Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2000-03-23
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, March 23, 2000
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] VEGETARIANS ARE AT RISK OF LOSING THEIR VISION
[02] EARTHQUAKE OF 4.1 ON THE RICHTER SCALE IN ATHENS
[03] PASOK HAS A SMALL LEAD IN THE ELECTION RACE
[04] THE DOWNWARD COURSE CONTINUES IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
[05] EIGHT INTERNATIONAL COMPANIES WANT TO UNDERTAKE THE REFORM OF
THE GREEK SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM
[06] BRITISH PARLIAMENTARIANS IN THESSALONIKI
[07] PROTOCOL OF COOPERATION SIGNED BY GREEK AND TURKISH
BUSINESSMEN
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[08] THE UN ADMINISTRATOR IN KOSOVO DECIDED TO SHUT DOWN THE
AMIANTUS INDUSTRY PLANT
[09] SIMITIS: RENEWAL OF THE EUROPEAN SOCIAL MODEL
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] VEGETARIANS ARE AT RISK OF LOSING THEIR VISION
A danger signal is sent out by French scientists to the
vegetarians who chose not to eat any kind of animal food warning
them that they are at risk of losing their vision.
In a report presented in the New England Medical Journal is
pointed out that the intake of vitamins B12 and B1 is necessary
for the vegetarians as their diet can cause extensive and even
permanent damage to their optic nerve.
[02] EARTHQUAKE OF 4.1 ON THE RICHTER SCALE IN ATHENS
The earthquake measuring 4.1 on the Richter scale that was
recorded at dawn today and its epicenter was located in Parnitha,
near Athens does not cause concern.
The existing facts show that there is no cause for concern,
stated seismologist Konstantinos Makropoulos adding however, that
such tremors can cause the collapse of buildings that suffered
extensive damage in the September 7 catastrophic earthquake.
[03] PASOK HAS A SMALL LEAD IN THE ELECTION RACE
PASOK and New Democracy are neck and neck in the April 9
election race, according to the results of an opinion poll
conducted by poling company MRB on behalf of the Athens television
station MEGA on March 7-17 on an sample of 2.000 people.
The two largest political parties in Greece are virtually
equal in strength as the governing socialist party of PASOK got
34.5% and the right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy
34.2%. The Communist Party got 4.9%, the Coalition of the Left 4%
and the Democratic Social Movement 3.6%.
However, to the question which party will win the elections
50% responded in favor of PASOK and 30% in favor of New Democracy.
PASOK leads in the question on which party is more able to solve
the country's problems as it gets 39%, while New Democracy gets
32%.
Another opinion poll by the polling company "OPINION"
published on the Athens newspaper "Eleftherotypia" gives to PASOK
35.1%, New Democracy 34.7%, the Communist Party 4.9%, the
Democratic Social Movement 4.1% and Coalition of the Left 3.9%.
[04] THE DOWNWARD COURSE CONTINUES IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
The downward course of the Athens Stock Exchange continued
for a third session in a row today and closed with significant
losses of 1.53% at 4.650,77 points, while the volume of
transactions was disappointing at 143 billion drachmas.
The majority of the stocks had losses as 300 followed a
downward course, 34 recorded gains and 17 remained stable.
[05] EIGHT INTERNATIONAL COMPANIES WANT TO UNDERTAKE THE REFORM OF
THE GREEK SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM
Eight international companies want to undertake the study for
the reform of the Greek social security system and they have
already submitted their bids.
The Planning and Economic Research Center unsealed yesterday
the bids tabled by Price Waterhouse, IMCC, Watson Wyatte, Ernst
&Young, Prognos, William Mercher, Government Actuaries and Bacon &
Woodrow.
Based on the government directions, the foreign adviser that
will undertake to submit its reform proposals will have to move
within the framework of the changes that will soon happen in
Europe as they were determined by the EU report on the economic
policy main directions.
[06] BRITISH PARLIAMENTARIANS IN THESSALONIKI
Four British parliament deputies G. Kaufman, L. Golding,
Claire and Ward Colin Lee will be in Thessaloniki on Saturday
evening to discuss issues concerning culture and the illegal trade
of antiquities. Later on that evening, they will be briefed by
British ambassador David Madden and Athens British school director
David Blackman.
The British parliamentarians will visit the archaeological
site of Vergina on Sunday, while on Monday they will meet with
antiquities officials at Thessaloniki's Archaeological Museum.
They will also visit Athens to meet with culture minister Elisavet
Papazoi and among the issues they will discuss will be the return
of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece.
[07] PROTOCOL OF COOPERATION SIGNED BY GREEK AND TURKISH
BUSINESSMEN
A protocol of cooperation was signed today by Thessaloniki's
Commerce and Industry Chamber and Turkey's Industry Chamber of the
Aegean within the framework of the visit by a Turkish delegation
made up of 130 businessmen, parliament deputies, prefects and
mayors.
Among the goals of the agreement that was signed in a cordial
atmosphere was the undertaking of every feasible measure for the
promotion of trade, investments, business ties and the exchange of
visits by delegations and business groups between Greece and
Turkey.
Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Yiannis Magriotis stated that
the latest developments in the Greek-Turkish relations showed that
the two peoples want the further development of bilateral
relations, while he underlined that many things will change in
Turkey in its course toward becoming an EU member. Mr. Magriotis
stated that the Cyprus issue must be resolved within the framework
of the UN resolutions and international law, adding that Cyprus
must stop being an island of division and become a bridge of
cooperation.
In the ceremony for the signing of the protocol of
cooperation Industry Chamber of the Aegean president Atil Akkan
issued an invitation to the businessmen from Thessaloniki to
invest either individually or jointly with their Turkish
colleagues in the 28 organized industrial regions, the two free
zones and the technological park at the Turkish coasts of the
Aegean.
Mr. Akkan stated that his chamber has 6.000 members and
stressed that the volume of trade between Greece and Turkey today
is US$ 600-700 million, underlining that the goal is to reach US$
5 billion by the year 2010.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[08] THE UN ADMINISTRATOR IN KOSOVO DECIDED TO SHUT DOWN THE
AMIANTUS INDUSTRY PLANT
The UN temporary administrator in Kosovo Bernard Kuschner
decided to shut down the amiantus industry plant at the borders of
Kosovo with FYROM, according to the BBC radio service.
The decision was taken after the announcement of lab test
results by the Belgian army showing that the plant has polluted
the region with amiantus and heavy metals. The environmental
pollution caused strong concern over its effects on the health of
the KFOR soldiers serving in the region and the local population.
The Skopje newspaper "Dnevnik", citing sources in Brussels,
wrote that similar conditions of pollution experienced by Belgian
soldiers serving in Bosnia have already caused two deaths from
cancer, while other two soldiers are hospitalized also with cancer
and their condition is characterized as irreversible.
[09] SIMITIS: RENEWAL OF THE EUROPEAN SOCIAL MODEL
Prime minister Kostas Simitis in a press conference after the
European Summit morning meeting in Lisbon, stated that the renewal
of the European social model attracts most of the interest of the
European leaders, adding that the first characteristic of this
model is the full employment and the abolition of social
isolation.
Responding to a question on the Athens Stock Exchange and if
there is a likelihood for its incorporation into other stock
markets minister of national economy Yiannos Papantoniou, who was
also present in the press conference, stated that such a process
is underway, while prime minister Simitis said that consultations
are being made and characterized as a joke the rumors on the
opening of stock exchanges in every city.
Employment, the economic reform and social cohesion were the
topics discussed in the morning meeting of the EU Summit, while
the EU leaders also discussed what will be the next goal for the
European Union.
The prime minister said that the main characteristic of
Europe should be a high growth rate of 3%, pointing out that only
this way unemployment will be reduced. He also said that economic
growth means full employment, adding that economy must change
character and be based on knowledge and technology, while reforms
in the economy are necessary.
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