Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 97-06-26

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

Macedonian Press Agency: News in English Directory

MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Thessaloniki, June 26, 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 VOWS THAT NATIONAL RADIO-TV COUNCIL WILL BE INDEPENDENT

Greece's Prime Minister Kostas Simitis, expressed today his vow to establish the country's National Radio-Television Council as an independent body, while he also drew the axes on which it will operate.

The Council's first session was held in Athens today.

Mr. Simitis, addressing the session, stated that "freedom of press constitutes the foundation for the realization of freedom."

The President of the Council, Stefanos Kassimates, issued an appeal to journalists and publicists that they contribute to the upgrading of the country's radio-television programs. A.F.

[02] THE UNIVERSITY ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS CONTINUE FOR THE SECONDARY EDUCATION GRADUATES

The University entrance examinations continue in Greece for a second day. The students examined today are those who want a place in the economic universities.

They were examined in composition and its topic was the use of man as a mechanical element in the production process, the possibilities for man to become free through the development of his personality and the role of human creativity in a free society.

[03] GREEK PREMIER SIMITIS AND YUGOSLAV COUNTERPART KODIC MET YESTERDAY

Greek Prime Minister Kostas Simitis and his Yugoslav counterpart mr.Kontic appeared satisfied with the course of relations between Greece and FRY during their meeting in Athens yesterday.

They examined issues of bilateral cooperation, the promotion of cooperation among the Balkan states, Yugoslavia's incorporation into the international community as well as the course of the peace process taking place in this country.

Mr.Simitis underlined that cooperation moves forward, stressing that a proof to that is the great investment of the Greek State Tele-communications Organization, OTE, in the tele- communications network of FRY.

[04] GREEK DEFENSE MINISTER COMPLETES UNITED STATES VISIT

Greek Minister of Defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos today completed his six-day visit to the United States, conducted within the framework of the Greece's presidential term in the cross-Atlantic activities of the Western European Union.

Today, Mr. Tsochatzopoulos visited New York where he was received by the Archbishop of America Spyridon and gave an address before a Greek-American conference in Astoria.

After his meeting with the Archbishop, the Greek Defense Minister stated that Greece claims and demands that she be given understanding by her allies so that she will not be subject to behaviors that lead to destabilization in the area.

"We ask that pressures be exerted on the Turkish expansionist behavior, which, in the final analysis, undermines stability and security which is needed not only by Greece, but by the whole region as well," he stated.

Mr. Tsochatzopoulos has met with the US Secretary of Defense William Cohen, assistant Secretary of State Strode Talbot and US Senators Olympia Snow and Paul Sarbanis.

Moreover, Mr. Tsochatzopoulos spoke before the US Senate Committee and groups of businessmen on issues concerning the defense and the economy. A.F.

[05] WORLD DAY AGAINST DRUGS OBSERVED TODAY, BUT DIMENSIONS ARE ALARMING

The Greek government will establish twenty six new drug rehabilitation and use prevention centers throughout the country, announced today the government spokesperson Dimitris Reppas, on the occasion of the World Day Against Drugs.

As Mr. Reppas stated, the Greek government is intensifying its efforts to combat drug dependency and stressed the need to coordinate the efforts to inform the younger generations on the perils of drug use. A.F.

[06] MACEDONIA-THRACE MINISTRY ON INTER-BALKAN COOPERATION MISSION TO ROMANIA

The Department of the Inter-Balkan cooperation of the Ministry of Macedonia-Thrace will embark on a mission to Romania on June 29, headed by the Ministry's Secretary-General Chrysa Manolia.

The mission's aim is to promote new, flexible policies and to create a stable framework of economic, business, trade and cultural cooperation. The mission to Romania is the first in a series to various Balkan countries. A.F.

[07] GREEK PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION TRAVELS TO TIRANA AS ELECTION OBSERVERS

A seven-member parliamentary delegation is to depart for Tirana tomorrow in order to serve as observers during Albania's parliamentary elections of June 29.

Also, four Greek euro-deputies will travel to Tirana as observers and they are Yiannis Roubatis, K. Hatzidakis, I. Theonas and Katerina Daskalaki.

Taking part in the Council of Europe's delegation is also a Greek deputy, El. Veryvakis. A.F.

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

[08] "OMONIA" FORMER LEADER ABDUCTED TODAY NEAR GJIROCASTER

The former leader of Albania's Greek minority group "Omonia" Theodoros Bezianis was abducted this afternoon by four men near Gjirocaster who forced him into a yellow car without licence plates.

Mr. Bezianis was in Ioannina, Greece, this morning and returned to Albania in the afternoon.

His family owns a soda-pop factory near Gjirocaster and also publishes a Greek newspaper in Albania. A.F.

[09] CYPRIOTS WALK OUT FROM WTO CONFERENCE, PROVOKED BY TURKISH GROUP

The Cypriot delegation participating in today's session of the World Trade Organization, held in Geneva, walked out from the proceedings, a reaction provoked by the Turkish delegation's stance.

Specifically, the session was to examine all of the Cypriot government's trade agreements, as WTO members are occasionally subject to such checks, while the Turkish delegation insisted that their counterparts be read an announcement issued by the "Foreign Minister" of Rauf Denktash's enclave on the island's occupied part.

As was expected, this demand was met with the intense reactions of the Cypriot and Greek delegations.

Following the walk-out, the representative of the European Commission, asked that the session be postponed, as per a request submitted by Greece. A.F.

[10] BURGAS-ALEXANDROUPOLIS OIL PIPELINE TO BE DISCUSSED BY GREEKS, BULGARIANS

A Greek-Bulgarian program that will examine the construction of the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline is to be reviewed by a joint committee comprising by Greek and Bulgarian experts, by July 20.

Moreover, American experts from "Bechtel" are to visit Bulgaria by the end of June in order to examine Sofia's proposal for investments on the pipeline and Bulgaria's motorways. A.F.

[11] PRESIDENT OF CYPRUS GLAFKOS CLERIDES IS IN AMSTERDAM

The President of the Republic of Cyprus Glafkos Clerides is to travel to Amsterdam today in order to be briefed on the results of the recently-held EU Summit concerning the revision of the Maastricht Treaty.

Mr. Clerides has been invited by the Dutch-held EU Presidium, which has albeit clarified that this invitation does not signify the embarkation of any sort of negotiations regarding Cyprus' accession to the Community. A.F.

[12] US PRESIDENT FORWARDS HIS BI-MONTHLY REPORT ON CYPRUS TO CONGRESS

United States President Bill Clinton has forwarded his bi- monthly report on Cyprus to the US Congress.

In the report, which encompasses the time period between February-March, President Clinton refers to the mediated talks between the island's two sides and stresses that "the significant event of this period is the start of the preliminary talks, under the auspices of the United Nations, on the island.

"The United States strongly support the United Nations' effort to actively involve Messrs. Glafkos Clerides and Rauf Denktash in these talks." A.F.

[13] FINANCIERS, ECONOMISTS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD MEET IN THESSALONIKI

The International Association of Finance and Economics is holding its largest annual conference in Thessaloniki today, gathering over 200 financial experts from throughout the world.

The four-day conference is held under the auspices of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, the US-based Rutgers School of Business and Finance and the Athens Laboratory of Business Administration (a non-profit organization of the Association of Greek Industries and the Greek Association of Business Administration).

The participants are to address the operation of international stock markets and banking institutions, the business opportunities that are emerging from the Southeastern European region and the new forms of credit and loans.

Among the distinguished financiers to be present at the conference will be the president of Israel's stock exchange and Tel Aviv University professor Ylia Orglet, the NYU professor Mr. Brenner, the Greek professor of the Chicago University's economics department Mr. Konstantinides, the chairman of the Athens Securities exchange Mr. Xanthakis and many others A.F.

[14] PRESIDENT OF NORWEGIAN PARLIAMENT ARRIVES IN ATHENS TODAY

The President of the Norwegian Parliament Christi Grondahl was received by the President of Greece's Parliament Apostolos Kaklamanis today.

The two leaders discussed the Greek-Turkish relations and Ms. Grondahl stressed the importance Norway gives to Turkey's democratization process and to improving its human rights record.

Also, Ms. Grondahl asked Mr. Kaklamanis as to how he views the appointment of Richard Holbrooke as the US presidential envoy to Cyprus.

Mr. Kaklamanis responded that the Greek government welcomes any initiative regarding the resolution of the Cyprus problem.

"We hope that the US envoy will approach the issue carefully and with a disposition for a fair solution and will not be carried away by his success in the Bosnian issue, because the Cyprus issue is not a simple problem and is not suited to a Dayton-type solution," Mr. Kaklamanis said, assessing that Mr. Holbrooke is not about to take any action over the Cyprus issue, aside from conducting visits to the region, prior to the island's elections in February of 1998.

Lastly, the two parliament chiefs discussed issues concerning bilateral cooperation in the cultural and economic sectors as well as developing the ties between the two countries on all levels. Mr. Kaklamanis accepted Ms. Grondahl's invitation to formally visit Oslo.

Ms. Grondahl also met with the Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Yiannos Kranidiotis and the members of the parliamentary group Greek-Scandinavian Friendship.

Moreover, Ms. Grodahl will meet with the leader of the main oppposition party, New Democracy's Kostas Karamanlis and the Mayor of Athens Dimitris Avramopoulos. A.F.

[15] CONFERENCE ON "SEA TECHNOLOGY" HELD IN THESSALONIKI

Thessaloniki is hosting the Tenth Conference of the international Committee for the Protection of the Industrial Heritage, held in Greece for the first time, within the framework of events hosted by the "Thessaloniki, Cultural Capital of Europe 197" events.

The delegates are to discuss the country's nautical heritage and the effects born by the industrial revolution, as well as issues of marine technology

The Minister of the Aegean Elisabeth Papazoi declared the opening of the conference which is to be held until Sunday.

Ms. Papazoi stated that the relation between Greeks, especially islanders, and the sea and marine technology needs to be recongized.

"These relations were developed in the Aegean, a crossroad of civilizations with a plethora of historical traces of exchanges through the seas," Ms. Papazoi said. A.F.

[16] INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE UNION FOR DEMOCRACY IN THE BALKANS

The international conference on "Culture and Reconciliation in South-Eastern Europe" started today at a sea resort near Thessaloniki.

The three-day conference will examine all the parameters that form the cultural atmosphere of South-Eastern Europe. Among the issues that will be discussed are education, the Ottoman heritage, the significance of the economy, the motives of the big powers and their effect on South-Eastern Europe, religion, as well as, cultural and ethnic minorities.

The Union for Democracy in the Balkans was founded in 1995. It is a non profit society that aims at helping in the development of democratic institutions and the society of citizens in the Balkan and the Black Sea countries. A.F.

[17] THE SITUATION IN ALBANIA IS STILL UNSETTLED THREE DAYS BEFORE THE ELECTIONS

The situation in Albania remains unsettled three days before the parliamentary elections. Bloody incidents are taking place daily among armed groups and since February 1.600 people have been killed while 3.000 were injured.

OSCE mediator Frants Vranitski will meet today with Albanian President Sali Berisha. Tens of international observers are already placed all over Albania to oversee the election process.

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