Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2000-04-18
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, April 18, 2000
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] PRESIDENT OF CHINA TO VISIT GREECE ON FRIDAY
[02] NEW WORLD WONDER TO BE BUILT ON RHODES BY 2004
[03] PRESIDENT OF CYPRUS TO VISIT GREECE IN MAY
[04] SUPREME ALLIED COMMANDER CLARK IN ATHENS
[05] GREEK FM MEETS WITH US AMBASSADOR BURNS
[06] PRESIDENT OF GREECE TO VISIT ISRAEL, PALESTINE
[07] BSTDB BOARD OF GOVERNORS ELECTS NEW PRESIDENT
[08] ATHENS BOURSE ON ROAD TO RECOVERY
[09] GREEK, TURKISH FASHION DESIGNERS TO SHARE RUNWAY
[10] OLIVE TREE OFFERED BY GREEK TO TURKISH STUDENTS
[11] US SENATOR CAMPELL MET WITH PRESIDENT STEPHANOPOULOS
[12] THE GREEK DEFENSE MINISTER MET WITH PERES AND HOBACH
[13] THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE RECORDED LOSSES OF 2.78%
[14] PAPANDREOU-HOBACH MEETING
[15] WORLD CAMPAIGN FOR THE RESCUE OF THE SEFARAD LANGUAGE
[16] THE AXES OF THE GOVERNMENT POLICY
[17] ALLERGIES HIT 30% OF THE GREEKS
[18] NETWORK OF CINEMA ORGANIZATIONS IN SE EUROPE
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[19] ROMANIAN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARRESTED AT BORDER
[20] TENTH CRIME CONGRESS ENDS WITH DECLARATION
[21] AUSTRALIANS OBJECT TO GOVERNMENT FUNDS FOR OA
[22] GREEK AND TURKISH FMs "PERSONALITIES OF THE YEAR"
[23] BTK SALE TO OTE-KPN INCHING AHEAD
[24] GERMANY FEARS MORE DEMANDS FOR WAR REPARATIONS
[25] THE EUROPEAN SOCIALISTS' CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD IN TIRANA IN
JUNE
[26] GREEK ARMY GENERAL CHIEF OF STAFF PANAGIOTAKIS IS VISITING
ROMANIA
[27] THOUSANDS OF ROMANIANS ATTEMPT TO CROSS THE GREEK BORDERS
[28] DESTABILIZATION RISK AT THE BORDERS OF KOSOVO WITH SOUTHERN
SERBIA
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] PRESIDENT OF CHINA TO VISIT GREECE ON FRIDAY
The President of the People's Republic of China Jiang Zemin
is scheduled to arrive in Greece on Friday for a four-day visit at
the invitation of the President of the Hellenic Republic Costis
Stephanopoulos.
Following his arrival and reception by Stephanopoulos, Mr.
Zemin is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Costas Simitis, who
will also hold a dinner in honor of the Chinese president on
Saturday evening.
[02] NEW WORLD WONDER TO BE BUILT ON RHODES BY 2004
Artists from around the world are to soon be invited to
submit their plans for a new "world wonder" and millennium
monument to be will be built on the harbor of the island of
Rhodes.
According to the island's Mayor George Yiannopoulos, the
monument will draw inspiration from the "Kolossos" statue, one of
the Seven Wonders.
"It will be a landmark technical achievement for Greece and
an international reference point sending national identity
messages of Greek presence in international developments," the
mayor stated.
Invitations for the submission of plans are to be given by
the end of the upcoming summer.
[03] PRESIDENT OF CYPRUS TO VISIT GREECE IN MAY
The President of the Republic of Cyprus Glafcos Clerides is
expected in Athens on May 19, for talks with Prime Minister Costas
Simitis.
Messrs. Clerides and Simitis will meet two days prior to the
third round of proximity talks to be held between the Cypriot
president and Turkish-Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash in New York.
[04] SUPREME ALLIED COMMANDER CLARK IN ATHENS
Europe's Supreme Allied Commander Wesley Clark, who started a
two-day farewell visit to Greece yesterday, held a courtesy
meeting with the National Defense Ministry's civil and military
leadership.
Mr. Clark was also received by the President of the Hellenic
Republic Costis Stephanopoulos.
The outgoing official will be replaced by Commander Rolston
on May 3.
[05] GREEK FM MEETS WITH US AMBASSADOR BURNS
Greece's Foreign Minister George Papandreou met with the
United States Ambassador to Athens Nicholas Burns yesterday in a
courtesy meeting at the Ministry.
Mr. Burns expressed his satisfaction over the results of
April 9's parliamentary elections and discussed with Mr.
Papandreou the details pertaining to the latter's upcoming visit
to New York where he will meet with US Secretary of State
Madeleine Albright and his Turkish counterpart Ismael Cem.
Mr. Papandreou has welcomed the Turkish-Cypriot leader Rauf
Denktash's recently-expressed desire to meet with him, by stating
that "I will gladly meet with Mr. Denktash when we -as European
citizens- will be able to cross Cyprus from end to end, without
technical or other obstacles."
[06] PRESIDENT OF GREECE TO VISIT ISRAEL, PALESTINE
The President of the Hellenic Republic Costis Stephanopoulos
is to conduct an official visit to Israel and Palestine between
May 14-18.
The President will meet with Israel political and state
leadership, while he will also hold talks with Palestinian leader
Yasser Arafat.
[07] BSTDB BOARD OF GOVERNORS ELECTS NEW PRESIDENT
The Black Sea Trade and Development Bank (BSTDB) has
announced the election of Merab Kakulia, vice-president of the
National Bank of Georgia, as the president of its board of
governors, with vice-presidents D.I. Remes from Romania and V.
Yuschenko from the Ukraine, following the bank's second annual
meeting on Saturday.
The meeting coincided with a Black Sea Business Day, where
prominent business leaders and bankers met to discuss project and
trade financing opportunities in the Black Sea region.
Outlining the numerous opportunities in the Balkans and Black
Sea area for Greek companies, Deputy National Economy Minister
Yiannis Zafiropoulos stated that Greek businesses stand out
amongst the top five foreign investors in the region, especially
in the sectors of telecommunications, computer software,
financial services, construction, and food and beverages.
The annual meeting also approved the bank's annual budget and
its financial statistics for 1999. The bank's board of governors
is scheduled to meet again on May 21, 2001.
[08] ATHENS BOURSE ON ROAD TO RECOVERY
Taking the road to recovery, the General Price Index of the
Athens Stock Exchange presented significant gains of 1.37% at noon
today, posting 4,120,55 points.
At the same time, transactions volume amounted to 95 billion
drachmas.
[09] GREEK, TURKISH FASHION DESIGNERS TO SHARE RUNWAY
Turkish fashion designer Cemil Epikci will present his "Harem
2000" collection in a April 20 and 23 fashion show he will hold
together with Greece's couturier Michalis Aslanis, within the
framework of the "Turkish-Greek friendship and Cooperation Fair"
in Athens.
According to Turkey's news Agency Anadolu, Mr. Ipekci stated
"I feel the honor of being the first Turkish fashion designer
holding fashion show in Greece. It will be the most important
fashion show in my life. I undertook a mission."
Moreover, the Turkish designer referred to his roots, stating
that " I was born in Istanbul, but my parents are from Salonica."
Mr. Aslanis was born in Athens, but his parents are from
Smyrne (Izmir).
[10] OLIVE TREE OFFERED BY GREEK TO TURKISH STUDENTS
A young olive tree was offered by Christian and Muslim
students of the inter-cultural elementary school in Sapes,
northern Greece, to their Turkish fellow students during their
three-day visit to the municipality of Sisli in Istanbul, Turkey.
The visit was held within the framework of the initiatives
undertaken by the municipality of Sapes aimed at the strengthening
of relations and the materialization of cooperation between Greek
and Turkish local administration organizations in different
sectors.
The Greek students, who were accompanied by representatives
of the municipality of Sapes, conveyed to Sisli mayor Mustafa
Sarigul the message of friendship and cooperation sent by his
Greek colleague in Sapes Dinos Haritopoulos. The young students
attended special events organized by the Turkish municipality,
while they also visited a photo exhibition on the earthquakes and
the visit of the "Train of Friendship" to Thrace.
[11] US SENATOR CAMPELL MET WITH PRESIDENT STEPHANOPOULOS
US Senator Tom Campell, who is on a two-day visit to Greece,
was received today by Greek president Kostis Stephanopoulos.
In the meeting that took place in the presence of US
ambassador Nicholas Burns Mr. Stephanopoulos presented the Greek
positions on issues of national importance.
[12] THE GREEK DEFENSE MINISTER MET WITH PERES AND HOBACH
Greek minister of defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos had separate
meetings with former prime minister of Israel Simon Peres, who is
currently minister of regional cooperation and special coordinator
of the Stability Pact in south-eastern Europe Bodo Hobach.
Mr. Tsochatzopoulos stated to reporters that with Mr. Peres
they discussed issues that have to do with the stability in the
region, the Greek-Israeli relations and the relations between
Israel and Turkey. They also had the chance to reaffirm the
direction followed in order for the cooperation of Greece and
Cyprus with Israel to contribute to the success of the stabilizing
policy.
On the meeting with Mr. Hobach, the Greek minister of defense
stated that it was an opportunity for them to exchange views on
the promotion of the Stability Pact for the Balkan states, adding
that the region needs support at an economic level as the economic
recovery is the basic precondition for the strengthening of
security and peace.
They also discussed the situation in Kosovo and Mr.
Tsochatzopoulos pointed out that they agreed that it can be
improved, adding that time and the consistent implementation of
the policy followed are necessary.
[13] THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE RECORDED LOSSES OF 2.78%
The Athens Stock Exchange recorded losses of 2.78% at
3.951,85 points today, while the volume of transactions was at 198
billion drachmas and most of it corresponded to sales of stocks.
According to market circles, the fact that the sales of
stocks usually intensify at the last half hour of the session,
shows that there is an intention for a further decline of the
Athens Stock Exchange general index.
[14] PAPANDREOU-HOBACH MEETING
The regional meeting of the Stability Pact, that will be held
with the participation of leading personalities from the Balkan
region, government representatives and non governmental
organizations, will take place in Thessaloniki on June 9-10 after
a proposal made by Greece.
The decision was made today in the meeting of Greek foreign
minister Giorgos Papandreou and Stability Pact special coordinator
Bodo Hobach. They later explained that June 10 was selected as a
symbolic day because on that day last year the war in Kosovo had
ended and now it can become a day of peace and stability in the
region.
Mr. Papandreou characterized the cooperation he had with Mr.
Hobach as very constructive and pointed out that they discussed
the recent Donors Conference that was held in Brussels and was
much more successful than expected as the funds raised were
significant. According to Mr. Papandreou, this shows that there is
political will on behalf of the parties involved for the promotion
of the reconstruction of the Balkans.
Mr. Hobach referred to Greece's special role characterizing
it as a significant partner in the Stability Pact that has
influence and uses it in order to help, while he made a special
reference to the effort made personally by Mr. Papandreou.
Responding to a question on the participation of Yugoslavia in the
regional conference in Thessaloniki, Mr. Hobach stated that if
Milosevic is not in power the country will attend.
[15] WORLD CAMPAIGN FOR THE RESCUE OF THE SEFARAD LANGUAGE
A language is at risk of extinction namely, the Spanish-
Jewish language that was spoken by the Jews of Thessaloniki. Now,
the language is spoken only by 50.000 people in the world and a
world campaign is in progress on behalf of the Jews for its
rescue.
The Sefarad, which in reality is the Medieval Spanish
language, was widely spoken in Europe after 1492 when 1 million
Jews were driven out of Spain and until WWII it was spoken by most
of the Jews. However, the overwhelming majority of the people
speaking that language were killed in the Nazi concentration camps
taking their language with them.
According to Thessaloniki's Jewish community president
Andreas Sefiha, the Sefarad is spoken only by about 400 of the
1.200 Jews who are left in the city.
[16] THE AXES OF THE GOVERNMENT POLICY
The Athens newspaper "TO ETHNOS" presents the three main axes
of the government policy in the new four-year term as they were
announced by prime minister Kostas Simitis to his close associates
giving an emphasis to the increased growth rate, the negotiations
for Greece's accession into the EMU and the social state.
The new government will have the responsibility for the
successful negotiation of the country's accession into the EMU,
stated the prime minister. He said that the new government has to
persuade the EU partners that the good performance of the Greek
economy will continue, guaranteeing high growth rates and the
implementation of the necessary structural interventions in the
wider public sector. Mr. Simitis characterized the higher growth
rate (over 4%) as the basis for all the rest.
The efforts of the government will also focus on the
immediate materialization of the measures for a social state with
main target the creation of new job positions and the improvement
of the state health system through the necessary reforms.
Another target will be the creation of a new and modern
government characterized by less bureaucracy and more
effectiveness.
[17] ALLERGIES HIT 30% OF THE GREEKS
It is estimated that 30% of the Greeks suffer from allergies.
According to scientists, there is a 20-30% increase in frequency
and severity of allergic reactions recorded in the developed
countries in the past few years.
The Athens newspaper "TO ETHNOS" writes that a decisive role
in the allergic episodes is played by the environmental pollution,
infections and stress.
According to data available, 1 in 12 children under the age
of 6 presents food poisoning symptoms, while 1 in 25 has a
specific food allergy.
[18] NETWORK OF CINEMA ORGANIZATIONS IN SE EUROPE
The establishment of a Network of Cinema Organizations in
south-eastern Europe was decided in a meeting held in the Aegean
island of Hydra at the initiative of the Greek Cinema Center with
the participation of representatives from 10 national cinema
organizations from south-eastern Europe.
The problems faced by the sector are many and different for
each country. Some of them, like the Bulgarian, Romanian,
Yugoslav, Slovenian, Bosnian, Albanian and the FYROM cinema must
face the consequences from the political-economic changes of the
past years or the war, while others like, the Turkish, Greek or
Cypriot are at a different stage but the common element they share
is that all of them are poor. They all agreed to the necessity of
cooperation and mutual help, mainly at the level of co-productions
and film distribution.
Also, it was decided that the five countries (Greece, Turkey,
Cyprus, Romania, Bulgaria) which are members of the European Co-
production Fund will exert pressures for the participation of the
other five.
Turkish undersecretary of culture Abdullah Dortlemez referred
to the co-productions made by Greece and Turkey, saying that they
created a very good climate of cooperation. Bosnian undersecretary
of culture Asaf Dzanic also referred to the positive climate
existing, while Antoneta Borisova, in charge of Bulgaria's
National Center, characterized the meeting as a source of hope.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[19] ROMANIAN ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARRESTED AT BORDER
One hundred Romanians were arrested by Bulgarian authorities
at the Greek-Bulgarian border on Saturday as they tried to smuggle
into Greece, according to Bucharest's news agency Mediafax.
According to the wire report, the would-be illegal immigrants
lived as transients by sleeping in parks in the city of Petric
and encouraging their children to beg for money.
Bulgarian police have reported that ten of them have already been
returned to Romania.
According to Bulgarian reports, Romanians rank first among
all foreigners who try to smuggle into Greece from Bulgaria.
[20] TENTH CRIME CONGRESS ENDS WITH DECLARATION
The Tenth Crime Congress ended yesterday in Vienna after the
adoption of its final declaration which, among other things,
establishes the target of the year 2005 for achieving a
significant decrease in trafficking in persons, especially women
and children, and the smuggling of migrants.
The Congress will be followed a three-day session of the
Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice.
Pino Arlacchi, the Executive Director of the UN Office for
Drug Control and Crime Prevention stated that "the desire to act
globally is absolutely clear."
"Just as criminals have harnessed technology for their own
use, so must we. Just as criminals have globalized their action,
so must we."
[21] AUSTRALIANS OBJECT TO GOVERNMENT FUNDS FOR OA
Citizens of Australia's state of Victoria reportedly object
to their government's offer to financially support the Greek
airline Olympic Airways so that it may continue its direct flight
from Athens to Melbourne.
According to local press reports, the Victoria government
will spend 600,000 Australian dollars in the next two years to
promote the route, which was recently on the brink of being axed
by OA for economic reasons.
[22] GREEK AND TURKISH FMs "PERSONALITIES OF THE YEAR"
Greece's Foreign Minster George Papandreou and his Turkish
counterpart Ismael Cem are to be declared "Personalities of the
Year" by the East-West Institute, during their visit to New York
on May 2.
Moreover, Greece's and Turkey's Emergency Task Forces, EMAK
and AKUT respectively, are to be jointly awarded with the
"Humanitarian Prize" in acknowledgment of their massive rescue
efforts during the successive earthquakes that struck both
countries last August and September.
Earlier the same day, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Richard
Holbrooke - the next Secretary of State if Al Gore is elected
president - will hold a reception in honor of the two ministers,
with whom he has often worked in the past in his capacity as
presidential envoy on the Cyprus issue and in the Balkans.
On May 3, Messrs. Papandreou and Cem will travel to
Washington, where they will meet with Secretary of State Madeleine
Albright at the State Department.
She is expected to congratulate Mr. Papandreou on his
victory, but to encourage both to make the most of the "historic
opportunity" and to take "courageous steps."
Mme. Albright is also expected to remind Mr. Cem of the
usefulness of a positive gesture towards Greece in return for
Greece's approval of Turkey's candidacy for EU membership in
Helsinki.
[23] BTK SALE TO OTE-KPN INCHING AHEAD
In less than two months, Bulgaria's parliament is expected to
ratify the amendments pertaining to telecommunications,
privatizations and social orders laws as required for the sale of
the country's telecommunications organization (BTK) to the Greek-
Dutch consortium OTE-KPN, according to the Sofia daily "24
Hours".
Meanwhile, Bulgarian Prime Minister Ivan Kostov, the
country's Competition Bureau is an independent authority which,
through the positions it has adopted, can create significant
obstacles for BTK"s sale to OTE-KPN.
Premier Kostov was alluding to a recent Bulgarian press
report that refers to a veiled decision drawn by the Bureau four
months ago, calling the prospective buyer's terms as
"unacceptable".
According to Bureau officials, the consortium's terms are
contrary to Bulgaria's commitments to the European Union.
OTE-KPN last month raised its offer for the 51-percent stake
in the Bulgarian Telecommunications Company to $600 million from
$510 million, saying it was its final offer, demanding in return
guarantees and legal changes.
Under the latest version of the deal, Bulgaria will get $460
million as an up-front payment, with a further $20 million set
aside to cover a possible account deficit in BTC for 1999.
The consortium will pay another $120 million if Parliament
amends the privatization and telecommunications laws to enable the
government by July 1 to license OTE-KPN to run BTC and a second
cell phone operator.
[24] GERMANY FEARS MORE DEMANDS FOR WAR REPARATIONS
The German government fears that there will be new demands
for compensation by victims of the Nazi atrocities on the occasion
of the recent Greek Supreme Court decision that ratified an
earlier decision reached by a lower Greek court for the immediate
payment of DM 55 million as reparation to the relatives of the 218
people, who were massacred in 1944 by the Nazis at the village of
Distomo in central Greece.
Mr. Lambsdorff, envoy of the German government in the
negotiations for the compensation that will be given to the
victims of forced labor during WWII, is afraid that this decision
will bring again to light the events of that period, something
Germany does not want. The German-speaking issue of the "Financial
Times" newspaper wrote that Mr. Lambsdorff stated that the
decision of the Greek Supreme Court plenary session is negative
for the German government.
In the newspaper report it is mentioned that according to the
German view, the massacre in Distomo does not constitute a war
crime because it was not racially motivated.
[25] THE EUROPEAN SOCIALISTS' CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD IN TIRANA IN
JUNE
The conference of the European Social-democrats organized by
the European Socialist Party will be held in Tirana in June,
according to Albanian Socialist Party public relations secretary
Luan Rama.
The issues that will be discussed in the conference concern
the modernization steps made by the socialist parties in the
Balkans.
[26] GREEK ARMY GENERAL CHIEF OF STAFF PANAGIOTAKIS IS VISITING
ROMANIA
Greek army general chief of staff lieutenant-general
Konstantinos Panagiotakis is on a visit to Romania at the
invitation of his Romanian counterpart lieutenant-general Michail
Popescu.
The two military delegations will discuss issues of common
interest on the materialization of the procedure for the reform
and modernization of land forces, the Romanian-Greek cooperation
within the framework of international military exercises and
Romania's NATO accession process.
During their three-day visit to Romania, the members of the
Greek delegation will visit military units in Bucharest and Brasov
as well as, sites of historical and tourist interest.
[27] THOUSANDS OF ROMANIANS ATTEMPT TO CROSS THE GREEK BORDERS
Romanians occupy the first place among the foreigners, who
attempt to illegally cross the Greek borders via Bulgaria.
According to Romanian press publications citing statistical
data, the Bulgarian authorities have arrested 33.000 Romanians,
who intended to enter Greece illegally.
Based on newspaper reports, the Bulgarian authorities also
arrested 100 Romanians in the past few days, who attempted to
enter Greece illegally.
[28] DESTABILIZATION RISK AT THE BORDERS OF KOSOVO WITH SOUTHERN
SERBIA
The outgoing KFOR commander German general Claus Reinhart
stated during his last press conference, 48 hours before his
replacement by Spanish general Juan Ortuno, that the situation at
the administrative borders of Kosovo with southern Serbia is tense
bearing a destabilization risk for the whole region.
The German general maintained that the situation remains
volatile in spite of the efforts made for the de-escalation of the
tension at the Serb valley of Presevo and the recent "assurances"
given by the groups of the new UCK. The so-called "UCPMB" is based
near the city of Dobrosin and fights for the liberation of the
Serb valley of Presevo.
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