Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 97-04-21

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

Macedonian Press Agency: News in English Directory

MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Thessaloniki, April 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] THE GREEK PRIME MINISTER MET WITH THE AUSTRIAN CHANCELLOR IN VIENNA

Greek Prime Minister Kostas Simitis, who is on a three-day formal visit to Austria accompanied by Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Yiannos Kranidiotis, met in Vienna with Austrian Chancellor Victor Klima.

Their talks focused on the developments in the EU and the wider European region as well as, on the course of the Inter- Governmental Conference and Greece's participation in the European developments on equal terms.

In a press conference after the meeting, mr.Simitis stated that Greece will continue to be firm in its negative position regarding the EU funds for Turkey and that Athens will continue to demand from Ankara to meet the pre-conditions set namely, to avoid the use of force or the threat for the use of force, respect International Law and appeal to the International Court of Justice in The Hague for the settlement of disputes.

During the talks with the Austrian Chancellor, Prime Minister Kostas Simitis presented Greece's positions on the Greek-Turkish relations, while the two men also examined the procedures for Cyprus' accession into the EU.

[02] PRIME MINISTER KOSTAS SIMITIS IS TO VISIT GERMANY THIS WEEK

Greece's Prime Minister Kostas Simitis is expected to visit Bonn this week where he will meet with Chancellor Helmut Kohl.

According to German press reports, Mr. Simitis will be in Bonn on Thursday and will also travel to Frankfurt and Marburg where he will celebrate Easter with Greeks living n Germany.

Msgrs. Simitis and Kohl are to discuss issues concerning the European Union and its security.

[03] REPPAS: THERE IS NO ISSUE OF A DIALOGUE OR NEGOTIATIONS WITH TURKEY

Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas stated, that there is not an issue of a dialogue or negotiations with Turkey. The statement was made on the occasion of the letter signed by 32 PASOK party deputies and sent to the Prime Minister, in which is expressed concern over the holding of a Greek-Turkish dialogue, as the nature of the negotiations and their subject are not known.

Mr.Reppas underlined that Greece's firm position concerning the improvement of the Greek-Turkish relations is that Ankara should respect the International Law and treaties.

He stated that the government's tactic is in line with the country's interests and pointed out that the government's positions will be presented to the Dutch EU Presidency this evening or tomorrow at the latest.

[04] MR.REPPAS COMMENTED ON THE SEIZURE OF THE GREEK COASTGUARD SHIP

Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas referred to the seizure of a Greek Coastguard vessel by an armed Albanian gang and stated that at this time, it is very difficult for the Greek Coastguard to hold an operation in order to take back the ship which has been located at the Albanian coasts.

Mr.Reppas stated that the Albanians, who seized the ship, are armed and if an operation is held it will put at risk the lives of Coastguard and Navy men.

The government spokesman stated that the Greek government is in contact with the local authorities in Albania to settle the issue through the diplomatic route.

[05] THE GREEK PRESIDENT WILL DELIVER A SPEECH BEFORE THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY

Greek President Kostis Stephanopoulos will deliver a speech before the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly in Strasburg this afternoon. Mr.Stephanopoulos is expected to refer to the Greek national issues, while he will also respond to questions posed by foreign deputies.

The Greek President will have contacts with Parliamentary Assembly President ms.Fischer, its General Secretary and also, with the leaders of state Parliament delegations and political groups.

[06] CRITICAL TEN DAYS AHEAD FOR GREEK-TURKISH ISSUES

Intense diplomatic mobility is noted in Greece's national issues, while the ten days that lie ahead are expected to be of decisive importance in regards to Greek-Turkish relations.

Greece is to respond this week to the European Union's Dutch- held Presidency's proposal to form a committee of wise men who will address Greek-Turkish issues.

The government is said to be sceptical in regards to the successful materialization of this proposal, while it also is concerned over the role and authority this joint commitee will have.

It has not been clarified what issues the committee will address and if any topics will be left out of the discussion, such as the extension of the territorial waters to 12 miles.

Nevertheless, reports state that the continental shelf issue will be included in these discussions and the committee is to focus on the relevant laws that interpret the accords related to the Aegean's status.

In regard to the EU-Turkey Association Council scheduled for April 28, Greece, which is subject to intense pressure to lift its veto over Ankara's funding, has stated that it does not intend to lift its veto unless its has tangible proof from Ankara that it will accept the terms it has set, such as not to use the threat of war and to respect international laws and accords.

Meanwhile, the upcoming meeting between Greece's Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos and his Turkish counterpart Tansu Ciller, to be held in Istanbul at the end of the month within the framework of the Black Sea Cooperation Conferece, is awaited with great interest.

Mr. Pangalos has stated that it will be an informal meeeting, although diplomatic circles insist that it bears great significance since it will display Ankara's degree of willingness to respect and uphold international laws and accords.

Moreover, this meeting is to determine the meeting between the Greece's and Turkey's Premiers, Msgrs. Simitis and Erbakan respectively, during the NATO Summit to be held in Madrid in July. A.F.

[07] FINANCE-NATIONAL ECONOMY MINISTER MEETS WITH ARCHBISHOP SPYRIDON

Greece's Minister of Finance and National Economy, currently in the United States, met with the Archbishop of America Spyridon in New York today.

Following their meeting, Mr. Papantoniou stated that he and the Archbishop discussed issues related to Greeks living abroad and relayed the Greek government's assurances that the State supports the Archbishop's efforts to promote Greece's national interests.

[08] MAIN PART OF GREEK BATTALLION LEAVES THESSALONIKI FOR ALBANIA

The main part of the Greek battallion participating in the multinational peacekeeping force assigned to Albania departed this morning from Thessaloniki's port.

The 520 troops are travelling to Durres on two tank-landing ships and will arrive at their destination in two days. They are expected to advance into Vlore this week, after having been immobilized for days in Fieri.

Greece's Minister of Defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos plans to visit Albania on Monday, April 28, where he will spend the day after Easter with the Greek troops. A.F.

[09] THIRTY-YEAR ANNIVERSARY SINCE THE COUP OF THE SEVEN-YEAR JUNTA

This year marks the thirtieth anniversary since the 1967 coup of the Generals, the military junta that ruled Greece for seven years. In Thessaloniki yesterday, men and women who fervently fought against the dictatorship laid a flower in the memory of those who lost their lives during the regime.

Greece's President Kostis Stephanopoulos stated that "the thirty years that have passed since the imposition of the military dictatorhip provide us with opportunity to once again bestow the due honor to those who resisted the oppressive regime with bravity and high democratic ideals and, of course, to the great majority of the Greek people, who never abandoned their democratic principles."

The ruling party's PASOK Executive Bureau also brought out a message for the Greek people, wherein it states that "the anniversary of the violent overthrow of democracy serves as a reminder of those who sunk Greece into anachronism and darkness for a seven-year span, and thus interrupted the Greek people's path towards its European development.

"Today," the message continues, "Greece is at the starting point of a new national and social course." The Macedonian Press Agency is currently featuring an extensive special edition in the Internet, dedicated to those who were tortured by the regime and lost their lives during the junta. A.F.

[10] GREEK PREMIER IN VIENNA TODAY ON WORKING VISIT

Greece's Prime Minister Kostas Simitis is currently on a working visit to Vienna where he met with Austria's chancellor Victor Klima and Foreign Minister Wolfgang Shushel.

This evening, Mr. Simitis will meet with the Austrian Federation's President Thomas Klestil.

The Greek Premier is accompanied by Greece's undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Yiannos Kranidiotis. A.F.

[11] EU COMMISSION SATISIFIED OVER COURSE OF GREECE'S ECONOMY

In a report to be adopted next week, the European Commission advises Greece to strengthen its efforts to meet the convergence program's aims and secure its participation to the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU).

According to the report, the Commission does recognize the progress achieved by Greece in controlling inflation but it does point out that in order to address the public deficit, the Greek government must draw long-term plans, aside from reducing public expenses, such as widening the tax brackets, promoting the privatization process, improving public administration and combating tax evasion.

Moreover, the report stated that nine EU member-states will meet the criteria for EMU admission in February 1998 and the remaining states, with the exception of Greece, can meet the inflation criteria by the end of the year by adopting a more stringent anti-inflation policy. In regards to public deficit, the Commission estimates that nine out of the 15 member-states will meet this criteria. A.F.

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

[12] BULGARIA: UNION OF DEMOCRATIC FORCES WINS ELECTIONS, TO FORM CABINET

The Union of Democratic Forces enjoyed a sweeping victory at Bulgaria's parliamentary elections this past weekend, and it is to form the country's new Cabinet by Thursday.

UDF's leader Ivan Kostov stated that his party's aim is to accellerate the country's economic reform process and to combat organized crime.

The Coalition leader issued an appeal towards his political opponents to contribute in the applicatjon of the programs that will enable Bulgaria to recover from the formidable economic crisis. A.F.

[13] HANNEY: THE DENKTASH REGIME SHOULD STOP DEMANDING RECOGNITION

The regime of the Turkish-Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash must stop demanding recognition and should focus on the UN proposal for a federal solution to the Cyprus problem, stated Britain's special envoy Sir David Hanney in an interview with BBC. Mr.Hanney specifically stated that in spite of the efforts made for international recognition, the Turkish-Cypriot pseudo-state is recognized only by Turkey.

The British official maintained that the tension on the island has increased in the past year and added that the biggest problem in reaching a solution for the problem is that the two communities in Cyprus have drifted apart to such a degree that it is very hard to reach a compromise.

On Turkey's ambitions to become an EU member, mr.Hanney stated that there were always problems with Turkey's request for membership in the European Union.

[14] THE GAP IN THE ALBANIAN DEMOCRATIC PARTY IS WIDENING

The gap within the Democratic Party is widening and according to widespread speculations, the conflict in its ranks will result in its breaking up and the establishment of a new center-right party in Albania.

Thirteen deputies have already left the party's Parliamentary group and in a written statement in early April, they dissociated their stance from the policy followed by President Berisha. Their example was followed by members of the party's presiding board who left their posts after signing the statement. Furthermore, other 2.200 Democratic Party members from rural regions have openly expressed their disagreement with the party policy.

[15] SADIK AHMET HAD FRIENDLY RELATIONS WITH TURKISH MAFIA MEMBER ABDULLAH CATLI

Based on Turkish press reports, Ahmet Sadik, a Muslim deputy in the Greek Parliament, who was elected in the prefecture of Rodopi and was killed in a traffic accident near the city of Komotini in north-eastern Greece, allegedly had friendly relations with Abdullah Catli, a member of the turkish organized crime, who was killed in another road accident near the Turkish city fo Susurluk on November 3, 1996.

The Susurluk road accident brought to light evidence on the links between the state and organized crime in Turkey and caused a political scandal that rocked the country and resulted in the resignation of Interior Minister Mehmet Agar.

Among the passengers of the car that crashed in Susurluk were, besides Catli, the True Path Party deputy Sedat Bucak, a police director and a former beauty queen.

The newspaper "Sabah", refers to the Susurluk case, stressing that in a section of the 330-page Parliamentary Committee report, that was not made public, references are made to certain "interesting relationships". According to the newspaper, Catli's driver Habib Aslanturk has allegedly stated that Catli and Ahmet Sadik were close friends. The Turkish newspaper "Yeni Yuzyil" also refers to the case, stressing that the report mentions that Catli and Sadik Ahmet were friends.

Sadik's widow, Isik Ahmet, responding to a question by MPA, categorically denied that the deceased had friendly relations with Catli.

[16] CYPRIOT GOVERNMENT SATISFIED OVER BRITISH ENVOY'S STANCE

The spokesperson of the Cypriot government Manolis Christofides characterized the statements made by Britain's special envoy Sir David Hannay as "realistic and positive", referring to the British diplomat's earlier remarks when he stated that the Turkish-Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash must stop demanding recognition and should focus on the UN proposal for a federal solution to the Cyprus problem.

Mr. Christofides gave heightened emphasis on Sir Hannay's opposition to recognizing two separate states on the island.

[17] FYROM: TAT'S CLIENTS THREATEN TO HOLD MASSIVE RALLIES

The customers of FYROM's banking institution TAT threaten to hold massive rallies in case their government does not publicize the findings of its recent investigation in the bank's accounting books.

According to press reports in FYROM, the bank's clients have formed an association whose leader accuses the government of intending to keep its findings secret, thus fueling the customers' worries that the state is trying to protect its own who may also be involved in the scandal.

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