Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2000-11-10
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, November 10, 2000
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
TITLES
[01] "TRAIN OF CIVILIZATION" ARRIVES IN THESSALONIKI
[02] PM IN THESSALONIKI FOR HEALTH CONFERENCE
[03] THESSALONIKI FILM FESTIVAL BEGINS TODAY
[04] PM VOWS TO PROCEED WITH HEALTH SECTOR REFORMS
[05] METROPOLITAN OF KASSANDRIA SYNESIOS DIES AT 88
[06] SE EUROPE'S ECON. AFFAIRS BUREAU IN THESSALONIKI
[07] THE FYROM MINISTER OF FINANCE IS IN THESSALONIKI
[08] GREEK GOVERNMENT DELEGATION TO BELGRADE-SOFIA-SKOPJE
[09] LOSSES AGAIN IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
[10] GREEK CENTER OF INVESTMENTS: PROGRAM FOR THE SUPPORT OF
INVESTMENTS IN GREECE
[11] TSOCHATZOPOULOS: THE EUROFIGHTER WILL SERVE GREECE'S
STRATEGIC AND NATIONAL INTERESTS
[12] A GREEK POLICE BUS CARRYING BORDER GUARDS WAS ATTACKED BY
GUNMEN
[13] MEETING OF THE MAYORS OF THESSALONIKI AND PRUSSA
[14] REPPAS ON THE EU-TURKEY PARTNERSHIP RELATION
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[15] AN ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE DELEGATION IS IN BELGRADE
[16] THE FOUR-DAY VISIT OF THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH TO THE UNITED
STATES STARTS TODAY
[17] TWO GREEK FIRMS ARE AMONG THE PROSPECTIVE BUYERS OF A SKOPJAN
MARBLE INDUSTRY PLANT
[18] THE 5TH ROUND OF TALKS ON CYPRUS HAS BEEN COMPLETED
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] "TRAIN OF CIVILIZATION" ARRIVES IN THESSALONIKI
"The Train of Civilization" is to arrive in Thessaloniki
today, transporting members of various groups supporting
friendship with Balkan countries, Turkish parliamentarians,
representatives of Balkan leagues and associations active in
Turkey, as well as an array of artists, journalists and local
authorities.
Aiming to strengthen the ties of friendship among the Balkan
peoples, the Train's voyage will last until November 12, and its
stops include Plovdiv, Sofia, Skopje. In Greece, the train will
visit Thessaloniki, Drama, Xanthi and Komotene.
Every stopover will be met with festivities and cultural
activities, while upon their arrival in Thessaloniki on November
10, the day Kemal Ataturk died, the delegates will attend a
ceremony to be held at the home where the founder of the Turkish
Republic was born.
[02] PM IN THESSALONIKI FOR HEALTH CONFERENCE
Prime Minister Costas Simitis is to arrive in Thessaloniki
today in order to address the ruling PASOK party's nationwide
conference on Health and Welfare.
In addition to Mr. Simitis, the conference will feature
keynote addresses from Health Minister Alekos Papadopoulos and the
secretary of PASOK's Central Committee Costas Skandalides who will
outline the state's health and welfare policies. Other issues to
be discussed include the planned reforms of the National Health
System.
[03] THESSALONIKI FILM FESTIVAL BEGINS TODAY
The 41st Thessaloniki Film Festival, which gets underway
today, will include a tribute to film director Theodoros
Angelopoulos and his work.
Angelopoulos, winner of the Cannes film festival award in
1998, will be honored during the festival with the screening of 14
of his movies along with nine documentaries of his filming
techniques.
Featuring the screening of about 167 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.
According to festival director Michel Dimopoulos, the cost of
the festival totaled 500 million drachmas, with half of its funds
granted by the ministry of culture and the other half acquired by
private sponsors.
[04] PM VOWS TO PROCEED WITH HEALTH SECTOR REFORMS
The government will not budge one iota from its resoluteness
to proceed with the planned reforms in the health sector, Prime
Minister Costas Simitis vowed today in Thessaloniki during his
address at the ruling PASOK party's nationwide conference on
Health and Welfare.
While acknowledging the significant progress achieved by the
sector in recent years, Mr. Simitis stressed the need to radically
reform the long-suffering National Health System (ESY).
"Prior to ESY's founding in 1983, Greece had a health care
system that resembled that of a Latin American country," the
Premier said and asked his audience to ponder the thought of not
having a national health care system at all.
"The expansion of ESY, combined with the overall improvement
of living standards, has upgraded the Greek people's health
status. Greek men live an average of three years longer than (the
average of) 1980, while life expectancy for women has grown by
four years during the past twenty years.
"Infant mortality rates have dropped from 18 percent to 0.7%.
The annual rate of stillbirths has also been reduced from 18
percent to two percent. These indicators confirm the vast progress
made in the health sector. These numbers are not faceless
‘statistics'; they represent real people who, thanks to the
contribution of ESY, live a longer and improved life," he stated.
Stressing that the state has ranked the health sector among
its highest priorities, the Premier underlined that "we are now
allocating more funds for health than ever before, with state
expenditures for the sector amounting to approximately six percent
of the Gross Domestic Product. We now have more hospitals than
ever before, with more doctors and nursing staff, with more beds,
improved facilities, more evenly dispersed throughout the
country."
Nevertheless, he added, there is great room for improvement
in the area of accommodation and services, while he also noted
that the state's input in the area of primary healthcare is
insufficient.
Pointing out that the ever-increasing funds poured into the
health sector need to be accompanied by radical innovations so
that taxpayers can "get their money's worth", the Premier outlined
five key issues that best represent the essence of the reforms:
Firstly, coordination of the social health insurance, through
the establishment of a uniform funding body for health services
(ODIPY) which will collect and manage funds from large insurance
organizations.
Secondly, the improvement of primary health care by
establishing health centers of the type -now existing in the
provinces- in the cities as well.
Thirdly, operational improvements in hospitals, for example
enforcing evening appointment hours for ESY physicians.
Fourthly, continuous quality control, both in ESY and the
private sector, and, lastly, emphasis on prevention and public
health.
[05] METROPOLITAN OF KASSANDRIA SYNESIOS DIES AT 88
The Metropolitan of Kassandria Synesios, the oldest member of
the Holy Synod, passed away yesterday in Thessaloniki. He was 88
years old.
Suffering from a respiratory ailment, Synesios had been
hospitalized at the intensive care unit of the Papageorgiou
hospital in Thessaloniki since early September.
He will be laid to rest on Sunday, November 12, in Athens.
Archbishop of Athens and All of Greece Christodoulos will attend
the funeral.
[06] SE EUROPE'S ECON. AFFAIRS BUREAU IN THESSALONIKI
The Bureau of Southeastern Europe's International Economic
Relations is to be established in Thessaloniki, in order to
oversee coordination and support the activities of northern
Greece's firms in the wider region.
According to the undersecretary of national economy Ioannis
Zafiropoulos, the Bureau is to be founded by the Ministry of
National Economy within the framework of a recent bill calling for
the optimized overview of the activities carried out by the
National Plan for Balkan Reconstruction. The said Plan, a five-
year project, is budgeted at GRD180 billion.
In a recent address before a business forum organized by
Thessaloniki's Chamber of Small Industries, which reviewed the
economic course of Balkan and Black Sea countries, Mr.
Zafiropoulos stated that the Ministry has already briefed the
receiving countries' officials on the activities of the
Reconstruction Plan.
The Ministry has also received various proposals tabled by
these countries on the projects that are deemed on their behalf as
priorities.
[07] THE FYROM MINISTER OF FINANCE IS IN THESSALONIKI
FYROM minister of finance Borko Andreev is in Thessaloniki to
attend the Balkan cooperation forum "Balkan Partnership 2000".
In the forum participate 20 businesses from FYROM in a total
of 127 businesses representing the whole Balkan region.
[08] GREEK GOVERNMENT DELEGATION TO BELGRADE-SOFIA-SKOPJE
A Greek government delegation made up of minister of national
economy Yiannos Papantoniou, minister of Macedonia-Thrace Giorgos
Paschalidis and undersecretary of national economy Yiannis
Zafiropoulos will visit Belgrade, Sofia and Skopje on November 12-
14.
The goal of their visit is to record the sectors that can be
included in the 180 billion drachmas Greek Plan for the
reconstruction of the Balkans.
It should be noted that the ministry of Macedonia-Thrace will
establish a special office aimed at coordinating the actions
within the framework of the Greek Plan for the reconstruction of
the Balkans.
[09] LOSSES AGAIN IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
Losses of 0.50% were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange
and the general index dropped to 3.618,91 points. The volume of
transactions was very disappointing reaching just 31.59 billion
drachmas.
Of the stocks trading today, 116 recorded gains, 221 had
losses and 45 remained unchanged.
The uncertainty and nervousness of the investors in
combination with the lack of good domestic news are the main
factors responsible for the existing negative climate in the Greek
stock market.
[10] GREEK CENTER OF INVESTMENTS: PROGRAM FOR THE SUPPORT OF
INVESTMENTS IN GREECE
A pilot program aimed at recording the development
opportunities in seven prefectures in Greece namely, Evros,
Xanthi, Rodopi, Imathia, Fthiotida, Kozani and Achaia and at
listing the existing infrastructures in each of those regions, is
being materialized by the Greek Center of Investments, according
to statements made by the center's investment network director
Efthimios Mouratidis in a press conference in Thessaloniki today
on the occasion of the Balkan Partnership 2000 forum held in the
city.
According to Mr. Mouratidis, a big investment interest has
already been expressed by the United States, Britain, Germany and
Japan through important agreements that will either materialize
soon or have already materialized inside the Greek borders.
The Greek Center of Investments, that was founded in 1996 and
is financed by the European Union and the state budget, offers
support to investors, who are active in Greece, both during and
after the materialization of their investments.
[11] TSOCHATZOPOULOS: THE EUROFIGHTER WILL SERVE GREECE'S
STRATEGIC AND NATIONAL INTERESTS
The negotiation for the purchase of 60 Eurofighter fighter
jets in an adequately satisfactory price will be completed in the
next two weeks, stated Greek minister of defense Akis
Tsochatzopoulos responding to a relevant question made in
parliament by an opposition deputy.
At the same time, he pointed out that the government's choice
to purchase the Eurofighter jets will give the opportunity to
Greece to be included on an equal basis in a consortium of four
European countries namely, Britain, France, Germany and Spain for
the production of 700 fourth generation aircraft.
Mr. Tsochatzopoulos stated that with this choice Greece's
strategic interests will be served as the country's defense
industry will be strengthened, while its armaments' needs will be
covered.
[12] A GREEK POLICE BUS CARRYING BORDER GUARDS WAS ATTACKED BY
GUNMEN
A Greek police bus carrying border guards became the target
of an attack by unidentified gunmen at noon today, about 50
kilometers north of the city of Ioannina, in north-western Greece.
The driver of the police bus was slightly injured in the
attack and was taken to the Ioannina Hospital.
According to information, the border guards were headed to
the borders with Albania to replace other colleagues. A large
police operation is underway for the arrest of the gunmen.
[13] MEETING OF THE MAYORS OF THESSALONIKI AND PRUSSA
Mayor of the Turkish city of Prussa Erdogan Bilenser,
speaking in Thessaloniki's city council meeting that was held
today and was attended by the representatives of 18 Turkish local
administration institutions, referred to the Greek-Turkish
cooperation in the cultural sector.
After the city council meeting, Thessaloniki's mayor Vasilis
Papageorgopoulos stated that they had the opportunity to exchange
views on the local administration and examine ways to forge closer
friendship ties.
Mr. Papageorgopoulos also announced that the municipality of
Thessaloniki has invited the mayors of the 30 largest
municipalities in the Balkans to a friendship and cooperation
meeting on December 9-10. Among them will be the mayor of Prussa
and the goal of the meeting is to exchange views on cultural
issues. Mr. Papageorgopoulos also accepted Mr. Bilenser's
invitation to visit Prussa for a second round of talks.
[14] REPPAS ON THE EU-TURKEY PARTNERSHIP RELATION
Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas referring to the
EU-Turkey partnership relation document stated that this
development does not mean one side has dominated but it must be
seen as simply a natural consequence and follow-up to the EU
decision in Helsinki which must be implemented.
He said that the Helsinki Summit meeting has set a framework
of relations for the EU and Turkey which takes under consideration
the EU interests and Turkey's interests as well.
Regarding the Cyprus problem, Mr. Reppas stated that Greece
has expressed the view that it must be included in the EU-Turkey
partnership relation text, adding that Greece still backs this
position. Mr. Reppas stated that Greece believes that Cyprus will
be the main point based on which Turkey's stance will be assessed
in terms of its effort to become part of Europe.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[15] AN ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE DELEGATION IS IN BELGRADE
An Athens Stock Exchange delegation, headed by its vice-
president Sokratis Lazaridis, is in Belgrade for talks within the
framework of the cooperation that is underway with the stock
market of the Yugoslav capital.
The goal of the visit is the briefing of the Greek delegation
on the operation of the Belgrade Stock Market before a specific
form of cooperation gets underway based on the agreement that is
expected to be signed on November13, according to the newspaper
"Danas".
[16] THE FOUR-DAY VISIT OF THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH TO THE UNITED
STATES STARTS TODAY
Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos is on a four-day visit to
the United States starting today. The first stop of his visit is
the city of Detroit where he will stay until November 12 and then
he will visit the seat of the Archbishopric in New York. It is the
third visit to the United States for the Ecumenical Patriarch
since his big tour in the fall of 1997.
Recognizing the sensitivity of the Ecumenical Patriarch on
environmental issues, the ecological organization Scenic Hudson of
New York will honor him with the international award for insight
and achievements on issues concerning the protection of the
environment.
The Ecumenical Patriarch's visit to New York will end with
the inauguration of the "Mary and Michail Tzacharis" Byzantine Art
Halls in New York's Metropolitan Museum.
[17] TWO GREEK FIRMS ARE AMONG THE PROSPECTIVE BUYERS OF A SKOPJAN
MARBLE INDUSTRY PLANT
Two Greek firms are among the five prospective buyers of a
marble processing industry plant based at Bitola in FYROM.
According to the Skopje newspaper "Dnevnik", they are "FHL
Kiriakidis" and "Lazaridis Group". Based on information available
to the newspaper, the proposal of "FHL Kiriakidis" is regarded as
more tempting as it has pledged to avoid any layoffs and increase
the wages of the employees by 25% annually. In addition, it has
pledged to pension off those over the age of 55 after compensating
them with the sum of DM 10.000.
[18] THE 5TH ROUND OF TALKS ON CYPRUS HAS BEEN COMPLETED
UN secretary-general special adviser on Cyprus Mr. Alvaro de
Soto stated today that the two sides in Cyprus are not completely
or equally satisfied with what took place in Geneva because it is
impossible keep everybody happy.
Speaking in a press conference in Geneva on the occasion of
the completion of the 5th round of talks on Cyprus, Mr. de Soto
stated that a lot of work has been done.
After the 35minute meeting he had today with Cypriot
president Glafkos Clerides, Mr. de Soto maintained that the United
Nations do not pressure anyone to continue the talks in January
expressing, however, the wish that both parties will return to
Geneva.
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