Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 98-01-30

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

Macedonian Press Agency: News in English Directory

MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Thessaloniki, 30 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] GREECE’S LABOR FORCE TO RALLY BEFORE PARLIAMENT ON MONDAY EVENING

Greece’s largest union, the General confederation of Greek :Labor workers (GSEE) is to conduct a rally before the Hellenic Parliament in Athens on Monday evening.

Today, the GSEE officials are to meet with their counterparts from the public enterprises and utilities (DEKOs) where they will decide on the stance to be taken in light o the government’s amendment concerning state-subsidized yet loss-making and problematic DEKOs.

[02] CENTRAL GREECE’S FARMERS TO EMBARK ON MOBILIZATIONS ON MONDAY

Central Greece’s farmers are to embark on a new round of mobilizations on Monday, demanding a private meeting with the Prime Minster Kostas Simitis.

Meanwhile today, farmers from the areas of Tripolis and Korinthos are to block off sections of the national highway.

[03] UNITED STATES AMBASSADOR NICHOLAS BURNS IN THESSALONIKI

The United States Ambassador in Athens Nicholas Burns conducted his first visit to Thessaloniki yesterday, where he will remain for three days.

Mr. Burns was received by the Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Philippos Petsalnikos yesterday, followed by a meeting with the city’s Mayor Konstantinos Kosmopoulos.

"We must upgrade and strengthen our relationship, create a good relationship, a really great relationship," he stated, adding "we must make the economic part, expanding commerce and investments, the nucleus of this relationship."

"We must create the conditions which will safeguard a continuous peace between Greece and Turkey and unite Cyprus."

"We must reaffirm our commitment to security issues, the one towards the other, also including the struggle against the terrorists who murder Greeks and Americans." Finally, "we must transform our cooperation so that it becomes more mature and modern."

Today, the US Ambassador will meet with the Prefect of Thessaloniki Kostas Papadopoulos and tomorrow evening he will be attend the formal reception given on board the United States Sixth Fleet’s flagship “LaSalle”, which will have sailed into the port of Thessaloniki in the morning.

The ship, with a 700-member crew, will remain at the port until February 4.

[04] UNITED STATES NAVY FLAGSHIP ARRIVES IN THESSALONIKI TOMORROW

The USS "La Salle", flagship for the Commander of the U.S. Sixth Fleet, Vice Admiral Charles Abbot, is to sail into Thessaloniki tomorrow for a five-day port of call, the first by the flagship to the northern Greek capital's port city.

During the flagship's visit, the Sixth Fleet Commander will pay courtesy calls on government officials and will host a reception on board the La Salle, while its crew will be taking part in civic, social and sports activities in town.

USS La Salle assumed the role of Sixth Fleet flagship in November 1994 with a primary mission of providing flagship support and facilities to the Commander, Sixth Fleet. Outfitted with state- of-the-art communication and command and control equipment, the La Salle can direct any operation or exercise involving sea, air, land and amphibious forces, increasing the Sixth Fleet's capability to respond to crises and contingency operations. Since its commissioning in 1964, USS La Salle has deployed continuously in the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean and Mediterranean Seas, and has engaged in operations in the Middle East, including participation in Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

The 170-metre-long ship carries a complement of 420 enlisted men and 25 officers. It is commanded by Capt. Bruce W. Clingan.

[05] PARLIAMENT TO VOTE MONDAY ON DEKO AMENDMENT

The Greek government has submitted an amendment in its proposed draft bill for labor relations governing public enterprises and utilities (DEKOs) to the Parliament, which will be voted upon on Monday. The amendment will concern only those state- subsidized yet loss-making and problematic DEKOs, according to National Economy and Finance Minister Yiannos Papantoniou.

[06] GREECE’S PREMIER FORWARDS WISHES FOR MUSLIM RELIGIOUS HOLIDAY

Prime Minister Kostas Simitis has forwarded his best wishes to the three Muslim muftis in northern Greece’s Thrace region, on the occasion of the religious holiday of Ramadan.

The letters were handed to the three clerics, Mehmet Emin Sinikoglu, Meco Jemali, and Mehmet Damatoglu, by the foreign ministry's director of political affairs in Thrace, Ambassador Efstathios Loxos.

Similar wishes were also forwarded by local and regional government officials.

Mr. Jemali expressed his thanks for the premier's best wishes, stressing that "this holiday is based on peace and brotherhood".

[07] NOBEL LAUREATE TO BE GRANTED HONORARY DEGREE AT ARISTOTELIAN U.

Ilya Prigogine, the Belgian Professor who received the 1977 Nobel Prize for Chemistry, will be presented with an honorary doctorate by the Aristotelian University of Thessaloniki on February 2.

Prof. Prigogine will be made an honorary Doctor of the General Polytechnic, Physics and Philosophy-Education departments at a ceremony during which he will deliver a lecture on "Time, complexity and the laws of nature".

Prof. Progogine, who has been declared an honorary citizen of Athens and Thessaloniki, has also received the medal of the Parliament of the Hellenes in the past.

[08] THE GOVERNMENTAL COMMITTEE MET IN ATHENS TODAY

The governmental committee met in Athens today under prime minister Kostas Simitis to discuss among others, the government proposed amendment on the operation of the public sector companies.

The president of the Greek General Confederation of Labor predicted that the next three months will be characterized by the workers’ mobilizations and added that the dialogue with the government has no meaning anymore.

Coalition of the Left leader Nikos Konstantopoulos with a letter to Parliament president Apostolos Kaklamanis requests that the issues of unemployment and social isolation be discussed in Parliament. The voting on the controversial draft law provision will take place on Monday.

[09] COMMITTEE OF FARMERS’ MEETING

The Committee of Farmers in Thessaly meets today to determine what its next moves will be after the new developments created by the announcements that were made by agriculture minister Stephanos Tzoumakas.

The minister announced that the due loans of 50.000 farmers will be settled or written off.

[10] GREECE IS THE SECOND LARGEST INVESTOR IN ALBANIAN AGRICULTURE

The Greek investors occupy the second place among foreign investors in the agriculture sector of Albania and already they have made about 200 investments.

The above were stated by Albanian deputy agriculture minister Zyhdi Teqja, who is currently in Thessaloniki on the occasion of his country’s participation in the 14th AGROTICA Exhibition. In the exhibition, that aspires to become the most significant fair in the Balkans this year, participate 57 representatives of Albanian institutions.

[11] A GREEK COURT SENTENCED A GERMAN TO 7 YEARS FOR DRUG- TRAFFICKING

An appeals court in Thrace, north-eastern Greece, sentenced Donel Michal John, a 30yearold driver from Germany, to 7 years in prison upholding a previous court decision. The accused had been arrested in Mithos, Evros in north-eastern Greece with 420 grams of heroin.

He came to Greece from Istanbul by train and the drugs were found in his stomach when he was spotted by the Greek police and underwent an X-ray examination in the hospital of Didimoticho.

[12] GREEK GOVERNMENTAL COMMITTEE MET UNDER THE PRIME MINISTER

The governmental committee during its meeting today under Prime Minister Kostas Simitis evaluated the governmental work so far and planned further policy. Spokesman Dimitris Reppas said that the meeting particularly referred to national affairs and Greek-Turkish relations. He specifically noted that Greece still wants Turkey to participate in the European Conference under the commonly accepted by the Community terms and conditions.

[13] NEGOTIATIONS FOR A NATIONAL COLLECTIVE LABOUR AGREEMENT

Collective bargaining between the General Confederation of Labour and the employers’ unions aiming at a new National Collective Labour Agreement began today-and will continue on February 12- under the threat of a conflict concerning the raise of salaries and the implementation of the elastic work-hours.

Trade union circles believe that this bargaining will be long and hard due to the electoral congress of the General Confederation of Labour, next March and the initiative of the Labour Ministry concerning the amendment of the Labour law which creates a “climate” for a radical revision of the employees’ vested rights.

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

[14] NEW TURKISH MANOEUVRES TO TAKE PLACE IN THE AEGEAN

Ankara continues its provocation against Greece as Turkish armed forces announced new military maneuvers to take place in the Aegean.

Greek government spokesperson Dimitris Reppas stressed that the government would remain calm and reminded that Turkey had announced similar maneuvers in January as well which finally did not take place.

Mr. Reppas noted that the Greek Civil Aviation Service will issue directives (NOTAM) concerning the case that the military exercises will be consistent with the status in the area and International Law. Otherwise, he added, NOTAM will not be issued and the areas will be declared dangerous for Civil Aviation flights.

[15] GERMAN FOREIGN MINISTER ON OFFICIAL VISIT TO ALBANIA ON FEBRUARY 6

Germany’s Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel is to embark on an official visit to Albania on February 6, upon the invitation issued by his Albanian counterpart Paschal Milo.

According to Skopje’s new agency “Makpress”, Mr. Kinkel is to be received by the country’s political leadership and will also meet with officials from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

[16] MT. ATHOS PHOTOGRAPHS EXHIBITION HELD AT LUXEMBOURG

Photographs of Mt. Athos and the monastic community, having significant historical value, are currently on display at the City Hall of Luxembourg, after an initiative taken by the city’s Greek Association under the auspices of the Greek embassy.

The local press has hailed the exhibition which was produced at Mt. Athos “phototheque”, among the oldest photograph laboratories in Europe, and makes extensive references to the Mt. Athos Treasures exhibit, currently held at Thessaloniki’s Byzantine Museum.

[17] HANS VAN DEN BROEK ON CYRPUS’ ACCESSION TO THE EUROPEAN UNION

The European Union Commissioner for Foreign Affairs Hans Van Den Broek has reiterated the Community’s commitment and support over Cyprus’s accession to the EU, during an interview he gave in Strasbourg on the sidelines of the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly concerning the Community’s expansion.

Regarding Turkey’s ties with the EU, Mr. Van den Broek stated that they are quite significant from a geo-political, trade and strategic point of view. While stating that he understands Turkey’s urgency from a political perspective, the Commissioner added that he cannot comprehend Ankara’s reactions to a dialogue with the EU since, as he stated, at the Summit conference of December 13, for the first time the EU’s “15” took a stance in favor of Turkey’s accession at some point in the future.

Moreover, Mr. Van den Broek said that the commission has specific proposals for Turkey in order to strengthen customs ties, however, he pointed out, “there are also problems, such as bilateral relations with Greece, the Cyprus issue, human rights, over which we are ready to talk, but we also need the other side’s cooperation.”

[18] THE 6TH FLEET FLAGSHIP WILL BE IN THESSALONIKI

US ambassador to Athens Nicholas Burns met today with Thessaloniki prefect Kostas Papadopoulos within the framework of his contacts with local authorities.

Meanwhile, the 6th Fleet’s flagship “La Salle” is expected to arrive in Thessaloniki tomorrow for a visit that will last until February 4. On board the US warship are 450 sailors and 50 officers headed by the 6th Fleet commander.

[19] MEETING ON SOUTH-EASTERN EUROPE ORGANIZED BY UNESCO

International meeting titled “South-Eastern Europe, The crossroads of civilizations” is organized by UNESCO at the initiative of the ambassadors-permanent representatives of the south-eastern European countries and the International Organization of South-Eastern European Studies, AIESEE, to take place on February 9 and 10.

It should be noted that the AIESEE is a non governmental organization that was founded in Bucharest in 1963 and is financed by UNESCO.

[20] A TURKISH SHIP IS IMMOBILIZED IN THE SEA REGION OF KOS

The Turkish cargo ship that run aground two days ago remains immobilized in the sea region of the south-eastern Aegean island of Kos as its captain refuses the assistance of Greek tugboats.

In the region are Greek Coast Guard and Navy vessels in case the Turkish ship’s captain changes his mind and accepts the Greek assistance.

According to information, the owners of the ship in trouble are expected to arrive in Athens today from Istanbul in order to negotiate its towing away with a Greek company.

[21] NATO’S SOUTHERN WING CHIEFS OF STAFF MET IN CORFU TODAY

NATO’s Southern Region Strategy Meeting was held in Corfu today and was attended by NATO’s Southern Wing commander admiral Lopez as well as, by the commanders of the alliance’s sub- headquarters. The meeting’s host was 1st Regiment commander Lieutenant-General Dimitris Dimou.

In the meeting were discussed issues concerning the policy and strategy that will be followed in NATO’s Southern Wing in the immediate future.

[22] THE TRADE TRANSACTIONS BETWEEN GREECE AND ISRAEL INCREASED BY 50% IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS

The number of tourists from Israel visiting Greece increased by 10% in 1997, while the prospects opened in bilateral relations are expected to be positive given the fact that trade transactions have increased by 50% in the last four years and reached 300 million dollars annually.

According to facts presented in a press conference by the 1st secretary of the Israeli embassy responsible for economic issues Doron Abrahami, Israel is the most significant market in the Middle East for the Greek exports.

The largest Israeli investment in Greece is the casino in Loutraki, southern Greece and according to Mr. Abrahami, Israeli businessmen have already undertaken to build a number of hotels in Greece.

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