Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 97-10-17

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

Macedonian Press Agency: News in English Directory

MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Thessaloniki, 17 October, 1997

NEWS IN ENGLISH

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

TITLES

[A] NATIONAL NEWS .

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

NEWS IN DETAIL

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[01] PREMIER EMBARKS ON TOUR THROUGHOUT WESTERN MACEDONIA

Greece’s Prime Mister Kostas Simitis embarked today on a three-day tour throughout western Macedonia.

The Premier is accompanied by a delegation of 11 ministers. Five undersecretaries and secretaries-general with whom he will review various large projects currently in progress in the region and will inaugurate the community that has been established for the earthquake victims.

[02] ATHENS ISSUES DEMARCHES TO ANKARA AND NATO

The Greek government has proceeded to issue demarches to Ankara and NATO over the harassment of Greece’s C-130 aircraft, carrying the country’s Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos from Cyprus to Crete, by Turkish fighter jets.

[03] PARLIAMENTARY GROUP OF GERMAN-GREEK FRIENDSHIP ARRIVES ON SUNDAY

The members of the Parliamentary Group of German-Greek Friendship is to conduct a visit to Greece on Sunday, when they will be received by the Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Philippos Petsalnikos.

On Monday, the parliamentarians are to be received by the Prime Minister Kostas Simitis, the Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos and various other political leaders.

[04] GREEK PREMIER: WESTERN MACEDONIA IS A GATE TO THE BALKANS

Greece’s Prime Minister Kostas Simitis, currently on a tour throughout western Macedonia, stated today that his visit aims at two targets.

“First to ascertain the course of the development programs and, second, to meet with local authority representatives and discuss the regional problems.”

Moreover, the Premier stated that western Macedonia has to constitute Greece’s gate to the Balkans. A.F.

[05] GREEK AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS EMBARK ON TWO-DAY WORK STOPPAGES

Greece’s air traffic controllers conducted a work-stoppage today between 2-6 p.m., and will do so again tomorrow, during the same hours.

Their Union conferred this morning and characterized the government’s proposals for their demands as “unclear”. Also, following suit are the airport’s electrical engineers. A.F.

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

[06] US REFRAIN FROM CONDEMNING TURKEY ON ITS PROVOCATIVE BEHAVIOR

The United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has issued an announcement wherein he expressed his concern over the escalated tension over the recent days in Cyprus.

Meanwhile, the US State Department has refrained from condemning Turkey over its provocative behavior during the past five days.

A State Department spokesperson stated that his country does not have the technical capacity to ascertain if the C-130 aircraft which was carrying Greece’s Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos was indeed harassed by Turkish fighter jets.

Already, the Greek government has condemned Turkey as an international trouble-maker in demarches issued to various European countries, the US and international organizations.

[07] FOREIGN MINISTERS OF GREECE, ROMANIA BULGARIA MEET ON OCTOBER 23

The Foreign Ministers of Romania, Bulgaria, and Greece are to meet on October 23 in the Romania city of Senia, where they will discuss the progress noted in matters of transportation. Infrastructure, combating organized crime and terrorism.

Along with the FM meeting, businessmen from the three countries are to also meet and discuss economic cooperation opportunities.

[08] US,TURKEY AND ISRAEL TO CONDUCT MILITARY EXERCISE IN S.E. AEGEAN

The United States are to conduct a military exercise in southeastern Aegean during the month of November, with the [participation of Turkey and Israel.

Ankara has also announced that it will conduct additional military exercises on November 1 and 9.

[09] CONFLICT ERUPTS IN KOSSOVO, ONE PERSON KILLED

A 25-year -old Albanian was killed in Kossovo yesterday, when an armed group of his co-patriots tried to attack a police station at the village of Kline, in Kossovo’s Pec region.

The armed Albanians were confronted by the strong police force and an exchange of fire followed.

[10] TURKISH-CYPRIOT PARTIES REACT TO RAUF DENKTASH

Political parties in Cyprus occupied region have embarked on their opposition to the policies adopted by Rauf Denktash. Two of the parties, the Republican and the party of Social Liberation, openly question Mr. Denktash’s choices and hold him responsible for the deadlock in which the Turkish policy has fallen in regards to solving the Cyprus issue.

[11] TURKEY’S CONCERNED OVER GREECE-CYPRUS UNIFIED DEFENSE DOCTRINE

Turkey’s recent provocation is attributed to its concerned over the activation of the Greece-Cyprus unified defense doctrine, according to the Greek Defense Ministry’s spokesperson Kostas Bikas, who also added that Ankara may have been alarmed over the readiness displayed by the Greek air force in the recent military exercise “Nikiforos-Toxotis ‘97” which was conducted in Cyprus.

“Cyprus will quite soon become a member of the European Union, which means that the Turkish policy towards the occupied region of Cyprus will have to change,” Mr. Bikas said. A.F.

[12] NATO’S S. WING COMMANDER: THERE’ILL BE NO “WARM INCIDENT” IN AEGEAN

The commander of NATO’s south wing Joseph Lopez, stated today that there will be no Greek-Turkish collision, not now, nor in the future, referring to the repeated harassment committed by Turkish fighter jets against Greek ones.

Mr. Lopez stated that the Alliance is working so that any type of collision is avoided, since NATO’s basic premise is that problems can be resolved through dialogue and cooperation.

Mr. Lopez was is Thessaloniki to assess the final results of NATO’s interstate military exercise “Dynamic Mix ’97, which he stated constituted an example of actual cooperation among countries. Fourteen countries participate in the exercise. A.F.

[13] SOFIA HOSTS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON SE EUROPE

An international conference titled “Southeastern Europe - bridge or border between civilizations” started today in Sofia.

“The Balkan states can serve as a bridge between Europe and the East,” stated the executive director of the Preparatory Center for Officials of Bulgaria’s Defense ministry, Gen. Valeri Rocev.

The forum is jointly organized by Bulgaria’s and Italy’s Ministries of Defense and is to examine issues concerning the Black Sea and Mediterranean region in terms of European security, as well as in matters of European cooperation and fulfillment. A.F.

[14] PARLIAMENT PRESIDENT IS STERN OVER IMPARTIAL STANCE ADOPTED BY U.S.

The President of the Hellenic Parliament Apostolos Kaklamanis had a stern reaction over the “equal distance policy adopted by the United States in regards to the “calculated aggravation”, as he characterized it, that Turkey is causing in its relations with Greece.

“Whoever pretends not to see who is responsible in such tense situations, then is obviously unworthy of trust when he seeks to play a major role in the region, as the US do,” Mr. Kaklamanis stated.

The Parliament President did add that one positive element is the fact that Turkey’s former Foreign Minster Hikmet Cetin has been elected as Parliament President in his country, a man, who Mr. Kaklamanis stated, is not known for high-handedness and aggression.

Also, Mr. Kaklamanis said that the reason Mr. Cetin did not participate in the Athens-held Conference of Parliamentary Presidents from southeastern European countries was that elections were held for the appointment of the Turkish Parliament president on that day. Representing Turkey in the conference was Mr. Karemli.

Mr. Cetin was elected as Turkey’s 20th Parliament Speaker yesterday, in the fourth tour of elections. A.F.

[15] BULGARIA’S BTA, GREECE’S MPA TO UPGRADE BILATERAL COOPERATION

Bulgaria’s press is to feature more news about Greece, following a bilateral agreement signed recently in Sofia between the new General Director of Bulgaria’s national news Agency BTA Panayot Denev and his counterpart from the Macedonian Press Agency Spyros Kouzinopoulos, who is also the president of the Association of Balkan News Agencies (ABNA).

According to the agreement, the two news agencies will be linked on line which will allow them to directly exchange information and swap news reports, while the Macedonian Press Agency will aid BTA in gaining an autonomous presence on the Internet and to apply the latest technology available to MPA in its agency as well.

Moreover, the two men discussed the various ways to improve the operation of the ABNA in light of the Association’s general assembly, to be held in Thessaloniki on November 27.

Mgrs. Denev and Kouzinopoulos agreed that the MPA-established Balkan News Bank, which is to operate put of MPA’s facilities in Thessaloniki, as well as the “Diavlos” program drawn by the MPA for the satellite link among all of the Balkan news agencies, will radically change the region’s political climate, thereby contributing to the restoration of a climate of peace and security and promote cultural and economic collaboration. A.F.

[16] PRESIDENT OF HELLENIC PARLIAMENT RECEIVES ALBANIAN COUNTERPART

The President of the Hellenic Parliament Apostolos Kaklamanis received his Albanian counterpart Shkender Gjinushi in Athens today, on the sidelines of the Conference of Parliamentary Presidents from southeastern European countries.

The two leaders discussed matters of mutual interest, while Mr. Gjinushi characterized the Conference as an absolute success and stressed the need to hold additional similar events in the future. Furthermore, he briefed Mr. Kaklamanis on his country’s current political situation, especially on the efforts that are being exerted to reform Albania’s Constitution, justice and media.

In turn, Mr. Kaklamanis stressed Greece’s support in the reconstruction of Albania, and reassured Mr. Gjinushi of the Greek Parliament’s will to provide extensive technical and scientific support to the Albanian House. A.F.

[17] DENKTASH TO BE LEFT OUT OF EU TALKS IF PROGRESS IN CYPRUS ISN’T MADE

A basic criterion for allowing Turkish-Cypriot representatives in the negotiations for the island’s accession to the European Union is to achieve progress in the Cypriot issue, according to the European Commission’s action plan for the year 2000, which was presented in Athens today by Greece’s Commissioner Christos Papoutsis.

Mr. Papoutsis stated that otherwise, the Commission intents to “embark on the negotiations talks for Cyprus’s accession in the beginning of 1998 with the authorities of the Republic of Cyprus, as the only authority which recognizes international law and is recognized by the international community.”

Mr. Papoutsis also said that the decision for embarking on negotiations, as per the given timetable, constitutes a positive development “since, on one hand it can contribute to reaching a political solution to the Cyprus problem and, on the other, can be aided through a potential progress in the process of solving the problem.” A.F.

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