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Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 98-03-29Macedonian Press Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Macedonian Press Agency at http://www.mpa.gr and http://www.hri.org/MPA.Last Update: 20:26 GMT+2SECTIONS
NEWS HEADLINES[A] GREECE[B] BALKANS[C] EUROPENEWS IN DETAIL[A] GREECE[01] EUROPEAN INVESTMENT BANK OFFICIAL SAYS MORE PRIVATIZATIONS NEEDEDWeb Posted: 20:10 GMT+2Athens, 29/03/1998 (M.P.A.)The Greek vice-president of the European Investment Bank Panayiotis Yennimatas has saluted the government's privatization programme concerning the state-owned enterprises.According to Mr/Yennimatas, more intensive efforts need to be undertaken, by privatising large organisations, such as the National Bank, the state- owned Electricity Company, the Organisation of Greek telecommunications, albeit he said that Greece, should it proceed as such, may still not be able no meet the criteria for Economic and monetary Union. [02] DEVELOPMENT MINISTER BLAMES LOCAL OPPOSITION FOR BLACK OUTWeb Posted: 20:16 GMT+2Athens, 29/03/1998 (M.P.A.)Development Minister Vaso Papandreou has blamed opposition felt within the local administration, as well as the State Council, for the recent power shortage that threw the Greek capital into hours of darkness when torrential rains and strong winds hit Athens.In a press interview, Ms. Papandreou stated that in the state-owned Electricity and Power Company (DEH) had warned of the potential disastrous power failure since 1986, but various authorities failed to deal with the danger as they should have. She added that a repeat occurrence is possible. [03] DIMAS WINS 3 GOLD MEDALS IN WEIGHTLIFTING CHAMPIONSHIPSWeb Posted: 20:16 GMT+2Athens, 29/03/1998 (M.P.A.)Pyrros Dimas, Greece's Olympic Games champion, earned three gold medals in the 85-kilos category at the European Union's Weightlifting Championship, held in Austria.Khahi Kahiasvili has also earned two gold medals and one bronze in the 94- kilos category, while Leonidas Kokas earned two silver medals and one bronze. [B] BALKANS[04] ALBANIAN PRESIDENT: RESOLVE KOSSOVO WITHOUT CHANGING BORDERSWeb Posted: 20:10 GMT+2Thessaloniki, 29/03/1998 (M.P.A.)Albanian President Radjep Meidani told the Macedonian Press Agency that his country is in favour of resolving the Kossovo issue outside any jurisdiction exercised by Serbia and without a change of the existing borders.President Meidani, also stated that there is slow progress in the urgent issue but did add that the favourable circumstances are there in order to solve the problem. He stressed the need to respect the international maps and treaties on the issue of Kosovo. Mr. Meidani said that a state of law should be structured in FYROM where all ethnic groups will enjoy equal rights based on the existing international treaties, allowing for peaceful co-existence, in order to find a satisfactory solution to the problem of ethnic Albanians in FYROM. [05] EU-CYPRUS ACCESSION TALKS TO BE HELD TOMORROWWeb Posted: 20:16 GMT+2Nicosia, 29/03/1998 (M.P.A.)The European Union will embark on entry talks with Cyprus' government tomorrow.The dispute over Cyprus is undermining the next stage of EU expansion. France has threatened to freeze the process in a bid to get the Union to accept Turkish objections to the Greek-Cypriot government taking part in the membership negotiations on Monday. Meanwhile, Russia said plans to supply S-300 air defence missiles to the Greek-Cypriots would go ahead as scheduled. "There have been no changes in the implementation of the deal. The missiles will be shipped in the second half of the year as it was envisaged initially," said Kremlin envoy Vladimir Chizbov, in Geneva for consultations with UN mediator on Cyprus Diego Cordovez. [C] EUROPE[06] EUROPE ECONOMY FORUM TOMORROWWeb Posted: 20:04 GMT+2Thessaloniki, 29/03/1998 (M.P.A.)Thessaloniki is to host a two-day forum on business and economic development in the Balkan region, for the fifth consecutive year, tomorrow, featuring the participation of ministers, bankers, stockbrokers and industrialists from 13 countries.The event, titled "Thessaloniki Forum: Greece and the Balkans: An Emerging Market in Southeastern Europe" is organized by the Northern Greek Industries Association (SBBE), Macedonia-Thrace Bank, and the Hellenic- American Chamber of Commerce. The issues to be addressed are expected to reach beyond theory and actually delve into specific issues, such as the incentives and shortcomings in investment, the familiarity of the Balkan entrepreneurs with the western business mentality, as well as Greece's role as the only Balkan country that is a member of the European Union. The honorary president of SVVE, Nikos Efthimiades, stated that this year's forum is to focus on economic issues, as opposed to political ones. He added that two significant figures, the vice presidents of Bulgaria and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Mgrs. Boskov and Vusic respectively, will be present at the forum in order to provide the views of the privatization process their state economies are undergoing. Moreover, Mr. Efthimiades added that the prevailing optimism is fortified by the American SECI initiative in regards to facilitating commerce and creating a unified code of transporting goods through the Southeastern European region. This initiative is of specific interest to Greece, at a time when the International; monetary fund is to loan 70 million dollars to the region's countries or the upgrading of border stations, a matter over which significant announcements are to be made on Monday at the forum. 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/Macedonian Press Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |