Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 98-03-07

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From: The Macedonian Press Agency at http://www.mpa.gr and http://www.hri.org/MPA.

Last Update: 16:11 GMT+2

SECTIONS

[A] GREECE

[B] BALKANS

[C] WORLD

NEWS HEADLINES

[A] GREECE

[B] BALKANS

[C] WORLD

NEWS IN DETAIL

[A] GREECE

[01] NEW DEMOCRACY'S PARLIAMENTARY GROUP MEETS ON MONDAY

Web Posted: 16:11 GMT+2

Athens 7 March (MPA)

Yesterday, party leader Kostas Karamanlis, in a speech delivered during a party event, stated that New Democracy has proven for many years now that it functions democratically. This was an indirect response to the recent statement made by Mr. Mitsotakis who called on the electorate to disapprove all those who turn the political parties into "concentration camps".

The crisis in New Democracy is deep and dangerous and must be discussed freely and democratically in the party's parliamentary group meeting on Monday, said today Mr. Mitsotakis.

[02] BALKAN PUBLIC ORDER MINISTERS' MEETING IN THESSALONIKI

Web Posted: 16:11 GMT+2

Thessaloniki 7 March (MPA)

Greek public order minister Giorgos Romeos, Romanian Gavril Dezeu and Bulgarian Bogomil Bonev will discuss issues concerning the wiping out of organized crime.

[03] SIMITIS-CLERIDES MEETING IN ATHENS ON MONDAY

Web Posted: 16:11 GMT+2

Athens 7 March (MPA)

According to information reported by the Cypriot State Radio and Television Company, in the meeting will be determined the strategy that will be followed on the issues concerning the accession of Cyprus into the EU and the Russian S-300 missiles.

[04] THE CONFERENCE ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE HABITAT AGENDA WAS COMPLETED TODAY

Web Posted: 16:11 GMT+2

Thessaloniki 7 March (MPA)

For the past two days, Greek and foreign speakers presented their views and their experiences on the creation of livable cities and the role of the local administration toward this direction.

The position that the creation of livable cities is not an issue of technology and interventions but an issue of a change in the attitude and behavior of the citizens themselves, was expressed by the assistant professor in the Athens Polytechnic School Thanos Vlastos, who is also a member of the managing board of the international network "Car Free Cities".

[B] BALKANS

[05] GUARDED OPTIMISM ON THE CRISIS IN KOSOVO

Web Posted: 16:11 GMT+2

Athens 7 March (MPA)

Greek minister of defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos attributed the incidents in Kosovo to opportunist and nationalist circles in Albania which try to destabilize Serbia. The Albanian-speaking population in Kosovo has just demands but right is downgraded by acts of violence and terrorism. Mr. Tsochatzopoulos also called on Mr. Milosevic to recognize the rights of the Albanian-speaking majority in Kosovo and to give solutions before the problem takes up greater dimensions.

According to the official statement issued, the dead from the latest clashes are 20 but unconfirmed information mentions that 50 people have been killed, while the injured are estimated to be over 100.

[06] STALIN WAS INFURIATED BY THE ASPIRATIONS TITO AND THE YUGOSLAVS HAD ON MACEDONIA IN NORTHERN GREECE

Web Posted: 16:11 GMT+2

Sofia 7 March (MPA)

The diary remained locked at the archives of the former Communist party in Bulgaria for half a century and was published recently in Sofia by Dimitrov's son, Boiko.

Specifically on Macedonia, Georgi Dimitrov refers in his secret journal to a telephone conversation he had with Stalin on January 10, 1945 who said to him that "the Yugoslavs want to take the Greek Macedonia. They also want Albania even parts of Hungary and Austria. This is imprudent. I don't like their behavior. Hembrang appears to be a reasonable man and understood what I said to him, but the others in Belgrade do not understand."

Andrija Hembrang was, at the time, the General Secretary of the Croatian Communist party and member of the Yugoslav Communists' Association Politburo. He was executed by Tito when he backed the Communist Information Office (Cominform) resolution condemning Tito for his dispute with Stalin.

Under the same date, Georgi Dimitrov also writes about the Yugoslav leadership's intentions toward Bulgaria.

"Stalin said: Yesterday, I received the Yugoslav delegation. The Yugoslavs announced to me that they suggested to the Bulgarians to include Bulgaria in Yugoslavia with rights like those enjoyed by the Serbs and the Croats. But the Bulgarians did not agree and they insisted in the establishment by Yugoslavia and Bulgaria of an equal Bulgarian-Yugoslav Union state.

I said that the Bulgarians are right, while the Yugoslavs are wrong. Yugoslavia and Bulgaria should form a two-entity state of equal authority something like the former Austro-Hungary. Otherwise, the inclusion of Bulgaria into Yugoslavia would have meant the absorption of Bulgaria. Anyway, the Yugoslavs do not have a government yet to reach an agreement. They wanted the Bulgarians to send a diplomatic representative to Belgrade. But the Bulgarian government can not send a diplomatic representative it can only have a political representative to the National committee. It would be better to have first an agreement of mutual assistance and then other things could follow...".

In the diary is also mentioned that Stalin had said to Georgi Dimitrov on January of 1945 that it was stupid of the Greek Communists the fact that they allowed to be dragged into the bloody clashes of December 1944 in Athens. In a telephone conversation with Dimitrov, Stalin had said that he had advised the Greek Communists not to start that struggle and to stay in the Papandreou government because they did not have the necessary power to undertake such an effort. He also said that the Greek Communists believed that the Red Army was going to be sent to the Aegean Sea but this could not be done.

[C] WORLD

[07] THE IDENTITY OF A MISSING PERSON SINCE THE TURKISH INVASION OF CYPRUS WAS DETERMINED FOR THE FIRST TIME

Web Posted: 16:11 GMT+2

Nicosia 7 March (MPA)

The remains of Andreas Kasapis were found in a mass grave near the village of Asia. Kasapis was 16 years old when he was murdered by the Turkish occupation forces.

The mass grave site was located by the US specialists who investigate the issue of the missing and the identity of the remains was determined through a DNA test. His father, Kostas Kasapis, stated that for 24 years he was hoping that his son was still alive.

[08] THE US SPECIAL COORDINATOR ON CYPRUS WILL BE IN NICOSIA TOMORROW

Web Posted: 16:11 GMT+2

Nicosia 7 March (MPA)

During his stay Mr. Blair will meet with Cypriot president Glafkos Clerides and with Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash.

After Cyprus Mr. Blair will visit Athens and Ankara.

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/

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