NEWS IN DETAIL

[01] 17th PANEUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP: GOLD TO GREECE AT WOMEN'S TRIPLE JUMP

Greece's Olga Vasdeki won the gold medal during yesterday's finals of the women's triple jump, at the 17th Paneuropean track-and- field Championship currently held in Budapest, Hungary. This is Greece's second gold medal at a European level, after Anna Verouli's victory sixteen years ago. Greek sprinters Haralambos Papadias and Katerina Thanou earned two bronze medals on Wednesday.

[02] GREEK PREMIER TO RECEIVE AUSTRIAN CHANCELLOR KLIMA IN THESSALONIKI

Prime Minster Kostas Simitis is to arrive in Thessaloniki this afternoon in order to greet Austrian Chancellor Victor Klima and to meet with local party leaders and deputies. Mr. Klima is to arrive in Thessaloniki this evening, embarking on a three-day stay in Greece.

Mr. Klima will be greeted at the airport Macedonia by the Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Philippos Petsalnikos and will be hosted in a dinner given in his honor by the Prime Minister Kostas Simitis.

Tomorrow, Mr. Klima, whose country is currently holding the European Union's rotating presidency is to visit Mt. Athos accompanied by Mr. Simitis.

Saturday evening, the two leaders will attend a dinner in Thessaloniki, accompanied by the Misters of National Defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos, Minster of Culture Evangelos Venizelos, the Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Philippos Petsalnikos and the alternate Foreign Minister George Papandreou.

On Sunday morning, Mgrs. Simitis and Klima will give a press conference. In turn, the Austrian chancellor will visit the city's archaeological museum and will depart for Austria.

[03] UNITED STATES BRACE FOR RETALIATORY ATTACK IN TIRANA

American diplomats have departed from Tirana, as the United States are bracing for possible retaliatory attacks in the Albanian capital after U.S. missile strikes on bases in Afghanistan and Sudan yesterday. The U.S., citing evidence that new attacks were imminent, launched the missiles against what they identified as ``terrorist-related'' bases in both countries in retribution for the U.S. embassy bombings in East Africa that killed 263 people, including 12 Americans on August 7. President Clinton identified Saudi-born millionaire Osama Bin Laden and his followers as the source of attacks on embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, and said they were planning others at U.S. targets.

[04] AIR FORCE JET CRASHES IN SEA OFF ANDROS, PILOTS MISSING

A Hellenic Air Force F-4 fighter jet crashed in the sea yesterday in the center of the Andros firing range while taking part in a training exercise with other aircraft. The fate of the pilot and co-pilot remains unknown. The jet was taking part in an exercise with three other F-4s and two Mirage- 2000. A C-130 transport aircraft, two air force helicopters and one navy helicopter flew immediately to the scene of the accident.

[05] BULGARIAN PREMIER IVAN KOSTOV TO VISIT ATHENS NEXT WEEK

Bulgarian Prime Minister Ivan Kostov will conduct a one-day working visit to Athens on August 26, it was announced yesterday. Mr. Kostov has been invited by Premier Kostas Simitis, with whom he will discuss bilateral issues and the general situation in the region.

[06] US ENVOY MILLER ON ANKARA CONTACTS: MY HANDS ARE EMPTY

U.S. State Department special envoy for Cyprus Thomas Miller, described his discussions with Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem and Deputy Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit as "useful", but said "look at my hands. As you can see they are empty". According to press reports, the American envoy came away empty handed on a proposal for a halt to flights by Greek and Turkish military planes over Cyprus. The Cypriot government spokesman expressed the view that "the American government should take seriously into consideration Mr. Miller's assessment and see who is to blame for the tension in Cyprus and the Eastern Mediterranean." He added that the US government "should act accordingly".

[07] CYPRUS PRESIDENT TO MEET WITH GREEK PREMIER IN ATHENS NEXT WEEK

Cypriot President Glafkos Clerides is to arrive in Athens next week in order to hold talks with Greek Premier Kostas Simitis on August 27. The spokesperson of the Cypriot government Christos Stylianides said yesterday there is a fixed agenda for the talks. Mr. Stylianides underlined that "there is absolute identity of views between the governments of Greece and Cyprus in their strategic goals and the handling of various issues". He pointed out that the Greek government supports Cyprus, follows developments in the Cyprus problem and cooperates with the country's political leadership.

[08] BALKAN WRITERS, TRANSLATORS TO MEET IN ALEXANDROUPOLIS

Several noted writers and translators from the Balkans are holding a first-ever meeting of its kind from August 29 through September 5 in Alexandroupolis. The event is part of an effort to modernise libraries in the region of Evros, supported by the culture ministry, the Evros prefecture and the National Book and Translators' Center. An important role in this latest effort for regional communication is played by translators, while special emphasis is placed in a common workshop for writers and translators. Among the personalities set to participate are Ismail Kadare, Kiki Demoula, Milomor Tzouganovic, Zyranna Zateli, Nedim Gursel, Vasilis Vasilikos, Blanca Dimitrova, Spyros Plaskovitis, Mlilisav Savic, Sotiris Demetriou, Mircea Kartaresku and Thanasis Valtinos, all of whom will meet in Alexandroupoli at the Workshop of Balkan Writers and Translators, organised by the National Book Center.

[09] LESVOS TO BE REPRESENTED AT IZMIR TRADE EXHIBITION NEXT WEEK

The Lesvos Chamber of Commerce and the Foreign Trade Organisation are cooperating to organise the island's presence at the Izmir international trade exhibition set for August 27 to 29.

The island will be represented by about 40 businessmen in an effort to promote trade between the Greek islands of the eastern Aegean and the Asia Minor coastal region. The chambers of Ismir and Lesvos are working toward this goal with the Young Turkish Businessmen's Union.

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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