Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 98-01-12

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

Macedonian Press Agency: News in English Directory

MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Thessaloniki, 12 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 EMBARKS ON OFFICAL VISIT TO INDIA TODAY

The President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos is to depart for India today, embarking on the first official visit by a Greek head of state to India.

Aiming at strengthening political and economic ties between the two countries, Mr. Stephanopoulos is accompanied by Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos, Finance Undersecretary Alekos Baltas and a delegation of leading Greek businessmen. representatives.

In New Delhi tomorrow, Mr. Stephanopoulos will meet with his Indian counterpart Mr. Narayanan, and India's prime minister and parliament president.

On Thursday, President Stephanopoulos is scheduled to visit the Taj Mahal. He will travel to Bombay on Friday and Calcutta on Saturday, departing for Athens on Sunday.

According to reports, business leaders accompanying the President are expected to propose that Greek engineering contractors could undertake design and construction of several projects in India. A.F.

[02] PREMIER TO MEET WITH RULING PARTY MEMBERS TODAY

Greece’s Prime Minister and ruling party PASOK President Kostas Simitis is to discuss the party’s “new face” during successive meeting he will have today and tomorrow with members of the party’s executive office.

Meanwhile, the PASOK parliamentary group is to discuss the taxation draft plan. A.F.

[03] ALTERNATE F.M. TRAVELS TO LAUSANNE, WILL MEET WITH SAMARANCH

Greece’s alternate Foreign Minister George Papandreou departed for Lausanne today, where he will have talks with the President of International Olympic Committee (IOC) Juan Antonio Samaranch.

The two men’s discussions are expected to focus on Athens' proposal for an international armistice during the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister Kostas Simitis is expected to announce on Wednesday the group of persons who will compose the Executive and Organizing Committee for the Organization of the 2004 Olympic Games. A.F.

[04] THE TURKISH EXERCISE IN THE AEGEAN CONTINUES

The Turkish air and sea exercise continues in the regions south of the islands of Chios and Ikaria in the Aegean, in spite of the fact that Greece has not given its permission to Ankara. As it was made known the Turkish generals did not give orders for flights of Turkish jets in the regions south of Chios and Ikaria, where part of the exercise was scheduled to take place.

Minister of defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos stressed that Turkey with its stance steadily threatens not only Greece’s sovereign rights but security, peace, stability and cooperation in the region as well as, International Law.

As it was announced, Mr.Tsochatzopoulos will tour Greek border islands in the Aegean tomorrow.

[05] COMMENTS BY THE GREEK GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN ON THE GREEK- TURKISH RELATIONS AND THE DRACHMA

Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas stressed today, on the occasion of the statements made by US ambassador Nicolas Burns regarding the width of the Greek air space, that Greece’s sovereign rights can not be negotiated. Greece’s policy is clear regarding the 10-mile limit, stressed Mr.Reppas, who added that Mr.Burns did not say anything new and that his statement voices the US government stance.

Mr.Reppas also said that Mr.Burns, based on his statements, has mentioned that there was a US intervention to Turkey on the issue of the rocky islets of Kalogeri in the Aegean and stressed that Greece is not possible to know in advance what Mr.Burns will do.

On the state of the Greek economy, Mr.Reppas said that the efforts made by speculators will not be successful and stressed that the government is ready to face all eventualities as the pressures on the national currency will continue for a few more months. Responding to a question by a reporter, Mr.Reppas said that there will be no changes in the privatization program that will be announced by the government.

[06] A 5,08% SLIDE IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

The price index in the Athens Stock Exchange dropped by 5,08 today and closed at 1405,37, while the volume of transactions was over 17,7 billion drachmas.

In the inter-bank market the interest rates remained unchanged and the drachma’s parity to the ECU and the US dollar was at last Friday’s level.

This new shock wave is the result of the collapse of one of the largest investment companies in Hong Kong that led to a drop of 8% in the general index of the city’s Stock Exchange.

[07] PAPANDREOU-SAMARANCH MEETING

Greek deputy foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou will meet in Lausanne today with International Olympic Committee president Juan Antonio Samaranch.

The basic issue for discussion in the meeting will be the symbolic proposal concerning the institution of a worldwide truce during the Olympic Games.

[08] THE MANUSCRIPT OF FATHER PAISIOS WAS RETURNED TO GREECE

The manuscript of the History of Father Paisios that was stolen in 1985 from the Monastery of Zografou in Mount Athos and was found in the National Museum of Sofia in 1996, was returned to Greece today.

The manuscript was brought to Greece by Bulgarian undersecretary of culture Mr.Tsankov accompanied by the office director of the Bulgarian president and by a 14 member delegation. The manuscript will be kept today at the Bulgarian embassy and tomorrow will be taken to Karies in Mount Athos.

The document, that includes parts of the Bulgarian history, is dated back to 1762 and until 1985, when it was stolen, was one of the treasures that were being kept at the Monastery of Zografou.

[09] THE GREEK UNDERSECRETARY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS MET WITH THE TURKISH AMBASSADOR

Turkish ambassador to Athens Ali Tugan met at noon today with Greek undersecretary of foreign affairs Yiannos Kranidiotis. The Turkish diplomat requested to hear the Greek positions on Turkey’s relations with the European Union.

Mr.Kranidiotis reiterated the firm Greek positions and raised the issue of the air space violations by the Turkish fighter jets.

[10] MR TSOHATZOPOYLOS TO VISIT BORDER ISLANDS

Greek Minister of National Defense Akis Tsohatzopoulos will begin a tour tomorrow on border and rock islands in the Aegean sea while today Turkish generals did not order any flights of their aircrafts in the regions south of the islands of Chios and Ikaria where they had announced that they would continue their manoeuvres.

However, the Greek air forces are on guard in order to face an eventuality of a Turkish operation inside Greek territorial air. In the meantime, the Turkish newspaper “Yeni Yuzgil” published extracts from a book written by a Turkish navy official where the Greek islands of Imia and Gaudos are described as part of the Turkish territory.

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

[11] TURKISH EXERCISE IN THE AEGEAN IS BEING CONTINUED

The Turkish air-and sea military exercise is continued today in regions south of the islands of Chios and Ikaria, regions over which Greece has not granted the relevant permissions.

Greece’s Minister of National Defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos stressed that through its stance, Turkey is steadily threatening not only Greece’s sovereign rights but also the region’s security, peace, stability and cooperation, as well as the current structure of the United Nations’ International Law.

The Defense Minister, who was in Thessaloniki for the local PASOK prefectural conference on upcoming municipal and prefectural elections, said that Turkey is challenging the treaties of Lausanne and Paris, which clearly outline Greece's sovereignty.

Mr. Tsochatzopoulos added that, according to those treaties, all the islands and islets of the Aegean are Greek territories, except those that are within a three-mile zone of the Asia Minor coast and the islands of Imvros and Tenedos.

Moreover, he said that any Turkish claim beyond the demarcations of treaties is a threat to the national integrity of a country and thus internationally condemned according to UN General Assembly's decisions. He added that Turkey is challenging all of the UN's legal precedents, based on international law, while there is an unchallenged, stable, calm and decisive Greek answer both on the political and defense levels. A.F.

[12] EUROPEAN BAN ON HUMAN CLONING SIGNED BY GREECE & 12 OTHER STATES

The first binding international ban on human cloning is to be signed today by thirteen countries, all of them members of the Council of Europe and among them Greece, at a time when controversy over such experiments is mounting.

In addition to Greece, the signatories are Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Luxembourg, Norway, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Spain, Sweden and Turkey (which is not a C of E full member).

The C of E has stated that an additional seven member- states are expected to endorse the ban as soon as it gains ratification in five states.

The ban, which is an amendment to the European Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine, totally forbids human cloning, albeit allowing room for the cloning of cells for research purposes.

The signing ceremony will take place at the French Foreign Ministry’s headquarters in Paris after French President Jacques Chirac opens a conference of Europe's national ethics committees. A.F.

[13] CYPRIOT PRESIDENT DISCUSSES DEVELOPMENTS FOLLOWING THE ELECTIONS

The President of the Republic of Cyprus Glafkos Clerides has stated that following the island’s presidential elections, developments on new initiatives regarding the Cyprus issue are expected to mount.

He also stated that Cyprus is to embark on the accession negotiations with the European Union. A.F.

[14] ALBANIA’S EDUCATION AND SCIENCE MINISTER ON OFFICIAL VISIT TO GREECE

Albania’s Minister of Education and Science Dr. Etem Ruka, heading a ministerial delegation, is currently on an official two- day visit to Greece, upon the invitation of Greece’s Minister of Education and Religion Gerasimos Arsenis.

The Albanian officials are to meet with leading members of the country’s education and science sectors, as well as high- ranking officials from the ministries of Foreign Affairs and National Economy.

Aiming at promoting cooperation between the two countries in the sectors of education research, the Albanian delegation is to also meet with university staff and members of the Greek Parliament. A.F.

[15] TURKISH-CYPRIOTS GIVE UN INFORMATION ON GRAVES OF MISSING GREEK-CYPRIOTS

The Turkish-Cypriots have given the United Nations information on the graves of Greek-Cypriots who are missing, according to the alternate special representative of the UN’s secretary-general Gustav Feishel and the commissioner for Humanitarian Issues Takis Christopoulos.

Mr. Christopoulos referred to reports that concern 400 cases of missing Greek-Cypriots and characterized the reports as “satisfactory” and the work performed by the Turkish-Cypriots s “important.”

The exchange of information is expected to take place at the beginning of next week when the Turkish-Cypriots representative in the investigation committee for the missing returns from abroad. A.F.

[16] VISA FOR FYROM TO BE ISSUED ONLY IN ATHENS AS OF TODAY

As of midnight yesterday, the government of FYROM has began enforcing its decision dated December 15 regarding the non- issuance of visas from the country’s border stations.

According to the decisions, those Greek citizens who wish to travel to FYROM, will now be issued visas only from the Liaison Office in Athens. A.F.

[17] MANY MONEY LAUNDERING BANKS OPERATE IN THE TURKISH OCCUPIED PART OF CYPRUS

Tens of money laundering banks operate in the Turkish occupied part of northern Cyprus with Ankara’s open complicity, according to the Italian newspaper “Corriere della Sera”.

In the article, the occupied territories are characterized as mafia’s international investment center, while it is pointed out that head of the Central Bank is a Turk from Asia Minor. The dirty money from slave trading are being invested by the Turks in the occupied territories of northern Cyprus as well as, the money coming from the heroin trade, the illegal arms trade and the toxic waste trade. The newspaper underlines that the Turks had a turnover of 7,5 million dollars just from the thousands of Kurds they have brought to the West illegally.

[18] THE WAREHOUSES OF THE AUTOCEPHALOUS ORTHODOX CHURCH WERE BURGLARIZED

The Holy Metropolis of Gjirokastra expressed deep concern over the recent two burglaries that took place in the warehouses of the Autocephalous Orthodox Church of Albania on December 21 and January 1. The warehouses are in the village of Duviani, 10 kilometers south of Gjirokastra.

According to information, the stolen goods worth about 2,5 billion drachmas and the material that was removed was part of the aid gathered by Archbishop of Albania Anastasios for Gjirokastra’s Ekerem Tsabei University.

[19] THE TURKISH MIT SECRET SERVICE HAS A HOME PAGE ON THE INTERNET

Turkey’s National Information Agency, known as the MIT, now has its own home page on the Internet and provides anyone interested with information on the agency’s history, activities, tasks, structure and personnel, while it also offers an e-mail service to anyone who wants to become an informer.

In the introduction note it its mentioned that the MIT’s goal is to safeguard Turkey’s unity and integrity and inform the state institutions of the dangers that threaten the constitutional democratic system.

The home page attempts to convince the user that the MIT, which has been accused repeatedly in the past of its open intervention in Turkey’s political life and specifically of organizing the September 12, 1980 coup that brought to power the Evren junta, is an organization that is not involved in illegal activities and also that it is a state organization that carries out its tasks legally and aims at the safeguarding of Turkey’s national interests.

It is also maintained that this information agency, that has been accused of gross violations of the human rights of the rivals of the Turkish regime and also of tortures and disappearances of members of the opposition, has as a goal to counter terrorism and protect human rights.

Complete archives of the Macedonian Press Agency bulletins are available on the MPA Home Page at http://www.mpa.gr/ and on the U.S. mirror at http://www.hri.org/MPA/