Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2000-12-05
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, December 5, 2000
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
TITLES
[01] NATO DEFENSE MINISTERS WINTER CONFERENCE TODAY
[02] NATIONWIDE WORK STOPPAGE ON THURSDAY
[03] GREEK FM SATISFIED OVER EU-TURKEY AGREEMENT
[04] MEAT MERCHANT PASSES FRENCH BEEF AS GREEK
[05] ATTICA POLICE CONDUCT RALLY OVER LABOR ISSUES
[06] BALKAN PUBLIC TV STATIONS MEET IN THESSALONIKI
[07] BULGARIAN PRESIDENT MEETS WITH GREEK PREMIER
[08] GREEK PM SALUTES EU-TURKEY PARTNERSHIP ACCORD
[09] SMALL LOSSES IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
[10] TSOCHATZOPOULOS WAS ON A FORMAL VISIT TO SWEDEN
[11] REPPAS: TURKEY SHOULD TALK SENSE INTO DENKTASH
[12] GREECE IS SATISFIED WITH THE EU-TURKEY PARTNERSHIP RELATION
TEXT
[13] A LUGGAGE CAR CRASHED INTO THE BULGARIAN PRESIDENTIAL
AIRPLANE AT THE ATHENS AIRPORT
[14] THE GOVERNMENTAL COMMITTEE MET UNDER PRIME MINISTER SIMITIS
[15] KARAMANLIS CRITICIZED THE GOVERNMENT ON THE EU-TURKEY
PARTNERSHIP RELATION TEXT
[16] THE CULTURE MINISTER IS SATISFIED WITH THE OUTCOME OF MARIA
CALLAS' PERSONAL OBJECTS AUCTION
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[17] EU AGRICUTURAL COUNCIL ADOPTS POSITIONS ON BSE
[18] BRITISH MUSEUM HOSTS GALA AT PARTHENON WING
[19] GREECE IS SECOND ON FYROM'S EU TRADE PARTNERS LIST
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] NATO DEFENSE MINISTERS WINTER CONFERENCE TODAY
Defense Ministers from NATO's member-countries are to meet in
Brussels today in order to review plans by the European Union to
develop a new European rapid reaction force.
While the NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson has welcomed
the EU initiative as something that will encourage Europeans to
bolster their military capabilities, some NATO members are not
exactly pleased. According to press reports, Turkey feels excluded
as it wants to participate fully in the EU's decision-making
process on security issues, a demand not expected to be met by the
EU.
The Alliance's Defense Ministers will also review the
situation in the Balkans, following heightened tension in south
Serbia where the police clashed with Albanian UCPMB separatists.
Greece will be represented by Defense Minister Akis
Tsochatzopoulos.
[02] NATIONWIDE WORK STOPPAGE ON THURSDAY
The country's largest union, the Confederation of Greek
Workers (GSEE), has declared a nationwide, 24-hour strike for
Thursday, December 7, in protest to labor reforms planned by the
state.
The Civil Servants Supreme Administrative Council (ADEDY)
will also participating in the action with a work stoppage, which
will commence at 11 a.m. until the end of the shift. Both ADEDY
and GSEE call on all workers to give a strong presence at all the
rallies organized on that day.
[03] GREEK FM SATISFIED OVER EU-TURKEY AGREEMENT
Foreign Minister George Papandreou expressed his satisfaction
over the agreement reached in regards to the Accession Partnership
Accord between Turkey and the European Union, during the EU's
Foreign Ministers Council held in Brussels yesterday.
Declaring it a "historic moment" in Turkey's relations with
the EU, as well as with Greece, Mr. Papandreou stressed that the
agreement refers to the preconditions which Turkey is called upon
to meet.
Specifically, the agreement refers to Turkey's short-term
commitments and anticipates that in 2001 Turkey, in the framework
of political dialogue with the EU, should support the UN secretary
general's efforts towards a solution to the Cyprus problem.
This reference is in a paragraph entitled "short-term
commitments" and "strengthened political dialogue and political
criteria."
[04] MEAT MERCHANT PASSES FRENCH BEEF AS GREEK
Athens police arrested a butcher yesterday after discovering
that he sold beef imported from France as "Greek".
According to the police report, Dimitris Verouhis, a butcher
in the Athens suburb of Halandri, had purchased 200 kilos of beef
meat, 80 of which was imported from France, from a meat merchant
in Trikala and removed the origin stamp.
[05] ATTICA POLICE CONDUCT RALLY OVER LABOR ISSUES
Police officers in Attica are to take to the streets this
evening, in a protest rally held over labor issues.
The officers, who will rally towards the Ministry of Public
Order, call for the immediate resolution of their demands which
they have already presented to P.O. Minister Michalis
Chrysochoides.
[06] BALKAN PUBLIC TV STATIONS MEET IN THESSALONIKI
The Thessaloniki-based ERT public broadcasting station is
organizing a conference of public television stations in the
Balkans, to be held on December 16-17, at Agia Triada which is
located on the city's outskirts.
The delegates will discuss inter-Balkan cooperation in the
media sector, collaboration in the sectors of news, sports,
technical facilitation, the Balkanet network, etc.
[07] BULGARIAN PRESIDENT MEETS WITH GREEK PREMIER
The President of Bulgaria Petar Stoyanov met with Greece's
Prime Minister Costas Simitis in Athens yesterday, during an
official two-day visit to Greece today, at the invitation of his
Greek counterpart Kostis Stephanopoulos.
Messrs. Stoyanov and Simitis discussed issues pertaining to
the Balkan region, bilateral relations and the Burgas-
Alexandroupols oil pipeline.
Following their talks, Mr. Simitis said that Athens will be
providing $60 million for joint ventures in Bulgaria as part of
Greece's contribution to the Stability Pact.
In discussions over the situation in the Balkans, both
officials called for broader democratic reforms in Yugoslavia,
saying they were essential for peace in the Balkans.
As for the oil pipeline, both saluted the progress noted on
the project's plan.
[08] GREEK PM SALUTES EU-TURKEY PARTNERSHIP ACCORD
The Accession Partnership Accord signed between Turkey and
the European Union yesterday lies one step ahead of the decisions
drawn at the EU Summit in Helsinki, according to Greece's Prime
Minister Costas Simitis.
The Premier met with the President of the Hellenic Republic
Kostis Stephanopoulos this morning, whom he briefed on the
Accord's content and the upcoming EU Summit in Nice.
The Premier characterized the agreement as a "positive one",
since it can serve as the premise for Turkey's relations with the
European Union and Greece. He also stated that the accord
constitutes a new framework for regional peace and cooperation.
He further added that, according to the agreement, Turkey
must adjust to the European norms by the year 2004. In case it
fails to do so, then the EU will review the matter and will have
the option to suspend funding to Ankara.
[09] SMALL LOSSES IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
Small losses of 0.29% were recorded in the Athens Stock
Exchange today and the general index dropped to 3.351,07 points,
while the volume of transactions was at 88.6 billion drachmas.
Of the stocks trading today, the majority namely, 288,
recorded losses, while 66 had gains and 21 remained unchanged.
[10] TSOCHATZOPOULOS WAS ON A FORMAL VISIT TO SWEDEN
Greek minister of defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos was on a
formal visit to Sweden. He met with his Swedish counterpart in
Stockholm and they discussed cooperation issues between the two
countries mainly in the sectors of technological applications and
defense industry. They also decided the further promotion of
bilateral defense cooperation. In addition, they examined the
common European policy on armaments in view of the Swedish EU
presidency in the first half of 2001.
Mr. Tsochatzopoulos stated that they discussed the priorities
of the Swedish EU presidency and he expressed Greece's interest in
issues of crisis settlement in the Balkans as well as in issues
that concern the European security and defense policy.
[11] REPPAS: TURKEY SHOULD TALK SENSE INTO DENKTASH
The EU-Turkey partnership relation text is in continuation of
the Helsinki decisions, stated Greek government spokesman Dimitris
Reppas, adding that it is a new operational text that is making an
attempt to build new relations between Turkey and the European
Union and the rest of the countries.
Greece wants good neighborly relations with Turkey which,
however, must contribute both to the effort to limit the friction
points and to the solution of the Cyprus problem. The text is
positive because it places the Greek-Turkish relations and the
Cyprus problem among the priorities and if there is no progress
the EU can stop Turkey's funding.
Commenting on the threats launched by Turkish Cypriot leader
Rauf Denktash, Mr. Reppas stated that with his stance undermines
the UN decisions and called on Ankara to talk some sense into him.
[12] GREECE IS SATISFIED WITH THE EU-TURKEY PARTNERSHIP RELATION
TEXT
The foreign ministers of Greece and Turkey had a telephone
communication last night in which they briefed each other under
the light of the EU Foreign Ministers Council meeting conclusions
on the EU-Turkey partnership relation.
Mr. Papandreou reiterated Greece's will to contribute to the
new framework of EU-Turkey relations by strengthening the
cooperation between the two countries and by offering know-how.
The two foreign ministers agreed on a new meeting of the
Greek-Turkish committee of specialists to be held in Antalia,
Turkey on December 18. Head of the Greek delegation will be
foreign ministry general secretary Ilias Plaskovitis, responsible
for European issues.
Meanwhile, the Greek government is completely satisfied with
the positive conclusion concerning the EU-Turkey partnership
relation text that was approved by the "15" in the Foreign
Ministers Council in Brussels yesterday. The above were stated by
Greek foreign ministry spokesman Panos Beglitis, who underlined
that it was a very hard negotiation and its conclusion is the
basis for Turkey's European course.
Mr. Beglitis also pointed out that there are reliable
mechanisms that will monitor Turkey regarding the commitments it
has undertaken.
[13] A LUGGAGE CAR CRASHED INTO THE BULGARIAN PRESIDENTIAL
AIRPLANE AT THE ATHENS AIRPORT
A private luggage car that was on the Athens Airport runway
last night crashed into the wing of the Bulgarian presidential
airplane. The Balkan Airlines "Tupolev 154" had been used to bring
Bulgarian president Petar Stoyanov to Greece for his formal visit
to the country.
The airplane was grounded and a team of mechanics is
inspecting it to establish if its flying ability has been
affected. Bulgarian mechanics are also expected in Greece to
examine the airplane.
The Bulgarian president, who has completed his visit to
Greece, will board another plane of the same airline to return to
Sofia.
[14] THE GOVERNMENTAL COMMITTEE MET UNDER PRIME MINISTER SIMITIS
The governmental committee met in Athens today under prime
minister Kostas Simitis to discuss the government's economic
policy.
The prime minister gave an emphasis to the exploitation of
the Third Community Framework of Support, while minister of
national economy Yiannos Papantoniou stressed that the structural
changes that are planned to take place will be made within the
timetable set.
[15] KARAMANLIS CRITICIZED THE GOVERNMENT ON THE EU-TURKEY
PARTNERSHIP RELATION TEXT
Right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy leader
Kostas Karamanlis launched strong criticism targeting the
government regarding the way it handled the EU-Turkey partnership
relation text that was adopted in the EU foreign ministers council
meeting in Brussels yesterday.
The Helsinki decisions had to be improved not only because
they were insufficient but also because Turkey has proved in the
meantime that it is not willing to change its behavior, said Mr.
Karamanlis.
The New Democracy leader left for Nice, France this afternoon
to attend the European Popular Party summit meeting.
[16] THE CULTURE MINISTER IS SATISFIED WITH THE OUTCOME OF MARIA
CALLAS' PERSONAL OBJECTS AUCTION
Greek culture minister Evangelos Venizelos is very satisfied
with the outcome of the auction of Maria Callas' personal objects
as the Athanaeum Fund (Maria Callas Grand Prix) managed to acquire
almost all the strictly personal objects of the great artist,
undertaking the commitment to destroy them out of respect to her
private life.
The Athanaeum Fund got possession of Callas' personal objects
after paying the sum of about 9 million drachmas which was offered
by the ministry of culture.
Meanwhile, the municipality of Athens got possession of part
of her written correspondence, photographs and other personal
objects for the sum of about 40 million drachmas undertaking the
commitment to exhibit them in a municipal museum dedicated to her
memory.
The culture ministry has undertaken to cover half of the sum
and the relevant economic settlement was launched and will be
completed by the Greek embassy in Paris.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[17] EU AGRICUTURAL COUNCIL ADOPTS POSITIONS ON BSE
The European Union's special Council of Agriculture Ministers
adopted a series of proposals on addressing Bovine Spongiform
Encephalopathy (BSE), during a session held in Brussels yesterday.
Specifically, the Council agreed on a six-month ban of meat
and bone meal (MBM) meat flour in feeding animals in an effort to
contain the disease. Greece had advocated a 12-month ban.
The Council also adopted a complete ban of intestines of
bovines, regardless of age, but not the intestines of sheep under
the age of 12 months.
The EU's Food Safety Commissioner David Byrne stated that
the adopted measures will promote consumer confidence in beef.
The EU produces approximately three million tons of meat and
bone meal every year and the Commission has said it would cost
three billion euros ($2.66 billion) to destroy the animal waste by
incineration.
[18] BRITISH MUSEUM HOSTS GALA AT PARTHENON WING
Inaugurating its grant central courtyard, the British Museum
will hold a formal dinner inside the hall housing the Parthenon
Marbles, a move that has provoked the displeasure of Greek
Ambassador to the United Kingdom Alexandros Sandis -who has
refused an invitation to attend the event even though Queen
Elisabeth will be among the 500 guests.
The Greek Ambassador has forwarded the Museum's officials and
Queen Elisabeth a reply explaining the reasons he will not be
attending the gala.
"We are upset by the fact that the British Museum decided to
use the Duneen Hall for this event," an embassy official stated,
adding that the Ambassador opted not to attend the event since it
would be disrespectful to the Queen if he were to depart prior to
the dinner.
[19] GREECE IS SECOND ON FYROM'S EU TRADE PARTNERS LIST
Greece is second on the list with FYROM's trade partners from
the European Union as the volume of transactions between Athens
and Skopje reached US$ 250 million this year. First on the list is
Germany with trade transactions of US$ 500 million while Italy is
listed third.
The European Union remains FYROM's best trade partner this
year as 44% of the exported FYROM goods found their way to the
European Union markets.
The FYROM goods that are well-received by the European Union
markets are textile, ready-to-wear clothes, footwear, tobacco,
zinc, wine, and different types of cables and sheet metal. These
products make up 67% of the FYROM exports to the European Union.
FYROM's revenues from the exports to the European Union were
estimated at US$ 360 million this year.
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