Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 97-05-22

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

Macedonian Press Agency: News in English Directory

MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Thessaloniki, May 22, 1997

NEWS IN ENGLISH

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

TITLES

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

NEWS IN DETAIL

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[01] PREMIER CONVENES WITH FOREIGN MINISTRY OFFICIALS, MEETS WITH NILES

The leadership of Greece's Foreign Ministry met with Prime Minister Kostas Simitis today, in light of tomorrow's extraordinary EU Foreign Ministers Amsterdam-held session which will examine the Intergovernmental Conference.

Premier Simitis also met today with the United States Ambassador to Athens Thomas Niles with whom he discussed national issues.

Mr. Niles is also scheduled to meet with Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos within the following days.

[02] PRIME MINISTER SIMITIS TO BE IN PARIS ON MONDAY

Prime Minister Kostas Simitis will be in Paris on Monday in order to attend the scheduled signing of the NATO-Russia agreement on the Alliance's eastward expansion to include former Soviet block countries.

As such, the social dialogue scheduled to take place in the Greek Parliament on Monday has been postponed until June 10.

[03] PANGALOS EXPRESSED THE SUPPORT OF THE GREEK GOVERNMENT TO PRIME MINISTER FINO

Greek Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos in a telephone conversation he had last night with Albanian Prime Minister Baskim Fino expressed the Greek government's support to the national reconciliation government in Albania.

According to the Tirana state radio station, mr.Pangalos asked mr.Fino to remain to his post until the end of the mandate of his government, and expressed the wish to visit Albania soon.

The Greek Foreign Minister stressed Greece's efforts both at a bilateral and an international level for the smooth course of Albania toward free and democratic elections, and stressed that he is in continuous contact with his EU counterparts to secure the international monitoring of the elections in the country.

[04] THE GREEK MINISTER OF DEFENCE MEETS WITH THE LEADERSHIP OF FRY

Greek Minister of Defence Akis Tsochatzopoulos had contacts today in Belgrade with Serb President Milosevic and Defence Minister Bulatovic.

The Greek Minister of Defence stated from Belgrade that the goal of his visit is to exchange views with the military and political leadership of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia concerning the critical issues people in the region are faced with.

After the end of the meeting, mr.Tsochatzopoulos mentioned that he had the opportunity to brief the Serb President on Greece's positions regarding the big changes taking place in the NATO and the EU, while they also discussed issues concerning stability, security and cooperation in the Balkans.

[05] GERMAN PHILHELLENE HONORED FOR HIS CONTRIBUTION TO GREECE

A German lawyer, Erhart Tsiger, was honored today for his contribution to Greece, specifically for his remarkable gesture to finance a school in a small village at Halkidiki where students used to have their lessons in a store.

In a ceremony held today in Thessaloniki, the Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Philippos Petsalnikos bestowed upon Mr. Tsiger the Gold Cross of the Battalion of Honor, a medal granted on behalf of Greece's President Kostis Stephanopoulos.

Mr. Tsiger is from Heidelburg and is married to a Greek- American. As he said, it all started 15 years ago when he vacationed at Halkidiki's village Kryopigi. While there, he saw that the village's children attended school in a makeshift classroom, a food store.

With money he inherited from his father's will, in 1984 Mr. Tsiger financed a modern school which houses the elementary classrooms, the teacher's living quarters, the school library and a youth club. Three years later, the German philhellene and his wife co-sponsored the Aristotelean University of Thessaloniki's Educational Center of Reseach and Further Education in Kryopigi.

Also present during today's ceremony was Germany's Consul- General.

[06] INTERNATIONAL COURTS THE SIGN OF THE TIMES, SAYS SUPREME COURT CHIEF

An International Conference on the role of the Supreme Courts at a national and international level is currently being held in Thessaloniki, organized by the Aristotle University's Law and Economic Sciences Department.

The President of Greece's Supreme Court Stefanos Matthias characterized the first session of the conference as highly interesting and told the Macedonian Press Agency that the significance lies in its international character, "given that the unification of law on procedural matters is just ahead of us, since this is an era marked by the creation of international courts, such as the Court of the European Communities, the Strasburg Court, etc."

The four-day conference examines the contemporary role of the Supreme Court, as well as in the development of social values and the rule of law in today's society.

The Minister of Culture Evangelos Venizelos inaugurated the event, while among those expected to address the audience are the Minister of Justice Evangelos Yiannopoulos, the Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Philippos Petsalnikos, the Mayor of Thessaloniki Konstantinos Kosmopoulos, and the President of the International Association on Procedural Law.

[07] THESSALONIKI, CULTURAL CAPITAL OF EUROPE 1997, REVEALS M. ATHOS TREASURES

Thessaloniki, the Cultural Capital of Europe for 1997, will host the monumental and world's first exhibit of the Mountain Athos treasures, the monuments of Orthodoxy, at the city's new Museum of Byzantine culture, from June 1997 until the end of the year.

The Organization of Cultural Capital of Europe "Thessaloniki '97" today presented a monumental 700-page publication which encompasses the full gamut of the exhibit's subjects.

This Exhibit will be perhaps the year's grandest event, from a spiritual, scientific and artistic point of view. For Hellenism, here and abroad, for women, who are not permitted to set foot on Mountain Athos, for the Orthodox -and Christians in general- throughout the world, bringing just a part of this living monument of Orthodox monastic life to Thessaloniki constitutes a singular opportunity to communicate with the present, the future and the tradition of an unprecedent phenomenon ot Greece's cultural and religious life.

Preserved at Mountain Athos are monumental art works drawn on 100,000 sq.m. surfaces, over 15,000 icons, a selection of manuscripts, some of which feature cartoons, small artworks, needlepoint, carved wood work and lithographs, photographs, stamps, as well as hymns, written works and other notes. This timeless selection also features vessels, ecclesiastical objects, furniture and facilities.

The Exhibit's unit of treasures will the one that will function as the main attraction for the public. The carefully selected treasures to be exhibited are analyzed into 108 Byzantine and post-Byzantine icons, 120 manuscripts, 120 craftworks, 30 needlepoints, 131 Byzantine, post-Byzantine, Slav, Romanian and Ottoman documents, 25 monastery stamps, seals and coins, 13 wood carvings, three sculptures, three Byzantine sculptures, 26 incunabula, six ceramic objects and four cartoons, 15 icons- matrices.

[08] GREECE'S AGRICULTURE MINISTER MEETS WITH EU'S COMMISSIONER FRANZ FISCHLER

Greece's Agriculture Minister Stephanos Tzoumakas met with the European Union's Agriculture Commissioner Franz Fischler today where the two men discussed Community funding to Greece's olive oil producers.

According to Mr. Fischler, the EU plans to grant the funds on the basis of production, not the number of trees, in order to, as he stated, give an incentive to secure a satisfactory standard of production.

Mr. Tzoumakas pointed out that a national percentage should be established and the funds should be granted on the basis of real, not expected production.

[09] THE IMF WANTS IMMEDIATE MEASURES FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE GREEK ECONOMY

The draft plan of the International Monetary Fund annual report stresses that there is a necessity for immediate measures aimed at improving the state of the Greek economy.

In the draft text of the report is underlined that the policies which will be followed by the government in the next year and a half, are likely to determine the fate of the Greek economy during the next generation.

In the report is recognized the fact that in the past few years there has been significant progress in the Greek economy and the country's accession into EMU remains a realistic possibility.

The IMF's experts underline the speeding-up of the growth rate, the increase of public investments and the drop of inflation to the lowest level in a period of over 20 years.

[10] GREECE'S NATIONAL BANK OFFICIALLY INAUGURATES ITS BRANCH IN SOFIA

The National Bank of Greece officially inaugurated today the opening of its branch in Sofia, ready to support all those who want to participate in Bulgaria's privatization process.

According to the National Bank's governor Theodoros Karatzas, the branch's principle capital is set at four million dollars.

During its six-month operation, the Sofia branch has attracted overall investments of two milion dollars, and this is only a modest start, its regional director said.

[11] A NEO-CLASSICAL BUILDING IN THESSALONIKI WILL BE SAE'S PERMANENT SEAT

Five hundred million drachmas will be granted in 1997 for the backing of Greek language departments in foreign universities.

Also, beginning this year and in cooperation with SAE, a new cultural institution will be established, namely, the Greek Cultural Capital of Greeks Living in America, starting with Boston and Washington.

Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos pledged that one of the restored neo-classical buildings in Thessaloniki will be SAE's permanent seat.

[12] LOCAL ADMINSTRATION STAFF TO GAIN PERMANENT STATUS, PARLIAMENT DECIDES

The Greek Parliament voted an amendment today which provides for the permanent employment status of the local adminstration's staff members who were hired prior to September 16, 1994, as well as those who began working in janitorial services after the aforementioned date.

[13] GREECE'S OLYMPIAKOS BASKETBALL TEAM IS CHAMPION FOR FIFTH YEAR STRAIGHT

Olympiakos is Greece's basketball chanmpion, a seat earned for the fifth year in a row, after beating AEK 68-53 in last night's game.

Scores of fans ran out in the streets of Piraeus, Olympiakos' hometown, to celebrate their team's victory.

Olympiakos, AEK, and PAOK are the three teams which will represent Greece in next year's Euroliga.

[14] GREECE'S SARBANIS WINS SILVER IN PAN-EUROPEAN WEIGHTLIFTING COMPETITION

Greece's Leonidas Sarbanis, the silver medalist in the weighlifting competition during last summer's Olympic Games, earned second place in the Pan European Weightlifting Championship Games, held in Rieka, Croatia.

Sarbanis, competing in the 59-kilos category, lifted 287.5 kilos but was beat by Bulgaria's Pesalov who raised 290 kilos, thus winning the gold.

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

[15] ROMANIA'S PRESIDENT EMIL CONSTANTINESCU ON OFFICIAL VISIT TO ATHENS

Romania's President Emil Constantinescu, curently on an official visit to Greece, was received today by the President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos and Prime Minister Kostas Simitis.

The three dignitaries discussed bilateral relations and they ascertained their common views in regards to Balkan-related matters.

"Greece, as other NATO-members, will exert every possible influence in order to achieve Romania's accession to the European Union during the first phase process, along with other countries," President Stephanopoulos stated.

[16] OSCE'S VRANITSKI: ALL ALBANIAN PARTIES HAVE AGREED ON JUNE 29 ELECTIONS

Albania's political parties have finally agreed to hold early elections on June 29, announced this afternoon Franz Vranitski, the special envoy of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Mr. Vranitski stated that he has received assurances by all of Albania's political party leaders that the elections will be held as scheduled.

[17] ALBANIA'S PRESS: ITALIAN AMBASSADOR IS INTERFERING IN OUR DOMESTIC AFFAIRS

Persistent press reports in Albania bring Italian Ambassador to Tirana Paolo Foresti as having interfered into the country's domestic affairs, some even referring to him as President Sali Berisha's "crutch" and as a "brake" in the international community's efforts to resolve the Albanian crisis.

An Albanian daily published telephone conversations that were held between Foresti and Albania's Foreign Minister Tritan Sehu since the beginning of March. That was the time period when the special envoy of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe Franz Vranitski and Albanian political party leaders were trying to reach an agreement on the country's early elections.

According to the report, the agreement was a done deal, way before the ink had a chance to dry.

Specifically, according to the report, the Italian Ambassador is said to have told Mr. Sehu:

"Berisha must be careful when he publicly lashes out against the committtees with which we meet, since this will bring about a negative impact on the international community, where there are many governments that want his (Berisha's) removal.

The Vlore committeee," Mr. Foresti is said to have added, "is very significant since others follow behind it. You must explain this to Berisha so that he won't stop you."

Also, the paper writes that Mr. Foresti stressed upon Mr. Sehu "Vranitski is preparing an overall package regarding the points of the trilateral agreement. Of course, you will not sign. Or will you?"

Mr. Foresti has denied these reports and has forwarded a telegraph to the papers. However, one of these dailies claims to have recorded tapes of these conversations.

[18] BRITISH MPs TABLE RESOLUTION ON HOLDING 2004 OLYMPIC GAMES IN GREECE

Britain's Labur Party deputies have tabled a resolution in the British Parliament wherein they propose that the 2004 Olympic Games be held in Athens.

In their resolution, the British parliamentarians emphasize that by returning the games to Athens, the institution will finally return to its founding principles and will be freed from the plethora of market and trade exploitations.

The initiative for this resolution was taken by MP Eddy O'Hara and MP Tom Cox, both known for their philhellenic sentiments.

[19] FYROM: TURKISH, ALBANIAN FLAGS STAY UP IN GOSTIVAR IN SPITE OF RULING

In spite of yesterday's ruling in FYROM's Constitutional Court, which forbade the raising of the Turkish and Albanian flags in the municipalities of Gostivar and Tetovo, the flags remained in place "supported" by a gathering of about 500 people who appeared ready to confront any effort to lower the flags.

The story goes back some time and is a sore point between the government of FYROM and these two communities.

On May 5, FYROM's Ministry of the Interior had filed suits against the mayors of Tetovo and Gostivar because they, without prior approval, had raised the aforementioned flags in schools, courts and other public buildings in their regions.

However, according to FYROM's legislation whenever an area's minority population surpasses the 20% mark of the overall population the local admistrative bodies can raise that minority's flag.

[20] THESSALONIKI-HELD INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE TO ADDRESS ALZHEIMER'S

Alzheimer's disease, an illness that commonly plagues seniors, is to be addressed and analyzed during an international conference to be held in Thessaloniki this weekend, May 24-25.

Alzheimer's results in gradual neurological degeneration, with the most prevalent symptoms being memory loss, impaired sense of judgment, inability to concentrate and disorientation.

The conference will be held at Thessaloniki's Center of International and European Economic Law. A.F.

[21] INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE IN THESSALONIKI ON ROLE OF SUPREME COURTS

An International Conference on the role of the Supreme Courts at a national and international level is currently being held in Thessaloniki, organized by the Aristotle University's Law and Economic Sciences Department.

The four-day conference will examine the contemporary role of the Supreme Court, as well as in the development of social values and the rule of law in today's society.

The Minister of Culture Evangelos Venizelos inaugurated the event, while among those expected to address the audience are the Minister of Justice Evangelos Yiannopoulos, the Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Philippos Petsalnikos, the Mayor of Thessaloniki Konstantinos Kosmopoulos, and the President of the International Association of Procedural Law M. Storme. A.F.

[22] FINO ASKED THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO MONITOR THE ELECTIONS

Albanian Prime Minister Baskim Fino in a letter to OSCE envoy Frants Vranitski asks the international community observers to monitor closely the June 29 elections in the country.

Mr.Fino seeks to obtain a commitment from the international community that it will undertake an active role, as it did in the elections held in Bosnia.

[23] ALL OBSTACLES IN PRACTISING LAW INSIDE THE EU ARE BEING ABOLISHED

Based on an EU Council of Ministers decision that is being put into effect today, all obstacles in the practising of law by lawyers from EU member-states are abolished within the EU borders.

According to an EU directive, lawyers will no longer have to take tests on the legislation of the country they want to work in, but instead they will have to be articled to a lawyer in that particular country for a period of 3 years.

[24] RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTER RELIEVED OF HIS DUTIES TODAY

Russia's Defense Minister Igor Radionov was relieved of his duties today, after he was accused of not enforcing his government's mandates for the reform of his country's armed forces.

Earlier, Russian President Boris Yeltsin had lashed out against Mr. Radionov.

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