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Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 98-11-09
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, November 9, 1998
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] THE STATE BUDGET WILL BE PRESENTED IN PARLIAMENT ON WEDNESDAY
[02] THE NEW LOWERED PRICES OF CARS WILL BE IN EFFECT THIS WEEK
[03] THE 1ST INTER-BALKAN FORUM OF INFORMATICS' APPLICATION WILL
BE HELD IN THESSALONIKI
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[04] PRINCE CHARLES IS IN SKOPJE
[05] THE EU FOREIGN MINISTERS COUNCIL MEETS IN BRUSSELS TODAY
[06] BULGARIANS DEFUSED LAND MINES AT THE BORDERS WITH GREECE
[07] THE NEW PRIME MINISTER OF ALBANIA WILL VISIT FRANCE, ITALY
AND GREECE
[08] SIMITIS-GUZAK MEETING IN WARSAW
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] THE STATE BUDGET WILL BE PRESENTED IN PARLIAMENT ON WEDNESDAY
The 1999 state budget is expected to be tabled in parliament
on Wednesday. According to information, it provides for 2%
increases in wages and pensions as well as a 50% increase in the
social benefit for the low pension recipients.
Based on the proposed new state budget, there will be new
revenues from the privatization of the State Telecommunications
Company, OTE, and the Greek Petroleum Company as well as, from the
increase in the public services agencies' bills in combination
with hiring cuts.
[02] THE NEW LOWERED PRICES OF CARS WILL BE IN EFFECT THIS WEEK
The ministry of finance finalizes today the decisions on the
new lowered prices of new cars and by tomorrow at the latest the
relevant amendment will be tabled in parliament. As soon as the
new amendment is tabled the new lowered prices will be put in
effect. The ministry is considering a similar regulation to be
imposed on used cars as well.
Based on the new regulations, it is estimated that an average
car will be sold 250-350.000 drachmas cheaper, while the price
reduction for large cars will be 1 million drachmas.
[03] THE 1ST INTER-BALKAN FORUM OF INFORMATICS' APPLICATION WILL
BE HELD IN THESSALONIKI
The prospects of inter-state alliances in public sector
informatics' application projects will be examined in the 1st
Inter-Balkan Forum that will be held in Thessaloniki on Friday and
Saturday.
Government officials and representatives of private companies
from all the Balkan states and Cyprus will present the existing
situation in their countries. In the forum will participate
representatives from Albania, Bulgaria, FYROM, Greece, Romania,
Turkey and Yugoslavia.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[04] PRINCE CHARLES IS IN SKOPJE
Britain's Prince Charles is on a two-day visit to Skopje
accompanied by a business delegation. The goal of his visit is to
promote the relations between Britain and FYROM with an emphasis
on the economic cooperation.
Skopje is the last stop of Prince Charles' Balkan tour. The
heir to the British throne has already visited Slovenia, Bulgaria
and Romania.
[05] THE EU FOREIGN MINISTERS COUNCIL MEETS IN BRUSSELS TODAY
The EU-Turkey relations and the report on Cyprus's EU
accession course will be among the issues for discussion in the EU
Foreign Ministers' Council meeting that will be held in Brussels
today.
The relations of Turkey with the European Union will be
discussed based on the report drawn-up by the European Commission
regarding the progress achieved in the past year while a
discussion on the EU financial backing to Ankara and the Greek
objections on the matter is not ruled out.
The EU foreign ministers are not expected to reach a decision
on the issue of Turkey's EU funding with 135 million ECU, as a
special majority is necessary to overcome Greece's veto in order
to be approved, while it has already been clear that the Austrian
EU presidency wants to avoid an open confrontation with Greece,
according to a BBC radio report.
[06] BULGARIANS DEFUSED LAND MINES AT THE BORDERS WITH GREECE
The 14 last remaining land mines in the minefields, near the
village of Egrek at the Greek-Bulgarian borders, were defused by
Bulgarian specialists who have already defused a total of 6.304
anti-personnel land mines making safe about 200 hectares of forest
land.
Eight minefields near the village of Egrek were cleared in
the past 20 days in a operation that was officially started by
Bulgarian interior minister Bogomil Bonev. According to the
newspaper "Trund", in the former minefields were planted trees.
Meanwhile, the residents of the village of Viatseslav
Dimitrov requested the restoration of the festivities held jointly
by the Bulgarian village of Egrek and Greek villages in the
1930's.
[07] THE NEW PRIME MINISTER OF ALBANIA WILL VISIT FRANCE, ITALY
AND GREECE
New prime minister of Albania Pandeli Majko will visit
France, Italy and Greece within the framework of his first formal
tour abroad since he came to power.
Mr. Majko left for France this morning to attend a UN meeting
on trade and development held in the French city of Lyon while he
will have talks with his French counterpart Lionel Jospen.
Later in the evening, Mr. Majko will be in Rome where he will
be received by Italian president Oscar Luigi Scalfaro. During his
stay in Italy he will meet with his Italian counterpart Masimo
D'Alema and he will have talks with political party leaders.
The last stop of his tour will be Athens where he is expected
to arrive on Wednesday. During his two-day visit to the Greek
capital he will have talks with prime minister Kostas Simitis,
political party leaders and business representatives.
[08] SIMITIS-GUZAK MEETING IN WARSAW
Greek prime minister Kostas Simitis, who is on a formal visit
to Warsaw, met with his Polish counterpart Mr. Guzak. Mr. Simitis
is accompanied by foreign minister Theodoros Pangalos, minister of
press Dimitris Reppas, undersecretary of development Anna
Diamantopoulou and 30 businessmen representing the sectors of
construction, shipping, clothing, footwear, furs, food and
beverages.
Later in the evening, Mr. Simitis will meet with Polish
president Alexander Kwasniewski and with political party leaders.
A press conference will be given in the afternoon to seal the
Greek-Polish scientific and technical cooperation agreement.
Mr. Simitis will meet tomorrow with the presidents of the
Polish parliament and senate and he will attend a joint session of
the two Houses on the occasion of the anniversary of the national
independence of Poland.
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