Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2000-11-01
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[18] 2.367 OIL TANKERS WILL BE WITHDRAWN BY 2017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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