Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 98-10-05
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, October 5, 1998
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] HELLENIC PARLIAMENT'S PLENARY SESSION BEGINS TODAY
[02] PEACEKEEPING MISSIONS CONFERENCE STARTS IN ATHENS TODAY
[03] PRIME MINISTER: LOCAL ELECTIONS WILL NOT AFFECT STATE'S
ECONOMIC POLICY
[04] GREEK DEFENSE MINISTER URGES TALKS TO AVERT NATO STRIKE IN
KOSSOVO
[05] GREECE, BULGARIA, ROMANIA URGE CEASE-FIRE IN KOSSOVO AT
DELPHI SUMMIT
[06] MAIN OPPOSITION LEADER DIDN'T MINCE HIS WORDS IN THESSALONIKI
[07] UPWARD TRENDS PREVAILED IN THE EUROPEAN STOCK MARKETS
[08] TSOCHATZOPOULOS: GREECE REINFORCES CYPRUS'S DEFENSE SHIELD
[09] REPPAS EXPRESSED OPTIMISM FOR A POLITICAL SOLUTION IN KOSOVO
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[10] INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND CONVENES TODAY OVER GLOBAL CRISIS
[11] INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY MOUNTS PRESSURE ON F.R. YUGOSLAVIA
[12] HOLBROOKE ARRIVES IN BRUSSELS TODAY TO MEET WITH NATO
OFFICIALS
[13] GREEK ALTERNATE FM IN VIENNA FOR EUROPEAN SOCIALIST PARTY
MEETING
[14] EUROPEAN COUNCIL TO DISCUSS CYPRUS'S ACCESSION TO EU
[15] EUROPEAN COUNTRIES CALL ON THEIR CITIZENS NOT TO VISIT
YUGOSLAVIA
[16] US-CANADA PANMACEDONIAN UNION RECEIVES $10,000 PRIVATE
DONATION
[17] BERISHA TO APPEAR BEFORE TIRANA PROSECUTOR IN OCTOBER
[18] THE BALKAN MASS MEDIA ON THE DELPHI MEETING
[19] THE YUGOSLAV FEDERAL PARLIAMENT WILL EXAMINE THE KOSOVO
CRISIS
[20] YUGOSLAVIA WILL DEFEND ITSELF IN CASE OF A NATO ATTACK
[21] THE RUSSIAN MINISTER OF DEFENSE IS ON A VISIT TO ATHENS
[22] THE EUROPEAN COUNTRIES CALL ON THEIR NATIONALS NOT TO VISIT
YUGOSLAVIA
[23] THE UN SECRETARY-GENERAL REPORT ON KOSOVO WILL BE PRESENTED
TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL TODAY
[24] PLANS FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A BALKAN CENTER OF COMMERCE
[25] THE GREEK-AMERICAN COMMUNITY EXPRESSED ANGER AND CONCERN OVER
THE STAGNATION OF THE CYPRUS PROBLEM
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] HELLENIC PARLIAMENT'S PLENARY SESSION BEGINS TODAY
With the customary holy water rites, to be performed by
Archbishop Christodoulos, the Hellenic Parliament is to embark on
its plenary session today. Following the oath taking ceremony, the
parliamentarians will elect the House's proctors and secretaries.
Tomorrow, the Finance Ministry's legislation concerning the
operation of the stock market will be tabled for discussion.
[02] PEACEKEEPING MISSIONS CONFERENCE STARTS IN ATHENS TODAY
The political and military aspects of peace-keeping missions
will be reviewed during a three-day conference which is to start
in Athens today, under the aegis of the peace-keeping missions
cooperation group of the Euro-Atlantic Cooperation Council.
The Euro-Atlantic Cooperation Council provides a forum for
NATO members and members of NATO's Partnership for Peace program
to discuss and fine-tune programs on a wide range of security
issues.
About 60 representatives from NATO and Partnership for Peace
countries are expected to attend the conference which will be
opened by NATO Assistant Secretary-General for political affairs
Klaus-Peter Klaiber.
[03] PRIME MINISTER: LOCAL ELECTIONS WILL NOT AFFECT STATE'S
ECONOMIC POLICY
The government will not relax its tight economic policies for
the sake of political gains from nationwide local elections to be
held this weekend, according to Prime Minister Kostas Simitis.
Mr. Simitis stated yesterday that the cornerstone of the
state's economic policy remained attaining entry into the European
Union's economic and monetary union by the target date of January
1, 2001.
Replying to reporters' questions in Delphi on the sidelines
of talks he held there during the weekend with the presidents of
Bulgaria and Romania, Mr. Simitis rejected allegations that
economic policy was a hostage to election politics as Greece still
had leeway of one year to meet the five economic criteria needed
for EMU entry.
"The priority of EMU entry is decisive in any decisions
taken," he stressed said.
[04] GREEK DEFENSE MINISTER URGES TALKS TO AVERT NATO STRIKE IN
KOSSOVO
Minister of National Defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos called on
Yugoslavia and Kossovo's Albanians to start a dialogue in order to
avert a military intervention by NATO in Kossovo.
In Thessaloniki yesterday, Mr. Tsochatzopoulos stated that
Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic and Kossovo's Albanian
leader Ibrahim Rugova "should proceed immediately with the start
of dialogue to allow broad autonomy in Kossovo within the
framework of Yugoslavia's existing borders."
"I am optimistic that the logic of dialogue will prevail and
that there will be a political solution," he added.
[05] GREECE, BULGARIA, ROMANIA URGE CEASE-FIRE IN KOSSOVO AT
DELPHI SUMMIT
The Prime Minister of Greece Kostas Simitis and the
Presidents of Bulgaria and Romania, Petar Stoyanov and Emil
Constantinescu respectively, issued a common statement at the
Delphi summit yesterday, urging for an immediate cease-fire in
Kossovo.
"The (countries') three leaders make an urgent and dramatic
appeal to all sides involved, and in particular the Yugoslav
authorities, to work for a negotiated settlement of the conflict
in Kossovo...namely a cease-fire should be put immediately into
effect," a joint statement by the three countries said.
"Parties should come to the negotiating table without
preconditions, aiming at achieving a peaceful solution for a large
autonomy for Kossovo within the internationally recognized borders
of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and respecting the rights
and freedoms of all the inhabitants of Kossovo, so that another
course of action be avoided," said the statement.
"Bulgaria, Romania and Greece, immediate neighbors of
Yugoslavia, are deeply concerned that the escalation of the
conflict in Kossovo has reached a crucial point; further negative
developments could have serious consequences for the three
countries and the region as a whole," the declaration said.
In regards to Albania, the three leaders called on the
country's government and political parties to use political
dialogue and create a state of law, enabling democratic
institutions to operate.
Moreover, the leaders welcomed the start of the enlargement
process for the European Union, in which Bulgaria and Romania are
candidate countries and Greece, as an EU member-state, has worked
on behalf of their applications for accession.
Mgrs. Simitis, Stoyanov and Constantinescu also praised
NATO's "open door policy:, hoping that an upcoming summit in
Washington would result in concrete steps being taken to enhance
the Alliance's decisive role in consolidating peace and stability
in southeastern Europe and the continent as a whole.
They also stated that they supported an agreement signed
recently to establish a multinational peace force in southeastern
Europe.
"The three leaders, whose countries share a common European
destiny, reaffirmed their commitment to principles of
international law, on peace, security and good-neighborly
relations, respect for sovereignty, integrity and inviolability of
external borders, as well as the recourse to the International
Court of Justice to settle territorial differences, which are
enunciated in the European Union Presidency Conclusions of the
Luxembourg Council of December 1997 and in the 'Agenda 2000'," the
statement also read.
Lastly, the three leaders agreed to step up their trilateral
cooperation, which was launched in the Greek city of Ioannina in
1995.
They "further agreed that their Ministers of Interior/Public
Order and Justice should convene on a regular basis in joint
meetings. They expressed support for the establishment in
Bucharest of the SECI Regional Center for Combating Organized
Crime and Corruption and the initiative of Bulgaria to host the
Regional Coordinating Center for Combating Illicit Drug
Trafficking," the statement said.
The three countries agreed to hold regular summits, with the
next session due in Bulgaria in 1999.
[06] MAIN OPPOSITION LEADER DIDN'T MINCE HIS WORDS IN THESSALONIKI
The leader of Greece's main opposition party, New Democracy's
(ND) Kostas Karamanlis launched an attack on the government during
a speech in Thessaloniki yesterday evening, held before the city's
ND youth chapter (ONNED) at the city's indoor stadium Palais de
Sport.
Mr. Karamanlis criticized the government's policies on
health, education, the economy, investments and tourism, to name a
few.
According to the opposition leader, the state has deprived
the country's youth of the means to achieve a competitive future.
Earlier, in the city of Komotini, Mr. Karamanlis addressed a
rally organized by the 'Kalimera Thraki" coalition, running for
the prefecture of Thrace, and referred to the problems faced by
the region's farmers, pledging that as a prime minister he would
personally undertake the responsibility "to negotiate on
agricultural products with the European Union."
Further, he accused the government for delays in the
completion of major infrastructure projects, describing a new law
on development as "unacceptable", as it abolished investment
incentives for the specific region.
Mr. Karamanlis also visited predominantly Muslim villages in
Thrace where he was greeted by drums and bagpipes.
[07] UPWARD TRENDS PREVAILED IN THE EUROPEAN STOCK MARKETS
Upward trends prevailed since noon today in most European
stock markets, while big losses had been recorded earlier in the
Asian markets. In the Athens Stock Exchange the general price
index closed with a loss of 0.15%.
Meanwhile, the big investors await for the outcome of the
International Monetary Fund meeting that is being held in
Washington today aimed at finding ways to deal with the global
economic crisis.
[08] TSOCHATZOPOULOS: GREECE REINFORCES CYPRUS'S DEFENSE SHIELD
Greece reinforces the Cypriot Republic's defense shield both
as a guarantor force and based on an agreement for a joint defense
against any foreign threat, pointed out Greek minister of defense
Akis Tsochatzopoulos, speaking in a conference held within the
framework of a defense exhibition in Athens.
Present in the conference was Cypriot minister of defense
Yiannakis Omirou. According to Mr. Tsochatzopoulos, the role of
Greece in the wider region has changed and therefore, the
development of a strong and internationally competitive defense
industry is necessary.
[09] REPPAS EXPRESSED OPTIMISM FOR A POLITICAL SOLUTION IN KOSOVO
Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas stated that the
bloodshed in Kosovo must end. Mr. Reppas also stressed the need
for self-restraint and calm, expressing optimism that the
consultations underway will bring results.
The Greek government spokesman also reiterated the clear and
firm position of Greece for a political solution in Kosovo.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[10] INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND CONVENES TODAY OVER GLOBAL CRISIS
Investors all over the world have their eyes turned to the
International Monetary Fund which is convening in the United
States today, in order to discuss the global economic crisis.
The Finance Ministers of the Group of Seven nations met in
Washington and expressed interest in US President Clinton's plan
to provide emergency funding for countries affected by the global
turmoil in the hopes of forestalling a global recession.
[11] INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY MOUNTS PRESSURE ON F.R. YUGOSLAVIA
While the international community is mounting the pressure
against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, over its actions in
Kossovo, Belgrade has issued an announcement-response to the
threats of NATO's intervention.
F.R.Y.'s highest defense council, which is led by president
Slobodan Milosevic, stressed that the country will defend itself
with every means.
Meanwhile, Moscow has reiterated its opposition to a
potential military intervention in Kossovo.
[12] HOLBROOKE ARRIVES IN BRUSSELS TODAY TO MEET WITH NATO
OFFICIALS
United States special envoy Richard Holbrooke is to arrive in
Brussels today in order to hold talks with high-ranking NATO
officials before traveling on to Belgrade to meet Yugoslav
President Slobodan Milosevic.
According to Reuters, Mr. Holbrooke will try to use his
influence to convince Mr. Milosevic to comply with United Nations
orders to cease the violence in Kossovo. His trip coincides with
the release of a report by U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan that
could give the green light for NATO air strikes over the crisis in
Kossovo.
Mr. Holbrooke will meet with NATO Secretary-General Javier
Solana and other senior NATO officials before flying on to
Belgrade later in the day.
Mr. Solana stated yesterday that Yugoslavia should take the
threat of allied air action seriously, because time was running
out for political alternatives.
State department spokesperson James Rubin stated that ''the
purpose of Ambassador Holbrooke's meeting with President Milosevic
is to underscore the clear requirements of U.N. Security Council
Resolution 1199 and to emphasize the need for prompt and full
compliance.''
[13] GREEK ALTERNATE FM IN VIENNA FOR EUROPEAN SOCIALIST PARTY
MEETING
Alternate Foreign Minister George Papandreou will depart for
Vienna today where he will attend a meeting of party leaders
affiliated with the European Socialist Party (ESP).
The meeting to be chaired by ESP President Rudolf Sharping,
will examine "Europe's future", with emphasis granted on
employment, benefits, and security policies. It takes place in
preparation of an EU summit organized at the initiative of
Austria's current EU presidency, to be held on October 25.
Tomorrow, Mr. Papandreou will participate at the EU's general
affairs council, which will review issues related to the European
Summit.
[14] EUROPEAN COUNCIL TO DISCUSS CYPRUS'S ACCESSION TO EU
The European Union's Foreign Ministers are to discuss the
various issues that arise out of the 15-nation bloc's expansion,
with Greece being represented by Foreign Minister Theodoros
Pangalos.
Among the issues to be discussed is the accession course of
the Republic of Cyprus. According to the BBC, France and Italy
are expected to reiterate the positions developed by their
permanent representatives during the recently-held committee
session, wherein they associated the island's accession with the
improvement of Turkish-EU relations and the resolution of the
Cyprus issue.
The representatives stated that a framework and specific
prerequisites need to be drawn prior to negotiations for Cyprus'
accession and further demanded that a written agreement follow
which would bind all the EU member-states.
Greece's permanent representative Ambassador Lukas Tsilas
strongly protested to these proposals.
According to the BBC, the proposals of the French and Italian
Foreign Ministers are expected to be met by Greece's categorically
opposed position to be developed by Mr. Pangalos.
[15] EUROPEAN COUNTRIES CALL ON THEIR CITIZENS NOT TO VISIT
YUGOSLAVIA
Four European countries have so far issued travel advisories,
calling on their citizens to avoid travel to Yugoslavia, given the
possibility of NATO's military intervention.
Yesterday. Austria's foreign ministry issued such advisory,
while Germany had already done so on Saturday. Its foreign
ministry stated in an announcement that "the situation in Kossovo
and the unforeseeable developments that may follow endanger the
safety of foreign nationals currently in Yugoslavia."
On Friday, both Ireland and the Netherlands also issued a
travel advisory. Dutch Foreign Minister Hans Van Mirlo added that
his government is looking into the possibility of removing the
Dutch embassy's staff from Belgrade.
[16] US-CANADA PANMACEDONIAN UNION RECEIVES $10,000 PRIVATE
DONATION
The Greek-origin businessman Panayiotis Xenopoulos has made a
$10,000 donation to the Pan-Macedonian Union of US-Canada, for
strengthening the organization's program.
Mr. Xenopoulos also undertook the task of forming a committee
which will serve as a liaison between the Union and Macedonia-
origin, or other, businessmen, in order to acquire additional
funds for the Union.
[17] BERISHA TO APPEAR BEFORE TIRANA PROSECUTOR IN OCTOBER
The President of Albania's Democratic Party Sali Berisha is
expected to be summoned for an appearance before the Tirana
prosecutor in mid-October, in order to testify for the events that
took place on September 14.
Mr. Berisha, whose parliamentary immunity was lifted, is
accused of instigating the attempted coup d'etat last month.
The Tirana prosecutor's office has also filed charges against
five other deputies of the Democratic Party, but their
parliamentary immunity has not been lifted.
[18] THE BALKAN MASS MEDIA ON THE DELPHI MEETING
The Balkan mass media made positive comments on the
tripartite meeting of Greek prime minister Kostas Simitis,
Romanian president Emil Constantinescu and Bulgarian president
Petar Stoyanov that was held in Delphi during the weekend.
The front-page headlines of the Sofia newspapers referred to
the summit meeting and to the positive conclusions reached by the
three leaders.
[19] THE YUGOSLAV FEDERAL PARLIAMENT WILL EXAMINE THE KOSOVO
CRISIS
The crisis in Kosovo will be examined today in the plenary
session of the Yugoslav federal Parliament.
The session is characterized as crucial, as based on its
decisions will be determined whether Belgrade is ready to comply
with the UN demands for the easing of the tensions in Kosovo and
avoid the likelihood of a NATO military operation in the Serb
province.
[20] YUGOSLAVIA WILL DEFEND ITSELF IN CASE OF A NATO ATTACK
The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia wants peace and is ready
to solve all pending issues in a peaceful manner but in case of an
attack it will defend itself using all available means. This was
the conclusion reached yesterday by the Supreme Defense Council of
Yugoslavia.
Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic presided over the
meeting that was attended by Serb president Milan Miludinovic,
President of Montenegro Milo Juganovic, Serb prime minister Momir
Bulatovic, federal minister of defense Pavle Bulatovic and Army
Chief of Staff general Momcilo Perisic.
[21] THE RUSSIAN MINISTER OF DEFENSE IS ON A VISIT TO ATHENS
Russian minister of defense Igor Sergeyev arrived in Athens
today for a formal visit until October 9.
The Russian minister of defense will meet with president
Kostis Stephanopoulos, prime minister Kostas Simitis and his Greek
counterpart Akis Tsochatzopoulos.
Their talks will focus on the prospects of the Greek-Russian
cooperation, mainly in the military sector, while a special
emphasis will be given to problems of European security, the
situation in the Balkans and especially, in the region of Kosovo.
The Russian delegation is scheduled to visit Greek military
units and the exhibition of defense armaments held in Athens.
[22] THE EUROPEAN COUNTRIES CALL ON THEIR NATIONALS NOT TO VISIT
YUGOSLAVIA
The European countries call on their nationals not to visit
Yugoslavia because of the increased likelihood for a NATO military
intervention.
Yesterday, the Austrian foreign ministry issued a statement
calling the Austrian nationals to avoid the trips to Yugoslavia,
while a similar warning was issued by Germany last Saturday. As it
is mentioned, the situation in Kosovo and the unforeseeable
developments can put at risk the security of foreign nationals who
are in Yugoslavia.
A warning was also issued by Ireland and Holland on Friday.
The Dutch foreign minister stated that the possibility to evacuate
the diplomatic personnel from the Dutch embassy in Belgrade is
being considered.
[23] THE UN SECRETARY-GENERAL REPORT ON KOSOVO WILL BE PRESENTED
TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL TODAY
The report on Kosovo that will be presented to the UN
Security Council today by UN secretary-general Kofi Annan is
expected to play a decisive role in the developments that will
take place in the Serb province.
The report, which can become the legal basis for a NATO
military intervention, will include the UN secretary-general's
assessments on whether the promises of Yugoslav president Slobodan
Milosevic on the withdrawal of the Serb forces from Kosovo are
being kept.
Meanwhile, the human rights organization Human Rights Watch
in its latest report speaks about systematic human rights
violations in Kosovo by the Serb forces and by the ethnic Albanian
separatists, who are accused of hostage-taking, using the people
as human shields as well as, of summary executions.
[24] PLANS FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A BALKAN CENTER OF COMMERCE
An agreement for the establishment of a Balkan Center of
Commerce will be signed in the Balkan prime ministers' meeting
that will be held in Antalya, Turkey on October 12-13.
According to a statement issued by the Bulgarian government
press office, prime minister Ivan Kostov will attend the meeting
in which will be examined the prospects for the further
development of the regional cooperation.
[25] THE GREEK-AMERICAN COMMUNITY EXPRESSED ANGER AND CONCERN OVER
THE STAGNATION OF THE CYPRUS PROBLEM
The stagnation observed in the Cyprus problem has caused the
strong concern of the Greek-American community and the leading
members of the Greeks living in the United States have underlined
that the United States can if they want to put an end to the gross
violation of human rights and the illegal occupation of northern
Cyprus by the Turkish forces. They have also stressed that
Washington can impose a balance of power between Greece and Turkey
and limit the Turkish provocation and intransigence for the sake
of peace.
This was the message sent by the Greek-American community
leaders to high US government officials, House Representatives and
Senators during the 14th conference of the Greek-American
leadership, under the title "Initiative for peace", that was
recently held in Washington.
The Greek-American leaders had talks in the White House with
US presidential envoy Richard Halbrooke, special mediator to
Cyprus Thomas Miller and the special assistant to the US president
on national security issues.
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