Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 97-04-09

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

Macedonian Press Agency: News in English Directory

MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Thessaloniki, April 9, 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 PREMIER: 1997 IS A CRITICAL YEAR FOR OUR POLICY

[02] GREEK FORCES TO BE STATIONED IN TIRANA, VLORE NEXT WEEK

Greek forces will be stationed in Albania's Tirana and Vlore at the beginning of the following week, particpating in the multi- national force assigned to the neighboring country.

Greece's Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos said that the Greek batallion will comprise army officers only. The Greek force is trained, organized and outfitted in such way as to be able to face any situation, according to the Defense Ministry.

Tomorrow morning, the first Italian and French troops will arrive at Tirana and Durres in order to prepare the multi-national forces. Meanwhile, opposition is heard among Italian governmental circles over Rome's decision to assign Italian troops to Albania. The matter will be voted upon during Italy's Parliament session this evening. A.F.

[03] THERE IS NO SECRET DIALOGUE BETWEEN GREECE AND TURKEY

Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas stated categorically that there is no secret dialogue going on between Greece and Turkey, when he was asked to comment on press reports referring to this information.

The Greek government spokesman stated that the only thing taking place is picture transmission from the military operations in Turkey to the NATO headquarters in Napoli, Italy. This way, stated mr.Reppas, it is proved that Ankara is the one provoking and creating tension in the Aegean and therefore, Greece's credibility is being strengthened.

[04] THE GREEK DEFENCE MINISTER DISCUSSED THE DEPLOYMENT OF THE GREEK FORCE WITH HIS ALBANIAN COUNTERPART

Greek Minister of Defence Akis Tsochatzopoulos met in Athens with his Albanian counterpart Sakir Buhai and discussed details on the deployment of the Greek force in Albania within the framework of the multi-national force that will be sent to the country.

Mr.Tsochatzopoulos stated that Greece will participate with a force numbering 700 to 900 men and added that its composition will be determined by the local needs.

According to the Greek Minister of Defence, the first unit of the Greek force will leave for Albania next Monday, while he stressed that in today's discussions cooperation was safeguarded concerning support and joint effort.

On the situation that will be faced in Albania by the multi- national force, mr.Buhai stated that there is no danger coming from the Albanian people and that the only possible danger could come from certain criminal gangs.

[05] THE GREEK UNDERSECRETARY OF DEFENCE MET WITH UN OFFICIALS IN NEW YORK

Greek Undersecretary of Defence Dimitris Apostolakis, who participates in a Western European Union delegation, met in New York with alternate UN Secretary-General, responsible for peace- keeping missions.

Mr.Apostolakis stated that they discussed the developments in Albania and the preparations taking place for the participation of Greece in the multi-national force that will be sent to the country, while they also examined ways for the cooperation of the UN with the WEU.

Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in a letter to the UN Security Council expresses concern over the situation in Albania.

[06] GREEK COLLEGE STUDENTS VOTE TODAY ON STUDENT BODY REPRESENTATIVES

College students throughout Greece are casting their ballots today in order to appoint their student body representatives.

The abstention rate is expected to reach a peak this year, surpassing last year's 50%. A.F.

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

[07] CYPRUS ISSUED A DEMARCHE TO THE UN ON THE VIOLATIONS OF ITS AIRSPACE

The Cypriot government issued a demarche to the United Nations on the recent violations of its airspace and the Nicosia FIR by Turkish fighter jets that took place on March 27 and 31 and April 1.

In a letter to UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan that circulated on Monday as an official document of the UN General Assembly and Security Council, Cyprus' charge d'affaires to the UN mr.Dimitris Drousiotis condemns those violations which are against the international air-traffic regulations and put in danger the civil aviation flights over Cyprus.

[08] THE TURKISH-CYPRIOT LEADER WILL MEET WITH THE UN SECRETARY- GENERAL IN GENEVA

The Turkish-Cypriot newspaper "Kipris" writes that Turkish- Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash will meet in Geneva this afternoon with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

According to the newspaper, mr.Denktash will ask mr.Annan to approach the Cyprus issue from a different angle as the course followed until now has not helped toward the solution of the problem.

[09] FYROM'S MEDIA CONFIRMED PANGALOS' INVITATION TO FRCKOVSKI

FYROM's state mass media confirmed that the country's Foreign Minister Ljubomir Frckovski received an official invitation from his Greek counterpart Theodoros Pangalos to participate in the upcoming conference on stability, security and cooperation in south-eastern Europe.

The Conference will be held in Thessaloniki on June 9-10 and according to the declarations made by Greek Prime Minister Kostas Simitis in his two recent speeches in Thessaloniki in the meeting will be discussed a comprehensive plan of cooperation among the Balkan states.

[10] FYROM AND GERMANY SIGNED A DEFENCE COOPERATION AGREEMENT

A cooperation agreement in the sector of defence was signed in Skopje by the Ministers of Defence of FYROM Blagoi Hadjinski and Germany's Folker Ruhe.

The Skopjan minister stated that the agreement will contribute significantly to the development of good neighbourly relations between the two countries, while in the defence sector will promote the harmonization of the country's defence policy with the collective systems of security.

During the meeting of the two ministers, were also discussed FYROM's activities within the framework of NATO's "Partnership for Peace Programme", the situation created in the region after the crisis in Albania and the future of the UNPREDEP peace-keeping mission.

[11] ALEXANDROUPOLIS, BURGAS AND NOVOROSISK WILL COOPERATE CLOSELY ON ECONOMY AND TOURISM

New prospects are being opened for trade transactions and the economic cooperation among Greece, Bulgaria and Russia as the Greek Foreign Ministry decided the future twinning of Alexandroupolis and Burgas with Novorosisk for closer cooperation on economic and tourist issues. The decision was made on the occasion of the two-day conference on the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline organized in the prefecture of Evros in north-eastern Greece.

Also, the municipality of Alexandroupolis is willing to support the participation of the municipality of Burgas in European programmes in which Alexandroupolis participates and initially the Bulgarian city is expected to have an observer status.

Meanwhile, the scientific and economic two-day conference on Safety and Environment Protection in the transport of oil through pipelines and sea terminals was completed in Alexandroupolis today.

The conference attended over 100 representatives of large Greek and European companies active in the sectors of construction and management of oil and natural gas networks. Also, present were representatives of the municipalities of Burgas and Novorosisk and Bulgarian Energy Ministry officials.

[12] 80 TONS OF HUMANITARIAN AID WILL BE SENT TO BULGARIA

Eighty tons of humanitarian aid will be sent to 8 municipalities and communities in Bulgaria on April 14.

The humanitarian aid will be sent to the neighbouring country within the framework of the "Solidarity Caravan" initiative. The delegations from the Prefecture of Xanthi in northern Greece and the municipality of Stavroupolis in Thessaloniki, which will accompany the aid to Bulgaria will meet with local authorities before returning to Greece on April 16.

[13] HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS CONDEMN THE TERROR CAMPAIGN AGAINST THE REHABILITATION CENTERS FOR TORTURE VICTIMS IN TURKEY

Human rights organizations called on the US government to exert pressures on Ankara to stop the terror campaign targeting the Rehabilitation Centers for Torture Victims operating in Turkey.

The director of the Torture Victims Center in Minneapolis, USA, mr.Johnson speaking before a US Congress committee stated that the terror campaign targeting the rehabilitation centers started when the Turkish government found out that those centers were providing the US government with facts concerning the torture practice in Turkey.

Mr.Johnson also said that the Turkish government is making every effort to hamper the operation of those centers.

He mentioned as an example, that last May a suit was filed against two people working in one of those centers in the city of Adana because they refused to hand over to the Turkish security forces the medical files of torture victims.

[14] CYPRUS' NEW GOVERNMENT SWORN IN TODAY, KASOULIDES IS NOW FM

Cyprus' new government was sworn in this morning before the President of the Cypriot Republic Glafkos Clerides.

The up-to-now government spokesperson Yiannakis Kasoulides has been appointed as Minister of Foreign Affairs, replacing Alekos Michaelides. Appointed as government spokesperson is Manolis Christofides, who served as Minister of Health up to now.

Minister of Justice and Public Order is Nikos Kosies, Minister of Education and Culture is George Hatzinikolaou, Minister of Health is Christos Solomes, Transportation and Projects Leontios Ierodiakonou.

President Clerides stated that he is certain the newly- assigned ministers have the capability to face the problems and wished them success in their tasks. A.F.

[15] 15,000 TURKS HAVE SOUGHT POLITICAL ASYLUM IN BRITAIN IN LAST TEN YEARS

Turkey's horrid record in human rights violations has prompted some 15,000 Turks to seek political asylum in England during the past ten years.

According to the British Ministry of the Interior's immigration records, this number is steadily on the rise. A.F.

[16] TURKEY WITHDRAWS THREAT OF VETO AGAINST NATO'S EXPANSION

Turkey seems to have lifted its threats of exercising veto power over the process of Hungary's, Poland's and the Czech Republic's accession to NATO according to the German Foreign Ministry, which assesses that this shift could be a result of German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel's recent visit to Ankara.

During their meetings with Mr. Kinkel, Turkish Premier Necmettin Erbakan and Foreign Minister Tansu Ciller stated that their government is in favor of allowing new members into the Alliance, while they also expressed their disappointment over the European Union's handling of Turkey's accession to the Community, which, as EU officials have made clear, is not likely in the near future.

In essence, the Turkish government's reactions are provoked by the breach of certain European promises to activate economic aid programmes for Turkey.

Also, another equally troubling reason for Ankara are the repeated criticisms it receives from European organizations, such as the Council of Europe, in regards to its human rights record, which is dismal.

The West reacted from the onstart to the Turkish threats, which in a certain dimension, expressed the current government's Islamist shift and Ankara's distancing from the Western sphere of influence.

It is reminded that at that time, three scenaria had been imagined for the developments to come from Turkey, two of which mentioned involvement of the military in the form of a coup or a designed episode in the Aegean or Cyprus, and the third being Turkey's distancing from the West.

As such, Mr. Kinkel's statements that Germany will work for the strengthening of ties between EU and Turkey apparently served as a "saving grace" for the shift in Turkey's positions. A.F.

[17] EUROPARLIAMENT CONDEMNS COMMISSION FOR PURCHASING GENETICALLY- ALTERED CORN

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