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Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 99-11-26
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, November 26, 1999
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] RULING PARTY, MAIN OPPOSITION, GEAR UP FOR
ELECTIONS
[02] STATE LOWERS ELECTRICITY RATES IN ORDER TO
CONTAIN INFLATION
[03] GREECE'S DEPUTY DEFENSE MINISTER SEES
ITALIAN COUNTERPART
[04] SAE TO HOLD THIRD CONFERENCE AT
THESSALONIKI IN DECEMBER
[05] CHURCH OF GREECE SENDS 150 TENTS TO
TURKEY'S QUAKE HOMELESS
[06] FOREIGN MINISTRY OPENS INFORMATION BUREAU
FOR FOREIGNERS
[07] GREECE MEETS ALL SCHENGEN CRITERIA,
COMMITTEE SAYS
[08] THESSALONIKI TO HOST EXPATRIATE
ENTREPRENEURS 1ST CONGRESS
[09] THESSALONIKI, EU, YUGOSLAVIA DISCUSS ROUTE,
RAIL AXIS X
[10] PRESIDENT OF HELLENIC REPUBLIC TO VISIT
PORTUGAL NEXT WEEK
[11] NATO SECRETARY GENERAL WILL BE IN ATHENS ON
MONDAY
[12] GREECE'S AIR CARRIER RANKS THIRD WORLD-WIDE
IN SAFETY
[13] US EMBASSY TO HOLD INTERNATIONAL TOURISM
EVENT IN ATHENS
[14] PRIME MINISTER REJECTS RUMORS OF EARLY
ELECTIONS
[15] GREEK RAILWAYS SIGNS COOPERATION AGREEMENT
WITH FYROM
[16] FIRE BREAKS OUT ON GREEK CARGO SHIP IN THE
INDIAN OCEAN
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[17] EU PRESSURES ANKARA NOT TO IMPOSE DEATH
SENTENCE ON OCALAN
[18] CHERNOBYL'S ONLY OPERATIONAL REACTOR GETS
RESTARTED
[19] GREEK FM: NO G/T RAPPROCHEMENT UNLESS
CYPRUS ISSUE IS SOLVED
[20] TURKEY RAISES TAXES TO GENERATE
RECONSTRUCTION REVENUE
[21] EUROSTAT REPORT: GREECE IS EU'S BIGGEST
ENERGY CONSUMER
[22] SEVERAL MONTHS MAY PASS FOR FINAL DECISION
ON OCALAN'S LIFE
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NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] RULING PARTY, MAIN OPPOSITION, GEAR UP FOR
ELECTIONS
Both the ruling PASOK party and main
opposition New Democracy are gearing up for the
possibility of an early ballot in March, should
the parliament fail to reach a consensus on the
presidential election.
During yesterday's session PASOK's
Executive Bureau, Prime Minister Costas Simitis
called on party officials to be ready even for
elections in March and called on the party's
ministers to at once strike back against New
Democracy's scandal mongering.
[02] STATE LOWERS ELECTRICITY RATES IN ORDER TO
CONTAIN INFLATION
The government has announced that it will
halve a tax on diesel used to produce
electricity and lower household electricity
charges by 7.5 percent in order to ease
inflationary pressures due to rising world oil
prices, as per a relevant amendment submitted to
parliament by National Economy and Finance
Minister Yiannos Papantoniou and Development
Minister Evangelos Venizelos.
The government is to apply to the European
Union for entry in March 2000 and a decision is
expected in June of the same year.
The 7.5 percent cut in consumer electricity
bills goes into effect on December 1, although
the duration of the said measures was not
announced.
[03] GREECE'S DEPUTY DEFENSE MINISTER SEES
ITALIAN COUNTERPART
Greece's deputy Defense Minster Dimitris
Apostolakis met with his Italian counterpart
Massimo Bruti in Athens yesterday, with whom he
discussed issues related to Greek-Italian
defense cooperation and European defense and
security policies.
Following the talks, Messrs. Bruti and
Apostolakis stated that they had agreed on the
need for a European defense and security policy
which would not affect the
authority of the Euro-Atlantic alliance.
Referring to Turkey's decision to uphold
the death sentence on Abdullah Ocalan, Mr. Bruti
said that acts of humanity and tolerance were
what distinguished democratic governments from
others.
Mr. Apostolakis told reporters that the
decision had a political dimension and said he
believed there were margins to overcome this
"sensitive and crucial phase of human rights in
Turkey."
[04] SAE TO HOLD THIRD CONFERENCE AT
THESSALONIKI IN DECEMBER
Over one thousand Greeks from all five
continents will attend the World Council of
Hellenes (SAE) Third International Assembly, to
be held in Thessaloniki between December 5-8.
The event will be opened by Prime Minister
Costas Simitis and will be attended, among
others, by President Costis Stephanopoulos,
Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides and several
party leaders.
Within the framework of SAE, the first
world youth conference will be held on December
1-2 followed by the forum of overseas Greek
entrepreneurs, scientists, artists and overseas
Greek women. on December 3-4.
The SAE's third council will elect an 11-
member presidium, while, according to reports,
SAE President Andrew Athens will seek his re-
election for the third time.
[05] CHURCH OF GREECE SENDS 150 TENTS TO
TURKEY'S QUAKE HOMELESS
The Church of Greece will send 150 tents to
Turkey, in aid to those rendered homeless by the
latest earthquake,
The funds were acquired by donations
submitted for the said cause, and the tents will
be forwarded this weekend to the Ecumenical
Patriarchate in Istanbul which in turn will
distribute them to those in need.
[06] FOREIGN MINISTRY OPENS INFORMATION BUREAU
FOR FOREIGNERS
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has
established an information bureau for foreign
residents in Greece, aimed at providing
information on issues related to the operation
of the ministry.
The bureau will be open on a daily basis
from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and will provide
information and advice, as well as a complaint
line.
The office is located at 3, Akademias St. in
Athens, - tel. 36.82.700. The website for the
bureau is www.mfa.gr
[07] GREECE MEETS ALL SCHENGEN CRITERIA,
COMMITTEE SAYS
Greece meets all the necessary Schengen
Pact criteria for its full integration into this
European Union system, which allows for the
unrestricted travel of European Union citizens
to all of EU's member-states.
According to a decision of a Schengen joint
committee of permanent representatives, Greece
will join the pact on Jan. 1, 2000, although
several secondary airports in Greece's provinces
will not be included in the initial phase but
will be integrated by March 2000.
"It is a new and important upgrading of our
country within Europe. The unification of Greek
territory with the rest of the Schengen
territory will complete our country's inclusion
into a democratic region of guaranteed
security," Alternate Foreign Minister Christos
Rokofyllos said.
The decision will be officially approved
during a meeting of the same committee at the
ministerial level on Dec. 2-3 in Brussels.
[08] THESSALONIKI TO HOST EXPATRIATE
ENTREPRENEURS 1ST CONGRESS
The First World Congress of Expatriated
Entrepreneurs is to be held in Thessaloniki on
December 4, illustrating the city's role as a
Balkan reconstruction center.
The congress, which will be held within the
framework of the World Council of Hellenes (SAE)
Third International Assembly, to be held in
Thessaloniki between December 5-8, will review
Greece's role as a starting point for the
development of economic cooperation with Balkan
and Black Sea countries.
Participants will have the opportunity to
discuss potential ventures in the sectors of
industry, exporting, trade, banking,
construction, energy, telecommunications,
transportation, high technology and tourism.
[09] THESSALONIKI, EU, YUGOSLAVIA DISCUSS ROUTE,
RAIL AXIS X
Officials from the seven states aligned on
the map of the road and rail X Axis, as well as
representatives from the European Commission and
the United Nations are presently in
Thessaloniki, joined by observers from
Yugoslavia, Germany and Turkey, in order to
examine the re-operation of the route which
links central Europe to Thessaloniki.
The talks, chaired by the Greek Ministry of
Transportation secretary general George
Maniatis, also feature the participation of
officials from Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia,
FYROM, Hungary and Slovenia, as well as the
president of the Thessaloniki Port Authority.
The meeting will assess the need of
technical support to the said Axis, which
amounts to 2,239 kilometers, before the
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki is assigned
both its technical support, as well as the
discovery of project funds.
The Axis' main part, measuring 1,387
kilometers, originates at Thessaloniki's port,
and travels through Skopje, Belgrade, Zagreb,
Ljubljana, before ending at Salzburg, Austria,
while auxiliary roads extend to Bulgaria and
Hungary.
Following the end of the Kosovo conflict,
this is the first forum to which Yugoslavia has
been invited to participate, with the attendance
of EU and UN officials.
[10] PRESIDENT OF HELLENIC REPUBLIC TO VISIT
PORTUGAL NEXT WEEK
The President of the Republic Costis
Stephanopoulos will conduct a state visit to
Portugal from December 1-4 at the invitation of
his Portuguese counterpart Jorge Sampaio, it was
announced today.
President Stephanopoulos will be
accompanied by deputy foreign minister Christos
Rokofyllos.
[11] NATO SECRETARY GENERAL WILL BE IN ATHENS ON
MONDAY
NATO Secretary General George Robertson
will arrive in Athens on Monday, November 29,
where he will hold talks with Prime Minister
Costas Simitis, government spokesman Dimitris
Reppas announced.
On Thursday, the president of the European
Union, Finnish Prime Minister Paavo Liponnen
will be in Athens for talks.
[12] GREECE'S AIR CARRIER RANKS THIRD WORLD-WIDE
IN SAFETY
Greece's air carrier Olympic Airways is
rated third among the safest airlines world-wide
according to the results of an international
conference on flight safety held in Athens
earlier this month, which also found that flight
control and services at Greek airports are
impeccable.
The high ratings for state-owned O.A. and
the Greek airports were also confirmed after an
inspection recently conducted by US Federal
Aviation Authority officials.
[13] US EMBASSY TO HOLD INTERNATIONAL TOURISM
EVENT IN ATHENS
Delegates from 31 countries are expected to
attend an international tourism infrastructure
conference to be held by the United States
embassy in Athens next week, between December 1-
3.
The conference aims at bringing closer US
companies and firms from Armenia, Austria,
Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Georgia,
Greece, Estonia, FYROM, Spain, Israel, Italy,
Croatia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Great
Britain, the Netherlands, Uzbekistan, Ukraine,
Palestine, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Sweden,
Turkey and Finland.
The US delegation will include
representatives from the Commerce and State
Departments, Export-Import Bank, the
Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA),
the Overseas Private Investment Corporation
(OPIC) and US ambassadors from around the world.
Originally to be held in Thessaloniki, the
conference was postponed earlier in the year due
to the crisis in Yugoslavia.
According to US ambassador to Athens
Nicholas Burns, Greek-American economic
relations were steadily expanding after starting
from a low level. He said that US companies were
soon expected to show their interest in the
Greek market, which they viewed as fast growing
and with a healthy outlook linked to its
anticipated entry into the euro zone.
[14] PRIME MINISTER REJECTS RUMORS OF EARLY
ELECTIONS
Prime Minister Costas Simitis has rejected
persistent rumors of early elections, by
stating today that the ballot will take place at
the end of the ruling PASOK party's four-year
term.
Presently in Crete for a two-day tour, Mr.
Simitis challenged main opposition New Democracy
party leader Costas Karamanlis to "drink the
bitter cup" and "take beneficial decisions on
the President of the Republic."
PASOK "is not going to go to early
elections," he said, adding that "those are
rumors instigated by all those who wish to avoid
certain important decisions... Elections will
take place at the end of the four-year term," he
stressed.
[15] GREEK RAILWAYS SIGNS COOPERATION AGREEMENT
WITH FYROM
Hellenic Railways Organization (OSE) has
signed an agreement with FYROM's railways
authorities aimed at strengthening co-operation
and implementing common freight pricing policies
next year.
According to the announcement issued today,
the agreement also envisages efforts to attract
cargoes to freight train networks. The deal
covers all freight transport categories,
imports, exports and transit.
[16] FIRE BREAKS OUT ON GREEK CARGO SHIP IN THE
INDIAN OCEAN
A fire broke out aboard a Greek-owned cargo
ship early today in the Indian Ocean off the
Indian port of Madras, and nearby boats were on
the way to pick up the 20-member crew, which was
spotted by airplane on a life-raft.
According to press reports, the fire broke
out aboard the freighter "ELIZA" as it was
sailing 280 miles southeast of Madras, en route
from Sri Lanka to Bangladesh without cargo. The
ship started to take on water after the blaze
broke out. According to information from the
Bombay port authorities, an aircraft had spotted
crew members in a lifeboat near the burning
ship.
According to the Ministry of Merchant
Marine, the crew included two Greek
technicians.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[17] EU PRESSURES ANKARA NOT TO IMPOSE DEATH
SENTENCE ON OCALAN
The European Union's High Representative
for foreign affairs and security Javier Solana
warned Turkey that its membership application
could be jeopardized if "positive measures" are
not taken over the death sentence against
Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan.
Mr. Solana expressed the disappointment of
the EU at the upholding on Thursday of the death
sentence by an appeal court in Ankara, the
spokesman said. Many leading EU members have
also individually urged Turkey not to carry out
the death sentence. The ruling came ahead of
the European Union summit in Helsinki on
December 10-11, where Ankara hopes to have its
candidacy status confirmed.
Mr. Solana said Turkey had to take
"positive measures" over Mr. Ocalan's case
"because it will be very difficult for Turkey to
become a member of the family of European
countries if the death sentence against Mr.
Ocalan was executed.
[18] CHERNOBYL'S ONLY OPERATIONAL REACTOR GETS
RESTARTED
The only operational reactor at the
Chernobyl power plant, scene of the world's
worst nuclear power disaster, reopened this
morning after five months of repairs, the French
news agency AFP reported.
Duty engineer Mykola Suvorov said that "the
reactor has to reach its nominal power of 1000
megawatts on Sunday," adding that it is
presently working at half capacity.
Reactor three was to have reopened
yesterday, but spokesman Olexander Olexeyuk told
AFP that "a dysfunction in the safety system
forced us to postpone the resumption from
Thursday evening till Friday."
The restart, originally planned for
November 9, had been repeatedly postponed due to
lack of funds and the scale of repairs needed.
[19] GREEK FM: NO G/T RAPPROCHEMENT UNLESS
CYPRUS ISSUE IS SOLVED
Foreign Minister George Papandreou,
presently in Nicosia for meetings with
government and other party leaders, stated that
rapprochement between Greece and
Turkey cannot be achieved unless the Cyprus
problem is solved, albeit noting that this does
not mean that the two countries must not attempt
to improve their relations.
Following talks with his Cypriot
counterpart Yannis Kasoulides, Mr. Papandreou
stated that Athens will decide on Turkey's
candidacy at the upcoming EU summit in Helsinki
after it first sees the final terms.
"I cannot call you compatriots," Mr.
Papandreou told the Turkish-Cypriot reporters,
"but I can wish that you are soon members of the
EU with your compatriots, the Greek Cypriots."
Regarding Turkey's EU candidacy, Mr.
Papandreou stated that "we will decide in
Helsinki when we see these final terms of this
candidacy." He added that Turkey's desire to
become part of Europe should be shown in
practice", noting that this "certainly will be
assessed in Helsinki depending on how it is
expressed."
[20] TURKEY RAISES TAXES TO GENERATE
RECONSTRUCTION REVENUE
The Turkish parliament y passed a
controversial bill today introducing new taxes
to generate revenues for the reconstruction of
northwestern Turkey following two massive
earthquakes in the last three months.
As the French news agency AFP reported, the
bill was first submitted to parliament in
August, just days after a massive tremor
devastated Turkey's industrial heartland killing
some 20,000 people.
But the government eventually withdrew the
legislation following harsh criticism from the
public, business circles and even members of
coalition parties.
The bill was reintroduced in parliament on
Wednesday and more levies were added to its
final version, which was endorsed this morning
after a night-long marathon of heated debates.
The law, passed despite stern opposition,
foresees a five to 10 percent increase on income
and corporate taxes, double taxation on real
estate and vehicles, extra levies on annual
earnings of more than 23,500 dollars and a 25
percent levy on cell phone bills.
[21] EUROSTAT REPORT: GREECE IS EU'S BIGGEST
ENERGY CONSUMER
Greece is the biggest energy consumer among
European Union member-states in recent years,
according to comparative figures on energy
consumption per GDP unit produced released by
the EU's statistical service Eurostat and
appearing in today's Athens daily "Ta Nea".
According to Eurostat, Denmark is the most
frugal energy consumer in the 15-nation bloc,
while Greece was the largest user, followed by
Portugal, Britain and France. According to data
attributed by the newspaper to Greece's
development ministry, energy consumption (oil,
electricity and others) in the country jumped
37.4 percent in 17 years, from 11,483,000 oil-
equivalent tons in 1979 to 16,273,000 oil-
equivalent tons in 1996.
[22] SEVERAL MONTHS MAY PASS FOR FINAL DECISION
ON OCALAN'S LIFE
The upholding of the death sentence on
Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan by Turkey's
appeals court yesterday, on treason and
separatism charges, is just one step in the
process, as it could be several months before
the final decision on his fate is taken, the
French news agency AFP reported.
Lawyers for Ocalan will lodge a request
with the president of the appeal court, Vural
Savas, for the decision to be reconsidered, one
of the defense team Dogan Erbas told AFP. Mr.
Savas must accept or refuse the request within
about a week.
If Mr. Savas accepts, the appeal court must
deliberate again. If he refuses, as looks more
likely as he recommended the court uphold the
sentence, then Ocalan's legal options within
Turkey are exhausted.
His lawyers will then bring the case before
the European Court of Human Rights at
Strasbourg. "We will base our request on the
principle that the death penalty must be
abolished and we will ask the European Court to
call on Turkey to suspend the decision to
execute until the court has given its
judgment",' Mr. Erbas explained.
Turkey is not a signatory to the protocol
for the abolition of the death penalty "but must
respect it as a member of the European family"
he said.
Even though Turkey is not bound to await
the decision of the European Court before going
ahead with the sentence, Turkish leaders have
let it be known that they are prepared to take
their time and wait for the ruling.
Alternatively the case will be put before
the Turkish parliament, starting with the
parliamentary justice commission, which will
right away submit it to the full assembly for a
vote.
Since 1984 the commission has kept all
cases on hold and no death sentence has been
carried out, thus imposing a virtual moratorium
on the death penalty.
If the death sentence is passed by
parliament the decision then passes to Turkish
President Suleylan Demirel to ratify it. If he
disagrees he can return the case to parliament
to show his dissatisfaction. However if
parliament reiterates its decision the president
must then ratify it.
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