Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2000-06-14
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, June 14, 2000
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] CHURCH RALLY ON IDs IN THESSALONIKI TONIGHT
[02] ATHENS 2004 GAMES TO COST OVER TWO TRILLION GRD
[03] PREMIER CHAIRS CABINET MEETING TODAY
[04] THESSALONIKI INTERBALKAN MEDICAL CENTER OPENS
[05] THESSALONIKI HOSTS INT/L MEDICAL CONGRESS
[06] STATE TO HIRE "SECURITY COUNCIL" FOR OLYMPICS
[07] BRITISH MD ATTEMPTS MARATHON SWIM FOR MARBLES
[08] ALT. FM URGES FOR EU ANTI-TERRORISM COOPERATION
[09] MONDAY TO BE A BENCHMARK IN HISTORY OF GREECE
[10] GREEK MDs INVENT DEVICE FOR SPINAL CONDITIONS
[11] STATE ADAMANT, DECISION ON IDs IS A "DONE DEAL"
[12] INTERBALKAN MEDICAL CENTER IS STATE-OF-THE-ART
[13] INTERBALKAN MEDICAL CENTER, NEW ERA FOR GREECE
[14] INCREASE OF 8.9% IN INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION
[15] SCEPTICISM EXPRESSED BY MR. SEFIHA REGARDING BRUNNER'S
EXTRADITION FROM SYRIA
[16] GAINS OF 1.16% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
[17] THE TOURIST WAVE TO GREECE IS ON THE RISE
[18] ARCHBISHOP CHRISTODOULOS: THE ISSUE IS NOT JUST THE IDENTITY
CARDS
[19] THOUSANDS GATHER FOR CHURCH RALLY IN THESSALONIKI
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[20] JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES ACCEPT BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS
[21] THE JEHOVAH WITNESSES CONSENT TO BLOOD TRANSFUSION
[22] CHRISTIAN ORTHODOX YOUTH CONFERENCE IN ISTANBUL
[23] THE DEPOSED KING OF GREECE APPEALED TO THE HUMAN RIGHTS COURT
[24] ONLY 44.1% OF THE EU CITIZENS SUPPORT TURKEY'S MEMBERSHIP
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] CHURCH RALLY ON IDs IN THESSALONIKI TONIGHT
Preparations are underway at a feverish rate for the Church
rally that will be held in Thessaloniki this evening, with
hundreds of faithful from the entire regions of Thrace and
Macedonia being bussed in.
The Church is organizing tonight's rally, with another to be
held in Athens next week, to show its disagreement with the
government's decision to bar the mention of religious affiliation
from the state-issued identity cards.
Archbishop of Athens and All of Greece Christodoulos, who
will be present at tonight's rally, has appealed to the eager
public not to come bearing crosses and icons, but, instead, march
in a peaceful and orderly manner.
"Those planning to come to the popular assemblies with
crosses and icons should not do so. They should stay home," he
said, underlining that the Church should not appear like
"Khomeinis in Christian garb".
The police are expected to take draconian security measures
at tonight's gathering.
[02] ATHENS 2004 GAMES TO COST OVER TWO TRILLION GRD
The cost of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games is expected to
exceed the two-trillion-drachma mark, according to the Minister
of National Economy and Finance Yiannos Papantoniou.
Presenting the Olympic Games' overall budget during a session
of the responsible ministerial committee yesterday, Mr.
Papantoniou stated that the cost of the necessary sports projects,
security and hospitality would reach 1,150 billion drachmas,
organizational expenses would approach 700 billion, while a
further 300 billion drachmas would be required for peripheral
Olympic projects.
[03] PREMIER CHAIRS CABINET MEETING TODAY
Prime Minister Costas Simitis will depart for Portugal on
Sunday, in order to take part in a European Union summit on June
19-20 that is expected to approve Greece's entry into the euro
zone in January, 2001.
As part of the summit in Feira, the EU's finance ministers
will also meet on June 19, with National Economy and Finance
Minister Yiannos Papantoniou representing Greece.
The Premier will meet with the Cabinet members today in order
to brief them on Greece's prospective entry into the EMU.
He will meet with the leaders of the political parties on
Friday, who he will brief on the same matter. The Premier is
expected to also bring up the issue of security and will undertake
initiatives that will achieve consensus with other political
parties with regard both to security measures themselves and their
means of implementation. Especially in light of the Olympic Games
that will be held in Athens in 2004, the government is expected
to make security the central axis of its policy.
[04] THESSALONIKI INTERBALKAN MEDICAL CENTER OPENS
The Interbalkan Medical Center of Thessaloniki, fated to
become a leader in healthcare services throughout the Balkans, is
to be inaugurated this Saturday by former USSR president, Mikhail
Gorbachev.
The G. Apostolopoulos Group project, budgeted at 30 billion
drachmas, will operate on a 24-hour basis, year-round, and will
offer all medical specialties (general medical, maternity,
pediatric, etc). It has a capacity of 445 beds and it is build on
an area of 52,000 square meters.
The center will open diagnostic centers in other Balkan
countries, such as Bulgaria, FYROM and Montenegro, while, as of
September, it will also offer ten three-month scholarships to
medical students from Balkan countries.
The new medical center's workforce, around 1,800 doctors,
medical and administration staff, will be selected from the wider
Thessaloniki region.
Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Christodoulos will offer
a blessing during the inauguration ceremony, which will be
attended by Albania's vice-president, the Montenegrin prime
minister and more than eight health ministers from the wider
Balkan region.
[05] THESSALONIKI HOSTS INT/L MEDICAL CONGRESS
An international medical congress, titled "Globalization,
Peace and Health"Towards New Medicine" is to be held in
Thessaloniki this Friday, June 16, at the city's Interbalkan
Medical Center.
According to the Athens Medical Center's CEO George
Apostolopoulos, who is also the founder and CEO of Thessaloniki's
new Center, the congress is to inaugurate the Interbalkan Medical
Center's scientific work, one day before its official opening.
The congress will be attended by an array of leading
physicians, both from Greece and abroad, as well as officials from
international organizations.
The chairman of the congress' organizing committee will be
Ohio University cardiology and pharmacology professor Haris
Boudoulas, corresponding member of the Athens Academy.
[06] STATE TO HIRE "SECURITY COUNCIL" FOR OLYMPICS
Determined to take all measures necessary for combating
terrorism, the State is to commission a special "council" that
will overview security measures at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.
Meanwhile, a June 13 Washington Post editorial titled
"Greece's Failure" cited the planned reorganization of Greek anti-
terrorism police and an upcoming anti-terror cooperation agreement
with the US, and warned:
"For now, says Secretary of State Madeleine Albright,
cooperation with Greek authorities will be given another chance;
there will be no sanctions. But if Greece does not swiftly improve
its sorry record, US officials should consider an approach more
along the lines of the (National Commission on Terrorism)
commission's hard-nosed recommendations (i.e. sanctions)."
Another article published in the US-based Time magazine
raised doubts about Greece's ability to provide adequate security
for the 2004 Olympics.
Government spokesperson Dimitris Reppas stated that the
article was a biased attempt to compromise Greek interests.
"The last terrorist strike offered the opportunity to certain
people who are negatively biased against our country to challenge
our ability to carry out the Olympic Games. This linkage is
unjustified. The 2004 Olympics will be conducted under conditions
of absolute security and our country is preparing properly to
accomplish this... I don't know who writes such articles, but I do
know what their intention is," he said.
[07] BRITISH MD ATTEMPTS MARATHON SWIM FOR MARBLES
British pathologist Christopher Stockdale will attempt a long-
distance swim between two Aegean islands, as part of a campaign
for the return of the Parthenon Marbles to Athens.
Dr. Stockdale, who has swum marathon distances for various
causes in the past, will attempt to swim 26 nautical miles between
the islands of Delos and Paros on July 1.
According to the Melina Mercouri Foundation, which is
organizing the swim, one of the event's objectives is to gather
sponsorship funds for the construction of a new Acropolis Museum
in Athens to house the Marbles.
[08] ALT. FM URGES FOR EU ANTI-TERRORISM COOPERATION
Alternate Foreign Minister Elisabeth Papazoi spoke of
November 17's activity at a dinner of EU foreign ministers, where
she called for a broad European approach to counter-terrorism and
underlined Athens' willingness to cooperate with all other member-
states.
Ms. Papazoi stated that Greece is welcoming all forms of
cooperation in this matter, especially focusing on assistance
through the Europol.
Meanwhile, addressing the European Parliament's plenary
session yesterday, Greek eurodeputy G. Katiforis expressed his
conviction that Greece will take all the necessary measures to
combat terrorism.
[09] MONDAY TO BE A BENCHMARK IN HISTORY OF GREECE
Monday, June 19, 2000, will be a benchmark in the history of
Greece, said Prime Minister Costas Simitis during a meeting with
President Costis Stephanopoulos yesterday, referring to an
official EU green-light for Greece's entry into the European
Monetary Union (EMU).
Mr. Simitis said Greece's EMU entry will provide stability
and aid development.
In a meeting with the ruling PASOK party's executive bureau,
Mr. Simitis proposed that teams of officials embark on tours
throughout Greece in order to inform the general public on the
upcoming changes the country's economy will undergo. The Premier
will tour some of these regions himself.
[10] GREEK MDs INVENT DEVICE FOR SPINAL CONDITIONS
A new transplant device used in treating spinal conditions
has been invented by a group of doctors from the neurosurgery
clinic of Thessaloniki's Aristotle University and will be
presented at the "Neurosurgery of 2000" conference in Thessaloniki
on Friday.
The device, called PARM , is placed between two vertebrae -
replacing a disk - and is the result of long years of research on
animals, in cooperation with the hospital's veterinary clinic. Its
advantage is that it remains in place without slipping, unlike its
predecessors.
According to Dr. Philip Tsitsopoulos, associate professor of
neurosurgery at the Aristotle Univeristy of Thessaloniki, PARM is
"the most modern means of access to endocranial injuries."
Other new techniques to be presented at the conference
include "minimal invasive neurosurgery," which has been developed
for endocranial operations that are on the increase due to the
rise in the number of road accidents.
[11] STATE ADAMANT, DECISION ON IDs IS A "DONE DEAL"
The government's decision to bar the mention of religious
affiliation from the state-issued identity cards is final, Prime
Minister Costss Simitis stressed most categorically last night
during the PASOK party's Executive Bureau session.
During the same meeting, former minister Evangelos Venizelos
criticized both Justice Minister Michalis Stathopoulos and the
chairman of the Authority for the Protection of Personal Data
Constantinos Dafermos for their handling of the issue.
When Mr. Venizelos stated that the government conducts talks
with every union or special interest group, but not the Church,
the Premier sharply retorted that the state is not in joint-
governance with the church.
[12] INTERBALKAN MEDICAL CENTER IS STATE-OF-THE-ART
George Apostolopoulos, founder and president of the Athens
Medical Center, who had declared 15 years ago that "no Greek
should seek medical care abroad", is now realizing an ambitious
dream that has culminated into a tremendous project, one with
national, social, cultural, and scientific importance.
Covering an area of 52,000 square meters, the facilities of
the Interbalkan European Medical Center include general and
special surgery departments, intensive care units, recovery areas,
diagnostic laboratories, and emergency care services.
Specifically, it offers a total of 445 nursing beds for
general, obstetrical/gynecological, and pediatric patients; 60
intensive care beds (adult, pediatric, and neonatal), with the
special capability of treating extreme trauma cases, burn
patients, and patients requiring long-term care, as well as,
patients seeking hemodialysis treatment; 27 fully-equipped
surgical suites, eight of which have radioactive shielding; ten
delivery rooms, 12 recovery rooms.
Moreover, it features highly specialized solid organ and bone
marrow transplantation units, molecular biology, prenatal care,
rehabilitation, etc. It also has a special radiotherapy unit,
utilizing open radioactive sources) – the only such unit in
Thessaloniki, as well as two modern digital cardiac catherization
units (biplane), designed specifically for the detection and
diagnosis of congenital heart disease in newborns and children.
The facilities include:
- Magnetic resonance imaging unit (MRI 1,5 Tesla) with highly
specialized applications, including bloodless cardiac
catheterizations for patients at high risk with traditional
invasive cardiological techniques.
- Magnetic resonance imaging unit (open type), the only one
in Thessaloniki, for patients suffering claustrophobia.
- 3 high-resolution CT Scanners.
- Non-invasive lithotripsy unit.
- Nuclear Medicine capability with 2 "Ã" cameras, color
Doppler ultrasound, laser, etc.
- Radiotherapy Center with 2 linear accelerators 20 and 6 MV
of the latest technology, simulators designing radiotherapy
treatment.
The center also has an urgent outpatient care clinic and
routine ambulatory care clinics with all medical specialties,
examination/office areas for cooperating physicians, resuscitation
rooms, and an ambulatory surgery clinic (1-Day Clinic).
The Center, which is equipped with a helipad, also has two
state-of-the-art conference/seminar amphitheaters ("Vergina" with
400 seats and "Pella" with 350 seats), with direct audio-visual
link to the surgical suites.
[13] INTERBALKAN MEDICAL CENTER, NEW ERA FOR GREECE
The Interbalkan European Medical Center, a member of the G.
Apostolopoulos Holding, S.A. group of companies, is the largest
private investment in the area of tertiary level private patient
healthcare to take place in Thessaloniki, and Northern Greece in
general, during the last 20 years.
The investment amounts to 30 billion drachmas (privately
financed) and includes the purchase of 90,000 square meters of
land in eastern Thessaloniki, construction of a building of 52,000
square meters, and the outfitting with modern equipment.
According to company reports, turnover and profits are
projected as follows:
2nd 6-months 2000 Revenues of 7.5 billion with Profits of
800.0 million
2001 Revenues of 26.3 billion with Profits of 4.5 billion
2002 Revenues of 32.0 billion with Profits of 6.2 billion.
The facility is equipped with the necessary infrastructure
allowing for telemedicine communications between the Interbalkan
European Medical Center and the Group's diagnostic centers located
in the Balkans and Eastern Europe.
It also provides direct transportation links between the
Interbalkan European Medical Center and Balkan capitals using the
hospital's transport capability to serve patients.
[14] INCREASE OF 8.9% IN INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION
An increase of 8.9% was recorded in the industrial production
index last March, while in the first trimester of 2000 it was
increased by 4.96% compared to the same period in 1999. The
industrial production explosion recorded last March is due to the
increase recorded in the secondary indexes of food, beverages,
textile materials, timber, publications, oil and coal by-products,
chemical products and equipment.
Based on data provided by the Greek National Statistics
Agency on the month in question, the mine production general index
showed an increase of 14.7% and the electricity, natural gas and
water production sectors increased by 17.6%.
[15] SCEPTICISM EXPRESSED BY MR. SEFIHA REGARDING BRUNNER'S
EXTRADITION FROM SYRIA
Thessaloniki's Jewish Community president Andreas Sefiha
expressed the view that the change in Syria's regime after the
death of president Hafez al Assad will not contribute to the
arrest of the "Butcher of Thessaloniki" Alois Brunner, who is
wanted for Nazi war crimes and according to evidence, lives in
Syria.
Mr. Sefiha speaking to MPA expressed the belief that in case
Syria is committed to protect Brunner it will continue to respect
Hafez al Assad's pledge and will not surrender him. Mr. Sefiha
also expressed the wish for a change in the Syrian policy that
will lead to the extradition of Alois Brunner, who has to be taken
to courts even though he is 85 years old because his crimes are so
many that his old age can not be used as an excuse to avoid
prosecution. Mr. Sefiha referred to the example of the "Butcher of
Lyon" who was brought before justice in spite of the fact that he
was very old.
Brunner, now 85, is one of the leading names in the list with
Nazi war criminals and lives for a number of years in Damascus,
Syria. France and Germany have asked for his extradition
repeatedly but president Assad had maintained that Brunner was not
in Syria even though Israeli secret agents had photographed him in
Damascus 3 years ago.
Brunner was one of the organizers of the holocaust of at
least 130.000 Jews from Greece, the Czech Republic, Austria and
France while he was also the right hand of Adolf Eichman who was
in charge of the Nazi regime's "death machine".
Thessaloniki's Jewish Community president Andreas Sefiha had
stated recently to Macedonian Press Agency that as far as he knows
both the German and the Israeli information services have evidence
proving that Brunner lives in Syria. He also said that the Syrian
authorities have sheltered and continue to shelter Brunner because
he helped in the organizing of the Syrian secret services.
It should be noted that the infamous war criminal lives in
Damascus as "Dr. Fischer".
Brunner is wanted by the Interpol and the German government
offers a DM500.000 reward for information leading to his arrest,
while he is also wanted by the French authorities given the fact
that he was sentenced to death twice by a Paris court when he was
found guilty for the deaths of 25.000 Jews among them 250 small
children at the Dransy Nazi concentration camp.
Brunner is the one who sent 19 groups of Jews from
Thessaloniki to the Nazi death chambers and played a leading role
in the destruction of the city's Jewish community.
[16] GAINS OF 1.16% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
Gains of 1.16% were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange and
the general index was at 4.366,61 points, while the volume of
transactions was at 119 billion drachmas.
Indicative of the market's positive picture was the fact that
of the stocks trading today 305 had gains and 33 recorded losses.
[17] THE TOURIST WAVE TO GREECE IS ON THE RISE
The tourist wave to Greece in the month of April developed in
a positive way as the hotel bookings by foreign tourists increased
by 41.184 corresponding to a 3.92% rise, while the hotels were
full up to 45.42% of their capacity compared to 43.71% in April
1999.
According to Greek National Statistics Agency figures, the
tourist arrivals with chartered flights at the country's main
airports namely, Athens, Rhodes, Corfu, Heraklion and
Thessaloniki, that represent 70% of the arrivals in the specific
category, were 304.473 compared to April 1999 which corresponds to
an increase of 16.12%.
The biggest increase in arrivals (192.38%) was recorded at
the airport of Corfu that received 15.040 tourists compared to
5.144 in April 1999, while the biggest decline of 25.42% was
recorded at the airport of Thessaloniki.
[18] ARCHBISHOP CHRISTODOULOS: THE ISSUE IS NOT JUST THE IDENTITY
CARDS
Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All of Greece speaking
at Aristotelous Square in Thessaloniki this afternoon before
thousands of people in a rally organized by the Hierarchy of the
Church of Greece, expressed the view that behind the identity
cards issue are hidden the efforts made by certain circles to hurt
the Christian faith itself. The rally was held in protest to a
decision by the Greek government not to list religion on the
identity cards.
Archbishop Christodoulos stated that the ulterior motive is
to gradually distance religion from public life and used as an
example the views expressed from time to time such as, to remove
the phrase that refers to the Holy Trinity from the opening of the
Greek constitution, to make marriage mandatory for all, to
downgrade the Church and not be the prevailing one as article 3 of
the constitution stipulates, the parliament members and the
president of the republic should not have to take a religious oath
and that the constitution must change so that the development of
the students' religious conscience will not be among the goals of
education.
The Archbishop stressed that it is clear to everyone that the
issue is not simply the identity cards but the faith itself which
the people do not want to negotiate or keep it hidden. He said
that "while others do not want to mention what their religious
faith is, we are proud to be what we are".
Archbishop Christodoulos also stressed that in no other place
of the world people and religion are so closely linked and added
that the Greek people want to know why the rush displayed in the
case of the identity cards and the hatred toward the Church. He
also wondered why this stubborn persistence to a decision that
brings division and is not wanted or accepted by the faithful, why
this contempt toward the Hierarchy of the Church and why this
surprise move by the government.
[19] THOUSANDS GATHER FOR CHURCH RALLY IN THESSALONIKI
Thousands of flag-bearing Greek citizens traveled from all
corners of the country to support the rally held in Thessaloniki,
which called for religious faith to be included in the personal
details printed on all new identity cards.
Archibishop of Athens and All of Greece Christodoulos
vehemently expressed the view that certain circles were using the
identity card issue as a means of attacking the Christian faith,
stating that "The issue of removing religious beliefs from
identity cards solely concerns the State".
The hordes of people, who arrived in over 700 coaches and
thousands of cars, gathered in Thessaloniki's city centre not only
entirely blocking Aristotelous Square, but also going all the way
down Aristotelous Street, spreading as far as Egnatia, Nikis
Avenue, and the side roads leading to the Square, Tsimiski, Ermou
and Mitropoleos.
The Archibishop's speech was accompanied by constant chants of
"Greece means Orthodoxy", "the youth does not want the new
identity cards" and "Victory begins in Thessaloniki" amongst other
slogans.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[20] JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES ACCEPT BLOOD TRANSFUSIONS
Jehovah's Witnesses will from now on accept blood
transfusions in life threatening cases, thereby overturning the
denomination's former negative stance on the procedure, without
facing excommunication.
According to the New York Times, the decision to allow blood
transfusions was taken during a secret meeting of the religious
community's 12 governing members who characterized the change as
a "slight adjustment".
The decision follows decades of adverse publicity about
adults and children who have died or came close to death because
the life-saving blood transfusion was forbidden by their faith.
One case in point came to last week when a Jehovah's Witness
who had lost five pints of blood in a machete attack, renounced
his faith just before he lost consciousness so that he could
accept a blood transfusion.
[21] THE JEHOVAH WITNESSES CONSENT TO BLOOD TRANSFUSION
The Jehovah Witnesses with a decision marking a 180 degrees
change in the policy they were following until now allow the blood
transfusions in life threatening situations without risking to be
excommunicated.
The decision in question was taken in a secret meeting of the
New York based 12member world administrative council of the
Jehovah Witnesses and was characterized as a "small adjustment"
that comes after decades of strong criticism made by the
international mass media and many humanitarian organizations
regarding the cases of children who were led to death or got very
close to dying because of the blood transfusion ban.
However, the Jehovah Witnesses spokesman in Britain stated
that the rejection of blood transfusion is still a "fundamental
value" for them.
[22] CHRISTIAN ORTHODOX YOUTH CONFERENCE IN ISTANBUL
A world conference on the young people in the Church of the
3rd Millennium is organized by the Ecumenical Patriarchate to take
place in Istanbul on June 18-25. The Christian Orthodox conference
is under the auspices of Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos and is
placed within the framework of the celebrations for the 2000 years
since the birth of Christ.
The conference will be attended by youth representatives from
all the Patriarchates, the Orthodox Theology Schools and
Academies, International Church Organizations and International
Cultural Institutions.
In the conference will be examined issues concerning the
clergy and the monastic life, the mother tongue of those living
abroad, the challenges presented by the 3rd millennium, the
problems of drugs and AIDS, environmental protection, social
justice and human rights, unemployment, war and peace and the
experience of the young members of the Orthodox Christian
Diaspora.
[23] THE DEPOSED KING OF GREECE APPEALED TO THE HUMAN RIGHTS COURT
The deposed King of Greece Konstantinos appealed to the
European Court for Human Rights asking for a ruling that will
force the Greek authorities to return to him the property
expropriated by the Greek state.
The deposed King maintains that the expropriation of his
estate violates the right to property which is protected by the
European Treaty for Human Rights. The Greek authorities maintain
that the property claimed by the deposed King was never the
property of the former royal family but it was assigned to it
during the time it was in power.
The European Court for Human Rights is expected to issue its
ruling on the case in the next few months.
[24] ONLY 44.1% OF THE EU CITIZENS SUPPORT TURKEY'S MEMBERSHIP
Just 44.1% of the European Union citizens support Turkey's
accession and the rest view the violation of human rights as the
biggest obstacle to its European Union membership.
The opinion poll that brought the results mentioned above was
conducted last November by the International Research Institute
INRA, in cooperation with Bilesim International, its
representative in Turkey.
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