Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2000-04-21
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, April 21, 2000
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] PANATHINAIKOS BEATS MACCABI IN EUROLEAGUE FINAL
[02] PRESIDENT OF CHINA ARRIVES IN GREECE TODAY
[03] BALKAN PROFESSORS MEET IN THESSALONIKI TODAY
[04] STATE MARKS TODAY'S 33RD ANNIVERSARY OF '67 COUP
[05] CULTURE MINISTRY RESPONDS TO IOC PRESIDENT
[06] PRESIDENT RECEIVES TURKISH BUSINESS DELEGATION
[07] PARLIAMENT PRESIDENT TO BE ELECTED TODAY
[08] THESSALONIKI PREFECT RECEIVES SAE PRESIDENT
[09] GREEKS HOLD LION'S SHARE IN MANY FYROM FIRMS
[10] PARLIAMENT PRESIDENT TO BE ELECTED TODAY
[11] KAKLAMANIS RE-ELECTED PRESIDENT OF PARLIAMENT
[12] FIRST GREEKS AND THEN EUROPEANS
[13] THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE HAD GAINS OF 1.88%
[14] ISMIR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE DELEGATION IN THESSALONIKI
[15] REPRESENTATIVES OF THE SERB OPPOSITION MEET IN ATHENS
[16] REPPAS COMMENTED ON THE 2004 OLYMPIC GAMES
[17] GREECE IS ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS COUNTRIES FOR CAR DRIVERS
[18] ONE THOUSAND BABIES DIE EACH YEAR IN GREECE
[19] THE GOVERNMENT CONDEMNS THE DEMONSTRATIONS DURING A GREEK-
TURKISH EVENT
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[20] ROMANIA TO HOST FORTH BSEC MEETING NEXT WEEK
[21] CONCERT BY GREEK SINGER VASILIS KARRAS IN GIROKASTRA
[22] THE US WAS PLANNING TO HACK INTO THE BANKING SYSTEMS OF
GREECE, RUSSIA AND CYPRUS DURING THE WAR IN KOSOVO
[23] THE AGREEMENT ON THE GOTSE DELTSEV-DRAMAS BORDER CROSSING WAS
SIGNED IN SOFIA
[24] RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE ORTHODOX AND THE CATHOLIC
CHURCH
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] PANATHINAIKOS BEATS MACCABI IN EUROLEAGUE FINAL
Panathinaikos Athens night won the Euroleague basketball
trophy for the second time in its history last night by beating
Maccabi Tel Aviv 73-67.
Earlier, Turkey's Efes Pilsen prevailed over Spain's
Barcelona in the final four's third place playoff with 75-69.
[02] PRESIDENT OF CHINA ARRIVES IN GREECE TODAY
The President of the People's Republic of China Jiang Zemin
is arriving in Greece today for a four-day visit at the invitation
of the President of the Hellenic Republic Costis Stephanopoulos.
Following his arrival and reception by President
Stephanopoulos, Mr. Zemin is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister
Costas Simitis, who will also hold a dinner in honor of the
Chinese leader tomorrow evening.
The Chinese President will also meet with the leader of the
main opposition party New Democracy's Costas Karamanlis ad will
visit the Hellenic Parliament, the Acropolis and the Panathinaiko
Stadium.
On Sunday Mr. Zemin will travel to Heraklion, Crete, where he
will visit the city's archaeological museum and Knossos. He will
depart for South Africa on Monday morning.
[03] BALKAN PROFESSORS MEET IN THESSALONIKI TODAY
University professors from Greece and other Balkan countries
are to meet in Thessaloniki today, within the framework of the
first regular General Assembly of the Balkan Association of
Pedagogics and Education (VEPE).
Presiding over VEPE is the Aristotle University of
Thessaloniki's literature professor Nikos Terzis, while the Board
of Directors comprises professors from Albania, Bulgaria, Cyprus,
FYROM, Romania, Serbia and Turkey.
The General Assembly will elect its new Board of Directors,
while the Greek-Turkish committee will review matters pertaining
to the pedagogical conference to be held at Istanbul in September.
[04] STATE MARKS TODAY'S 33RD ANNIVERSARY OF '67 COUP
Greece today memorializes the 33rd anniversary of a military
coup d' etat in which a group of colonels seized power and imposed
a seven-year dictatorship on the country.
The ruling PASOK party marked with messages linking the past
with the present.
"Today, democratic institutions operate and individual rights
and freedoms are respected and there is no turning back, " Prime
Minister Costas Simitis stated.
The PASOK leader also added that he finds it "especially
hopeful" that the people have once again entrusted the country's
course with PASOK, "the great progressive party" which has the
will "to strengthen social cohesion by embarking on social and
political dialogue with all of society's forces."
The main opposition New Democracy party's spokesperson Aris
Spiliotopoulos hailed Greece's progress in overcoming the legacy
of the dictatorship and stressed that ND works for "the abolition
of dividing lines, the establishment of a quality democracy and
the safeguarding of the democratic institution."
The conspiring colonels moved in the early hours of Friday,
April 21, 1967, meeting with virtually no resistance and catching
then-reigning King Constantine, politicians throughout the
ideological spectrum, and the highest ranks of the armed forces
off guard.
The coup was based on a NATO contingency plan which was
intended to be implemented in the event of a domestic Communist
uprising.
[05] CULTURE MINISTRY RESPONDS TO IOC PRESIDENT
Responding to stinging criticism from the President of the
International Olympic Committee Juan Antonio Samaranch, who stated
yesterday that the Athens 2004 summer games would be in "danger"
unless the Greek organizers made "drastic" changes by the end of
the year, the country's Culture Ministry released a press
statement stressing that it has taken Mr. Samaranch's observations
under consideration.
Moreover, the Culture Ministry stated that in order to enter
the "final race" for the successful organization of the Games, it
will require the input of all the national forces.
The IOC president qualified his statement later by stating
that "I cannot imagine the games will not be held in Athens."
[06] PRESIDENT RECEIVES TURKISH BUSINESS DELEGATION
The President of the Hellenic Republic Costis
Stephanopopoulos received a Turkish delegation comprising
businessmen and mayors who are attending the Greek-Turkish trade
fair and business forum held in Athens.
President Stephanopoulos characterized their presence in
Greece as an indication of the good ties enjoyed by the two
neighbors and underlined that the Greek people are interested in
the Turkish economy's development.
More than 80 Turkish exhibitors are taking part in a four-
day, trade exhibition of Turkish products in Athens, while a forum
for Greek-Turkish business cooperation is running concurrently.
Among those taking part in the exhibition are the Ankara
Chamber of Commerce (ATO) and the Turkish Contractors Union. In
addition, members of a 210-strong business delegation will hold
talks with Greek representatives on cooperation in tourism.
The trade fair included a joint fashion show by designers
Mihalis Aslanis from Greece and Turkey's Cemil Ipekci.
A similar trade fair of Greek products is scheduled to take place
in Istanbul in April 2001.
[07] PARLIAMENT PRESIDENT TO BE ELECTED TODAY
Greece's 300-member parliament, which was sworn-in yesterday,
is to elect its president and five deputies today, with incumbent
Speaker Apostolos Kaklamanis expected to be re-elected for a third
consecutive term as the ruling PASOK party has proposed him for
the post.
In addition to the speaker of the House, PASOK will also
elect three of his five deputies, while the main opposition party
of New Democracy will elect the fourth deputy and the Communist
Party (KKE) the fifth.
Tomorrow, Premier and PASOK leader Costas Simitis will
outline his government's program before the parliament, kicking
off a three-day debate which will culminate at midnight on Monday
in a vote of confidence.
The parliament will adjourn after Mr. Simitis' speech and
reconvene on Sunday afternoon and Monday to debate the
government's program.
The prime minister will then make his closing remarks late on
Monday night, before a roll call of the 300 deputies where they
will vote on their confidence in the new government.
[08] THESSALONIKI PREFECT RECEIVES SAE PRESIDENT
The Prefect of Thessaloniki Costas Papadopoulos received the
President of the Council of Greeks Abroad (SAE) Andrew Athens
yesterday, with whom he discussed SAE's activities for Greek-
descent persons who lived in the former Soviet Union.
Mr. Papadopoulos informed Mr. Athens that he will head the
Joint Committee of the Center for the Study and Development of
Greek Culture in the Black Sea, thereby expressing the Center's
will for continued cooperation with SAE.
"The Prefectural Local Administration of Thessaloniki will
continue to support and cooperate with SAE, so that Thessaloniki
will be established as the capital of expatriate Greeks."
[09] GREEKS HOLD LION'S SHARE IN MANY FYROM FIRMS
Greek firms are acquiring large share "packages" in FYROM,
through the Skopje Stock Exchange, thereby ranking Greece among
the leading foreign investors in the neighboring country's capital
market, with a participation rate of approximately 56.6 percent.
While the majority of Greek investments in the Skopje bourse
concern buy-outs of FYROM firms, such as Titan's USJE purchase,
thousands of KREDITNA BANKA shares have been purchased by Greece's
Alpha Credit Bank, while 65% of STOPANSKA BANKA has been bought
by Greece's National Bank.
The trade and economic affairs attache of the Greece-FYROM
liaison bureau Constantinos Makriyannis told the Macedonian Press
Agency that Greek investments in FYROM's bourse are not aimed at
the creation of short- or long-term portfolios, but, rather, buy-
outs.
Moreover, Mr. Makriyannis stated that the Skopje Stock
Exchange continues to have its shortcomings, such as limited
operation hours (it's open only two days a week), and is affected
by the country's low development rate and weak banking system.
[10] PARLIAMENT PRESIDENT TO BE ELECTED TODAY
Greece's 300-member parliament, which was sworn-in yesterday,
is to elect its president and five deputies today, with incumbent
Speaker Apostolos Kaklamanis expected to be re-elected for a third
consecutive term as the ruling PASOK party has proposed him for
the post.
In addition to the speaker of the House, PASOK will also
elect three of his five deputies, while the main opposition party
of New Democracy will elect the fourth deputy and the Communist
Party (KKE) the fifth.
Tomorrow, Premier and PASOK leader Costas Simitis will
outline his government's program before the parliament, kicking
off a three-day debate which will culminate at midnight on Monday
in a vote of confidence.
The parliament will adjourn after Mr. Simitis' speech and
reconvene on Sunday afternoon and Monday to debate the
government's program.
The prime minister will then make his closing remarks late on
Monday night, before a roll call of the 300 deputies where they
will vote on their confidence in the new government.
[11] KAKLAMANIS RE-ELECTED PRESIDENT OF PARLIAMENT
With 156 votes in favor, President of the Hellenic Republic
Apostolos Kaklamanis has been re-elected to the post for a third
consecutive term.
Two deputies from the ruling PASOK party, which had proposed
Mr. Kaklamanis for the post, cast blank votes and five other
ballot were void.
Deputies from the main opposition party New Democracy also
vast blank votes, as did the parliamentarians of the Communist
Party of Greece and the Coalition of the Left and Progress.
[12] FIRST GREEKS AND THEN EUROPEANS
The majority of the Greeks regard themselves mostly Greeks
than Europeans, according to an opinion poll conducted on a sample
of 1.335 students and professors.
Based on the opinion poll, the Greeks regard themselves as
brave, enthusiastic, sexy, religious, patriots, impulsive, fan-
loving, artful, while they admit that they love to gossip, whine
and lie low.
Of those asked, 70% feel more Greeks than Europeans, 17%
regard themselves as being only Greeks and just 1% feel first
Europeans and then Greeks.
The students and professors responding to a question
concerning the Greek education system, stated that it is superior
compared to others in terms of human values, the cultivation of
religious feeling, the love for the country, the dissemination of
cultural values, the familiarity with technology, the specialized
knowledge, effectiveness and the development of the students'
creative thinking.
[13] THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE HAD GAINS OF 1.88%
The Athens Stock Exchange had gains of 1.88% today creating
positive expectations for Monday's session.
The general index closed at 4.395,16 points, while the volume
of transactions was 127.5 billion drachmas.
It should be noted that the announcements by the Athens Stock
Exchange board of directors and the Capital Market Committee on
the institutional and operational measures for the shielding of
the stock market are expected soon.
[14] ISMIR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE DELEGATION IN THESSALONIKI
A large Ismir Chamber of Commerce delegation headed by
chamber president Ekrem Demirtas will be in Thessaloniki tomorrow
coming form Athens.
The Turkish delegation will arrive in Thessaloniki tomorrow
morning and will visit the house of Kemal Ataturk at the Turkish
consulate grounds, while later at noon they will visit
Thessaloniki's Commerce and Industry Chamber. They are also
scheduled to meet with prefect Kostas Papadopoulos and mayor
Vasilis Papageorgopoulos.
On Sunday, the Turkish delegation will tour Thessaloniki and
later in the afternoon they will depart for Ismir.
[15] REPRESENTATIVES OF THE SERB OPPOSITION MEET IN ATHENS
A leading role to the coordination of the activities of the
Yugoslav opposition is played by Alexander Karajorjevic, heir to
the throne of Serbia, who organized the meeting of the Serb
opposition representatives taking place in Athens.
The Greek foreign ministry stated that it has nothing to do
with the organizing of the event.
In the two-day meeting that is being held at a hotel in
Kavouri, during which the Serb opposition will discuss the change
of the Serb government, participate representatives of non
governmental organizations, Serbs living abroad, the Serb Orthodox
Church and independent mass media.
In his opening speech Karayoryevic called on all the Serb
forces to unite in order to promote the radical changes in Serbia
and protect the country from a greater catastrophy. He added that
Milosevic must be removed from power, while a strong leadership
must take over, to satisfy the demand of the people for changes
and bring peace and stability in the Balkans.
[16] REPPAS COMMENTED ON THE 2004 OLYMPIC GAMES
Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas stated on the
occasion of the statements made by International Olympic
Committee, IOC, president Juan Antonio Samaranch that Greece will
meet the obligations it has undertaken and the projects necessary
for the organizing of a perfect Olympiad will be completed within
the framework of the timetable set.
Mr. Reppas stated that the government is not considering
changes in terms of individuals and functions.
The Greek government spokesman pointed out that the
government is not interested only in the perfect organization of
the Olympic Games but it wants to observe with great respect all
the procedures in order to hold the Olympic Games in Athens in a
way that will guarantee legality and clarity. Mr. Reppas concluded
by expressing the belief that the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens
will be totally successful.
[17] GREECE IS ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS COUNTRIES FOR CAR DRIVERS
Greece together with South Korea, Poland and Portugal are
among the most dangerous countries for car drivers, according to a
report on road safety concerning 29 countries members of the OECD.
In the report it is mentioned, that among the developed
countries Greece has the most negative course as the ratio is 20.3
traffic accident deaths in every 100.000 people.
The situation in Greece as well as in South Korea, Poland and
Portugal has deteriorated since 1990 but in Greece there was a
relative improvement. Specifically, the 2.131 deaths from traffic
accidents in 1999 were 4.3% less compared to 1998.
[18] ONE THOUSAND BABIES DIE EACH YEAR IN GREECE
Greece presents the worst picture in the European Union
regarding the deaths of children just before or after their births
as over 1.000 babies die each year.
According to a recent research, that was conducted by the
Research Committee of the Academy of Athens, only 1 in 20 Greek
women gives birth without medicine and medical interventions, 1 in
10 births is premature, 1 in 5 pregnant women smokes, while 1 in 3
are Caesarean births.
According to the research, 15% of the women giving birth in
Greece are foreigners and half of them are from Albania, while
since the ‘70s the percentage of Caesarean births has doubled as 1
in every 3 Greek women prefers that method.
A worrying fact is that women in Greece are rather
indifferent toward the child they are bearing as while they make
many unnecessary visits to their doctor at the same time, 1 in 5
continues to smoke during pregnancy delaying the normal
development of the embryo.
[19] THE GOVERNMENT CONDEMNS THE DEMONSTRATIONS DURING A GREEK-
TURKISH EVENT
Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas stated that the
government condemns the incidents that occurred yesterday outside
a central Athens hotel in which a Greek-Turkish fashion show was
taking place. Mr. Reppas stated that such behaviors do not promote
the Greek national interests and hurt the picture of the country
abroad.
Mr. Reppas clarified that such behaviors have no relation
with the feelings of the Greek people and concluded by saying that
the national symbols of all countries must be respected.
Yesterday, about 40 people, members of the far-right
organization "Chrisi Avgi" (Golden Dawn), gathered outside the
Intercontinental Hotel, where the event was taking place, chanting
slogans against Turkey, while they also set a Turkish flag on
fire. The intervention by the police put an end to the incidents
and the demonstration was broken up.
In the event, Turkish fashion designer Cemil Ipekci presented
his collection "Harem 2000" in a joint show with his Greek
colleague Michalis Aslanis within the framework of the exhibition
on the Greek-Turkish Friendship and Cooperation in Athens.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[20] ROMANIA TO HOST FORTH BSEC MEETING NEXT WEEK
The fourth meeting among the member-states of the
Organization of Economic Cooperation in the Black Sea (BSEC) is to
be in Romania on April 27-28, according to the host country's
ministry of the interior.
The meeting will feature the participation of Interior
Ministers from Greece, Bulgaria, Georgia, Turkey, Russia, Albania,
Armenia, Azerbaijan and Romania, which is undertaking the
organization's six-month rotating presidency as of today.
Romania's Minister of the Interior Constantin Dudu Ionescu
stated that the participants will review the results of the
terrorism-combat agreement signed during the BSEC's previous
meeting.
[21] CONCERT BY GREEK SINGER VASILIS KARRAS IN GIROKASTRA
Greek popular music singer Vasilis Karras will give a concert
in the Albanian city of Girokastra after accepting a request by
the Greek consulate, according to the Albanian newspaper "Gazeta
Skiptare".
The date for the concert has not been set yet but according
to the newspaper, it will be held most likely in May.
[22] THE US WAS PLANNING TO HACK INTO THE BANKING SYSTEMS OF
GREECE, RUSSIA AND CYPRUS DURING THE WAR IN KOSOVO
The White House was discussing the likelihood to enter
illegally into the electronic systems of the banks in Greece,
Russia and Cyprus during the military operations in Kosovo,
according to a report by author and company adviser, Bruce
Berkowitz, published on the May-June issue of the Foreign Affairs
journal.
Mr. Berkowitz maintains that the assessment of the electronic
war operations in Kosovo showed confusion and poor planning. For
example, he stresses that the US military commanders were studying
the likelihood to attack the electronic control systems of the
social services agencies in Serbia but they did not make that move
fearing that it will be illegal, immoral and harmful to the
people.
According to Mr. Berkowitz, Clinton administration officials
had suggested hacking into the electronic systems of the banks in
Russia, Greece and Cyprus where the Serb elite had allegedly
hidden its money. The US officials had suggested to electronically
steal the money and this way exert pressure on the Serb leaders.
However, the operation was canceled when other US officials
characterized the plan as incomplete. Specifically, it was
stressed that the banks keep records and therefore, the scheme was
guaranteed to fail leaving the US exposed to the international
public opinion.
[23] THE AGREEMENT ON THE GOTSE DELTSEV-DRAMAS BORDER CROSSING WAS
SIGNED IN SOFIA
The agreement for the construction of the Gotse Deltsev-
Dramas border crossing was signed in Sofia, Bulgaria by Greek and
Bulgarian representatives. The project concerning the construction
of a 13-kilometers long road section is estimated to cost 9
million Euro that will come from European Union resources.
The construction work will be undertaken by the Greek company
"Proodeftiki" and it will be completed in 18 months.
A second agreement was also signed concerning the
construction of a customs station in Bulgaria that will be
undertaken by the Bulgarian company "SIKONKOBUILDING". The project
will cost 4.6 million Euro and it will be completed in 18 months.
Also, Greece and Bulgaria agreed to construct a 450-meters
long tunnel which was regarded as necessary after the
interventions made by ecological organizations for the protection
of the brown bear which is threatened with extinction.
[24] RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE BETWEEN THE ORTHODOX AND THE CATHOLIC
CHURCH
The opening of a religious dialogue between the Orthodox and
the Catholic Church that will take place in Maryland, USA in June,
was announced by US state Senator Paul Sarbanis in the formal
dinner given in Baltimore in honor of Archbishop Dimitrios of
America.
Mr. Sarbanis referred to the contribution of Cardinal Kealer
to the opening of this important dialogue that was scheduled to be
held earlier but it was canceled because of the situation in
Kosovo.
Cardinal Kealer spoke about Pope John-Paul's visit to the
Holy Land and referred to the effort made by the head of the
Catholic Church to encourage the appreciation and understanding of
the Catholics toward the Orthodox Christians.
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