Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2000-02-10
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, February 10, 2000
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] THESSALONIKI HOSTS CONFERENCE ON EU FOREIGN POLICY
[02] ATHENS MAYOR, A FENCE-SITTER NO MORE, WON'T RUN FOR N.D.
[03] FM: CYPRUS ISSUE IS UTMOST PRIORITY
[04] COSMOTE, EUROBANK COOPERATE
[05] ISTAME, PASOK HOST THESSALONIKI CONFERENCE ON EUROPE
[06] MAYOR'S REJECTION A "WET BLANKET" FOR N.D.
[07] HOUSING WANTED FOR REFUGEES
[08] GREEK AND TURKISH PMs, FMs, TO MEET IN BUCHAREST
[09] MUSEUM STAFF THREATEN TO GO ON STRIKE TOMORROW
[10] CRONUS AIRLINE EYES ROUTE TO MELBOURNE
[11] ATHENS BOURSE BOOSTS GREEKS' WALLETS
[12] SIMITIS' LETTER TO HIS PORTUGUESE COUNTERPART
[13] INVESTORS TRUST PASOK
[14] 362 BILLION DRACHMAS THE PROFITS OF THE NATIONAL BANK OF
GREECE GROUP IN 1999
[15] THRACE: GREEK-BULGARIAN-TURKISH MEETING
[16] LOSSES OF 1.69% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
[17] BUSINESSMEN FROM QUEBEC LOOK FOR GREEK PARTNERS
[18] SIMITIS MET WITH PAPANDREOU IN VIEW OF THE BUCHAREST MEETING
[19] REPPAS DENIED TURKISH PRESS PUBLICATIONS
[20] THE NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL WILL BE IN ATHENS ON FEBRUARY 23
[21] BALKAN YOUTH FESTIVAL IN PIERIA, NORTHERN GREECE
[22] QUEBEC'S INDUSTRY AND FOREIGN TRADE MINISTER IN THESSALONIKI
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[23] S.E. EUROPE'S PMs TO SIGN STABILITY PACT
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] THESSALONIKI HOSTS CONFERENCE ON EU FOREIGN POLICY
The 13th international conference titled "The European
Union's unified foreign policy and the European Defense Policy" is
getting underway in Thessaloniki today, organized by the House of
Europe-Thessaloniki.
Today's inaugural ceremony will be held at the History Center
of the Thessaloniki Municipality and will feature salutations from
European, political and state officials and other dignitaries.
[02] ATHENS MAYOR, A FENCE-SITTER NO MORE, WON'T RUN FOR N.D.
Putting an end to "will he - won't he" speculation, Athens
Mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos announced last night that he will not
run for the main opposition of New Democracy, the conservative
party which first nominated him for the capital's mayoral post.
In a televised statement, which interrupted all regular
programming, Mr. Avramopoulos stated that while he will provide
his support to New Democracy in the upcoming parliamentary
elections, he will see out the four-year mayoral mandate he was
granted for a second time in 1998.
While Mr. Avramopoulos acknowledged that it was ND which
supported him in the mayoral race and publicly thanked party
leader Costas Karamanlis for inviting him to join the party's
ranks, he nevertheless added that he has been assigned a mission
as mayor which he vowed to fulfill.
[03] FM: CYPRUS ISSUE IS UTMOST PRIORITY
Foreign Minister Papandreou has reiterated that the Cyprus
issue is an "utmost priority" for Greece and is presently the
focus of the Greek government's foreign policy, which continues to
support a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation for the island, based
on the United Nations resolutions.
Following the end of the second-round of proximity talks,
held in Geneva between the President of the Republic of Cyprus
Glafcos Clerides and the leader of the Turkish-Cypriots Rauf
Denktash, Mr. Papandreou stated that the third round, to be
conducted in New York in May, along with the UN's and the
international community's will to continue their efforts in the
interim, will contribute to the sustenance of the dynamics
necessary for resolving the issue.
Moreover, the Foreign Minister pointed out that the new
climate in relations between Europe and Turkey, the de-escalation
of tension in Greek-Turkish relations and the reassurance of the
Cyprus Republic's unhindered accession to the European Union "can
all be utilized towards discovering a fair and viable solution to
the Cyprus issue."
[04] COSMOTE, EUROBANK COOPERATE
COSMOTE, the Hellenic Telecommunications Organization (OTE)
cell telephone subsidiary, and EFG Eurobank are to expand their
cooperation by offering new products to consumers.
Soon customers of Cosmocard and Eurobank will be able to
renew their phone cards' validity all day, seven days a week, by
calling Europhone Banking at 1144.
The call for Cosmocard users will be free and they will be able to
purchase phone time by charging their Eurobank accounts. The two
companies have issued a co-branded credit card, named CosmOTE-
Eurobank VISA.
[05] ISTAME, PASOK HOST THESSALONIKI CONFERENCE ON EUROPE
The Institute of Strategic and Developmental Studies
(ISTAME), established in the name of the late Andreas Papandreou,
and the ruling PASOK party's prefectural committee in Thessaloniki
are to host a two-day international conference this weekend,
titled "Europe and the World at the Dawning of the New
Millennium".
The Thessaloniki-held event will be attended by the Greece's
Ministers of Defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos, Development Evangelos
Venizelos, Macedonia-Thrace Yiannis Magriotis the chairman of
ISTAME Yiannis Souladakis, and other leading officials.
A score of foreign officials will also participate in the
conference, among them representatives of Socialist parties from
Balkan countries.
Albania will be represented by the Socialist Party's director
of international relations Alexandre Abdullah and the former
minister and vice-president of the Social Democrats Apostol Gogol.
Bulgaria's former president of Parliament Bugovest Sedov will
also be present, along with Socialist Party deputy Nora
Ananieva.
Romania's former president Ion Iliescu, who is also the
leader of the Social-democratic party, will be attending, along
with Mircea Popescu, a member of the Socialist Party' s
Institute.
FYROM will be represented by Igor Ivanovski, deputy and
president of the youth chapter of the Social-democrats, as well as
deputy Radmila Sekeriska.
The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia will be represented by two
professors from the University of Belgrade, while Montenegro will
be represented by the President's adviser Milo Juganovic.
Croatia will be represented by the director of Zagreb's
Economic Institute.
[06] MAYOR'S REJECTION A "WET BLANKET" FOR N.D.
After Athens mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos dashed New
Democracy's hopes of joining its ranks, a solemn mood was cast
like a "wet blanket" among party circles.
The main opposition party spokesman, Aris Spiliotopoulos, was
laconic in his reaction, stating simply "Dimitris Avramopoulos is
useful to the party from the position that he himself has chosen."
N.D. President Costas Karamanlis, who was addressing a rally
in Athens when Mr. Avramopoulos was giving his much-awaited answer
on television, said that this election campaign was the time for
every New Democracy member to stand up and be counted.
The party's honorary president Constantine Mitsotakis merely
commented that Mr. Avramopoulos made his choice. "New Democracy
forges ahead."
[07] HOUSING WANTED FOR REFUGEES
Political asylum refugees are to be given housing by the
Macedonian Labor Institute's Bureau for Refugees and Immigrants in
Thessaloniki.
According to the Institute's director Costas Pagarliotas, the
housing center's base will be located at the border area of
Evzoni, while the center has already made the necessary contact
with officials from the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees.
Housing is also needed in Thessaloniki, for refugees who are
in the process of being granted political asylum.
Local officials have stated that they need a home, measuring
about 120 sq.m., to house ten persons. The rent will be paid by
the Ministry of Macedonia-Thrace.
[08] GREEK AND TURKISH PMs, FMs, TO MEET IN BUCHAREST
Greece Prime Minister Costas Simitis and Foreign Minister
George Papandreou are to meet with their Turkish counterparts,
Bulent Ecevit and Ismael Cem, respectively, on the sidelines of
the Bucharest-held summit of leaders and heads of state of S. E.
European countries.
Given the rapprochement presently marking Greek-Turkish
relations, the climate at the aforementioned meetings is expected
to be positive.
Mr. Ecevit had stated a few days earlier that "it wouldn't be
beneficial to discuss sensitive issues in light of the imminent
elections in Greece", albeit adding that "this will not lead to a
loss of time."
Moreover, the Turkish Premier had also stressed that the
present climate of rapprochement enjoyed by the two neighbors "has
begun to produce very positive and specific results".
Referring to the Cyprus issue and the Aegean, Mr. Ecevit also
stated that " as long as the climate of dialogue and mutual trust
in developed, then the resolution of these issues will be
facilitated."
The six leaders of the Southeast European countries, namely
the Premiers of Greece, Bulgaria, Albania, Romania, Turkey and
FYROM, are to meet tomorrow in order to sign the Chart of
Friendship, Stability, Security and Cooperation in Southeast
Europe. Yugoslavia will not be attending since, according to
Romania's Foreign Ministry, the said country's participation is
not feasible until its domestic situation has been resolved.
In addition to his Turkish counterpart, Mr. Simitis will also
meet privately with Bulgaria's Premier Ivan Kostov, and his
counterpart from FYROM Liupcko Georgievski.
According to diplomatic circles n Athens, the Simitis-Ecevit
meeting in Bucharest will aim at maintaining the present state of
G/T relations, while matters of substance are not expected to be
touched upon.
[09] MUSEUM STAFF THREATEN TO GO ON STRIKE TOMORROW
Culture Ministry employees have called a 24-hour nationwide
strike tomorrow, shutting the museums and archaeological sites
throughout the country, while they have also organized a protest
rally outside the Culture Ministry at 11 a.m.
The Museum employees union is demanding special funds for
staff educational bonuses, legal arrangements for their mutual aid
fund, overtime payment for guards and permanency for all the
ministry's seasonal staff.
[10] CRONUS AIRLINE EYES ROUTE TO MELBOURNE
After the national air-carrier Olympic Airways decided to ax
its Athens-Melbourne direct flight, the privately-owned Cronus
Airlines appears ready to seize the chance to enter the ball game,
by proposing that it take the task on by itself.
Cronus officials have approached the president of Australia's
Greek community George Fountas, asking that an affiliate airline
be established, with the Greek-Australian community holding a 49
percent stake.
Olympic Airways officials have scoffed at Cronus'
aspiration, since, as O.A.'s director for Thessaloniki Athanasios
Dimokas told the Macedonian Press Agency, the said airline lacks
the necessary infrastructure to meet such a demand.
Faced with the ire of the Greek-Australian community over its
decision, Olympic Airways officials defended the move as a way to
improve the profitability of its flights to Australia.
Meanwhile, O.A. stewards, in a sign of protest, plan to
conduct a 24-hour work stoppage on March 26, the day the Athens-
Melbourne route will be canceled.
[11] ATHENS BOURSE BOOSTS GREEKS' WALLETS
The stock market's performance, in conjunction with the
economy's growth, appear to have boosted the majority of Greek
households, according to a recent survey conducted by ICAP.
On a sample survey of 1,000 households, 21.4 percent stated
that its economic situation improved since last year (the same
rate was 11% in 1998), while there was no fluctuation in the
number of households who saw their economic condition remain at
the same level. Concurrently, the number of households who saw
their economic situation taking a turn for the worse has
decreased.
The benefits were especially notable in the middle class,
white-collar workers living in urban centers, while more farmers
and blue-collar working families reported a reduction in their
economic status rather than an improvement.
According to ICAP, the main cause of economic stagnation or
aggravation was inflation, especially felt by pensioners.
[12] SIMITIS' LETTER TO HIS PORTUGUESE COUNTERPART
Greek prime minister Kostas Simitis sent a letter to his
Portuguese counterpart Antonio Gutieres in view of the European
Council meeting that will take place in Lisbon on March 23 and 24.
Mr. Simitis points out in his letter that the goal of the
European Council meeting is to form a special strategy that will
take under consideration the relation of employment, technology,
knowledge and social cohesion. The Greek prime minister also
presented the Greek positions on employment.
[13] INVESTORS TRUST PASOK
The majority of investors trust the governing socialist party
of PASOK for a smooth and upward course of the stock market,
according to the results of an opinion poll conducted by the
company ALCO on behalf of the Athens newspaper "TO ETHNOS".
The opinion poll was conducted on January 25-February 3 on a
sample of 1.950 men and women 18% of whom were investors and to
the question which political party they intend to vote for in the
parliamentary elections, the governing socialist party of PASOK
got 34.5%, New Democracy 29.7%, the Communist Party 5.5%, the
Democratic Social Movement 3.5%, Coalition of the Left 2.7%, the
Liberals 2% and Political Spring 1%.
[14] 362 BILLION DRACHMAS THE PROFITS OF THE NATIONAL BANK OF
GREECE GROUP IN 1999
The net before taxes profits of the National Bank of Greece
Group were 362 billion drachmas in 1999 compared to 182 billion in
1998 with a record increase of 99%.
According to Bank of Greece governor Theodors Karatzas, the
before taxes profits of the National Bank of Greece were 229
billion drachmas in 1999 compared to 130 billion drachmas in 1998
recording an increase of 76%.
[15] THRACE: GREEK-BULGARIAN-TURKISH MEETING
A tripartite meeting of the Greek, Bulgarian and Turkish
foreign ministers will be held in Thrace on February 19 and 20.
In the meeting the Greek side will try to win the adoption of
a joint proposal that will confirm the will of the three countries
for good neighborly relations, the respect of the borders and the
non use of violence.
It should be noted that the initiative was initiated by the
Bulgarian side in the Istanbul Summit meeting, while a joint visit
of the three foreign ministers is being scheduled to be made in
Orestiada, Andrianoupolis and Pamborovo within the framework of
the effort for the establishment of a tripartite cooperation. It
has not been determined yet if Turkey will lift its reservations
and accept the plan for a joint statement on the good neighborly
relations principles which has already been accepted by Bulgaria
and Greece.
[16] LOSSES OF 1.69% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
After seven consecutive sessions with an upward course the
Athens Stock Exchange recorded losses of 1.69% today.
It closed at 5.499,97 points, while the volume of
transactions was 311.5 billion drachmas.
The investors sold stocks for immediate gains and in the
biggest part of the session the general index was characterized by
nervous fluctuations, mainly at negative levels, while the
strongest pressures were exerted on the bank shares that had the
most gains in the last seven sessions of the Athens Stock
Exchange.
[17] BUSINESSMEN FROM QUEBEC LOOK FOR GREEK PARTNERS
A strong interest for the development of cooperation with
Greek partners was expressed by representatives of two big
companies from Quebec, Canada who met today with the board of
directors of the Arts and Crafts Chamber of Greece / Department of
central Macedonia.
The foreign businessmen are in Thessaloniki within the
framework of the formal visit made to Greece by Quebec's industry
and trade minister Guy Julien. The goal of the visit of the
foreign delegation is the exchange of views and information on
subjects that will be the basis for the development of cooperation
with Greek companies and Greek engineers.
[18] SIMITIS MET WITH PAPANDREOU IN VIEW OF THE BUCHAREST MEETING
Prime minister Kostas Simitis met with foreign minister
Giorgos Papandreou in Athens today in view of the inter-Balkan
conference which starts in Bucharest tomorrow with the
participation of the state leaders of Greece, Bulgaria, Romania,
Albania, Turkey and FYROM.
The developments in the Balkans will be examined in the EU
general affairs council meeting that will be held in Brussels on
Monday with the participation of foreign minister Giorgos
Papandreou. The Greek minister is expected to table again the
Greek proposal for the lifting of the embargo against Yugoslavia,
while other issues under discussion will be the joint foreign
policy and the policy of defense as well as, the establishment of
a joint committee on security and defense and a joint military
committee.
Meanwhile, the Greek prime minister has sent letters to his
European Union counterparts and European Commission president
Romano Prodi in view of the inter-governmental meeting that will
be held in Lisbon on March 23 and 24. In those letters, Mr.
Simitis is in favor of the strengthening of Europe's social face
and underlines the need to consider the issue of employment.
[19] REPPAS DENIED TURKISH PRESS PUBLICATIONS
Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas categorically
denied Turkish press publications according to which, Greek
fighter jets harassed Turkish planes.
Mr. Reppas stated that violations of the Athens FIR by
Turkish planes were recorded in the region of the islands of
Lesvos and Limnos in north-eastern Aegean yesterday and the
Turkish jets were intercepted by Greek fighter planes.
Commenting on the Turkish stance, Mr. Reppas stated that the
Greek government condemns Ankara's negative behavior and added
that there is still a long way before the commitments undertaken
by Turkey in the Helsinki EU summit are met.
Mr. Reppas stated characteristically that Greece will
continue the efforts for the consolidation of peace in the region
while securing at the same time its sovereign rights.
[20] THE NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL WILL BE IN ATHENS ON FEBRUARY 23
NATO secretary-general George Robertson will visit Greece on
February 23, according to a statement made by Greek government
spokesman Dimitris Reppas.
Responding to a question made by reporters, Mr. Reppas stated
that the visit of NATO's general commander to Kosovo has been
canceled because of the tense situation in the region.
[21] BALKAN YOUTH FESTIVAL IN PIERIA, NORTHERN GREECE
A new institution, the Balkan Youth Festival, will soon be a
reality at the initiative of the municipalities of Katerini,
Litochoro and eastern Olympus in Pieria, northern Greece, aimed at
the cultural upgrading of the Balkan region. The organizers of the
festival that will take place in Katerini, Litochoro and
Leptokaria every year on August 29-September 3 want to give a
leading role to Greece in the effort toward stronger relations
among the Balkan countries and their peaceful co-existence.
In the festival, which is under the auspices of the ministry
of Macedonia-Thrace and the general secretariat for the new
generation, will participate young people 16-19 years old coming
from the 10 Balkan countries.
[22] QUEBEC'S INDUSTRY AND FOREIGN TRADE MINISTER IN THESSALONIKI
Thessaloniki's key-role to the expansion of the Canadian
businesses investment activities was underlined by Quebec's
industry and foreign trade minister Guy Julien who is visiting the
city heading a trade delegation.
Mr. Julien, in his visit to Thessaloniki's Commerce and
Industry Chamber accompanied by Canada's ambassador to Athens
David Hutton, expressed the belief that Thessaloniki mainly due to
its geographic position can become the gate through which the
Canadian businesses will enter south-eastern Europe, while he did
not miss the opportunity to stress the need to find ways to
further strengthen the cooperation between Greek and Canadian
businesses.
Mr. Julien stated that Quebec has the 10th place in the world
concerning its exports mostly in the sectors of tele-
communications, aircraft and aluminum, stressing that they cover
58% of its GDP.
Commerce and Industry Chamber president Dimitris Bakatselos
in his speech focused on the investment activities of the Greek
businesses in the Balkans and stressed that the invested Greek
capital in Bulgaria is over US$ 75 million, in Romania US$ 450
million, Albania US$ 100 million, in the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia over US$ 1 billion and in FYROM over US$ 230 million.
Mr. Bakatselos also stressed that Thessaloniki has the
biggest exporting port in Greece as over 50% of the Greek exports
leave the country from there. The city also has the largest
industrial region covering a space of 9.000 square kilometers, the
largest trade fair in the Balkans, developed money and credit
sector and brokerage center, while it is also the seat of the
European Center for the Development of Vocational Training and the
Organization for the Reconstruction of the Balkans.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[23] S.E. EUROPE'S PMs TO SIGN STABILITY PACT
The prime ministers of Southeastern European countries are
to meet in Bucharest on Saturday in order to sign the Pact of
Stability, Security and Good Neighborliness in S.E. Europe and
renew regional cooperation.
Romanian Premier Emil Constantinescu will chair the meeting,
since his country presently holds the presidium of the said
cooperation initiative.
The Coordinator of the Stability Pact for the Balkans Bodo
Hombach is to also attend the signing ceremony.
Also, the foreign ministers of Greece, Turkey and Bulgaria
are to meet in Thrace - the region where the three countries
share borders - on February 19, according to government spokesman
Dimitris Reppas.
Mr. Reppas has called the tripartite meeting "hopeful",
adding that it ushers in a new mode of communication between the
three neighbors.
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