Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 99-03-11
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, March 11, 1999
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] VAGUE REPORTS ON OCALAN'S HEALTH, RUMORS OF DEATH EMERGE
[02] CIVILIANS INVOLVED IN OCALAN'S ENTRY TO GREECE FACE CHARGES
[03] GREEK ALTERNATE FM TO MEET WITH MILLER TONIGHT
[04] GREEK FM GEORGE PAPANDREOU MEETS WITH ALBANIAN LEADERS
[05] HEADS OF BALKAN EXPORTS ORGANIZATIONS IN THESSALONIKI
[06] INCREASED READINESS MEASURES IN AEGEAN RUMORS UNFOUNDED
[07] FINNISH MUSICIAN KILLED IN CAR ACCIDENT IN THESSALONIKI
[08] MR. REPPAS ON THE PAPANDREOU-HALBROOKE MEETING
[09] REPPAS: GREECE'S POSITION ON TERRORISM IS CLEAR
[10] REPPAS: THE SITUATION IN THE AEGEAN IS UNDER CONTROL
[11] THOMAS MILLER WILL BE IN ATHENS THIS AFTERNOON
[12] THE RUMOURS ON HEIGHTENED TENSION IN THE AEGEAN ARE FIGMENTS
OF IMAGINATION
[13] KRATEROS IOANNOU DIED IN NEW YORK
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[14] MAIN OPPOSITION LEADER TO MEET WITH US VICE-PRESIDENT AL GORE
[15] GREECE TO COMPLY WITH JAT FLIGHT EMBARGO AS OF TODAY
[16] GREEK FM MEETS WITH BULGARIAN COUNTERPART IN SOFIA
[17] GREEK FM IN BELGRADE TODAY, WILL MEET WITH MILOSEVIC
[18] ROMANIAN MP DECLARES MONICA LEWINSKY "PERSONA NON GRATA"
[19] MILOSEVIC GIVES A HARDLINE "NO" TO HOLBROOKE
[20] PAPANDREOU-HALBROOKE MEETING IN BELGRADE
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] VAGUE REPORTS ON OCALAN'S HEALTH, RUMORS OF DEATH EMERGE
Rumors abound of a deterioration in the health of PKK leader
Abdullah Ocalan, who is being held prisoner in isolation at Imrali
island, while latest, yet unconfirmed, reports claim that he has
suffered a fatal heart attack.
A Greek lawyer, Thrasyvoulos Kontaxis, told the Macedonian
Press Agency that sources in Turkey told him that an increased
number of Turkish officials was noted at the island yesterday
evening, which has led these sources to believe the PKK leader is
dead.
At the present time, according to Mr. Kontaxis, the Kurdish
organizations in Athens have not issued an announcement.
The latest report has not been confirmed by Mr. Ocalan's
attorney Ahmet Zeki Okcuoglu, who yesterday filed a motion with
the Mudania district attorney's office
requesting permission to see his client.
Meanwhile, the Turkish press reports Mr. Ocalan's rumored
death, even quoting correspondents from Brussels and Strasbourg
who refer to European deputies's statements that "Ocalan died of a
heart attack."
Nevertheless, the same circles point out that an article
published by Ankara daily "Sabah" two days ago, wherein it
reported that the PKK leader is addicted to drugs and is
exhibiting withdrawal symptoms, could have wanted to "prepare the
groundwork" for resolving the Ocalan problem.
[02] CIVILIANS INVOLVED IN OCALAN'S ENTRY TO GREECE FACE CHARGES
The chief prosecutor of Athens George Koliokostas is to file
charges against those civilians who are found to be involved in
the Ocalan Affair, i.e. bringing the PKK leader to Greece and
providing him with refuge.
According to reports, at least five persons are to be
summoned in court, although it remains to be seen whether they
will face felony or misdemeanor charges.
[03] GREEK ALTERNATE FM TO MEET WITH MILLER TONIGHT
Greece's alternate Foreign Minister Yiannos Kranidiotis is to
meet with the United States special coordinator for Cyprus Thomas
Miller this evening.
Meanwhile, government spokesperson Dimitris Reppas stated
last night that the US have not requested from the Greece
government that it renounce the PKK, albeit he conceded that
pressures are being exerted.
[04] GREEK FM GEORGE PAPANDREOU MEETS WITH ALBANIAN LEADERS
Greece's Foreign Minister George Papandreou met with
Albania's President of Albania Rejep Meidani, Premier Panteli
Majko and Foreign Minister Paskal Milo in Tirana yesterday.
In a press conference given after the talks with Mr. Milo,
Mr. Papandreou stated that Athens is ready to promote an
initiative calling for a joint statement by all Balkan countries
regarding developments in the strife-torn region of Kosovo.
Mr. Papandreou also said that an effort is presently underway
to enable the issuing of the statement through a meeting of Balkan
foreign ministers which will be held in the immediate future.
Mr. Papandreou and Mr. Milo noted the positive steps which
have been taken in the direction of an improvement in Greece-
Albania relations, while the "Paraegnatia" motorway, was also
discussed.
Greece's position was clarified that vertical axes must
certainly be included in the said road, and Mr. Papandreou said
it was necessary for Albania to be included in the road axis
starting in Helsinki and ending in Greece.
The Albanian side stressed readiness for the construction of
the motorway to proceed at an accelerated rate.
In his meeting with Mr. Majko, Mr. Papandreou said the
immediate signing of an agreement was necessary at the next
Rambouillet-held meeting between Kosovo's two sides on March 15.
On his part, Mr. Majko expressed concern and reiterated his
government's position on the results of the upcoming meeting which
will lead to a substantive agreement.
[05] HEADS OF BALKAN EXPORTS ORGANIZATIONS IN THESSALONIKI
The Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Minister Yiannis Magriotis
met with the presidents of the exports promotion organizations
from FYROM, Bulgaria, Romania, Albania and Turkey who arrived in
Thessaloniki yesterday in order to participate in a regional
export promotions center, whose presidency is presently held by
Greece.
Mr. Magriotis underlined the leading role Greece can play in
developing commercial relations among Balkan countries.
Referring to the Balkan Center's targets, Mr. Magriotis said
the purpose is "harmonizing commercial transaction conditions
between countries in the region for the greater development of
transactions and to restrict problems."
"Greece, being the only country which is an EU member-state
and which is exercising the Center's presidency for 1999, has
undertaken a leading role because on the one hand it has the know-
how, it has the most developed commercial transactions system and
will try, with the EU's support, to facilitate the development of
economic and commercial cooperation in the zone of southeastern
Europe," the Minister added.
[06] INCREASED READINESS MEASURES IN AEGEAN RUMORS UNFOUNDED
The Ministry of National Defense has refuted persistent
rumors that tension in the Aegean is escalating and that the Greek
government has drawn added measures of preparedness in the region.
The "specific rumors have no relation with reality," according to
the Defense Ministry's Information Secretariat, while
undersecretary of Defense Dimitris Apostolakis told an Athens
radio station that there has been no "freeze" imposed on military
staff's leaves of absence and transfers.
[07] FINNISH MUSICIAN KILLED IN CAR ACCIDENT IN THESSALONIKI
A Finnish musician, 42-year-old Kosti Antero Vihersaani from
Helsinki, was killed early this morning in a car accident that
occurred in the center of Thessaloniki.
The victim was the sound engineer of Finland's "Cmx" band
which was presently on tour in the region.
According to the police report, Mr. Vihersaani was on foot
when he was hit by a car whose driver lost control of the steering
wheel.
[08] MR. REPPAS ON THE PAPANDREOU-HALBROOKE MEETING
Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas, referring to the
meeting of Mr. Papandreou with Mr. Halbrooke, that took place
within the framework of the Greek government minister's tour of
Balkan capitals, stated that foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou
and US mediator Richard Halbrooke exchanged views on the crisis in
Kosovo.
Mr. Reppas said that in the meeting participated the US
ambassador to Skopje and the Austrian representative of the
European Union who pointed out that the initiative undertaken by
the Greek side could help in handling the crisis in Kosovo.
[09] REPPAS: GREECE'S POSITION ON TERRORISM IS CLEAR
The US government has not raised an issue of terrorism to the
Greek government, stated Greek government spokesman Dimitris
Reppas.
Mr. Reppas commenting on press publications on the terrorist
organization "17 November" underlined that Greece has a clear
position regarding the phenomenon of terrorism and there is no
list with suspects or accused. Greece wants to deal with terrorism
in the best possible way and for this reason it cooperates with
other foreign agencies.
[10] REPPAS: THE SITUATION IN THE AEGEAN IS UNDER CONTROL
The situation in the Aegean is under control and the measures
taken by the armed forces are measures of vigilance, stated Greek
government spokesman Dimitris Reppas commenting on the rumours on
increased tension in the region.
Regarding the state of "red alert" in which the armed forces
were yesterday, he said that this is done several times and
observed that today there is calm in the Aegean but the situation
is certainly affected by the political climate and by the
provocative statements made by Turkish officials.
[11] THOMAS MILLER WILL BE IN ATHENS THIS AFTERNOON
US special coordinator on Cyprus Thomas Miller will be in
Athens this afternoon after meeting with Turkish Cypriot leader
Rauf Denktash in Cyprus this morning.
Yesterday, Mr. Miller met with Cypriot president Glafkos
Clerides and discussed ways for the resumption of the dialogue
between the two communities on the island.
Mr. Miller will meet in Athens with deputy foreign minister
Yiannos Kranidiotis.
[12] THE RUMOURS ON HEIGHTENED TENSION IN THE AEGEAN ARE FIGMENTS
OF IMAGINATION
Minister of defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos characterized as
figments of imagination the rumours on increased tension in the
Aegean.
Mr. Tsochatzopoulos pointed out that in the Aegean and across
the country conditions are normal. He said that the relations
between Greece and Turkey have worsened lately as a result of the
Ocalan affair adding that the statements made by the Turkish side
create a degree of tension. Mr. Tsochatzopoulos underlined that it
has been realized by Turkey and by others who are interested in
the situation existing in the Aegean that the limits of the
acceptable and normal conflict have been crossed.
Also, Mr. Tsochatzopoulos speaking in Parliament denied the
allegations concerning secret NATO information that leaked to
Russia from the Greek ministry of defense.
[13] KRATEROS IOANNOU DIED IN NEW YORK
Krateros Ioannou professor at Dimokrition University in
Thrace died in New York's Memorial Hospital at the age of 64. He
was born in Thessaloniki in 1935 and was chairman of Dimokrition
University Law School and deputy dean of the university, also he
was president and director of the International and European
Economic Law Center while he participated in different UN bodies
and conferences.
Since 1997 he was a judge in the European Court of Justice.
He had defended Greece in the European Court when the EU
Commission appealed against Greece in the case of the embargo on
Skopje and together with professor Argiris Fatouros, they were the
two specialists who were discussing with their Turkish colleagues
the differences between Greece and Turkey.
Prime minister Kostas Simitis characterized his death as a
big loss not only for Greece but for the international academic
world in general.
Foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou underlined that his death
leaves a void that will be very hard to be covered both in the
academic world and in the international political scene. As
foreign ministry honorary legal adviser and until recently, a
member of the scientific council he represented Greece in
different international fora for over 20 years.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[14] MAIN OPPOSITION LEADER TO MEET WITH US VICE-PRESIDENT AL GORE
The leader of Greece's main opposition party, New Democracy's
Kostas Karamanlis, is to be received by the United States Vice-
President Al Gore in Washington today with whom he will discuss
Greek-Turkish relations, the Cyprus issue and the Kosovo crisis.
Mr. Karamanlis, is presently on an official visit to the
United States where he will remain until March 16, will hold talks
with UN secretary-general Kofi Annan and Archbishop Spyridon
tomorrow.
The ND leader yesterday met with the White House Chief of
Staff John Podesta..
Mr. Karamanlis is accompanied by New Democracy MPs Petros
Molyviatis, Vassilis Magginas and Fani Palli-Petralia.
[15] GREECE TO COMPLY WITH JAT FLIGHT EMBARGO AS OF TODAY
As of today, Greece will comply with a European Union
embargo imposed on the Yugoslav national air carrier JAT six
months ago,
As a result of the March 7, 1998 embargo on JAT, 70 per cent
of the Yugoslav market is controlled by foreign companies.
Greece did not enforce the embargo on Yugoslavia regarding
air transport at the time, because a bilateral Greek-Yugoslav
agreement was already in place, and set to expire six months
later.
As the agreement has expired, Greece is now compelled to
enforce the embargo in order to avoid legal action in the
European Court for failing to comply.
[16] GREEK FM MEETS WITH BULGARIAN COUNTERPART IN SOFIA
Greece's Foreign Minister George Papandreou, presently on a
tour of Balkan capitals, met with his Bulgarian counterpart
Nadezda Michailova in Sofia yesterday.
Following their talks, the two ministers announced an
initiative to convene a
Balkan foreign ministers' conference on the Kosovo issue prior to
next week's second round of negotiations in Rambouillet, France.
"Despite the difficulties in the Balkans, there is a
simultaneous political will for regional cooperation, with a view
to solving problems," Mr. Papandreou stated.
[17] GREEK FM IN BELGRADE TODAY, WILL MEET WITH MILOSEVIC
Greece's Foreign Minister George Papandreou is continuing his
two-day tour of Balkan countries today, conducted in an effort to
strengthen the country's diplomatic presence in the region.
Mr. Papandreou will meet with Yugoslav President Slobodan
Milosevic in Belgrade today, while US envoy Richard Holbrooke is
leaving the Yugoslav capital empty handed, after having had
fruitless talks with the Yugoslav leader.
[18] ROMANIAN MP DECLARES MONICA LEWINSKY "PERSONA NON GRATA"
A Romanian opposition party deputy has formally tabled a
request with the Parliament to declare former White House intern
Monica Lewinsky "persona non grata", given her "questionable
morality".
Mr. Nikolae Popa stated that "this person's scandalous
behavior who turned her relationship with (US President) Bill
Clinton into a profitable business is responsible for the
dishonored image of the American people."
The deputy further added that he has requested from the Romanian
authorities to prohibit Ms. Lewinsky from visiting Romania where
she could promote her recently-published autobiography.
[19] MILOSEVIC GIVES A HARDLINE "NO" TO HOLBROOKE
Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic gave a fresh rejection
to US envoy Richard Holbrooke yesterday, reiterating his firm
stance not to allow the deployment of foreign troops in Kosovo.
Mr. Milosevic told Mr. Holbrooke that while Yugoslavia is in
favor of achieving political agreement in regards to the Kosovo
issue, based on the principles drawn by the Contact Group and
which have been accepted by Belgrade, it would not accept the
deployment of troops in the region.
The Yugoslav President stressed that the Kosovo agreement
should be base don the premise of equality among all the national
communities which reside in the area. Otherwise, he stated, there
is a risk that the ethnic Albanian community would attempt to
impose their will on the other communities, which would mean
another round of ethnic cleansing against the Serbs and, this
time, on their own land.
[20] PAPANDREOU-HALBROOKE MEETING IN BELGRADE
Greek foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou met with US
mediator Richard Halbrooke in Belgrade and they discussed the
issue of Kosovo as well as the Ocalan affair.
Mr. Papandreou went to Belgrade after visiting Skopje,
Tirana, Sofia and Bucharest. According to the results of the
meetings he had so far, the countries of south-eastern Europe
agree that an inter-Balkan conference should be held in order to
discuss the issue of Kosovo or a joint statement should be issued
before the resumption of the Rambouillet talks.
The Greek minister of foreign affairs will meet in Belgrade
tomorrow with Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic.
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