Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 98-08-11
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, August 11, 1998
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] IMF ISSUES REPORT ON GREEK ECONOMY
[02] GOVERNMENT PRESENTS PACKAGE OF AID MEASURES FOR FIRE VICTIMS
[03] PREFECTS EMBARK ON FIRE DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS BEFORE PAYOUTS
[04] GREEK PREMIER TO MEET WITH FRENCH COUNTERPART TODAY IN
ANTIPAROS
[05] CALVIN KLEIN TO GIVE FASHION SHOW AT HERODION, GOVERNMENT
SAYS OK
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[06] SECURITY COUNCIL CONVENES OVER KOSSOVO'S FERMENTING CRISIS
[07] MORE CYPRIOTS TO SEEK LEGAL RECOURSE AGAINST TURKEY
[08] UN SECRETARY GENERAL EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER KOSSOVO CRISIS
[09] JULY WAS HOTTEST MONTH ON RECORD THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
[10] TURKEY'S HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS CONDEMNED AT RELATED
CONFERENCE
[11] PHILIPPINES EDUCATION MINISTER DEFENDS GREEK DICTIONARY
[12] ALBANIAN FM: DON'T IMPLICATE ALBANIA IN US EMBASSIES
TERRORIST ATTACKS
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] IMF ISSUES REPORT ON GREEK ECONOMY
An International Monetary Fund report commends Greece on its
economic recovery and states that the inflation rate is not to
fall below 5 percent this year and 3.5 percent in 1999, these
figures being higher than government targets of 4.5 percent and
2.5 percent, respectively.
According to the annual report, if Greece is to meet the
Maastricht criteria by next year it has to adopt tighter policies
to qualify for membership of the single currency by 2001.
In addition to a more aggressive rate of privatizations, the
IMF calls for the abolition of redundancy ceilings, cuts in
severance pay and lower minimum wages, especially for youth and
unskilled workers.
[02] GOVERNMENT PRESENTS PACKAGE OF AID MEASURES FOR FIRE VICTIMS
The government has presented a package of measures for
damages caused by recent devastating forest fires throughout
Greece.
According to the Minister of the Interior Alekos
Papadopoulos, the measures are worth about 20 billion drachmas and
include a payment of 200,000 drachmas to each burned residence's
owner, as well as compensation of up to two million drachmas for
damages to household goods as well as 15-year, interest-free loans
for home
purchasing.
Moreover, the various relevant ministries are to cooperate in
order to ensure compensation for those farmers whose cultivated
land was destroyed. Greece is to request from the European Union
that olive oil subsidies be continued.
[03] PREFECTS EMBARK ON FIRE DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS BEFORE PAYOUTS
The prefectural agencies of the country are to embark on
assessments of the damages caused by the recent fires that
devastated the country, in order to begin granting payments to
those who suffered losses from the blazes.
The total cost of the measures is estimated at 20 billion
drachmas, an amount which the opposition parties claim is
insufficient.
[04] GREEK PREMIER TO MEET WITH FRENCH COUNTERPART TODAY IN
ANTIPAROS
Prime Minister Kostas Simitis is to meet with French Prime
Minister Lionel Jospin today, who is currently touring the
Cyclades islands with his wife.
Mr. Simitis will fly to Antiparos by helicopter where he will
welcome the visiting premier and his wife before joining them on
Sifnos.
Mr. Jospin will then continue his vacation. The two leaders
are to hold official talks on
August 31.
[05] CALVIN KLEIN TO GIVE FASHION SHOW AT HERODION, GOVERNMENT
SAYS OK
The Minister of Culture Evangelos Venizelos has reversed a
decision drawn by the Central Archaeological Council, thus
allowing US fashion designer Calvin Klein to present his clothing
line at Athens' ancient Herod Atticus theater in the fall.
In its decision, the Council had said that the fashion show
was an inappropriate event to take place at the ancient theater
which is mostly used for ancient drama performances and musical
concerts.
However, Mr. Venizelos stated that "the nature and purpose
of the event does not pose a problem for the venue". Revenues from
the Calvin Klein event are to be funneled into the construction of
the new Acropolis museum.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[06] SECURITY COUNCIL CONVENES OVER KOSSOVO'S FERMENTING CRISIS
The United Nations Security Council is to convene today in
order to review the situation at hand at the strife-torn region of
Kossovo.
According to up-to-date reports, the SC is not expected to
arrive at a decision for sending troops to the region.
Meanwhile, reports abound concerning clashes between Serb
troops and KLA guerrillas.
[07] MORE CYPRIOTS TO SEEK LEGAL RECOURSE AGAINST TURKEY
More Greek-Cypriots are to seek legal recourse against
Turkey, following the path led by Titina Loizidou who was
recently awarded compensation of $600,000 by the European Human
Rights Court which found that Turkey deprived her of her right to
peacefully enjoy her property.
Residents from Leukoniko, currently residing in Great
Britain, are to file suits against Turkey for the illegal airport
at Leukoniko.
The lawyers estimate that it will take three or four years to
hear these cases.
[08] UN SECRETARY GENERAL EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER KOSSOVO CRISIS
The situation in Kossovo continues to deteriorate, raising
alarm about the implications for regional security, according to a
new report by Secretary- General Kofi Annan which was released
yesterday.
The Secretary-General reports that heavy fighting has
increased between the security forces of the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia and the Kossovo Liberation Army (KLA).
"The numbers of civilian and military casualties are at their
highest point since the outbreak of the fighting," he observes,
adding, "The attitudes of the two sides appear to be hardening
with every day of fighting."
The Secretary-General expresses concern about the continuing
infiltration of weapons and fighting men from outside the borders
of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.
"The sharp escalation of violence and the reported use of
excessive force by
security forces against civilians as part of the government
operations against the KLA are cause for both distress and alarm."
The situation is aggravated by the failure of the authorities
of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Albanian Kossovars
to enter into serious negotiations on the future status of
Kossovo, the Secretary- General states. He warns that the conflict
has
dangerous implications for the stability of the region.
"Given the responsibilities of the United Nations in the
wider region and the ethnic makeup in neighboring countries, I
cannot but express my alarm at this prospect."
According to the report, the unrelenting violence has led to
a dramatic increase in internally displaced persons in Kossovo and
Montenegro, with more than 100,000 people driven from their homes.
The Secretary-General warns that as local food production has come
to a standstill, food shortages could worsen sharply.
"With the increasing number of displaced persons and the
approaching winter, Kossovo has the potential of becoming a
humanitarian disaster."
The Secretary-General reports that United Nations agencies
are working to forestall a crisis, but donors have only pledged a
small portion of the funds needed for the effort.
[09] JULY WAS HOTTEST MONTH ON RECORD THROUGHOUT THE WORLD
July was the hottest month ever throughout the world, a trend
attributed to global warming according to the United States
National Climatic Data Center in North Carolina.
The Earth's average temperature for July was 61.7 degrees
Fahrenheit, 1.26 degrees hotter than typical, according to the
figures compiled by the Center.
[10] TURKEY'S HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS CONDEMNED AT RELATED
CONFERENCE
Turkey's gross violation of human rights in Cyprus as well as
within the country itself were pointed out, during the 50th
Session of the "Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and
Protection of Minorities".
The Turkish Permanent Representative to the UN in Geneva,
claimed "the Cyprus question is a complicated one whose human
rights aspect is directly connected to its more intricate
political dimension".
Describing his claim as a "shocking pronouncement", his
Cypriot counterpart, Petros Eftychiou, pointed out that "human
rights are not a favor to be conceded on the basis of one's whims
and political expediencies."
He stressed that "political differences can and should be
negotiated no matter how intricate they may be, but human rights
should never be a bargaining chip for negotiations."
[11] PHILIPPINES EDUCATION MINISTER DEFENDS GREEK DICTIONARY
The Education Minister of Philippines Andrew Gonzales has
defended the definition of "Filipino" in a Greek dictionary as
"housemaid," by stating that "regardless of how much this may
hurt us, it is linguistically correct and reflects a social
reality."
Philippine Ambassador to Athens Norberto Basilio, filed a
formal protest on behalf of his country with the Greek government
last Wednesday, stating that the description was "an affront to
the dignity" of Philippine women and demanded a correction.
The Philippines has more than four million nationals working
overseas, including Greece, many of them as domestic help.
Manila has called them its "modern day heroes" for helping
prop up the economy with their dollar remittances, worth more than
$7 billion in 1997.
[12] ALBANIAN FM: DON'T IMPLICATE ALBANIA IN US EMBASSIES
TERRORIST ATTACKS
Albania's Foreign Minister Paskal Milo categorically refuted
rumors concerning Albanian involvement in the recent terrorist
attacks against the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.
According to Mr. Milo, these accusations aim at convincing
the public opinion that Albania is supposedly an action base for
Islamic terrorists. He further added that in spite of the efforts
to harm US -Albania relations, the two countries enjoy harmonious
ties which will continue.
Complete archives of the Macedonian Press Agency bulletins are available
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