Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 97-08-19

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

Macedonian Press Agency: News in English Directory

MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Thessaloniki, August 19, 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 ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH COMPLETED HIS VISIT TO GREECE

Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos, who visited the Aegean islands of Chios, Psara and Inouses, returns to Istanbul today.

Before his departure, the Ecumenical Patriarch sent a message of peace and cooperation to Greece and Turkey, stressing that the two countries have no other choice but peace.

On September 28, the Ecumenical Patriarch will visit Thessaloniki at the invitation of the Organization Cultural Capital of Europe.

[02] TERRORIST ATTACK IN ATHENS - NO VICTIMS REPORTED

Terrorists targeted the office of former Public Order Minister Stelios Papathemelis in Athens. The terrorist group "Revolutionary Cells" claimed responsibility for the bomb blast that occured this afternoon.

The terrorists warned of the attack with a statement to the newspapers "Adesmeftos Typos" and "Eleftherotypia", 20 minutes before the bomb explosion and authorities had time to evacuate the building.

According to police, there were no victims and the blast caused only material damage. The reason for the terrorist attack is still not known.

[03] GREECE AND CYPRUS LAUNCHED AN INFORMATION CAMPAIGN ON THE CYPRUS PROBLEM

Greece and Cyprus launched a campaign aimed at informing the international community on the Cyprus issue and demonstrate Turkey's intransigence.

The Greek government called on the Greeks living all over the world to show vigilance in order to deal with the situation created as a result of the Clerides-Denktash direct talks in Montreaux, Switzerland.

Also, the Greek government will protest to the UN Secretary General, the members of the UN Security Council and the European Union.

[04] CONTACTS WITH UN AND EU OFFICIALS AIMED AT THE CONTINUATION OF THE TALKS ON CYPRUS

The permanent representatives of Greece and Cyprus in the United Nations, Christos Zacharakis and Nikos Agathokleous, began contacts with United Nations and European Union officials on the Cyprus problem after the deadlock that resulted from the Turkish intransigence and in view of tomorrow's discussion on Cyprus in the UN Security Council.

In a statement of the Greek Foreign Ministry is underlined that the government believes the situation that was created after the direct talks on Cyprus calls for the continuous vigilance and reaction to the Turkish intransigence by the political world of Greece and Cyprus as a whole and by the Greeks living abroad.

[05] THE INTERNATIONAL SEISMOLOGY CONFERENCE CONTINUES IN THESSALONIKI

The causes of earthquakes in the Aegean were clarified today by seismology professor in Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, mr.Vasilis Papazachos in his scientific presentation made within the framework of the 29th General Assembly of the International Association of Seismology and Physics of the Earth's Interior that opened yesterday in Thessaloniki and will continue until August 28.

A group of scientists from Mexico presented a new method of earthquake prediction which is based on the fact that the few seconds needed for the seismic waves to reach populated areas offer enough time for the implementation of certain safety measures.

Nevertheless, Greek seismologist Vasilis Karakostas pointed out that this method can not be applied in Greece as the damages caused by a strong earthquake are usually recorded near its epicenter.

Mustafa Erdik, professor in the English-speaking Bogazici University in Istanbul, stated to MPA, that in case of a strong earthquake the building of Agia Sofia will suffer serious damages that will be very hard to repair but it will not collapse. Mr.Erdik reminded that Agia Sofia survived three devastating earthquakes in the 6th, 10th and 14th centuries measuring 7,5 on the Richter scale and suffered damages only to its dome.

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

[06] PLAVSIC REJECTS THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT RULING

Bosnian Serb Republic President ms.Biljana Plavsic stated in a press conference in Banja Luka yesterday that she rejects the recent ruling of the Constitutional Court because as she said, the judges acted under intense pressure. The statement was made when ms.Plavsic was asked to comment on the court's ruling which characterized as unconstitutional her decision to dissolve Parliament and call early elections.

Speaking to the Bosnian Serb television, ms.Plavsic underlined that the Constitutional Court's decision was purely political and that its action was not based on legal criteria.

Referring to the tapes with her telephone conversations seized by the loyal to her special forces, which temporarily occupied the central police station in Banja Luka a few days ago, ms.Plavsic said that the state security had tapped her telephone as well as, the telephones of two Constitutional Court judges and opposition party leaders. Ms.Plavsic also said that she was not informed in advance of the special forces' intention to storm the police station.

[07] OSCE OBSERVERS WILL OVERSEE THE ELECTIONS IN SERBIA

The OSCE accepted the Serb authorities' request to send observers who will oversee the parliamentary and presidential elections in Serbia that will be held on September 21.

According to Yugoslav mass media reports from Vienna, the seat of the OSCE, the Foreign Minister of Denmark who is currently holding the organization's presidency, informed FRY Foreign Minister Milan Miludinovic that the OSCE will send observers to oversee the upcoming elections.

[08] THE TELE-COMMUNICATIONS LINK-UP BETWEEN GREECE AND FYROM ENTERS ITS FINAL PHASE

The link-up of the tele-communications networks of Greece and FYROM enters its final phase, according to information reported by FYROM's news agency MPB.

Specifically, the news agency reports that the link-up of the two networks will be tested in the post office of Gevgeli, while the fiber optics link-up will be completed soon.

[09] PROTEST RALLY OUTSIDE THE TURKISH EMBASSY IN LONDON IN MEMORY OF THE TWO GREEK-CYPRIOTS KILLED LAST YEAR

A protest rally was held outside the Turkish Embassy in London last night organized by the Cypriot community in Britain in memory of the Greek-Cypriots Tasos Isaak and Solomos Solomou, who were killed in Cyprus last year.

Also, a prayer was held for those killed in the Cypriot struggle and for those still missing since the Turkish invasion of Cyprus.

[10] THE NEW GREEK AMBASSADOR TO CYPRUS MET WITH THE CYPRIOT PARLIAMENT PRESIDENT

Greece's new Ambassador to Nicosia mr.Kyriakos Rodousakis met with Cypriot Parliament President mr.Spyros Kyprianou.

The two men discussed the latest developments in the Cyprus issue and the situation created due to the collapse of the direct talks in Montreaux, Switzerland between Cypriot President Glafkos Clerides and Turkish-Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash.

[11] THE US CONTINUES TO BELIEVE THAT THE CYPRUS TALKS ARE USEFUL

The United States continue to believe that the Cyprus talks are useful and want to see them repeated at the right time, stated US State Department spokesman James Rubin.

Mr.Rubin maintained that a conclusion on the talks is expected to be presented to the UN Security Council by UN special envoy Diego Cordovez some time this week.

[12] BALKAN STATES PRESIDENTS' MEETING IN BULGARIA

Bulgarian President Petar Stoyanov prepares a meeting of Balkan states Presidents to be held in the sea resort of Varna next month, according to the newspaper "168 Hours".

Mr.Stoyanov will meet in Varna with the Presidents of Turkey and Romania on the occasion of the installation of a television satellite, while he is also examining the possibility of inviting to the meeting and the Presidents of Greece and FYROM.

[13] THE FAILURE IN ONE OF KOZLODUI'S NUCLEAR REACTORS HAS BEEN REPAIRED

The failure in one of the nuclear reactors in Bulgaria's Kozlodui energy plant, that forced its management to suspend its operation has been repaired and the reactor was back in operation today at 50% of its capacity, according to the Bulgarian News Agency.

The BBC had reported earlier that one of the two turbines of nuclear reactor Number 1 had broken down and the causes of the failure were unknown, while assurances had been given according to which, there was no radiation leak.

[14] THE TURKISH PRIME MINISTER ANNOUNCED THAT HE ESCAPED AN ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT AGAINST HIM

Turkish Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz announced today that he was the target of a failed assassination attempt.

Mr.Yilmaz stated that the police averted a bomb attack against him on Sunday, one day before the voting in Parliament on the education bill, which will result in the closure of the islamist religious schools in Turkey at the demand of the secularist military establishment in the country.

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