Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 99-12-16
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, December 16, 1999
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] FIERCE DEBATE IN PARLIAMENT BETWEEN
GOVERNMENT, OPPOSITION
[02] CHEAPER LOANS RESULT FROM INTEREST RATE
REDUCTION
[03] STUDENTS RALLY IN PROTEST TO EDUCATIONAL
SYSTEM REFORM
[04] DECEMBER 31 A HOLIDAY THROUGHOUT ENTIRE
FINANCIAL SECTOR
[05] CONSTRUCTION BEGINS ON KIRTZALI-
ALEXANDROUPOLIS ROAD AXIS
[06] WEAK AFTERSHOCK FELT IN ATHENS, MEASURES
BELOW 3.5 RICHTER
[07] GREEK CONSTRUCTION FIRM EYES THREE NEW
PROJECTS IN ROMANIA
[08] S.E. EUROPEAN INSTITUTES TO MEET IN
THESSALONIKI TOMORROW
[09] BLACK THURSDAY FOR THE ATHENS STOCK
EXCHANGE - LOSSES OF 4.41%
[10] INCIDENTS IN THE STUDENT MARCH IN ATHENS
[11] MEETING ON THE SCHENGEN ACCORD
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[12] GREECE'S CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF CONDUCTS
VISIT TO BUCHAREST
[13] BULGARIA PERTURBED OVER GREEK CLAIMS FOR
RETURN OF RELICS
[14] CONFLICTING INFORMATION ON CHECHNYA
[15] THE OLIVE-TREE OF PEACE WAS PLANTED IN THE
PRUSA PARK
[16] A BRITISH ARCHAEOLOGIST SUGGESTED TO THE
BRITISH MUSEUM TO KEEP REPLICAS OF THE PARTHENON
MARBLES
[17] THE NATIONAL DEFENSE GENERAL CHIEF OF STAFF
VISITS BUCHAREST
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] FIERCE DEBATE IN PARLIAMENT BETWEEN
GOVERNMENT, OPPOSITION
A fierce debate erupted in last night's
parliamentary session between the governing
PASOK party and the state's opposition who
crossed their swords on foreign policy issues.
Prime Minister Costas Simitis stressed that
Greece achieved all its targets at the European
Union Summit conference in Helsinki and thus
ensured its steady national interests.
Main opposition party leader, New
Democracy's Costas Karamanlis stated that the
government has laid out a masterful set up in
order to gloat over its success.
Communist Party of Greece secretary general
Aleka Paparega spoke of a "new world order",
while the leader of the Coalition of the Left
and Progress Nikos Constantopoulos stated that
there is no time to waste. Also, the leader of
the Democratic and Social Movement Dimitris
Tsovolas said that "without a doubt, we gave
Turkey what it had been coveting for decades."
[02] CHEAPER LOANS RESULT FROM INTEREST RATE
REDUCTION
Following the decision drawn by the Bank of
Greece to reduce interest rates by .75%, other
banks have followed suit (National, Alpha Credit
and Piraeus Group).
While the rate reduction encourages those
in need of a bank loan, as drops range between
.25%-2%, others see their savings dwindle as
interest has been reduced by .50%.
According to the Minister of National
Economy and Finance Yiannos Papantoniou, further
reductions are to expected in the coming months.
[03] STUDENTS RALLY IN PROTEST TO EDUCATIONAL
SYSTEM REFORM
Students in Thessaloniki, Athens and most
of Greece's large cities, are to conduct rallies
today in protest to the state's educational
reform program.
The Teachers Federation (OLME) and other
associations have also declared a three-hour
work stoppage in the morning session, to be
followed by another stoppage in evening classes.
[04] DECEMBER 31 A HOLIDAY THROUGHOUT ENTIRE
FINANCIAL SECTOR
December 31, 1999, will be a bank holiday
for the Bank of Greece, the Athens Stock
Exchange, the Central Values Repository, the
Derivatives Bourse, the transactions Settlement
Co., as well as the credit institutions and
branch offices of foreign banks, businesses
providing investment services, financing S.A.
companies and mutual funds S.A. companies.
The above decision will be regulated
through a relevant amendment which has been
tabled in Parliament to handle possible problems
which could be created in Greece and abroad in
electronic systems due to the so-called
"millennium bug."
[05] CONSTRUCTION BEGINS ON KIRTZALI-
ALEXANDROUPOLIS ROAD AXIS
Construction has gotten underway on a new
road axis connecting Bulgaria's Kirtzali with
Greece's Alexandroupolis, a project expected to
breath new air in Balkan transports,
Bulgaria is reportedly ready to embark on
the project's primary phase which is to be
partially funded by the coming year's state
budget.
The project, budgeted at 26 millions euros,
will be partially (6.5 million euros)
subsidized by the Bulgarian state, according to
Bulgaria's Foreign Investment Agency (BFIA).
As the BFIA reported, the project aims at
curbing traffic congestion to and from Bosporus
and to propel both Bulgaria and Northern Greece'
economic development.
Three customs stations will be situated
along the axis.
[06] WEAK AFTERSHOCK FELT IN ATHENS, MEASURES
BELOW 3.5 RICHTER
A weak tremor was felt in Athens this
morning, measuring less than 3.5 points on the
Richter scale.
According to the National Observatory of
Athens, the quake's epicenter was located at
Parnetha and falls within the natural
aftershocks in the area.
[07] GREEK CONSTRUCTION FIRM EYES THREE NEW
PROJECTS IN ROMANIA
One of northern Greece's largest
construction firms, Themeliodomi, is closely
eyeing its participation in three new Romanian
projects through its subsidiary TEROM, set for
the beginning of the year 2000.
According to the Macedonian Press Agency's
reports, the plans concern the construction of
a road section and the undertaking of two other
projects in the sectors of energy and biological
purification. TEROM has already been chosen as
the executor of two similar projects in Romania.
Themeliodomi, whose affiliate is expected
to operate in Albania within the following
months, has already established and staffed a
number of offices in Tirana.
The company's chairwoman Theodora Tabakouli
stated that Themeliodomi believes there are
investment opportunities in Albania, especially
in the real estate sector.
[08] S.E. EUROPEAN INSTITUTES TO MEET IN
THESSALONIKI TOMORROW
The first meeting among the Institutes of
Southeastern Europe is to be hosted by
Thessaloniki tomorrow and Saturday, December 17-
18, aiming at the establishment of a permanent
cooperation forum among the academic and
research centers.
The event will feature the participation of
representatives from 30 S.E. European research
centers and is taking place under the initiative
of the Center of International and European
Finance Law, the Institute of International
Public Policy Law, the Institute of Balkan
Peninsula Studies and the Center for the Study
and Development of Greek Culture of the Black
Sea.
Among the keynote speakers on Saturday's
session will be the Minister of Foreign Affairs
George Papandreou, Minister of Development
Evangelos Venizelos, Minister of Macedonia-
Thrace Yiannis Magriotis, the representative of
the Republic of Cyprus, Ambassador S.
Epaminondas, European Parliament Deputy Petros
Efthimiou (PASOK) and the secretary-general of
the Foreign Ministry's European Affairs
Department Stellios Perrakis.
[09] BLACK THURSDAY FOR THE ATHENS STOCK
EXCHANGE - LOSSES OF 4.41%
The Athens Stock Exchange general price
index had losses of 4.41% today. It closed at
5.192,7 and the volume of transactions once
again was low at 202 billion drachmas.
The general index drop has affected the
secondary indexes as well in spite of the effort
made by the Bank of Greece to stabilize it
through the interest rates cuts announcement.
Bank of Greece governor Loukas Papadimos in
an interview with the newspaper Exousia mentions
that a biggest interest rate cut would have been
inconsistent with the government's anti-
inflationary policy.
He also points out that the losses recorded
in the Athens Stock Exchange are not due to the
disappointment of investors but they have to do
with the liquidation of stocks by institutional
investors and the lack of cash flow which is the
result of the repeated increases in the capital
share.
[10] INCIDENTS IN THE STUDENT MARCH IN ATHENS
Clashes were reported in Athens at noon
today during the student march that was held in
the Greek capital. The violent incidents erupted
when individuals outside the student community
tried to infiltrate their march held to
demonstrate against the education reforms
imposed by the government.
Similar student mobilizations without
incidents were held in Thessaloniki, Volos and
other cities. The students, however, are
determined to continue the occupation of school
buildings and their mobilizations after the
Christmas Holidays.
[11] MEETING ON THE SCHENGEN ACCORD
Issues concerning the implementation of the
Schengen accord by Greece were discussed in a
meeting held in Athens this morning under deputy
foreign minister Christos Rokofillos with the
participation of the general secretaries of the
responsible ministries.
In statements he made, Mr. Rokofillos
pointed out that Greece is incorporated into
Europe in a very sensitive sector on issues
concerning the freedoms and the security of the
people, adding that it is a significant progress
which is in step with the positive developments
that have to do with Greece's joining the EMU
and the Helsinki EU decisions.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[12] GREECE'S CHIEF OF GENERAL STAFF CONDUCTS
VISIT TO BUCHAREST
Greece's chief of the general staff
Manousos Parayiouthakis, presently on an
official visit to Bucharest, and Romania's Lt.
General Constantin Degeratu confirmed the two
countries' contribution to stability in
Southeastern Europe.
In a joint press conference, the Lt.
General stated that both Greece and Romania are
two key countries in the region and can
contribute significantly to the region's
security.
In turn, Mr. Parayiouthakis referred to his
Romanian counterpart's achievements regarding
the re-organization of Romania's armed forces
and the country's accession to NATO.
According to local press reports, the two
armed forces leaders confirmed the existence of
a program calling for a multi-national corps
whose mission will be the safeguarding of peace
and the intervention in cases of conflict or
natural-industrial disasters.
[13] BULGARIA PERTURBED OVER GREEK CLAIMS FOR
RETURN OF RELICS
Greece's claims for the return of relics
stolen by Bulgarians from Greek monasteries in
Macedonia during the course of World War - and
which are now being kept at Sofia's National
History Museum -, have apparently caused an
uproar in Bulgaria which staunchly maintains
that the said goods have now become Bulgarian.
Numerous press reports referred to the
matter, with the Sofia daily "Standard" running
an article titled "The Greeks want Bulgarian
Church Relics".
While the paper quotes Greek professor
George Papazoglou, who has spearheaded the
efforts for the location and return of the
relics and has revealed that they are being
presented as Bulgarian in various exhibitions
abroad, it also adds the view of Sofia's
National History Museum director Bozidar
Dimitrov.
"Greece has no legal right to claim the
relics from Bulgaria," Mr. Dimitrov stated,
adding that "this is well known among Greek
politicians, which is why they have never asked
for their return through diplomatic means."
Moreover, Mr. Dimitrov stated that
according to International Law, the relics have
been Bulgarian property since 1925 and added
that clause No. 126 of the Neilly Accord called
for a time frame within which Bulgaria was to
return some of these relics. The Museum's
director stated that in 1925 Bulgaria returned
to Greece about 200 relics "taken from the
region of Thrace, which, prior to WWI, belonged
to Bulgaria."
[14] CONFLICTING INFORMATION ON CHECHNYA
There is conflicting information on the
situation in Chechnya. Russian defense minister,
general Sergeyev denied that the Russian forces
have entered the capital Grozny, as it was
reported by the international news agencies. The
Russian general allegedly had stated that Grozny
will never be bombed or hit by heavy artillery.
However, based on the western mass media
reports the Russians have launched a strong
attack on the Chechen capital this morning using
armored tanks and artillery.
[15] THE OLIVE-TREE OF PEACE WAS PLANTED IN THE
PRUSA PARK
The olive-tree of peace that was offered by
Greek prime minister Kostas Simitis to his
Turkish counterpart Bulent Ecevit after the
Helsinki EU Summit has already been planted in a
park in the city of Prusa, according to the
Turkish newspaper Hurriyet, which also mentions
that Mr. Ecevit picked this city to thank its
mayor Erdogan Bilginer who was the first to
congratulate him upon his return from Helsinki.
The newspaper also points out that the
Prusa municipal symphony orchestra and the
orchestra of Uluntag University together with
the Greek State Orchestra had given a concert
last October and had performed Bulent Ecevit's
poem "Blue Magic" which was set to music and one
of its verses goes like this: "when someone
lives in foreign lands realizes that he and the
Greek are brothers". The concert according to
the newspaper, will be repeated in Ankara and
Thessaloniki in the following days.
[16] A BRITISH ARCHAEOLOGIST SUGGESTED TO THE
BRITISH MUSEUM TO KEEP REPLICAS OF THE PARTHENON
MARBLES
Well-known archaeologist John Larson
suggested to the British Museum to make replicas
of the Parthenon Marbles and then return half of
the originals to Greece. He also suggested that
an agreement must be reached between the two
countries based on which they will borrow from
each other the Parthenon Marbles every 30 years.
Mr. Larson, who is a representative of the
British Archaeological Society, made this
proposal in a conference on the Parthenon
Marbles held recently in London in an effort to
contribute to putting an end to the fruitless
discussions on the issue. The British
archaeologist maintains that it is not a crime
to make replicas of the Parthenon Marbles with
the help of high technology in order to replace
the originals and protect them this way from
possible damage.
[17] THE NATIONAL DEFENSE GENERAL CHIEF OF STAFF
VISITS BUCHAREST
Romania and Greece are two key-countries
for stability in south-eastern Europe and both
have contributed and can continue to contribute
considerably to the efforts for the security in
the region, stated lieutenant-general Konstantin
Detzeratu in a press conference he gave on the
occasion of the visit to Romania by Greek
national defense general chief of staff Manousos
Paragioudakis.
Mr. Paragioudakis from his side underlined
the efforts and the successes of lieutenant-
general Detzeratu concerning the reorganization
of the Romanian army and the achievement of
strategic goals such as the country's accession
into NATO.
According to the newspaper Curierul
National, the two generals confirmed the
existence of a programme for the creation of a
multi-national unit with a mission to preserve
peace and offer assistance in cases of natural
disasters. It was also announced that they also
drew up a programme with 150 activities that
will be held jointly by the armed forces of the
two countries in the year 2000.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
