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Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 99-04-02

Macedonian Press Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Macedonian Press Agency at http://www.mpa.gr and http://www.hri.org/MPA.


MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, April 2, 1999

SECTIONS

  • [A] NATIONAL NEWS
  • [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

  • NEWS HEADLINES

    [A] NATIONAL NEWS

  • [01] US MARINE PLATOON TRAVELS TO SKOPJE THROUGH THESSALONIKI
  • [02] BURNS: UNITED STATES SUPPORT INVIOLABILITY OF GREEK BORDERS
  • [03] THESSALONIKI IS "KEY SITE" FOR NATO, U.S. PENTAGON STATES
  • [04] KOSOVO REFUGEES IN GREECE ONLY ON EXTRAORDINARY OCCASIONS
  • [05] GREEKS CONDUCT TWO-HOUR WORK STOPPAGE IN PROTEST TO RAIDS
  • [06] M. STANLEY:KOSOVO CRISIS WILL NOT IMPACT GREECE'S EMU COURSE
  • [07] ANTI-WAR CONCERT WITH DALARAS, BREGOVIC IN THESSALONIKI
  • [08] REPPAS: GREECE HAS NOT BEEN ASKED TO PARTICIPATE IN GROUND OPERATIONS
  • [09] MEETING OF THE GREEK NAVY GENERAL STAFF ON THE RUSSIAN SHIPS THAT WILL SAIL ACROSS THE AEGEAN
  • [10] NATIONAL DEFENSE AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER THE NATO BOMBINGS
  • [11] THE CABINET MET TODAY
  • [12] SIMITIS: IN 2006 WE WILL LIVE IN A DIFFERENT GREECE
  • [13] THE UNITED STATES BACK THE INVIOLABILITY OF THE GREEK BORDERS
  • [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

  • [14] THREE US SOLDIERS TO APPEAR BEFORE MILITARY COURT TODAY
  • [15] YUGOSLAVIA'S GENERAL ARMY STAFF LEADER REPLACED
  • [16] ETHNIC ALBANIANS FLEE KOSOVO BY THE THOUSANDS
  • [17] GREEK DEFENSE MINISTER MEETS WITH ROMANIAN COUNTERPART
  • [18] THE GREEK MINISTER OF DEFENSE IS IN SKOPJE
  • [19] NATO CONTINUES THE AIR STRIKES
  • [20] HOLBROOKE WANTS A RUGOVA - HILL MEETING
  • [21] US ANALYST FEARS A NATO BREAK-UP
  • [22] THE FOREIGN MINISTERS OF THE US, GERMANY AND FRANCE WANT TO MEET WITH RUGOVA

  • NEWS IN DETAIL

    [A] NATIONAL NEWS

    [01] US MARINE PLATOON TRAVELS TO SKOPJE THROUGH THESSALONIKI

    A platoon of approximately 50 US marines arrived by US air force planes in Thessaloniki yesterday, with FYROM being the final destination.

    According to reports, the platoon will join a marine force already in Skopje in protecting the US embassy in FYROM's capital.

    Meanwhile, planes transporting humanitarian aid to FYROM and Albanian continue to land at Thessaloniki's "Macedonia" airport.

    [02] BURNS: UNITED STATES SUPPORT INVIOLABILITY OF GREEK BORDERS

    United States Ambassador to Athens Nicholas Burns has stated that Washington supports the inviolability of Greece's borders.

    Speaking to an Athens daily "To Vima", Ambassador Burns also said that the Kosovo crisis will not create conflict between Greece and Turkey.

    "The United States support Greece's territorial integrity and the inviolability of its borders, " Mr. Burns said.

    "Of course, we understand the fact that Greece is the only NATO members that is also a Southeast European country. The U.S. do not believe that the Kosovo crisis will create a conflict between Greece and Turkey. What President Clinton said was that both country can be affected separately, albeit negatively, from the conflict," he added.

    [03] THESSALONIKI IS "KEY SITE" FOR NATO, U.S. PENTAGON STATES

    Thessaloniki, with its port, airport and infrastructure, is "of vital importance to for NATO's forces" a United States Pentagon official stated during a press briefing today.

    Briefing the Greek press correspondents in Washington, the Pentagon's director of Defense Information Colonel Richard Bridges stated that Greece's stance was "courageous", given the country's geographical position in the region.

    He further stressed that Greece's contribution to Operation Allied Force is highly significant, both for the United States and NATO, as it allows for the transport of NATO troops through Thessaloniki's port and airport to FYROM.

    Earlier today, a U.S. government official stated that there are presently no plans to deploy ground troops to Kosovo, pointing out that in the case of the Persian Gulf it took a number of months to develop the multinational force.

    [04] KOSOVO REFUGEES IN GREECE ONLY ON EXTRAORDINARY OCCASIONS

    Greece will take in refugees from Kosovo only on extraordinary occasions, stated the Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Yiannis Magriotis prior to the Cabinet meeting today.

    Undersecretary of the Interior George Florides also stated that there are no problems and the Greek borers are being sufficiently safeguarded.

    Foreign Minister George Papandreou has reiterated Greece's advocacy to resolving the Kosovo crisis through political means, while the Undersecretary of Defense Dimitris Apostolakis stressed that Greece is not alarmed by Turkey's interest in Albania.

    [05] GREEKS CONDUCT TWO-HOUR WORK STOPPAGE IN PROTEST TO RAIDS

    Greece's economic and commercial sectors are to come to a standstill this afternoon as the country's largest labor unions and organizations are to conduct a two-hour work stoppage in protest to NATO's raids in Yugoslavia.

    The General Confederation of Greek Laborers, the Civil Servants Union and the retailers and manufacturers labor unions have organized the stoppage, to be held between 1-3 pm.

    As a result, the railway and marine transportation sectors are to operate with a skeleton crew, while public agencies, ministries and school will be closed.

    At the same time, various bank accounts have been opened in the country where the public may submit donations for the Kosovo refugees.

    [06] M. STANLEY:KOSOVO CRISIS WILL NOT IMPACT GREECE'S EMU COURSE

    The present situation in Kosovo may indeed be unsettling, but it will not rock Greece's course to the Economic and Monetary Union, according to a Morgan Stanley Dean Witter Co. research report.

    According to the firm, Greece will be "on time" in the target year of 2001, since "the cohesion course is more or less certain and it would require quite an unfortunate combination of events to halt it."

    [07] ANTI-WAR CONCERT WITH DALARAS, BREGOVIC IN THESSALONIKI

    An anti-war concert will be held in Thessaloniki this evening, featuring the participation of some of the best musicians the region can offer, and thousands are expected to flood the city's Aristotle Square.

    Goran Bregovic, George Dalaras, Stavros Kouyioumtzis and a score of others from Albania, Bulgaria and FYROM will sing for peace in the Balkans, while the concert will be broadcast live by ET-3 and Belgrade's State Television.

    The event is organized by the Thessaloniki Residents Initiative, which has expressed its solidarity to the war victims, regardless of nationality and religion.

    [08] REPPAS: GREECE HAS NOT BEEN ASKED TO PARTICIPATE IN GROUND OPERATIONS

    The view that the crisis in Kossovo will continue was expressed by ministers of the Greek government given the fact that NATO officials speak of an escalation of the air raids on Yugoslavia.

    Meanwhile, minister of press and government spokesman Dimitris Reppas stated that Greece has not been asked to participate in ground operations.

    Mr. Reppas stated that according to the estimates of the Greek government, 120.000 refugees are in Albania, 40.000 in Skopje and other 40.000 in Montenegro.

    Mr. Reppas stressed that if the wave of refugees swells the UN must take action to send them to different countries. He said that Greece is prepared to receive them in areas of northern Greece, adding that the Greek borders are guarded and protected.

    Finally, Mr. Reppas referred to the cleansing operations undertaken by Slobodan Milosevic characterizing them as actions that are in contrast with international law and are condemned by every country.

    [09] MEETING OF THE GREEK NAVY GENERAL STAFF ON THE RUSSIAN SHIPS THAT WILL SAIL ACROSS THE AEGEAN

    A Russian reconnaisance warship has left the port of Sevastopol for the Adriatic and a meeting of the Greek Navy General Staff has been held to discuss the issue of the Russian warships that are expected to sail across the Aegean.

    Tomorrow, the first Russian warship will pass from Bosporos, while on April 4 will follow two cruisers and a frigate, on April 6 a destroyer, a frigate and a cruiser and on April 10 a tank landing ship.

    Meanwhile, according to data on the refugees provided by the ministry of defense, 60.000 people have fled to Montenegro, 16.000 to Bosnia, 40.000 to Skopje, 20.000 to Serbia, 118.000 to Albania and 280.000 have been displaced within the Kossovo borders.

    [10] NATIONAL DEFENSE AND FOREIGN AFFAIRS PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE EXPRESSES CONCERN OVER THE NATO BOMBINGS

    The permanent parliamentary committee on national defense and foreign affairs issued a statement expressing its deep concern over the continuing air raids and military operations that lead to a tragic deadlock and can cause the political and economic destabilization of the Balkan region.

    Disagreement with this statement, that will be sent to all the foreign national parliaments, has been expressed by the Communist Party and the Democratic Social Movement which insisted that the text should clearly condemn the NATO bombings.

    The committee points out that there should be an immediate cease fire by all sides as a necessary pre-condition for the resumption of a political dialogue for the solution of the crisis that will be based on the ideas of the Contact Group and will have as main and non negotiable term the inviolability of the borders.

    The European Union is also called to undertake initiatives and contribute decisively to the promotion of a political solution, the settlement of economic problems and the return of the refugees to their homes.

    [11] THE CABINET MET TODAY

    The cabinet met today to examine the developments in Yugoslavia and issues concerning the refugees and the distribution of humanitarian aid as well as, the decisions of the Berlin summit meeting.

    The prime minister reiterated that there should be a political solution and expressed the view that the crisis will not spread. He also stressed that Greece respects its obligations toward NATO but it maintains an autonomous political and diplomatic presence in the region. On the Euro-parliament elections the prime minister pointed out that it is not a referendum but a crucial political battle and called for the support of each party member.

    Foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou referred to the issue of Kosovo, while minister of national economy and finance Yiannos Papantoniou referred to the outcome of the Berlin summit meeting.

    [12] SIMITIS: IN 2006 WE WILL LIVE IN A DIFFERENT GREECE

    Prime minister Kostas Simitis expressed the belief that by the year 2006 we will live in a different Greece, speaking in the cabinet meeting that examined the Agenda 2000 among other issues.

    The prime minister stated that the sum of money allocated to Greece constitutes a very important success of the Greek government and clarified that it will be used for the improvement of education, the creation of new job positions and the development of the social state.

    [13] THE UNITED STATES BACK THE INVIOLABILITY OF THE GREEK BORDERS

    US ambassador to Athens Nicholas Burns stated to an Athens newspaper that the United States back the inviolability of the Greek borders and pointed out that the crisis in Kosovo will not create a conflict between Greece and Turkey.

    Meanwhile, US assistant secretary of state Mr. Talbott will visit Athens on Sunday and he will meet with foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou.

    [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

    [14] THREE US SOLDIERS TO APPEAR BEFORE MILITARY COURT TODAY

    Military court proceedings are to begin today for the three U.S. Army soldiers who were captured by Serb forces on Yugoslav soil yesterday.

    According to the Yugoslav news agency Tanjug, four Tomahawk missiles struck a military camp in Vrania last night, 300 kilometers south of Belgrade.

    United State President Bill Clinton stated that he will hold Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic personally responsible for the three soldiers' fate. Meanwhile, Mr. Milosevic met with the leader of Kosovo's ethnic Albanians Ibrahim Rugova in Belgrade yesterday and both expressed their commitment to reaching a political solution for the crisis.

    [15] YUGOSLAVIA'S GENERAL ARMY STAFF LEADER REPLACED

    Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic has reshuffled the country's army leadership. The leader of the Yugoslav General Army staff has been replaced by Gen. Miodrag Simic, while Gen. Radomir Ristic will now serve as alternate minister of Civil Protection.

    Meanwhile,. US envoy Richard Holbrooke, speaking on a U.S. television program, stated that the Yugoslav leader is a "formidable adversary". Mr. Holbrooke praised NATO's Operation Allied Force, by stating that "this tragedy in Kosovo has been a noble undertaking. "

    [16] ETHNIC ALBANIANS FLEE KOSOVO BY THE THOUSANDS

    Thousands of ethnic Albanians have fled Kosovo, crossing either by foot or bus into neighboring Albania, FYROM and Montenegro. The organization for Security and Cooperation Europe stated that dozens of buses are required for the transport of 20,000 refugees presently at the Albanian border.

    Approximately 14,000 are already in FYROM, while Greece has sent humanitarian aid to Belgrade, Tirana and Skopje.

    [17] GREEK DEFENSE MINISTER MEETS WITH ROMANIAN COUNTERPART

    Greece's Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos, presently on a tour through the Balkans, is to visit Sofia this morning where he will meet with his Bulgarian counterpart Georgi Ananiev, Foreign Minister Nadezda Mihailova and Prime Minister Ivan Kostov.

    Later today, Mr. Tsochatzopoulos will travel to FYROM where he will be received by President Kiro Gligorov, Prime Minister Ljupco Georgievski, Foreign Minister Alexander Dimitrov and Defense Minister Nikola Klusev.

    In his talks with his Romanian counterpart Victor Babiuk in Bucharest yesterday, the Greek Defense Minister reiterated Greece's wish to see the Kosovo crisis resolved through peaceful means.

    Messrs. Tsochatzopoulos and Babiuk agreed that a solution to the Kosovo crisis could only be reached through political and diplomatic means, while they both emphasized their opposition to a change in Balkan borders.

    "No change in existing borders in Yugoslavia and, more generally, Balkan countries is acceptable in the name of autonomy or the protection of the rights of minorities," Mr. Tsochatzopoulos said.

    In turn, Mr. Babiuk said that his country is "treating the NATO intervention as a means and not an end in itself."

    NATO has intervened "to force (Yugoslav President) Milosevic to the negotiating table," he said and added that "the operations will continue until Milosevic changes stance."

    Mr. Tsochatzopoulos said that "the developments in Kosovo are of concern to the peace, stability and security of the Balkans and so are an issue for all the countries of the region" and reiterated Athens' position that Greece, as a neighboring country, could not participate directly in the offensive because this would be a destabilizing factor.

    [18] THE GREEK MINISTER OF DEFENSE IS IN SKOPJE

    Minister of defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos is in Skopje, while earlier in the day he had contacts with government officials in Sofia.

    Mr. Tsochatzopoulos met with Bulgarian prime minister Ivan Kostov, minister of defense Georgi Ananiev and undersecretary of foreign affairs Mr. Dimitrov. The Bulgarian leadership expressed opposition to the likelihood concerning the change of the existing borders in the region but it is not in disagreement with the NATO policy toward Belgrade.

    President Stoyanov suggested the immediate accession of Bulgaria, Romania and FYROM into the alliance for the creation of a security zone around Yugoslavia.

    Mr. Tsochatzopoulos in statements he made in Sofia characterized as positive the meeting of Rugova with Milosevic and called for an end to the ethnic cleansing operations in Kossovo.

    [19] NATO CONTINUES THE AIR STRIKES

    The United States and NATO stay firm in their decision to continue the bombing of Yugoslavia, while their targets will be expanded in the next 72 hours.

    One person was killed and another was injured by the NATO air strikes in southern Serbia this morning. Meanwhile, the numbers of refugees, who are seeking shelter mainly in Albania and FYROM, are on a dramatic increase.

    The three US soldiers captured by the Serb forces will be brought before a court-martial. The first of the 7 Russian war ships has left the port of Sevastopol for the Adriatic.

    [20] HOLBROOKE WANTS A RUGOVA - HILL MEETING

    The French news agency, AFP, reported that US special envoy to the Balkan region Richard Holbrooke has called on the Yugoslav leadership to allow Kossovo ethnic Albanian leader Ibrahim Rugova to meet with US ambassador to FYROM, who was also Washington's official mediator in the Rambouillet talks, Christopher Hill.

    Mr. Holbrooke stated to the US television network CNN that it is imperative that Rugova meets with international politicians and that he proposed the US ambassador to Skopje Mr. Christopher Hill. Mr. Holbrooke added that he will have a telephone communication with the Yugoslav leadership and he will ask for permission so that Mr. Rugova visits Skopje.

    [21] US ANALYST FEARS A NATO BREAK-UP

    A US special analyst warns that there is a risk of NATO break- up in case the operations in Yugoslavia fail.

    According to the Austrian newspaper "Der Standart", the US military analyst Ralf Peters of the Carlisle College predicted that the north Atlantic alliance will break-up in case there is an objective failure in Yugoslavia.

    He stated that the countries of southern Europe will leave NATO and this will have as a result the new division of Europe this time along the Alps. Regarding the likelihood to use ground forces in Yugoslavia, Mr. Peters stated that a well-trained force of 40-50.000 men will be sufficient for a successful operation.

    The US analyst also pointed out that it is a mistake to think that the war is won by the one who has high-tech weapons systems.

    On the prospect of an agreement, he believes that the signing of a peace agreement on the ruins of Kosovo will be a failure for NATO. This failure will be the start of a division within the alliance. He also believes that the alliance has already made a strategic mistake by avoiding to combine the air strikes with the use of ground forces. He said that for political reasons there was no such planning from the start and the result is that now the use of ground forces is not feasible because the number of casualties will be high in case there is hastened and bad preparation.

    [22] THE FOREIGN MINISTERS OF THE US, GERMANY AND FRANCE WANT TO MEET WITH RUGOVA

    According to information, the foreign ministers of Germany, France and the United States have invited Kosovo ethnic Albanian leader Ibrahim Rugova to visit Bonn or Brussels immediately in order to brief them on the situation in Kosovo, the drama of the refugees and the prospects for the settlement of the crisis.

    The foreign ministers of the three countries do not hide their discontent over the Rugova statements made in the meeting he had with Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic in Belgrade according to which, the NATO bombings must end.


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