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Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2000-11-01

Macedonian Press Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Macedonian Press Agency at http://www.mpa.gr and http://www.hri.org/MPA.


MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, November 1, 2000

SECTIONS

  • [A] NATIONAL NEWS
  • [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS TITLES
  • [01] MILITARY JET CRASHES, PILOT EJECTED UNHURT
  • [02] BALKAN RECONSTRUCTION BOARD MEETS THIS MONTH
  • [03] GREEK PM TO MEET WITH CLERIDES THIS MONTH
  • [04] GREEK PRESIDENT TO VISIT THE CZECH REPUBLIC
  • [05] 2001 BUDGET, FIRST WITH SURPLUS, TABLED TODAY
  • [06] G/T BUSINESS CONFERENCE IN ATHENS TOMORROW
  • [07] TIF TO HOLD GREEK PRODUCTS EXHIBITION IN ISTANBUL
  • [08] THESSALONIKI TO HOST GREEK-CANADIAN CONFERENCE
  • [09] BALKAN ART DIRECTORS TO MEET IN THESSALONIKI
  • [10] THESSALONIKI FILM FESTIVAL TO HONOR AGELOPOULOS
  • [11] POLICE ON ALERT FOR GUNS DISGUISED AS CELL PHONES
  • [12] ATA SENDS ITS CONDOLENCES OVER LOSS OF PETRIDES
  • [13] U.K. FOREIGN SECRETARY IN ATHENS, MEETS WITH FM
  • [14] MPA: "BALKAN CONFERENCE ON NEW TECHNOLOGIES"
  • [15] SIMITIS WILL BE IN ZAGREB ON NOVEMBER 24
  • [16] THE PARALYMPIC GAMES' ATHLETES FROM NORTHERN GREECE WERE HONORED TODAY
  • [17] GAINS OF 2.31% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
  • [18] 2.367 OIL TANKERS WILL BE WITHDRAWN BY 2017
  • [19] INTER-BALKAN CONFERENCE BY MPA ON THE NEW TECHNOLOGIES
  • [20] SPAIN WILL DECORATE THE PRESIDENT OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY IN THESSALONIKI
  • [21] EXTENSIVE DAMAGES IN THE ISLAND OF CORFU BY THE STRONG RAINFALLS
  • [22] BALKANS, THE CYPRUS ISSUE AND THE EURO-TURKISH RELATIONS WERE DISCUSSED BY PAPANDREOU AND COOK
  • [23] REPPAS: THERE IS NO SECRET AGREEMENT BETWEEN PAPANDREOU AND CEM
  • [24] BULGARIA'S NATIONAL DEFENSE GENERAL STAFF CHIEF WILL BE IN ATHENS TOMORROW
  • [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
  • [25] SAE PRESIDENT PRAISES GORE'S POLICY ON CYPRUS
  • [26] BRITISH TOURISTS PREFER GREECE OVER TURKEY

  • NEWS IN DETAIL

    [A] NATIONAL NEWS

    [01] MILITARY JET CRASHES, PILOT EJECTED UNHURT

    A Greek air force pilot escaped harm when his Á-7 Corsair jet crashed this morning at the Tenaro cape, having managed to activate the aircraft's automatic ejection system.

    The military jet had taken off from the air force base at Suda, Crete, during routine training exercises. The causes of the crash are presently being investigated.

    [02] BALKAN RECONSTRUCTION BOARD MEETS THIS MONTH

    The board of directors of the Balkan Reconstruction Organization is to convene in Thessaloniki on November 13, its first meeting following the political changes in Yugoslavia.

    Minister of Macedonia-Thrace George Paschalides is to take part in the meeting, which is awaited with interest after the decision drawn by the European Union's General Affairs Council to expand the Organization geographically so that it will encompass all of Yugoslavia's regions.

    [03] GREEK PM TO MEET WITH CLERIDES THIS MONTH

    Prime Minister Costas Simitis will be meeting with Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides and Cyprus Parliament speaker Spyros Kyprianou in mid November, immediately after the end of the fifth round of Cyprus proximity talks in Geneva, which get underway today.

    According to press reports, the meeting will be held in order to assess the results of the talks and decide a joint strategy in view of the EU summit in Nice in December, which President Clerides will also attend, and the UN resolution on whether to renew the term of the UN peace-keeping force UNFICYP on Cyprus.

    The meeting between Messrs. Simitis and Kyprianou is scheduled for November 13, while there will be a meeting at Mr. Simitis' office with President Clerides the next day.

    [04] GREEK PRESIDENT TO VISIT THE CZECH REPUBLIC

    The President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos will conduct a three-day official visit to the Czech Republic, beginning on November 14, at the invitation of his Czech counterpart Vaclav Havel.

    This shall be the first visit by a Greek head of state since 1993, when the Czech Republic became independent.

    [05] 2001 BUDGET, FIRST WITH SURPLUS, TABLED TODAY

    The last details in next year's budget, which will be the first to show surplus in the country's modern fiscal history, were reviewed by the inner cabinet yesterday and, following its expected approval by the government, it will be tabled in Parliament today.

    According to the Minister of National Economy and Finance Yiannos Papantoniou, the 2001 budget will aim to establish economic stability with low inflation and low interest rates, support the government's social policy and maintain and enhance high growth rates.

    The new budget is expected to call for a tight fiscal policy, with wage increases amounting 3.5% for salaried workers, and a 5.5 percent increase for pensions. It is expected to show a record surplus of 210 billion drachmas, a figure amounting to 0.5 percent of the GNP, thereby reducing public deficit (presently standing at 103.9%) to 98.9 percent of the GNP.

    The net surplus of the 2000 budget is considered a shot in the arm for next year's coffers, already shadowed by the oil crisis and the dollar's growing strength.

    [06] G/T BUSINESS CONFERENCE IN ATHENS TOMORROW

    The second Greek-Turkish business cooperation conference will be held in Athens on November 2-3, titled "Greece - Turkey - EU: Opportunities for business and economic cooperation".

    Turkey's vice-president and ex-foreign minister Mesut Yilmaz will be taking part in the conference heading the Turkish delegation and will be a keynote speaker.

    The two-day event, held under the aegis of the Greek Foreign Ministry, will give the delegates the opportunity to be briefed by EU commissioners on community regulations regarding trade and business activities.

    Moreover, the conference will provide the opportunity for the formation of joint ventures in the Black Sea region and central Asian countries.

    The conference is to feature the participation of over 300 business delegates from Turkey, Greece and other EU countries, as well as government officials from both countries and EU commissioners.

    [07] TIF TO HOLD GREEK PRODUCTS EXHIBITION IN ISTANBUL

    The Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF) is to hold the first exhibition of Greek products in Istanbul this month, representing the sectors of tourism, transportation, food and beverage, juices, dairy products, olive oil, agro-chemicals, fertilizers, agricultural machinery, etc.

    To be held between November 16-19, the exhibition will be hosted at the Hannover Messe International, in the Maslak area of Istanbul, where over half of the country's 500 strongest firms are based.

    [08] THESSALONIKI TO HOST GREEK-CANADIAN CONFERENCE

    A conference on the coexistence of different cultures, titled "Multiculture: A developing dialogue. The Greek and Canadian example", will be held in Thessaloniki, on November 8-10, under the auspices of Greece' Culture Ministry.

    The conference will highlight the issue of coexistence between different cultures in the two countries and will be attended by Culture Minister Theodoros Pangalos, Thessaloniki Deputy Mayor Nikos Makrantonakis and the Canadian Ambassador to Greece David Hatton.

    The event is organized by the Canadian embassy and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

    [09] BALKAN ART DIRECTORS TO MEET IN THESSALONIKI

    Art directors from various Balkan theaters are to meet in Thessaloniki on November 18, in order to discuss the creation of a Balkan State Theater Union.

    Organized by the State Theater of Northern Greece, he meeting will examine the problems and present operational state of Balkan state theaters, as well as prospects for joint productions, exchanges and information.

    The art directors of state theaters from Belgrade (Yugoslavia), Zagreb (Croatia), Tirana (Albania), Sofia (Bulgaria), Bucharest (Romania), Ljubljana (Slovenia), Sarajevo (Bosnia-Herzegovina) and Istanbul (Turkey) will be present.

    [10] THESSALONIKI FILM FESTIVAL TO HONOR AGELOPOULOS

    The 41st Thessaloniki Film Festival, which gets underway on November 10, will include a tribute to film director Theodoros Angelopoulos and his work.

    Featuring the screening of about 200 films, the ten-day festival's program will include two concerts by Eleni Karaindrou at the Concert Hall (on November 16-17), as well as photography and book exhibitions.

    [11] POLICE ON ALERT FOR GUNS DISGUISED AS CELL PHONES

    In a warning to the country's airport authorities, the Greek police are on the alert for handguns made to look like cell phones, which were recently seized in The Netherlands.

    Although none of the weapons have so far been located in Greece, the country has been on the lookout since the deadly gadgets were recently smuggled into The Netherlands from Yugoslavia.

    These guns, a variation of other weapons that are made to look like key-rings and pens, are intended to be used at close range and are activated by tapping a number combination on the keypad.

    Greek airport authorities will now require that mobile phones, which up to now were not subjected to any scrutiny, are passed through detector machines.

    According to the Dutch police, eight of the "shooting phones" were seized in raids on five Amsterdam addresses during the past three weeks. Confirming that the weapons had come from Yugoslavia, the Dutch police stated that five men and one woman had been arrested, including two from Yugoslavia, one from Croatia and one from Turkey.

    [12] ATA SENDS ITS CONDOLENCES OVER LOSS OF PETRIDES

    Expressing its regret over the untimely death of the Macedonian Press Agency's president Pavlos Petrides, the Albanian Telegraph Agency (ATA) has forwarded its sincere condolences for the loss of "an unforgettable man".

    As the ATA's Director General Frrok Cupi wrote, "Professor Petrides was a great friend to friends... who demanded much of himself."

    Moreover, Mr. Cupi stated that "his real heros, Rigas Velestinlis, Eleftherios Venizelos, Alexandros Papanastasiou, Ioannis Kapodistrias and George Papandreou have been able to get out of the walls of history and reach the Balkan people through the leafs of Prof. Petrides' books."

    A prolific writer, professor Petrides authored over 40 books, the majority of which pertain to modern Greek history, particularly the European policy of Greece's first president Ioannis Kapodistrias, the civil war period (1943-50), George Papandreou and the Cyprus issue (1954-65), etc.

    [13] U.K. FOREIGN SECRETARY IN ATHENS, MEETS WITH FM

    British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook, presently on a visit to Athens, met with Prime Minister Costas Simitis and Public Order Minister Michalis Chrysochoides yesterday, while he will hold talks with his Greek counterpart George Papandreou today.

    In an interview given to the Mega television channel, the widow of the slain Brigadier Stephen Saunders and the chief of the British counter-terrorism squad stated that "we will not stop looking for November 17 until the perpetrators of the murder of Brig. Saunders are brought to justice."

    Secretary Cook and Mr. Chrysochoides also appeared in the interview, where the latter called on the members of the notorious terrorist organization November 17 to turn themselves in.

    [14] MPA: "BALKAN CONFERENCE ON NEW TECHNOLOGIES"

    The Macedonian Press Agency is organizing its sixth Inter- Balkan News Conference, entitled "New Technologies in the Mass Media for the Development of Inter-Balkan Cooperation", dedicated to the memory of its late president Professor Pavlos Petrides.

    The conference, to be held in Thessaloniki between November 24-25, will feature the attendance of leading journalists and media executives from throughout the Balkan region and Greece, as well as the input of experts from the information technology sector.

    The participants will have the opportunity to exchanges points of view and discuss the various ways to best utilize new technologies in the media sector, for example newspapers, radio stations, television channels and Internet web sites.

    [15] SIMITIS WILL BE IN ZAGREB ON NOVEMBER 24

    Greek prime minister Kostas Simitis will be in Zagreb on November 24 to attend the European Union summit meeting with south- eastern European countries.

    In the summit meeting, that will be held at the initiative of the French EU presidency, will be discussed the situation in the region and the issue of the reconstruction of Yugoslavia.

    [16] THE PARALYMPIC GAMES' ATHLETES FROM NORTHERN GREECE WERE HONORED TODAY

    The reception reserved for the athletes from northern Greece, who competed in the Paralympic Games in Sydney, was worthily of their great effort and successes.

    Present at Thessaloniki's Macedonia Airport were relatives and friends of the athletes as well as representatives of the sports and political leadership.

    The ministry of Macedonia-Thrace was represented by its general secretary, while also present were representatives of the municipality of Thessaloniki and Kalamaria.

    Maria Kalpakidou, who won the bronze in the 50m backstroke, stated to MPA that she and her fellow-athletes did not expect such great reception. She also said that the Paralympics in Sydney were hard and thanked her coach as well as, her parents and her friends who supported her in her effort.

    Simos Paltsanitidis, who won the bronze in the discus throw, stated that when you do something because you really want it you succeed.

    [17] GAINS OF 2.31% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

    Today's session in the Athens Stock Exchange was a pleasant surprise for the investors as it closed with gains of 2.31% and the general index was at 3.885,49 points.

    The volume of transactions was satisfactory compared to the small turnover in the previous sessions reaching 96.5 billion drachmas.

    Of the stocks trading today, the overwhelming majority namely, 350, recorded gains, while 16 had losses and 15 remained unchanged.

    [18] 2.367 OIL TANKERS WILL BE WITHDRAWN BY 2017

    About 2.367 oil tankers will be withdrawn by the year 2017, based on the timetable which was drawn up in the 45th summit meeting of the IMO Committee for the Protection of the Environment.

    Meanwhile, according to a statement issued by the Greek Association of Shipowners, the final IMO decision will be reached in April and it will be accompanied by a number of additional measures that will safeguard the quality of the ships and the safety of the sea transportation.

    The specific timetable cuts the number of years the oil tankers can be in operation compared to the existing demands by MARPOL but it is regarded as more flexible than that suggested by the European Committee.

    [19] INTER-BALKAN CONFERENCE BY MPA ON THE NEW TECHNOLOGIES

    The 6th Inter-Balkan Journalistic Conference that will take place in Thessaloniki on November 24-25 organized by MPA will be dedicated to the memory of professor Pavlos Petridis, who was the president of MPA's board of directors.

    The conference under the title "The New Technologies in the Mass Media for the development of the Inter-Balkan Cooperation" will take place with the participation of general directors, editors-in-chief and editors from over 60 mass media from all the Balkan states and Greece.

    The conference delegates will present their views and will discuss the better use of the new technologies by the newspapers, radio and television stations and Internet sites, while distinguished foreign and Greek computer science professors will also make presentations on the new technologies.

    [20] SPAIN WILL DECORATE THE PRESIDENT OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY IN THESSALONIKI

    Spain will honor Thessaloniki's Jewish Community president Andreas Sefiha with the medal of the Order of the Political Value. The medal will be delivered to Mr. Sefiha by Spain's ambassador Javier Jimenez Ugarte after a decision by the Spanish government and King Juan Carlos in a ceremony that will take place on November 11.

    The medal will be awarded to Mr. Sefiha in recognition of his efforts for the preservation of the Spanish-Jewish culture and the reunification of Spain with the Sefaradin community which is a celebrated part of its past.

    [21] EXTENSIVE DAMAGES IN THE ISLAND OF CORFU BY THE STRONG RAINFALLS

    Extensive damages have been caused in the island of Corfu in the Ionian Sea as a result of the strong rainfall recorded in the island late last night. Streets and houses were flooded and many people were in danger. The most serious damages were recorded in the regions of Mesogi and Mouraitika.

    Problems have been recorded in the telecommunications, while there have been no reports of injuries or missing people.

    [22] BALKANS, THE CYPRUS ISSUE AND THE EURO-TURKISH RELATIONS WERE DISCUSSED BY PAPANDREOU AND COOK

    Greek foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou met with his British counterpart Robin Cook in Athens and discussed the situation in the Balkans, the Cyprus problem, the Euro-Turkish relations and the relations between Greece and Britain, while the excellent level of cooperation between the two countries was also confirmed.

    In statements Mr. Papandreou made in view of the new round of negotiations on the Cyprus problem, expressed the hope that this time there will be a meaningful progress and pointed out that there is close cooperation with the British government for the solution of the Cyprus problem.

    From his side, Mr. Cook reiterated that the solution of the Cyprus problem is not a precondition for the accession of Cyprus into the European Union. He said that the application for accession submitted by Cyprus has been taken under serious consideration and it is probably the first country that will be able to meet all the preconditions for EU accession faster than all the rest EU candidate states.

    Referring to the Euro-Turkish relations, Mr. Papandreou stressed the need for the Helsinki conclusions to be imprinted on the partnership relation in view of the relevant discussion in the General Affairs Council. Mr. Cook also referred to the role of Greece in the new environment formed in the Balkans.

    [23] REPPAS: THERE IS NO SECRET AGREEMENT BETWEEN PAPANDREOU AND CEM

    Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas denied that there has been a secret agreement between Greek foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou and his Turkish counterpart Ismail Cem in Budapest, clarifying that there was an agreement in principle on the confidence-building-measures aimed at the normalization of bilateral relations.

    Specifically, stated Mr. Reppas, there has been an agreement between Mr. Papandreou and Mr. Cem to list in two categories the issues concerning the rapprochement of the two countries. Namely, there are institutional issues that can be approached through the responsible officials and military issues that are under the auspices of NATO.

    Finally, the Greek government spokesman reiterated that Greece in its relations with Turkey has shown a responsible stance and stressed once again that the only issue Greece will discuss with the neighboring country is that of the continental shelf.

    [24] BULGARIA'S NATIONAL DEFENSE GENERAL STAFF CHIEF WILL BE IN ATHENS TOMORROW

    Bulgaria's National Defense General Staff chief wing- commander Miho Mihov will be in Athens tomorrow heading a delegation. The visit will be made at the invitation of his Greek counterpart general Manousos Paragioudakis.

    The talks that will be held will focus on the cooperation between Bulgaria and Greece in the sector of defense, on issues of regional security and Bulgaria's bid for NATO membership.

    The Bulgarian delegation will visit military units and Mr. Mihov will decorate three Greek officers in charge of the battalion in Bosnia-Herzegovina part of which was a Bulgarian mechanized platoon.

    [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

    [25] SAE PRESIDENT PRAISES GORE'S POLICY ON CYPRUS

    The President of the Council of Greeks Abroad (SAE) United Andrew Athens praised the United States vice-president and presidential candidate Al Gore for announcing his policy on Cyprus and for his dedication to finding a solution to the Cyprus issue in accordance with relevant UN resolutions.

    "The statement by Vice President Mr. Gore is dynamic and clear and will serve American interests and will help peace in this problematic region of the Mediterranean," Mr. Athens stated.

    In his statement on Cyprus, Vice President Gore had said that "if I am elected President, Cyprus will be one of my priorities in foreign policy.

    "My government will continue to support the relevant resolutions of the UN's Security Council which call for a bicommunal federation with two zones which will unite Cyprus."

    [26] BRITISH TOURISTS PREFER GREECE OVER TURKEY

    Greece prevails over Turkey as a favored destination of British tourists, according to a survey by the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA).

    As the ABTA reports, Greece's share of the UK package holiday market has risen to 16 percent from 11 percent during the past two years, while Turkey has seen its visitors fall from nine to six percent.

    Spain continues to be the most visited country for British package holidays, accounting for 43 percent of trips made in the past 12 months.

    France and Cyprus jointly ranked in third place after Greece with seven percent.


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