Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 98-07-15
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, July 15, 1998
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] GREEK DEFENSE MINISTER MEETS WITH US NAVY ADMIRAL IN ATHENS
[02] PASOK EXECUTIVE BUREAU TO CONVENE THIS EVENING
[03] EU EMPLOYMENT COMMISSIONER ARRIVES IN GREECE TOMORROW
[04] GREECE'S UNEMPLOYMENT IS PRESENTLY AT 10.3 PERCENT
[05] NEW VIOLATIONS OF THE GREEK AIR SPACE BY TURKISH FIGHTER JETS
[06] SAE'S PRESIDING BOARD MEETS IN THESSALONIKI
[07] REPPAS COMMENTED ON THE S-300 MISSILES
[08] REPPAS ON THE JOINT MILITARY EXERCISES OF ISRAEL AND TURKEY
[09] POPULAR SINGER GRIGORIS BITHIKOTSIS UNDERGOES SURGERY
[10] 23 STATES PARTICIPATE IN THE 3RD MEETING OF ENVIRONMENTAL
EDUCATION IN THESSALONIKI
[11] PAPANTONIOU-SIMITIS MEETING
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[12] TURKEY'S PRESIDENT MEETS WITH ALBANIAN COUNTERPART REIJEP
MEIDANI
[13] THE US PENTAGON IS OPPOSED TO THE INSTALLATION OF THE S-300
MISSILES IN CYPRUS
[14] GREEK CUSTOMS OFFICIALS VISITED SKOPJE
[15] CENSURE MOTION AGAINST MESUT YILMAZ
[16] BLACK ANNIVERSARY FOR CYPRUS
[17] OSCE DELEGATION IN BELGRADE
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] GREEK DEFENSE MINISTER MEETS WITH US NAVY ADMIRAL IN ATHENS
The commander of NATO forces in Europe US Admiral Lopes is to
be received by Greece's Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos in
Athens today. The meeting will also be attended by US Ambassador
to the US Nicholas Burns and the Chief of the General Army Staff
Athanasios Tzoganis. Meanwhile, the US State Department announced
earlier today that a potential deployment of the S-300 in Cyprus
would be "provocative", and referred to the fragile balance of
powers at the island. Mr. Clerides reiterated that the delivery of
the missiles will not be postponed, unless a decision to
demilitarize the island is taken.
[02] PASOK EXECUTIVE BUREAU TO CONVENE THIS EVENING
The Executive Bureau of the ruling PASOK party is to convene
this evening in order to discuss the restructural changes in the
state-owned utility companies (DEKO).
Among those to address the bureau will be the Ministers of
National Economy and Development Yiannos Papantoniou and Vaso
Papandreou respectively.
Meanwhile, the country's railway workers are to conduct a 24-hour
strike tomorrow.
[03] EU EMPLOYMENT COMMISSIONER ARRIVES IN GREECE TOMORROW
The European Union's Commissioner for Employment and Social
Affairs Padraig Flynn is to arrive in Athens tomorrow for a two-
day visit where he will discuss issues concerning the EU's Social
Fund.
The Commissioner will be received by the Prime Minister
Costas Simitis, Labor Minister Miltiades Papaioannou and Health
and Welfare Minister Costas Geitonas.
According to Commission officials , Mr. Flynn will discuss EU
programs for the support of employment, proposed by Athens and
based on the Luxembourg summit decisions.
He is also expected to raise the issue of low EU fund
absorption rates by Greece, especially as regards educational and
training programs.
[04] GREECE'S UNEMPLOYMENT IS PRESENTLY AT 10.3 PERCENT
Greece's unemployment rate is presently at 10.3 percent,
according to the Labor and Social Security Minister Miltiades
Papaioannou, who cited figures from the state's official
employment office OAED.
According to Mr. Papaioannou, the government plans to create
jobs for 200,000 young Greeks in the next three years. The Labor
Minster added that roughly half of unregistered foreign workers in
Greece had applied for a work permit, saying 370,000 had signed up
since the beginning of the program to register illegal workers.
There are an estimated 750,000 illegal workers in Greece, he said.
[05] NEW VIOLATIONS OF THE GREEK AIR SPACE BY TURKISH FIGHTER JETS
New violations of the Greek national air space took place
yesterday in the region between the Aegean islands of Chios and
Rhodes.
Fourteen Turkish jets entered the Athens FIR and approached
the Greek coasts at a distance of 6 miles. The Turkish fighter
jets were intercepted by Greek warplanes and engagements were
reported in three instances.
[06] SAE'S PRESIDING BOARD MEETS IN THESSALONIKI
The second meeting of the World Council of Hellenes Abroad
(SAE) takes place in Thessaloniki today until July 18.
The council will discuss the materialization course of its
action plan with an emphasis on issues concerning the support
program of the Greeks from the former Soviet Union, as well as the
problems of the young Greeks living abroad and the Greek language
and education abroad.
The meeting will be attended by general secretary for Greeks
living abroad Stavros Lambrinidis and the permanent cross-party
committee for the Greeks abroad.
[07] REPPAS COMMENTED ON THE S-300 MISSILES
The decision on the Russian S-300 anti-aircraft missiles has
been made by the Cypriot government, said Greek government
spokesman Dimitris Reppas responding to the criticism made to
Cypriot president Glafkos Clerides and Athens on the issue.
Mr. Reppas stressed that the Greek government agrees with the
moves of the Cypriot government which were aimed at receiving the
specific weapons system.
The Greek government spokesman stated that it is Cyprus's
basic right to secure its defense when Turkey follows such an
aggressive and provocative policy which puts Cyprus's security in
danger.
[08] REPPAS ON THE JOINT MILITARY EXERCISES OF ISRAEL AND TURKEY
Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas called to comment
on the information concerning the joint military exercises held by
Israel and Turkey pointed out that besides the relevant press
reports there was a statement made by the Israeli ambassador to
Greece, while he also referred to the issuing of a statement by
the press spokesman of the Israeli foreign ministry which denies
the holding of such exercises.
Mr. Reppas stated that what matters for Greece is whether the
exercises are directed against its own security and Cyprus.
[09] POPULAR SINGER GRIGORIS BITHIKOTSIS UNDERGOES SURGERY
Popular Greek singer Grogoris Bithikotsis is in surgery
undergoing heart operation at the "Hygia" Hospital in Athens.
Mr. Bithikotsis was hospitalized yesterday with heart
problems.
[10] 23 STATES PARTICIPATE IN THE 3RD MEETING OF ENVIRONMENTAL
EDUCATION IN THESSALONIKI
Representatives of 23 south-eastern Mediterranean countries
will be in Thessaloniki tomorrow until July 18 within the
framework of UNESCO's Environmental Education program.
The 3rd meeting of the "South East Mediterranean
Environmental Project" will held on the grounds of the American
Farm School in Thessaloniki. The event is organized by the
American Farm School and among the participants will be
representatives of the UN High Commission on refugees.
[11] PAPANTONIOU-SIMITIS MEETING
Greek prime minister Kostas Simitis had a meeting today with
the minister of National Economy Yiannos Papantoniou.
According to statements by mr Papantoniou, the meeting
focused on the package of community financial aid as well as on
the prospects of the effective absorption of community allocations
within the fields of education and employment.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[12] TURKEY'S PRESIDENT MEETS WITH ALBANIAN COUNTERPART REIJEP
MEIDANI
Turkish President Suleiman Demirel and his Albanian
counterpart Reijep Meidani met at Tirana today where they
discussed bilateral relations and the Kossovo crisis.
The United Nations High Commissioner for the Refugees has
announced that the number of Albanians fleeing Kossovo and seeking
refuge in Montenegro has increased dramatically.
[13] THE US PENTAGON IS OPPOSED TO THE INSTALLATION OF THE S-300
MISSILES IN CYPRUS
The US Pentagon spokesman, citing the preservation of the
fragile balance on the island, is opposed to the delivery of the
Russian S-300 anti-aircraft missiles in Cyprus. Mr. Bacon stated
that the installation of the missiles is a provocative action for
the settlement of the Greek-Turkish dispute.
The United States, added Mr. Bacon, are not willing to be
involved in the policing of a non flight zone over Cyprus as
Greece had suggested in order for the disarmament of the island to
begin.
Earlier, Cypriot president Glafkos Clerides had stated that
the missiles' delivery dates will not change unless a decision is
made on the disarmament of the island.
[14] GREEK CUSTOMS OFFICIALS VISITED SKOPJE
The improvement of the customs clearance procedure for goods
transported to Greece and FYROM was at the center of the talks
held by the directors of FYROM's Customs Agency Ilia Iloski and
Greece's Sokratis Antoniou, who made a one-day visit to Skopje.
According to the mass media in FYROM, the heads of the two
countries' customs authorities expressed satisfaction during the
meeting for the course of their agencies' cooperation and
suggested the holding of a Balkan Customs authorities meeting.
Mr. Antoniou stated that the Greek customs authority is
willing to offer technical assistance to FYROM for the vocational
training of its customs officers based on the latest European
regulations.
The Greek delegation also met with FYROM government vice-
president Dimitar Buzlevski and finance minister Taki Fiti.
[15] CENSURE MOTION AGAINST MESUT YILMAZ
The Turkish Parliament voted yesterday in favor of discussing
a censure motion against prime minister Mesut Yilmaz who is
accused of corruption.
Mr. Yilmaz is obligated to ask for a vote of confidence by
the Parliament in the next few days. If the coalition government
does not get a vote of confidence it will have to submit its
resignation.
[16] BLACK ANNIVERSARY FOR CYPRUS
Black anniversary for Cyprus today as 24 years have passed
since the coup against Archbishop Makarios which led to the
Turkish invasion of the island. Sirens wailed at 0820 local time,
the exact time the invasion began, on July 15, 1974.
Cypriot president Glafkos Clerides and the political and
military leadership attended, this morning, a memorial service in
Nicosia conducted by Archbishop Chrisostomos, in memory of those
killed during the coup and the Turkish invasion.
[17] OSCE DELEGATION IN BELGRADE
An OSCE delegation led by former German ambassador to
Yugoslavia Hans Joerg Eiff arrived in Belgrade today, on a 7-day
visit.
The delegation had a meeting with the Yugoslavian Foreign
minister Zivadin Jovanovic. Based on information, the meeting
focused on three issues: the establishment of a permanent OSCE
mission in Kosovo, Sandzak and Vojvodina, the eventuality of
Yugoslavia's re-accession in the Organization and the approval of
the Spanish former prime minister Felipe Gonzalez as the envoy of
the OSCE.
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