Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2000-12-12
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, December 12, 2000
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
TITLES
[01] PREMIER URGES STATE, PUBLIC TO PROTECT CHILDREN
[02] THESSALONIKI TO HOST PART OF KOSTAKIS COLLECTION
[03] GREECE, FYROM DISCUSS SOUTHERN SERBIA IN SKOPJE
[04] BULGARIAN BUYS OFF SENTENCE WITH FAKE MONEY
[05] UN, ABDUCTORS NEGOTIATE RELEASE OF OBSERVERS
[06] BLAST ROCKS ECONOMY MINISTRY EMPLOYEE'S HOME
[07] FIRST MODERN DELPHIC GAMES HELD IN MOSCOW
[08] PM STRESSES SIGNIFICANCE OF INFORMATION SOCIETY
[09] THE TWO UN OBSERVERS ARE EXPECTED TO BE RELEASED BY TOMORROW
[10] THE FOREIGN MINISTERS OF GREECE AND FYROM WILL MEET TOMORROW
[11] ARCHBISHOP CHRISTODOULOS LAUNCHED AN ATTACK AGAINST THE
FRENCH EU PRESIDENCY
[12] LOSSES OF 1.97% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
[13] REPPAS: THE KOSTUNICA VISIT IS PENDING
[14] GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN: THE ATTACKS ON THE NICE SUMMIT RESULTS
ARE GROUNDLESS
[15] NEW INTEREST RATE CUTS BY THE BANK OF GREECE
[16] THE TRIAL ON THE CASE OF LITTLE BEN WAS PUT OFF TO TAKE PLACE
ON MAY 10
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[17] GREEK SINGER GLIKERIA WILL GIVE A CONCERT IN TIRANA TOMORROW
[18] PROFESSOR SPIROS SIMITIS ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CITIZENS
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] PREMIER URGES STATE, PUBLIC TO PROTECT CHILDREN
In light of the International Children's Day, Prime Minister
Costas Simitis yesterday called on citizens and the state to
provide for the protection and support of children, especially
those that are exploited and isolated from society.
"It is an important day which makes us feel responsible, both
as a state and as individual citizens, for their present and
future," Mr. Simitis stated, adding "life is not always like a
fairy tail; for this reason we must focus on the children that
live under difficult circumstances, those children that we pass by
every day in the busy streets of the big city, while they try to
sell their wares, the children that fall victims of exploitation
and ill-treatment everyday."
[02] THESSALONIKI TO HOST PART OF KOSTAKIS COLLECTION
A section of the Kostakis collection of priceless Russian
avant-garde artwork will go on display in Thessaloniki's
Lazariston Monastery this month.
The three-month exhibition will feature 100 artworks out of
the overall collection that consists of 1,275 Russian avant-garde
pieces, including works by Malevic, founder of the "supremacist"
school, Tatlin the founder of "constructivism", Papova, Rozanova
and Matiushin. The collection comprises mostly paintings, although
sketches, engraved manuscripts and documents are included.
Art aficionado George Kostakis, a Moscow resident of Greek
descent, amassed his collection between 1930 and 1960 through the
exchange of works by western artists for paintings dating from the
period of 1910-1930 by then unknown Russian avant-garde artists.
The Greek state formally acquired the collection with the
signing of an agreement last April between the Thessaloniki State
Museum of Modern Art and representatives of the late collector's
granddaughter, Aliki Kostaki, through a 14 billion-drachma
purchase deal.
[03] GREECE, FYROM DISCUSS SOUTHERN SERBIA IN SKOPJE
Greece's Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos met with the
President of FYROM Boris Traijkovski in Skopje yesterday, as well
as with the country's Premier Ljubco Georgievski and new Foreign
Minister Srdzan Kerim.
Following the discussions, Mr. Tsohatzopoulos said that
FYROM's leaders expressed their concerns over the developments in
southern Serbia, following recent raids into that territory by
ethnic Albanian bands operating from UN- and NATO-controlled
Kossovo.
Regarding bilateral relations, the Greek Defense Minister
pointed to the need for closer defense ties between Athens and
Skopje, such as an agreement for cooperation in the armaments
sector and the promotion of defense and security-related programs
on the both the bilateral and European level.
A memorandum of understanding and a military cooperation
agreement was also signed between Mr. Tsochatzopoulos and his
counterpart from FYROM Ljuben Paunoski.
The Defense Minister was accompanied by a delegation of
representatives from the Hellenic Arms Industry who held talks
with the dean of FYROM's military academy and visited the metal
industry of Skopje.
[04] BULGARIAN BUYS OFF SENTENCE WITH FAKE MONEY
A Bulgarian national was arrested in Northern Greece, after
he attempted to buy off a court sentence imposed on his wife with
counterfeit Greek money.
Thirty-eight-year-old Ivan Iliev reportedly tried to post
restitution for his sentenced wife with fake 10,000-drachma bills.
Police officers are now investigating if Iliev is part of a
counterfeit money ring. He will appear before the prosecutor in
the city of Drama today.
[05] UN, ABDUCTORS NEGOTIATE RELEASE OF OBSERVERS
Negotiations are presently underway for the release of the
two UN observers, a Greek infantry captain and a Polish colonel,
who were abducted by unidentified armed men in Georgia's breakaway
Abkhazia province.
According to the spokesperson of the UN observers mission in
Georgia, the negotiations are being handled by an envoy of the UN
Secretary General Kofi Annan and a representative of the
President of Georgia Eduard Shevardnadze. No information has been
released on the abductors' demands or identities.
[06] BLAST ROCKS ECONOMY MINISTRY EMPLOYEE'S HOME
A strong blast occurred early this morning outside the Athens
home of an employee of the National Economy Ministry, causing
minor material damage.
The explosive device was placed in the trash bin outside the
Vouliagmeni home of Dimitris Souliotis. No responsibility has been
claimed for the blast.
[07] FIRST MODERN DELPHIC GAMES HELD IN MOSCOW
The first modern Delphic Games were held in Moscow earlier
this month, under the aegis of alternate president of the council
of Hellenes Abroad (SAE) Costas Pappas, who is also the President
of Germany's Greek Communities Federation.
The Games featured the participation of 939 delegates and
artists from 27 countries, among them Greece, China, Japan, the
United States and Germany.
Addressing the closing ceremony, Mr. Pappas said that this is
only the start of a great course in the name of culture,
understanding among the peoples, and mutual tolerance and
acceptance.
The next Delphic Games, which are to be held one year prior
to the Olympics, will take place in 2003.
The Delphic Games, held in accordance to ancient Greek
tradition, aim to restore and strengthen channels of
communications between national and international initiatives and
to create a global network for the assessment of outstanding
artists.
[08] PM STRESSES SIGNIFICANCE OF INFORMATION SOCIETY
The government's vision for an information society should
become a vehicle for social cohesion, Prime Minister Costas
Simitis stated this morning, addressing an Athens conference
organized by the ministries of Interior and National economy.
"A community with social exclusions leads to an economy with
limited capabilities of meeting the expectations of
globalization," the Premier stated and stressed that the state
aims to ensure that the information society will be available to
all.
Mr. Simitis also stated that technological advances have
improved the level and quality of relations between the state and
the citizens, facilitated public service and strengthened
transparency in operations and transactions.
The Premier also called on the private sector to utilize
modern technology in order to promote growth and competition,
while he also stressed that it is technology that has to adjust to
society, and not vice versa.
[09] THE TWO UN OBSERVERS ARE EXPECTED TO BE RELEASED BY TOMORROW
The news coming from the former soviet republic of Georgia,
where a Greek infantry captain and a Polish colonel were abducted
last Sunday, is positive. As it was made known, a group of
Georgian army officers contacted the abductors.
According to information, the kidnapped Greek army captain
Efstathios Kokkinidis and the Polish colonel are in a good state.
The Greek ministry of defense has announced that the two UN
observers are expected to be released by tomorrow.
[10] THE FOREIGN MINISTERS OF GREECE AND FYROM WILL MEET TOMORROW
The formal opening of the new customs station at the Greek-
FYROM borders, that was funded by the European Union, will take
place tomorrow in the presence of FYROM prime minister Ljupko
Geogievski and foreign minister Serzan Kerim, while also present
will be Greek foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou and minister of
Macedonia-Thrace Giorgos Paschalidis.
After the inauguration ceremony, the two foreign ministers
will go to Thessaloniki's Hyatt Hotel where they will hold talks.
[11] ARCHBISHOP CHRISTODOULOS LAUNCHED AN ATTACK AGAINST THE
FRENCH EU PRESIDENCY
Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All of Greece launched
an attack against the French EU presidency.
He stated characteristically that the French side gave a
fight in order to remove any reference to Christianity from the
Human Rights Charter. He also said that France suffers from the
1789 revolution complex, while he stressed that Europe distances
itself from Christianity and is swept by a wave of atheism.
[12] LOSSES OF 1.97% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
Significant losses of 1.97% were recorded in the Athens Stock
Exchange today and the general index was at 3.612,66 points, while
the volume of transactions was small at 114.03 billion drachmas.
Of the stocks trading today, only 30 recorded gains, while
304 had losses and 42 remained unchanged.
[13] REPPAS: THE KOSTUNICA VISIT IS PENDING
Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas, responding to a
question by a reporter, stated that the visit to Greece by
Yugoslav president Voislav Kostunica is pending after an
invitation that was extended to him by the Greek prime minister.
Mr. Reppas clarified that the visit is not expected to take
place during this week.
[14] GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN: THE ATTACKS ON THE NICE SUMMIT RESULTS
ARE GROUNDLESS
The attacks launched by the parties of the opposition on the
Nice EU Summit results are groundless and are made for strictly
opposition politics purposes, stated Greek government spokesman
Dimitris Reppas, adding that the opposition is not aware of the
situation in Nice where tough negotiations took place.
He characterized the Summit results as positive for the Greek
interests, stating that the Greek goals have been met. He also
said that Greece maintains its veto right on foreign policy,
shipping and funding programs issues, underlining that Greece is
interested in the course of the European Union enlargement as it
includes the accession of Cyprus.
[15] NEW INTEREST RATE CUTS BY THE BANK OF GREECE
The Bank of Greece announced intervention interest rate cuts
of 0.75% limiting this way the distance from the European Central
Bank interest rate to one percentage point. The final phase for
the adjustment of the Greek with the European interest rates is
expected to take place on December 27.
Today, was made the first of two steps toward the complete
convergence of the Greek interest rates with the Euro interest
rates.
[16] THE TRIAL ON THE CASE OF LITTLE BEN WAS PUT OFF TO TAKE PLACE
ON MAY 10
The trial of the private detective, who maintains that he had
seen little Ben in northern Greece, was put off to take place in
Thessaloniki on May 10. The British boy disappeared 9 years ago
from the south-eastern Aegean island of Kos where he was on
vacation with his parents.
Private detective Efstathios Bakirtzis maintains that
Christos Kerimis, a resident of the city of Veria in northern
Greece, can be seen in a video holding Ben together with other
children in a gypsy settlement. Kerimis has brought a slander
action against Bakirtzis.
It should be noted that in 1995, Antonis Betsios, who serves
a life sentence in prison, had revealed that his cousin Christos
Kerimis was holding Ben. An undercover police officer approached
the gypsy settlement and videotaped a small boy with Ben's facial
characteristics and soon afterwards every trace of the little boy
was lost.
The parents of little Ben speak of omissions that were
committed by the police authorities in the investigations for the
location of their child and appear determined to file suits.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[17] GREEK SINGER GLIKERIA WILL GIVE A CONCERT IN TIRANA TOMORROW
The tickets for tomorrow's concert in Tirana that will be
given by Greek singer Glikeria were sold out in one day.
The concert is organized by the Greek embassy press office in
Tirana within the framework of a number of cultural and charity
events held by the Greek embassy in the Albanian capital. The
money raised from the ticket sales will be offered to the families
of the police officers who lost their lives while on duty.
[18] PROFESSOR SPIROS SIMITIS ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CITIZENS
One brother contributed as a professor to its drawing up and
the other contributed as a prime minister to its ratification in
the Nice EU Summit meeting. The charter of the fundamental rights
of the citizens is a first step for the creation of a single
constitution for all the EU member-states. The two brothers are,
Greek prime minister Kostas Simitis and Civil and Labor Law
Frankfurt University professor as well as computer law professor
Spiros Simitis.
Mr. Spiros Simitis was also the director of the Research
Center for the Protection of Personal Data in the same university
and in 1998 he was appointed by the European Commission as
chairman of the group of specialists on the so-called fundamental
civil rights. The conclusions of this group were regarded as
highly important and led Germany to suggest the creation of a
relevant charter.
The group of specialists' text served as the basis for the
German government proposals in the Cologne Summit in the summer of
1998, where it was decided that a new committee would undertake to
prepare the final text which was finally adopted by the EU leaders
in the Nice Summit.
Speaking to MPA, professor Spiros Simitis stated that this
charter is the first step toward a European Constitution. The
civil rights charter includes a number of rights that are already
recognized by the national constitutions and the Strasbourg
Convention as well as a number of new rights that reflect the
changes that have taken place in society as well as today's
problems.
Mr. Spiros Simitis stated that its implementation by the EU
member-states is not mandatory as certain members and especially
Britain, believed that this would constitute an intervention in
their autonomy.
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