Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 98-10-16
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, October 16, 1998
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] PARTIES ROLL UP SLEEVES FOR SECOND ROUND OF LOCAL ELECTIONS
[02] PREMIER TO MEET WITH MINSTER OF NATIONAL ECONOMY AND FINANCE
[03] ECONOMICS NOBEL PRIZE WINNER TO ARRIVE N ATHENS NEXT WEEK
[04] GREEK FOREIGN MINISTER FAREWELLS RUSSIA'S OUTGOING AMBASSADOR
[05] AUSTRIAN CHANCELLOR MEETS WITH GREEK PREMIER DURING BRIEF
VISIT
[06] GREEK DEFENSE MINISTER: OUR POSITIONS ON KOSOVO HAVE BEEN
CONFIRMED
[07] PREMIER TO LAUNCH INT/L BUSINESS CONFERENCE IN NORTHERN
GREECE
[08] GREECE'S HELEXPO TO CO-ORGANIZE "PHILOXENIA" WITH BRITAIN'S
REED
[09] GREEK BUSINESS DELEGATION TRAVELS TO LIBYA
[10] THE BASIC SIZES OF THE NEW BUDGET HAVE BEEN DETERMINED
[11] IMPRESSIVE GAINS IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
[12] REPRESENTATIVES FROM 76 COUNTRIES WILL ATTEND THE ECONOMIC
CONFERENCE IN ALEXANDROUPOLIS
[13] REPPAS: GREECE IS WAITING FOR THE REPORT ON THE EU FUNDING OF
TURKEY
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[14] NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL COMMENTS ON KOSOVO
[15] UNITED NATIONS CELEBRATES WORLD FOOD DAY TODAY
[16] FOOD CRISES ARE ON THE RISE AROUND THE WORLD, ACCORDING TO
THE UN
[17] AN AGREEMENT WAS SIGNED FOR THE OBSERVERS IN KOSOVO
[18] THE GREEK EMBASSY IN BELGRADE REACTED TO THE BANNING OF
NEWSPAPERS
[19] EU: THE ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE FOR THE FARMERS WHO WERE THE
VICTIMS OF NATURAL DISASTERS IS POSSIBLE
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] PARTIES ROLL UP SLEEVES FOR SECOND ROUND OF LOCAL ELECTIONS
Government officials are getting ready for the second round
of municipal and county elections to be held this weekend.
In Thessaloniki, New Democracy-backed Vassilis
Papageorgopoulos won 44.3 per cent of the vote, compared to the
31.3 per cent pulled in by PASOK's Thrasivoulos Lazarides. That
gives Papageorgopoulos reason to hope for victory in the run off
against Lazarides. The 15 per cent of voters who chose the Left
and Progress Coalition candidate Spyros Vougias in last Sunday's
race will be crucial in determining the outcome of the run off.
While the current in New Democracy remained high, due to the
fact that its candidates have the lead in most municipalities,
supporters of the ruling PASOK party are standing by their policy,
amid comments that the message from voters was received. The
party's Central Committee of prefectural and municipal elections
has reconfirmed its decision to support candidates outside of the
conservative circles.
[02] PREMIER TO MEET WITH MINSTER OF NATIONAL ECONOMY AND FINANCE
The Minister of National Economy and Finance Yiannos
Papantoniou will be received by the Prime Minster Kostas Simitis
today, in order to brief him on the basic outlines of the
presently-drawn budget for the upcoming year.
Mr. Papantoniou is expected to present the Premier with a
plan of tight fiscal and revenue policy, allowing for tax
reductions in order to facilitate a drop in inflation.
The cost of reducing the special consumption tax on heating
oil has been calculated into the budget, along with the automobile
tax reduction scheduled for June.
[03] ECONOMICS NOBEL PRIZE WINNER TO ARRIVE N ATHENS NEXT WEEK
This year's winner of the Nobel prize for Economics, Dr.
Amartya Sen, will be in Athens on Tuesday, October 20, in order to
present an address at an event organized by the
Andreas Papandreou Institute.
The Nobel laureate, an economist from India, will speak on
"The political element of economic development: a tribute to
Andreas Papandreou", The event will be held at the Old Parliament
Building.
[04] GREEK FOREIGN MINISTER FAREWELLS RUSSIA'S OUTGOING AMBASSADOR
Foreign minister Theodoros Pangalos bid farewell to Russia's
outgoing ambassador to Athens Valentina Matvienko, during a
meeting held in Athens yesterday .
Ms. Matvienko recently accepted her nomination as Deputy
Premier in charge of social policy in Russian Prime Minister
Yevgeni Primakov's new government.
Mr. Pangalos wished Ms Matvienko every success in her new
duties, adding that the responsibilities she was undertaking were
such that we would "not want to be in her place for even 24
hours".
In turn, Ms. Matvienko expressed her gratitude to Mr.
Pangalos personally and the Greek government and people for their
friendliness.
She said she was leaving Greece with a "heavy heart", and
promised to do all in her power, in her new post, to further
develop Greek-Russian relations and for the materialization of
many of the plans she did not have time to advance while
ambassador to Greece.
Ms Matvienko said there was a "new momentum" in Russian-Greek
relations recently that was due to joint efforts in that
direction. She said Greece would always be of "primary importance"
for Russia, and called for reinforcement of the cooperation
between the two countries on the international scene.
Mr. Pangalos described Greece's bilateral cooperation with
Russia as being of "strategic importance", noting that Russia's
participation in several international organizations was of
"decisive significance" and recalling the coincidence of views
between Athens and Moscow on the Yugoslav problem.
The Greek Foreign Minister is scheduled to visit Moscow on
October 21 when he will hold talks with members of the Russian
government.
The outgoing ambassador said her government placed great
importance in Mr. Pangalos' upcoming visit to Moscow, with respect
to the promotion of bilateral relations as well as for reinforcing
their cooperation in efforts for the resolution of international
problems.
[05] AUSTRIAN CHANCELLOR MEETS WITH GREEK PREMIER DURING BRIEF
VISIT
Austrian Chancellor Viktor Klima, whose country presently
holds the European Union's rotating presidency, arrived on a
brief visit to Athens yesterday where he held talks with Prime
Minister Kostas Simitis.
The visit was part of a tour of all EU member-states'
capitals, in view of an upcoming informal EU summit scheduled in
Austria for October 24-25.
The two men discussed the upcoming summit which will deal
with the future of the European Union after introduction of the
EU's common currency, the euro. The summit will also deal with
issues such as the EU's role on a global level, internal security
(combating crime and drug trafficking), employment, and social and
foreign policy.
Mr. Simitis said after the talks that the EU has made great
achievements towards the single market. But, he added, the
question remaining was "what will follow European Monetary Union
and how Europe can intervene on an international level to secure
stability and make progress on major issues such as employment,
social policy and internal security so as to have a new European
dynamism".
In turn, Mr. Klima noted that the EU has already started
accession negotiations with six candidate-countries, including
Cyprus. Moreover, Mr. Klima added that the European Commission
will present a progress report at the December-held EU summit in
Vienna for another five nations wishing to enter the EU but not on
an accession course.
Commenting on Turkey's European prospects, the Austrian
chancellor said that Ankara has failed to meet the criteria for EU
accession.
The talks were also attended by Foreign Minister Theodoros
Pangalos and Alternate Foreign Minister George Papandreou.
[06] GREEK DEFENSE MINISTER: OUR POSITIONS ON KOSOVO HAVE BEEN
CONFIRMED
National Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos, in
Thessaloniki yesterday, stated that the Greek government's
positions concerning the Kosovo crisis have been confirmed.
Mr. Tsochatzopoulos said the Greek government has insisted
the crisis in Kosovo should be approached through a political
solution and the use of force should be avoided.
He also added that he had insisted "quite emphatically, that
all political efforts for a political and diplomatic solution (to
the crisis) should first be exhausted."
Mr. Tsochatzopoulos reiterated that Greece welcomed and
supported the agreement reached between US mediator Richard
Holbrooke and Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic and stressed
that with its stance, the country had shown itself to be "a
reliable factor which guarantees its contribution to stability,
peace and cooperation".
[07] PREMIER TO LAUNCH INT/L BUSINESS CONFERENCE IN NORTHERN
GREECE
Prime Minister Kostas Simitis will inaugurate an
international business conference to be held in the northern Greek
city of Alexandroupolis on October 22-25.
Expected to attend the conference are officials from seventy
six countries including ministers, ambassadors, trade attaches and
bank governors.
Among the items on the agenda are energy networks, transport,
telecommunications, small and medium-sized enterprises, and peace
and security in the region.
Moreover, the event will review the prospects for a new
economic area after the year 2000 spanning the Mediterranean,
Balkans and Black Sea.
Greece's Alternate Foreign Minister George Papandreou, who is
also the head of the conference's organizing committee, has
personally called on the delegates to forge contacts in order to
help expand cooperation in the region.
Organizing the event is the Foundation for Mediterranean
Cooperation, backed by the European Parliament, the European
Investment Bank, the Foundation for Mediterranean Studies and
local authorities in the north.
[08] GREECE'S HELEXPO TO CO-ORGANIZE "PHILOXENIA" WITH BRITAIN'S
REED
A Hellenic-British agreement for the co-organization and
mutual benefit of the international tourist exhibition
"Philoxenia" is to be signed at the end of next month.
The organizer of Thessaloniki's international trade fair
HELEXPO will co-operate with Great Britain's Reed in order to
further promote the Greek exhibition abroad and will bring
technological know-how to Greece.
Among the first results of the said agreements is the
publication of the "Travel Weekly" periodical, which will be
distributed by HELEXPO in Greece, the Balkans, Cyprus and the
Eastern Mediterranean.
[09] GREEK BUSINESS DELEGATION TRAVELS TO LIBYA
A Greek business delegation is to travel to Libya on October
22-27, on a six-day trade mission organized by the Arabic-Hellenic
Chamber of Trade and Development, in cooperation with the Libyan
Embassy in Athens and the Chambers Association of Jamahiria.
The participants will explore sectors concerning irrigation
systems, electronics, containers, clothing, medical and
pharmaceutical products, fruits and vegetables, tobacco, etc.
[10] THE BASIC SIZES OF THE NEW BUDGET HAVE BEEN DETERMINED
The basic sizes of next year's budget have been determined in
a meeting prime minister Kostas Simitis had in Athens today with
minister of national economy and finance Yiannos Papantoniou.
As it was pointed out, the priority of the government is to
curb inflation and to this end the economic policy will remain
unchanged but the direct and indirect taxes will be "frozen", the
public services rates will be reduced and the food and household
items prices will remain "frozen" for at least a six-month period.
[11] IMPRESSIVE GAINS IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
The general price index in the Athens Stock Exchange showed
impressive gains today and closed with a 6.37% rise.
Speaking about the increase in the Greek stock market, the
minister of national economy and finance pointed out that the
effort made internationally aimed at dealing with the global
economic crisis appears to have results.
Considerable gains were recorded in all the European stock
markets after last night's cut in the US interest rates.
[12] REPRESENTATIVES FROM 76 COUNTRIES WILL ATTEND THE ECONOMIC
CONFERENCE IN ALEXANDROUPOLIS
Representatives from 76 countries will present their views on
"the viable prospects of the new economic space after the year
2000" in the 3rd conference which is organized in Alexandroupolis,
north-eastern Greece, on October 22-25. The official opening of
this important event, organized by the Institute for the
Cooperation in the Mediterranean, will be made by Greek prime
minister Kostas Simitis.
The countries participating in the conference will be
represented by government ministers, diplomats, presidents of
economic chambers and bank directors.
[13] REPPAS: GREECE IS WAITING FOR THE REPORT ON THE EU FUNDING OF
TURKEY
Greece should adopt a wait-and-see stance until the exact
contents of the EU report on the EU funding of Turkey are made
public, according to statements made by Greek government spokesman
Dimitris Reppas, who clarified that there is a tendency to bend
Greece's veto.
It should be reminded that the EU funding of Turkey after
Greece's veto is by-passed is being sought after through the new
proposal of Dutch EU commissioner Hans Van Den Broek that was
presented before the European Commission.
Mr. Hans Van Den Broek's proposal, that was discussed
yesterday by the representatives of the EU commissioners' offices,
will be submitted to the EU commissioners and then to the Council
of Ministers.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[14] NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL COMMENTS ON KOSOVO
NATO Secretary-General Javier Solana has stated that during
his visit to Belgrade he stressed upon the President of the
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Slobodan Milosevic that he must
immediately withdraw the troops and police forces from Kosovo.
Moreover, Mr. Solana warned Mr. Milosevic of the serious
consequences born by a possible Serb attack against NATO‘s
reconnaissance aircraft which will be monitoring the developments
in Kosovo.
[15] UNITED NATIONS CELEBRATES WORLD FOOD DAY TODAY
The battle for world food security will be won only when
women and men have equal access to productive resources, according
to the Director-General of the United Nations Food and
Agricultural Organization (FAO), Jacques Diouf.
At a press conference held in light of today's World Food
Day, Mr. Diouf urged the international community to enact
measures that would promote equality between women and men.
The UN official said the theme "women feed the world" had
been selected to "pay tribute to the significant role of women in
agriculture, fisheries and forestry and their enormous
contribution to household and national food security."
In many countries, Mr. Diouf noted, the production of staple
food, cash crops and livestock relied heavily on women's labor.
"Most of their back- breaking work is unpaid, or grossly
underpaid," he said.
According to FAO, women have limited rights -- and in some
cases no rights - - to own the land they farm. Their social
privileges can be restricted and they often have little or no
access to credit, training and the technology needed to improve
agricultural productivity. Most of the women among the ranks of
the world's food producers have no voice in matters that concern
their household's livelihood. Making their cases heard is not
merely a matter of justice, said Dr. Diouf. "If food security for
all is to become reality, decisions that affect future generations
must be based on the perceived needs and priorities of these women
today."
[16] FOOD CRISES ARE ON THE RISE AROUND THE WORLD, ACCORDING TO
THE UN
The United Nations food agency, World Food Program (WFP),
has reported that food crises are on the rise around the world.
In light of today's World Food Day, the United Nations
reported that many more people in the world are suffering from
malnutrition and hunger, compared to merely one year ago.
WFP has had to greatly increase its food aid to millions of
people due to the increase in natural disasters, economic
emergencies and man-made catastrophes, said Catherine Bertini, the
Executive Director of WFP.
The United Nations food agency attributed the increase in the
number of the food crises to devastating floods and drought caused
by the El Nino phenomenon in Africa and Asia, the economic down-
turn in Southeast Asia, and the wars and civil strife in parts of
Africa and the Balkans.
Ms. Bertini said it was now more important than ever to bring
the "hunger agenda" to the attention of the international
community. She added that this year's crises were an indication
that people could be thrown into a "hunger trap" in a moment's
notice, whether by the usual culprits of war and weather or by the
seemingly less probable problems of economic recession and
instability.
The head of WFP said she was, at the same time, concerned
about the ongoing plight of more than 800 million people around
the world who are chronically undernourished as a result of abject
poverty. She stressed that irrespective of the causes of hunger,
continued assistance would be necessary to stabilize the situation
of the most vulnerable people.
WFP has responded to emergencies around the world by
expanding the number of its operations. Its major programs include
provision of food assistance to people in the Sudan, the
Democratic Republic of Korea, Bangladesh, the People's Republic of
China, Kosovo, Albania and Indonesia.
[17] AN AGREEMENT WAS SIGNED FOR THE OBSERVERS IN KOSOVO
The OSCE president signed an agreement in Belgrade today
guaranteeing the freedom of movement for the 2.000 international
observers who will be sent to Kosovo with the mission to secure
the safe return of the ethnic Albanian refugees to their homes.
Yugoslavia faces the threat of NATO air strikes if its forces
are not withdrawn from Kosovo by tomorrow.
[18] THE GREEK EMBASSY IN BELGRADE REACTED TO THE BANNING OF
NEWSPAPERS
Strong reactions were caused inside Yugoslavia and abroad
after the decision of the Serb authorities to ban the circulation
of 3 newspapers arguing that their reports on the developments in
Kosovo spread panic and create a sense of defeat among the people.
Yesterday, the Serb government banned the circulation of the
independent Belgrade newspaper "Nasa Borba", while in the previous
days it had also banned the newspapers "Danas" and "Dnevi
Telegraph". The Serb ministry of press has called on all the
Yugoslav mass media to help with their reports to preserve the
territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence of the
country.
The Greek embassy in Belgrade issued a statement, stressing
that such actions are unacceptable and are not justified as they
were made after the crisis was significantly defused. In the
statement it is added that Greece, currently holding the
presidency of the Council of Europe which fights for the
protection of human rights and the freedom of the press, hopes
that those measures will be lifted immediately.
[19] EU: THE ECONOMIC ASSISTANCE FOR THE FARMERS WHO WERE THE
VICTIMS OF NATURAL DISASTERS IS POSSIBLE
The way the Greek government will handle the issue will
determine whether the farmers, who were the victims of natural
disasters, will receive financial assistance, stated EU
agriculture commissioner Mr. Fischler responding to a question
made by opposition right-wing New Democracy Euro-deputy Kostis
Hatzidakis regarding the damages suffered by the vineyards in the
island of Crete, in southern Aegean as a result of last July's
heat wave.
According to Mr. Fischler, a number of regulations in the EU
legislation provide for the economic assistance of farmers in case
of natural disasters. The EU commissioner stated that the same
applies to livestock farmers as well.
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