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Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 99-02-11
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, February 11, 1999
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] PREMIER TO EMBARK ON THREE-DAY TOUR OF NORTHERN GREECE
[02] GREEK PM ADDRESS PARLIAMENT IN AMSTERDAM TREATY DEBATE
[03] GREEK FM: ALBANIANS ARE BLOCKING RAMBOUILLET TALKS
[04] PROBLEMS MOUNT AT STATE HOSPITALS AS DOCTORS CONTINUE STRIKE
[05] STATE OFFERS PACKAGE OF FAVORABLE MEASURES TO FARMERS
[06] FARMERS CONTINUE PROTESTS IN SPITE OF STATE'S CONCESSIONS
[07] DEUTSCHE BANK-DRESNER BANK: BUY DRACHMAS
[08] AGREEMENT SIGNED FOR GREEK, CYPRIOT ARMS INDUSTRIES COOPERATION
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[09] GREEK FM MEETS WITH PRESIDENT OF MONTENEGRO
[10] MINISTER OF DEVELOPMENT TRAVELS TO MOSCOW THIS EVENING
[11] TALKS OVER KOSOVO CONTINUE IN RAMBOUILLET
[12] RUSSIAN POET YEVTUSHENKO FAVORS RETURN OF PARTHENON MARBLES
[13] EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT TO BLAIR: RETURN THE MARBLES TO GREECE
[14] US CONGRESSMEN TO VISIT GREECE NEXT WEEK
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] PREMIER TO EMBARK ON THREE-DAY TOUR OF NORTHERN GREECE
Prime Minister Kostas Simitis is to embark on a three-day tour of
Northern Greece on Saturday, escorted by the Ministers of National
Defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos, Development Vaso Papandreou,
Environment Kostas Laliotis, Health Labros Papademas, Agriculture
George Anomeritis, Culture, Evangelos Venizelos, Macedonia-Thrace
Yiannis Magriotis, and various undersecretaries,
His tour will include a visit at Thessaloniki's "Papanikolaou"
hospital.
[02] GREEK PM ADDRESS PARLIAMENT IN AMSTERDAM TREATY DEBATE
During his address at the parliamentary debate over the Amsterdam
Treaty last night, Prime Minister Kostas Simitis outlined the
ruling PASOK party's policy towards the euro-elections, stating
that the Amsterdam Treaty is occurring at a highly critical point
for Europe and Greece.
In his address, the Premier emphasized PASOK's role in ensuring
the course of the country towards the Economic and Monetary Union
and also said that the government's top priority is to secure
Greek interests in the framework of the "Agenda 2000"
negotiations.
Concerning the state's priorities, Mr. Simitis said that Greece
favors the allocation of adequate funds for the support of the EU
policies as well as the enlargement of the Union.
Referring to Cyprus, Mr. Simitis said that if the Turkish-Cypriot
side does not abandon its intransigence "then Cyprus should
become a full member of the Union as soon as the process is
complete."
Regarding Turkey, Mr. Simitis stated that Greece supports the
European orientation of Ankara, "but it should 'respect' the
European principles of justice, human rights and the inviolability
of borders."
[03] GREEK FM: ALBANIANS ARE BLOCKING RAMBOUILLET TALKS
Greece's Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos has expressed doubt
over the results of the talks held in Rambouillet, while speaking
to journalists upon his return to Athens from his four-day tour of
Bosnia-Herzegovina, Yugoslavia and Croatia.
Specifically, he stated that the Kosovo matter is a "very
difficult one" and stressed that while both sides had agreed upon
the basic points of the negotiations at the onstart, the Albanian
side is now rejecting some facts of the talks and is refusing to
meet with the official Serb government delegation.
When asked by the Macedonian Press Agency to comment on the
statement of "Great Albania" made By the Albanian Premier, Mr.
Pangalos responded that "such statements are not very
intelligent."
[04] PROBLEMS MOUNT AT STATE HOSPITALS AS DOCTORS CONTINUE STRIKE
Problems, as well as patients, continue to mount at state
hospitals where physicians are presently on strike.
An emergency preliminary investigation has been ordered by the
Athens's District Attorney's office which will look into whether
or not the public's health care is jeopardized by these
mobilizations and if the necessary number of physicians is
actually working.
In Thessaloniki, the District Attorney's office has ordered the
arrest of those physicians who blocked cancer-stricken patients at
the "G.Gennimatas" hospitals from undergoing the necessary tests.
The disgruntled physicians are demanding due pay for their on-call
duty.
[05] STATE OFFERS PACKAGE OF FAVORABLE MEASURES TO FARMERS
The Ministers of National Economy Minister Yiannos Papantoniou and
Agriculture George Anomeritis yesterday announced a package of
measures to facilitate the repayment by farmers of debts to the
Agricultural Bank of Greece, according to which 50 per cent of
outstanding debts will be written off.
The measures also provide for the write-off of all interest due,
50 per cent of accrued interest and refinancing with new loans at
favorable interest rates.
[06] FARMERS CONTINUE PROTESTS IN SPITE OF STATE'S CONCESSIONS
The central Greece farmers committee has decided to press on with
its protests, not satisfied by the state's concession regarding
the settlement of their debts.
Specifically, they said that the state's announced plans are not
clear and simply reiterate older pledges. The committee's members
have requested to meet with Agriculture Minister George Anomeritis
tomorrow.
Meanwhile, tractors remain lined up along the national highway of
Athens-Thessaloniki.
[07] DEUTSCHE BANK-DRESNER BANK: BUY DRACHMAS
Deutsche Bank and Dresner Bank urge their investors to invest in
the Greek drachma, in a report on the outlook for European
markets.
In the report, Deutsche Bank underlines that Greece has retained
its strength in a global economy facing a slowdown in growth and
high foreign exchange risk.
Furthermore, the German bank expects the general index of the
Athens Stock Exchange to end the year at 3,600 points from around
3,200 points currently, recommending that investors should buy
into Greek shares.
Deutsche Bank remains positive on the future of Greek stocks,
despite their high price levels, due to the prospect of a sharp
decline in interest rates in the next two years.
Dresner reports that the Greek economy is still making rapid
progress towards alignment with the European Union and entry into
economic and monetary union by the government's target date of
January 1, 2001, thanks to declining inflation.
The bank says that another drachma devaluation before joining the
euro had become increasingly unlikely.
[08] AGREEMENT SIGNED FOR GREEK, CYPRIOT ARMS INDUSTRIES COOPERATION
The Defense Ministers of Greece and Cyprus, Akis Tsochatzopoulos
and Yiannakis Chrysostomis respectively, have signed an
cooperation agreement regarding the arms industries of both
countries.
The agreement, signed yesterday in Athens, sets the ground for
future purchases of military equipment from the Greek arms
industry.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[09] GREEK FM MEETS WITH PRESIDENT OF MONTENEGRO
Greece's Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos met with the
President of Montenegro Milo Jukanovic yesterday, as part of a
series of contacts he had during his Balkan tour.
Following the talks, which Mr. Pangalos termed as "very
constructive and useful," the two officials gave a joint press
interview and stated that they primarily discussed three issues:
Montenegro's course of democratic and economic reforms, problems
faced by the republic in the framework of the Yugoslav federation
and bilateral relations.
Mr. Pangalos stated that necessary conditions for the achievement
of common targets are respect for borders, democratic principles,
protection for human rights and the existence of open societies in
the Balkans.
[10] MINISTER OF DEVELOPMENT TRAVELS TO MOSCOW THIS EVENING
Greece's Minister of Development Vaso Papandreou is to travel to
Moscow this evening, where she will have a series of meetings with
Russian government officials concerning the glitches in natural
gas deliveries from Russia via Bulgaria to Greece.
[11] TALKS OVER KOSOVO CONTINUE IN RAMBOUILLET
The peace talks over Kosovo are being continued at Rambouillet,
France, where the Serb delegation is to be joined today by the
President of Serbia Milan Milutinovic.
The Foreign Ministers of France and Great Britain are to return to the
negotiations today and are expected to met with the Serb
president.
[12] RUSSIAN POET YEVTUSHENKO FAVORS RETURN OF PARTHENON MARBLES
Russian Poet Yevgeni Yevtushenko has expressed his advocacy for
the return of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece, the cradle of
civilization.
According to a BBC report, the Russian poet forwarded a letter to
the British Committee for the Restitution of the Parthenon Marbles
wherein he wrote:
"Greece is the cradle of world culture. Everybody is born in Greece even
the Russians, even I, a Siberian.
"All of us have to be spiritual columns of the resurrected
Parthenon. Each crumb of its ruins has to be given back to the
land where it was created."
Mr. Yevtushenko is a member of the European Academy of the Arts
and Sciences and an honorary member of the American Academy of
Arts and Letters.
[13] EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT TO BLAIR: RETURN THE MARBLES TO GREECE
The European Parliament has forward a letter to British Premier
Toni Blair wherein the deputies call for the return of the
Parthenon Marbles to Greece.
The said letter was the result of a recent resolution through which the
majority of eurodeputies favor the return of the treasured Marbles
to their place of origin.
[14] US CONGRESSMEN TO VISIT GREECE NEXT WEEK
A 12-member delegation of U.S. Congressmen will visit Greece next
week, February 18, in order to meet with Greek government
officials on political and economic affairs and defense and
security issues.
The delegation, led by Nebraska Republican Douglas Bereuter, is on
a six-day tour of the
region and, in addition to Greece, will also visit Belgium, France, Cyprus
and Turkey.
The Athens talks are expected to focus on the security situation
in the eastern Mediterranean, relations between Greece and Turkey
and prospects for a resolution of the Cyprus issue.
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