Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 99-05-28
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, May 28, 1999
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] A HOSTAGE SITUATION IS STILL IN PROGRESS IN THESSALONIKI
[02] THRILLER IN THESSALONIKI - AN ALBANIAN HAS SEIZED A BUS FULL
OF PASSENGERS
[03] THE DISCUSSION IN PARLIAMENT ON THE YUGOSLAV CRISIS IS
UNDERWAY
[04] KRANIDIOTIS ON THE INDICTMENT OF MILOSEVIC
[05] NEW DEMOCRACY ON THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE DECISION
TO INDICT MILOSEVIC
[06] REPPAS ON THE MOBILIZATIONS IN THESSALONIKI AGAINST NATO
[07] REPPAS CONFIRMED THAT TURKEY MADE A DEMARCHE TO THE GREEK
EMBASSY IN ANKARA
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[08] KISSINGER CRITICIZED THE DECISION FOR THE INDICTMENT OF
MILOSEVIC
[09] DINI IS AGAINST A GROUND FORCES OPERATION BY NATO
[10] CHERNOMYRDIN-MILOSEVIC MEETING
[11] BORISLAV MILOSEVIC: THE INDICTMENT OF THE YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT
IS A "POLITICAL SHOW"
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] A HOSTAGE SITUATION IS STILL IN PROGRESS IN THESSALONIKI
The ordeal of the passengers of an intercity bus, that was
seized by 21yearold Albanian Flamur Pisli this morning, continues
as they are still held hostage and their abductor is threatening
them with a gun and a hand grenade. According to information he
gave himself to reporters, he was led to this action in revenge
for his brother who was mistreated by locals because he had an
affair with a Greek woman in the small village of Scholari,
outside Thessaloniki. The man asks for 50 million drachmas in
order to free the hostages.
The young Albanian is in contact with police through a mobile
phone and he is demanding the money and a free passage in order to
reach the borders with Albania and return to his country.
He boarded the bus at 10:30 this morning and forced the
driver to bring it to Thessaloniki. After driving around
Thessaloniki for several hours he demanded from the driver to take
the bus to the city of Veria. They changed their direction again
and around 2pm they returned to Thessaloniki. Based on the latest
information the bus now moves toward the borders with Albania.
The bus is followed by a strong police force and a police
helicopter as well as, by tens of cars with reporters and
television crews.
[02] THRILLER IN THESSALONIKI - AN ALBANIAN HAS SEIZED A BUS FULL
OF PASSENGERS
A thriller is in progress in Thessaloniki. A man, possibly an
Albanian, armed with a kalashnikov and a hand grenade has seized
an intercity bus and is holding its driver and five passengers
hostage. The ordeal of the passengers started at 9am this morning.
According to information, an Albanian, who boarded the bus at
the small community of Scholari had a gun and a hand grenade
hidden in a travel bag and threatening the driver he forced him to
take the bus to Thessaloniki. The bus arrived at the Republic
Square and tens of policemen blocked the streets leading to the
area. Earlier at noon, the bus was taken to the Veria junction but
the Albanian ordered the driver to return to Thessaloniki. The
Albanian has freed two women passengers.
The motives of the hostage taking are not known yet.
[03] THE DISCUSSION IN PARLIAMENT ON THE YUGOSLAV CRISIS IS
UNDERWAY
The discussion held in parliament at political party leaders
level concerning the crisis in Yugoslavia is underway. Prime
minister Kostas Simitis stated that Greece did not participate and
will not participate in war operations in Yugoslavia, while
referring to the opposition parties he said that they are not
worried about the country but about the Euro-parliament election
results.
Right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy leader
Kostas Karamanlis accused the government of flattering the
powerful even when they are mistaken. He also stated that it is
inconceivable for Greece not to have a voice abroad. Mr.
Karamanlis stated that mistakes should be pointed out for the sake
of being consistent to oneself.
[04] KRANIDIOTIS ON THE INDICTMENT OF MILOSEVIC
Greek deputy foreign minister Yiannos Kranidiotis stated that
the indictment of Milosevic decided by the International Court of
Justice in The Hague does not help in the efforts to find a
political solution to the Yugoslav problem. Speaking to the Athens
radio station "Flash" he stated that strangely enough the
indictment was decided in a period when the peace initiatives had
intensified and there was optimism that they could have results.
Mr. Kranidiotis pointed out that procedures are underway by
the ministries of defense and foreign affairs to interrupt
temporarily the use of the port of Thessaloniki by NATO forces in
the period starting on June 3 until four days after the Euro-
parliament elections.
[05] NEW DEMOCRACY ON THE INTERNATIONAL COURT OF JUSTICE DECISION
TO INDICT MILOSEVIC
Greek right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy
spokesman Aris Spiliotopoulos stated that the indictment of
Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic and four other high ranking
government officials after a decision made by the International
Court of Justice in The Hague takes us back to the start of the
crisis in Yugoslavia.
Mr. Spiliotopoulos stated that this move gives the impression
that huge obstacles are being created blocking the peace efforts
and this is very alarming.
[06] REPPAS ON THE MOBILIZATIONS IN THESSALONIKI AGAINST NATO
Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas stated that the
reactions of the people of Thessaloniki, who do not want the NATO
forces to pass through their city on their way to FYROM, are
mobilizations of small groups and not of the people of
Thessaloniki as a whole.
Mr. Reppas stated that they have the right to express their
views and their opposition but they should take under
consideration that national interests are at stake and that Greece
has a specific policy based on national interest that is backed by
the majority of the Greek people.
He said that such problems should not be created without
justification because they hurt the image of the country.
[07] REPPAS CONFIRMED THAT TURKEY MADE A DEMARCHE TO THE GREEK
EMBASSY IN ANKARA
Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas confirmed that
Turkey made a demarche to the Greek embassy in Ankara requesting
that actions that could create tension in regions disputed by
Turkey should be avoided.
Specifically, Greek embassy employee Ms. Koumanakou received
the demarche but there was no reference made to a specific island.
However, it is believed that the demarche has to do with the
island of Agathonisi where a yacht club hoisted the Greek flag.
Mr. Reppas accused Turkey of extreme and provocative behavior
and stated that the island in question is being inhabited for
years by an organized community and no dispute is justified.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[08] KISSINGER CRITICIZED THE DECISION FOR THE INDICTMENT OF
MILOSEVIC
Former US secretary of state Henry Kissinger criticized the
decision of the International Court of Justice in The Hague to
indict Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic for crimes against
humanity maintaining that this move makes the diplomatic efforts
for the solution of the Yugoslav crisis more complex.
Mr. Kissinger stated in an interview with the BBC that it is
not possible to negotiate with someone who is accused of war
crimes as the indictment decision concerns not only Milosevic but
the Serb president as well and therefore, there is no legitimate
authority in Belgrade with which negotiations could be held.
Also, Mr. Kissinger condemned the strategy of NATO in the
Kossovo crisis and stated that the alliance will have a problem
with a war in which moral values are in effect at an altitude of
over 15.000 feet.
[09] DINI IS AGAINST A GROUND FORCES OPERATION BY NATO
Italian foreign minister Lamberto Dini, in an interview with
the weekly newspaper "Panorama", expressed his strong reaction to
NATO's intention to send ground forces to Kossovo in view of the
effort for a peace agreement.
It would be a real invasion, stated Mr. Dini, and added that
if something like this happens Italy will distance itself from
such actions. He said that such a decision will destroy the
diplomatic and political work of 20 years. The Italian foreign
minister expressed the view that the United States will not have
the backing of Germany and many other countries, which are members
of the alliance, except from Britain.
[10] CHERNOMYRDIN-MILOSEVIC MEETING
Russian mediator Victor Chernomyrdin and Yugoslav president
Slobodan Milosevic are meeting at this hour in Belgrade in a last
effort to find a political solution to the Yugoslav problem.
Mr. Chernomyrdin before leaving Moscow expressed strong
disappointment because essentially there were no concrete results
from the talks with US assistant secretary of state Strobe Talbott
and Finnish president Maarti Ahtisaari. However, he stressed that
he will continue the efforts for the solution of the Yugoslav
problem.
[11] BORISLAV MILOSEVIC: THE INDICTMENT OF THE YUGOSLAV PRESIDENT
IS A "POLITICAL SHOW"
Yugoslav ambassador to Moscow Borislav Milosevic, brother of
Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic stated today to the French
newspaper "Le Parisien" that the indictment of the Yugoslav
president decided by the International Court of Justice in The
Hague is a "political show" that aims at destroying the diplomatic
efforts.
The Yugoslav ambassador stated that the Americans want to
sabotage the negotiations and any hope for compromise, adding that
the West should negotiate with Milosevic otherwise the NATO allies
will have to fight until the end "because my brother can not be
pushed aside and there is no other who can negotiate in Belgrade".
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