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Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 99-03-21Macedonian Press Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Macedonian Press Agency at http://www.mpa.gr and http://www.hri.org/MPA.Last Update: 23:27 GMT+2SECTIONS
NEWS HEADLINES[A] GREECE[B] BALKANS[C] EUROPE[D] WORLDNEWS IN DETAIL[A] GREECE[01] PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF JAPAN ARRIVE IN THESSALONIKI TODAYWeb Posted: 14:46 GMT+2Thessaloniki, 21/03/1999 (MPA) The Prince and Princess Hitachi of Japan are to arrive in Thessaloniki today, as part of their official visit to Greece, the first ever Japanese imperial visit to the country.Upon their arrival at 5:30 pm, the Japanese Prince and Princess will visit the Monastery of Lazariston, which is featuring a Japanese poster exhibition and, afterwards the Minster of Macedonia-Thrace Yiannos Magriotis will host a dinner in their honor. Crown Prince Hitachi and the Princess will visit the archaeological site of Vergina tomorrow and will also tour the Boutari Winery in Naoussa where the Honorary Consul of Japan Dimitris Bakatselos will host a luncheon in their honor. Prior to their departure, they will visit Thessaloniki's St. Dimitrius Church and will tour the city. Their visit is in light of the 100th anniversary of the 1899 Greek-Japanese friendship and trade agreement. They will meet with Prime Minister Kostas Simitis on Sunday and will also visit Thessaloniki. A.F. [02] PRESIDENT OF PANAMA TO VISIT GRECE THIS MONTHWeb Posted: 13:57 GMT+2Athens, 21/03/1999 (MPA) The President of Panama Ernesto Perez Balladares is to conduct an official visit to Greece from March 31 to April 2, the office of the presidency has announced .Mr. Balladares is visiting Greece at the invitation of the President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos. A.F. [03] MAIN OPPOSITION LEADER LASHES OUT AT GOVERNMENT POLICYWeb Posted: 13:57 GMT+2Nafplio, 21/03/1999 (MPA) Greece's main opposition party leader, New Democracy's Kostas Karamanlis remains intensely critical of the governing PASOK party and its policy, at times aiming personally at the Premier Kostas Simitis.Addressing a party gathering in Nafplio last evening, Mr. Karamanlis told his audience that "I am sure you feel the same way, as we all feel in our country today, that this atmosphere of misery, decadence and corruption does not become us. A.F. [04] SIMITIS DELIVERS TRIUMPHANT REJOINDER AT PASOK CONGRESSWeb Posted: 13:57 GMT+2Athens, 21/03/1999 (MPA) PASOK party president Kostas Simitis received resounding applause and a standing ovation by the party's 5,802 delegates yesterday, after delivering his rejoinder speech in the ruling party's fifth Congress which is to conclude today.Responding to the cheering crowd, the Premier, who is the sure contender for party's presidency post, said that "the congress voted for unity, victory, opportunity; all for Greece, the people want to and PASOK can!" The Premier emphasized the ruling party's socialist character and underlined that the government's priority is a social state, with justice and social solidarity. A.F. [05] SIMITIS TO BE RE-ELECTED PRESIDENT OF PASOKWeb Posted: 13:57 GMT+2Athens, 21/03/1999 (MPA) Greece's ruling PASOK party president Kostas Simitis is expected to be re-elected to the three-year post, as he stands unchallenged during today's elections at the party's fifth congress.In addition to the party's president, today's polls will also elect the 180 members of the PASOK Central Committee, out of 304 candidates, and results will be announced at 7 p.m. for the president and later in the evening for the CC members. A.F. [B] BALKANS[06] KOSSOVO: «WE WILL CONTIUE THE WAR», UCK VOWSWeb Posted: 14:46 GMT+2Pristhina, 21/03/1999 (MPA) The ethnic-Albanian "Kosovo Liberation Army" (UCK) has vowed that it will continue to fight for Kosovo's defense, according to the members of the Albanian delegation that participated in the Paris peacekeeping talks.According to the delegates, the armed conflict will continue, even though the Albanian side has signed the agreement, in light of the on-going tragedy in the region. Moreover, the delegates stated that Kosovo's Premier Asim Taci is to imminently form a new cabinet. A.F. [07] NATO FORCES READY TO ATTACK YUGOSLAVIAWeb Posted: 13:57 GMT+2Belgrade, 21/03/1999 (MPA) A fleet of NATO warships and attack planes is ready to bombard Yugoslavia which is also mounting its military forces.While international monitors left the area yesterday, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe is evacuating foreign diplomats from Belgrade today. The Alliance has given Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic a deadline until Wednesday to capitulate, although the chance of that actually happening is dim as Yugoslavia has made it clear that it plans to defend its grounds. A.F. [08] GREEK-TURKISH FMs MEET ON SIDELINES OF BALKAN CONFERENCEWeb Posted: 13:57 GMT+2Bucharest, 21/03/1999 (MPA) A meeting was held between Greece's Foreign Minster George Papandreou and his Turkish counterpart Ismail Cem, on the sidelines of the Balkan Fm's conference in Bucharest, which unveiled an unexplored dynamic in the Athens-Ankara relations which can be developed constructively, according to an Athens Sunday paper.According to the paper, following a period of heightened tension and provocation on behalf of Turkey, it is evident that the restoration of mutual confidence will be a long and hard process. Moreover, according to the "Vima" article, Ankara's main aim is to secure Greece's guarantee that there will be no other Ocalan-lie situations in the future. Nevertheless, in no case does it want to cancel the opportunities for restoring stability in bilateral relations. A.F. [C] EUROPE[09] RUSSIA: YELTSIN VOWS «MERCILESS FIGHT» AFTER MASSIVE BOMBINGWeb Posted: 13:57 GMT+2Moscow, 21/03/1999 (MPA) The massive bomb explosion that occurred in a market in southern Russia Friday, killing over fifty persons and wounding at least a hundred, is believed to be an act of sabotage aimed at destabilizing the situation in the North Caucasus.President Boris Yeltsin decreed March 21 a day of mourning for the victims of the attack, as well as for 21 inmates of a psychiatric hospital in central Russia who burned to death in a fire late Thursday. He appeared on state television on Friday to ask forgiveness from the victims' families for the lapse in security. ``I apologize to the families of the victims. I apologize because I carry the responsibility for it all,'' Yeltsin said slowly, without elaborating. He vowed to undertake a ``merciless fight'' against the perpetrators. Russian Interior Minister Sergei Stepashin, addressing an emergency parliamentary session yesterday evening, stated that said that the bombing was an attempt to instigate clashes between the two region's peoples. ``A possible fueling of ethnic strife must be prevented,'' he said. According to the Russian news agency Itar -Tass, Russian investigators have learned that had learned that the bomb was planted by a man and a woman in a sack of potatoes, which they left in a section of the market crowded with people lined up for cheap vegetables. The blast was the worst violence to hit the small southern republic since 1992. A.F. [D] WORLD[10] US SENATE PASSES RESOLUTION ON GREEK INDEPENDENCE DAYWeb Posted: 13:57 GMT+2Washington, 21/03/1999 (MPA) The United States Senate passed a resolution commemorating March 25 as Greek Independence Day - A National Celebration of Greek and American Democracy.The resolution, passed for the 14th consecutive year, was voted unanimously and co-sponsored by 51 senators. A.F. Complete archives of the Macedonian Press Agency bulletins are available on the MPA Home Page at http://www.mpa.gr/ and on the U.S. mirror at http://www.hri.org/MPA/Macedonian Press Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |