Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 99-10-19
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, October 19, 1999
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] ECONOMY MINISTER ADVISES INVESTORS TO
REMAIN CALM
[02] STATE DRAWS FINAL MEASURES FOR FARMERS
[03] DEFENSE UNDERSECRETARY IN STRASBOURG FOR
NATO ASSEMBLY
[04] GREECE'S FOREIGN UNDERSECRETARY COMMENTS ON
CYPRUS ISSUE
[05] ROMANIAN PREMIER CONDUCTS OFFICIAL VISIT TO
ATHENS
[06] THESSALONIKI HOSTS SE EUROPE'S FIRST
ELECTRONIC TRADE EVENT
[07] GREEK FM PAPANDREOU MEETS WITH COUNTERPART
FROM FYROM
[08] COUNCIL OF GREEKS ABROAD TO OPEN OFFICES IN
BRUSSELS
[09] BALKAN WARS MUSEUM TO BE HOUSED IN
THESSALONIKI
[10] THE PRIME MINISTERS OF GREECE AND ROMANIA
MET IN ATHENS
[11] MARGINAL DECLINE IN THE ATHENS STOCK
EXCHANGE
[12] KARAMANLIS LAUNCHED AN ATTACK AGAINST THE
GOVERNMENT
[13] PANGALOS LAUNCHED A FRESH ATTACK AGAINST
HIS SUCCESSOR
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[14] BRITISH HOUSE COMMITTEE DISCUSSES PARTHENON
MARBLES RETURN
[15] ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER D'ALEMA TO VISIT
GREECE NEXT WEEK
[16] BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY: U.K. BACKS
TURKEY'S EU CANDIDACY
[17] CYPRIOT-RUSSIAN-SAUDI AGREEMENT ON
NOVOROSSIJSK TIMBER
[18] SERBIA: STATE SUES PRINTER FOR PUBLISHING
OPPOSITION LEAFLET
[19] TERRORISTS CLAIM ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT
AGAINST DRASCOVIC
[20] THE GREEK IMMIGRANTS CAN KEEP THEIR
NATIONALITY CONFIRMS THE GERMAN UNDERSECRETARY
OF INTERIOR
[21] TURKEY: MEMBERS OF GREENPEACE WERE ARRESTED
PROTESTING AGAINST AKKUYU
[22] THE GREEK ECONOMY IS ON THE RIGHT COURSE,
ACCORDING TO A BELGIAN NEWSPAPER
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NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] ECONOMY MINISTER ADVISES INVESTORS TO
REMAIN CALM
The share of the National Bank of Greece,
the country's largest commercial bank, didn't
fare so well during its first trading day at the
New York Stock Exchange yesterday.
The Bank's share closed with a drop of
4.55%, compared with its list price, even though
the Dow Jones closed with an increase of .96%.
Meanwhile, the Minister of National Economy
and Finance Yiannos Papantoniou stated that when
there's international turmoil, it's unavoidable
that the ASE will be affected too.
Four million, six hundred thousand shares
of the National Bank of Greece made their debut
in Wall Street yesterday, with the price set at
GRD 22,800 and $15.14 for the American
Depository Receipts, with each ADR corresponding
to five shares.
[02] STATE DRAWS FINAL MEASURES FOR FARMERS
The government is to finalize the measures
to be drawn for the agricultural sector, during
a meeting to be held today between the Minister
of National Economy and Finance Yiannos
Papantoniou and the Minister of Agriculture
George Anomeritis.
Among the subjects to be discussed are the
interest rates on agriculture-related loans, the
reduction in special consumption tax on oil and
subsidy-related matters.
[03] DEFENSE UNDERSECRETARY IN STRASBOURG FOR
NATO ASSEMBLY
Defense Undersecretary Dimitris Apostolakis
departed for Strasbourg today in order to
participate in NATO's 45th General Assembly.
The Assembly will examine issues concerning
the expansion of the Alliance and the European
Union, and will feature speakers from Bulgaria,
Romania, the United States, Lithuania and
Portugal.
The inauguration ceremony will include
addresses by the President of France Jacques
Chirac and NATO's secretary-general George
Robertson.
[04] GREECE'S FOREIGN UNDERSECRETARY COMMENTS ON
CYPRUS ISSUE
Greece's Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs
Grigoris Niotis stated that substantive progress
in the Cyprus issue is not merely the
participation of Turkish-Cypriot leader Rauf
Denktash in talks with President Glafcos
Clerides, held under the aegis of the United
Nations.
"We are talking about substantive
progress,......... and that is not whether or
not Mr. Denktash arrives at the direct talks
table after so much ado," Mr. Niotis stated,
adding that "what is needed in the US mediation
and the UN secretary-general's input in order to
drive the matters into substantial progress
which will have to be outlined by the UN
positions and the positions stated by the Group
of Eight."
[05] ROMANIAN PREMIER CONDUCTS OFFICIAL VISIT TO
ATHENS
Romanian Prime Minister Radu Vasile,
presently on an official visit to Athens, will
meet with his Greek counterpart Costas Simitis
today, while he will also be received by the
President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis
Stephanopoulos this evening.
Prior to departing for Bucharest tomorrow,
Mr. Vasile will meet with the leader of the
country's main opposition party, New Democracy's
Costas Karamanlis, as well as with the
President of the Hellenic Parliament Apostolos
Kaklamanis.
[06] THESSALONIKI HOSTS SE EUROPE'S FIRST
ELECTRONIC TRADE EVENT
Thessaloniki will host the first conference
in southeast Europe on electronic commerce,
business and the digital economy, between
October 22-25.
The conference, to be inaugurated by
Development Minister Evangelos Venizelos, is
organized by the Commercial Association of
Thessaloniki with the European Commission's
information society's general directorate.
Expected to attend the conference are
delegates from the private and public sectors
throughout southeastern Europe and experts in
the field from European and US universities.
[07] GREEK FM PAPANDREOU MEETS WITH COUNTERPART
FROM FYROM
Foreign Minister George Papandreou met with
his counterpart from FYROM Alexander Dimitrov
yesterday, with whom he discussed bilateral
relations, the situation in the overall Balkan
region and the prospects for further development
of cooperation between the two countries.
According to Skopje's state-owned radio
station, Mr. Dimitrov stated that emphasis was
given on the visa issue and the establishment of
a FYROM liaison office in Thessaloniki.
As he stated, the Greek side is eager to
change the visa-issuance procedures, even
simplify the process to the point where a visa
can be issued at the Greece-FYROM border.
Mr. Dimitrov further stressed that
relations between the two countries are
exceptionally good.
[08] COUNCIL OF GREEKS ABROAD TO OPEN OFFICES IN
BRUSSELS
The Council of Greeks Abroad (SAE) is to
inaugurate its offices in Brussels on October
21, thus taking a highly significant step for
the expatriate community's presence in the
European Union, as SAE President Andrew Athens
stated.
In a press conference given in Thessaloniki
yesterday, Mr. Athens made extensive reference
to the initiative for the establishment and
operation of medical facilities in countries
comprised in the former Soviet Union, which are
inhabited by thousands of Greek descendants.
[09] BALKAN WARS MUSEUM TO BE HOUSED IN
THESSALONIKI
A Balkan Wars Museum will be established at
a historical building in the town of Gefyra,
near Thessaloniki, the same place where on
October 26, 1912 the Turks turned over the city
to Greece.
The President of the Hellenic Republic
Kostis Stephanopoulos will inaugurate the
Museum's operation on October 27.
The building is the site where the Greek
army officers and the local pasha (as
Thessaloniki was still under the Turkish yoke)
negotiated the city's return to Greece in 1912.
[10] THE PRIME MINISTERS OF GREECE AND ROMANIA
MET IN ATHENS
Greek prime minister Kostas Simitis,
commenting after the meeting he had in Athens
today with his Romanian counterpart Rantu
Vasile, expressed the belief that cooperation
between Greece and Romania will be expanded
soon, Greece will have an even bigger presence
in the Balkans and it will lead the whole region
to peace and development.
Mr. Simitis and Mr. Vasile characterized as
very good the state of bilateral relations,
while in the talks they had they discussed the
issue of Romania's accession into the European
Union and NATO as well as the issue of the
Balkan stability pact promoted by Athens.
Later this afternoon, Mr. Vasile will be
received by Greek president Kostis
Stephanopoulos, while tomorrow he will have
meetings with right-wing main opposition party
of New Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis and
parliament president Apostolos Kaklamanis.
[11] MARGINAL DECLINE IN THE ATHENS STOCK
EXCHANGE
A marginal decline was recorded in the
Athens Stock Exchange today. The general index
dropped by 0.68% and closed at 5.392,32, while
the volume of transactions reached 312 billion
drachmas.
Today's session in the Athens Stock
Exchange was characterized by nervousness and
intense fluctuations of the general index. The
dynamic rise in the opening of the session was
absorbed later on because of the strong
pressures exerted mainly on the bank shares.
During the decline in the share prices, certain
of the shares appeared attractive and the
purchase interest became more intense gradually
expanding to all sectors except from the bank
shares.
One hundred and forty-three shares moved
upward, 161 showed a decline and 16 remained
stable.
[12] KARAMANLIS LAUNCHED AN ATTACK AGAINST THE
GOVERNMENT
Right-wing main opposition party of New
Democracy leader Kostas Karamalis launched an
attack against the government in the speech he
delivered in the party's parliamentary group
meeting. He said characteristically that the big
economic interests are with Mr. Simitis, while
the party of New Democracy stands by the simple
citizens. He spoke about corruption on the
occasion of the draft law on the Olympic video-
lotto.
Referring to the "uncompromising struggle"
of New Democracy against corruption as it was
characterized by its leader, government
spokesman Dimitris Reppas stated that it is a
joke and not a struggle, stressing that it is an
expression of Mr. Karamanlis' anguish over his
political survival. He said that New Democracy
is a worn-out party which is ready for
withdrawal.
[13] PANGALOS LAUNCHED A FRESH ATTACK AGAINST
HIS SUCCESSOR
Former foreign minister Theodoros Pangalos
launched a fresh attack against his successor
foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou in an
interview with the television station "Crete
TV".
Mr. Pangalos criticized the foreign
minister for the policy he follows regarding
Turkey by saying that it is characterized by a
lack of prudence and pointed out that Mr.
Papandreou adopts the anti-Greek proposals of
the United States.
Responding to those statements government
spokesman Dimitiris Reppas stated that Mr.
Papandreou exercises the foreign policy based on
decisions reached by the government.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[14] BRITISH HOUSE COMMITTEE DISCUSSES PARTHENON
MARBLES RETURN
British daily "The Guardian" reports today
that for the first time in 200 years, the
parliamentary committee will review the
possibility of returning the Parthenon Marbles
to Greece. According to the daily, political
circles are displeased with the manner in which
the British Museum has handled the issue.
The marbles were taken from the Parthenon
by Britain's Lord Elgin in 1801 and have been
kept in the British Museum since 1816.
The museum now faces criticism and
investigation by a parliamentary committee, the
Guardian reported.
The official custodians are under fire for
covering up for 50 years the damage done to the
treasures through attempts to clean them by
scraping the stone, the report said.
They will have to defend the museum's
reputation for looking after the treasures,
according to the report.
While the exact terms of reference of the
parliamentary inquiry are yet to be set, they
are believed to include scrutiny of major works
of art stolen or dubiously acquired by Britain's
museums and galleries, the paper reported.
"The full list of works of arts covered by
the inquiry has still to be worked out but it
would obviously include the marbles," confirmed
Gerald Kaufman, chairman of the parliamentary
committee, in the paper.
[15] ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER D'ALEMA TO VISIT
GREECE NEXT WEEK
Italian Prime Minister Massimo D'Alema is
expected to conduct an official visit to Greece
on October 26, where he will hold talks with
his Greek counterpart Costas Simitis.
According to statements made recently by
Greece's Foreign Minister George Papandreou, the
two premiers will work on a joint initiative on
protecting the Adriatic and Ionian seas from
illegal immigration and organized crime.
Mr. Papandreou said this initiative will
be brought to the Helsinki EU summit at the end
of the year.
[16] BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY: U.K. BACKS
TURKEY'S EU CANDIDACY
British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook stated
yesterday that Britain backs Turkey's
application to join the European Union, the
French news agency AFP reported.
Speaking to reporters after meeting Greek
Foreign Minister George Papandreou, Mr. Cook
warned Turkey it must make progress on human
rights, democracy, recognition of minorities
before it could join the EU.
"Speaking for Britain, we believe that it
would be right to recognize Turkey as a
candidate for membership of the European Union,"
he said.
"It is right to do so because we would be
supporting and encouraging the very progressive
forces in Turkey who look to Europe for their
aspirations and their orientation," he added.
However, Mr. Cook noted that recognizing
Turkey as a candidate was not the final decision
in the process to become an EU member.
"It will only be the first decision in a
long path and it will not be possible to
progress down that path until Turkey meets the
Copenhagen criteria on human rights, democracy,
recognition of minorities," he said.
[17] CYPRIOT-RUSSIAN-SAUDI AGREEMENT ON
NOVOROSSIJSK TIMBER
A consortium comprising Cypriot, Russian
and Saudi business people and the Cyprus
Development Bank (CDB), has reached an agreement
for the take-over of the timber port terminal of
Novorossijsk, the biggest Russian port in the
Black Sea.
The 62-hectare timber port terminal, which
is connected by a railway line with Russia's
national railroad network, is one of seven
terminals at the port of Novorossijsk.
[18] SERBIA: STATE SUES PRINTER FOR PUBLISHING
OPPOSITION LEAFLET
The Serb Information Ministry has sued a
Belgrade printing company and its manager for
publishing a daily leaflet for the opposition
coalition Alliance for Change, the French news
agency AFP reported yesterday.
The company, ABC Grafika, and its manager,
Slavoljub Kacarevic, are being held to account
for printing the leaflet Promene (Changes),
distributed to Alliance supporters during their
nationwide protests which began on September 21
in a bid to oust Yugoslav president Slobodan
Milosevic from power.
If convicted, the company and Mr.
Kacarevic could face total fines of some 4.5
million dinars (375,000 euros, 405,000 dollars).
"The company and Kacarevic violated the
Information law by printing a publication which
was not officially registered." the ministry
said in its deposition.
But Mr. Kacarevic argued that as the
leaflet was "propaganda material" it could not
be considered "a publication".
[19] TERRORISTS CLAIM ASSASSINATION ATTEMPT
AGAINST DRASCOVIC
The "Serb Liberation Army", an unheard of
terrorist organization, has claimed
responsibility for the assassination attempt
against Vuk Draskovic, president of the Serbian
Renewal Movement, on October 3.
According to the Serbian daily "Glas
Javnosti" the responsibility claim was
circulated in the capital of Montenegro,
Podgorica.
Four party officials were killed during a
crash when the car in which they and Mr.
Draskovic were traveling hit an oncoming lorry
head-on, killing everyone, except the party
leader and his wife.
[20] THE GREEK IMMIGRANTS CAN KEEP THEIR
NATIONALITY CONFIRMS THE GERMAN UNDERSECRETARY
OF INTERIOR
German undersecretary of interior Cornelia
Sontang-Wolgast commenting to MPA expressed the
view that there would be no big problem with the
Greek immigrants who want to keep their national
origin or that of their parents, maintaining
that the regulations of the new legislation that
will soon be in effect will improve the current
situation.
The German legislation so far had tried to
keep people away from acquiring multiple
nationalities and forced the children of
immigrants to choose between the nationality of
their parents or the German nationality,
creating a major problem as most of the Greeks
did not want to abandon their parents'
nationality.
[21] TURKEY: MEMBERS OF GREENPEACE WERE ARRESTED
PROTESTING AGAINST AKKUYU
The Turkish authorities arrested 12 members
of the ecological organization Greenpeace, who
protested at the bridge of Bosporus yesterday
against the construction of the Akkuyu nuclear
plant in south-eastern Turkey.
Nine members of the organization from
Denmark, Germany and Holland were arrested by
the Turkish authorities, while 3 Turks also
members of the organization were arrested later
on after a press conference they gave in an
Istanbul hotel.
The plan for the construction of a nuclear
plant in the region of Akkuyu has caused the
strong reaction of environmental organizations
both inside the country and abroad. It should be
noted that both the recent earthquake of 7.4 on
the Richter scale that hit the north-western
Turkey in August and the earthquake of 6.3 that
shook last year the region where the nuclear
plant will be built have caused the strong
concern of the international community regarding
safety.
[22] THE GREEK ECONOMY IS ON THE RIGHT COURSE,
ACCORDING TO A BELGIAN NEWSPAPER
The Brussels economic newspaper "L' Echo"
published a report on the Greek economy in which
are included recent statements made by minister
of national economy and finance Yiannos
Papantoniou according to which, it is certain
that Greece will join the EMU given the fact
that the Greek economy is on the right course
even though there is a slight concern regarding
the inflation criterion.
Also, the report refers to the issue of the
cost of the damages caused by the recent
earthquake in Athens which, according to Mr.
Papantoniou, is an additional pressure on the
government's economic policy but it can be
handled and can not move the country away from
the EMU target. It is also noted that Greece
hopes that it will be able to cover at least
half of the cost through the special EU funds.
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