Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 98-07-14
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, July 14, 1998
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] DECLARATION FOR IONIAN BANK IS OUT, 51% OF SHARES TO BE
BOUGHT IN CASH
[02] SKIES TO BE CLEAR THIS WEEKEND, PERHAPS TOO CLEAR, O.A
CANCELS FLIGHTS
[03] OLYMPIC AIRWAYS PILOTS TO MEET WITH AIRLINE'S ADMINISTRATORS
TODAY
[04] GREEK EQUITIES CLOSE AT RECORD HIGH ON BLUE CHIP BUYING
[05] FINANCE, TRANSPORTATION MINISTERS REVIEW STATE RAILWAYS
BUSINESS PLAN
[06] STATE RAILWAY EMPLOYEES DECLARE 24-HOUR STRIKE TODAY
[07] GREEK PM TO INAUGURATE THESSALONIKI INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR
SEPT 4
[08] INFLATION IN GREECE WILL DROP TO 2% IN 1999
[09] THE BUSINESS PLAN OF THE STATE RAILWAY ORGANISATION IS
EXAMINED BY MR.PAPANTONIOU
[10] REPPAS: CYPRUS IS ENTITLED TO SECURE ITS DEFENCE
[11] STATE TELECOMMUNICATIONS ORGANIZATION IN THE NEW YORK STOCK
EXCHANGE
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[12] CYPRUS WILL NOT PUT OFF DELIVERIES OF RUSSIAN S-300 SYSTEMS.
[13] ISRAELIS DENY TRAINING TURKS ON S-300 RAIDS
[14] EU: KOSSOVO'S ALBANIANS SHOULD BE REPRESENTED BY UNIFIED
GROUP
[15] BRITAIN GIVES HISTORIC MARBLES BACK TO TURKEY, THE
INDEPENDENT REPORTS
[16] EU ENFORCES VISA BAN ON BELARUS OFFICIALS, US FOLLOWS SUIT
[17] THE ALBANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER FEARS AN ALL-OUT WAR IN KOSOVO
[18] THE GREEK DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER RESPONDED TO SWEDEN'S
CONCERNS OVER THE INSTALLATION OF THE S-300 MISSILES IN CYPRUS
[19] FOREIGN TOURISTS INCREASED THE LENGTH OF THEIR VACATION TIME
IN GREECE
[20] DEMIREL IS IN TIRANA
[21] SERBIAN OPPOSITION ON THE FIRST VISIT TO KOSOVO
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] DECLARATION FOR IONIAN BANK IS OUT, 51% OF SHARES TO BE
BOUGHT IN CASH
The purchase of 51% of Ionian bank's shares must be made in
cash, according to the declaration, issued by the Commercial Bank,
concerning the bank's sale.
The final deadline for submitting tenders to the Athens
Stock Exchange's board of directors has been set at August 24.
The prospective buyer will have to be ready to honor al the
existing labor and insurance terms currently in force at the bank.
[02] SKIES TO BE CLEAR THIS WEEKEND, PERHAPS TOO CLEAR, O.A
CANCELS FLIGHTS
The lengthy delays and flight cancellations are in the
forecast throughout the weekends to come as, according to the
chairman of the Federation of Civil Aviation Associations (OSPA)
Michalis Perros, the air traffic is to be increased.
Mr. Perros also stressed that a labor regulation should have
already be signed and asked that the district attorney intervene
in the matter.
[03] OLYMPIC AIRWAYS PILOTS TO MEET WITH AIRLINE'S ADMINISTRATORS
TODAY
In an effort to defuse the fermenting crisis, see flight
delays, cancellations and mergers, the pilots of the state-owned
Olympic Airways are to meet again with the airline's
administrators today and they might proceed to schedule changes
aimed at better serving the public.
Moreover, only a limited number of trains ran yesterday,
after the 24-hour strike declared by the railway workers
throughout the country.
[04] GREEK EQUITIES CLOSE AT RECORD HIGH ON BLUE CHIP BUYING
Greek shares chalked up another record close on Monday as
buyers outstripped profit-takers in blue chip industrials and
banks on a positive short- and long-term outlook for the economy,
Reuters reported.
The Athens stock exchange's general index finished up 0.70
percent or 18.55 points at
2,685.65 from Friday's 2,667.10 close, improving a previous
highest close of 2,674.28, set last Thursday.
Industrials and banks firmed 1.36 and 0.95 percent
respectively, but construction under-performed with a 0.60 percent
fall.
Morgan Stanley, a US-based investment bank, said in a report
it expected Greek inflation to hit the government's end-1999
target of 2.0 percent as early as May next year, aided by a
strong drachma and low petrol prices.
It forecast three-month money rates to be at 11 percent at
end-1998 from a current 12.7-13.2
percent, implying rate cuts of 1.5-2.0 points by the central bank.
Greece announced the tender for the Bank of Central Greece
over the weekend. The tender
for Ionian Bank was announced today, with both sales set for
completion by end-August.
[05] FINANCE, TRANSPORTATION MINISTERS REVIEW STATE RAILWAYS
BUSINESS PLAN
The Ministers of National Economy and Transportation, Yiannos
Papantoniou and Tasos Mantelis are to review the business plan for
the state-owned railway organization (OSE).
The two ministers are to decide if two companies will be
created through OSE, one for the infrastructure and the other for
the train use.
[06] STATE RAILWAY EMPLOYEES DECLARE 24-HOUR STRIKE TODAY
Only those trains serving social needs are to run on the
Athens-Thessaloniki railway route, after the 24-hour strike
declared by the state-owned railway organization (OSE) workers.
Today's strike, declared by the railway employees federation,
is one among a series of regional strikes started last week.
On July 23, coinciding with the state-wide strike declared by
the General Confederation of Greek Laborers, no trains will run
throughout the country.
[07] GREEK PM TO INAUGURATE THESSALONIKI INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR
SEPT 4
Prime Minister Kostas Simitis is to be in Thessaloniki
between September 4-6, in order to inaugurate the 63rd
International Trade Fair of Thessaloniki.
The Premier will be accompanied by a large government
delegation, party representatives and other officials from Greece
and abroad.
During his stay in Thessaloniki, Mr. Simitis will unfold the
state's economic policy for 1999.
[08] INFLATION IN GREECE WILL DROP TO 2% IN 1999
Inflation in Greece will drop to 2% by the end of 1999,
according to an EU Commission report on the state of the Greek
economy that was published in Brussels. The report also estimates
that Greece will be able to meet the criteria for entry into the
second phase of the European Economic and Monetary Union.
Optimistic assessments on the course of inflation and the
interest rates in Greece in the first three months of 1998 are
included in the report of the international money and credit
organisation "Morgan Stanley" as well.
[09] THE BUSINESS PLAN OF THE STATE RAILWAY ORGANISATION IS
EXAMINED BY MR.PAPANTONIOU
The business plan and the investment program of the Greek
state-run Railway Organisation (OSE) will be examined today by the
ministers of national economy and transport.
Mr. Yiannos Papantoniou and Mr. Tasos Mantelis will decide on
the establishment of two companies within the OSE, one responsible
for infrastructure and one for the exploitation of trains. In the
meeting will be discussed and the organisation's ticket price
policy.
Meanwhile, only two trains will run today to cover the Athens
- Thessaloniki destination due to the 24 hour strike of the
railway employees.
[10] REPPAS: CYPRUS IS ENTITLED TO SECURE ITS DEFENCE
Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas, responding to a
question about criticism against the Cypriot president Glafkos
Clerides and Athens, regarding the issue of the S-300 Russian
missiles delivery, stressed that the decision for the missiles
deployment was made by the Cypriot government and added that
Greece fully supports this decision. Mr Reppas, also, noted that
it is a basic right of Cyprus to secure its defence especially
when Turkey pursues an aggressive, provocative policy, which
endangers the islands security.
[11] STATE TELECOMMUNICATIONS ORGANIZATION IN THE NEW YORK STOCK
EXCHANGE
Greek Finance ministry and the State Telecommunications
Organization (OTE) decided to allocate another15% of the shares of
the OTE to individuals and statute investors through the National
Bank of Greece and the stock brokers Salomon, Smith Barney, CSFB
and HSBC. Meanwhile, efforts are made so as to achieve the
introduction of the OTE shares to the New York stock exchange and
allocate them to investor circles in the US.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[12] CYPRUS WILL NOT PUT OFF DELIVERIES OF RUSSIAN S-300 SYSTEMS.
Cyprus has not refused to receive the Russian-made S-300 air
defense systems and the terms of the deliveries have not been
revised or put off, Cypriot President Glafkos Clerides told a
press conference in Moscow today.
According to Itar-Tass, President Clerides stressed at the
same time that the deliveries of the S-300 systems will not be
made fully at once, but will be phased out in steps.
The president of Cyprus declined to specify the date of the
beginning of the deliveries. Sources in the Russian
administration told Itar-Tass today that the deliveries of S-300
systems will begin in August in keeping with the terms of the
Russian-Cypriot contract.
[13] ISRAELIS DENY TRAINING TURKS ON S-300 RAIDS
The Israeli foreign ministry yesterday dismissed as
"baseless" press reports that Turkish F-16s had carried out
assault exercises on mock S-300 missile sites on Israeli
territory.
The report, which appeared in yesterday's Turkish daily
Hurriyet, claimed six fighters had practiced radar evasion
electronic jamming and bombing runs. There was no comment from
Turkish military officials.
According to the BBC, denial also came from the Israeli
embassy in Nicosia. In a statement, the embassy described the
reports as "complete untruths", adding that it also denied reports
that a base for Israeli fighters was to be built in eastern
Turkey.
[14] EU: KOSSOVO'S ALBANIANS SHOULD BE REPRESENTED BY UNIFIED
GROUP
The European Union's Foreign Ministers have requested that
talks concerning Kossovo's future begin right away and have added
that the region's Albanians should be represented by a united
group.
In a statement released yesterday, the EU's "15" also demand
that all support given to the Kossovo Liberation Army be halted.
[15] BRITAIN GIVES HISTORIC MARBLES BACK TO TURKEY, THE
INDEPENDENT REPORTS
In a clear case of double standards, Britain is to hand back
to Turkey ancient sculptures taken more than a century ago.
According to the London daily "The Independent", the
Castor Marbles will be handed back at a special ceremony at the
Turkish embassy tomorrow, with British and Turkish officials in
attendance as well as archaeologists and academics.
The article also reports that the word "marbles" and the
claim for ownership suggests parallels with the Parthenon Marbles
at the British Museum, which the British government refuses to
return to Greece.
The story goes back to July 1894, "The Independent" reports,
when the SS Castor, a Dutch vessel, set off from the Turkish port
of Izmir for Amsterdam. On board were two crates of Roman marble
sculptures which had been loaded at Izmir by Alfred van Lennep,
the Dutch vice-consul in the town, an amateur archaeologist and
illicit trader in antiquities. Van Lennep was proposing to sell
them to a museum in Holland.
But the boat collided with a German vessel and sank in dense
fog in the English Channel.
Passengers and crew were saved, but the cargo was lost, remaining
on the sea-bed for more than 100 years.
Three years ago, seven of the 14 marble antiquities were
recovered by British divers. They include a figure of Venus and a
bust of Emperor Marcus Aurelius as a young man before his
accession.
After their recovery, the sculptures were put on display at
Folkestone Museum in Kent until their ownership could be
established.
Ownership was asserted by the Turkish government, whose claim
has now been upheld by the Receiver of Wrecks at the Maritime and
Coastguard Agency.
[16] EU ENFORCES VISA BAN ON BELARUS OFFICIALS, US FOLLOWS SUIT
The United States will join the European Union in imposing
punitive measures on Belarussian officials for evicting
ambassadors from their residences in the capital, Minsk, last
month.
The European Union has introduced a visa ban for Belarussian
President Alexander Lukashenko and 130 members of his government.
The EU says the Belarussians' behavior was "unlawful and
unacceptable" and their action is being supported by 10 other
countries.
In a letter sent to President Lukashenko during the weekend
the Austrian Foreign Minister, Wolfgang Schuessel, who currently
holds the presidency of the EU, said it was an "intolerable
violation" of the Vienna Convention on diplomatic relations.
In his reply, President Lukashenko objected to Mr.
Schuessel's choice of language, saying: "I would like to remind
you that you are addressing a Head of State."
Mr. Lukashenko and his foreign minister are barred from
traveling to most European countries as a result of the ban.
The official reason for locking the ambassadors out of their
homes was the need to repair the
plumbing at the diplomatic compound in Minsk. But President
Lukashenko, whose presidential palace is nearby, later said he did
not want foreign diplomats as his neighbors.
[17] THE ALBANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER FEARS AN ALL-OUT WAR IN KOSOVO
Albanian foreign minister Paskal Milo in an exclusive
interview to MPA stated that he fears an all-out war will break
out in Kossovo and pointed out that a solution can be found if two
factors are combined namely, dialogue and international pressure.
Mr. Milo stressed that the international community should
prepare a formula regarding the political status of Kossovo as
unfortunately, the ethnic Albanians and the Serbs is impossible to
seat at the negotiating table without mediation. He said that it
is sad to realise that in the Balkans the interested parties are
still not used to solve their own problems and therefore, are
forced to accept the solutions imposed by others.
The Albanian foreign minister also points out that the crisis
in Kossovo is at its most dangerous point as the causes and the
factors that push the situation toward a war are stronger than
ever.
He said that Albania from its part wants a right and
acceptable solution, adding that the Albanian positions are the
most appropriate to avoid war which is not wanted as Albania
already has its own domestic problems.
Mr. Paskal Milo also issued an appeal to the Albanians in
Kossovo asking them to leave aside their old quarrels and disputes
and to face up to this crucial historic moment by adopting a
common voice. He said that they should elect a delegation to
represent them in the talks with the international community,
adding that this is the time for them to show greater sense of
responsibility because the cost of a war will be immense.
Responding to the question if the actions of Kossovo's
Liberation Army can cause uncontrollable situations in Kossovo and
Albania, Mr. Milo said that the biggest danger for Kossovo is not
the Kossovo Liberation Army but Slobodan Milosevic who should be
accountable to the international community, adding that if the
proposals of the Albanian side were accepted last fall in Crete an
advantageous solution would have been reached not only for Kossovo
but for Serbia as well.
Mr. Milo, referring to the meeting he will have with Greek
foreign minister Theodoros Pangalos in Tirana on July 20,
underlined that the Greek-Albanian relations are at their best
level after World War II, adding that the governments of the two
countries together with FYROM have created a very good stability
in the southern part of the Balkans. Mr. Milo wished that this
will continue in the future for the effective handling of the
tension existing in the Balkans today.
[18] THE GREEK DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER RESPONDED TO SWEDEN'S
CONCERNS OVER THE INSTALLATION OF THE S-300 MISSILES IN CYPRUS
Greek deputy foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou responded to
the concerns raised by Sweden on the likelihood of tension that
can be created in the region as a result of the installation of
the Russian anti-aircraft S-300 missiles in Cyprus.
According to the BBC radio, the Swedish foreign minister in
yesterday's EU foreign ministers meeting in Brussels had observed
that a possible tension could have negative effects on the process
for Cyprus's accession into the European Union.
Mr. Papandreou responded by raising the question on whether a
country like Cyprus has the right to self defence by developing
its defence structures. The Greek minister explained that the S-
300 missiles constitute a partial response of Nicosia to the
increased Turkish provocation in Cyprus where the Turkish
occupation of the northern part of the island continues.
[19] FOREIGN TOURISTS INCREASED THE LENGTH OF THEIR VACATION TIME
IN GREECE
The foreign tourists increase their vacation time in Greece,
according to the European Statistics Agency Eurostat.
The increase reached last year 12.2% compared to the average
increase of 3.1% observed in the rest EU member states.
[20] DEMIREL IS IN TIRANA
Turkish president Suleiman Demirel is in Tirana for a two-day
visit. President Demirel is accompanied by a 120member delegation
and will discuss with his Albanian counterpart Redzep Meidani
issues of bilateral interest as well as, the crisis in Kosovo.
The Turkish president will also meet with representatives of
the country's political leadership.
[21] SERBIAN OPPOSITION ON THE FIRST VISIT TO KOSOVO
Delegations of five Serbian opposition parties, which rally
around the newly founded coalition of the former federal prime
minister of Yugoslavia, Milan Panic, "Alliance for Change,
departed today for Pristina where they had talks with Serbian and
Kosovo Albanian representatives concerning the situation in the
region.
This was the first visit to Kosovo by opposition delegations
since the beginning of the clashes.
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