Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 99-10-13
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, October 13, 1999
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] GREEK FM EMBARKS ON EUROPEAN TOUR TO
PROMOTE POSITIONS
[02] PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE OVER TAX BILL,
OPPOSITION BLASTS STATE
[03] QUAKE VICTIMS TO BE IN PREFABRICATED HOUSES
BY MID-NOVEMBER
[04] BALKAN RECONSTRUCTION CONFERENCE HOSTED BY
THESSALONIKI
[05] OLYMPIC AIRWAYS RECEIVES EUROPEAN AWARD FOR
MAINTENANCE
[06] CYPRIOT FM IN ATHENS TODAY TO MEET WITH
STATE OFFICIALS
[07] EUROPEAN COMMISSION TO HOLD CONFERENCE IN
RHODES
[08] CULTURE MINISTRY DEDICATES YEAR 2000 TO
GREEK POET SEFERIS
[09] EGNATIA ROUTE AND ISTANBUL TO BE LINKED BY
ROAD JUNCTION
[10] EU SUMMIT TO REVIEW MATTERS OF VIABLE
INTEREST TO GREECE
[11] CONSULTATIONS BETWEEN KASOULIDES AND THE
GREEK GOVERNMENT
[12] SMALL RISE IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
[13] IKA SENDS HUMANITARIAN AID TO THE
EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS IN TURKEY
[14] AN ADVISER TO THE NEW DEMOCRACY LEADER
RESIGNS OVER STATEMENTS HE MADE
[15] REPPAS: THE CLINTON VISIT WILL BE
SUCCESSFUL
[16] UN MILITARY OBSERVERS HAVE BEEN ABDUCTED IN
ABKHAZIA
[17] THE MEMBERS OF A RELIGIOUS SECT THREATEN TO
COMMIT SUICIDE
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[18] PRESIDENT OF HELLENIC REPUBLIC CONDUCTS
OFFICIAL VISIT TO IRAN
[19] PRESIDENT STEPHANOPOULOS MEETS WITH IRANIAN
COUNTERPART
[20] COMMISSION TO PROPOSE ACCESSION TALKS FOR
SIX NEW COUNTRIES
[21] C OF E HOLDS HUMAN RIGHTS CONFERENCE IN
CYPRUS ON SATURDAY
[22] TURKEY: THREE KILLED IN POST-QUAKE
DEMOLITION WORK ACCIDENT
[23] PRESIDENT STEPHANOPOULOS MET WITH HIS
IRANIAN COUNTERPART
[24] "INTRACOM" WILL ISSUE A BALKAN PHONE CARD
IN BULGARIA
[25] BULGARIA REMOVES THE BARBED WIRE FENCES AT
ITS BORDERS WITH GREECE AND FYROM
[26] THE GREEK MINORITY IN ALBANIA THREATENS
WITH ROAD BLOCKADES
[27] TSOCHATZOPOULOS: THE COOPERATION OF THE
BALKAN STATES IS NECESSARY FOR STABILITY IN THE
REGION
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NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] GREEK FM EMBARKS ON EUROPEAN TOUR TO
PROMOTE POSITIONS
Foreign Minister George Papandreou will
begin a tour of Europe next Monday in order to
promote Greek positions in light of the upcoming
European Union Helsinki summit and to discuss
Turkey's candidacy for EU membership and Cyprus.
Mr. Papandreou is expected to state that
Turkey has to adhere to democratic norms adopted
by other member states before joining the union,
and Cyprus' eventual candidacy will have to be
assured.
After returning from the informal European
Council in Tampere, Finland, (October 15-16),
Mr. Papandreou will meet US President Bill
Clinton's Cyprus envoy, Alfred Moses, and the US
State Department's special coordinator for
Cyprus, Tom Weston.
The Foreign Minister will visit London on
October 18, where he will meet with his British
counterpart Robin Cook and possibly British
Prime Minister Tony Blair.
He will travel to Madrid on October 19
where he will meet his Spanish counterpart Abel
Matutes and probably Spanish Prime Minister Jose
Maria Aznar. The next day, October 20, Mr.
Papandreou will travel to Rome where he will
meet with foreign minister Lamberto Dini,
ministry spokesman Panagiotis Beglitis said.
[02] PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE OVER TAX BILL,
OPPOSITION BLASTS STATE
A parliamentary debate erupted last night
between the ruling PASOK party and the country's
main opposition, New Democracy, over the
proposed tax bill.
N.D. leader Kostas Karamanlis stated that
the state is conducting "alchemy" in the economy
sector, which could lead to severe problems in
the future. Furthermore, Mr. Karamanlis
challenged the validity of the official data
presented by PASOK, claiming that the state's
deficit actually stands at 5% of the GNP and not
the announced 2.5%.
In response, the Minister of National
Economy and Finance Yiannos Papantoniou stressed
that the government has imposed taxes only on
capital gains and profits, and characterized the
tax bill as a pro-popular one.
[03] QUAKE VICTIMS TO BE IN PREFABRICATED HOUSES
BY MID-NOVEMBER
The request filing process has gotten
underway for the granting of rent and
cohabitation subsidies to those rendered
homeless by the earthquake that devastated
Athens on September 7.
Following a meeting held yesterday evening
between Prime Minister Costas Simitis and the
Ministers of Interior and Environment, Vaso
Papandreou and Costas Laliotis respectively, the
state announced that 4,000 prefabricated homes
will be ready by November 15 in order to house
those who can't find homes or apartments to
rent.
[04] BALKAN RECONSTRUCTION CONFERENCE HOSTED BY
THESSALONIKI
Thessaloniki will host a conference on
Balkan reconstruction on November 2 and 3, which
will be inaugurated by the special coordinator
of the Stability Pact for SE Europe, Bondo
Hombach and attended by prominent officials of
several governments and organizations, with the
president of the European Commission Romano
Prodi also expected to be present .
The conference will include discussion of
inter-Balkan cooperation in business and
banking, and of the financing of the planned
reconstruction projects.
National economy minister Yiannos
Papantoniou will present Greece's Balkan
reconstruction plan, to be followed by an
exchange of views with his Balkan counterparts.
The event is jointly organized by the
Industries Association of Northern Greece
(SVVE), the International Trade Fair of
Thessaloniki and the Euromoney publications.
The President of Montenegro Milo Juganovic
has also been invited to attend as a speaker at
the event, the only official from the former
Yugoslavia.
The chairman of SVEE Vasilis Takas stated
that "the international community is not willing
to conduct talks with officials from the
Yugoslav government, hence, Mr. Juganovic was
the only person who could represent the region
at this present stage."
[05] OLYMPIC AIRWAYS RECEIVES EUROPEAN AWARD FOR
MAINTENANCE
The national air carrier, Olympic Airways,
is to be the recipient of a first-ever
maintenance award, to be bestowed by the
European Maintenance Academy, an organization
which reviewes the upkeep records of various
companies throughout the continent.
Along with O.A., Unilever-Elais and Volvo
car manufacturer will also receive the award for
their maintenance record, in a ceremony to be
held on October 15 in Athens on the sidelines of
a European conference on maintenance.
The conference, which will be attended by
distinguished Greek and European scientists and
sector professionals, will feature analysis of
building and tool maintenance methods.
[06] CYPRIOT FM IN ATHENS TODAY TO MEET WITH
STATE OFFICIALS
Cypriot Foreign Minister Yiannakis
Kasoulides is arriving in Athens today where he
will hold talks with Greek government leaders on
the developments of the Cyprus issue and the
island's accession course to the European Union,
in light of the U.S. President's imminent visit
to Greece and the EU Helsinki summit.
In a verbal message forwarded to his
Turkish counterpart yesterday, Greece's Premier
Costas Simitis stated that Greece is willing to
support's Turkey's European orientation, but
expects Ankara to make decisions and gestures to
prove that it seeks a real, not figurative,
candidacy to the EU.
[07] EUROPEAN COMMISSION TO HOLD CONFERENCE IN
RHODES
Access given to enterprises in support
services provided by the European Union will be
discussed during a conference to begin tomorrow
at the island of Rhodes, organized by the
General Directorate of the European Commission.
The event, to take place October14-16, will
feature the participation of 600 delegates from
various European countries, who will attempt to
secure a wide- yet focused- action plan from
the Commission in supporting enterprises at a
local level.
[08] CULTURE MINISTRY DEDICATES YEAR 2000 TO
GREEK POET SEFERIS
The Culture Ministry will dedicate the year
2000 to Greece's renowned poet Giorgios Seferis,
1963 Nobel Laureate in Literature, marking the
centennial anniversary since his birth in
Smyrna.
A series of events will be held throughout
the year, starting with Cyprus which will host a
seminar on Seferis.
A vast selection of photographs,
manuscripts and personal items will be on
display in Athens in an exhibition that will
travel throughout the cities associated with the
life of the man who is regarded by many as the
greatest Greek poet of the 20th century.
[09] EGNATIA ROUTE AND ISTANBUL TO BE LINKED BY
ROAD JUNCTION
Greece's Minister of Transportation Tasos
Mantelis and his Turkish counterpart Enis Oksuz
signed an agreement that will allow for the a
road junction between Egnatia Route and
Istanbul.
The junction will be created via a new road
which will start at Kipi in Evros and will
continue on to the existing motorway of Istanbul-
Sofia.
Other transportation plants include the
upgrading of the present railway route of
Thessaloniki-Istanbul, both in passenger and
cargo transport.
Messrs. Mantelis and Oksuz, who met
yesterday during the former's visit to Istanbul,
also agreed to cooperate on the SECI accord and
its expansion to Black Sea countries.
[10] EU SUMMIT TO REVIEW MATTERS OF VIABLE
INTEREST TO GREECE
A series of matters that are of viable
interest to Greece are to be discussed during
the European Union summit to be held at Tampere,
Finland, on Friday and Saturday, as the agenda
includes subjects concerning security and
illegal immigration, while the "15" will also
review matters concerning the EU's expansion and
the timeline for the accession negotiations with
new countries.
Greece's Prime Minister Costas Simitis,
following a meeting with German Chancellor
Gerhard Schroeder held earlier this month,
stated that negotiations with the second wave of
countries vying for accession (Bulgaria, Latvia,
Lithuania, Malta, Romania and Slovakia) should
get underway.
Moreover, the Greek premier referred to
Turkey and its candidacy by stating that Ankara
has to proceed to specific moves and gestures.
Concerning Turkey, Finland had announced
during its statements before the European
Parliament on July 22, 1999, that the said
country's accession prospect will depend upon
progress made on democratic reforms, development
of democratic rights and respect of minorities.
[11] CONSULTATIONS BETWEEN KASOULIDES AND THE
GREEK GOVERNMENT
Cypriot foreign minister Yiannakis
Kasoulides is expected in Athens this afternoon
for consultations with the Greek government.
The talks he will have will focus on the
developments in the Cyprus issue and his
country's course toward the European Union
accession in view of US president Clinton's
visit to Athens and Ankara and the EU Summit
meeting in Helsinki.
In the following days, Greek foreign
minister Giorgos Papandreou will launch a
campaign for the briefing of the EU partners
over the moves made by the Greek government
aimed at the improvement of the Greek-Turkish
relations. Mr. Papandreou will visit the
European capitals for contacts in an effort to
make sure that there will be no obstacles to
Cyprus' EU accession course.
[12] SMALL RISE IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
The general index in the Athens Stock
Exchange closed at 6.155,21 with a small rise of
0.45% regaining the ground it had lost
temporarily in the opening of today's session.
The volume of transactions reached 486.5
billion drachmas, as after the fluctuations
recorded earlier the session closed again above
the 6.000 mark.
[13] IKA SENDS HUMANITARIAN AID TO THE
EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS IN TURKEY
The Greek Social Security Institution, IKA,
will send humanitarian aid of 30 million
drachmas to the residents of the earthquake
stricken region of Izmit which was devastated on
August 17.
The form of the aid was decided during
yesterday's visit to Izmit by a delegation
headed by deputy director of IKA Mr. Antonis
Karras. Specifically, it was decided that 20
million drachmas from the INTERREG program will
be used for vaccines and medicine and 10 million
for the construction of a small health center
that will treat cases of infectious diseases.
[14] AN ADVISER TO THE NEW DEMOCRACY LEADER
RESIGNS OVER STATEMENTS HE MADE
Adviser to right-wing main opposition party
of New Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis and
general director of "K. Karamanlis Institute of
Democracy" Yiannis Loulis submitted his
resignation to Institute chairman Ioannis
Varvitsiotis.
Mr. Loulis was led to this decision after
the strong reaction by parliament deputies and
other party officials over his statement to the
Athens newspaper "Sunday Ethnos" according to
which, the party of New Democracy is a "worn-out
product".
Party parliament deputies had called for
this expulsion maintaining that New Democracy is
not worn-out, while an intense confrontation has
broken out inside the party as certain of its
high ranking members launched direct attacks
against the associates of Kostas Karamanlis.
New Democracy spokesman Aris Spiliotopoulos
stated that Mr. Loulis is a political analyst
who expresses his own views.
[15] REPPAS: THE CLINTON VISIT WILL BE
SUCCESSFUL
The visit of US president Bill Clinton is
important, stated Greek government spokesman
Dimitris Reppas expressing the belief that it
will be successful.
Responding to a question on the statements
made by Turkish foreign minister Ismail Cem, Mr.
Reppas commented that Greece and other countries
are in favor of Turkey's European prospect but
Turkey is the one that has to make the necessary
moves to promote it.
[16] UN MILITARY OBSERVERS HAVE BEEN ABDUCTED IN
ABKHAZIA
According to information, Greek army major,
Giorgos Kopanos is among the military observers
of the United Nations, who were abducted by
gunmen in the break away republic of Abkhazia in
the former soviet republic of Georgia.
An official of the security service in
Abkhazia stated that 7 UN observers are being
held in the village of Andzhara, 75 kilometers
from the regional capital of Sokhumi, and that
they were captured by members of the "Svan"
minority which is in conflict with the local
authorities. However, Abkhazian minister of
defense Vladimir Mikanba stated that the
captured are 5 and not 7 as it was mentioned
earlier.
The rebels have asked for 200.000 dollars
as ransom in order to free the captured. Based
on information, negotiations conducted by
Georgian officials and a Chinese diplomat of the
UN are underway.
The Russian news agencies have reported
that the UN officials went to the region with a
helicopter and they were abducted by gunmen as
soon as they landed.
[17] THE MEMBERS OF A RELIGIOUS SECT THREATEN TO
COMMIT SUICIDE
The authorities in the south-eastern Aegean
island of Rhodes did not allow the 25
foreigners, who are on board a ship and threaten
to commit a mass suicide in view of the arrival
of the year 2000, to disembark as they are
regarded as members of a religious sect.
The 25 foreigners, who are on board the
Cypriot flag "Island of Cyprus", have already
left for the port of Piraeus where they are
expected to arrive tomorrow at noon. Earlier,
the 18 Irish, the 6 handicap children from
Romania and their Colombian teacher, had
maintained that they were Catholic and were not
the members of a religious sect, while they
denied that they intend to commit a mass
suicide.
Their spokesman stated that all started
after the unacceptable, as they characterized
it, stance of the Israelis who handled them as
if they were terrorists and did not allow them
to visit the Holy Land for unknown reasons.
The Israeli authorities did not allow them
to disembark maintaining that they are members
of a religious sect, who believe that the end of
the world will come in the year 2000 and plan to
commit suicide. The ship left for Cyprus where
they were also not allowed to disembark and
yesterday at noon they set sail for Greece.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[18] PRESIDENT OF HELLENIC REPUBLIC CONDUCTS
OFFICIAL VISIT TO IRAN
The President of the Hellenic Republic
Kostis Stephanopoulos continues his official
visit to Iran today, where he will meet with
religious leader Ali Khomeini.
The president is accompanied by Foreign
Minister George Papandreou, Agriculture Minister
George Anomeritis, and a delegation of about 30
businessmen who will examine prospects of
cooperation in the sectors of agricultural
machinery, chemicals and containers.
President Stephanopoulos will also meet
with the President of Iran Mohamed Khatami and
the country's former president Akbar Hosemi
Rafsadjani.
[19] PRESIDENT STEPHANOPOULOS MEETS WITH IRANIAN
COUNTERPART
The President of the Hellenic Republic
Kostis Stephanopoulos, who began a three-day
visit to Tehran yesterday, called for closer
cooperation between Greece and Iran.
Following a meeting with his Iranian
counterpart Mohamed Khatami, President
Stephanopoulos also said there should be
stronger ties between Iran and the European
Union through Greece.
"My visit aims to promote closer
cooperation than in the past, not only between
our two countries but between the European Union
and Iran through Greece," he stated, adding "we
are following the development of Iran, and we
hope that our relations will improve, because
our countries have a lengthy past of cultural
and
historical affinity."
However, he noted, exchanges are presently
limited to sales of Iranian oil to Greece.
"But there are many other fields to explore
together to expand our economic and trade
relations," the Greek president added. He
further pointed out that Athens was among the
first to back an appeal by President Khatami for
a dialogue between the successors of the world's
most ancient nations -- Egypt, Greece, Iran and
Italy.
In turn, President Khatami also referred to
both the Persian and Greek civilizations,
especially Plato.
"Our respective positions, you in Europe
and we in this part of the world, can be a very
good basis for dialogue and cooperation," he
stated.
[20] COMMISSION TO PROPOSE ACCESSION TALKS FOR
SIX NEW COUNTRIES
The European Commission will propose that
six new countries begin negotiations to join the
European Union, the French news agency AFP
reported.
According to AFP, Commission President
Romano Prodi will announce today the decision
to invite Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta,
Romania and Slovakia to negotiations, in a move
that should be approved at the EU summit in
Helsinki on December 10-11.
As of next year, there will be 12 candidate
nations for the EU. The six new candidates will
join the six "first wave" candidates -- the
Czech Republic, Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Poland
and Slovakia.
The "first wave" countries have been
involved in membership talks with EU officials
since November 1998.
The Commission also will propose a new
strategy for Turkey, which would help it to meet
EU membership criteria, while still delaying the
start of official negotiations with Ankara, the
AFP reported.
[21] C OF E HOLDS HUMAN RIGHTS CONFERENCE IN
CYPRUS ON SATURDAY
Distinguished personalities in the field of
human rights will be in Cyprus on October 16 to
attend a seminar marking the 50th anniversary
since the establishment of the Council of
Europe, which will focus on achievements and
prospects in the field of human rights.
Cypriot President Glafcos Clerides is
scheduled to open the one-day meeting, which is
organized by the International Association for
the Protection of Human Rights of the Council of
Europe and the Directorate of Human Rights of
the Council.
[22] TURKEY: THREE KILLED IN POST-QUAKE
DEMOLITION WORK ACCIDENT
Rescue teams retrieved a third body from
the rubble of a building that collapsed during
demolition work on Monday in Golcuk, trapping
five people underneath, according to the Turkish
news agency Anadolu.
The incident occurred as the five men were
tying cables to columns of the eight-story
building, badly damaged in the earthquake that
hit northwestern Turkey on August 17, killing at
least 20,000 people.
The three engineers and two technicians
were employees of a private firm hired to
demolish damaged buildings still standing in the
town on the southeastern coast of the Marmara
Sea.
[23] PRESIDENT STEPHANOPOULOS MET WITH HIS
IRANIAN COUNTERPART
Greek president Kostis Stephanopoulos, who
is on a formal visit to Iran, met today with his
Iranian counterpart Mohamad Hatami in Teheran.
Mr. Stephanopoulos stated
characteristically that visits are being
exchanged between friends, while he expressed
the wish for the relations between Greece and
Iran to be further developed.
The Greek president is accompanied by
ministers of foreign affairs and agriculture
Giorgos Papandreou and Giorgos Anomeritis and by
a delegation of 30 businessmen representing
different sectors of the economy.
Mr. Stephanopoulos will also have contacts
with the country's religious leader Ali Hamenei
and former president Hasemi Rafsatzani.
[24] "INTRACOM" WILL ISSUE A BALKAN PHONE CARD
IN BULGARIA
The joint venture "Bulfon", the public
phones operator in Bulgaria which is made up of
the Greek "Intracom" and the Bulgarian
Telecommunications Organization (BTK), will
issue phone cards for telephone calls that will
be made not only from Bulgaria but from Greece
and Romania as well.
The statement was made by "Bulfon's"
executive director Alexander Georgiev, who
clarified that the same will be in effect for
the foreigners visiting Bulgaria as they will be
able to use Greek and Romanian phone cards for
calls from "Bulfon's" public phones. As it was
made known, Cyprus will participate in this
venture next year.
[25] BULGARIA REMOVES THE BARBED WIRE FENCES AT
ITS BORDERS WITH GREECE AND FYROM
The Bulgarian border police began removing
today the barbed wire fences at its borders with
Greece and FYROM.
As it had been expected, the removal of the
fences started today from the region of the
village of Gamprene in the prefecture of
Petritsi.
[26] THE GREEK MINORITY IN ALBANIA THREATENS
WITH ROAD BLOCKADES
The Greek minority living in the region of
Ano Dropolis threatens that it will block the
road linking Kakavia with Gjirokastra.
The local residents demand the lawful
compensation they deserve for their farms that
were confiscated by the state in areas where the
national road network was widened and improved.
[27] TSOCHATZOPOULOS: THE COOPERATION OF THE
BALKAN STATES IS NECESSARY FOR STABILITY IN THE
REGION
Greek minister of defense Akis
Tsochatzopoulos, referring to the necessity of
cooperation among the Balkan states for the
promotion of common reforms, underlined that
they have an obligation to cooperate with each
other. In an interview with the Skopje weekly
magazine "Start", Mr. Tsochatzopoulos stressed
that the Stability Pact includes sectors
concerning humanitarian activities, security,
regional economy and social development and
added that a close cooperation is necessary for
its implementation.
On Kosovo, Mr. Tsochatzopoulos stated that
it can not become independent adding that it
must remain multi-ethnic with guarantees for the
rights of minorities in a decentralized
governmental autonomy, in accordance with the
United Nations document. He also stated that the
Kosovo Liberation Army, KLA, leaders continue to
state that they fight for their independence but
this stance is not acceptable by the
international community.
On the expansion of cooperation between
Greece and FYROM in the defense sector, Mr.
Tsochatzopoulos stressed that there is good
cooperation on issues of defense and security
and this cooperation will be further expanded.
Mr. Tsochatzopoulos stated that stability in
Albania and FYROM is necessary for stability in
the whole region and stressed that all the
neighboring countries must support stability in
Kosovo and assist in the stabilization of
Yugoslavia.
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