Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2000-01-31
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, January 31, 2000
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01 TURKISH FM IN ATHENS ON THURSDAY
[02] GREEK, TURKISH MAYORS TO MEET
[03] GREEK-ALBANIAN POLICE COOPERATION AGAINST SMUGGLING
[04] ECONOMY MINISTER CONFIDENT OVER ASE'S COURSE
[05] MACEDONIA-THRACE MINISTER VISITS "AGROTICA 2000"
[06] EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTARY CONFERENCE IN ATHENS
[07] PREMIER HAS YET TO TALK ON ELECTIONS
[08] QUAKE OF 5 RICHTER SHAKES HERAKLION, CRETE
[09] ARCHBISHOP: SEX IN MARRIAGE IS A BLESSED ACT
[10] ATHENIANS FLOCK TO TRY OUT THE METRO
[11] ISMAIL CEM WILL BE IN ATHENS ON THURSDAY
[12] EARTHQUAKE MEASURING 3.9 ON THE RICHTER SCALE IN LAKE VOLVI
[13] THE SWEDISH PRIME MINISTER CONGRATULATED HIS GREEK
COUNTERPART
[14] LOSSES OF 0.60% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
[15] THE GREEK UNIVERSITIES OFFER HIGH LEVEL EDUCATION
[16] THE GREEK GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN ON THE PRE-ELECTION CLIMATE
[17] REPPAS' COMMENTS ON THE GREEK-TURKISH RELATIONS AND CYPRUS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[18] SIX KILLED IN CYPRUS WHEN BUS TURNS OVER
[19] CYPRUS: PROXIMITY TALKS BEGIN IN GENEVA
[20] GREEK ECONOMY TESTED TODAY BY ECOFIN
[21] SARANDE-ATHENS BUS LINE
[22] ECOFIN APPROVED THE REFORMED CONVERGENCE PLAN FOR THE GREEK
ECONOMY
[23] CLERIDES' STATEMENTS ON HIS MEETING WITH ANNAN
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01 TURKISH FM IN ATHENS ON THURSDAY
Turkey's Foreign Minster IsmAel Cem in to arrive in Athens on
Thursday where he will sign the second part of the Greek-Turkish
agreements of "low policy" issues.
The Executive Bureau of ruling PASOK party is to convene on
Tuesday in order to review national issues.
[02] GREEK, TURKISH MAYORS TO MEET
Greek and Turkish mayors of western and eastern Thrace are
to meet in Sappes in April, according to the city's mayor Dinos
Haritopoulos, following a recent meeting held in the Turkish city
of Marmara earlier this month.
Mr. Haritopoulos stated that the meeting is part of a series
of initiatives called "citizens diplomacy".
Mr. Haritopoulos stated that this form of diplomacy
does not replace the governments which handle state relations and
safeguard national interests, but, rather, promotes the
opportunities provided by the venue of understanding and
friendship among two neighboring peoples.
Moreover, Mr. Haritopoulos stated that this climate could
lead to collaboration in the economic, tourism, cultural and
sports sectors, which will bring on a climate of security in
Thrace and, hence, will form the criteria for attracting
investments.
[03] GREEK-ALBANIAN POLICE COOPERATION AGAINST SMUGGLING
Greek and Albanian police delegations met at the city of
Ioannina in order to discuss issues related to smuggling.
According to Albanian press reports, the Albanian delegation
requested Greece's technical assistance in order to improve the
combat of arms and drug smuggling, prostitution and illegal
immigration.
The Albanian daily "Gazetta Skiptare" reported that the
police chiefs of Gjirocaster and Agii Sarante complained to their
Greek counterparts over the fact the Greek police have confiscated
about 500 Albanian passports.
[04] ECONOMY MINISTER CONFIDENT OVER ASE'S COURSE
Minister of National Economy and Finance Yiannos Papantoniou
is confident that the Athens Stock Exchange's general price index
will continue with its upward trend in the year 2000, as the
bourse will be upgraded by the international investment firms and
will enter the mature markets.
In an interview with the Athens daily "Ethnos", Mr.
Papantoniou also stated that there are developments that could
lead to early elections, but he pointed out that every government
wishes to fulfill its term.
[05] MACEDONIA-THRACE MINISTER VISITS "AGROTICA 2000"
Visiting the 16th International Exhibition of agricultural
machinery, equipment and supplies "Agrotica 2000" yesterday, the
Minister of Macedonia and Thrace Yiannis Magriotis characterized
it as a significant event in the economy's primary sector.
Mr. Magriotis expressed his confidence that the Greek
agricultural economy can discover its balance and develop a
dynamism that will render it a leader among the efforts to
reconstruct the sector in the countries of Southeastern Europe.
[06] EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTARY CONFERENCE IN ATHENS
The second European Parliamentary Conference on information
and communication technology is to begin on Thursday morning in
Athens, featuring the participation of 50 deputies from the
European Union's member-states, as well as deputies from countries
presently under accession.
The two-day conference will be inaugurated by the President
of the Hellenic Parliament Apostolos Kaklamanis while PASOk
deputies Theodoros Katsanevas and Dimitrios Sarris are to jointly
preside over the event.
The conference is also attended by two deputies from each
Greek party represented in parliament.
[07] PREMIER HAS YET TO TALK ON ELECTIONS
Both ruling PASOK party and the opposition parties are
waiting for the Prime Minister and party leader Costas Simitis to
decide on the issue of elections.
Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos stated that the
government should exhaust its four-year term, so as to allow PASOK
to submit its suggestions and proposals for the following term,
albeit he stressed that should elections be held early, then PASOK
would undertake the responsibility to win.
PASOK is organizing an ideological conference on February 5-6
during which the Prime Minister is expected to announce the
party's agenda for the next governmental term.
[08] QUAKE OF 5 RICHTER SHAKES HERAKLION, CRETE
An earthquake measuring five degrees on the
Richter scale shook the city of Heraklion in Crete this morning
at 9.30.
The quake's epicenter was located in the northeastern sea
region of Crete, off the coast of Carpathos. No damages have been
reported.
[09] ARCHBISHOP: SEX IN MARRIAGE IS A BLESSED ACT
In an appeal to Greeks to have more children, the leader of
Greece's Orthodox Church, Archbishop Christodoulos, stated that
lovemaking between married couples is a "blessed act."
"Lovemaking is a blessed act of marriage... It is a gift God
has given to man and it should not be considered a sin," he
stated.
In his sermon, Archbishop Christodoulos paid tribute to an
Athens priest, Father Athanasios, who has 11 children.
Both the state and the church are involved in a campaign to
reverse Greece's declining birth rate, which in recent years has
forced the closure of scores of primary schools.
[10] ATHENIANS FLOCK TO TRY OUT THE METRO
Over two million Athenians flocked to the 14 new stations of
the Athens metro during the weekend, propelled by curiosity and
the free ride offered by the state on the capital city's brand new
form of transportation.
The new system, inaugurated by state and political leaders on
Friday, was inundated by the crowd throughout the weekend, forcing
Metro officials to close off the entrance at Syntagma station at
regular intervals in order to regulate the flow.
Prime Minister Costas Simitis said the Athens Metro was proof
of the government's commitment to improve Greeks' daily life.
"We were the ones who have in recent years placed great
emphasis on everyday problems," he stated, adding that the metro
is not just a faster means of transport, or just a way to travel
somewhere in eight minutes."
Transport officials expect some 450,000 people to use the
metro daily, and that it will relieve the city's traffic
congestion. Starting this week, trolley and bus routes will be
amended to access metro stations.
Minister of Environment, Public Works and City Planning
Costas Laliotis, visited Syntagma and promised to meet the next
metro deadlines.
[11] ISMAIL CEM WILL BE IN ATHENS ON THURSDAY
Turkish foreign minister Ismail Cem will be in Athens on
Thursday to sign with his Greek counterpart the second part of the
Greek-Turkish agreements on low policy issues.
Referring to the course of the Greek-Turkish relations, Greek
foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou stated that the visit of Mr.
Cem to Greece opens a new circle of events for regular and
systematic contacts.
Mr. Papandreou pointed out that the decisions made in the
Helsinki EU summit meeting have formed a new positive framework
that must be filled with actions, thoughts, proposals and ideas
certain of which have already been discussed.
[12] EARTHQUAKE MEASURING 3.9 ON THE RICHTER SCALE IN LAKE VOLVI
An earthquake measuring 3.9 on the Richter scale was recorded
at 11:56am today and its epicenter was located in north Chalkidiki
close to lake Volvi. The weak tremor was felt in Thessaloniki as
its epicenter was located 60 kilometers west of the city.
An earthquake measuring 4.5 on the Richter scale had been
recorded in the same region on December 12, 1999 and seismologists
at Thessaloniki's Aristotle University had characterized it as a
delayed aftershock of the May 4, 1995 earthquake that measured 5.8
on the Richter scale and hit the mountainous region of Arnea,
Chalkidiki.
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki seismologist Manolis
Skordilis stated to MPA that today's weak tremor should not cause
concern as based on the existing indications the region does not
appear to be in an intense seismic activity.
[13] THE SWEDISH PRIME MINISTER CONGRATULATED HIS GREEK
COUNTERPART
Swedish prime minister Goran Perrson, who is on a formal
visit to Greece, congratulated Greek prime minister Kostas Simitis
for the achievements of the Greek economy and the progress made by
the country in its course toward the EMU.
In statements made to reporters after his meeting today with
Mr. Person, Mr. Simitis characterized as excellent the Greek-
Swedish relations especially in the sectors of trade, investments
and tourism. Mr. Simitis also stressed that the visit of Mr.
Perrson was a confirmation of the friendship existing between the
two peoples.
The Swedish prime minister characterized bilateral relations
as excellent, stressing that both countries are EU members and it
is to their interest to cooperate within the EU framework. He
congratulated Mr. Simitis and its government, pointing out that
they worked hard to succeed in the sector of the economy. He also
expressed the belief that Greece's accession into the EMU in the
immediate future is certain.
Referring to the Swedish EU presidency, Mr. Perrson stressed
that the main issue will be the EU enlargement as well as
unemployment, the protection of the environment, the improvement
of the quality of life for the people and the rapprochement
between the United States and Russia. The Swedish prime minister
also referred to the war in Chechnya and expressed the opposition
of his government to the use of force, while he called for a
political solution through the process of dialogue.
[14] LOSSES OF 0.60% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
The Athens Stock Exchange closed with losses of 0.60% today
at 4.990,02 points. The volume of transactions remained low at 170
billion drachmas.
The stock market followed a downward course in the shadow of
the pre-election climate that exists in the country and the
scenarios on an imminent increase of the US and European interest
rates.
[15] THE GREEK UNIVERSITIES OFFER HIGH LEVEL EDUCATION
The foreign students, who have selected Greece and
specifically, Thessaloniki to continue their studies within the
Erasmus education program, underlined the high level of education
offered by the Greek universities and Greece's archaeological
wealth.
The young Europeans, who participate in the exchange student
program Erasmus, spend one or two semesters each year in a
European country of their choice where they attend the university
courses they want.
However, all the exchange students agree that the Greek
universities are lacking in terms of administration as they face
many organizational problems.
[16] THE GREEK GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN ON THE PRE-ELECTION CLIMATE
The prime minister is not responsible for the creation of the
pre-election climate in the country, stated Greek government
spokesman Dimitris Reppas.
Mr. Reppas stated, when asked to comment on when elections
will be held, that the right-wing main opposition party of New
Democracy had maintained that it will lead the country to early
elections.
The Greek government spokesman insinuated that this week the
prime minister will speak in political party and government
meetings on issues of political conjuncture and he will comment on
the country's course in the immediate future. He also concluded
that the prime minister will make his choices based on the
country's interest.
[17] REPPAS' COMMENTS ON THE GREEK-TURKISH RELATIONS AND CYPRUS
The rapprochement between Greece and Turkey should be handled
in a good spirit and with a strong will by both countries, stated
Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas, when asked to comment
on whether the rejection by Greek minister of defense Akis
Tsochatzopoulos of the proposal made by Turkish foreign minister
Ismail Cem for the creation of a political-military group
constitutes a Greek government position.
Mr. Reppas also stated that the Papoulias-Yilmaz memorandum
must be implemented in order to achieve positive results.
On the Cyprus talks that resume in Geneva, Mr. Reppas
stressed that in order to have progress the other party must
display flexibility and good will in the efforts to find a
solution. He said that the talks must be meaningful and correspond
to the mandate given by the UN secretary-general.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[18] SIX KILLED IN CYPRUS WHEN BUS TURNS OVER
Six persons were killed and 26 others were injured when a bus
transporting Asian workers turned over while en route to Lemessos.
According to Cypriot police, the bus was carrying 36
passengers, all of them from Sri Lanka, Thailand and the
Philippines, when its driver lost control of the vehicle and
rammed into a wall.
Approximately 8,000 individuals of Asian descent are
presently in Cyprus, most of them working as domestic helpers.
[19] CYPRUS: PROXIMITY TALKS BEGIN IN GENEVA
Only a few hours before the start of the second round of
Cyprus peace talks in Geneva, the President of the Republic of
Cyprus Glafkos Clerides sent a message to Turkish Cypriots that it
is time for a settlement on the island through a genuine effort
and direct talks.
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan will have
separate meetings with President Clerides and Turkish-Cypriot
leader Rauf Denktash in the presence of
special adviser on Cyprus Alvaro de Soto, who will take over the
supervision
of the talks on Tuesday.
Mr. De Soto said the talks would be focusing on four core
issues: security, distribution of powers, property and
territory.
The Cypriot President refrained from replying to questions on
the substance of the UN-led talks or the procedure to be followed,
and when asked if he is more optimistic over this round of talks,
he replied "I am neither optimistic nor pessimistic, I am a person
with patience and perseverance."
[20] GREEK ECONOMY TESTED TODAY BY ECOFIN
ECOFIN will discuss Greece's updated convergence program for
the period
1999-2002 in the presence of minister of national economy
Yiannos Papantoniou.
Mr. Papantoniou aspires to return from Brussels bringing with
him the approval of ECOFIN given the fact that the Monetary
Committee has already issued a positive opinion on the Greek
convergence program.
Although the "15" are expected to praise the government's
fiscal policy, especially its accomplishment in containing
inflation, they are expected to warn that inflationary pressures
reduction rate may be delayed due to the increasing prices in oil
and the relaxed monetary policy measures.
As such, they are expected to advise the Greek government to
boost its anti-inflationary policy through fiscal and revenue
policies and, more specifically, by containing salary increases in
the public and private sectors.
Moreover, the levying of additional taxes is not ruled out as
an option, should inflation fail to drop to the expected levels.
Meanwhile, the consultations of OECD specialists on the
current developments in the Greek economy have opened in Athens.
The consultations will focus on the preservation of the macro-
economic balance through the promotion of structural changes
in the public sector and the economy.
The OECD specialists will stay in Greece for three days
and, based on the
data they will collect, they will draw up the international
organization's report on the state of the Greek economy.
[21] SARANDE-ATHENS BUS LINE
A new bus line linking the southern Albanian city of Sarande
with Athens was recently put in operation, according to the
Albanian news agency ATA.
The buses of the "Sarande Lines" company will link the city
of Sarande with Athens on a daily basis, except Tuesday, and will
pass through the cities of Ioannina and Patras while the ticket
price will be 8.800 drachmas.
It should be noted that this is the first direct bus line
that links Sarande with the Greek mainland.
[22] ECOFIN APPROVED THE REFORMED CONVERGENCE PLAN FOR THE GREEK
ECONOMY
The reformed convergence program for the Greek economy for
the period 1999-2002 was approved by the European Union ministers
of finance who met in Brussels today.
The council of ministers issued a statement in which they
express very positive comments the same with those that were
expressed when the program was approved by the European Commission
and the Monetary Committee.
It is also noted that Greece meets all the necessary criteria
in order to join the single currency in 2001, while the delay in
the de-escalation rate of inflation is being attributed to the
increase of the international oil prices.
[23] CLERIDES' STATEMENTS ON HIS MEETING WITH ANNAN
UN secretary-general Kofi Annan and Cypriot president Glafkos
Clerides who met in Geneva today, discussed in a greater detail
the issues that were examined in the first round of the proximity
talks that was held in New York.
The meeting lasted a little more than an hour, and leaving
the UN building president Clerides stated that no new issues were
discussed, adding that the talks will continue on the same issues.
The next meeting of Mr. Clerides within the framework of the
proximity talks will take place tomorrow morning.
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