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Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 98-06-04
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, June 4, 1998
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] MINISTER DEPARTS FOR YALTA'S BSEC CONFERENCE
[02] UNIONS AND MANAGEMENT MEET OVER IONIAN BANK'S SALE
[03] COUNCIL OF EUROPE'S ENVIRONMENT COM/TEE TO MEET IN GREECE
TODAY
[04] LONDON'S MAYOR IN THESSALONIKI TODAY
[05] THESSALONIKI TO HOST TRANSPORTATION CONFERENCE
[06] PRICE INDEX CLOSES AT 5.3% IN MAY
[07] EU TASK FORCE ON VISIT TO CYPRUS
[08] WHO GOES AND WHO STAYS IN GREEK SOCCER
[09] NO SCHEDULED MEETING BETWEEN SIMITIS AND DEMIREL
[10] MANTELIS: OLYMPIC AIRWAYS WILL NOT BE PRIVATIZED
[11] THE COMMITTEE OF EXPERTS REACHED A CONCLUSION ON THE CAUSES
OF THE YAKOVLEV CRASH
[12] SIMEON B', AGA HAN AND ROMANOV WILL BE IN MOUNT ATHOS ON
SATURDAY
[13] GIORGOS PAPANDREOU:MEDITERRANEAN IS A NUCLEAR-FREE ZONE
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[14] TENSION MOUNTS IN KOSSOVO, CONFLICT CONTINUES, PHONE LINES
CUT OFF
[15] ALBANIA FLOODED WITH KOSSOVO REFUGEES, PM NANO CALLS FOR
NATO'S AID
[16] SOLANA: GREECE AND TURKEY AGREED TO AVOID INCIDENTS IN THE
AEGEAN AND THE INTERNATIONAL AIR SPACE
[17] THOUSANDS OF REFUGEES LEAVE KOSOVO
[18] EU OFFICIALS WILL BE IN CYPRUS FOR ACCESSION NEGOTIATIONS
[19] TALKS OVER KOSOVO FAIL
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] MINISTER DEPARTS FOR YALTA'S BSEC CONFERENCE
Prime Minister Kostas Simitis is to arrive in Yalta today
where he will represent Greece at a conference of the heads of
state and government of the 11 Black Sea Economic Cooperation Pact
(BSEC) member-states.
Tomorrow, the participants will sign the charter of a new
international regional organization which will upgrade the BSEC.
It is envisaged that the Black Sea Commerce and Development
Bank, based in Thessaloniki, and the International Center for
Black Sea Studies, based in Athens, will undertake an active role
in the development of various activities, mainly economic.
[02] UNIONS AND MANAGEMENT MEET OVER IONIAN BANK'S SALE
The General confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE) and the
Union of Bank employees are to meet today in order to discuss the
sore matter of the government's decision to sell Ionian Bank. In
an effort to appease the bank's protesting employees, who have
been on strike since May 11, the government is now offering job
security. As an added guarantee, the staff are now asking for a
penalty clause that will provide high compensation sums in case of
lay-offs.
National Economy and Finance Minister Yiannos Papantoniou is
to outline the bank's sale process during a ministry meeting
today.
[03] COUNCIL OF EUROPE'S ENVIRONMENT COM/TEE TO MEET IN GREECE
TODAY
The Committee of Environment, City Planning and Local
Administration of the Council of Europe's parliamentary Assembly
is to convene today at the island of Lesbos, in order to examine
environmental issues concerning the Mediterranean region.
The three-day conference is to feature the participation of
deputies from 40 countries and a number of studies will be
presented on the Mediterranean basin, the Aegean, waste
management and sea pollution.
Among those to salute the conference are the Minister of the
Aegean Elisabeth Papazoi, the undersecretary of Environment, City
Planning and Public Works Th. Koliopanos and the vice-president of
the Hellenic Parliament P. Sgourides.
[04] LONDON'S MAYOR IN THESSALONIKI TODAY
London's preparation for the arrival of the European Union's
common currency, the Euro, is to be the topic of a speech to be
delivered by the British capital's mayor Alderman Richard Nickols,
during his visit to Thessaloniki.
The British mayor is to visit Thessaloniki on the invitation
of the Hellenic-British Chamber of Commerce whose office in
northern Greece will host a dinner on his honor.
The event will be held this evening.
[05] THESSALONIKI TO HOST TRANSPORTATION CONFERENCE
The Conference of Multimodal Transport and Transit Trade in
Southeast Europe is to be inaugurated in Thessaloniki today, a
three-day event organized by HELEXPO, the organizer of the
Thessaloniki International Fair, in cooperation with the
Department of Communications Technology of Aristotle University of
Thessaloniki.
The event is to address legal and administrative issues
pertaining to difficulties encountered in crossing borders,
methods and practices associated with multimodal transport in
light of new technology and the use of logistics, multimodal
transport corridors and infrastructure (terminals and junctions),
networks, services and international cooperation.
Among those participating in the conference will be senior
officials and representatives of European Union directorates, the
ministries of transport and communications, of environment, town
planning and public works, of finance, of merchant marine,
universities, cultural foundations of Austria, Bulgaria, Germany
and other countries and transport organizations.
[06] PRICE INDEX CLOSES AT 5.3% IN MAY
The price index closed at 5.3% at the end of last month.
This rate was along the same lines as last year's and experts are
expecting that the downward rate of inflation will start as of
July.
The Ministry of National Economy believes that inflation will
be at the 4.5% level by the end of the year, to fall to 2.5% in
1999, and even lower levels by the year 2000.
[07] EU TASK FORCE ON VISIT TO CYPRUS
European Union officials are to arrive in Cyprus today for
talks on the island's preparations for European Union membership.
The Director General of the European Commission's Task Force
for the accession negotiations Nikolaus van der Pas and the Task
Force's negotiator for Cyprus Leopold Maurer will be received by
Cypriot President Glafcos Clerides, House President Spyros
Kyprianou, Foreign Minister Yiannakis Kasoulides, Finance Minister
Christodoulos Christodoulou and Cyprus' chief negotiator for the
accession talks George Vassiliou.
Today the two EU officials will meet with the British High
Commissioner David Madden.
[08] WHO GOES AND WHO STAYS IN GREEK SOCCER
All's well that ends well in the case of "Gireos" goalkeeper
Karkamanis who's decided to stay on the team for another three
years at 65 million drachmas.
On the other side of the fence, efforts exerted by
Thessaloniki's PAOK to snatch Panionios' Tasos Katsiabis have
fallen on dead water, since the second team's demands were
enormous.
Meanwhile, the official presentation of AEK's new coach,
Yugoslav Dragoslav Stepanovic is to be unveiled this afternoon.
Stepanovic signed a two-year contract with AEK, amassing in the
first year alone over 100 million drachmas.
Panathinaikos' striker Nikos Lyberopoulos is also coveted by
a number of European teams who have been impressed by his
performance in the European Youth Championships.
According to the "Daily Mail", Tottenham, Fiorentina and
Parma would very much like to have him among their own.
[09] NO SCHEDULED MEETING BETWEEN SIMITIS AND DEMIREL
Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas stated that no
meeting has been scheduled to take place between Greek prime
minister Kostas Simitis and Turkish president Suleiman Demirel on
the sidelines of the Yalta Summit meeting.
Mr. Reppas stated that no such proposal has been made and no
meeting of the two men is included in the summit program.
[10] MANTELIS: OLYMPIC AIRWAYS WILL NOT BE PRIVATIZED
Minister of transport and communications Tasos Mantelis,
stated when asked to comment on information that the Pilots' Union
had contacts with parties interested in purchasing the state-run
Olympic Airway, that there is not an issue of an Olympic Airways
privatization.
Undersecretary of labor Christos Protopapas stated that such
actions are unacceptable and added that the only way for the
airline to be saved is the implementation of the reform program.
In support of the state-run character of Olympic Airways was
placed and president of the Federation of Civil Aviation Employees
Unions Michalis Perros.
[11] THE COMMITTEE OF EXPERTS REACHED A CONCLUSION ON THE CAUSES
OF THE YAKOVLEV CRASH
The investigation conducted by a committee of experts on the
causes of the Ukrainian passenger plane crash last Christmas was
completed within the framework set.
The committee findings on what caused the crash of the
"Yakovlev" airplane last December will be delivered in the next
few days to the governments of Russia and Ukraine in order to make
their remarks on the text. The evaluation of the findings will be
made afterwards by the Supreme Court of Inquiry on Airplane
Accidents that is presided over by a judge of the Supreme Court.
The above were announced today by minister of transport and
communications Tasos Mantelis on the sidelines of the 2nd
conference on intermodal transport and transit flows in south-
eastern Europe that is being held in Thessaloniki.
According to reliable sources, the content of the committee
findings text can not be announced for the moment. However,
sources close to the ministry of transport and communications
point out that based on the findings the blame for the accident is
put both on the crew of the Ukrainian plane and the "YAK-42"
itself.
[12] SIMEON B', AGA HAN AND ROMANOV WILL BE IN MOUNT ATHOS ON
SATURDAY
The exiled monarchs Simeon B' of Bulgaria , Aga Han and
Romanov of Belorus will visit Mount Athos on Saturday. According
to reliable sources, the three exiled kings will arrive in
Thessaloniki on Saturday and immediately they will travel to the
Monastic Community of Athos to visit the Monastery of Zografou.
They will come from Spain, the permanent residence of Simeon
B', who has a Spanish passport. The Bulgarian consulate in
Thessaloniki stated that it has no information on the visit and
that does not know when he will arrive, as Simeon B' has a Spanish
nationality.
The political affairs agency of the ministry of Macedonia-
Thrace also stated that for the moment no application has been
filed requesting a permit for the three exiled monarchs to visit
Mount Athos and according to ministry officials, an application is
possible to be filed on Saturday.
[13] GIORGOS PAPANDREOU:MEDITERRANEAN IS A NUCLEAR-FREE ZONE
Greek Alternate Foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou,
addressing the Euro-Mediterranean Conference, which takes place in
Palermo, suggested that the Mediterranean Sea should be recognized
as a nuclear-free zone.
His 26 counterparts, participating in the conference,
welcomed mr Papandreou's proposal while, by general estimate,
Greek stances, concerning the cooperation in the cultural,
economic and social sectors, were widely accepted.
The Greek side particularly emphasized the need for further
cooperation in the tourism sector, which "could bring the
Mediterranean people closer".
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[14] TENSION MOUNTS IN KOSSOVO, CONFLICT CONTINUES, PHONE LINES
CUT OFF
Tensions have flared once again in Kossovo between ethnic-
Albanians and the Serbian police, which have cracked down to crush
militant separatist sentiment in recent months.
According to press reports, armed conflict continued
yesterday between ethnic Albanians and Serb policemen. Kossovo's
western region remains inaccessible, phone lines have been cut off
and access is forbidden to journalists.
Thousands of Albanians have reportedly fled their homes as a
result of the attacks.
[15] ALBANIA FLOODED WITH KOSSOVO REFUGEES, PM NANO CALLS FOR
NATO'S AID
Albania has asked the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
(NATO) to send troops to monitor its borders with Kossovo, in a
letter sent yesterday to the Alliance by Albanian Prime Minister
Fatos Nano.
In his letter, Mr. Nano said that his country's resources
were strained to the limit to care for the refugees pouring in
from Kossovo. The Albanian government said 10,000 had arrived so
far.
``In such conditions, I think there is every reason that NATO
undertake humanitarian relief operations in the refugee areas to
supply medicine, food and other necessities,'' Mr. Nano wrote.
Tirana plans to write to the heads of state or governments of
the Contact Group countries -- the United States, Russia, Britain,
Germany,
France and Italy -- today to ask them to intervene to stop
the Kossovo conflict escalating further, Foreign Minister Paskal
Milo told the Albanian parliament yesterday.
``We can no longer speak of an incipient conflict in Kossovo
but of war,'' Mr. Milo said.
``The situation created in Kossovo requires urgent
intervention to stop the genocide there which is now being
expressed in all its force.
``If this conflict explodes like it is exploding, it will in
the near future create scenes that would be worse and much more
painful than Bosnia.''
The Tirana mission of the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), whose field officers monitor
Albania's border with Kossovo, gave the number of refugees as
2,300.
[16] SOLANA: GREECE AND TURKEY AGREED TO AVOID INCIDENTS IN THE
AEGEAN AND THE INTERNATIONAL AIR SPACE
According to a French News Agency, AFP, report from Brussels,
NATO secretary-general Javier Solana has announced that Greece and
Turkey have agreed to mutually respect the confidence-building-
measures and avoid any incidents in the Aegean and the
international air space.
[17] THOUSANDS OF REFUGEES LEAVE KOSOVO
Albania maintain that at least 11.000 refugees have crossed
its borders with Kosovo after the bloody clashes of the recent
days. Tirana repeated that villages are being destroyed and that
the Serbs engage in ethnic cleansing.
Prime minister of Albania Fatos Nano called for the immediate
intervention of the international community and NATO.
[18] EU OFFICIALS WILL BE IN CYPRUS FOR ACCESSION NEGOTIATIONS
European Union officials, expected to arrive in Cyprus today,
will have talks with the Cypriot government on the country's EU
accession course.
During their four-day visit to Cyprus, the two EU officials
will have an informative meeting with the ambassadors of the EU
member-states and with the Cypriot ministers of foreign affairs
and finance.
[19] TALKS OVER KOSOVO FAIL
The close associate of the Kosovo Alabanians' leader, Ibrahim
Rugova, and member of the ethnic Albanian delegation, Fehmi Agani,
stressed that the Kosovo Albanians will not attend the talks with
Serbs, due to take place tomorrow, because of the deterioration in
the situation on Kosovo.
Mr Agani accused the Serbian authorities of being responsible
for the new escalation of violence in Kosovo. Meanwhile, clashes
in western Kosovo continued today.
A military patrol along the border line between Yugoslavia
and Albania managed to prevent armed Albanians from infiltrating
into Kosovo from Albania whereas, in Pristina, strong police
forces continued their operations in the city of Decani, which
remains blocked and phone lines have been cut off.
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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