Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 98-03-11

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

Macedonian Press Agency: News in English Directory

MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Thessaloniki, March 11, 1998

NEWS IN ENGLISH

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

TITLES

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

NEWS IN DETAIL

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[01] GREEK EU-COMMISSIONER CHRISTOS PAPOUTSIS IN THE UNITED STATES

The European Union Commissioner Christos Papoutsis for Small to Medium-Sized Enterprises is currently on an official visit to the United States, where he will travel to the cities of New York, New Jersey, Washington and San Francisco in order to hold energy- related talks with US Energy Secretary Federico Pena and other officials .

"In the enterprises sector...we are trying to forge bonds of cooperation between the European Union and the US, but at the same time to obtain certain concepts, certain initiatives which have already been developed in the United States," Mr. Papoutsis said.

He further added that policy favoring small and average-sized enterprises is a policy ranking high on the EU's agenda because it is combined with the top priority issue of employment.

He said that pressures being exerted on Greece in the framework of the "contradiction" between the tough monetary and fiscal policy and the demands of working people are less intense than those appearing in other EU member-states.

[02] ADVERSE WEATHER IN NORTHERN GREECE, HEAVY SNOWFALL

Adverse weather has hit most of Greece, with snow falling in the mountains areas of the country, especially heavy in Macedonia.

Transportation is conducted in the provincial roads only with anti-skid chains, while the road from Kavala to Prinos has been closed since yesterday.

Many villages in the region of Thrace remain cut off as the roads have become inaccessible due to the snow and gale.

[03] GERMAN TOURIST ARRIVALS EXPECTED TO INCREASE IN 1998

Greece’s Development Minister Vasso Papandreou, addressing a press conference in Berlin during the tourism exhibition “ITB ‘98”, stated that arrivals of German tourists in Greece will increase by at least 10 per cent this year compared to 1997.

Moreover, Ms Papandreou referred to several major infrastructure projects in Greece, which she said will have a direct impact on the improvement of the quality of the Greek tourism-related products in coming years.

The Greek National Tourism Organization’s (EOT) pavilion at the ITB exhibition in Berlin is dedicated to the Olympic Games.

[04] GREECE’S ARKTOUROS, BULGARIA’S WILDERNESS FUND IN THESSALONIKI

Greece’s Arktouros program and Bulgaria’s Wilderness Fund are to hold a three-day conference on the exploitation of bears for profit, which is to start in Thessaloniki tomorrow.

Representatives of environmental organizations from Greece, Bulgaria, Albania, FYROM and Yugoslavia will address the conference.

[05] SAE EMBARKS ON INITIATIVE TO RE-OPEN CHALKI THEOLOGY SCHOOL

The Council of Greeks Abroad (SAE) is to embark on a world- wide campaign aimed at having the Chalki School of Theology reopened, to be officially inaugurated tomorrow in Washington during a ceremony that will be attended by a score of US officials and international dignitaries.

The President of SAE Andrew Athens stated that all SAE bodies will participate in the international campaign, while he also pledged that SAE will do everything in its power to assist the patriarchate in achieving economic independence.

The historic school was shut down in 1973 after a Turkish government decision.

[06] 30 VILLAGES IN RODOPI ARE CUT-OFF BY THE SNOW

Thirty villages in the mountainous region of Rodopi in north- eastern Greece have been cut-off by the heavy snow that covered northern Greece and caused problems in transportation and electricity supply.

Non-skid chains are necessary for the cars moving in northern Greece and in the wider region of Thessaloniki. Temperatures are very low and in most cities of northern Greece are below zero.

[07] KARAMANLIS WANTS TO CALM THE SPIRITS IN NEW DEMOCRACY

Kostas Karamanlis is making efforts to calm the spirits in New Democracy. The leader of the right-wing main opposition party avoided to respond today when he was asked if he will go ahead with the expulsion of honorary president Konstantinos Mitsotakis from the party.

Former prime minister Mr. Miltiades Evert, after the meeting he had with Cypriot president Glafkos Clerides, stated that there is union of hearts when discussions are made on national issues.

Meanwhile, Parliament deputy Mr. Markoyiannakis stressed that if elections were held today he would have thought about it twice before entering the election race.

[08] THE NUMBER OF UNEMPLOYED IN GREECE IS ON THE RISE

The number of unemployed in Greece reached 266.917 in the month of January compared to 225.688 in the same month last year, according to official data provided by the responsible agency of the Greek state.

At the same time, the number of partially employed has increased reaching 2.653.462. Their number has increased by 445.843 compared to the same period last year.

[09] GREEK-ALBANIAN DICTIONARY WAS PUBLISHED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF IOANNINA

The Latsis Foundation presented a Greek-Albanian dictionary in a formal event that was held in the presence of Greek president Kostis Stephanopoulos and his Albanian counterpart Pedzep Meidani. The dictionary was published by the University of Ioannina sponsored by the Latsis Foundation.

The president of Albania underlined in the statements he made that culture very significant in the development of cooperation between the countries.

[10] THE NUMBER OF GERMAN TOURISTS WILL BE INCREASED BY 10% THIS YEAR

The number of German tourists visiting Greece this year will be increased by 10%, based on the indications coming from "IBT '98", the largest international tourist fair held in Berlin.

The organization and the promotion of the Greek participation in the fair is undertaken by Thessaloniki's International Trade Fair - HELEXPO and the Kinissi group of tourist firms. It is the first time that the region of north-central

Greece presents in its pavilion all types of tourism offered by its prefectures.

[11] THE RADAR WILL BE INSTALLED AT THE AIRPORT OF THESSALONIKI

Greek Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Philippos Petsalnikos reiterated today that the radar for the Macedonia airport of Thessaloniki would be installed in the suburban area of Perea and noted that there would be no delay in the completion of the water supply project for Thessaloniki from Aliakmonas river.

Regarding the Macedonia airport, mr Petsalnikos underlined that all the scheduled projects were under construction and they would give the airport the capacity to serve 9.000.000. passengers instead of 3.200.000 it serves today. According to the facts presented, the Via Egnatia is under construction in a length of 227kilometres, 90 kilometres have been auctioned and within the first six months of 1998 projects in a length of 110 kilometres will also be auctioned.

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

[12] GREEK PREMIER IN LONDON TODAY

Greece’s Prime Minister Kostas Simitis is in London today, where he will participate at the European Conference for the accession of the candidate-countries to the European Union.

Mr. Simitis will hold talks with other European leaders on the course of the country towards the common currency, the Euro.

[13] CYPRIOT PRESIDENT IN LONDON FOR EUROPEAN CONFERENCE

The President of the Republic of Cyprus Glafkos Clerides is to travel to London today where he will attend the European Conference convened by the British-held presidium of the European Union.

The European Conference aims at the discussion of the EU’s expansion to include the countries of eastern and central Europe and Cyprus. The formal negotiations on Cyprus’ accession into the EU will start on March 31 together with the negotiations that will be held with the other five candidate countries namely, Estonia, Hungary, Poland, Slovenia and the Czech Republic.

Mr. Clerides, who will submit a proposal for the participation of the Turkish-Cypriots in the accession negotiations, is to be received by the British prime minister Toni Blair this evening, while tomorrow he will meet with Foreign Minister Robin Cook.

[14] ALBANIA REQUESTS ASSIGNMENT OF NATO FORCE AT YUGOSLAVIAN BORDER

The Albanian government is to request the Assignment of a NATO military unit at its border with Yugoslavia, in order to improve the control of the situation in Kossovo, according to undersecretary of Defense Perikli Teta.

Mr.Teta, prior to his departure for Brussels where he is to meet with Alliance officials, stated that his country wants to see an increase of military units either in Albania or at Kossovo in order to prevent any arms trafficking at the border region.

[15] NATO HOLDS EXTRAORDINARY MEETING FOR KOSSOVO

NATO is to hold an extraordinary meeting today in order to discuss the crisis in Kossovo, following a relevant request submitted by Albania.

A spokesperson from the Alliance stated that NATO will try to prevent the spillover of the crisis into neighboring Balkan countries and will examine ways to provide aid to Albania.

Albania’s undersecretary of defense Perikli Teta, who sit o participate in the meeting, stated that the Albanian government will present its proposals for resolving the Kossovo crisis, albeit he did not elaborate on the content of these proposals.

NATO’s secretary-general Javier Solana stated that this meeting was deemed as necessary given the explosive situation in an extremely sensitive -from a strategic point of view- region, as he said, as the Balkans. He did express his concern for the repercussions that could be borne on the wider region if the Kossovo crisis worsens.

[16] TWO THOUSAND ALBANIANS RALLY IN FYROM IN SUPPORT OF KOSSOVO

Two thousand Albanians living in FYROM rallied yesterday at the center of the city of Debar in a sign of support to their “Kossovo brothers”.

The rally, organized by the ethnic Albanian parties PDP and DPA, was vast and participants voiced intense criticism against the Serb leadership and the President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Slobodan Milosevic.

Also present at the rally was FYROM’s alternate defense Minister, Ramazan Croi, who is Albanian.

[17] US DISPATCH ANOTHER SPECIAL ENVOY TO KOSSOVO

The US State Department has assigned James Sweigert, an alternate to the special envoy in the Balkans Robert Gilbard, who is to focus on the Kossovo crisis.

According to State Department spokesperson James Foley, Mr. Sweigert, who is the Director of the State Department’s Office for South and Central European Affairs, is to deal exclusively with the US policy in Kossovo.

[18] BELGRADE PROPOSES DIALOGUE TO KOSSOVO’S ALBANIANS

The Serb government has proposed the holding of an “open dialogue” with the Albanians of Kossovo, according to the news agency Tanjug.

The Serb government‘s announcement reads that “dialogue is the only way to develop political processes aimed at resolving the crisis in the province.”

Moreover, it stresses that the Serb government makes a clear distinction between the terrorists and the members of the Albanian minority and appeals to the “responsible” Albanians to keep their distance from the terrorists and condemn their acts.

From Pristina, Nite Zeka, an official of the main Albanian party, the Democratic alliance of Kossovo, stated that the Albanians “will surely respond to such appeal, if the dialogue is held without conditions, with the mediation of the contact group and within a specific time period.”

“Nevertheless,” he added, “everything will depend on that is hidden behind this appeal.”

Meanwhile, the Serb government also invited the “officials from the Redo Cross international committee to travel to the province and restore the complete truth” in regards to the conflict that erupted between the Serb police and the Albanians.

[19] BOMB ATTACKS IN ALBANIA, PREMIER’S AND MINISTER’S HOMES TARGETED

Bomb attacks rocked Albania last night, fueling the already electrified atmosphere in the country.

According to the Tirana police, An explosive mechanism made of TNT exploded last night at the garage of the Minister of Industry and Development, Ermelinda Mexi, who is currently accompanying Albanian President Reijep Meidani on his official visit to Greece. Only material damages have been reported so far.

Also yesterday, a young male from Fieri, opened fire on the home of Prime Minister Fatos Nano, who is currently on a tour through the Middle East. The culprit was arrested by the Premier’s guards.

In Elbasan, a strong explosive mechanism placed in an apartment building went off, seriously injuring two tenants and causing material damages.

[20] GREEKS AND SWEDES HAVE LONGEST LIFE SPAN IN ALL OF EUROPE

Greeks and Swedes are the European continent‘s longest living peoples, with a median life span of 75 and 76.5 years respectively.

According to the demographics agency Eurostat, which published the aforementioned data, Greece’s population is on a decline as, in the year 1997, 98,700 deaths were registered, as opposed to 98,200 births.

[21] TURKISH SWAT TEAMS WILL RELAX WITH BRAHMS AND MOZART

Ankara’s SWAT teams are to unwind under the sounds of classical music while waiting for their assignment, this being one of the measures the Turkish capital’s Police Headquarters is to take in order to reduce the incidence of excessive violence during round ups and arrests.

According to Turkish news agency Anadolu, classical music will also be played in the SWAT team vehicles, while the officers will now use nightsticks and handcuffs made of softer material, such as plastic, and their helmets will be equipped with monitors through which they will listen to instructions from their superiors.

[22] ÔHE EUROPEAN SUMMIT MEETING OPENS IN LONDON TOMORROW

The European Summit meeting on the problems of unemployment, organized crime, illegal drug-trafficking and environmental pollution opens in London tomorrow.

Greek prime minister Kostas Simitis has left for London and this afternoon he will attend the European Socialist leaders' meeting to decide on their stance in tomorrow's meeting.

Mr. Simitis is expected to refer to the social face of the EU and to underline the need for peace, security and good neighborly relations in Europe.

The situation in Kosovo will also be discussed within the European Summit meeting at foreign ministers' level.

[23] THE CRISIS IN KOSOVO IS BEING DISCUSSED IN NATO

The crisis in Kosovo is being discussed in NATO by the alliance's ambassador in a meeting that takes place after a request by Albania.

Meanwhile, the Serb government offered to open dialogue with the representatives of the Albanian-speaking population in Kosovo and leader of the Albanian community in the region Ibrahim Rugova stated that the dialogue with Belgrade should be unconditional.

[24] A PRIVATE TURKISH PLANE MADE AN EMERGENCY LANDING IN ALEXANDROUPOLIS

A small Turkish private plane with 3 passengers on board made an emergency landing at the Airport of Alexandroupolis in north-eastern Greece due to mechanical failure.

The "Chesna-421" airplane took off from the airport of Istanbul for Britain via Bari in Italy and as soon as it entered the Greek air space presented a failure in its engine.

At the time, the weather conditions were very bad, with snowfall and low clouds, but the pilot remained calm and requested the assistance of air traffic controllers at the airport of Alexandroupolis, who gave priority to the Turkish private plane which had an uneventful landing.

[25] THE RUSSIAN REPRESENTATIVE TO CYPRUS WILL BE IN NICOSIA IN EARLY APRIL

Russian representative to Cyprus Vladimir Djidjov will visit Nicosia in early April to contribute to the efforts for the resumption of talks aimed at the solution of the Cyprus problem. The above were stated by Russian ambassador to Cyprus Georgi Muratov when he was called to comment on the efforts of Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash to overturn the basis set for the talks by the United Nations.

Mr. Muratov stated that Moscow openly supports the continuation of the dialogue between the two communities on the island because only this way a right and fair solution can be found. Referring to the efforts aimed at blocking the implementation of the contract for the S-300 missiles, Mr. Muratov reminded that this cooperation is totally legal and that the missiles are necessary for Cyprus' defense.

[26] BRITAIN DID NOT INTERVENE IN THE ISSUE OF THE S-300

Britain denied that its prime minister Tony Blair had requested the intervention of his Swedish counterpart for the annulment of the purchase of the Russian S-300 missiles by the Cypriot Republic.

The press spokesman of the British High Commission in Nicosia in statements he made he mentioned that Mr. Blair did not make such a move and pointed out that Britain's position on the issue of the purchase of the Russian missiles is known.

[27] THE CRISIS IN KOSOVO HAS TO BE DEFUSED

Speaking during the discussion on Kosovo in the European Parliament plenary session Greek governing party of PASOK Euro-deputy Yiannis Roubatis stated that the priority of the EU should be to stop the crisis in Kosovo from spreading to the rest Balkan states.

Mr. Roubatis pointed out that the European Union should not allow any changes in the existing borders or a new bloodshed and for this reason dialogue is necessary in the effort to find a political solution to the Kosovo problem. This is the least Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic can do and he owes it to the Serb people, who have already paid dearly their leadership's intransigence, said Mr. Roubatis.

In conclusion, he stressed that the policy followed by Belgrade strengthens the secessionist tendencies and added that it appears that Mr. Milosevioc did not get his lesson from the bloody civil war in former Yugoslavia.

[28] GREEK PRIME MINISTER K. SIMITIS TO MEET BRITISH COUNTERPART IN LONDON

Greek Prime Minister Kostas Simitis will complete the schedule of his visit’s first day to London by participating in the European Socialist leaders’ conference and meeting his British counterpart Tony Blur.

The meeting of the two prime ministers is particularly important as it takes place on the eve of the European Conference and in view of the expansion of the EU to include the countries of eastern and central Europe and Cyprus, the formal negotiations of which will begin on March 31st.

[29] SERBS ARE ORIENTATED TOWARDS KOSOVO’S AUTONOMY

Yugoslav ambassador in Croatia Vigiko Knezevic expressed the view that Kosovo should be given partial autonomy but not as extended as the autonomy it had according to the 1974 Constitution.

Mr Knezevic stressed that the Yugoslav government turned down the internationalization of the Kosovo problem because it would mean interference in the country’s internal affairs and attributed the Serbian police operations in Kosovo to a fight against the Albanian terrorists. He also described Imbrahim Rugova, Bugiar Bukosi and Adem Demaci as “separatist leaders” of the ethnic Albanians of Kosovo.

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