Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 99-12-15
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, December 15, 1999
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] PASOK LEADS IN AN OPINION POLL CONDUCTED
ACROSS GREECE
[02] THE BANK OF GREECE CUTS THE INTERVENTION
INTEREST RATES
[03] NEW INTEREST RATES CUTS IN THE FIRST MONTHS
OF 2000 PREDICTED BY MR. PAPANTONIOU
[04] LOSSES OF 2.54% IN THE ATHENS STOCK
EXCHANGE
[05] THE ONLY EXISTING ISSUE BETWEEN GREECE AND
TURKEY IS THE CONTINENTAL SHELF
[06] REACTIONS BY LEADING MEMBERS OF PASOK AND
ND ON THE NEW OPINION POLL
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[07] TEN GREEKS WERE AMONG THE VICTIMS OF A
ROBBERY IN SOFIA
[08] CONSULTATIONS IN ROMANIA ON THE NEW
GOVERNMENT
[09] ECEVIT WILL SUGGEST TO DENKTASH TO CONTINUE
THE TALKS ON CYPRUS
[10] MILITARY AGREEMENT WAS SIGNED BETWEEN
GREECE AND FYROM
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NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] PASOK LEADS IN AN OPINION POLL CONDUCTED
ACROSS GREECE
The governing socialist party of PASOK
leads the right-wing main opposition party of
New Democracy by 1 percentage point in an
opinion poll conducted across Greece by the MRB
polling company.
The outcome of the opinion poll that was
conducted before the Helsinki EU Summit meeting
was given to publicity yesterday. PASOK got
31.6%, New Democracy 30.6%, the Communist Party
5.6%, the Democratic Social Movement 4.8%,
Coalition of the Left 4%, Political Spring 1.4%
and the Liberals 0.5%. To the question who is
more suitable for the post of the prime minister
after the year 2000, prime minister Kostas
Simitis comes first with 41.9%, while New
Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis follows with
31.9%.
The same research shows that Kostis
Stephanopoulos is regarded as the most suitable
for the post of the president of the Hellenic
Republic by 61.4% of those who responded to the
opinion poll.
Regardless of political party affiliation
48.2% of the people believe that PASOK will be
the winner in the next elections compared to 32%
who believe that the winner will be New
Democracy. The prime minister with 40.4% is the
most popular politician compared to Kostas
Karamanlis' 38%.
[02] THE BANK OF GREECE CUTS THE INTERVENTION
INTEREST RATES
The monetary policy council of the Bank of
Greece met today to announce the intervention
interest rate cut.
In yesterday's marathon meeting it was
decided that the cut will be 0.75%. The new cut
is possible to signal the drop of the commercial
banks' interest rates on loans and bank
accounts.
Already the first move came for the
National Bank of Greece. Its consumer loans
interest rates are adjusted at 15.50%, the
personal loans interest rates at 16.25 %, the
housing loans interest rates at 11.75%, the
savings accounts interest rates at 7.50% and the
current account interest rates at 6%.
[03] NEW INTEREST RATES CUTS IN THE FIRST MONTHS
OF 2000 PREDICTED BY MR. PAPANTONIOU
Minister of national economy and finance
Yiannos Papantoniou, who presented the updated
convergence program for the three-year period of
1999-2002, predicted a new interest rates cuts
in the first months of 2000. Mr. Papantoniou
pointed out that the interest rates will follow
a downward course stating that the de-escalation
must be controlled.
Mr. Papantoniou stated that the goal of the
government is for inflation to be at 2.1% in
2000 and 2001, while the goal for 2002 is to
drop to 2%. Mr. Papantoniou stated that this
inflation rate is absolutely compatible with the
way the European inflation rate develops and
will safeguard the Greek economy's course to the
EMU.
On the course of the stock market, he
characterized the loss of enthusiasm as normal
and added that the stock market is in step with
the positive picture of the Greek economy.
Also, the minister of national economy and
finance confirmed today the information on
consultations with the European partners on the
revaluation of the drachma exchange rate to the
Euro.
[04] LOSSES OF 2.54% IN THE ATHENS STOCK
EXCHANGE
Significant losses of 2.54% were recorded
today in the Athens Stock Exchange general index
in spite of the announcements on interest rates
cuts that were expected to give a boost to the
stock market.
The positive developments in the economy
front appeared to be insufficient and were
unable to limit the caution expressed by
investors. At the same time, the stock market is
suffocating because of lack of cash flow as the
big share capital increases that have dried out
the Athens Stock Exchange continue, while the
purchase interest remains limited.
The small volume of transactions is also a
cause of concern as of the 400 billion drachmas
that were invested today 100-200 billions
concerned share packages.
[05] THE ONLY EXISTING ISSUE BETWEEN GREECE AND
TURKEY IS THE CONTINENTAL SHELF
Minister of defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos
stated before the parliamentary committee on
foreign affairs and defense today that the only
existing issue between Greece and Turkey is that
of the continental shelf.
Mr. Tsochatzopoulos pointed out that the
Greek-Turkish differences and Cyprus' accession
course are being placed within the framework of
the European Union security issues.
To the same issue referred minister of
interior Vaso Papandreou as well, who stressed
that the Helsinki decisions open a new period
for Greece and display Greece's leading role in
the Balkans.
Ms. Papandreou also added that Greece
safeguarded Cyprus' rights and a way to solve
the problems that is in agreement with
international law and rules.
[06] REACTIONS BY LEADING MEMBERS OF PASOK AND
ND ON THE NEW OPINION POLL
The government seeks the ultimate
satisfaction which will come when it will win
the vote of the people in the next elections,
stated Greek government spokesman Dimitris
Reppas when asked to comment on the results of
the MRB opinion poll results.
From his side, foreign minister Giorgos
Papandreou stressed that the government's work
will be judged by the outcome of the next
elections and from the positive results achieved
in many different sectors.
Right-wing main opposition party of New
Democracy press spokesman Aris Spiliotopoulos
stated that the governing socialist party of
PASOK and his party are at the same starting
point. He pointed out that it is natural to
observe increased solidarity among the members
of the two leading political parties as election
time approaches.
Athens mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos stated
that the enacted procedures can never be
replaced by opinion polls and elections always
have the last word. He stated however, that
opinion polls are useful material for study.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[07] TEN GREEKS WERE AMONG THE VICTIMS OF A
ROBBERY IN SOFIA
The ten Greeks, who were the victims of a
robbery together with other 20 passengers of a
chartered bus making the run from Thessaloniki
to Bucharest, are safe in a police station in
the Bulgarian capital Sofia.
Three men armed with Kalashnikovs and
dressed up as policemen entered the bus and
began firing shots in the air while at the same
time they were removing money and valuables from
the bus passengers. They took the keys to the
bus and left using two private cars waiting for
them. The passengers managed to restart the bus
using cables and reported the incident to the
police.
[08] CONSULTATIONS IN ROMANIA ON THE NEW
GOVERNMENT
The Romanian leadership started today
consultations on the members of the new
government in the country as prime minister
Rantu Vasile finally accepted to be removed from
his post by president Emil Constantinescu.
The former Romanian prime minister had been
accused of being unable to materialize the
reforms he had promised and of slowing down the
procedures for the country's accession into the
European Union.
[09] ECEVIT WILL SUGGEST TO DENKTASH TO CONTINUE
THE TALKS ON CYPRUS
Turkish prime minister Bulent Ecevit will
suggest to Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash
to continue the negotiations on Cyprus because
an interruption of the talks will be to the
benefit of the Cypriot Republic, according to
the Turkish newspaper Cumhurriyet which refers
to Denktash's imminent visit to Turkey at the
invitation of prime minister Ecevit.
The Turkish Cypriot leader had reacted to
the Helsinki decision on the accession of Cyprus
into the European Union and Mr. Ecevit will
brief him on the EU decisions and on Turkey's
policy on the issue of Cyprus which, according
to statements already made by the Turkish prime
minister, will not change.
According to the Turkish newspaper, Mr.
Ecevit will advise Mr. Denktash to stay in the
negotiations because their interruption will
benefit the Greek Cypriots.
[10] MILITARY AGREEMENT WAS SIGNED BETWEEN
GREECE AND FYROM
A military agreement between Greece and
FYROM was signed in Skopje yesterday by Greek
minister of defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos and his
FYROM counterpart Nikola Kljusev.
Mr. Tsochatzopoulos attended the ceremony
for the delivery of 10 "Leonidas" armoured
personnel carriers and 5 "Mercedes" jeeps in an
army camp outside Skopje.
The agreement signed provides among others
for scholarships to be granted to FYROM army
officers for further training in Greece, the
watching of Greek military exercises by armed
forces officers of the neighboring country, and
the participation of FYROM in NATO's Partnership
for Peace programs in which take part NATO
countries and all the former Warsaw Pact member-
states.
The Greek side has also undertaken the
obligation to deliver medical material for the
heart surgery clinic of the Skopje military
hospital by April 2000, while the agreement also
provides for the cooperation of the two
countries in the defense industry sector.
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