarding the outcome of the crisis.

The European Parliament also discussed the possibility of granting Bulgaria with additional humanitarian aid. It was made clear, though, that the European Commission awaits additional commitments from Bulgaria that it will continue its process of reform towards an EU approach.

The presidents of the joint parliamentary committees mainly tackled the issue of the EU's eastward expansion. A.F.

[10] ALBANIA: PEOPLE'S RALLIES CONTINUE, RULING PARTY SUFFERS INTERNAL WARRING

The situation in Albania continues to be tense as, for the sixth consecutive week, large crowds of citizens press on with anti-government protests over the collapse of money-making operations known as "pyramid" and demand that Prime Minister Aleksander Mecsi and his government resign.

Episodes erupted yesterday when a crowd of opposition party supporters clashed with the police. According to the Ministry of the Interior, five policemen were lightly injured and seven protesters were arrested.

Meanwhile 60 students of the University of Avlona continue their hunger strike, insisting that Mecsi resign and that the government pay off the debts of one of the illicit money-making operations known as "Galitsa".

Albanian President Sali Berisha is scrambling to save face and has embarked on an information campaign in order to disassociate himself from the economic scandal. However, aside from an agressive opposition, the ruling Democratic Party is also suffering warring from its factions as 14 members of the party's National Council ask for Mecsi's resignation, among them the Mayor of Avlona. A.F.

[11] NUCLEAR WASTE DEPOSITED IN TURKEY

A nine-year-old scandal concerning the deposit of nuclear waste in Turkey has resurfaced with fresh reports in the Turkish press.

According to Ankara's daily "Yeni Yuzyil", in 1988 the ship "Petersburg" had sailed into Turkey transporting nuclear waste. The then-government, according to the paper, had denied the existence of the dangerous materials. Today, the former president of the turkish foundation of atomic energy Ozmen revealed what actually happened.

Moreover, the article stated that the nuclear waste, which had then been touted as "chemical waste" had been incinerated on a trial basis at the plant owned by the brother of current President, Suleiman Demirel. A.F.

[12] AMBASSADOR ZACHARAKIS MET WITH THE UN SECRETARY-GENERAL

Greece's permanent representative in the United Nations Ambassador Christos Zacharakis had an informative meeting in New York yesterday with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

In the meeting were discussed issues within the authority of the UN Secretary-General, namely the Cyprus issue and the course of negotiations on the issue of the name that will be used by FYROM.

[13] AGREEMENTS BETWEEN GREECE AND FRY FOR THE PROTECTION OF INVESTMENTS AND FOR AVOIDING DOUBLE TAXATION

Two significant agreements, concerning the protection of investments and also aimed at avoiding double taxation, are expected to be signed soon by Greece and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

According to statements made to the Serb newspaper "Privredji Pregled" by Christos Farmakis, head of the Commerce Department in the Greek Embassy, the agreement aimed at encouraging and protecting investments has already been initialled while it is expected to be signed during the first formal meeting that will be held at ministerial level. Regarding the agreement aimed at avoiding double taxation, he said that it is at the stage of preparation and possibly it will be signed soon.

According to official data provided by the responsible agencies in FRY, Greece in 1996 held the sixth place in the country's foreign trade sector. The overall trade transactions reached 243 million dollars of which 95 million was the total worth of the Yugoslav exports.

[14] TAYAN: THE US SHOULD CLARIFY ITS POSITION ON THE SALE OF WEAPONS TO TURKEY

Turkish Minister of Defence Turhan Tayan, speaking yesterday in the annual conference of the Turkish-American Council in Washington, expressed the position that the United States must clarify their position on the sale of military equipment and weapons to Turkey.

Mr.Tayan stated that Turkey expects from the United States to adopt a more decisive and drastic position in dealing with the obstacles that appear in the US Congress, while he stressed that the US-Turkish relations are not at a desirable level due to the obstacles raised by the anti-Turkish lobbies in the US, especially on issues concerning arms deliveries to Turkey.

The Turkish Minister of Defence also stated that his country will not give away its legal right for defence, adding that the Turkish armed forces must be as powerful as they can be, because they have to face the Kurdish PKK rebels who are threatening the country's security and territorial integrity.

Within the framework of his contacts in Washington, mr.Tayan met with his US counterpart and discussed issues concerning bilateral relations and the developments in Cyprus.

[15] THE GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTRY WARNS THE TOURISTS WHO WANT TO TRAVEL TO TURKEY

The German Foreign Ministry warned the German tourists who are about to travel to Turkey that they are at risk of becoming victims of bomb attacks or other terrorist attacks.

The weekly magazine "FOCUS", with an article written by Katrin Sachse, under the headline "Tourism: Vacations with no return", refers to the disappearance of 31yearold Beate Schmalz from Munich, who travelled to Turkey last November and since then every trace of her has been lost.

According to front-page articles published in German newspapers, Turkey has been described a number of times as not a safe country for tourists. In spite of the increased security measures taken by the Turkish authorities, there is no 100% security, warns the German Foreign Ministry, and tourists should avoid visiting the eastern part of the country especially, Tuntseli and the regions bordering with Iraq. Furthermore, the German Foreign Ministry warns tourists of the Kurdish PKK rebels bomb attacks in Istanbul and Asia Minor.

[16] PROGRESS WAS MADE IN THE MILITARY DIALOGUE, ACCORDING TO AN UNFICYP SPOKESMAN

UNFICYP's press spokesman Valtemar Rokosefski stated to the Cypriot radio and television that progress was made in the military dialogue and the UN peace-keeping force hopes that soon there will be an agreement.

Mr.Rokosefski mentioned that the UN peace-keeping force welcomes the progress and wants it to continue but he avoided to mention to which side progress was made.

The UNFICYP spokesman concluded that the interested parties know all the facts and the recent negotiations with both sides showed that there is a chance for an agreement. He also underlined that the UNFICYP has not set a timetable for reaching an agreement.

[17] ZORAN DJINDJIC, ONE OF ZAJEDNO'S THREE LEADERS, ELECTED BELGRADE MAYOR

It will be the first time after 50 years that a communist will not sit in Belgrade's top seat, as Zoran Djindjic -one of the tri-partite opposition "Zajedno" leaders- has been elected to be the city's mayor, having been the only candidate.

The coalition's three leaders have proceeded to an agreement that maps out their further political rise. The first part of the agreement refers to the operation of the coalition's common bodies, the second includes their joint participation in the upcoming presidential and parliamentary elections in Serbia and the third part refers to the basic principles of assigning authority among the coalition's three allies.

As such, the candidate for the presidency will rise from Vuc Drascovic' Serb Renewal Movement, the candidate for the premiership will be from Djindjic's Democratic Party and the nominee for President of the Serbian Parliament will be drawn from Vesna Pesic's "Citizens Union". A.F.

[18] ATHENS, ROME, MOST LIKELY CONTENDERS FOR 2004 OLYMPICS

According to their competitors, Athens and Rome are the cities with the higest likelihood of being included in the final five candidate-cities for the 2004 Olympics.

According to a recent poll conducted by the International Olympic Committee, where the 11 cities that have cast their nominations where asked to vote on which they consider to be the five most likely cities to host the event.

Athens received seven votes, Rome six, while Stockholm and Capetown received four votes each. Istanbul, Rio de Janeiro and Seville received two votes each while the rest of the cities received none. A.F.

[19] SYMPOSIUM "GREEK EDUCATION IN US" TO START IN NEW YORK TOMORROW

The Federation of Greek Association of the Greater New York will organize the first symposium in the United States for Greek education, starting tomorrow in New York's Astoria district.

Inaugurating the event will be the Archbishop of America Spyridon. The symposium will addresss the "problems and future of Greek Education in America" and will feature the participation of various academicians and school organizations. A.F.

[20] METROPOLITE OF CAMERON IS THE NEW PATRIARCH OF ALEXANDRIA

The Metropolite of Cameron Petros Papapetros has been appointed as the Patriarch of Alexandria by the Holy Synod of the Constantinople Patriarchate. Elected on the triptych are the Metropolites of Cameron Papapetros, Zimbambwe's Chrysostomos and Central Africa's Timotheos. Metropolite Papapetros earned the majority with 154 votes. A.F.

[21] FRENCH EMBASSY IN NICOSIA ACCEPTS TURKISH-CYPRIOT "PASSPORTS" AS I.D. CARD

The French Embassy in Nicosia has began accepting the illegal passports of the Turkish-Cypriots as identification cards, to issue visas for travel to France.

According to the Embassy's spokesperson, the "passports" are seen as an identity card that simply facilitates the owner's travel to France, and does not mean recognition of the occupying regime in northern Cyprus. A.F.

[22] SECURITY COUNCIL'S FIVE PERMANENT MEMBERS TO DISCUSS CYPRUS IN MARCH

The Security Council's five permanent members are to convene over the Cyprus issue in mid-March, according to Russian Ambassador to Cyprus Georgi Muratov.

Moreover, when asked if there is a possibility of cancelling his country's sale of S-300 missiles to Cyprus, Mr. Muratov referred to the recent statement made by Russian President Boris Yeltsin who stated that "Russia's very significant agreement with Cyprus will be fully upheld." A.F.

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