Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 98-01-02

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

Macedonian Press Agency: News in English Directory

MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Thessaloniki, 2 January 1998

NEWS IN ENGLISH

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

TITLES

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

NEWS IN DETAIL

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[01] PRESIDENT OF GREECE WILL EMBARK ON OFFICIAL VISIT TO INDIA JANUARY 12

The President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos is to embark on an official visit to India on January 12, aiming at promoting trade and cultural ties between the he two countries.

During his week-long visit, the President will be accompanied by foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos and a ten-member business delegation. While there, he will meet with his Indian counterpart, the premier and other political figures of India and he will also present talks before leading businessmen in New Delhi, Bombay and Calcutta.

Mr .Stephanopoulos is also scheduled to visit the Taj Mahal.

According to the French News Agency AFP, which quotes Greek diplomatic circles, during the course of Mr. Stephanopoulos’ stay in India two agreements will be signed concerning cooperation in the sectors of agriculture and tourism.

It should be noted that during the course of 1995-96, Greek Indian trade amounted to 120 million dollars. A.F.

[02] MEMORIAL SERVICE HELD FOR FIVE OFFICERS OF FALLEN C-130

A memorial service for the five officers who were killed when their C-130 aircraft crashed on the Pastra Mountain in the Attiki region was held today at the Elefsina air force base.

Among those attending the service were the Minister of National Defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos and military leaders.

The five officers aboard the ill-fated aircraft were en route to search for the Ukrainian Yakovlev-42 passenger plane whose wreckage was discovered mere hours later. A.F.

[03] SEARCH CONTINUES FOR 3 MISSING ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN EVROS REGION

Searches continue for a second day in the region of Orestiada at the Greek-Turkish borders, where three Iraqi illegal immigrants are missing since New Year’s Eve.

The tragic incident occurred when the small plastic boat transporting a couple and their two children, along with a 35-year- old woman, capsized in the cold waters of the Evros River.

In their effort to come to Greece, the three adults and the two small children travelled to Turkey where they came in contact with smugglers who boarded them on the small dinghy.

The 35-year-old Ekrem Barzedje, along with his four-year old son Brva, managed to swim to the Greek shore from where they were transported by Greek military guardsmen to the hospital of Didimoticho. They are currently being treated for hypothermia.

Barzedje’s 31-year-old wife Kacsas and they two-year-old son Rva Ekrem, as well as their 35-year-old friend Nuria Juma are still missing. A.F.

[04] PRICE HIKES ON CIGARETTES, TELECOMMUNICATION AND MOBILE PHONES

Effective today, prices on cigarettes, rates of the Organisation of Greek Telephone (OTE) and mobile phones will be increased.

The phone rate is to rise by 13 drachmas per unit, while the monthly fee is hiked at 2,050.

In mobile phone rates, the monthly dues are to be hiked in accordance to use, ranging from 500 to 2,000 drachmas, while cigarette prices are to be increased by 50 drachmas per pack. Also, interest rate taxes are to be increased on state bonds and treasures.

Taxes on real estate sales, family benefits, donations and inheritance are to be increased up to 100%, hikes fuelled by the new objective criteria. A.F.

[05] ELEVEN PERSONS KILLED, 145 INJURED , DURING NEW YEAR’S EXODUS

Eleven persons were killed and 145 injured in car accidents that occurred during the New Year’s holiday in Greece.

During Christmas, 16 persons were killed and another 21 injured in 180 car accidents that occurred throughout the country. A.F.

[06] UNDOCUMENTED WORKERS TO GAIN LEGAL STATUS, PROCESS STARTS TODAY

The first phase of the process to legalize undocumented immigrants in Greece is to start today, with the issuance of a temporary stay permit which the interested parties can acquire from the offices of Organization of Employment of Workers (OAED) until May.

This permit is to be valid until December 31, 1998, regardless of date of issue. The second card, thus the program’s second phase, will be good for one-to-three years.

Under-secretary of Labor Christos Protopappas spoke to an Athens radio station and stated that the Greek government proceeded to this program in an effort to restore order in a chaotic situation.

The process of legalizing the illegal immigrants, which are currently estimated at numbering 300,000, is expected to clamp down on their exploitation by employers and to ease the unfair competition the Greek workers are facing by the low wages offered to undocumented and illegal workers. A.F.

[07] THE GREEK MINISTRY OF DEFENSE DENIES THE INFORMATION THAT GREEK WARSHIPS SEARCH CARGO SHIPS IN DARDANELIA

The Greek ministry of defense categorically rejected the news that was broadcast by the Turkish news agency “Anadolu” according to which, two Greek warships attempted to search passing cargo ships, 9 miles off the Dardaneles, inside international waters.

The ministry pointed out that there was one gunboat in the region on routine patrol in response to the information that a Turkish ship was about to disembark 2.000 illegal immigrants at a Greek island.

[08] INCREASES IN CIGARETTE PRICES, PHONE BILLS AND MOBILE PHONES

The increases in cigarette prices, the phone bills of the state telecommunications company OTE and the mobile phones are in effect starting today.

The cigarette prices are increased by 50 drachmas, while the tax imposed on the state bonds has also increased. The taxes on land property transactions have increased up to 100% due to the new objective values of real estate.

[09] 11 PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS ON NEW YEAR’S DAY

Eleven people were killed and 145 were injured in 115 traffic accidents on New Year’s Day.

It should be reminded that during the Christmas Holiday, 16 people lost their lives and 21 were injured in 180 accidents in Greece.

[10] AIR TRAFFIC BALKAN CENTER IN THESSALONIKI

Greece has submitted a proposal to many Balkan states for the establishment of an air traffic control center in Thessaloniki responsible for the trans-Atlantic flights of Balkan airlines.

In case the proposal is materialized, the participating countries will control the air space from Yugoslavia to Greece and will supply the passenger planes with information that will make the flights easier, quicker and less expensive.

[11] BRITISH FOREIGN OFFICE ARCHIVES’ REVELATIONS ON THE 1967 COUP IN GREECE

Parts of the British foreign office archives that were given to publicity recently refer to the turbulent period of 1967, the year when dictatorship was imposed in Greece.

According to the BBC radio, facts gathered during that time by the British embassy in Athens show that the diversion move by the then King Konstantinos was aimed at creating a gap between the colonels, who had imposed the dictatorship with the April 21 coup.

The then British ambassador Michael Stuard mentioned in his report to the Foreign Office that it was self-evident that the colonels did not know about the ex-King’s plans but they had taken effective precautionary measures, adding that in spite of its failure the move had forced the colonels to change certain of their decisions. As an example, the British ambassador mentions that on December 23rd, 10 days after the failed action by the ex- King, the colonels decided to grant amnesty to certain of the regime’s rivals.

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

[12] TURKEY EMBARKS ON MILITARY EXERCISE IN THE AEGEAN SEA TODAY

Turkey is embarking on a vast sea and air exercise in the Aegean Sea today, to be held until January 25.

Greece’s Minister of National Defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos and under-secretary of Defense Dimitris Apostolakis issued a stern warning towards Ankara. They stated that the Greek armed forces are ready to meet any challenge.

In the recent days, the Turkish political leadership has attempted to heighten the tension between the two countries by trying to “bind eight regions in the Aegean Sea as part of its military exercise, For three of these regions, the Greek civil aviation authority has intensely reacted.

According to reports, the Greek government is planning to document the Turkish moves and will present the relevant file to the European Union’s Council of General Affairs during January.

The Defense Minister of Cyprus George Charalampides expressed his certainty that there is no danger of a warm incident taking place in Cyprus and added that t he National Guard is ready to face any possibility. A.F.

[13] TURKEY PLANNED CYPRUS’S PARTITION SINCE 1967

`Turkey has been planning the partition of Cyprus since 1967, according to documents from the archives of the British government.

According to these files, which have now been released since the British government’s statute of limitations has run out, Greece’s then-king Constantine scheduled a meeting with Britain’s then-premier Harold Wilson in order to convince him to intervene in achieving Turkey’s agreement over Cyprus’s unification with Greece, ceding to Turkey the British army base at Dekelia.

According to the documents, the late Archbishop Makarios, then president of Cyprus, accepted this solution only under the condition that the base would be under the administration of NATO.

Turkey did not accept this offer, insisting that it be granted sovereign rights on this military base.

The President of Cyprus’ Glafkos Clerides has affirmed the existence of these files and added that the man who served as mediator for this matter was the last governor of Cyprus, Sir Hugh Foote. A.F.

[14] PRESIDENT OF CYPRUS: 1998 WILL BE A DIFFICULT YEAR FOR CYPRIOT ISSUE

The President of the Republic of Cyprus Glafkos Clerides has stated that 1998 is to be a difficult year for the developments in the Cyprus issue, noting that the over all issue should be handled very carefully.

During an address he gave at Pallouriotissa, President Clerides stated that he is to ruin again for President in order to secure the continuance of the same policy, as he stated. A.F.

[15] ROMANIA HOLDS EUROPE’S INFANT MORTALITY RECORD

According to data presented by Romanian President Emil Constantinescu, Romania holds Europe’s highest rate of infant mortality, with 27 infant deaths per 1,000 births.

This high rate is attributed to insufficient care, as 70% of the deaths occur within 28 days after birth. Moreover, the rate of AIDS transmission is also alarming , with 2,605 Romanian children having been diagnosed as carriers of the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. A.F.

[16] ALBANIA CONDEMNS CLASHES IN KOSSOVO

The Albanian government has condemned the Serbian police’s suppression of a protest held by the Albanian college students in Kossovo, where 15 persons were hurt, according to opposition sources.

“The violence, the ill-treatment and the arrest of the students and professors of Kossovo are counter to the desire to Europeanise the Balkans, a desire supported by Belgrade during the Balkan Summit in Crete”, the Albanian foreign minister stated.

The opening of a dialogue between the government and Kossovo’s majority Albanian population, as well as the implementation of an agreement on opening Albanian schools, which was signed in September of 1996, are the most effective ways of easing tension, Albanian government officials said. A.F.

[17] KOSSOVO: ELECTIONS TO BE HELD IN MARCH

The leader of Kossovo’s Albanian-speaking residents Ibrahim Rugova announced that parliamentary and presidential elections are to be held in Kossovo on March 22.

According o Mr. Rugova, the decision to hold elections was drawn after negotiations with “foreign friends of Kossovo”, emphasizing that the international position of the Kossovars has been strengthened in the international arena since 1992 when the last elections were held.

The Albanians maintain that the Serbs hold the right to representation in only 14 out of the Parliament’s 144 seats, since they represent 10% of the total population.

Mr. Rugova called on the Serbs to take part in the elections, however the Serb authorities consider this “shadow government” and its actions as “illegal”. A.F.

[18] LARGE SCALE TURKISH MILITARY EXERCISE BEGAN TODAY

The political leadership of the Greek ministry of national defense issued a stern warning to Ankara on the occasion of the large scale Turkish air and sea military exercise that began today in the Aegean and is scheduled to last 20 days.

The Greek armed forces, stated minister of defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos, are ready to respond to any provocation.

Turkish undersecretary of foreign affairs Mr.Batu mentioned that 1997 was a bad year for the Greek-Turkish relations and wished for small steps of rapprochement, while he also said that the two sides should learn to live with the rest unresolved problems that exist between them.

[19] IRAQ:THE TURKISH MILITARY OPERATION AGAINST THE KURDS IS PART OF A US-BRITISH CONSPIRACY

The Turkish military operation against the Kurds in northern Iraq is part of a conspiracy by the United States and Britain to maintain the abnormal situation in the region, stated Iraqi government representatives.

The arrogant policy of the Turkish government hurts Iraq in combination with a conspiracy planned by the United States and Britain, stated characteristically the Iraqi foreign ministry spokesman.

He said that the problem with the Kurds in Turkey is a complicated one but it can not be resolved through military attacks and violations of Iraq’s national sovereignty.

[20] GERMANY ACCUSED GREECE AND ITALY OF BEING UNABLE TO IMPLEMENT THE SCHENGEN ACCORD

The German federal ministry of interior accused Greece and Italy of being incapable to implement the Schengen accord. The accusations were made after 825 Kurdish refugees were found at the coasts of Kalabria in Italy.

In the orchestrated attack against Greece and Italy participate a number of mass media that remind Bonn’s objections to the participation of certain countries in the Schengen accord if they were unable to give guarantees that they are in a position to protect the EU’s external borders especially in the case of the illegal immigrants.

The tragedy of the Kurds in Kalabria, in combination with a number of similar incidents in Greece and in the Mediterranean in general, caused Germany’s response because this country is basically the final destination of the refugees and faces serious problems of illegal immigration for which, according to Bonn’s position, other countries are responsible.

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