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Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2000-05-15
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, May 15, 2000
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] OLYMPIC TORCH PASSES THROUGH THESSALONIKI
[02] UNIONS THREATEN WITH STRIKE OVER WAGES
[03] GREEK HOMEOPATH TO RECEIVE GOLD MEDAL IN HUNGARY
[04] NEW RULES FOR STOCK CLOSING PRICES AS OF TODAY
[05] PRESIDENT OF GREECE VISITS ISRAEL, PALESTINE
[06] ARCHBISHOP PROPOSES REFERENDUM ON ID CARDS ISSUE
[07] WORLD COUNCIL OF PEACE MOVEMENTS ENDS IN ATHENS
[08] MAIN OPPOSITION PARTY MEETS IN THESSALONIKI
[09] INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC CONFERENCE IN THESSALONIKI
[10] CANADIAN BUSINESS MISSION IN THESSALONIKI
[11] GAINS OF 2.29% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
[12] THE AUTHORITY FOR THE PROTECTION OF PERSONAL DATA IS AGAINST
THE REGISTERING OF RELIGION ON IDENTITY CARDS
[13] REPPAS ON THE IDENTITY CARDS ISSUE
[14] TOURIST COOPERATION BETWEEN CORFU AND SARANTE
[15] THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH WILL INAUGURATE THE ECCLESIASTICAL
MUSEUM IN ALEXANDROUPOLIS
[16] REPPAS ON THE VISIT OF THE GREEK PRESIDENT TO ISRAEL
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[17] GREEK PRESIDENT SPEAKS TO "JERUSALEM POST"
[18] DEFENSE MINISTER IN PORTUGAL FOR WEU CONFERENCE
[19] HOBACH: YUGOSLAVIA IS OF VITAL IMPORTANCE FOR THE BALKANS
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] OLYMPIC TORCH PASSES THROUGH THESSALONIKI
Continuing its voyage through Greece, the Olympic Flame
passed through Thessaloniki last night, where an official ceremony
was held before the city's landmark White Tower.
Officials from Greece's and Australia's Olympic Committees
and a large crowd of locals greeted Olympic champion Ioannis
Melissanides who received the torch from Voula Patoulidou.
A total of 550 runners are to bear the torch over a distance
of 1,695 kilometers. The torch has already traveled to Pyrgos,
Tripoli Patras, Mesolongi, Arta, Ioannina, Kastoria and
Thessaloniki. It will now move forward to Kavala, Xanthi, Komotini
and Alexandroupolis in mainland Greece, and to the islands of
Samothrace, Limnos, Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Syros, Tinos and Andros.
World long jump champion Voula Tsiamita will bring the torch
in Athens on May 20, handing over the Olympic flame to the
representatives of the Sydney Organizing Committee for the ××VII
Olympic Games.
[02] UNIONS THREATEN WITH STRIKE OVER WAGES
Labor Ministry officials are to meet with the president of
the General Confederation of Greek Workers' (GSEE) Christos
Polyzogopoulos today in order to discuss the signing of the new
collective labor contract.
The GSEE president has recommended that pay rises both this
year and in 2001 be 3.5 percent, almost one percentage point
higher than the inflation rate. While his proposal has been
approved by representatives of GSEE's unionists affiliated with
the two major political parties, PASOK and New Democracy,
employers' organizations insist that salary increases be limited
to 2.5 percent this year and 3 percent next year, with a further
corrective rise of 0.5 percent should inflation exceed two percent
this year and 2.5 percent in 2001.
Meanwhile, the Labor Minister is to unveil today an action
plan concerning employment, while a study for the viability of the
insurance system will be assigned to a foreign organization by the
end of the week.
[03] GREEK HOMEOPATH TO RECEIVE GOLD MEDAL IN HUNGARY
The head of the International Academy of Homeopathic Medicine
on the island of Alonissos, George Vithoulkas, is to receive the
Gold Medal of the Hungarian Republic from the country's president
tomorrow, May 16, in recognition of his work.
The ceremony is to take place in the Hungarian Parliament and
is timed to coincide with the annual International Homeopathy
Congress which takes place in Budapest this year. It is the latest
in a number of international honors bestowed on Mr. Vithoulkas. In
January he was awarded the Gold medal of the Indian Health
Ministry, the first ever given to a homeopath.
[04] NEW RULES FOR STOCK CLOSING PRICES AS OF TODAY
The new rules for the calculation of closing stock prices at
the Athens Stock Exchange will go into effect today, May 15.
For shares listed on its main market, closing prices will be
the weighted average price realized in the last 10 minutes of
trade.
According to press reports, the exchange has said that "if
there are no transactions during the last 10 minutes, the
calculation time of the closing price is doubled to 20 minutes."
Under present rules, closing stock prices were calculated
based on trades during the last 30 minutes.
[05] PRESIDENT OF GREECE VISITS ISRAEL, PALESTINE
The President of the Hellenic Republic Costis Stephanopoulos
is presently on an official, four-day visit to Israel and
Palestine, the first visit abroad since he was re-elected to the
post.
The President, heading a business delegation, will meet with
Israel's political and state leadership, while he will also hold
talks with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. Among the matters to
be discussed are the Middle East situation, bilateral military and
economic cooperation, as well as issues pertaining to technology
and education.
[06] ARCHBISHOP PROPOSES REFERENDUM ON ID CARDS ISSUE
Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All of Greece has
proposed that a referendum be held on the inscription of religion
on one's identification card.
The president of the authority responsible for the protection
of personal data Konstantinos Dafermos stated that the inscription
of the religion on the identity cards is illegal and anti-
constitutional.
[07] WORLD COUNCIL OF PEACE MOVEMENTS ENDS IN ATHENS
The World Council of Peace Movements closed in Athens
yesterday, when 200 representatives from 44 countries ratified a
resolution and elected an Executive Committee.
By decision of the Executive Committee, the headquarters of
the World Peace Council will be transferred to Athens from Paris.
A proclamation ratified under the title "Global action
against the new world order for a 21st century of peace, security
and growth" lists the conference's views on the eradication of
nuclear weapons and substantive disarmament, the struggle to
overturn the new world order, the struggle against NATO and
military blocs and foreign bases all over the world.
[08] MAIN OPPOSITION PARTY MEETS IN THESSALONIKI
Addressing his party's political and social council meeting
in Thessaloniki yesterday, New Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis
stressed the need for a new form, which would be in tune with the
modern requirements of political consensus.
Referring to the recent dissension felt within the party's
ranks, Mr. Karamanlis warned that those seeking to weaken the
party's activity would not succeed.
[09] INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC CONFERENCE IN THESSALONIKI
The most recent developments and the problems faced by the
economies which are in a transitional state will be examined in
the 1st International Economic Conference organized in
Thessaloniki by the Association of Economic Universities in south-
eastern Europe (ASECU) in cooperation with the University of
Macedonia.
The Conference will be held on May 24-27, 2000 and it will be
under the auspices of Greek president Kostis Stephanopoulos. It
will be attended by distinguished personalities and scientists
from the sectors of education, economics and finance.
The association of Economic Universities in south-eastern
Europe was founded in Thessaloniki in November 1996 at the
initiative of the University of Macedonia and it is made up of
thirty universities from Greece, Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia,
Yugoslavia, FYROM, Cyprus, Romania and Turkey. An additional 18
universities have expressed interest to become members of the
association and already the necessary procedure is underway.
The basic goals of the association are, the promotion of
cooperation among the Economic Universities of south-eastern
Europe, the study of the socio-economic development in those
countries, the organizing of scientific conferences and the
publication of scientific magazines.
[10] CANADIAN BUSINESS MISSION IN THESSALONIKI
A business delegation from Canada headed by parliament
representative and parliamentary secretary of the country's
industry ministry John Kannis, who is of Greek origin, is on a
visit to Thessaloniki.
The delegation visited this morning minister of Macedonia-
Thrace Giorgos Paschalidis and later in the afternoon met with
businessmen from northern Greece at Thessaloniki's Commerce and
Industry Chamber.
The goal of the meetings which were held in the presence of
the Canadian ambassador to Greece is to examine the potential for
the further economic and trade cooperation between Greece and
Canada.
[11] GAINS OF 2.29% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
The Athens Stock Exchange closed with gains of 2.29% today at
4.686,75 points, while the volume of transactions was at
satisfactory levels at 236.47 billion drachmas.
The increased volume of transactions was received with
satisfaction by those who maintain that the increased turnover is
a guarantee for the positive course of the stock market.
[12] THE AUTHORITY FOR THE PROTECTION OF PERSONAL DATA IS AGAINST
THE REGISTERING OF RELIGION ON IDENTITY CARDS
The authority for the protection of personal data that met
today decided against the registering of religion on the identity
cards. It also decided that the occupation of the ID bearer, and
the name of the spouse should not be written on the identity
cards, while the citizens' fingerprints should not be depicted on
them.
Authority for the protection of personal data president
Konstantinos Dafermos stated that religion must not be registered
on the identity cards to avoid any phenomena of unfair treatment.
He also said that the fingerprints express criminal activity and
they should not be on the identity cards, while the fingerprint
records kept by the police must be destroyed. Regarding the
occupation of the ID bearer, he said that it is a personal
information that can change at any time.
It should be noted that based on a law passed in 1997 this
decision is binding for the state and it should be implemented in
a period of 2 to3 months.
[13] REPPAS ON THE IDENTITY CARDS ISSUE
The proposal of Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens to hold a
referendum on the issue of the registering of religion on identity
cards was rejected today by the Greek government through its
spokesman Dimitris Reppas.
The minister of press said that the state does not face such
an issue and underlined that it does not move toward this
direction. Commenting on the statements made by Archbishop
Christodoulos, Mr. Reppas stated that everyone is free to express
their opinion. He also added that the Greek people gives the
mandate to the government it elects to handle the issues whether
they are political or other.
[14] TOURIST COOPERATION BETWEEN CORFU AND SARANTE
Tourists from the Ionian island of Corfu will have the
opportunity to visit Sarante in Albania three times a week for one-
day excursions during the tourist season, according to Albanian
tourist agency "Shkendija Travel" president Spiro Antzeli.
According to Mr. Antzeli, a total of 150 tourists have
already visited Sarante from Corfu in the past two weeks using
ferry-boats, while in the following weeks similar trips will be
made every Monday, Thursday and Saturday.
Based on the agreement signed between tourist agencies in
Albanian and Corfu, it is estimated that Sarante will be visited
by about 6 thousand western tourists during the current tourist
season.
[15] THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH WILL INAUGURATE THE ECCLESIASTICAL
MUSEUM IN ALEXANDROUPOLIS
The Ecclesiastical Museum in Alexandroupolis will be
inaugurated by Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos on May 21. The
collection of the restored and enriched museum includes today more
than four hundred relics, worship objects and works of high
religious art, icons, holy vessels etc, dated back from the 16th
to the 20th century.
The objects exhibited in the museum come from the region of
Evros in north-eastern Greece and have been gathered in the past
30 years under the care of Metropolite of Alexandroupolis
Anthimos.
[16] REPPAS ON THE VISIT OF THE GREEK PRESIDENT TO ISRAEL
The Greek-Palestinian relations are at a very good level,
they have a history, a heritage of many years, stated Greek
government spokesman Dimitris Reppas, responding to a question on
the decision to cut by one day the visit of Greek president Kostis
Stephanopoulos to Israel.
Mr. Reppas underlined that cutting the duration of the visit
does not affect the level of bilateral relations.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[17] GREEK PRESIDENT SPEAKS TO "JERUSALEM POST"
The President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos,
presently on an official visit to Israel, gave an interview to
the Jerusalem Post, where he stated that a "climate of mutual
confidence" should exist and that relations with Israel constitute
an "essential element of our policy in the region."
Furthermore, the Greek President appealed for "the building
of structures of collective security and development which should
be based on respect for international law, peaceful means of
resolving differences and respect for human rights and the
environment."
The Israeli Foreign Ministry announced that "the visit, which
constitutes the heightening of a process for closer relations
between Greece and Israel, should constitute the cornerstone for
the continuation of the development of a dense network of ties."
The President is accompanied by Alternate Foreign Minister
Elizabeth Papazoi, Deputy National Economy Minister Yiannis
Zapheiropoulos and a group of Greek businessmen.
Today, President Stephanopoulos will meet with Israeli
President Ezer Weizman, visit the Knesset later and afterwards
participate in an economic forum of Greek and Israeli businessmen.
He will also meet with Prime Minister Ehud Barak and the mayor of
Jerusalem.
On Wednesday he will visit Bethlehem, cathedrals and
monasteries and then the Palestinian territory where he will meet
the President of the Palestinian Authority Yasser Arafat.
[18] DEFENSE MINISTER IN PORTUGAL FOR WEU CONFERENCE
Minister of National Defense Akis Tsohatzopoulos is presently
in Portugal where he will attend the two-day conference of the
Foreign and defense ministers of the Western European Union and
the Armament Group of Western Europe which opens in Porto today.
The summit will address Western European Union issues related
to the development of the European Security and Defense Identity
and the Common European Political Security and Defense, as well as
with the conclusions from the joint exercise of the Western
European Union and NATO, code-named Crisex 2000.
[19] HOBACH: YUGOSLAVIA IS OF VITAL IMPORTANCE FOR THE BALKANS
The view that the climate of conflicts in the Balkans will
continue until Yugoslavia decides to participate in the
international efforts for stability in the region, was expressed
by special coordinator of the Stability Pact in the Balkans Bodo
Hobach.
The key-role of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in the
region is recognized both in the economic and political sector,
stressed Mr. Hobach, pointing out at the same time that if
Yugoslavia does not take part in the international efforts a
lasting stability will not be possible in the region.
Mr. Hobach stated in a conference on south-eastern Europe
that is being held in Tokyo that the policy followed by Yugoslav
president Slobodan Milosevic has destroyed the economic and
political culture of Yugoslavia. The aggressive nationalism, the
despotism and the persistence to stay in power at all costs have
covered south-eastern Europe in the past decade with blood, hatred
and disaster, said Mr. Hobach and added that such actions can not
and will not be tolerated.
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