Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 99-11-05
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, November 5, 1999
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] PM HOLDS TALKS WITH PARTY LEADERS IN LIGHT
OF CLINTON'S VISIT
[02] FLIGHT INFORMATION CENTER TO BE ESTABLISHED
IN THESSALONIKI
[03] GREECE DRAWS UNPRECEDENTED SECURITY
MEASURES FOR CLINTON
[04] PHILOXENIA INTERNATIONAL TOURISM FAIR OPENS
IN THESSALONIKI
[05] OPPOSITION PARTY TO HOLD CONFERENCE ON
CYPRUS TOMORROW
[06] INFLATION CLOSED AT 2.2% IN OCTOBER
[07] AN EXPLOSIVE DEVICE WAS NEUTRALIZED IN AN
ATHENS SUBURB TODAY
[08] PRIME MINISTER SIMITIS LEAVES FOR PARIS
TOMORROW
[09] 1.350.000 VISA CREDIT CARD HOLDERS IN
GREECE
[10] MEETINGS OF PRIME MINISTER SIMITIS WITH
POLITICAL PARTY LEADERS
[11] KARAMANLIS LAUNCHED AN ATTACK AGAINST THE
GOVERNMENT
[12] AN ATHENS BASED GREEK BANKING INSTITUTE IS
FOUNDED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF GREEK BANKS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[13] GREECE, ROMANIA, BULGARIA AGREE ON BORDER
INVIOLABILITY
[14] DEFENSE MINISTER AT 11TH IN/AL SYMPOSIUM
ON "THIRD ROAD"
[15] PREMIER SIMITIS EXPRESSES SUPPORT TO
ALBANIAN COUNTERPART
[16] US PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON ARRIVES IN GREECE
ON NOVEMBER 13
[17] PAKISTANI MILITARY LEADER TO VISIT TURKEY
MONDAY
[18] UN REPORT: 63 PERCENT OF YUGOSLAVS LIVE
BELOW POVERTY LEVEL
[19] BELGRADE TO UN: WE WANT TROOPS, POLICE,
SENT BACK TO KOSOVO
[20] ARMENIA: SLAIN PREMIER'S BROTHER NAMED AS
HIS REPLACEMENT
[21] CYPRIOT FM: YES TO NEGOTIATIONS IN LINE
WITH UN RESOLUTIONS
[22] SIMITIS AND KOSTOV DISCUSSED ISSUES
CONCERNING THE BURGAS-ALEXANDROUPOLIS OIL PIPE
LINE, THE BORDER CROSSINGS AND KOZLODUI
[23] TURKEY MUST CHANGE ACCORDING TO THE GREEK
AMBASSADOR TO ANKARA
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NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] PM HOLDS TALKS WITH PARTY LEADERS IN LIGHT
OF CLINTON'S VISIT
Prime Minister Costas Simitis is to hold a
round of meetings with political party leaders
today in order to discuss the upcoming arrival
of United States President Bill Clinton in
Athens.
Specifically, Mr. Simitis will meet with
the Secretary-General of the Communist Party of
Greece Aleka Paparega, whose party supporters
are planing a protest rally, as well as with the
President of the Coalition of the Left and
Progress Nikos Constantopoulos, the leader of
the Democratic and Social Movement Dimitris
Tsovolas.
The Premier will meet with the leader of
the main opposition party, New Democracy's
Costas Karamanlis, on Thursday.
[02] FLIGHT INFORMATION CENTER TO BE ESTABLISHED
IN THESSALONIKI
A European flight information center will
be established in Thessaloniki, the third one of
its kind, which will overview the route of
aircraft flying at above 30 thousand feet.
The center is expected to render
Thessaloniki a flight information hub throughout
Southeastern Europe and Eastern Mediterranean.
Transportation Minister Tasos Mantelis is to
sign a relevant agreement with his counterparts
from Albania and FYROM later this month.
[03] GREECE DRAWS UNPRECEDENTED SECURITY
MEASURES FOR CLINTON
Over 10,000 Greek policemen have been
assigned to the Athens "Hellinikon" airport, in
light of the visit of United States President
Bill Clinton to Greece.
The airport premises resemble a "fortress",
while the same security force will be in
effect throughout the American President's stay
in Greece.
Police are already on watch at areas the US
president is expected to visit during his stay
and this surveillance will continue until after
his departure.
The Attica traffic police has issued a
statement calling on drivers not to park their
cars along the route to be taken by the
president during his arrival and departure. The
ban will be in force from November 10 through
15.
Mr. Clinton will be accompanied by about
750 people, including officials, reporters and
security personnel.
[04] PHILOXENIA INTERNATIONAL TOURISM FAIR OPENS
IN THESSALONIKI
The annual tourism exposition Philoxenia
'99 was inaugurated yesterday at Thessaloniki's
International Trade Fair by the Minister of
Development Evangelos Venizelos in the Ioannis
Vellidis conference center.
The four-day event features a record number
of 449 industry-related exhibitors, a 30 percent
increase from last year.
The fair will be open only to commercial
visitors and branch professionals today, before
opening its doors to the public for the weekend.
[05] OPPOSITION PARTY TO HOLD CONFERENCE ON
CYPRUS TOMORROW
An anti-occupation conference for Cyprus
will be organized by Greece's minor opposition
party Democratic and Social Movement (DHKKI) in
Athens tomorrow, aiming at heightening awareness
and sensitivity over the island's division.
The session will be opened with addresses
by DHKKI leader Dimitris Tsovolas and the
Speaker of the Parliament of Cyprus Spyros
Cyprianou, while it will also feature the
participation of officials from both Greece and
Cyprus.
[06] INFLATION CLOSED AT 2.2% IN OCTOBER
Inflation closed at 2.2% in the month of
October compared to 2% in September, according
to the National Statistics Agency.
The Greek government's economic staff
attributes the increase to the price hikes in
fruits, vegetables and fuel and estimates that
inflation will return to its downward course
without the implementation of fiscal measures.
[07] AN EXPLOSIVE DEVICE WAS NEUTRALIZED IN AN
ATHENS SUBURB TODAY
An explosive device that had been placed in
a sports store of American sports company NIKE
in the Athens suburb of Nea Smirni was
neutralized with a controlled explosion in the
early morning hours today.
Police found the device after an
unidentified caller warned that a bomb mechanism
had been planted in the store. Bomb specialists
located the device and destroyed it.
Earlier, a hand grenade had exploded in the
front-yard of a house in the Athens suburb of
Glifada.
[08] PRIME MINISTER SIMITIS LEAVES FOR PARIS
TOMORROW
Prime minister Kostas Simitis leaves for
Paris tomorrow to attend the Socialist
International conference that will be held on
Monday. Mr. Simitis is expected to have contacts
with European officials in view of the Helsinki
summit meeting in which the Euro-Turkish
relations will be examined.
A new president will be elected in the
Socialist International summit meeting, while
the contents of the new ideological manifesto
will be discussed after a presentation by Felipe
Gonzales.
[09] 1.350.000 VISA CREDIT CARD HOLDERS IN
GREECE
The number of VISA credit card holders in
Greece has increased by 50% this year compared
to 1998.
Specifically, based on figures of the past
9 months, the number of VISA credit cards in
Greece is estimated at 1.350.000 compared to
920.000 in 1998, while it was found that the
consumers use their credit cards twice a month
on the average.
The VISA credit card has a volume of
activities bigger that the total of the rest
major credit cards in Greece and constantly
renews its products (ways of payment) and
introduces new technologies for the benefit of
the 20 financial institutions which are its
members in Greece and the credit card holders.
[10] MEETINGS OF PRIME MINISTER SIMITIS WITH
POLITICAL PARTY LEADERS
Prime minister Kostas Simitis had meetings
with political party leaders to brief them on
the imminent trip to Greece by US president Bill
Clinton.
Mr. Simitis had separate meetings with
Communist Party general secretary Aleka
Papariga, Coalition of the Left leader Nikos
Konstantopoulos and Democratic Social Movement
leader Dimitris Tsovolas. On Thursday, he will
meet with right-wing main opposition party of
New Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis.
Meanwhile, a government meeting with the
participation of all the responsible ministers,
that will be chaired by prime minister Simitis,
will be held this afternoon to discuss the
Clinton visit to Greece.
[11] KARAMANLIS LAUNCHED AN ATTACK AGAINST THE
GOVERNMENT
Right-wing main opposition party of New
Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis launched an
attack against the government, speaking in the
party central committee meeting.
He accused prime minister Kostas Simitis of
trying to win the support of the voters by
offering extra benefits in view of the next
state elections. He also said that all new
appointments will be checked and New Democracy
will not recognize those that will be found to
be illegal.
Referring to the imminent visit by the US
president and the existing climate, he observed
that the government must discuss with Bill
Clinton those issues that concern the two
countries and at the same time, must present the
points of disagreement.
[12] AN ATHENS BASED GREEK BANKING INSTITUTE IS
FOUNDED BY THE ASSOCIATION OF GREEK BANKS
Association of Greek Banks general
secretary Yiannis Manos announced the creation
of a Greek Banking Institute that will be based
in Athens, speaking in the 15th international
tourism exhibition PHILOXENIA that is being held
in Thessaloniki.
The institute's aim will be to train wider
banking sector employees in banking, economic
and administrative issues, while in its goals
will be included advisory and organizational
interventions in the Balkan banking sector.
Speaking on the preparation of the Greek
banks in view of the EURO in January 2001, he
said that its cost will reach 35-40 billion
drachmas in a period of 4 years, while an
additional 4 billion drachmas will be spent for
the withdrawal of the Greek currency from
circulation by the year 2002.
Within the framework of the initiatives
undertaken by the Greek banking system, the
Association of Greek banks will organize an
international conference in Thessaloniki in the
summer of 2000 with the participation of bank
representatives from Balkan countries, the Black
Sea and the Mediterranean.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[13] GREECE, ROMANIA, BULGARIA AGREE ON BORDER
INVIOLABILITY
The Presidents of Bulgaria and Romania,
Petar Stoyanov and Emil Constantinescu, and
Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis agree on
the inviolability of Balkan borders, after
meeting during the second tripartite meeting in
Borovec, Bulgaria yesterday.
In a statement during a joint press
conference, Mr. Simitis said the criterion for a
solution to problems in the region should be the
observance of rules set by international law and
international treaties.
Regarding the Kosovo issue, the three
leaders agreed that a status of wide autonomy
should be granted and, as Mr. Simitis
underlined, processes should be speeded up to
allow for a political entity in the region to
tackle problems. On the other hand, the solution
should be provided within the borders of
Yugoslavia.
The Bulgarian president said any change of
borders in the region could create new reactions
and new misery.
In regards to the implementation of the
Stability Pact, the Presidents of Bulgaria and
Romania expressed satisfaction over the fact
that Greece has provided the sole aid plan so
far for the region's reconstruction which, as
they said, has a timetable and concerns specific
countries.
Likewise, both presidents expressed
satisfaction for support given to the two
countries by Greece in their efforts to join the
European Union and NATO.
This was the second Greek-Bulgarian-
Romanian summit meeting between the three
countries. The first meeting was held under
Greece's inititiative in October 1998 in Delphi.
[14] DEFENSE MINISTER AT 11TH IN/AL SYMPOSIUM
ON "THIRD ROAD"
Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos
proposed socialist practices different to both
the Soviet and the post-liberal models, during
the 11th international "third Road" symposium
in Tunis, where he participated as the vice-
president of the European Socialist Party (ESP).
"The policy and practices of the 'third
road to socialism' aim at leading societies to
the next century, in conditions different from
those of the Soviet system, which collapsed, and
different from the post-liberal proposal. Thus,
the 'third road' is a way to reach modern
socialism," Mr. Tsochatzopoulos said.
[15] PREMIER SIMITIS EXPRESSES SUPPORT TO
ALBANIAN COUNTERPART
Prime Minister Costas Simitis relayed the
Greek government's support to the Albania's new
cabinet, during a telephone conversation he held
with his Albanian counterpart Ilir Meta.
Messrs. Simitis and Meta agreed on the
further development of bilateral ties within the
framework of the Stability Pact. Mr. Meta
stated that Greece constitutes his country's
most significant ally.
Mr. Simitis assured Mr. Meta that the two
countries will continue to enjoy their course of
cooperation, while they will soon meet in
Athens.
[16] US PRESIDENT BILL CLINTON ARRIVES IN GREECE
ON NOVEMBER 13
The President of the United States Bill
Clinton is to arrive in Greece on Saturday,
November 13, accompanied by his wife Hillary,
daughter Chelsea, an entourage of 750 people,
including U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine
Albright, National Security Adviser and the
White House Chief of Staff, as well as the
Archbishop of America Dimitrios and other
leading figures of the Greek-American community.
Immediately upon his arrival, Mr. Clinton
will be received by the President of the
Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos and,
successively, by the Prime Minister Costas
Simitis.
[17] PAKISTANI MILITARY LEADER TO VISIT TURKEY
MONDAY
Pakistani military ruler General Pervez
Musharraf will travel to Turkey for a one-day
visit on Monday, nearly a month after he seized
power in a bloodless coup in October, the
Pakistani embassy announced yesterday.
According to the French news agency AFP,
Gen. Musharraf, who toppled Prime Minister Nawaz
Sharif, is scheduled to hold talks with
President Suleyman Demirel and Prime Minister
Bulent Ecevit.
He is expected to hold a news conference
and attend a dinner hosted by President Demirel
before leaving Turkey on Tuesday morning.
The Pakistani embassy explained that the
general had actually been invited to Turkey for
a ten-day visit by Turkish chief of staff
Huseyin Kivrikoglu before the October 12 coup.
"He is now keeping his promise," an embassy
official told AFP on condition of anonymity,
adding that "this is yet another manifestation
of the special relationship between Turkey and
Pakistan."
During his visit, Gen. Musharraf is also
scheduled to visit the mausoleum of Mustafa
Kemal Ataturk, the founder of modern Turkey, who
the general said had been an inspiration for
him.
[18] UN REPORT: 63 PERCENT OF YUGOSLAVS LIVE
BELOW POVERTY LEVEL
The influx of refugees from Kosovo has
aggravated Yugoslavia's social problems, United
Nations Coordinator of Humanitarian Aid to
Yugoslavia Steven Allen told a press conference
at the U.N. Headquarters yesterday.
According to Mr. Allen, the social
situation in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
had substantially deteriorated in the course of
the past two years. Whereas in July 1998 people
with an average monthly income of less than 60
U.S. dollars accounted for 33 per cent of the
country's population, this figure had grown to
63 per cent by September 1999.
[19] BELGRADE TO UN: WE WANT TROOPS, POLICE,
SENT BACK TO KOSOVO
The Yugoslav government told the United
Nations Security Council yesterday that it wants
to send troops and police back to Kosovo, saying
minorities in the UN-administered province are
living under a reign of terror, the official
Tanjug news agency reported.
On Wednesday, the UN High Commissioner for
Refugees and the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe said in a joint report
that "there is a climate of violence and
impunity, as well as widespread discrimination,
harassment and intimidation directed against non-
Albanians" in Kosovo.
Yesterday, the European Union's Finnish
presidency said EU support for Kosovo's
reconstruction would suffer if ethnic Albanians
persisted in attacking Serbs.
[20] ARMENIA: SLAIN PREMIER'S BROTHER NAMED AS
HIS REPLACEMENT
Armenian President Robert Kocharian has
named Aram Sarkissian, 38, the brother of the
country's slain premier Vazgen Sarkissian, to
lead the government with the support of the
parliament's majority Unity Party.
The new premier's older brother was shot
dead along with seven other political figures
when gunmen burst into the parliament building
and sprayed the chamber with machine gun fire.
[21] CYPRIOT FM: YES TO NEGOTIATIONS IN LINE
WITH UN RESOLUTIONS
Nicosia intends to sit at the negotiations
table only if the UN Security Council's
resolution 1250 is observed fully, Cypriot
Foreign Minster Yiannakis Kasoulides told "The
Cyprus Weekly" commenting on reports that a four-
day session on Cyprus will be held on the
sidelines of the forthcoming Organization for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE)
conference in Istanbul.
Referring to Turkey's European orientation,
Mr. Kasoulides stated that Ankara will have to
make specific moves and noted the position held
by Greece's Foreign Minister George Papandreou
who has stated that Greece's approval of
Turkey's EU accession is not to be given in
advance.
Moreover, Mr. Kasoulides stated that he is
close contact with the Greek government and
stressed that the Cyprus issue constitutes a
priority. He said that if Turkey takes a
positive step towards this direction, than all
else can be resolved at Helsinki's EU Summit in
December.
Otherwise, he noted, Ankara would be void
of credibility in terms of its candidature for
EU accession and could perhaps create a
dangerous precedent.
[22] SIMITIS AND KOSTOV DISCUSSED ISSUES
CONCERNING THE BURGAS-ALEXANDROUPOLIS OIL PIPE
LINE, THE BORDER CROSSINGS AND KOZLODUI
The construction of the Burgas-
Alexandroupolis oil pipe line was one of the
main issues discussed in the meeting of Greek
prime minister Kostas Simitis with his Bulgarian
counterpart Ivan Kostov that was held in Bojana,
Sofia this morning.
The interest of the two countries in the
project was renewed and it appears that there is
a will to overcome the organizing difficulties.
The talks of the two prime ministers were held
in a cordial atmosphere. Mr. Kostov thanked the
prime minister for the Greek initiative to
finance the projects in the Balkans within the
framework of the economic reconstruction. The
Bulgarian prime minister also expressed
gratitude to Mr. Simitis for the stable support
of Greece to the efforts of his country to
become a member of the European Union and NATO.
Mr. Kostov called for the increase of the
Greek investments in Bulgaria and stressed that
the economic situation in his country has
improved and there will be a system of
guarantees for investors. The Bulgarian prime
minister said to Mr. Simitis that foreign
officials such as, the German finance minister
had suggested to him that Bulgaria should follow
the model of Greece and pay attention to the
Greek proposals.
Mr. Simitis and Mr. Kostov also discussed
the issue of the Greek-Bulgarian border
crossings and specifically, the delay in the
opening of the border crossing of Dramas in
Greece. Based on a Greek high court decision the
brown bear that lives in the region must be
protected and the Greek side has proposed to
overcome the problem with the construction of an
underground tunnel.
The two prime ministers also discussed the
issue of the Kozlodui nuclear plant. Bulgaria
exports electricity to Turkey and prime minister
Kostas Simitis suggested to Mr. Kostov to follow
the directives of the European Union and close
down the reactors, stressing that there are
strong reactions among the European public
opinion, the "Greens" and others concerning the
operation of the nuclear plant.
[23] TURKEY MUST CHANGE ACCORDING TO THE GREEK
AMBASSADOR TO ANKARA
Turkey must change and accept the
principles of the European Union if it wants to
become one of its members, stressed Greece's
ambassador to Ankara Ioannis Korantis speaking
in a dinner that was given in his honor by the
Rotary Club of Eski Sehir. He said that the EU
is not a religious union but a union of
principles and if Turkey accepts them it will be
able to become its member.
The principles that are in effect for the
rest of the countries are in effect for Turkey
as well, said the Greek ambassador, adding that
Greece wants Turkey to take its place in the
European Union if it complies with the framework
of the European Union principles.
Mr. Korantis also said that the feelings of
friendship displayed by the two peoples after
the devastating earthquakes that hit the two
countries have sent important messages to the
state governments. He said that solutions must
be found at an international level and
emphasized that if Turkey accepts the
International Court of Justice in The Hague the
problems will be solved.
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