Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 98-06-05
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, June 5, 1998
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] CONFIDENCE BUILDING MEASURES BETWEEN GREECE AND TURKEY
[02] NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL ANNOUNCES CBMS BETWEEN GREECE, TURKEY
[03] INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENT DAY CELEBRATED TODAY
[04] IRANIAN WITH HEROIN-FILLED PLASTIC EGGS IN STOMACH ARRESTED
IN GREECE
[05] PREPARATIONS UNDERWAY FOR UEFA COMPETITORS
[06] SPECIAL TRAFFIC POLICE MEASURES FOR THE THREE-DAY HOLIDAY
[07] SIMEON B', ROMANOV AND AGA HAN WILL BE IN THESSALONIKI THIS
EVENING
[08] THE OA PILOTS ARE AGAINST THE PRIVATIZATION OF THE COMPANY
[09] LEGAL AID TO THE REPATRIATED GREEKS WILL BE OFFERED BY
THESSALONIKI'S BAR ASSOCIATION
[10] SIMITIS:BSEC CHARTER SIGNED IN YALTA IS A STEP FOR PEACE
[11] STRIKE IN THE IONIAN BANK TO CONTINUE UNTIL WEDNESDAY
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[12] PRIME MINISTER PARTICIPATES AT YALTA'S BSEC CONFERENCE
[13] CONTACT GROUP TO CONVENE NEXT WEEK OVER KOSSOVO
[14] GREEK PREMIER MEETS WITH COUNTERPARTS AT BSEC CONFERENCE
[15] PAPANTONIOU AT ECOFIN COUNCIL MEETING TODAY
[16] THOUSANDS FLEE KOSSOVO, UN REFUGEE AGENCY REPORTS
[17] ALBANIAN FM IN YALTA, FEARS THE WORST FOR KOSSOVO
[18] TOP EU OFFICIAL SAYS: VARIED TIMELINE FOR EACH COUNTRY UP FOR
ACCESSION
[19] UN SECRETARY GENERAL WANTS UNPREDEP'S STAY IN FYROM EXTENDED
[20] SIMITIS HAD A SHORT MEETING WITH DEMIREL IN YALTA
[21] UKRAINE SUGGESTED THE EXPANSION OF THE BLACK SEA COOPERATION
[22] THE SITUATION IN KOSOVO IS TENSE
[23] THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE WILL BE DISCUSSED IN THE UNITED STATES
[24] THE MOVEMENT OF THE NON-ALIGNED COUNTRIES CONDEMNED TURKEY
FOR ITS STANCE IN THE CYPRUS ISSUE
[25] EMPLOYMENT IS THE MAIN ISSUE OF DISCUSSION ON THE AGENDA OF
THE EU SUMMIT MEETING
[26] GLIGOROV REJECTS REFUGEES FROM KOSOVO IN FYROM
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] CONFIDENCE BUILDING MEASURES BETWEEN GREECE AND TURKEY
Greek diplomatic sources have stated that the Athens-Ankara
agreement to apply the Papoulias-Yilmaz 1988 memorandum is a step
in the right direction, within the framework of the confidence-
building measures announced yesterday by the secretary-general of
NATO Javier Solana.
Greece's Minister of National Defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos
stated that the application of the said memorandum is not related
to matters of national sovereignty and, as such, these matters
remain unchanged.
[02] NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL ANNOUNCES CBMS BETWEEN GREECE, TURKEY
NATO's Secretary General Javier Solana has announced that
Greece and Turkey agree to implement the Papoulias-Yilmaz accord
signed in 1988 concerning rules of conduct related to military
activities in the Aegean.
"The Secretary General of NATO, Dr. Javier Solana, is pleased
to be able to announce that in the course of his continuing talks
with the Permanent Representatives of Greece and Turkey on
Confidence-Building Measures both sides have informed him of their
intention to implement fully the agreements reached in 1988
between the then Foreign Ministers Papoulias and Yilmaz (the
Memorandum of Understanding signed on 27 May 1988 in Athens and
the Guidelines for the Prevention of Accidents and Incidents on
the High Seas and International Airspace, signed on 8 September
1988 in Istanbul)," the issued statement said.
"The two sides have also declared their willingness to
continue their talks with the Secretary General in order to
clarify where necessary and to strengthen and complement where
possible the set of confidence- building measures which the 1988
agreements provide for and which constitute a framework of agreed
rules of behaviour regarding national military activities in the
high seas and the international airspace aimed at re ducing
tension and avoiding dangerous incidents. In this context the
Secretary General and the two countries intend to explore the
opportunities for greater mutual information and coordination
offered by the emerging NATO air command and control system (A
CCS).
"In the 1988 Memorandum of Understanding both countries have
recognised the obligation to respect the sovereignty and the
territorial integrity of each other and their rights to use the
high seas and international airspace of the Aegean. Today's
statement is a manifestation of the political will of the two
governments to continue to respect these principles and to carry
out in good faith the range of confidence building measures that
have been agreed as well as those that may further be agreed in
the talks between the Secretary General and the two countries, and
as such it constitutes an important interim result of these
talks."
[03] INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENT DAY CELEBRATED TODAY
On the occassion of today's International Environment Day,
the President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos
stated that "the planet earth is seriously threatened by the
overturn of the ecological balance."
President Stephanopoulos also added that those nations with
better developed infrastructures must realise the dangers which
are threatening us.
In its announcement, the ruling PASOK party states that it remains
"faithful to the idea of self-sustained development and the goal
of quality of life and the environment."
Main opposition New Democracy party Deputy Vangelis
Meimarakis said "ecological problems are aggravated to such a
degree that any further neglect or indifference will render them
crucial for the course of life on the planet, while extremely
unfavorable repercussions exist both in the economic development
and the quality of life of modern societies."
[04] IRANIAN WITH HEROIN-FILLED PLASTIC EGGS IN STOMACH ARRESTED
IN GREECE
An Iranian male who had swallowed 18 heroin-filled plastic
eggs was arrested at the Promahonas station near the Greek-
Bulgarian borders for attempting to enter Greece with a fake
passport.
According to the police report, 28-year-old Naser Mohamed, a
passenger on the Sofia-Thessaloniki railway route, said that he
acquired the fake passport in Bulgaria for two thousand dollars .
The heroin-filled eggs were discovered in his stomach when he
was frisked by the police.
[05] PREPARATIONS UNDERWAY FOR UEFA COMPETITORS
PAOK and AEK are to compete for the UEFA Cup in August,
entering at the second preliminary phase, although it won't be
known whom they'll be playing against until July 6.
AEK's new coach, Dragoslav Stepanovic left for Frankfurt
today where he will sit through all of AEK's videotaped games. The
team is eyeing Lakis, Fratzeskos, Kala and Kiassos.
As for Aris, it will be decided next week if the team will be
managed by England's Mike MacDonald.
The transfer targets in PAOK are still the same, namely
Frousos and Katsiabis, while, as far as foreign players are
concerned, Aris will take its pick after the World Cup's close.
For Panionios, it's now official, 38-year-old Irishman Roni
Whilan, who played for Liverpool in the past, will be the new
coach. He will sign a one-year contract with Greece's Cup holder
on June 22.
[06] SPECIAL TRAFFIC POLICE MEASURES FOR THE THREE-DAY HOLIDAY
A mass exodus of the big city residents is expected in the
three-day holiday for the celebration of the Holy Spirit day on
Monday. Traffic police has taken special measures to facilitate
the motorists.
Strong traffic police presence will be observed along the
Athens-Thessaloniki national road network. Also, large tracks, of
over 1.2 tons, will not be allowed in the national road network
and an exemption will be made only for those carrying milk or
fresh fish.
[07] SIMEON B', ROMANOV AND AGA HAN WILL BE IN THESSALONIKI THIS
EVENING
Prince Aga Han and the exiled Kings Simeon B' of Bulgaria and
Vladimir Romanov of Russia will arrive in Thessaloniki this
evening on a chartered flight from Geneva.
According to information, they will visit the monasteries of
Vatopediou and Iviron in the monastic community of Mount Athos
tomorrow, while on Sunday they will visit the monastery of
Zografou.
It should be noted, that Aga Han has a Swiss passport,
Romanov's is French and Simeon's is Spanish.
According to information, the visit to the monastic community
of Mount Athos is placed within the framework of the creation of a
Club for Friends of the Byzantium.
[08] THE OA PILOTS ARE AGAINST THE PRIVATIZATION OF THE COMPANY
The pilots of the state airline Olympic Airways denied in an
press conference today the information that they had contacts with
interested parties for the purchase of the company. It was
stressed that a private company had presented a proposal but it
was rejected by their union.
The Pilots' Union accused the government of trying to limit
the flight destinations of Olympic Airways aiming at the sale of
the company. Also, the pilots stated that they will continue to
refuse to work overtime to cover the needs of the company.
[09] LEGAL AID TO THE REPATRIATED GREEKS WILL BE OFFERED BY
THESSALONIKI'S BAR ASSOCIATION
A legal aid programme for the repatriated Greeks will be put
into effect by Thessaloniki's Bar Association starting next
September.
Thessaloniki's Bar Association has already started the
implementation of the legal aid programme for the repatriated
Greeks from the former Soviet Union, who are estimated to be about
18.500, came to Greece as refugees and want to become permanent
residents of Thessaloniki.
The effort underway aims at informing them on the Greek
legislation and their rights for their uneventful accession into
the Greek society and the lowering of the crime rate among them
which is partly the result of their not being aware of the Greek
laws.
[10] SIMITIS:BSEC CHARTER SIGNED IN YALTA IS A STEP FOR PEACE
Greek prime minister Kostas Simitis described the charter of
the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Pact, which was signed today in
Yalta, as a very important step, that will contribute to the
strengthening of economic relations, stability and peace in the
area.
Mr Simitis stressed that, through the charter, BSEC was
transformed into an official economic organization which will
promote a form of cooperation based on the principles of
international law.
Provided that Greece is the only BSEC member-state which,
also, belongs to the European Union, mr Simitis underlined that
the country emphasized the role of the Community in the area and
pledged to continue this bid.
[11] STRIKE IN THE IONIAN BANK TO CONTINUE UNTIL WEDNESDAY
The Ionian Bank workers will continue their strike until next
Wednesday supported by the General Confederation of Greek Workers
(GSEE). The decision was taken by the majority of the GSEE
members.
However, the president of GSEE Christos Polizogopoulos
stressed that, after Wednesday, the strike will not be supported
by the Confederation.
The president of the Ionian Bank employees Giannis Markakis
underlined that the strike will continue until June 19, the date,
on which a general meeting of the workers is due to take place.
Meanwhile, today was the last day of the rotation strikes at
the Commercial Bank, embarked by the Greek Banks Employees' Union
(OTOE).
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[12] PRIME MINISTER PARTICIPATES AT YALTA'S BSEC CONFERENCE
Prime Minister Kostas Simitis is currently in Yalta where he
represents Greece at a conference of the heads of state and
government of the 11 Black Sea Economic Cooperation Pact (BSEC)
member-states.
Today, 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.
[13] CONTACT GROUP TO CONVENE NEXT WEEK OVER KOSSOVO
British Foreign Minister Robin Cook, whose country currently
holds the European Union's rotating presidency, has announced
that the contact Group is to convene next week in order to discuss
the worsening conflict occurring in Kossovo.
The meeting is taking place after an appeal issued by Albania
whose government has reported the influx of thousands of refugees
from Kossovo.
[14] GREEK PREMIER MEETS WITH COUNTERPARTS AT BSEC CONFERENCE
Greece's Prime Minister Kostas Simitis, currently in Yalta
for the Black Sea Economic Cooperation pact (BSEC) summit, met
yesterday with Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma, as well as with
the Romanian prime minister, the presidents of Georgia and
Azerbaijan, and the prime minister of Moldova.
Mr. Simitis is expected to meet new Russian Prime Minister
Sergei Kiriyenko today.
After the first day of sessions, Foreign Undersecretary
Yiannos Kranidiotis stated that "Greece has an interest in the
area. Firstly, because it has historical ties and traditional
friendships with the peoples of the region. Secondly, because
there is a strong economic and trade interest in this region of
Europe - a region with tremendous prospects for development,
especially in the energy sector."
The 11-nation group is comprised of Turkey, Russia, Ukraine,
Greece, Albania, Bulgaria, Romania, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia
and Moldova.
[15] PAPANTONIOU AT ECOFIN COUNCIL MEETING TODAY
The National Economy and Finance Ministers of the European
Union's member-states are to meet in Luxembourg today in order to
prepare an agenda of discussions on the Economic and Monetary EMU
at the forthcoming Cardiff summit.
Greece will be represented by National Economy and Finance
Minister Yiannos Papantoniou.
According to Greek diplomatic sources, the text on the basic
orientations which ministers will discuss contains positive
references to the Greek economy, and an updated convergence
program for Greece will be among the first to be submitted to the
Commission, before the end of the month.
[16] THOUSANDS FLEE KOSSOVO, UN REFUGEE AGENCY REPORTS
More refugees from Kossovo in the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia continued to arrive in Albania yesterday, according to
the United Nations refugee agency.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
reported from Albania that more than 6,500 arrivals have been
registered as of Thursday. UNHCR said that between 8,000 and
10,000 refugees are now estimated to be in Albania.
The United Nations agency said that the high number of
refugees from Kossovo has stretched to the limits the food,
accommodation and transportation resources in the Tropoja area
which is the point of entry into Albania.
UNHCR field staff said that they witnessed large numbers of
refugees continuing to stream down the mountain and that several
of them collapsed once they reached the plateau which is a four to
six hour walk from Tropoja. Some of the refugees, including a
number of women and children, have suffered shrapnel wounds, the
agency said. Reported deaths included two elderly people who died
of exhaustion and a two year old boy who died attempting to pass a
mountain crossing with his mother.
The United Nations refugee agency said that local authorities
are providing as much transportation as possible to bring the
refugees down the mountain and that additional resources have been
rushed to the area.
[17] ALBANIAN FM IN YALTA, FEARS THE WORST FOR KOSSOVO
Albanian Foreign Minister Paskal Milo the participants at the
Yalta-held BSEC conference that one can no longer speak of an
incipient conflict in Kossovo but of war.
``The situation created in Kossovo requires urgent
intervention to stop the genocide there which is now being
expressed in all its force,: Mr. Milo said.
``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.''
He called on the United Nations, OSCE and NATO to intervene
in order to prevent escalation into a full blown war at Kossovo.
[18] TOP EU OFFICIAL SAYS: VARIED TIMELINE FOR EACH COUNTRY UP FOR
ACCESSION
The Director General of the European Commission's Task Force
for accession negotiations, Nicolaus Van Der Pas, who arrived in
Cyprus yesterday to hold talks on the island's preparation for EU
accession, stated that the screening process for all the countries
hoping for accession will be held in accordance with that
country's convergence rate.
Mr. Van Der Pas said that Cyprus' accession process had so
far been smooth and fast, having
already moved through eight of the 31 negotiating chapters.
During his stay, Van Der Pas, who is accompanied by the Task
Force's negotiator on Cyprus, Leopold Maurer, will meet President
Glafcos Clerides, House President Spyros Kyprianou, Foreign
Minister Yiannakis Cassoulides, Finance Minister Christodoulos
Christodoulou and Cyprus' Chief EU negotiator George Vassiliou.
They will also hold contacts with the permanent secretaries
of all the ministries and with officials from the Attorney-
general's office.
[19] UN SECRETARY GENERAL WANTS UNPREDEP'S STAY IN FYROM EXTENDED
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has recommended
that a U.N. force in FYROM should be renewed for six months,
instead of being withdrawn by the end of August as originally
planned.
Mr. Annan cited as a reason the current crisis in the
neighbouring Serbian province of Kossovo. He also offered, in a
report to the Security Council, to submit proposals by July 15 for
strengthening the 800-member U.N. contingent. The U.N. Preventive
Deployment Force (UNPREDEP) has been in FYROM since 1995 to
prevent conflicts in other parts of the former Yugoslavia from
spilling over.
Referring to the unrest in Kossovo, Mr. Annan said it ``would
seem to be premature to proceed with a decision to withdraw
UNPREDEP after August 31,'' as called for by the Security Council
last December. There are fears that an escalation of the unrest in
Kossovo could also involve FYROM, whose population of about two
million includes nearly half a million ethnic Albanians.
Mr. Annan noted discussions were still under way in NATO and
elsewhere on the possible need for an expanded international
military presence in the region because of the situation in
Kossovo. He said consultations were also continuing on
arrangements for monitoring an arms embargo that the Security
Council imposed on Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) on March 31
to try to force a peaceful settlement in Kossovo.
[20] SIMITIS HAD A SHORT MEETING WITH DEMIREL IN YALTA
The charter of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Pact that
turns the institution into an official economic organization was
signed in Yalta today. Greek prime minister Kostas Simitis had
contacts with state leaders, while he had a few-minute meeting
with Turkish president Suleiman Demirel.
In statements he made, Mr. Simitis pointed out that he did
not seek a meeting with Mr. Demirel neither the Turkish president
with him but they had a short discussion within the framework of
the Summit meeting contacts.
In the meeting with the Turkish president were discussed
issues concerning the summit, while Mr. Simitis underlined the
necessity of peace in the region and the implementation of
international law.
[21] UKRAINE SUGGESTED THE EXPANSION OF THE BLACK SEA COOPERATION
Ukrainian president Leonid Kudzma issued an appeal for closer
cooperation of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Pact countries,
in his speech for the signing of the organization's new charter.
The leaders of the 11 countries of the Pact agreed on a
charter aimed at the strengthening of their cooperation, while Mr.
Kudzma stressed that new prospects of cooperation are being opened
even though very often the member-states have different national
interests.
The Ukrainian president in an effort to renew the targets of
the Pact suggested the strengthening of the military cooperation
among its members, the holding of regular political meetings and
the wider cooperation to counter illegal arms trade and drug
trafficking in a more effective way. He also called on businessmen
to participate in the cooperation more actively.
[22] THE SITUATION IN KOSOVO IS TENSE
The United States announced that they are trying to save the
dialogue between Serbia and the representatives of ethnic
Albanians in Kosovo, who left the talks because of the worsening
of the armed clashes.
Meanwhile, over 40 ethnic Albanians were killed in the latest
Serb military operations targeting villages close to the borders
with Albania.
[23] THE ARMENIAN GENOCIDE WILL BE DISCUSSED IN THE UNITED STATES
The Turkish newspaper "Yeni Yuzyil" writes that similar
moves, with that of the French Parliament's decision to recognise
the genocide of the Armenians by the Turks, appear to be made in
the United States as well.
The newspaper mentions that many state Parliaments in the US
have included in their daily agenda the discussion of draft
resolutions condemning the genocide of the Armenians which was
committed by the Turks.
[24] THE MOVEMENT OF THE NON-ALIGNED COUNTRIES CONDEMNED TURKEY
FOR ITS STANCE IN THE CYPRUS ISSUE
The leaders of the non-aligned countries in their final
declaration expressed their deep disappointment for the lack of
progress in the Cyprus issue, stressing that responsible for the
failed effort to reopen the inter-communal talks is the Turkish
policy of intransigence.
Turkey's effort to set conditions for the holding of the
talks, requesting among others the recognition of the Turkish-
Cypriot regime in the Turkish occupied northern part of the
island, is also being condemned.
In the part of the declaration that refers to Cyprus, the
foreign ministers of the non-aligned countries support the
sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity of
Cyprus and express their solidarity to the government and people
of Cyprus.
The members of the non-aligned movement call for the
immediate implementation of the UN resolutions and urge the UN
Security Council to take the necessary measures in order to hold a
world conference on Cyprus and its demilitarisation. Also, they
express their concern regarding the Turkish threats for the use of
force and the annexation of the occupied territories and condemn
the efforts of the Turkish side to change the basis of the inter-
communal dialogue.
[25] EMPLOYMENT IS THE MAIN ISSUE OF DISCUSSION ON THE AGENDA OF
THE EU SUMMIT MEETING
The high unemployment in Europe will be the main issue of
discussion in the EU Summit meeting in Cardiff, according to
statements made by British prime minister Tony Blair.
The British prime minister said that in Cardiff the EU
leaders will assess the progress made in the EU expansion, the
expansion process itself and the changes that need to be made in
order to become more effective, while issues concerning organised
crime and environmental protection will also be examined.
[26] GLIGOROV REJECTS REFUGEES FROM KOSOVO IN FYROM
FYROM president Kiro Gligorov had a meeting today with the
political director of the German Foreign ministry, Volfang
Isinger.
According to a statement issued by the presidential bureau,
mr Gligorov was particularly satisfied over Germany's bids aiming
at strengthening bilateral relations.
Mr Gligorov, also, expressed his concern over the tense
situation in Kosovo reiterating that his country is economically
incapable of offering refuge to the ethnic Albanians who flee
Kosovo.
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