Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 97-09-18

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

Macedonian Press Agency: News in English Directory

MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Thessaloniki, September 18, 1997

NEWS IN ENGLISH

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

TITLES

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

NEWS IN DETAIL

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[01] INFLATION IN GREECE WILL DROP TO 3% AT THE END OF 1998

The efforts of the Greek government have as a target to bring inflation down to 3% at the end of 1998, based on the conclusions reached in the meeting of Prime Minister Kostas Simitis with the Governor of the National Bank of Greece Loukas Papadimos.

In statements he made, mr.Papadimos predicted that the cost- of-living index will close in 1997 under 5,6%.

[02] THE RE-EXAMINATION SYSTEM FOR THE SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS WILL BE ABOLISHED IN 1999

The re-examination system for the secondary education school students, who do not have the necessary minimum grade to pass the class, will be abolished in June 1999. Namely, the students, who will finish the school year of 1998-99 with an average grade of below 10, will remain in the same class for another year.

This school year the old system will still be in effect according to which, the students who will advance to the next class will be those with an average grade of over 13, even if they do not make the grade in four classes.

[03] KAKLAMANIS - LAZARENKO MEETING

The strengthening of cooperation between Greece and Ukraine was the main topic of discussion in the meeting of Greek Parliament President Apostolos Kaklamanis with the leader of the new Social-democratic party of Ukraine mr.Lazarenko.

The two presidents referred to issues concerning the 400.000 Greeks living in the country while the bilateral economic cooperation was also discussed.

[04] PANGALOS: TURKEY SHOULD RESPECT THE MADRID AGREEMENT

Greece achieved significant progress lately in all national issues, stressed Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos in a press conference aimed at presenting his ministry’s activities this year.

Mr.Pangalos stated that Greece, in the following three days, will send its proposal to the EU Presidency for the promotion of the process of the Greek and Turkish committees of specialists. Commenting on the proposals made by the Turkish side, mr.Pangalos stated that it requests a meeting of the committees of specialists without referring to procedural issues.

The Greek Foreign Minister sent a message to Turkey to respect the Madrid agreement. Referring to the Greek-Turkish relations and the imminent meeting with his Turkish counterpart in New York, within the framework of the UN General Assembly meeting, mr.Pangalos stressed that he will have separate meetings with US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright as well as, with other 32 Foreign Ministers.

Responding to a question by a reporter on the tripartite meeting of the Foreign Ministers of Greece, Turkey and the United States, he said that he read about in the press and added that he is not rejecting such a meeting, stressing that its content will show if it will be useful and productive.

On the Clerides-Denktash meeting on security issues, mr.Pangalos expressed reservations over the way the Turkish- Cypriot leader will handle the matter and whether the proposal for the demilitarization of the island can be accepted by Ankara. Mr.Pangalos also called on the international community to exert pressures on Turkey through economic and military means.

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

[05] THE GREEK - FYROM TALKS RESUMED WITHOUT A RESULT

The new meeting of representatives from Greece and FYROM was held in the UN headquarters in New York yesterday in the presence of mediator Cyrus Vance without any concrete result. In the meeting was discussed the issue of the name that will be used by FYROM, in accordance with the interim accord signed by the Foreign Ministers of the two countries in September of 1995.

According to the BBC, mr.Vance clarified to both sides that the time has come to reach a decision on whether there is a mutually acceptable name. Based on UN reliable sources, the UN mediator allegedly promotes the name “Republic of Macedonia- Skopje”, while he is not ruling out the possibility to appeal to the UN Security Council asking it to impose a common name for both sides.

[06] THE CLERIDES - DENKTASH MEETING WILL BE HELD NEXT WEEK

The first meeting between Cypriot President Glafkos Clerides and Turkish-Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash for the discussion of security issues will be held possibly next week. Mr.Feisel stated that both sides display a readiness to hold the meeting as early as possible.

According to Cypriot government spokesman mr.Christofides , the Greek-Cypriot side is ready to open a dialogue at any time.

[07] EUROPEAN UNION RECOGNISES ONLY THE CLERIDIS GOVERNMENT IN CYRPUS

The European Union recognizes only the government of President Cleridis answered today the term president of the European Parliament Mr. Wohlfart in a question by the Greek deputy by the Coalition of the left Mr.Alexandros Alavanos.

Mr. Wohlfart underlined that concerning Cyprus, the Union has two targets, the solution of the problem on the basis of the UN resolutions and the its admission in the Union.

[08] FRY-COATIAN RELATIONS TO BE NORMALISED

The foreign ministers of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Milan Milutinovic and Croatia Mate Granic signed today six important agreements so that their relation enter a phase of normalization.

The agreements concern the fields of road and railway transport, the international legal aid, the social security and the border posts. Mr. Milutinovic stated that the bilateral relations always get improved while Mr.Granic characterized the agreements as an important step towards the normalization of the bilateral relations.

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