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Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 99-10-14
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, October 14, 1999
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] PREMIER VOWS IMPROVED LIVING STANDARD AFTER
EMU ACCESSION
[02] SUSPECTED MEMBERS OF DOOMSDAY CULT ARRIVE
IN PIRAEUS PORT
[03] EUROPEAN COMMISSION HOLDS BUSINESS
CONFERENCE IN RHODES
[04] GREEK FM DENOUNCES ABDUCTION OF UN MILITARY
OBSERVERS
[05] GREEK-TURKISH TRADE AND INDUSTRY CHAMBER TO
BE FOUNDED
[06] GREEK FM: OUR DESIRE, NOT THE VOTE, FOR
TURKEY IN EU IS A GIVEN
[07] SHIP TRAVELLERS DENY CULT ALLEGATIONS, WILL
DEPART FOR ITALY
[08] GREECE BECOMES FAVORITE DESTINATION FOR
TURKISH TOURISTS
[09] SIMITIS IS IN FINLAND FOR THE EU SUMMIT
MEETING
[10] THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE PLUNGED AGAIN
[11] NEW DEMOCRACY SUGGESTED SEPARATE EXAMS FOR
ADMISSION TO HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS
[12] TWO GREEK TOURISTS RETURNED FROM PAKISTAN
[13] GREEK EURO-DEPUTY QUESTION ON THE TURKISH
RESTRICTIONS CONCERNING THE COAST NAVIGATION
[14] ATHANASAKIS: THE SAFETY OF THE HOSTAGES IN
ABKHAZIA IS A PRIORITY
[15] AHEPA CALLS ON THE GREEK-AMERICANS TO
CHANGE THEIR STANCE IN THE US PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTIONS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[16] GEORGIA:NEGOTIATIONS ARE UNDER WAY FOR UN
HOSTAGES
[17] GREEK DEFENSE MINISTER IS ON AN OFFICIAL
VISIT TO ISRAEL
[18] GREEK PRESIDENT CALLS FOR PEACE, SECURITY
WITH TURKEY
[19] SAE PRESIDENT, ANDREW ATHENS, CONDUCTS
VISIT TO ALBANIA
[20] GREEK PM DEPARTS FOR FINLAND TODAY IN LIGHT
OF EU SUMMIT
[21] ABKHAZIA: RANSOM DEADLINE PASSES,
KIDNAPPERS UP THE ANTE
[22] ALBANIA: SOCIALIST YOUTH LEADER SAYS
ELECTIONS WERE RIGGED
[23] THE QUEEN OF SPAIN WILL BE ON A PRIVATE
VISIT TO GREECE
[24] THE GREEK PRESIDENT CONTINUES HIS VISIT TO
IRAN
[25] ABKHAZIA: THE GUNMEN FREED FOUR OF THEIR
HOSTAGES
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NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] PREMIER VOWS IMPROVED LIVING STANDARD AFTER
EMU ACCESSION
Prime Minister Costas Simitis is optimistic
that once Greece enters the Economic and
Monetary Union, the country's growth rate will
accelerate and reach an annual level of four
percent.
He further added that by the year 2004, the
average Greek citizen's living standard will
rise to 80-85% of the EU's more developed member-
states. Mr. Simitis said that the reduced
interest rates and the rapid changes currently
taking place in the business sector are forming
favorable prospects for the country's economy.
[02] SUSPECTED MEMBERS OF DOOMSDAY CULT ARRIVE
IN PIRAEUS PORT
The 25 passengers aboard the "Nisos Kypros"
cruiseship, who are suspected members of the
"concerned Christians" doomsday cult, arrived
today at the port of Piraeus.
They were free to disembark, although
European Commission officials are reportedly
recording their movements at the port.
A member of the group has denied that they are
members of any cult or planning a mass suicide
in the Holy Land to mark the new millennium and
hasten the coming of Christ, as claimed by
Israel authorities.
""We are Catholics and do not belong to any
cult," said a written statement distributed by
their representative when the boat docked in
Rhodes yesterday.
[03] EUROPEAN COMMISSION HOLDS BUSINESS
CONFERENCE IN RHODES
Access given to enterprises in support
services provided by the European Union will be
discussed during a conference to begin today at
the island of Rhodes, organized by the General
Directorate of the European Commission.
The three-day event, 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.
[04] GREEK FM DENOUNCES ABDUCTION OF UN MILITARY
OBSERVERS
Greece's Foreign Minister George Papandreou
has denounced the abduction of five United
Nations military observers, among them a Greek
army officer, who were kidnapped yesterday in
Abkhazia, Georgia's breakaway province.
Mr. Papandreou has ordered Greece's
Ambassador in Tbilisi to undertake all the
necessary actions with the Georgian authorities,
in cooperation with the UN Secretary-General's
representative.
Greece's Ministry of Foreign Affairs is in
continuous and close cooperation with the
Ministry of National Defense, striving for the
release of the hostages.
[05] GREEK-TURKISH TRADE AND INDUSTRY CHAMBER TO
BE FOUNDED
Entrepreneurs from Greece and Turkey have
agreed on the establishment of a Greek-Turkish
trade and industry chamber, in a meeting held
on the sidelines of the international Business
Council of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation,
presently held in Athens.
Concurrently, the participants agreed on
the formation of nine task forces which will
examine the prospects of cooperation in the
sectors of construction, banking, shipping,
stock markets and tourism.
[06] GREEK FM: OUR DESIRE, NOT THE VOTE, FOR
TURKEY IN EU IS A GIVEN
Clarifying the Greek government's stance on
the issue of Turkish-European relations, Foreign
Minister George Papandreou stated that Greece's
desire for Turkey's European orientation is
indeed a given, but its relevant vote is not to
be thought of as such.
Meanwhile, optimism abounds in Ankara over
the European Commission's proposal to select
Turkey as an EU candidate-member, in spite of
the fact that it recognizes the said country's
political and human-rights shortcomings.
These issues were pointed out by Greece's
European Commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou, who
stated that meeting the political criteria
constitutes a sine qua non for Turkey's
accession to the European Union.
Greece's main opposition party New
Democracy has requested from the ruling PASOK
party to pressure Turkey into undertaking
goodwill actions ont he Cyprus issue and Greek-
Turkish matters.
[07] SHIP TRAVELLERS DENY CULT ALLEGATIONS, WILL
DEPART FOR ITALY
The 19 passengers aboard the "Nisos Kypros"
cruiseship, who have been accused of being
members of the "Concerned Christians" doomsday
cult, are to depart for Italy from the Patras
port this evening.
Having repeatedly denied the accusations,
the foreigners said that the Israeli authorities
fed the unsubstantiated rumors when their ship
docked at the Haifa port.
Israel has been on the alert for the said
cult, which is planning a mass suicide in the
Holy Land to mark the new millennium and hasten
the coming of Christ.
[08] GREECE BECOMES FAVORITE DESTINATION FOR
TURKISH TOURISTS
Turkish travel agencies are organizing
"friendship tours" to Greece, following the
warming trend noted in relations between the two
neighbors, with demand for visits to
Thessaloniki being notably high, since the city
hosts the house of Kemal Ataturk.
According to the Turkish "Cumhurriyet",
travel agencies in Turkey are organizing Greek
tours between October 27 - November 2, which
includes the Democracy Day holiday (October 29).
Turkish tourist agents have stated that the
tour packages to Greece include visits to
Turkish consulates and Greek-Turkish
associations.
[09] SIMITIS IS IN FINLAND FOR THE EU SUMMIT
MEETING
Prime minister Kostas Simitis is in
Tampere, Finland to attend the extraordinary EU
Summit meeting that will be held tomorrow and on
Saturday.
In the two-day meeting will be discussed
security and justice issues, while in the formal
dinner of the 15 EU leaders will be examined the
issues of the Euro-Turkish relations and the
European Union enlargement. On the relations of
the EU with Turkey, Mr. Simitis will back the
position according to which, Ankara should make
essential steps in order to be among the
candidate states for EU accession.
[10] THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE PLUNGED AGAIN
Big losses of 3.88% were recorded today in
the general index of the Athens Stock Exchange
which closed at 5.916,68.
The volume of transactions dropped
considerably from 486 billion in yesterday's
session to 410 billion drachmas. However, the
index which at some point dropped to 5.5%
managed to regain ground before the end of the
session. The Greek Telecommunications
Organization, OTE, share helped toward this
direction as it recorded an increase of 1.25%.
[11] NEW DEMOCRACY SUGGESTED SEPARATE EXAMS FOR
ADMISSION TO HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS
Right-wing main opposition party of New
Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis suggested
separate exams for the students who wish to be
admitted to higher education institutions.
Mr. Karamanlis suggested general exams on 6
to 7 subjects. The measures announced by Mr.
Karamanlis also include the founding of a
general high school that will replace the
existing type of high school.
[12] TWO GREEK TOURISTS RETURNED FROM PAKISTAN
Two Greek tourists, Antonis Atsalakis and
Yianns Triantafillou, who were trapped in
Pakistan after the military coup in the country,
arrived in Athens in the early morning hours
today. The two had gone to Tibet on vacation and
on their way back to Greece they had to stay in
Pakistan for 24 hours in order to transfer to
another flight.
During their arrival in the country, the
military coup took place and they informed the
Greek embassy of their presence there. The
embassy staff acted immediately and managed to
find airplane tickets for their return to
Greece.
[13] GREEK EURO-DEPUTY QUESTION ON THE TURKISH
RESTRICTIONS CONCERNING THE COAST NAVIGATION
Greek Euro-deputy Yiannis Marinos from the
right-wing opposition party of New Democracy
submitted a question to the European Union
Council of Ministers concerning the restrictions
imposed by the Turkish authorities.
Specifically, the cargo ships of Cypriot
interests or the ships that come from Cypriot
ports are not allowed to approach the Turkish
ports.
The Euro-deputy asks if those restrictions
are in accordance with the European Union
principles and if the Council will react when
the interests of ships under EU flags are being
hurt by a country that wants to become an EU
member. The question will be discussed in the
plenary session of the European Parliament on
October 27.
[14] ATHANASAKIS: THE SAFETY OF THE HOSTAGES IN
ABKHAZIA IS A PRIORITY
Acting government spokesman Nikos
Athanasakis stated that the safety of the
hostages is a priority and expressed the hope
that everything will go well and the abducted UN
observers in Abkhazia will be freed.
The Greek government watches closely the
events as they develop as well as the UN
negotiations which are underway with the hostage
takers.
[15] AHEPA CALLS ON THE GREEK-AMERICANS TO
CHANGE THEIR STANCE IN THE US PRESIDENTIAL
ELECTIONS
AHEPA's Cypriot and Greek affairs Committee
chairman Dr. Takis Crist maintains that the
promises given by US president Clinton on the
solution of the Cyprus problem have not been met
and with a memo calls on all the members of the
organization to reconsider their stance in view
of the US presidential elections and intensify
their efforts to better inform the American
public opinion over the tragedy of Cyprus. He
also calls on the governments of Greece and
Cyprus not to give in to the US pressures to
accept Turkey into the EU and recognize the
Turkish Cypriot regime.
The memo refers to the October 7 White
House meeting on the Greek-Turkish affairs and
Cyprus the results of which, according to Dr.
Crist, were disappointing as the US side did not
appear willing to change the tactic it follows
in approaching the issue of the Greek-Turkish
relations and the Cyprus problem.
The AHEPA memo underlines that the new
efforts for the resumption of the dialogue
between the two communities in Cyprus will be
unsuccessful not so much because of the
continuing intransigence of the Turkish Cypriot
side but mostly because of the US stance toward
Turkey.
This view is being backed by the results of
Turkish prime minister Ecevit's recent visit to
Washington during which the US side showed its
intention to base its policy on its trade
interests and not on international law. It is
also mentioned that Turkey promotes an ambitious
modernization program for its armed forces and
arms companies from the United States and Europe
compete for contracts that will bring them huge
profits.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[16] GEORGIA:NEGOTIATIONS ARE UNDER WAY FOR UN
HOSTAGES
Negotiations are presently underway for the
release of five members of the Sukhumi office
of the UN military observer mission, who were
taken hostage yesterday in Abkhazia, Georgia's
breakaway province.
A Greek UN staff member, George Kopanos is
among the hostages held by armed kidnappers in
the high-mountain village of Mramba, two
kilometers from Azhara village. Georgia's
Minister of the Interior stated that "in case of
necessity, special task units of the Georgian
Interior Ministry are ready to carry out an
operation to free the workers of the Sukhumi
office of the UN military observer mission".
The UN military observer mission was
attacked by masked men early on Wednesday as a
helicopter with the observers aboard landed.
The kidnappers are demanding a ransom of
$200,000.
[17] GREEK DEFENSE MINISTER IS ON AN OFFICIAL
VISIT TO ISRAEL
Greece's Defense Minister Akis
Tsochatzopoulos, presently on an official, three-
day visit to Israel, is to be received by
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak today in Tel
Aviv.
Mr. Tsochatzopoulos met with Israeli
President Ezer Weisman yesterday, while he also
toured the Holocaust museum and visited the tomb
of Israel's assassinated Premier Yitzak Rubin.
Commenting on his visit, he stated that "it
constitutes the basis for new Greek-Israeli
ties."
[18] GREEK PRESIDENT CALLS FOR PEACE, SECURITY
WITH TURKEY
The President of the Hellenic Republic
Kostis Stephanopoulos, presently on an official
visit to Iran, appealed for "peace and security"
between Athens and Ankara.
"We are very much concerned with the fate
of the peoples living in the Balkans, and with
relations with Turkey," President
Stephanopoulos stated after a meeting with
former Iranian president Akbar Hashemi-
Rafsanjani.
In turn, Mr. Rafsanjani stated that Tehran
"wants Athens and Ankara to hold talks, and
hopes that would serve peace and stability in
the region."
The President also met Iran's spiritual
leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamanei, on Wednesday.
The president arrived here Tuesday on a three-
day visit, only the second by an EU head of
state since the 1979 Islamic revolution.
"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," President
Stephanopoulos said after being welcomed by his
Iranian counterpart Mohammad Khatami.
[19] SAE PRESIDENT, ANDREW ATHENS, CONDUCTS
VISIT TO ALBANIA
The President of the Council of Hellenes
Abroad (SAE) Andrew Athens, is conducting a
visit to Tirana, where he is expected to meet
with the President of Albania Reijep Meidani.
Mr. Athens' itinerary includes meetings
with Archbishop of Albania Anastasios, Prime
Minister Pandeli Majko, the President of Omonia
Vasili Dule, as well as with the United States
Ambassador to Tirana Joseph Librecht.
Yesterday, Mr. Athens met with the Albanian
Undersecretary of Education , the ministers of
health and economics, as well as the leader of
the Human Rights Union Party.
[20] GREEK PM DEPARTS FOR FINLAND TODAY IN LIGHT
OF EU SUMMIT
Prime Minster Costas Simitis is to depart
for Tampere, Finland, today, where he will take
part in the informal European Union Summit.
The two-day summit will concern security,
justice 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.
In regards to Turkey's accession, Mr.
Simitis will stress that Ankara has to proceed
to substantive steps and measures in order to
achieve candidate-country status.
[21] ABKHAZIA: RANSOM DEADLINE PASSES,
KIDNAPPERS UP THE ANTE
Negotiations to free six United Nations
military observers (among them a Greek army
officer) and a translator kidnapped in Georgia's
breakaway province of Abkhazia continued today
after a deadline for ransom money expired.
The masked gunmen who seized the group
yesterday demanded that Georgia pay a ransom of
250,000 dollars before midday or warned that
"one of the hostages will be killed," Koba
Natakharia, head of the province's
administrative body, told the French news agency
AFP.
The deadline expired as negotiations
continued, spokesmen for the Georgian interior
and security ministries said.
[22] ALBANIA: SOCIALIST YOUTH LEADER SAYS
ELECTIONS WERE RIGGED
The vice-president of the Albanian
government and president of the Socialist Youth
Party (FRESH) Ilir Meta has publicly accused
the newly-elected leader of the Socialist Party
Fatos Nano of rigging the elections appointing
the ruling party's new executive committee.
Addressing the FRESH delegates, Mr. Meta
stated that Mr. Nano designed the elimination of
their candidates for the executive committee and
accused him of having rigged the ballots.
When asked by the Macedonian Press Agency
how he plans to respond to the rigging which he
claims took place, Mr. Meta stated that, during
the committee's first session, he will demand
responsibilities by all those who allow it to
take place.
[23] THE QUEEN OF SPAIN WILL BE ON A PRIVATE
VISIT TO GREECE
The Spanish press refers to the private
visit of Queen Sophia to "her country Greece"
which starts tomorrow.
The newspaper ABC writes that she will
complete her visit on Monday with a meeting with
minister of culture Elisavet Papazoi. Later on
that day, Queen Sophia will attend the opening
of an exhibition with paintings of El Greco that
were recently shown in Madrid.
It is the third visit of Queen Sophia to
Greece after the abolition of monarchy. In 1981,
the Spanish royal family received a special
permission to attend the funeral of Queen
Frideriki, Sophia's mother, while last year she
made a formal visit to Greece accompanied by her
husband the King of Spain Juan Carlos and took
the opportunity to visit her parents' graves.
[24] THE GREEK PRESIDENT CONTINUES HIS VISIT TO
IRAN
Greek president Kostis Stephanopoulos
continues his visit to Teheran and today met
with the leader of the Islamic Revolution Ali
Hamenei .
In statements he made, the Greek president
pointed out that he is in a very friendly
country.
Meanwhile, minister of defense Akis
Tsochatzopoulos, who is on a three-day visit to
Israel, will meet today with Israeli prime
minister Ehud Barak.
[25] ABKHAZIA: THE GUNMEN FREED FOUR OF THEIR
HOSTAGES
The Abkhazian gunmen, who were holding UN
military observers as hostages since yesterday,
among them Greek army major Giorgos Kopanos and
an interpreter, released four of the 7 hostages
they were holding in Georgia's break away region
of Abkhazia. The news was reported by the
Georgian state television and the news agencies
Reuters and Interfax. Specifically, those
released are UN observers from Germany, Sweden,
Uruguay and the Czech Republic, while Greek army
major Giorgos Kopanos, a Swiss UN observer and
the group's interpreter are still being held.
A correspondent of the Georgian television
stated that the released are being transferred
to a safe place, while negotiations between the
kidnappers and special UN mediators continue.
The abductors initially had requested a
200.000 dollar ransom for the release of those
captured but later they increased the sum to
250.000 dollars.
In a press conference Greek undersecretary
of defense Dimitris Apostolakis pointed out that
two Greeks, a diplomat and a army officer will
leave soon for Georgia to attend the
negotiations. Mr. Apostolakis stated that the
Greek ministries of foreign affairs and defense
watch the developments closely and have informed
the Georgian ministry of security that they want
to be briefed prior to any decision for an armed
intervention.
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