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Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 99-04-16

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 16, 1999

SECTIONS

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

  • NEWS HEADLINES

    [A] NATIONAL NEWS

  • [01] GREECE TAKES INITIATIVES FOR PEACE IN THE BALKANS
  • [02] PM BRIEFS PRESIDENT ON LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN YUGOSLAVIA
  • [03] GREECE'S CULTURE MINISTER DEPARTS FOR UNITED STATES TODAY
  • [04] UNDESECRETARY OF ECONOMY TRAVELS TO SKOPJE ON MONDAY
  • [05] OLYMPIC GAMES OF 2004 TO BRING OVER SIX MILLION TOURISTS
  • [06] COMPREHENSIVE GREEK PROPOSAL FOR THE SOLUTION OF THE CRISIS IN YUGOSLAVIA
  • [07] JOINT DECLARATION BY THE MUNICIPALITIES OF TRIGONO AND SVILEGRAD AGAINST THE MILITARY INTERVENTION IN ALBANIA
  • [08] NIOTIS IS VISITING TIRANA - A GREEK FOREIGN MINISTRY ADVISER IS IN BELGRADE
  • [09] STEPHANOPOULOS-SIMITIS MEETING
  • [10] KOSTAS KARAMANLIS VISITED MUNICIPALITIES IN THESSALONIKI
  • [11] THE EUROPEAN INTER-PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY OF ORTHODOXY EXPRESSES ABHORRENCE OVER THE BOMBINGS
  • [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

  • [12] RAIDS CONTINUE, FOURTH WEEK OF WAR UNDER WAY
  • [13] CLINTON PLEDGES PRIORITY TO IMPROVING G/T RELATIONS
  • [14] NATO ADMITS IT ERRED, BUT SAYS ITS MILOSEVIC'S FAULT
  • [15] GREEK PREMIER MEETS WITH BULGARIAN COUNTERPART IN SOFIA
  • [16] EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ADOPTS ANTI-SERBIA RESOLUTION
  • [17] HARVARD HOLDS EVENT ON LITERARY INSPIRATION FROM GREECE
  • [18] COHEN: "RAIDS COULD CONTINUE FOR MANY WEEKS, EVEN MONTHS"
  • [19] BELGRADE WOULD ACCEPT OBSERVERS, BUT ONLY NON-NATO
  • [20] COALITION PARTY LEADER APPEALS FOR AN END TO THE WAR
  • [21] MILUDINOVIC MET WITH RUGOVA
  • [22] THE GREEK POSITIONS ON PEACE IN THE BALKANS WERE PRESENTED BY G. PAPANDREOU IN THE EURO-MEDITERRANEAN CONFERENCE
  • [23] THE US PENTAGON WILL CALL 33.000 ARMY RESERVES
  • [24] THE BBC WILL HELP REFUGEE FAMILY MEMBERS TO REUNITE
  • [25] THE RUSSIAN DUMA APPROVED THE ACCESSION OF YUGOSLAVIA INTO THE UNION OF RUSSIA WITH BELARUS
  • [26] TWO NUCLEAR REACTORS ARE CLOSE TO BELGRADE
  • [27] KOMNENIC: NATO CONTAMINATES THE YUGOSLAV CROP WITH CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES

  • NEWS IN DETAIL

    [A] NATIONAL NEWS

    [01] GREECE TAKES INITIATIVES FOR PEACE IN THE BALKANS

    Senior foreign ministry officials from Balkan countries will be in Athens on Monday in order to discuss the content of a proposal for Balkan security to be presented at the forthcoming NATO summit in the United States.

    The proposal is an Athens initiative and is expected to be a joint communique on general principles for stability, peace and the prosperity of Balkan countries. Officials from Yugoslavia have been invited to attend the informal meeting but have not yet replied as to whether they will.

    [02] PM BRIEFS PRESIDENT ON LATEST DEVELOPMENTS IN YUGOSLAVIA

    The President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos met with the Prime Minister Kostas Simitis this morning, for an overview of the latest developments in Yugoslavia.

    Mr. Simitis stated that the Cabinet will review a Greek plan which is designed to motivate Europe into displaying a greater degree of mobility concening the Yugoslav crisis.

    The Premier also briefed the President on the European Union's informal Summit, held on Wednesday, and stated that, through mutual effort and understanding, there is room to discover a solution.

    Furthermore, Mr. Simitis stressed that Greece intends to request a peace initiative from both the EU and NATO, suggesting plans of action for managing the crisis.

    [03] GREECE'S CULTURE MINISTER DEPARTS FOR UNITED STATES TODAY

    Greece's Minister of Culture Elizabeth Papazoi is departing for the United States today where she will attend the opening of the Greek wing at the Metropolitan Museum of New York, which will be inaugurated by Prime Minister Kostas Simitis.

    Ms. Papazoi will be the guest speaker at Harvard's lecture on "The values of Greek culture and their influence in the 21st century" which is held within the framework of the "The Spirit of Greece Inspires" event.

    On Sunday, the Culture Minister will attend an event held at the Museum of Cycladic Art in New York and will depart for Lauzanne, Switzerland, on Wednesday where she will visit the headquarters of the International Olympic Committee and will be received by IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch.

    [04] UNDESECRETARY OF ECONOMY TRAVELS TO SKOPJE ON MONDAY

    Greece's Undersecretary of National Economy Alexandros Baltas is to travel to Skopje on Monday, where he and a delegation of Greek entrepreneurs will examine the prospects of purchasing FYROM ventures on preferential terms.

    FYROM's market remains an attractive field for Greek investors, with indirect Greek ventures amounting to $70 million having already been established or being in the works.

    [05] OLYMPIC GAMES OF 2004 TO BRING OVER SIX MILLION TOURISTS

    Over six million foreign tourists are expected to visit Greece by the year 2011, enticed by the country's extensive promotion through the Olympic Games of 2004, to be held in Athens.

    According to a study conducted on behalf of the Institute of Tourism Research and Forecasts, Greek tourism will reap the benefits of the Games for at least seven years to follow.

    Moreover, the study, to be officially presented next Tuesday in Athens, foresees that approximately 24,000 foreigners will visit Attica prior to the Games, with their number swelling to 87,000 during the course of the Olympics, not including an estimated 60,000 who are expected to visit the country independent of the Games, but motivated by the extensive campaign abroad.

    [06] COMPREHENSIVE GREEK PROPOSAL FOR THE SOLUTION OF THE CRISIS IN YUGOSLAVIA

    Prime minister Kostas Simitis presented a comprehensive Greek proposal for the solution of the crisis in Yugoslavia and the stabilization of the Balkans. The measures included in the proposal aim at the political solution of the crisis as soon as possible, the stabilization of the Balkans and their incorporation into the European architecture as well as the solution of the humanitarian problems that are the result of the crisis in Kossovo.

    The prime minister stressed that Greece will be engaged in an intense diplomatic activity within the framework of NATO and the European Union and also at wider level. He stressed the need for a diplomatic solution given the fact that the Milosevic regime has been strengthened instead of becoming weaker, as sought by the NATO forces. He also said that FYROM and Albania have suffered heavy economic consequences and they are faced with the risk of political destabilization. As far as Greece is concerned, tourism can suffer considerably during the summer, while there is a risk for difficulties in the exports from northern Greece if the crisis continues.

    On the basic principles that have to be respected, Mr. Simitis referred to the framework of the talks in Rambouillet and specifically, to the respect of the inviolability of the borders, the protection of minority rights and the need for a peaceful solution to the conflicts as well as, the cooperation for democracy and development.

    Mr. Simitis reiterated that the Greek government will not be involved in the war in Yugoslavia but he made it clear that it will send the Greek armed forces wherever it believes it is right.

    On the executive decree signed by US president Bill Clinton that defines Yugoslavia, Albania, the Adriatic and the northern Ionian Sea as war zones, Mr. Simitis said that this decree does concern Greece, stressing that it does not concern the Greek armed forces and the movement of the Greek citizens.

    [07] JOINT DECLARATION BY THE MUNICIPALITIES OF TRIGONO AND SVILEGRAD AGAINST THE MILITARY INTERVENTION IN ALBANIA

    The mayor and the city council of the municipality of Trigono in Greece and the president and the city council of Svilegrad in Bulgaria signed a joint declaration at the Greek-Bulgarian borders condemning the military intervention of the NATO and US forces in Yugoslavia.

    In the joint declaration the two municipalities demand the immediate end of the bombings and express their opposition to the hypocricy displayed by the allies when they invoke the protection of human rights to justify their intervention in Yugoslavia, while human rights are being violated daily in Cyprus, Kurdistan and other regions of the world.

    The joint declaration also calls on all the countries taking part in the military operations to stop the bombings and start peace negotiations.

    [08] NIOTIS IS VISITING TIRANA - A GREEK FOREIGN MINISTRY ADVISER IS IN BELGRADE

    Greek foreign ministry special adviser Alexandros Rontos is in Belgrade at the orders of the Greek foreign minister. The goal of his trip is to prepare the ground for the Greek humanitarian aid to Kossovo.

    Meanwhile, deputy foreign minister Grigoris Niotis is in Tirana since this morning heading a government delegation. Mr. Niotis will visit refugee camps to witness the conditions under which the refugees live and offer them assistance.

    [09] STEPHANOPOULOS-SIMITIS MEETING

    Prime minister Kostas Simitis briefed president Kostis Stephanopoulos on the current developments and mainly on the crisis in Yugoslavia.

    Mr. Simitis stated that a Greek plan will be discussed through which the Greek government hopes to exert pressures on Europe for more mobility toward the solution of the Yugoslav crisis. The plan, according to information, aims at bringing peace immediately to the region through political means and also provides for the solution of the refugee problem.

    The prime minister stated that this is a very difficult period and this became evident in the recent summit meeting. However, he added that with joint effort and understanding there will be grounds for a solution. Mr. Simitis stressed that Greece will call for a peace initiative by the European Union and NATO.

    President Stephanopoulos stated, while welcoming the prime minister to the presidential building, that it is clear that everyone in Greece supports a political solution but wondered if there is still hope for such a solution.

    [10] KOSTAS KARAMANLIS VISITED MUNICIPALITIES IN THESSALONIKI

    Right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis visited municipalities in Thessaloniki today within the framework of the second day of his tour of northern Greece.

    Today's programme includes visits to the municipalities of Stavros, Nea Apollonia, Zagliveri, Gerakarou, Panorama, Sikies, Ampelokipi and Menemeni, while he is scheduled to speak in an open air rally in Koufalia this afternoon. Later in the evening, he will be go to Kilkis and tomorrow he will tour the prefecture. Tomorrow evening, he will speak in a open air rally in the city of Serres.

    [11] THE EUROPEAN INTER-PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY OF ORTHODOXY EXPRESSES ABHORRENCE OVER THE BOMBINGS

    The European Inter-Parliamentary Assembly of Orthodoxy expresses abhorrence and concern for the war in Yugoslavia and underlines that the continuation of the NATO military operations, apart from their immediate dramatic consequences, they can also cause the destabilization of the region and they can bring the Balkans back to the state of the "powder-keg of Europe".

    The national assemblies, mainly of the NATO countries and the rest of the world, are being called to demand from the state governments to undertake decisive action for the immediate end of the bombings and the rest military actions and promote the peace process.

    [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

    [12] RAIDS CONTINUE, FOURTH WEEK OF WAR UNDER WAY

    NATO aircraft continued to pound key structures throughout Yugoslavia, targeting oil refineries in Pancevo, Novisaad, Subotica and Podgorica, Montenegro's capital city.

    According to the Yugoslav news agency Tanjug, Allied missiles struck a shelter for Bosnian and Croat refugees, with no victims being reported.

    United States President Bill Clinton said that the Alliance will continue its raids on Yugoslavia. In an emergency supplemental spending request submitted to Congress, Mr. Clinton asked for an additional $5.9 billion for the air strikes.

    [13] CLINTON PLEDGES PRIORITY TO IMPROVING G/T RELATIONS

    United States President Bill Clinton has pledged to make the improvement of Greek-Turkish relations a priority of his Administration's tasks.

    Speaking before the American Society of Newspaper Editors in San Francisco, President Clinton conceded that relations between the two neighboring countries did not improve during his six years in office, nevertheless, neither did they worsen, he pointed out.

    [14] NATO ADMITS IT ERRED, BUT SAYS ITS MILOSEVIC'S FAULT

    NATO has expressed regret for Wednesday's "accidental" attack on a convoy of refugees near Djakovica, where an allied aircraft dropped a bomb on civilian vehicles, killing 75 persons and wounding another 25.

    The Alliance said the NATO pilots involved in the attack mistakenly thought they were targeting a military convoy. In spite of the regret, the allied forces are determined to press on with the attacks, as NATO spokesman Jamie Shea stressed. British Prime Minister Tony Blair said ultimate responsibility for the attack lay with Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic, because his campaign of "ethnic cleansing" against Kosovo's Albanians had precipitated the attack.

    "Of course we regret these things deeply when they happen. But that should not make us flinch from placing responsibility for this conflict squarely on the shoulders of ... Milosevic," he said.

    [15] GREEK PREMIER MEETS WITH BULGARIAN COUNTERPART IN SOFIA

    Greece's Prime Minister Kostas Simitis met with his Bulgarian counterpart Ivan Kostov in Sofia yesterday, where both leaders agreed on the need to intensify initiatives concerning the Kosovo crisis.

    "We believe there must be initiatives to achieve peace as soon as possible. In this context, we hail the involvement or the decision for a more active presence of the UN in facing the problem," Mr. Simitis said.

    Mr. Kostov stated that both Greece and Bulgaria are in favor of a speedy, peaceful and just resolution of the crisis, "considering that a scenario of a prolonged crisis without a peaceful solution will not only cause huge economic losses, but also social and political destabilization of another kind."

    Messrs. Kostov and Simitis called for an immediate end to the NATO bombings of Yugoslavia and the convening of a conference of Balkan countries, including Yugoslavia, under the European Union's auspices.

    [16] EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ADOPTS ANTI-SERBIA RESOLUTION

    The European Parliament has adopted a draft resolution denouncing Serbia and Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic.

    The resolution calls on President Milosevic to withdraw Yugoslav troops from Kosovo, allow the return of refugees to Kosovo, agree to the deployment of an international force in the region and create the conditions that would lead to a political resolution of the crisis. The draft bill was voted by 313 MPs, with 78 voting against, and 29 abstaining.

    Concurrently, the Parliament declared that NATO's raids on Yugoslavia are "unavoidable", characterizing Belgrade's policy as "criminal".

    [17] HARVARD HOLDS EVENT ON LITERARY INSPIRATION FROM GREECE

    The tradition of Hellenism, as espoused by Lord Byron, Henry Miller and James Merrill, among others, will be the focus of an international conference scheduled to take place at Harvard University between April 16-17.

    Titled "The Spirit of Greece Inspires," the conference is aimed at promoting Greece as a country which inspires foreign writers.

    Divided into two sections, its first day deals with the relation between writers and mythical Greece, while the second day focuses on the relationship between journalists with the Greece of reality.

    A number of renowned authors will recite excerpts from their works, illustrating the inspiration they have derived from Greece, among them Italy's Dario FO and Franca Rarne, Barry Unsworth from the United Kingdom, and Edmund Keeley, Patricia Stotace, Olga Broumas, Jeffrey Eurenides from the United States.

    The event is organized by Harvard University's Seferis Faculty, the Socrates Kokkalis program at Harvard's John F. Kennedy College and the literary magazines Harvard Review (Cambridge) and Mondo Greco (Boston).

    Sponsors include the Culture Ministry of Greece and the Socrates Kokkalis Foundation.

    [18] COHEN: "RAIDS COULD CONTINUE FOR MANY WEEKS, EVEN MONTHS"

    U.S. Secretary of State William Cohen has stated that NATO's raids against Yugoslavia could very well continue until the summer, speaking at the Senate's Armed Services Committee.

    Gen. Hugh Shelton, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, denied that the deployment of ground troops is eminent but, when asked if the raids could continue for "many, many, many weeks or even months," both he and Mr. Cohen, responded "yes."

    "This is not going to be quick or easy or neat," the Secretary of Defense said.

    [19] BELGRADE WOULD ACCEPT OBSERVERS, BUT ONLY NON-NATO

    Belgrade is willing to discuss the possibility of political observes in Kosovo, on the condition that the force would not comprise members from countries participating in the raids against Yugoslavia, according to the spokesperson of the Yugoslav Foreign Ministry, Neboisa Vujovic.

    Mr. Vujovic stressed that Yugoslavia is utterly opposed to the assignment of a Kosovo mission similar to OSCE's verification force, which, he stated, "escaped Kosovo in order to pave the road for NATO's air raids."

    [20] COALITION PARTY LEADER APPEALS FOR AN END TO THE WAR

    The leader of Greece's Coalition of the Left and Progress party, Nikos Konstantopoulos, who is presently on a visit to Skopje, warned of the perils borne by the war in Yugoslavia as it endangers stability in the Balkans.

    Speaking to the Macedonian Press Agency, Mr. Konstantopoulos stated that "Yugoslavia is at the brink of dissolution and disaster, with all the other Balkan countries being in the destabilization plan.

    "This catastrophic war must end now. Each day that passes and as the war rages on, the invasion plan is expanded and intensified," Mr. Konstantopoulos said, warning of the risks involved to the Balkan region's stability.

    He blasted the European Union, saying that the Community is turning against its own self.

    "The European Union is essentially conducting a war against itself, a war against Europe... because it does not have a common foreign policy, it lacks the will to develop an autonomous political role and is content with playing the role of satellite to the United States."

    Referring to the refugees, whom he had the opportunity to visit, the Coalition leader described their horrendous condition as a disgrace to humanity.

    Prior to returning to Thessaloniki tonight, Mr. Konstantopoulos will be received by the President of FYROM Kiro Gligorov, Premier Georgievski, Foreign Minister Dimitrov and political party leaders.

    [21] MILUDINOVIC MET WITH RUGOVA

    Serb president Milan Miludinovic met with Kosovo ethnic Albanian leader Ibrahim Rugova. Also present in the meeting was Yugoslav vice-president Nicholas Sainovic.

    Russian officials believe that NATO escalates its air strikes in order to destroy the Serb military and make the likely risks of a ground operation more acceptable by the north Atlantic alliance.

    At the same time, US president Bill Clinton asked from Congress to approve an additional sum of 6 billion US dollars for the attacks against Yugoslavia.

    [22] THE GREEK POSITIONS ON PEACE IN THE BALKANS WERE PRESENTED BY G. PAPANDREOU IN THE EURO-MEDITERRANEAN CONFERENCE

    The Greek strategy on peace in the Balkans was presented by foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou in the 3rd Euro-Mediterranean Conference that was held in Stuttgart with the participation of the foreign ministers of the EU and their twelve counterparts from the Mediterranean, the Middle East and north Africa.

    Mr. Papandreou referred to the effort made by the Euro- Mediterranean Conference to set the main principles on which the cooperation of the region's countries will be based. Mr. Papandreou stated that a framework of principles was formed which is in agreement with the Greek position concerning the relations between neighboring countries and added that it is a framework of principles that contributes to the good neighborly relations.

    Mr. Papandreou stated that among the principles underlined were the peaceful solution of conflicts, the establishment of confidence building measures, the respect toward the International Court of Justice in The Hague, the exploitation of international mechanisms, the observance of treaties and the respect of the existing borders.

    [23] THE US PENTAGON WILL CALL 33.000 ARMY RESERVES

    The US Pentagon is ready to call on duty 33.000 army reserves and members of the National Guard for the first time after the war in Vietnam, according to the "New York Times".

    Meanwhile, US president Bill Clinton will ask Congress to approve the sum of 6 billion US dollars for the military operations in Yugoslavia.

    [24] THE BBC WILL HELP REFUGEE FAMILY MEMBERS TO REUNITE

    A number of radio programs aimed at the reunification of refugee family members, who were separated due to the situation in Yugoslavia and sought shelter either in FYROM or in Albania, will be broadcast by the BBC world service today.

    The Albanian service of the BBC with the support of the International Red Cross will create a "radio bridge" to help the families that were separated. The BBC will broadcast in Tirana and Skopje on the FM band.

    [25] THE RUSSIAN DUMA APPROVED THE ACCESSION OF YUGOSLAVIA INTO THE UNION OF RUSSIA WITH BELARUS

    The Russian Duma approved today the draft resolution which calls president Boris Yeltsin to sign the treaty for the accession of Yugoslavia into the loose union of Russia with Belarus, according to the Russian news agency Itar-Tass.

    The resolution calls on the Russian president and the government to examine the economic, political, legal and international issues that are associated with the accession procedure of Yugoslavia into the Russia-Belarus union.

    The accession treaty has to be signed by the presidents of the two countries before it is submitted to the Duma for ratification.

    [26] TWO NUCLEAR REACTORS ARE CLOSE TO BELGRADE

    There are two nuclear reactors in Yugoslavia and they are located close to Belgrade, stated in a press conference Mr. Valeri Meziyev chairman of the Russian Atomic Energy committee, who pointed out that if the reactors remain isolated there will be no risk for a radiation leak.

    Mr. Meziyev pointed out that other three nuclear plants are in operation in Slovenia, Hungary and Romania within a distance of 100-200 kilometers from the Yugoslav borders and expressed the hope that the NATO pilots know exactly the location of the nuclear reactors and plants in order to avoid a disaster.

    [27] KOMNENIC: NATO CONTAMINATES THE YUGOSLAV CROP WITH CHEMICAL SUBSTANCES

    Yugoslav information minister Milan Komnenic launched an attack against NATO maintaining that the allied aircraft contaminate the cultivated land in Yugoslavia with chemical substances.

    In an interview with the Japanese newspaper "Mainitsi Sibun", Mr. Komnenic stressed that NATO's goal is to destroy this year's farm production in order to further weaken his country.

    The Yugoslav government minister also pointed out that the explosives used so far for the bombing of his country equal the strength of four nuclear bombs.


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