Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2000-02-28
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, February 28, 2000
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] ONE HUNDRED GREEK KFOR SOLDIERS WILL BE SENT TO MITROVICA
[02] TSOCHATZOPOULOS: THERE IS INDICATION FOR A FAIR SOLUTION TO
THE CYPRUS PROBLEM
[03] FOREIGN INVESTORS WANT OPENNESS IN THE GREEK STOCK MARKET
[04] BIG LOSSES RECORDED IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
[05] REPPAS ON THE DEVELOPMENTS IN KOSOVO
[06] THE PRIME MINISTERS OF GREECE AND PORTUGAL MET IN ATHENS
TODAY
[07] STATEMENTS BY MR. MIGARELI TO MPA
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[08] BULGARIA'S SARAKATSANI WANT THE GREEK NATIONALITY
[09] A GREEK COMPANY BOUGHT OUT A PERLITE MINE IN TURKEY
[10] GREEK-TURKISH DIPLOMATIC MEETING IN ANKARA
[11] THE EU DEFENSE MINISTERS MEET IN LISBON
[12] GREEK AUTHOR GIORGOS HIMONAS DIED IN PARIS YESTERDAY
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] ONE HUNDRED GREEK KFOR SOLDIERS WILL BE SENT TO MITROVICA
About 100 Greek KFOR soldiers, who had been deployed in
Urosevac, south of the Kosovo capital of Pristina, will be sent to
Mitrovica tomorrow to reinforce the NATO peacekeeping forces.
The transfer of the Greek soldiers from Urocevac to Mitrovica
is being placed within the overall KFOR troop movement to the city
in order to deal effectively with the wave of violence between the
Serb and the ethnic Albanians living in the city.
Its should be noted that it is the third mission of the Greek
soldiers in the city as on January 26-30 and on February 15-19
they had reinforced the KFOR forces again.
[02] TSOCHATZOPOULOS: THERE IS INDICATION FOR A FAIR SOLUTION TO
THE CYPRUS PROBLEM
Minister of defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos, speaking in a
gathering of Greek Forces in Cyprus Veterans in northern Greece in
Thessaloniki, referred to the prospects for the solution of the
Cyprus problem created after the finalizing of Cyprus' accession
into the European Union based on the Helsinki summit decision.
Mr. Tsochatzopoulos stressed that now there is a first
indication for a fair solution to the Cyprus problem through the
accession of Cyprus into the European Union.
The minister of defense also pointed out that Turkey realizes
that it can not survive by itself and seeks the support of Europe.
He said that Turkey's obligation to implement the international
law in its relations with the neighboring countries on the basis
of friendship, peace and cooperation, as imposed by the European
Union, constitute a new level of contact through which Cyprus and
Greece will claim the promotion of political targets which was
unthinkable 25 years ago.
[03] FOREIGN INVESTORS WANT OPENNESS IN THE GREEK STOCK MARKET
All foreign investors want above all a stock market with open
and clear terms of operation, according to the Bloomberg news
agency.
Concerning the stock value the foreign investors believe that
the sudden fluctuations do not create the necessary preconditions
for long-term investments but for short-term profit making.
Regarding the level of the stock prices in the Athens Stock
Exchange, foreign investors pointed out that the Greek capital
market would have been more attractive if it offered stocks that
combined satisfactory levels of profit making prospects.
Also, according to the Bloomberg news agency, problems are
being created in certain cases by the way the news on the stock
market and the companies trading in the Athens Stock Exchange are
being covered.
[04] BIG LOSSES RECORDED IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
The week opened with big losses of 3.24% for the Athens Stock
Exchange and the general index closed at 5034.55 points.
The main characteristic of today's session was the low volume
of transactions which reached 156.9 billion drachmas, while stock
market circles underlined that there was a lack of purchasing
interest.
Only 9 of the stocks trading today had an upward course,
while 335 recorded losses and 20 remained stable.
[05] REPPAS ON THE DEVELOPMENTS IN KOSOVO
Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas commented on the
developments in Kosovo and stated that the situation in the region
is tense.
However, he stated that even though there is concern over the
developments in Kosovo the situation is nowhere near a new war
crisis like that of last year.
[06] THE PRIME MINISTERS OF GREECE AND PORTUGAL MET IN ATHENS
TODAY
Prime minister of Portugal Antonio Gutieres currently holding
the EU rotating presidency met in Athens today with his Greek
counterpart Kostas Simitis.
The two prime ministers focused on the issue of employment in
view of the extraordinary European Council meeting that will take
place in Lisbon on March 23 and 24.
In statements he made after the meeting, Mr. Simitis pointed
out that the government's priority in the next four years will be
employment and social cohesion.
Mr. Gutieres characterized the Greek policy as constructive
and congratulated the prime minister on the improvement of the
Greek-Turkish relations.
[07] STATEMENTS BY MR. MIGARELI TO MPA
The offices of the Organization for the Reconstruction of
south-eastern Europe will open in Thessaloniki before the end of
the month and its budget for the year 2000 will be at 150 million
Euro.
Commenting on the scenarios according to which, the
organization's agencies in Thessaloniki will not have essential
responsibilities as the reconstruction work will be largely
coordinated by the Pristina staff, general director of the
organization Mr. Migareli stated that such scenarios are unfounded
and clarified that the activities for the reconstruction of south-
eastern Europe will be divided between Thessaloniki and Pristina.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[08] BULGARIA'S SARAKATSANI WANT THE GREEK NATIONALITY
Three hundred Sarakatsani, who live in Bulgaria, signed a
declaration asking Athens to grant them the Greek nationality
without having to leave their homes. The above were published on
Sofia's opposition newspaper "Sega", clarifying that the
declaration in question was signed by the residents of the village
of Gorno Sahrane, near the city of Pavel Banja.
According to the newspaper, the demand expressed by them
found the leadership of the Confederation of the Cultural
Associations of Sarakatsani unprepared.
Confederation president Yiannis Bletsov stressed that the
organization of the Sarakatsani has warm relations with Greece
clarifying however, that the issue of double nationality has not
been discussed yet.
It should be reminded that the Sarakatsani in Bulgaria are
about 20.000 and 15.000 of them are registered with the Sliven
based Confederation of Cultural Associations of the Sarakatsani.
[09] A GREEK COMPANY BOUGHT OUT A PERLITE MINE IN TURKEY
A Greek company bought out a perlite mine in the Biga region
at the Tsanakale province in Turkey and production started today.
The Greek company "Pasot" bought out the managing rights of
the Saba Mining Perlite Installations and according to the Turkish
manager of the company, the perlite will be mined as a raw
material used extensively in the farm, construction and industrial
sectors and it will be exported to South Africa and European
countries after it is processed in Greece.
[10] GREEK-TURKISH DIPLOMATIC MEETING IN ANKARA
High ranking officials from the foreign ministries of Greece
and Turkey are meeting in Ankara today to launch a cooperation on
issues concerning the European Union, while Greece will also offer
know-how to Turkey.
The joint working group of Greek and Turkish diplomats will
try to find ways for Turkey to acquire Greece's experience from
its accession into the European family.
The talks will last two days and will focus on issues of
legislation harmonization, economic packages for the EU candidate
states and the EU's political enlargement.
The Greek and Turkish diplomats are expected to repeat their
talks in Athens in the following weeks.
[11] THE EU DEFENSE MINISTERS MEET IN LISBON
The European Union ministers of defense are meeting in
Lisbon, Portugal to examine security issues. Among others they
will consider the establishment of a European peacekeeping force
able to deal with possible crises.
Greece is represented in the meeting by minister of defense
Akis Tsochatzopoulos, who pointed out that the recent crisis in
Kosovo has underlined the need for an intervention by the European
Union which is responsible for the promotion of the stability pact
and the preparation for crises situations.
[12] GREEK AUTHOR GIORGOS HIMONAS DIED IN PARIS YESTERDAY
Greek author Giorgos Himonas died in Paris yesterday from
heart failure at the age of 60. He was born in the north-eastern
Greek city of Kavala and studied neuro-psychiatry in Paris.
A letter of condolences was sent to his family by Greek prime
minister Kostas Simitis, who described Giorgos Himonas as a great
creator and visionary with a critical mind.
|
