Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 97-07-28

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

Macedonian Press Agency: News in English Directory

MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Thessaloniki, July 28, 1997

NEWS IN ENGLISH

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

TITLES

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

NEWS IN DETAIL

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[01] A GREEK "MIRAGE-2000" AIRCRAFT CRASHED IN A SEA REGION DURING A TRAINING FLIGHT

A Greek Air Force "Mirage-2000" aircraft crashed in a sea region, 25 nautical miles north-east of the island of Skyros in the Aegean, while on a training flight with other three aircraft that had taken off from the airfield of Tanagra.

The pilot of the aircraft was 28yearold squadron leader Ioakim Pantelakis and an air and sea operation is underway for his rescue. It has been confirmed that there was no engagement with Turkish warplanes, while fears are being expressed that the pilot did not have the time to activate the ejector-seat mechanism.

[02] PILOT OF CRASHED MIRAGE AIRCRAFT HAS YET TO BE FOUND

The Greek government's air and sea operation to locate the pilot of the Air Force "Mirage-2000" aircraft, which crashed today 25 nautical miles north-east from the island of Skyros in the Aegean, continues.

The pilot, 28-year-old squadron leader Ioakim Pantelakis, may not have had the chance to activate the plane's seat-ejector mechanism.

Minister of Press and Media Deimitris Reppas has expressed the government's sadness over the incident. A.F.

[03] GREECE ISSUES DEMARCHE OVER TURKISH VIOLATIONS OF GREEK FIR

The Greek Ambassador to the United States Lukas Tsillas has submitted a demarche to the US government over the continuous violations of Greece's FIR by Turkey.

According to press reports, Mr. Tsilas requested that the State Department intervene in order to address the Turkish provocations.

Greek government spokesperson Dimitris Reppas stated today that the continuous violations of Greece's flight information region by Turkish airrcraft not only do not aid relations between the two neighbors, but actually endanger them, since they are in violation of the recently-signed Madrid communique. A.F.

[04] THE RESULTS OF THE ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS TO UNIVERSITIES WILL BE ANNOUNCED TOMORROW

The results of the entrance examinations to the Greek universities will be announced tomorrow and will be posted up in high-schools. The minimum grade-total for admission to higher education insitutions will be announced by the end of August.

In the courses of composition, physics and history the performance of those examined was mediocre to poor.

[05] MINISTRY OF NATIONAL ECONOMY AND FINANCE TO HOLD SESSION TOMORROW

The Ministry of National Economy and Finance is to convene tomorrow, headed by the Minister of Economics and Finance Yiannos Papantoniou, in order to discuss the developments in the country's economy, as well as the rise of the US dollar in the international market.

Among those to participate in tomorrow's meeting will be the deputy Minister of Development Michalis Crhysichoides. A.F.

[06] PASOK'S EXECUTIVE BUREAU TO CONVENE THIS EVENING

The Executive Bureau of Greece's ruling party PASOK is to convene this evening in order to examine the joint communique signed in Madrid by Greece's Premier Kostas Simitis and Turkey's President Suleiman Demirel.

Tomorrow, Mr. Simitis will meet with the Foreign Ministry's leaders as well as with officials from the National Radio- Television Council.

On Wednesday, the Council of Foreign Affairs and Defense is to meet in order to discuss the ways of facing the Turkish provocations in the Aegean. On Friday, the government's Ministerial Council will also convene. A.F.

[07] WORLD CONFEDERATION FOR THE PROMOTION OF HALKIDIKI

The decision to establish a World Confederation was reached a few days ago, by people who come from Halkidiki in northern Greece and live abroad, with main goal the improvement of communication and the creation of closer relations with their region, stated to MPA the World Confederation President mr.Asterios Papanikolaou.

As it was made known, one of the first decisions that will be implemented by the confederation will be the building of a "village" that will host the people who come from the region and want to visit it.

[08] SWEDISH DAILY: MOUNT ATHOS IS A SOURCE OF INSPIRATION

The Mount Athos Treasures Exhibition currently featured at Thessaloniki's Museum of Byzantine Art has been hailed by a Swedish daily as "a source of inspiration."

The daily "Svenska" offers a detailed account of the treasures on exhibit and marvels at the craftmanship and artistry of the Athonite monks. A.F.

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

[09] ATHLETES FROM 200 COUNTRIES WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE 6TH TRACK AND FIELD WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IN ATHENS

The 6th Track and Field World Championship opens in Athens on Friday under tight security measures.

In the international sports competition will participate athletes from 200 countries and it is estimated that it will be watched on television by 4 billion viewers worldwide.

World Federation President Primo Nebiolo, who arrived in Athens yesterday, expressed satisfaction for the preparations made by the Greek authorities and appeared optimistic that the organizing of the sports events will be totaly successful.

Meanwhile, International Olympic Committee President Juan Antonio Samaranch is expected in Athens this afternoon.

[10] CLERIDES-DENKTASH MEETING IN CYPRUS

The meeting of Cypriot President Glafkos Clerides and Turkish- Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash in the residence of the UN Secretary General alternate special envoy to Cyprus Gustav Feisel will have an open agenda.

The meeting will take place in the neutral zone of Nicosia and is held in preparation of the second round of direct talks that will open in Switzerland in mid August.

The two leaders will be able to discuss and other issues besides the ones of humanitarian nature.

Mr.Clerides stated that he will not hesitate to put his signature to a solution of the Cyprus problem that will safeguard the withdrawal of the Turkish occupation forces from the northern part of the island, the return of the refugees to their homes and Cyprus' EU accession course.

[11] ALBANIA REGARDS GREECE AS ITS MAIN PARTNER IN THE BALKANS

The Albanian government regards Greece as its main partner in the Balkans and also as a significant supporter in the promotion of its external relations, stated new Albanian Foreign Minister Paskal Milo.

Meanwhile, PASOK's Central Committee Secretary mr.Skandalidis met in Tirana with Prime Minister Nano, Foreign Minister Milo and Archbishop of Albania Anastasios.

[12] THE UN "NON-PAPER" TO CLERIDES AND DENKTASH SUGGESTS THE FEDERATION SOLUTION FOR THE CYPRUS PROBLEM

Reliable press sources in the Turkish capital published the contents of the so-called "non-paper" that UN special envoy Diego Cordovez has presented to Cypriot President Glafkos Clerides and Turkish-Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash who are meeting in Nicosia this afternoon.

This text is being studied in view of the new Clerides- Denktash meeting that will be held under the UN auspices in Montreaux or Geneva on August 11-16.

The so-called "non-paper" appears to reiterate many of the key principles covered in the previous "package of ideas" which had been prepared by the UN General Secretariat. According to the Turkish side, it includes elements which Turkish-Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash regards as "unacceptable". Mr.Denktash maintains that the "non-paper" does not include the fundamental principles based on which the 1960 "partnership republic" was established on the island.

The text promotes and supports the solution of the Cyprus problem on the principle of federalization, while it presents the Turkish-Cypriots as equal members of the new proposed state entity recognizing, at the same time, the Denktash regime. Also, it prohibits the activation of the procedures for Cyprus' unification with any other state, referring indirectly to the procedures for Cyprus' EU membership. It also mentions that "religious functionaries" will not be allowed to hold elected or appointed political office in the federal government or in the federated states.

There is no referrence, whatsoever, on the withdrawal of the Turkish occupation forces and also, on the Turkish invasion and occupation of part of Cyprus, as the invader is treated equally with the Greek-Cypriot side, which since 1974 has suffered the consequences of the provocative Turkish aggressiveness.

[13] MEETING OF GREEK AND TURKISH BUSINESSMEN WILL BE HELD IN ATHENS IN OCTOBER

The majority of the Turkish newspapers, like "Milliyet", "Radikal", "Sabah" and "Yeni Yuzyil", refer to the second round of talks between Greek and Turkish businessmen, who will meet in Athens on October 21-24.

The talks began last May in Istanbul where distinguished businessmen from Greece, Turkey and Cyprus gathered to discuss cooperation proposals and reached interesting conclusions.

[14] CLERIDES-MADEN MEETING

Cypriot President Glafkos Clerides met this morning with Britain's High Commissioner David Maden to discuss the prospects for the second round of direct talks mr.Clerides will have with Turkish-Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash.

In statements he made afterwards, mr.Maden expressed satisfaction for the Clerides-Denktash meeting, scheduled to take place this afternoon, characterizing it as an "excellent initiative".

[15] CHILDREN OF THE GREEK MINORITY IN ALBANIA WILL BE HOSTED IN THE NEA PERAMOS CAMPING

Greek minority children from the cities of Saranta, Delvino, Himara and Gjirokastra in Albania will be hosted in the Nea Peramos camping at the initiative of the Pan-Epirotic Association of Kavala.

The children, aged 8 to 13 yearsold, were selected by the Greek community organization OMONIA and many families in Kavala, a city in northern Greece, offered to host the children expresing this way their great sensitivity toward the hellenism of Albania.

[16] SUNDAY TELEGRAPH WARNS OF PIRACY DANGERS IN MEDITERRANEAN

London's "Sunday Telegraph" published today a travel advisory issued by the Foreign Office wherein the British government is said to warn yacht owners of pirates lurking in the waters between Corfu and Albania.

According to the article, a shipyard was discovered near Rome were speedboats specially equipped with guns and artillery were constructed for the modern-day pirates. A.F.

[17] CYPRUS-EU SIGN FIRST BILATERAL AGREEMENTS

Cyprus and the European Union signed three bilateral agreements today, concerning the development of cooperation in the sectors of education, professional training and youth, within the framework of Cyprus' participation in the Community's programmes "Socrates", Leonardo" and Youth for Europe".

The programme's were open only for the EU's member-states until 1994, but a year later those countries which had submitted their candidacy for EU accession were also allowed to participate. A.F.

[18] BULGARIA IS COUNTING ON TURKEY FOR ITS ACCESSION TO NATO, SAYS STOYANOV

The President of Bulgaria Petar Stoyanov stated that his government faces its ties with Turkey not only as relations of friendship and good neighborhood, but also looks to Turkey as a supporter of Bulgaria's aim to enter the Alliance and its course of accession to the European Union.

Mr. Stoyanov is currently on a three-day official visit to Ankara, where he will meet with Turkish President Suleiman Demirel and Premier Mesut Yilmaz. A.F.

[19] AUGUST SEMINAR TO HAIL WOMEN'S ROLE IN MEDITERRANEAN, BLACK SEAS

An international Conference to be held in Thessaloniki during August is to hail the role of women in the cultural development of the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions.

The Conference, titled "Women Creators of the Two Seas, Mediterranean-Black Sea" will be attended by representatives from Europe and the Balkans, as well as from other countries such as Jordan, Libya, Marocco, Tunesia and Israel.

The event is jointly organized by UNESCO's Balkan Center and its Mediterranean Directorate and by the Organization of Cultural Capital of Europe "Thessaloniki '97". A.F.

[20] BULGARIAN PRESIDENT APOLOGIZES FOR PERSECUTION OF HIS COUNTRY'S TURKS

Bulgaria's President Petar Stoyanov apologized today for his country's persecution of the Turkish minority during the Zivkov regime.

Currently on a three-day official visit to Ankara, Mr. Stoyanov stated that "I want to apologize to all of the Bulgarian citizens of Turkish descent who were subject to persecution during the 'renaissance era' (the period during the communist regime when Bulgaria's Turkish descendants were forced to change their names.)"

In turn, Turkish President Suleiman Demirel vowed that his country will support Mr. Stoyanov's initiative for cooperation among Bulgaria, Turkey and Romania.

The two sides have signed four bilateral agreements in the sectors of tourism, environmental protection, prevention of nuclear accidents and the establishment of new borders between Bulgaria and Turkey. A.F.

[21] WEU TO AID ALBANIA IN RESTRUCTURING ITS POLICE FORCES

Albania's Minister of the Interior Neritan Ceka received officials from the Western European Union in Tirana today where they discussed the various ways through which the WEU can offer its assistance to the Albanian police.

Following the meeting, Mr. Ceka stated that "we are open to a more fruitful cooperation demanding aid and assistance for the elaboration of a new style in the work of police."

He added that "our aim is to put the complete control in the axes of the roads and ro eliminate the armed gangs who plunder." A.F.

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