Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 98-12-10
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, December 10, 1998
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] E WEATHER IN NORTHERN GREECE, TEMPERATURES BELOW ZERO
[02] COMMERCIAL BANKS REDUCE INTEREST RATES
[03] US ENVOY FOR CYPRUS RICHARD HOLBROOKE IN ATHENS ON MONDAY
[04] ATHINA ONASSIS' FATHER SENTENCED FOR SLANDER BY GREEK COURT
[05] GREEK TAXI DRIVERS GO ON 24-HOUR STRIKE
[06] MACEDONIA AIRPORT REOPENS, FILIGHTS RESUME
[07] BALKAN SOCIALIST PARTIES TO MEET IN THESSALONIKI NEXT MONTH
[08] GREECE'S ALTERNATE FM ON INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DAY
[09] STATE SPOKESMAN: THE GOVERNMENT WILL BE JUDGED BY ITS WORK
[10] RUSSIAN COMMUNIST PARTY'S CC CHIEF MEETS WITH KKE OFFICIALS
[11] FREEZING TEMPERATURES IN NORTHERN GREECE
[12] STATEMENTS BY MR. DRIS ON TAXATION BASED ON THE PRICE INDEX
[13] MR. ATHANASAKIS COMMENTED ON THE EDUCATION REFORM
[14] ATHANASAKIS: TENDENCY FOR THE CREATION OF NEW POLITICAL
PARTIES THAT WILL COME FROM NEW DEMOCRACY
[15] KAKLAMANIS-ZUGANOV MEETING
[16] A EUROPEAN MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT ACADEMY BRANCH WILL OPEN IN
ATHENS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[17] NATO INAUGURATES "EXTRACTION FORCE" IN KOSOVO TODAY
[18] UN: GREEKS AMONG WORLD'S BEST FED, SOMALIANS ARE HUNGRIEST
[19] ASIA'S CHIEF OLYMPIC OFFICIAL: PARIS DOESN'T DESERVE 2008
GAMES
[20] GREECE'S DEFENSE MINSTER COMMENTS ON ESP'S MANIFESTO
[21] PREMIER IN VIENNA FOR EUROPEAN UNION SUMMIT
[22] PARIS TO HOLD INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON RIGAS FEREOS
[23] THE POLITICAL DEADLOCK IN TURKEY CONTINUES
[24] DINI: ZIRINOFSKI WAS COVERING OCALAN IN RUSSIA
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] E WEATHER IN NORTHERN GREECE, TEMPERATURES BELOW ZERO
Severe weather has brought on a score of transportation
problems in northern Greece where the temperatures in many regions
have fallen below the zero mark.
Cars are required to be equipped with anti-ski
chains, while a jeep with four passengers was rescued at the
outskirts of Thessaloniki yesterday after having been immobilized
overnight.
Many villages remain inaccessible due to the heavy snow fall.
[02] COMMERCIAL BANKS REDUCE INTEREST RATES
After the Bank of Greece, the country's central bank,
reduced its key interest rates by half a percentage point
yesterday, commercial banks followed suit with greater reductions
in their interest rates as well.
National Bank, the largest commercial bank, weighed in almost
immediately with a series of loan and deposit rate reductions. It
slashed its working capital loan rate to 13.75 percent, its house
loan interest rate to 13.75%, while its consumer loans of up to
one million drachmas will bear a 16.75% interest rate. Eurobank
and the Labor Bank have also reduced their rates.
[03] US ENVOY FOR CYPRUS RICHARD HOLBROOKE IN ATHENS ON MONDAY
The United States; special mediator for the Cyprus issue,
Richard Holbrooke, is expected in Athens on Monday according to
the government spokesperson Dimitris Reppas said yesterday.
Mr. Holbrooke's visit to Athens is part of his tour of the region.
and he is also expected to visit Ankara. and Nicosia. He will be
received by Greece's Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos.
Mr. Reppas stated that it was positive that the international
community was showing an "active interest" in the resolution of
the Cyprus issue.
[04] ATHINA ONASSIS' FATHER SENTENCED FOR SLANDER BY GREEK COURT
The father of 13-year-old Athina Onassis-Roussel,
granddaughter of the legendary shipping mogul Aristotle Onassis
and sole heir to a $600 million fortune, has been sentenced to
five years in jail after a Greek court found him guilty of slander
yesterday on charges brought by the trustees of his daughter's
estate.
Thierry Roussel, who immediately filed an appeal and was not
detained, was sued by the four Greek trustees for slander, perjury
and filing a false lawsuit after he lost a court case in which he
accused them of financial mismanagement.
[05] GREEK TAXI DRIVERS GO ON 24-HOUR STRIKE
Greek taxi drivers are embarking on a 24-hour strike today,
calling for tax reliefs in their sector.
The cabbies are claiming that the finance ministry reneged on
earlier agreements concerning taxation and are also asking for
flag-falling raises. Presently, the flag-fall rate is 200
drachmas, possibly the cheapest in Europe.
[06] MACEDONIA AIRPORT REOPENS, FILIGHTS RESUME
Thessaloniki's "Macedonia" airport reopened yesterday, after
having shut down due to a snow storm, and flights have resumed to
normal.
The airport's runaways were cleared of frost and ice which
had prevented the aircraft from landing yesterday. The
temperatures in the area remain low, dipping to minus eight
degrees Celcius in western Macedonia.
[07] BALKAN SOCIALIST PARTIES TO MEET IN THESSALONIKI NEXT MONTH
Greece's Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos, who is also
the European Socialist Party's vice-president, announced yesterday
that a Conference of Socialist Parties from the Balkan region will
be hosted in Thessaloniki on January 23-24, within the framework
of preparing for the ESP Summit.
Mr. Tsochatzopoulos stated that the conference will address
Balkan security issues, as well as regional development.
Referring to the basic Greek positions being promoted through
the manifesto, the Defense Minster stated that they are the ruling
PASOK party's basic policies that promote Europe's economic,
developmental and society strengths.
[08] GREECE'S ALTERNATE FM ON INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DAY
The best honor for the fiftieth anniversary since the
Ecumenical Declaration of Human Rights, borne out of the ruins of
WWII, is the daily battle for their protection, according to
Greece's alternate Foreign Minister George Papandreou who
forwarded a message for the occasion.
Mr. Papandreou also stated that Greece has illustrated,
during its term as president of the Council of Europe as well as
through its activities within the European Union that it is a
warrior of human rights protection.
"The Greek government considers the productive protection of
human rights to a basic component of our foreign policy,' he
stated.
[09] STATE SPOKESMAN: THE GOVERNMENT WILL BE JUDGED BY ITS WORK
In response to the latest poll that presented the main
opposition party New Democracy (ND) as having a 6.5-per cent lead
over the ruling PASOK party, the government spokesperson Dimitris
Reppas stated that there is no policy shift in store.
The government, he stated, is judged by its work, while the
opposition is judged by its words, which can actually make them
even likable.
Mr. Reppas said that that the ruling party wants to complete
its work and by judged by its deeds.
"We await the judgment of the Greek people," he said.
[10] RUSSIAN COMMUNIST PARTY'S CC CHIEF MEETS WITH KKE OFFICIALS
The president of Russian Communist Party's central committee,
Gennady Zyuganov, arrived in Athens yesterday, at the invitation
of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE).
Mr. Zyuganov met with KKE's secretary-general Aleka Paparega
and honorary president Harilaos Florakis with whom he discussed
the ongoing developments in the Balkan region and was briefed on
the political developments in Greece, as well as the mobilizations
in the country's education sector.
During a press conference, Mr. Zyuganov expressed concern
about the situation in Russia, maintaining that President Boris
Yeltsin's "experiment" in establishing "mafia-like capitalism" had
led to disaster.
"Now, the new government is trying to tackle the problems,"
Mr. Zyuganov said, stressing that the Communist Party had
restructured and was at the present time the best organized party
in Russia.
Mr. Zyuganov indicated that he was optimistic about the
result of the presidential elections, regardless of when they were
held. He stressed though that they must be honest, "which was not
the case in 1996".
For this reason, he added, his party was cooperating with the
new government of Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov.
Mr. Zyuganov officially invited Ms. Paparega to visit Moscow.
This was his first official visit to Greece.
[11] FREEZING TEMPERATURES IN NORTHERN GREECE
The freezing temperatures is the common weather
characteristic in all the cities of northern Greece, as they have
dropped several degrees below zero. In Nevrokopi the temperature
is -13, in Florina -10, in Kozani -7, in Alexandroupolis and
Kastoria -6 and in Kavala -3. The bitter cold continues in
Thessaloniki with -4 degrees Celsius.
Drivers using the national and provincial road network must
be extra careful as the roads are slippery due to the icy
conditions. In north-eastern Greece several villages are cut-off
due to the heavy snow.
[12] STATEMENTS BY MR. DRIS ON TAXATION BASED ON THE PRICE INDEX
Undersecretary of finance Mr. Dris said that the discussion
on the increase of the non-taxable income from 1.300.000 to
2.000.000 drachmas proposed by the Greek General Confederation of
Labor and the adjustment of taxation on the price index will be
included in the social dialogue promoted by the government for the
reform of the taxation system which will take place in 1999.
However, Mr. Dris stressed that if those two demands are met
the state budget spending will be increased by 180 billion
drachmas. He also stressed that 3.5 of the 9.5 trillion drachmas
in tax revenues will be used to cover the public debt.
[13] MR. ATHANASAKIS COMMENTED ON THE EDUCATION REFORM
There is not such an issue as the change or the postponement
of the education reform, stressed acting government spokesman
Nikos Athanasakis responding to a question on whether prime
minister Kostas Simitis left room for changes in his speech before
parliament yesterday.
Mr. Athanasakis said that the government wants a dialogue on
education but this will concern only the measures that need to be
taken for the implementation of the reform. At the same time, he
accused the political parties of the opposition of not having any
proposals and added that their criticism is not a constructive
one.
[14] ATHANASAKIS: TENDENCY FOR THE CREATION OF NEW POLITICAL
PARTIES THAT WILL COME FROM NEW DEMOCRACY
Acting Greek government spokesman Nikos Athanasakis stated
that based on the results of the recent public opinion poll there
is a tendency for the creation of new political parties that will
come from the area of the right-wing main opposition party of New
Democracy.
Responding to the question if the government is concerned
over the Avramopoulos phenomenon, based on the fact that the
popularity of the Athens mayor is very high, he said jokingly that
the government is concerned over this phenomenon in the same way
it is concerned over weather and natural phenomena.
[15] KAKLAMANIS-ZUGANOV MEETING
The visiting Russian Communist party leader Genadi Zuganov
met this morning in Athens with Greek parliament president
Apostolos Kaklamanis. In the meeting that lasted about an hour and
a half they discussed the whole spectrum of bilateral relations
and confirmed the traditional relations of friendship and
cooperation that exist between Greece and Russia.
In the statements he made after the meeting, Mr. Kaklamanis
referred to the policy of the Greek government pointing out that
special attention should be given to social policy issues.
[16] A EUROPEAN MAINTENANCE MANAGEMENT ACADEMY BRANCH WILL OPEN IN
ATHENS
The founding declaration of the European Maintenance
Management Academy, a branch of which will open in Greece, was
signed recently in Athens by about 80 professors teaching in
European university and polytechnic schools as well as by Greek
scientists and representatives of Greek industries.
The Academy which is scheduled to open in the autumn of 1999
with branches in most EU countries will offer post-graduate
studies in the building of machines, the Maintenance Theory and
the National and European Law of Maintenance in the sectors of
safety, environment and quality.
The initiative for the establishment of the Academy belongs
to a Greek professor in Meinheim, Germany Mr. Nikolaos Meksis, who
had chosen Athens to make his scientific announcement to the world
on the use of a robot in the maintenance of machines.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[17] NATO INAUGURATES "EXTRACTION FORCE" IN KOSOVO TODAY
With 1,700 troops from five participating countries, NATO's
"extraction force" for Kosovo, based in FYROM, is to be officially
inaugurated today.
The force -- made up of French, British, German, Italian and
Dutch troops -- is to enter Kosovo if any of the 2,000 unarmed
peace monitors now present at Kosovo are endangered
According to a NATO statement, the inaugural ceremony will be
held in Kumanovo, a town near the Kosovo border where the 1,700-
man force under French command will be based.
French airlift of soldiers and supplies that began during the
weekend is to wind up on Friday, according to French military
officials who added that more
French personnel are traveling by sea via Greece.
[18] UN: GREEKS AMONG WORLD'S BEST FED, SOMALIANS ARE HUNGRIEST
With Denmark at the top of the scale, Greece is one among the
top five countries with the most food per person, while Somalia
has the least, according to a new world "food map" released
yesterday by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization
(FAO).
The map illustrates the nutritional intake in 177 countries
from 1994 to 1996. After Denmark, the countries with the most food
are Portugal, Ireland, the United States and Greece, respectively.
Eritrea, Afghanistan, Burundi and Mozambique are among the
hungriest.
The FAO said that more than 800 million people in developing
countries are chronically undernourished and that two billion more
suffer from deficiencies of vitamin A, iron and iodine.
People in prosperous countries consume an average of 3,340
calories a day, compared with 2,060 in developing countries.
Anything less than 2,100 poses a risk of malnutrition. In Somalia,
people consume an average of 1,580 calories a day.
[19] ASIA'S CHIEF OLYMPIC OFFICIAL: PARIS DOESN'T DESERVE 2008
GAMES
The President of Asia's Olympic Council has stated that Paris
doesn't deserve the 2008 Olympics because Europe (Athens) already
has the 2004 Summer Games.
According to the Associated Press, Sheikh Ahmad Al-Sabah
said that "2008 is a time when the Olympics should return to Asia,
especially with the success of Seoul in 1988 and Nagano."
He further added that "there is a tradition in the Olympic
family that when you have the games in Europe, the next games will
be out of Europe. The next one (after Sydney, Australia in 2000)
will be in Athens so then it will be the turn of the other
continents."
International Olympic Committee president Juan Antonio
Samaranch said that there are no set rules under the IOC charter
preventing consecutive Summer Games in Europe.
Paris declared its plan to bid this week despite
earlier reports that France would not bid if China was interested.
Chinese officials say they are considering a bid,
expected for Beijing.
[20] GREECE'S DEFENSE MINSTER COMMENTS ON ESP'S MANIFESTO
The European Socialist Party's (ESP) presidium and its
manifesto preparation committee met in Brussels yesterday in order
to discuss its manifesto's text in light of the 1999 Euro-
elections.
Greece's Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos, who is also
the European Socialist Party's vice-president, attended
yesterday's meeting, along with Yianos Kranidiotis, Greece's
Deputy Foreign Minister.
Mr. Tsochatzopoulos said that the socialist manifesto was one
the latest approaches to the ESP's electoral strategy.
It is a text containing the socialists' positions on European
affairs, employment, development, expansion, economic and monetary
union (EMU) and the euro.
He added that security issues were also covered in the
socialist manifesto and announced that another meeting will be
held early next year.
Mr. Kranidiotis said that amendments to the socialist
manifesto satisfied Greek positions as taken by PASOK on
unemployment, economic development, taxation
harmonization, EMU and the identity of European defense.
[21] PREMIER IN VIENNA FOR EUROPEAN UNION SUMMIT
Prime Minister Kostas Simitis has departed for Austria today
in order to attend the European Union's Summit Conference which
begins tomorrow in Vienna.
Mr. Simitis is accompanied by Foreign Minister Theodoros
Pangalos and the National Economy and Finance Minister Yiannos
Papantoniou.
The European Council will focus primarily on employment, the
"Agenda 2000" reform program, and EU enlargement.
With regard to "Agenda 2000", the EU's Austrian presidency is
expected to table proposals on solutions to key issues.
The proposals will constitute a working base for the EU's
German presidency which will succeed the Austrian presidency in
the first half of 1999.
This evening the Greek Premier will attend a summit of
leaders of the European Socialist Party (ESP), along with the
other 10 socialist and social-democrat prime ministers of the EU.
[22] PARIS TO HOLD INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON RIGAS FEREOS
An international conference on Greece's historical figure
Rigas Fereos (Velestinlis) is to be held in Paris, under the aegis
of UNESCO and Greece's Ministry of Culture.
The event is titled "Les Lumieres en Europe et dans le sud -
est europeen: Rhigas Velestinlis (1757-1798) intellectuel et
combattant de la liberte, precurseur de la liberation nationale
des peuples balkaniques" ("Enlightment in Europe and the
southeastern European area: Rigas Velestinlis {1757-
1798}intellectual and fighter of freedom, precursor of national
liberation of the Balkan peoples).
It will be held between December 12-13 and will feature
historians and other experts from both Greece and France.
[23] THE POLITICAL DEADLOCK IN TURKEY CONTINUES
Bulent Ecevit's effort to form a new government in Turkey
appears to be a failure after the negative responses he got from
the big party leaders.
His last chance is to form a minority government and to wait
for the occasional support of the rest political parties in the
Turkish parliament. Mr. Ecevit will meet today with Motherland
Party leader Mesut Yilmaz.
[24] DINI: ZIRINOFSKI WAS COVERING OCALAN IN RUSSIA
Russian news agency ITAR-TASS reported that Italian foreign
minister Lamberto Dini stated in Rome that leader of the Kurdish
PKK rebels Abdullah Ocalan has told Italian police officers that
both his arrival and his stay in Russia had been organized by
Russian ultra-nationalist Vladimir Zirinofski.
Speaking to Italian parliament deputies Mr. Dini, who
recently visited Moscow, reminded that Zirinifski's Liberal
Democratic Party had requested from the Russian Duma to grant an
asylum to Ocalan, while he added that as soon as the Russian
government learned that the PKK leader was hiding in the country
took measures for his deportation.
It should be noted, that when Ocalan arrived in Rome with an
AEROFLOT flight had admitted that he was hiding in Russia and in
other countries of the Commonwealth of Independent States.
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