Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 99-10-18
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, October 18, 1999
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] GREEK FM EMBARKS ON EUROPEAN TOUR TO
PROMOTE POSITIONS
[02] TODAY'S SESSION AT ATHENS BOURSE AWAITED
WITH INTEREST
[03] NATIONAL BANK OF GREECE BEGINS TRADING IN
NYSE TODAY
[04] COPYRIGHT, PATENT MEETING BEGINS IN
HALKIDIKI TODAY
[05] SAE PRESIDENT TO VISIT ECONOMICS UNIVERSITY
OF MACEDONIA
[06] ARMENIAN DEFENSE MINISTER CONDUCTS OFFICIAL
VISIT TO ATHENS
[07] BALKAN RECONSTRUCTION CONFERENCE HOSTED BY
THESSALONIKI
[08] US PRESIDENT'S ENVOY: IT IS TIME TO RESOLVE
THE CYPRUS ISSUE
[09] EL GRECO EXHIBITION INAUGURATED AT NATIONAL
ART GALLERY
[10] QUAKE VICTIMS RELUCTANT TO LEAVE TENTS, IN
SPITE OF WEATHER
[11] SOLDIER DIES IN FREAK CRASH, AS HIS CAR
COLLIDES WITH FATHER'S
[12] ASE GENERAL PRICE INDEX ON A FREE FALL,
6.38% DROP TODAY
[13] REPPAS: THERE IS NO QUESTION OF
SURRENDERING SOVEREIGN RIGHTS
[14] NEW PLUNGE IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
[15] PAPANDREOU: THE TALKS ON CYPRUS SHOULD
BEGIN SOON
[16] SPAIN'S QUEEN SOPHIA MET WITH PRESIDENT
STEPHANOPOULOS
[17] SIMITIS: THE TAMPERE SUMMIT MEETING
DECISIONS ARE VERY IMPORTANT
[18] MEMA STATHOPOULOU'S FUNERAL WILL BE HELD
THIS AFTERNOON
[19] A BRITISH MAN WAS KILLED IN A HANG GLIDING
ACCIDENT
[20] ANDREW ATHENS: THERE WOULD NOT BE A NEED
FOR MR. CLINTON TO VISIT GREECE IF HE DID NOT
HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY ON THE CYPRUS PROBLEM
[21] MILITARY COOPERATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN
GREECE AND ARMENIA
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[22] EU SAYS "YES" TO TURKEY'S CANDIDATURE,
ALBEIT UNDER TERMS
[23] ALBRIGHT: BOMBING OF CHINESE EMBASSY WAS
NOT INTENTIONAL
[24] SERB OPPOSITION LEADER'S HOME BOMBED, NO
ONE WAS INJURED
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] GREEK FM EMBARKS ON EUROPEAN TOUR TO
PROMOTE POSITIONS
Foreign Minister George Papandreou embarks
on a European tour today, 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 will meet US President Bill
Clinton's Cyprus envoy, Alfred Moses, and the US
State Department's special coordinator for
Cyprus, Tom Weston.
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.
The Foreign Minister will visit London
today, where he will meet with his British
counterpart Robin Cook.
He will travel to Madrid tomorrow, October
19 where he will meet his Spanish counterpart
Abel Matutes and on Wednesday, October 20, Mr.
Papandreou will travel to Rome where he will
meet with foreign minister Lamberto Dini.
[02] TODAY'S SESSION AT ATHENS BOURSE AWAITED
WITH INTEREST
Today's session at the Athens Stock
Exchange is awaited with interest, given the
negative climate prevailing in foreign markers,
as well as further speculation of recovery.
ASE reports claim that in spite of the
jolts suffered by the Greek bourse last week,
its prospects remain favorable.
[03] NATIONAL BANK OF GREECE BEGINS TRADING IN
NYSE TODAY
The National Bank of Greece, the country's
largest commercial bank, will begin trading its
shares on the New York Stock Exchange today.
With four million, six hundred thousand
shares making their debut in Wall Street, the
price has been set at GRD 22,800 and $15.14 for
the American Depository Receipts, with each ADR
corresponding to five shares. Seventy-five of
the shares have been made available to Greek
investors, and the remainder to foreign ones.
[04] COPYRIGHT, PATENT MEETING BEGINS IN
HALKIDIKI TODAY
Two meetings focusing on intellectual
property and patent-related issues will be held
in Halkidiki between October 18 and 22,
featuring the European Patent Office's annual
EPIDOS conference and the European Commission's
biennial Patinnova.
The EPIDOS conference will review the free
patent information available on the Internet,
while it will also focus on students with
discussions centering on their needs including
job prospects in the field.
The Pattinova conference will address
current developments in the availability of
information, recent political decisions
affecting the industry and the cost and
complications of judicial issues.
[05] SAE PRESIDENT TO VISIT ECONOMICS UNIVERSITY
OF MACEDONIA
The President of the Council of Greeks
Abroad (SAE) Andrew Athens is to visit the
Economics University of Macedonia in
Thessaloniki today, where he will be briefed on
the Greek language televised learning program,
which has been drawn for Greek schools abroad.
Mr. Athens, who is accompanied by a
delegation of SAE officials, will have the
opportunity to observe the program's
presentation in a direct link with a Greek
school in Munich.
[06] ARMENIAN DEFENSE MINISTER CONDUCTS OFFICIAL
VISIT TO ATHENS
Armenia's Defense Minister Vagarsak
Charoutounian, who is presently conducting an
official visit to Athens, toured the Acropolis
archaeological site yesterday and met with
members of the Greek capital's Armenian
community.
Mr. Charoutounian will meet with his Greek
counterpart Akis Tsochatzopoulos at the Ministry
of National Defense today.
[07] BALKAN RECONSTRUCTION CONFERENCE HOSTED BY
THESSALONIKI
Greece's Finance and National Economy
Minister Yiannos Papantoniou will present the
government's Balkan reconstruction plan during
the conference on Balkan reconstruction, to be
held in Thessaloniki on November 2 and 3.
The event 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.
The President of Montenegro Milo Djuganovic
has also been invited to attend as a speaker at
the event, the only official from the former
Yugoslavia. The session on Balkan business
cooperation will include contributions from
representatives of the American SECI initiative
for the region, the European Royaumont
initiative, the European Task Force for Kosovo,
the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in
Europe and the East-West Institute.
Representatives of the European Investment
Bank, the World Bank and other international
organizations will address the session on
finance, while European, US and Balkan
businessmen will speak on investment.
The event is jointly organized by the
Industries Association of Northern Greece
(SVVE), the International Trade Fair of
Thessaloniki and the Euromoney publications.
[08] US PRESIDENT'S ENVOY: IT IS TIME TO RESOLVE
THE CYPRUS ISSUE
The US President Bill Clinton's Cyprus
envoy, Alfred Moses believes that the time has
come to resolve the Cyprus issue, as the 25-year-
old situation is unacceptable, as he stated
following his meeting with Greece's Foreign
Minister George Papandreou and the US State
Department's special coordinator for Cyprus, Tom
Weston.
Mr. Moses expressed the hope that the both
sides of the divided island will be convinced to
proceed to cooperation in order to arrive at a
positive development and achieve a resolution
to the issue. Nevertheless, he stressed that he
is not equipped with a specific American plan
for the Cyprus issue, stating that the Clinton
Administration's aim is to assist in arriving at
a fair solution.
Mr. Papandreou stated that Greece's
position is to embark on talks, as soon as
possible, under the auspices of the United
Nations. He also expressed the hope that
substantive steps will be taken in order to
resolve the Cyprus issue.
Prior to their arrival in Athens, Messrs.
Moses and Weston held talks in Ankara, while
their next stop in Nicosia.
[09] EL GRECO EXHIBITION INAUGURATED AT NATIONAL
ART GALLERY
The President of the Hellenic Republic
Kostis Stephanopoulos will officially open an
exhibition featuring the works of Domenikos
Theotokopoulos, 'El Greco', at the National Art
Gallery this evening.
Queen Sophia of Spain, presently on a
private visit to Greece is attend the ceremony.
[10] QUAKE VICTIMS RELUCTANT TO LEAVE TENTS, IN
SPITE OF WEATHER
Although meteorologists are forecasting
inclement weather and low temperatures for the
next 24 hours, many of the earthquake victims
now housed in tent camps throughout Attica are
refusing to take refuge elsewhere.
According to the undersecretary of the
Interior George Florides, although the
government has secured houses and hotel rooms
for those rendered homeless from September 7's
devastating earthquake, many are reluctant to
relocate.
[11] SOLDIER DIES IN FREAK CRASH, AS HIS CAR
COLLIDES WITH FATHER'S
A 24-year-old conscript was killed this
morning near his hometown when his vehicle
collided with an oncoming truck driven by his
father, who escaped injury.
The soldier, Christos Samaras, who was on
leave after having been sworn in for training,
was returning home from a night out at just
about the same time his 48-year-old father, a
truck driver, was taking off for work.
Apparently, the two vehicles were on the
national highway, in opposite directions, at the
same time. The father, devastated, identified
his own son and called the highway patrol.
[12] ASE GENERAL PRICE INDEX ON A FREE FALL,
6.38% DROP TODAY
The general price index of the Athens Stock
Exchange is on a free fall as of this morning,
having dropped 6.38% by noon, at 5,419.33
points.
The volume of transactions amounted to 207
billion drachmas.
Sector indices also marked significant
losses, with the parallel market and insurance
sectors registering at -8%, while leasing and
construction companies also being subject to
intense pressure. The banking sector marked the
least losses.
[13] REPPAS: THERE IS NO QUESTION OF
SURRENDERING SOVEREIGN RIGHTS
There is no question of surrendering Greek
sovereign rights, reiterated government
spokesman Dimitris Reppas, who stressed that on
the contrary the Greek sovereign rights are
being strengthened.
The Greek government spokesman accused the
right-wing main opposition party of New
Democracy of deceitful interpretation, saying
that it should not have demanded the resignation
of foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou at a
moment when he was giving a fight for the
interests of the country.
On Turkey's EU accession, the Greek
government spokesman stated that until now there
are only thoughts on the matter, adding that
there is a positive disposition toward the Euro-
Turkish relations but it is up to Turkey for
this development to materialize. He said that no
"green light" had been given and that a decision
will be reached in the EU summit meeting in
Helsinki.
[14] NEW PLUNGE IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
A big plunge was recorded in the Athens
Stock Exchange today. The general index dropped
by 6.21% and closed at 5.429,25, while the
volume of transactions reached 280 billion
drachmas.
The share prices were strongly pressured
since the opening of the transactions. The wave
of liquidation was extensive and as a result the
general index recorded a drop of 7.5%, while the
investors made massive sales being negatively
affected by the fluid situation in the foreign
stock markets.
A small recovery was recorded in the
process limiting the losses of the index. It
should be noted that since September 17 when the
general index reached the highest point in its
history the losses recorded are 14.6%.
[15] PAPANDREOU: THE TALKS ON CYPRUS SHOULD
BEGIN SOON
Greek foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou
after the meeting with US presidential envoy
Alfred Moses and US State Department special
coordinator on Cyprus Tom Weston, stressed the
need for essential talks between the two sides
in Cyprus to start soon under the auspices of
the UN.
The Greek foreign minister expressed the
hope that with the new initiative and the
efforts made by the United States essential
steps will be made toward the solution of the
Cyprus problem.
Mr. Moses pointed out the very positive
conjuncture of circumstances for progress in the
Cyprus problem based on the UN resolutions.
[16] SPAIN'S QUEEN SOPHIA MET WITH PRESIDENT
STEPHANOPOULOS
Spain's Queen Sophia met at noon today with
president Kostis Stephanopoulos at the
presidential building in Athens. Later in the
evening, both will attend the formal
inauguration of the exhibition with El Greco's
paintings in the National Art Gallery.
The Queen of Spain also met with Archbishop
Christodoulos of Athens and All of Greece.
Earlier, she had visited the St.
Panteleimon church in Athens and bowed before
the holy icon of the Mother of Christ "Axion
Esti" which was brought to the capital from the
monastic community of Mount Athos.
The Queen of Spain also met with Athens
mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos and discussed the
issue of the projects that will be constructed
in the city in view of the 2004 Olympic Games.
[17] SIMITIS: THE TAMPERE SUMMIT MEETING
DECISIONS ARE VERY IMPORTANT
Prime minister Kostas Simitis characterized
as very important the Tampere Summit meeting
decisions concerning the security of the
European citizens, in statements he made
immediately after the meeting he had with
president Kostis Stephanopoulos to brief him on
the current domestic and external political
developments as well as on the course of the
economy.
Mr. Simitis underlined that a decisive step
was made in Tampere toward dealing with problems
in the sectors of security and the freedoms of
the citizens in order to create a common justice
area in the European Union. He said that the
decisions reached were very important for Greece
given the fact that it faces big problems with
illegal immigration and organized crime due to
its extensive land and sea borders.
On the Helsinki Summit meeting in December,
where the issue of Turkey's EU candidature will
be examined, Mr. Simitis stated that the Summit
must be very well prepared to promote
satisfactory solutions on all the issues raised
by the EU enlargement.
Referring to the economy, he stressed that
its course is positive and added that if the
same policy continues the targets set will be
met.
[18] MEMA STATHOPOULOU'S FUNERAL WILL BE HELD
THIS AFTERNOON
The funeral of actress Mema Stathopoulou,
who died yesterday from cancer at the age of 58
will he held in Patras this afternoon.
She graduated from the Katselis theater
school and the National Theater School and she
became famous by the leading roles she played in
films during the decade of the 60's. Mema
Stathopoulou left her carrier 15 years ago when
she married a businessman and moved to the city
of Patras.
[19] A BRITISH MAN WAS KILLED IN A HANG GLIDING
ACCIDENT
A British man was killed when he fell in a
ravine outside the village of Hiliomodi in
Corinthia Peloponese, northern Greece.
Ian Taperson, age 49, together with other 7
British members of a group of mountain climbers
had gathered at a hillside outside Hiliomodi to
fly using a hang glider. The circumstances under
which he was killed are being investigated.
[20] ANDREW ATHENS: THERE WOULD NOT BE A NEED
FOR MR. CLINTON TO VISIT GREECE IF HE DID NOT
HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY ON THE CYPRUS PROBLEM
World Council of Hellenes Abroad, SAE,
president Andrew Athens stated in a press
conference of SAE's presiding board in
Thessaloniki that there would not be a need for
US president Bill Clinton to visit Greece if he
did not have anything to say on the Cyprus
problem.
Mr. Athens made it clear that there is
strong discontent among the Greek-American lobby
and the Greek community in the US in general
concerning the stance of the Clinton
administration regarding the issues of Greek
national interest. He said that the Greek-
American lobby exerted strong pressure on the US
government in the annual conference of the Greek-
American leadership that was held recently in
Washington with the participation of 150 leading
members of the Greek-American community.
Mr. Athens made it clear that the Greek-
Americans would like to back Mr. Clinton and his
wife politically but if nothing is done on the
issues of Greek national interest then there
will be a reaction on behalf of the Greek-
Americans.
America SAE president Christos Tomaras
stated that the Greek-American leadership in a
resolution adopted in Washington made it clear
that it will not back specific candidates such
as, Al Gore and Hilary Clinton and other US
administration officials if no improvement is
recorded in their stance.
[21] MILITARY COOPERATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN
GREECE AND ARMENIA
An agreement for the strengthening of the
military cooperation between Greece and Armenia
was signed by the ministers of defense of the
two countries Akis Tsochatzopoulos and Vagarsak
Harutunian, who met in Athens today.
Mr. Tsochatzopoulos in statements he made
referred to the behavior of Turkey regarding the
issue of Cyprus and stressed characteristically
that Ankara must overcome its intransigence and
realize that only the accession of the Cypriot
Republic into the European Union can facilitate
the upgrading of its relations with the
European Union.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[22] EU SAYS "YES" TO TURKEY'S CANDIDATURE,
ALBEIT UNDER TERMS
Although European Union leaders have
provisionally approved of Turkey's candidature
as a member-state, the issue was shelved for the
Helsinki Summit in December, given the country's
poor human rights and democracy record.
During the EU Tampere-held informal summit,
Finland's Premier Paavo Lipponen, whose country
presently holds the rotating EU presidency, said
the issue will be revisited at the Helsinki
Summit, while Greek Premier Costas Simitis
stated that "Turkey's candidacy comes with
responsibilities," stressing that Turkey must
abide by certain principles, like the respect of
international treaties, and the peaceful
resolution of conflicts.
The Tampere Summit reviewed matters
concerning security, justice and illegal
immigration, the formation of a new European
Academy that will train police, while the EU
leaders also discussed matters concerning the
EU's expansion and the timeline for the
accession negotiations with new countries.
[23] ALBRIGHT: BOMBING OF CHINESE EMBASSY WAS
NOT INTENTIONAL
The US Secretary of State Madeleine
Albright has denied press reports that NATO
planes deliberately bombed the Chinese embassy
in Belgrade during the air war against
Yugoslavia.
"That was a bombing by accident ... a
tragic accident," she told CNN.
Citing NATO officers in Naples, Brussels
and Skopje, Britain's Sunday newspaper The
Observer claimed NATO attacked the Chinese
embassy in Belgrade on April 23 because it
suspected the Yugoslav army of using the
building to relay messages to its troops after
its own installations were destroyed by western
bombs.
Those charges are "simply not true," she
said.
"What the Chinese were doing at that
embassy, clearly there is information that they
were carrying on intelligence activities, but
... I want to make this absolutely clear that
that story is wrong," she said. At the time,
Alliance officials blamed the attack on out-of-
date maps of Belgrade which did not clearly mark
the embassy. The United States has apologized to
China and agreed to pay compensation.
[24] SERB OPPOSITION LEADER'S HOME BOMBED, NO
ONE WAS INJURED
An explosive device was set off early
Sunday on the balcony of a Serb opposition
leader's home in the southwestern town of
Valjevo, but no one was injured, the French news
agency AFP reported, quoting the independent
Beta news agency.
The blast occurred at 3:51 a.m. at the home
of Nebojsa Andric, who represents the Democratic
Party in Valjevo, 89 kilometers southwest of
Belgrade, the agency said.
The Democratic Party is the dominant force
in the opposition coalition, the Alliance for
Change, which launched a nationwide campaign of
street protests on September 21 to press for
Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic's
resignation.
Vladan Batic, one of the alliance leaders,
stated that the incident was an example of
"open, state terrorism."
"This is the clear form of organized state
terrorism, an open hunt, a final settlement and
even execution on the people of the democratic
opposition," Mr. Batic told reporters, linking
the blast with an October 3 car crash in which
four members of the opposition Serbian Renewal
Movement were killed.
No one was injured in Sunday's blast,
although Mr. Andric, his pregnant wife and three-
year-old son were in the house at the time of
the explosion, the agency said.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
