Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2000-02-18
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, February 18, 2000
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] GREECE IN SEARCH OF FOREIGN CAPITAL
[02] OIL PRICE CONCERNS DRIVE LOSSES ON ASE
[03] THEODORAKIS:MACEDONIA U. HONORARY PROFESSOR
[04] SAE'S NEW BOARD REVIEWS ITS ORGANIZATION
[05] GREEK FM: CYPRUS IS A EUROPEAN PROBLEM
[06] BALKANS: GREEK PASSPORTS "VANISH INTO THIN AIR"
[07] REPORT: ONE IN THREE GREEK WOMEN CAN'T CLIMAX
[08] SAE REVIEWS NATIONAL ISSUES
[09] HOAX THREAT CALLED ON ATHENS MAYOR'S PLANE
[10] SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED TO RUSSIAN PHILHELLENES
[11] GREECE'S AIR DEFENSE WILL BE SECURED BY THE END OF 2001
[12] THE SHIELD OF DIMITRIOS THE BESIEGER WAS DISCOVERED IN DION
[13] MEETING ON THE COURSE OF THE GREEK ECONOMY
[14] GAINS IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
[15] THE HUMAN BONES FOUND IN ATHENS PROBABLY BELONG TO ANCIENT
SOLDIERS
[16] A 3RD CENTURY AD MOSAIC WAS DISCOVERED IN PHILIPPI, NORTHERN
GREECE
[17] THE BRITISH AMBASSADOR VISITED THESSALONIKI
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[18] FYROM VP INAUGURATES GREEK FIRMS TRADE FAIR
[19] ISTANBUL, ATHENS MAYORS SIGN PROTOCOL
[20] US STRIKE A MATCH FOR BIN LADEN'S ARREST
[21] ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH SALUTES G/T FRIENDSHIP
[22] IOC PRESIDENT SURE OF ATHENS' PERFORMANCE
[23] EXHIBITION OF GREEK NATIONAL COSTUMES IN THE UN
[24] THERE IS NO TURNING BACK IN THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE GREEK-
TURKISH RELATIONS
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] GREECE IN SEARCH OF FOREIGN CAPITAL
Minister of National Economy and Finance Yiannos Papantoniou
is to visit London on Monday in an effort to attract the inflow
of foreign capital at the Athens Stock Exhcange which has taken a
downturn as of lately.
Mr. Papantoniou will be accompanied by the governor of the
National Bank of Greece Athanasios Karatzas and the president of
the Alpha Credit Bank Group Ioannis Kostopoulos.
The Minister is scheduled to meet with his British
counterpart Gordon Brown as well as with the London Stock Exchange
president and the British deputy foreign minister.
[02] OIL PRICE CONCERNS DRIVE LOSSES ON ASE
Lack of fresh capital in conjunction with concerns over the
rising oil prices in international markets discouraged sentiment
in the Athens Stock Exchange yesterday, for the fourth consecutive
day.
The general index ended at 5,222.78 points, off 105.71 points
or 1.98 percent. The FTSE/ASE 20 index for blue chip and heavy
traded stocks fell 1.83 percent to 2,822.40 while the FTSE/ASE MID
40 index dropped 2.13 percent to 859.83 points.
Turnover was a low 197.6 billion drachmas.
The parallel market index for smaller capitalization stocks
ended at 1,392.80 points, off 2.05 percent.
[03] THEODORAKIS:MACEDONIA U. HONORARY PROFESSOR
World renowned music composer Mikis Theodorakis was bestowed
the title of honorary professor by Thessaloniki's Macedonia
University yesterday, a final act in the three-day events held in
his honor.
Mr. Theodorakis continues to enchant the younger generations
with his music, ranking high among the youth's favorites.
In a press conference given in Thessaloniki yesterday, Mr.
Theodorakis stated that he declined the ruling PASOK party's
invitation to run on its ticket, simply because he is not
interested in the current political scene and does not want to get
involved.
[04] SAE'S NEW BOARD REVIEWS ITS ORGANIZATION
The new -and expanded- board of directors of the Council of
Hellenes Abroad (SAE) is concluding its first meeting in
Thessaloniki today, where the members reviewed the changes to be
made in SAE's structure for its optimal operation.
Among the changes is the establishment of six-member regional
councils which will participate in the administration of each of
the dour region, as well as the founding of four forums and one
SAE Youth Council.
The board, elected during SAE's Third International Assembly
which was also held in Thessaloniki in December, is featuring a
larger number of directors in order to meet its augmented
organizational responsibilities. The 11-member Board features two
additional members, a secretary, a treasurer, as well as a
representative of the Cypriots Living Abroad,
[05] GREEK FM: CYPRUS IS A EUROPEAN PROBLEM
Addressing an academic conference titled "Greek-Turkish
Relations: A New Era?", Foreign Minister George Papandreou stated
that the European Union's Helsinki summit and the clear separation
of Cyprus's accession from the resolution of the known problem
strengthens the island Republic's voice world wide, thus
rendering the issue a European one.
Mr. Papandreou reiterated that the Turkish-Cypriots will
benefit both economically and in terms of human rights guarantees
from the island's EU membership.
Various politicians diplomats and businessmen from Greece and
Turkey addressed the conference organized by the Hellenic
Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP), among them
Liberal Party leader Stephanos Manos, Development Minister
Evangelos Venizelos and ND deputy Dora Bakoyianni.
The event was jointly organized by ELIAMEP and Athens
University's Department of Political Science and Public
Administration.
[06] BALKANS: GREEK PASSPORTS "VANISH INTO THIN AIR"
A high incidence of lost or stolen passports has been
reported by Greek students studying in Bulgaria, Romania and
Yugoslavia, seconded by persistent rumors of a black market
masterminded and operated by local criminals, according to Greek
consular authorities.
As Greece's general consulate in Sofia reports, a steady
increase has been noted in stolen-lost passport declarations
during the past two years. In 1998, 43 Greek students reported
that their passports were lost or stolen, while in 1999 the number
of reports increased to 58. Eight students have requested a
reissued passport so far this year.
According to Greece's Consul-General in Sofia Nikolaos
Diktakis, there are rumors, albeit unproven, that the students
sell their passports to Bulgarian nationals at the hefty price of
four thousand dollars. Similar unsubstantiated rumors have also
circulated in Yugoslavia.
Romania has reported fewer passport losses or cases of theft.
Out of a total of 59 reports in 1999, 31 were made by Greek
students, while no such claim has been made this year.
[07] REPORT: ONE IN THREE GREEK WOMEN CAN'T CLIMAX
One out of every three Greek women rarely or never reaches
climax, according to a survey conducted by the Human Sexuality
Studies Association among school teachers, while just as many
reportedly fake their way through.
According to the survey, which polled 1,500 women, 31 percent
masturbate in order to have an orgasm, while 22-56 percent are
suffering various sexual dysfunctions, such as reduced sexual
drive and inhibition of sexual arousal.
[08] SAE REVIEWS NATIONAL ISSUES
The new -and expanded- board of directors of the Council of
Hellenes Abroad (SAE) is to complete its first regular session in
Thessaloniki tomorrow, where the participants will discuss a
series of issues ranging from national policy to programs for the
Greeks abroad for the following two-year period.
Specifically, the SAE board will discuss the programming of
various cultural activities abroad, in a session to be attended by
Greece's Minister of Culture Elizabeth Papazoi.
SAE President Andrew Athens will also provide a special
report spanning the gamut of national issues, while the board
members will also review the drive for the return of the
Parthenon Marbles to Greece as well as the genocide of the Greeks
from Pontus.
[09] HOAX THREAT CALLED ON ATHENS MAYOR'S PLANE
A plane bound for Athens from Istanbul carrying Athens mayor
Dimitris Avramopoulos was subjected to a hoax bomb threat, called
in at the Greek capital's airport by an unknown man.
The plane landed as scheduled and was searched by a anti-
terrorist unit which found no bomb.
[10] SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED TO RUSSIAN PHILHELLENES
A Greek language program titled "Jason", is offering
scholarships to ten Russian graduate students and professors of
Moscow's Lomonosov University who will study at the Aristotle
University of Thessaloniki's Philosophy Department.
The program is aimed at Greek language students from the
Commonwealth of Independent States. So far, "Jason" has provided
further study opportunities to 135 students from 12 universities
of the Black Sea countries. It has also established Greek
Literature and History libraries in eight universities.
[11] GREECE'S AIR DEFENSE WILL BE SECURED BY THE END OF 2001
Minister of defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos speaking in the
ceremony for the installation of the anti-aircraft "Patriot"
missile systems in the Sedes military airport in Thessaloniki,
stated that the full anti-aircraft coverage of the Aegean and the
Greek mainland will be secured by the end of 2001. He said that
with the arrival of 6 "Patriot 3" missile systems of small and
medium range the anti-aircraft umbrella for the protection Greece
will be complete.
Mr. Tsochatzopoulos underlined that the national defense
needs to be reinforced because the crises in south-eastern Europe,
Caucasus, Black Sea and eastern Mediterranean will continue to
exist, Cyprus' security is a national obligation for Greece, while
the negotiations with Turkey, within the framework of the EU-
Turkey relations, force Greece to safeguard its defense and
deterrent ability to the highest degree during the next decade. He
also stated that this way the negotiations with Turkey will become
more effective and new terms will be secured in the relations of
the two countries.
[12] THE SHIELD OF DIMITRIOS THE BESIEGER WAS DISCOVERED IN DION
The formal presentation of part of a Macedonian shield made
of copper which is believed to belong to Dimitrios the Besieger,
the successor of Alexander the Great, will take place today within
the framework of the annual archeological meeting that started in
Thessaloniki yesterday.
The shield, according to Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
professor Dimitris Pantermalis, was discovered in the
archaeological site of Dion in northern Greece and bears the name
of the king. It was found in the temple of Zeus, the sacred temple
of the ancient Macedons, and at the center of the shield is
depicted a big star with twelve rays.
A comparison of the shield's decoration with other monuments
that have already been dated places the shield back to the 3rd
century BC.
[13] MEETING ON THE COURSE OF THE GREEK ECONOMY
Prime minister Kostas Simitis had a meeting on the course of
the Greek economy with the leaderships of the ministries of
national economy, finance and agriculture. The main topic
discussed was the international oil prices that are gradually
dropping.
Minister of national economy Yiannos Papantoniou stated that
it is natural for the oil prices to affect the course of the stock
market but he denied the rumors on a possible stock market crisis,
stating that things move toward a more positive direction.
Mr. Papantoniou also announced that there will be tax policy
measures that will benefit the weak economic classes.
[14] GAINS IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
Gains of 1.04% were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange
today and the general index closed at 5.277 points, while the
volume of transactions remained low at 169 billion drachmas.
Of the 359 shares trading in the Athens Stock Exchange 276
had gains, 44 moved downward and 39 remained stable.
The low level of transactions still causes concern and
everybody is expecting the long awaited upgrading of the Athens
Stock Exchange, the implementation of measures that will support
the stock market and the arrival of the foreign institutional
investors, hoping that they will improve the situation.
[15] THE HUMAN BONES FOUND IN ATHENS PROBABLY BELONG TO ANCIENT
SOLDIERS
The US newspaper "The New York Times" referred to the
discovery of bones in Athens which, according to archaeologists,
belong to Athenian soldiers and are dated back to the times of
Pericles.
In the newspaper report pointed out that archaeologists
believe that they have found the remains of 200-250 soldiers and
it is possible that they are the soldiers to whom Pericles refers
to in his famous epitaph speech.
According to the newspaper, the ashes and the bones of the
Athenian soldiers were unearthed three years ago from a region in
Athens and have been sent to Adelphi University in New York to be
analyzed in detail in a process that will take years.
The preliminary examination of the remains has already showed
that the bones belong to men and according to anthropologist
Anagnostis Angelarakis, the examination will continue to determine
the age of the soldiers, their eating habits etc.
[16] A 3RD CENTURY AD MOSAIC WAS DISCOVERED IN PHILIPPI, NORTHERN
GREECE
A unique in its kind mosaic not found anywhere else in
Greece, dated back to the 3rd century AD, was unearthed during an
archaeological excavation in the region of the ancient city of
Philippi in northern Greece
It is possible that the mosaic, presenting a scene from the
hippodrome, was decorating the bottom of a 4x10 meters swimming-
pool.
Head of the excavations Byzantine archaeology professor in
Thessaloniki's Aristotle University Giorgos Gounaris stressed that
the walls of the swimming-pool were protected from humidity with
lead plates which is a unique detail. Also, the excavations
unearthed a complete glassware workshop which is also unique in
Greece and is dated back to the 4th century AD.
[17] THE BRITISH AMBASSADOR VISITED THESSALONIKI
British ambassador to Athens David Manten arrived in
Thessaloniki to visit the INFACOMA exhibition, meet with a British
trade delegation that is visiting the city and attend the
presentation of the engineer company MAUNSELL.
The British ambassador also had the opportunity to meet with
leading figures in Thessaloniki, representatives of local
authorities, parliament deputies, journalists and scientists.
The British ambassador stated that trade cooperation is the
most important element in the Greek-British relations as trade
develops from both directions.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[18] FYROM VP INAUGURATES GREEK FIRMS TRADE FAIR
Giving the assurance that FYROM's current leadership will
continue to exert all efforts to strengthen the country's
economic ties with Greece, vice-president Vasil Topurkovski
officially inaugurated the Greek company trade fair in Skopje
yesterday.
Mr. Topurkovski also stated that the Fair constitutes an
example of the strengthened political ties between Greece and
FYROM and reiterated his conviction that his country's course to
the EU runs through Greece.
Greece's Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Yiannis Magriotis was
also present at the event, where he stated that the Fair's success
reflects the boosted dynamism of bilateral economic relations.
The event features the presentation of over one hundred
companies, with this year's participation rate up by 65 percent in
comparison to 1999.
Most companies are from northern Greece and among the sectors
represented are foodstuffs and beverages, packaging materials,
plastic irrigation pipes, apparel, aluminum products, building
materials and services.
The four-day event, the third of its kind, is organized by
the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair (ITF).
According to the general director of ITF Haralambos
Tsarouhas, five more Greek firms expositions are to be held during
the year 2000, one each in Tirana, Plovdiv, Bucharest, Istanbul
and Gaza, which has expressed an interest in collaborating with
ITF for the construction of an exposition center in Palestine.
Meanwhile, a conference titled "Bilateral Economic Ties -
Cooperation Prospective and Opportunity" is to be held tomorrow,
February 19, at Skopje, organized by the Inter-Balkan and Black
Sea Business Center, in cooperation with TIF and Skopje's Economic
Chamber. FYROM's Premier Liupcko Georgievski is to address the
event.
[19] ISTANBUL, ATHENS MAYORS SIGN PROTOCOL
The Mayors of Athens and Istanbul, Dimitris Avramopoulos and
Ali Mufit Kutuna respectively, signed a friendship and cooperation
protocol in Turkey yesterday, thus leading to the strengthening of
ties between the two cities.
"This is a historical event which seals the first cycle of
contacts between the two cities which began with the earthquakes
in Greece and Turkey," Mr. Avramopoulos stated, adding that the
protocol had the blessing of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.
In turn, Mr. Kutuna stated that "the people have shown the
way of friendship, the cities have responded, it is now time for
governments to continue."
The protocol designates the institutional framework of
bilateral cooperation and concerns the protection of the two
cities' cultural heritage, the support of joint business
initiatives, the promotion of tourism, and student exchange
programs.
Mr. Avramopoulos, leading a delegation of Greek businessmen,
attended the Eastern Mediterranean International Fair on Tourism,
while he also visited the Phanar where he was received by the
Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos.
[20] US STRIKE A MATCH FOR BIN LADEN'S ARREST
U.S. State Department briefer James Rubin confirmed yesterday
that the United States has taken its campaign for the arrest of
suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden to Pakistan, the Middle East
and Africa by printing and distributing matches with his picture
and offering up to a five-million-dollar reward.
The message, printed in a number of languages, including
English, French, Arabic, Dari, Baluchi and Urdu, simply states
"Reward for Osama bin Laden" and promises confidentiality to the
would-be informers.
According to Mr. Rubin, the matches carry a misprint of
$500,000 instead of the actual "up to five million dollars"
reward.
Sponsored by the U.S. Consulate in Peshawar, a city located
on the Pakistan--Afghanistan border, the matches began circulating
on Wednesday.
Osama bin Laden reportedly lives in Afghanistan, across the
border from Peshawar, under the protection of the Taliban
religious militia, which rules roughly 90 percent of that war-
weary nation.
The Taliban say Mr. bin Laden is a guest and Afghani culture
and tradition call for his protection.
The United States has banned all trade with and investment in
Taliban-ruled areas. Last November the United Nations imposed
limited sanctions on the Taliban, barring international flights by
their national airlines and freezing their overseas accounts.
In addition to the matches, there were also reports of 100
rupee notes - worth about $2 - being circulated with a Pashtu-
language message stamped on them announcing the reward and
offering possible asylum or relocation to anyone with information
leading to Mr. bin Laden's arrest.
[21] ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH SALUTES G/T FRIENDSHIP
Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos saluted the friendship and
cooperation protocol signed between the mayors of Athens and
Istanbul yesterday, stating that the Phanar has always supported
the peaceful co-existence of the two neighboring peoples.
Receiving the Athens mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos -who led a
business delegation- at the Phanar yesterday, Mr. Vartholomeos
stated that economic ties solidify peace and bring the nations
into communication, as they develop relations and extinguish
mistrust and discrimination.
[22] IOC PRESIDENT SURE OF ATHENS' PERFORMANCE
The President of the International Olympic Committee Juan
Antonio Samaranch has expressed his confidence in the organization
of the Athens-held Olympics in 2004.
In Sydney for the IOC's executive committee meeting, Mr.
Samaranch told reporters "I want to reiterate that I am very happy
Athens has undertaken the organization of the Olympic Games of
2004."
[23] EXHIBITION OF GREEK NATIONAL COSTUMES IN THE UN
Nineteenth century national costumes from different parts of
Greece are presented in the Greek National Costumes exhibition
that was inaugurated in the UN general secretariat building in New
York.
The exhibition, which is based on the Tsiouris family
collection, will be open until February 27 and is organized by the
Greek press office in New York in cooperation with the Association
of Greek Employees in the United Nations.
[24] THERE IS NO TURNING BACK IN THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE GREEK-
TURKISH RELATIONS
Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos assessed the progress
observed lately in the Greek-Turkish relations and stated that the
rapid and unexpected improvement in the Greek-Turkish relations is
a road with no return.
The Ecumenical Patriarch made the statements welcoming the
representatives of the Mount Athos monasteries visiting Istanbul
and regarding Mount Athos he said that it must not change its form
and tradition.
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