Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 97-07-07

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

Macedonian Press Agency: News in English Directory

MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Thessaloniki, July 7, 1997

NEWS IN ENGLISH

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

TITLES

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

NEWS IN DETAIL

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[01] THESSALONIKI'S SEIH SOU FOREST IS BURNING, FIRE DIFFICULT TO CONTAIN

One of Thessaloniki's largest sources of oxygen, the Seih Sou forest, continues to burn since early yesterday evening, although the city's fire-fighters had managed earlier to contain the flames which at times came dangerously close to inhabited areas, aided by strong northern winds.

Five planes and one helicopter are being used to pour water on the burning trees but the winds whose direction are constantly changing are making this an impossible feat. Up to now, 15,000 stremmata of forest area have turned to ashes, according to official estimates.

The Minister of Agriculture Stefanos Tzoumakas assessed that the fire may be an act of arson. When told of the outcry that the fire fighting aeroplanes did not participate in the first attempts to put out the fire, Mr. Tzoumakas admitted that planning for only two such aeroplanes to be stationed in Thessaloniki was insufficient for such event, since their arrival was actually scheduled for the following week.

The Minster Of Macedonia-Thrace Philippos Petsalnikos also admitted that there was indeed a delay in activating these planes, but he stressed that the existing laws will be strictly enforced so that the burned area will not be bulldozed a¤d at the same time the State is to embark on flood prevention measures.

[02] THESSALONIKI'S SEIH SOU FOREST STILL BURNING, HALF OF AREA TURNED TO ASH

One fourth of Thessaloniki's largest source of oxygen, the Seih Sou forest, has turned to ashes as the fire that broke out yesterday evening continues to burn aided by strong northern winds.

According to the Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Philippos Petsalnikos, ten thousand stremmata (about 40,000 acres) has burned in a forest whose size is 30,000 stremmata. The man-made Seih Sou forest is quite close to Thessaloniki, its trees being clearly visible from downtown.

Five planes and one helicopter are being used to pour water on the burning trees but the winds whose direction are constantly changing are making this an impossible feat. Residents of Panorama, an inhabited area close to the forest, and Thessaloniki's most posh neighbourhood, have been evacuated from the area as the flames have come dangerously close to the houses. Tens of ambulances are stationed nearby.

According to the Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Philippos Petsalnikos, ten thousand stremmata (about 40,000 acres) has burned in a forest whose size is 30,000 stremmata. The man-made Seih Sou forest is quite close to Thessaloniki, its trees being clearly visible from downtown. Five planes and one helicopter are being used to pour water on the burning trees but the winds whose direction are constantly changing are making this an impossible feat. Residents of Panorama, an inhabited area close to the forest, and Thessaloniki's most posh neighbourhood, have been evacuated from the area as the flames have come dangerously close to the houses.

Mr. Petsalnikos has reiterated that the burned-down section will be declared protected land and will not be bulldozed.

The Prefect of Thessaloniki Alekos Papadopoulos stated that the fire is a result of organised arson that has taken gigantic dimensions due to the adverse weather conditions.

[03] MINISTER OF DEFENCE HEADS EMERGENCY FIRE MEETING AT 3RD ARMY CORPS

The Minister of National Defence Akis Tsochatzopoulos headed a meeting today in Thessaloniki at the 3rd Army Corps, to co- ordinate the efforts on putting out the fire that has engulfed the city's Seih Sou forest.

Mr. Tsochatzopoulos stressed that the first priority right now is to co-ordinate the efforts to contain and put out the fire, not to discover the culprits of the fire.

[04] GREEK PREMIER CONGRATULATES ALBANIA'S SOCIALIST LEADER ON HIS VICTORY

The Prime Minister of Greece Kostas Simitis has congratulated the leader of Albania's Socialist Party Fatos Nano on his apparent victory in the second round of the parliamentary elections.

The Socialist Party is quite ahead of the Democratic Party and appears to be winning, with the aid of its allies, the needed two-thirds majority in the House.

[05] GREEK DEPUTY FM CRITICISES TURKEY'S BULENT ECEVIT

Greece's deputy Foreign Minster Yiannos Kranidiotis has criticised the vice-[president of the Turkish government Bulent Ecevit, during an interview the Greek official gave to a radio station in Athens.

Mr. Kranidiotis stated that Mr. Bulent undermines the efforts to resolve the Cyprus issue through his statements that the occupation forces stationed on the island must be fortified.

Moreover, the Greek deputy FM pointed out that he will refrain from expressing any optimism on the result of the direct talks to be held between the President of Cyprus Glafkos Clerides and the leader of the Turkish-Cypriots Rauf Denktash in New York on Wednesday, albeit adding that he is neither pessimistic.

Commenting on the statements of German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel, who said that Cyprus cannot accede to the European Union without having first resolved the Cypriot issue, Mr. Kranidiotis warned that Greece will obstruct every expansion of the EU if it should not include Cyprus.

[06] SOCIALIST PARTY GAINS ALBANIA'S SECOND ROUND OF ELECTIONS

Albania's Socialist Party has re-confirmed its victory at the country's second round of the parliamentary elections, which was held yesterday, having won a 2/3 majority in Parliament, along with its allies.

According to up to date reports, the Socialist and Social- Democrats parties, which ran on a joint ballot in both rounds, have gathered 101 seats. The Democratic Alliance which was slow to enter the government coalition, has won two seats, one with its party's president Neritan Ceka and the other on the state ballot.

The Human Rights Party has won four seats appears to have won two more seats in the House.

In the Opposition, the Democratic Party has earned eight more seats and ten seats from the state ballot, thereby raising its number of deputies in Parliament to 28.

[07] MEETING ON GREEK BUSINESS VENTURES IN THE BALKANS TO BE HELD THURSDAY

Opportunities for the State to strengthen and encourage Greek businessmen to invest in countries of Southeastern Europe are to be examined in a meeting held by representatives of Greek Industries (SEV), approximately 40 bankers and other businessmen and the Greek Ministers of Development and Foreign Affairs, on Thursday in Thessaloniki.

[08] PAN-MACEDONIAN WORLD CONFERENCE TO BE HELD IN THESSALONIKI ON JULY 20-27

The 7th World Conference of the Pan-Macedonian Associations Abroad will be held in Thessaloniki on July 20-27, concurrent with celebrations that will honor the 50th anniversary of the foundation of the Pan-Macedonian Association of America and Canada.

The formal opening of the World Conference, held every 4 years, and the 50th Conference of the Pan-Macedonian Association of America and Canada, will take place on July 20, while on July 27 the World Conference proceedings will be completed with the swearing-in ceremony of the newly-elected Council of the Pan- Macedonian Association of America and Canada.

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

[09] CYPRIOT PRESIDENT GLAFKOS CLERIDES ARRIVES IN NEW YORK

The President of the Republic of Cyprus Glafkos Clerides arrived in New York this morning, in order to participate at Wednesday's direct talks with Turkish-Cypriot President Rauf Denktash.

Mr. Clerides stated that the Greek-Cypriot side is approaching the talks with a spirit of good will, albeit being aware of the Turkish intransigence.

[10] ALBANIA'S DEMOCRATIC PARTY LEADER TRITAN SEHU RESIGNS FROM POST

The President of Albania's Democratic Party Tritan Sehu announced today his resignation from the post.

In his statement, Mr. Sehu admitted that there were serious mistakes made in the course of the Democratic Party, but he did emphasise that the Party's stance rescued Albania from a sure blood bath.

Moreover, he stated that the elections of June 29 were a result of rigging and attributed his Party's loss to the Socialist Party to the various attacks the faction and its supporters were subject to.

Mr. Sehu has expressed his will to remain as a deputy of the Democratic Party.

[11] ROMANIAN PRESIDENT TO ARRIVE IN ATHENS IN END OF AUGUST

The President of Romania Emil Constantinescu is to be in Greece during the end of August, in order to participate at the "meeting of Athens '97", the international conference which, for the third consecutive year is to be organised by the Polytechnic University between august 29 and 31.

President Konstaninescu will declare the event open and will give a speech on "Democracy as a Continuous Process of Democratisation."

[12] NATO SUMMIT BEGINS TOMORROW IN MADRID

[13] CLERIDES-DENKTASH DIRECT TALKS ON CYPRUS TO BEGIN ON WEDNESDAY

The direct talks between the President of Cyprus Glafkos Clerides and the leader of the Turkish-Cypriots Rauf Denktash are to begin in New York on Wednesday, under the auspices of the United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan.

The talks are to be continued during August in Switzerland, while the determining factor for a US initiative on the Cyprus issue will be Cyprus's presidential elections to be held the following spring.

US State Department has confirmed Washington's support to the Clerides-Denktash direct talks on Cyprus.

Through a recently-released statement, the US State Department calls on the two sides and all the interested parties to work hard to start a process that will bridge the differences separating them, while it is stressed that the basic goal of this process remains a comprehensive solution that will establish a two- zone, two-community federation in Cyprus.

The United States also express the hope that the New York meeting will serve as a basis for further negotiations during this year and the following one, while the statement also mentions that US special envoy Richard Holbrooke will have private and separate meetings with the two leaders before the opening of the talks.

US State Department spokesman Nicholas Burns stressed that his country wants to offer every possible support to the UN for the promotion of a good basis for those talks.

[14] ALBANIAN PREMIER TO MEET WITH US PRESIDENT IN MADRID TODAY

The Prime Minister of Albania Bashkim Fino is to meet with the President of the United States Bill Clinton in Madrid today.

According to an Albanian daily, the US President's invitation for the meeting had been included in a letter forwarded to Mr. Fino by the US Secretary of State Madleine Albright, in which she also expressed her satisfaction over the first round of Albania's parliamentary elections.

[15] TURKEY TO SET UP MILITARY BASES IN OCCUPIED CYPRUS, TURKISH PRESS REPORTS

Turkish Navy and Air Force bases are reportedly in the works at the occupied part of Cyprus, according to persistent press reports in Turkish dailies, which also mention that this move on behalf of Ankara is an effort to leverage the imminent direct talks to be held on Wednesday in New York between the President of Cyprus Glafkos Clerides and the leader of the Turkish-Cypriots Rauf Denktash.

The press reports, referring to sources from the Turkish Foreign Ministry, state that the decision to establish bases was drawn during last Friday's meeting officiated by Premier Mesut Yilmaz.

[16] DUTCH PM WARNS TURKEY: RESOLVE CYPRUS AND KURDISH ISSUE, OR ELSE NO EU

The Dutch Prime Minister Wim Kok has warned Turkey's Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz that "if a final resolution of the problems with Greece is not found and if a fair and viable solution is not reached in the Cyprus and Kurdish issues, then Turkey will not be able to accede to full member status of the European Union."

The above was published in the Turkish daily "Milliyet" which prints the Dutch Premier's statement. Mr. Kok is said to have given special emphasis to human rights issues, as well as to Turkey's economic recovery.

[17] CRISIS IN THE SERB REPUBLIC OF BOSNIA CONTINUES

The crisis in the Serb Republic of Bosnia continues to mount after the meeting between its President Biljana Plavsic and the Serb President of Bosnia's collective presidium Momcilo Kraisnic was cancelled.

The international community, clearly on Ms. Plavsic's side, has expressed its concerns that the falling out between the President of Bosnia's Serb Republic and her predecessor's (Radovan Karadic) supporters not only threatens the unity of this Republic of the Former Yugoslavia, but the Dayton peace agreement as well.

According to reports of the pro-Karadic radio station, Ms. Plavsic cancelled her meeting with Mr. Kraisnic and remained at Banja Luca claiming security reasons.

In turn, Mr. Kraisnic called Ms. Plavsic's claims groundless and accused her of not wanting to resolve the crisis.

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