Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2000-12-15
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, December 15, 2000
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
TITLES
[01] BALKAN PUBLIC TV STATIONS MEET IN THESSALONIKI
[02] PART OF KOSTAKIS COLLECTION IN THESSALONIKI
[03] S.E. EUROPEAN TELECOMS INSTITUTE IN THESSALONIKI
[04] NATO FOREIGN MINISTERS TRY TO OVERCOME IMPASSE
[05] IOC PRESIDENT: IT'S EITHER ATHENS, OR NOWHERE ELSE
[06] CHURCH OF GREECE: EUTHANASIA IS ASSISTED SUICIDE
[07] GREEK FM ADDRESSES NATO CONFERENCE IN BRUSSELS
[08] GREEK HUMANITARIAN MDs SEND AID TO PALESTINIANS
[09] YOUNG DEPUTIES-TO-BE MEET IN THESSALONIKI TODAY
[10] HOUSE SPEAKER MEETS WITH ALBANIAN COUNTERPART
[11] WWF CAMPAIGN FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE WILD GOATS IN GREECE
[12] FIVE YEAR PRISON TERM TO THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE YAKOVLEV CRASH
[13] ZAFIROPOULOS: THESSALONIKI PLAYS A LEADING ROLE IN THE BALKAN
RECONSTRUCTION
[14] LOSSES OF 0.13% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
[15] PAPANDREOU WILL VISIT INDIA, NEPAL AND BANGLADESH
[16] STRONG REACTION TO THE EU HUMAN RIGHTS CHARTER BY THE HOLY
SYNOD OF THE CHURCH OF GREECE
[17] LITTLE BEN'S GRANDFATHER FILED A SUIT AGAINST ANYONE
RESPONSIBLE FOR OMISSIONS IN THE SEARCH AIMED AT TRACING THE BOY
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[18] POLITICAL ANALYSTS ON WASHINGTON'S FUTURE STANCE TOWARD
GREECE AND TURKEY
[19] GREECE'S ASSISTANCE TO FRY TO DEAL WITH ITS URGENT NEEDS
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] 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 this weekend, 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.
[02] PART OF KOSTAKIS COLLECTION IN THESSALONIKI
A section of the Kostakis collection of priceless Russian
avant-garde artwork will go on display in Thessaloniki's
Lazariston Monastery tomorrow.
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] S.E. EUROPEAN TELECOMS INSTITUTE IN THESSALONIKI
A research institute for telecommunications and information
technology for southeastern Europe will be established in
Thessaloniki by nine Greek firms and the Association of Northern
Greek Industrialists.
The firms comprising the soon-to-be-established company are:
Hellenic Telecommunications Organization (OTE), Hellas-com,
Intracom, Panafon, Intrasoft, Infoquest, Altec, Forthnet and
Siemens.
The institute is to have a start-up capital of 450 million
drachmas with each company holding 10.55 percent of share capital
each and the industrialists' association 5.0 percent.
Shareholders want the center to act as the nucleus of a
network of state and private sector bodies in the region that will
survey and analyze sector developments in southeastern Europe as a
single area.
Each successive president of the Association of Northern
Greek Industrialists will also be president of the research
institute.
[04] NATO FOREIGN MINISTERS TRY TO OVERCOME IMPASSE
The United States and the other allied forces of NATO are to
once again try and overcome the impasse created after Turkey's
rejection of an Alliance joint statement on the future cooperation
with the European Union, as the latter insists in participating at
the decision making process of the EU on defense issues.
During today's session, U.S. Secretary General Madeleine
Albirght and her NATO counterparts will attempt to overcome the
impasse by arriving at a joint declaration which in turn will be
used as leverage in negotiations with the European Union.
According to Greece's Foreign Minister George Papandreou,
the Turkish delegation failed to submit a compromise proposal to
lead talks out of the impasse, since Turkey continued to have
objections in allowing the EU rapid reaction force to use NATO's
infrastructures for military operations directed by the EU.
While NATO's Secretary General Lord Robertson has welcomed
the EU initiative as something that will encourage Europeans to
bolster their military capabilities, Turkey feels excluded as it
wants to participate fully in the EU's decision-making process on
security issues.
[05] IOC PRESIDENT: IT'S EITHER ATHENS, OR NOWHERE ELSE
The President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC)
Juan Antonio Samaranch couldn't get more definitive when he said
that the 2004 Olympic Games will be held in Athens, or there won't
be Games.
In an exclusive interview with the "Los Angeles Times" this
week, Mr. Samaranch stressed that "in this moment, I am sure the
Games will be in Athens. If the Games are not in Athens, there
will not be Games."
When the article's writer, Alan Abrahamson, commented that
Los Angeles, among the bidders for the 2012 Games, features a
lineup of venues already so complete that it could easily be ready
in 2004, while there have been noted delays in Olympic projects
in Athens, Mr. Samaranch reiterated his support for Athens by
stating that "the Greek government and Prime Minister Costas
Simitis are undertaking every effort in this direction and "Greece
is back on track."
[06] CHURCH OF GREECE: EUTHANASIA IS ASSISTED SUICIDE
After the Netherlands became the first country to legalize
euthanasia, the Greek Church's ruling body, the Holy Synod,
expressed its disapproval by characterizing the act as "assisted
suicide".
In an announcement issued yesterday, the Holy Synod stressed
that "Orthodoxy believes only God can decide on life and death."
While the Netherlands is the first country to take such a
bold step in such a controversial issue, others, such as Colombia
and Switzerland have ruled that it is not a crime to help a
terminally ill person to die as long as they have given "clear and
precise consent"
While the Swiss outlaw active euthanasia, there is leeway for
doctors to assist in suicides where they give patients lethal
drugs but then leave them to administer them.
Others, such as Denmark and Singapore and parts of the United
States, Canada and Australia, give patients the right to refuse
life-prolonging treatment.
[07] GREEK FM ADDRESSES NATO CONFERENCE IN BRUSSELS
Addressing the NATO Foreign Ministers Conference in Brussels
yesterday, Greece's FM George Papandreou stressed the need to
globalize principles and values, as well as to draw a creative,
far reaching and lasting strategy for the Balkans.
"After the very important changes in the Balkans, the
Alliance must dare to hope," he stated. "We need to empower the
region that has historically been handicapped, dependent and
divided by a world community of competing interests and a babble
of conflicting signals.
"The balkanization of the region must be replaced by
coordination of international efforts and regional cooperation.
Respecting international law and borders, human and minority
rights, condemning all criminal activity and offering assistance
in the region," this is the message that should be derived from
this meeting, he said.
"We should globalize peace in our area and educatethe peoples
how democracy, dialogue and prosperity can be gained in multi-
ethnic, multi-cultural societies," he stressed, adding that the
objectives should be to control potential sources of conflict and
to create prerequisites for political and financial development
throughout the region.
Furthermore, the Greek FM stressed that the strategy to be
followed by NATO should be founded upon t he principles of respect
for each country's sovereign and territorial integrity, respect of
the existing borders, and the establishment of democratic
procedures.
Referring to the European Union's role in the Balkans and the
EU's plans for the creation of a rapid reaction force, Mr.
Papandreou stated that "following the EU Summit in Nice, we have
to forge an enduring and lasting relationship between our two
organizations, by building upon the 50-year experience of our
Alliance in unison with the autonomous will of the Union's
decision to act and react with a view to create an environment
conducive to peace, stability and prosperity.
He also referred to the need to upgrade the existing
cooperation with Russia, through NATO's ever-growing programs.
"Since NATO was successfully tested during periods of wars
and cold war, there is no doubt that it will equally succeed in
coping with the new challenges which lay ahead."
[08] GREEK HUMANITARIAN MDs SEND AID TO PALESTINIANS
The humanitarian organization Doctors of the World Greece has
issued an appeal to the Israeli government to allow the delivery
of 5.5 tons of medical equipment and medicines destined for two
Palestinian hospitals in Jerusalem and Gaza.
The supplies have been waiting at Cairo airport since
November 30. The organization said that despite verbal promises,
the Israeli authorities have not yet allowed the aid to be
delivered to Jerusalem's Lutherian Augusta Hospital and the Dar el
Shifaa hospital in Gaza.
[09] YOUNG DEPUTIES-TO-BE MEET IN THESSALONIKI TODAY
The National Conference for the selection of the Greek Youth
European Parliament, gets underway in Thessaloniki today, where a
select 10 students will represent Greece in the 36th International
Summit of the Youth European Parliament in Stockholm next spring.
The European Youth Parliament is a non-profit association
based in England and its goal is to hold meetings for the young
that are modeled after the European Parliament meetings. It has
been formally represented in Greece for the past six years by the
non-profit association Greek Youth European Parliament.
[10] HOUSE SPEAKER MEETS WITH ALBANIAN COUNTERPART
The President of the Hellenic Parliament Apostolos Kaklamanis
received his Albanian counterpart Skender Gjinushi in Athens
today, where the latter is presently on visit heading a delegation
of Albanian deputies, among them Albania's former premier Fatos
Nano.
During their talks, Mr. Kakalmanis relayed the Greek people's
sentiments of disappointment over the recent violations of the
Greek minority's rights during the local elections in Albania.
According to Mr. Kaklamanis, these events undermined the
positive climate existing in the two neighbors' relations and the
efforts to foster cooperation.
Furthermore, Mr. Kaklamanis stressed that Albania's European
orientation necessitates respect for the individual rights of
minorities residing in Albania, safeguards for their personal
property and security for business activities.
In turn, Mr. Gjinushi underlined that the majority of the
Albanian parliament wants to strengthen and develop friendly ties
with Greece. He also stated that the media in his country tend to
blow some issues out of proportion, a tactic that should not
reflect the Albanian government's policies.
He further conceded that avoidable mistakes were perhaps made
during the local elections.
Mr. Nano, who is the president of Albania's Socialist Party,
also stressed that relations between the two countries have
entered a period of growth and stability, especially in the
sectors of military cooperation, the Greek minority's integrity
and the development of Greek-Albanian business activities in the
Balkans.
Mr. Gjinushi accepted his Greek counterpart's proposal for
the restoration of Friendship Groups between the two countries'
parliaments, as well as for the exchange of visits between the
members of the two bodies.
[11] WWF CAMPAIGN FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE WILD GOATS IN GREECE
A campaign for the preservation of the wild goats, which were
in abundance in the Greek mountains in the past and now are
threatened with extinction, has been launched by the Greek branch
of the World Wildlife Fund, WWF.
According to a WWF announcement, only 500 wild goats can be
found on the rocky mountains of central and northern Greece which
have been isolated into small groups and are at the mercy of
poachers.
[12] FIVE YEAR PRISON TERM TO THE AIR TRAFFIC CONTROLLERS
RESPONSIBLE FOR THE YAKOVLEV CRASH
A Thessaloniki court imposed a five-year prison sentence on
each one of the two air traffic controllers at Thessaloniki's
Macedonia Airport, who are accused of being responsible for the
air accident at the Pieria Mountains in December 1997 in which all
74 people on board the Ukrainian "Yakovlev" plane lost their
lives.
According to the charges, the two were on duty at the air
traffic control tower at Thessaloniki's Airport on the night of
December 17, 1997 and they were found guilty of making a number of
mistakes and omissions during the failed landing attempt that was
made by the Ukrainian pilot.
[13] ZAFIROPOULOS: THESSALONIKI PLAYS A LEADING ROLE IN THE BALKAN
RECONSTRUCTION
Thessaloniki will play a meaningful role in the process for
the materialization of the Greek plan for the reconstruction of
south-eastern Europe, stated undersecretary of national economy
Yiannis Zafiropoulos addressing the delegates in the meeting of
the commercial attaches serving in the Greek embassies in the
Balkans.
Mr. Zafiropoulos stated that Greece has to adopt a quicker
pace in order to reaffirm its strong economic and political
presence in the wider region while at the same time creating the
preconditions for the development of its action.
[14] LOSSES OF 0.13% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
Marginal losses of 0.13% were recorded in the Athens Stock
Exchange today and the general index was at 3.584,08 points. The
volume of transactions was 167.49 billion drachmas.
Of the stocks trading today 155 recorded gains, 181 had
losses and 38 remained unchanged.
Meanwhile, the National Bank of Greece will proceed with
interest rate cuts of 0.25%-0.50% in all the categories of its
products, according to an announcement made today.
[15] PAPANDREOU WILL VISIT INDIA, NEPAL AND BANGLADESH
Greek foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou will leave tomorrow
for a formal visit to India, Nepal and Bangladesh.
During his visit to India he will have talks in New Delhi
with the country's president and prime minister as well as with
leaders of the opposition, while in Calcutta he will visit the
Orthodox orphanage and clinic.
In Katmandu, Nepal he will meet with the country's prime minister
and King, while he will inaugurate a Greek photo exhibition.
Next Wednesday, Mr. Papandreou will be in Dhaka, Bangladesh
where he will have meetings with the country's president and prime
minister, while he will inaugurate an artists' exhibition and meet
with the main leader of the opposition.
[16] STRONG REACTION TO THE EU HUMAN RIGHTS CHARTER BY THE HOLY
SYNOD OF THE CHURCH OF GREECE
The Holy Synod of the Church of Greece will sent a demarche
to French president Jacques Chirac and European Commission
president Romano Prodi in protest to the Nice Summit meeting
decision to remove from the Fundamental Human Rights Charter any
reference to the Christian or religious tradition as a factor that
has contributed to the formation of a common conscience among the
European citizens.
In a statement issued by the Holy Synod it is pointed out
that it should be noted that there was strong reaction to the
French EU presidency action throughout Europe and in France.
Specifically, 70 personalities from the political and intellectual
world among them, socialist former president of the European
Commission Jacques Delors, former minister of the French socialist
government Catherine Trotman, Gaulist party parliament deputy
Jules de Roben and intellectuals Olivier Ambel and Jan Batist de
Foucau sent a letter of protest to French president Jacques Chirac
on the occasion of the removal of any religious reference in the
European Union Charter. In their letter they were pointing out
among others, that Europe can not renounce its religious tradition
and regard as a relic of the past the living faith of millions of
European Union citizens.
The Holy Synod comments that the decision that was reached on
the issue in the Nice Summit meeting attempts to push at the
margins of history the centuries-long significant contribution of
Christianity to the European civilization. The Holy Synod protests
against the decision because as it mentions, an attempt is being
made to impose on the European Union population principles and
views on which the peoples making up the European Union were never
asked to give their opinion. It is stressed that human rights and
religious freedoms can not be promoted through the oppression of
the religious belief of the Christians or by erasing historic
periods and achievements that were the resultants of the Christian
Culture.
In the statement it is made known that the Holy Synod of the
Church of Greece will brief on the issue that has arisen, the
Ecumenical Patriarch, the heads of the Autocephalous Christian
Orthodox Churches, the Christian Church leaders in Europe, the
president of the Hellenic Republic, the European Union prime
ministers, the members of the European parliament, the Council of
European Churches and COMECE.
The Holy Synod statement concludes that every Christian in
Europe agrees with the observance of human rights but this does
not mean that for their promotion the people should accept the
abolition of their tradition.
[17] LITTLE BEN'S GRANDFATHER FILED A SUIT AGAINST ANYONE
RESPONSIBLE FOR OMISSIONS IN THE SEARCH AIMED AT TRACING THE BOY
The grandfather of little Ben, the British boy that
disappeared from the south-eastern Aegean island of Kos in the
summer of 1992 while he was on vacation with his parents, filed a
suit against anyone responsible, individuals and state employees,
accusing them of serious omissions in the search aimed at tracing
his grandson.
Eddie Needham, who came to Thessaloniki two days ago, accuses
the Greek police of not acting immediately in order to avert the
escape of the unidentified people who, according to him, kidnapped
the boy. In his suit the boy's grandfather mentions that the
island's ports and airport were sealed four whole days after the
child's disappearance and this gave the opportunity to his
abductors to leave the island with the boy.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[18] POLITICAL ANALYSTS ON WASHINGTON'S FUTURE STANCE TOWARD
GREECE AND TURKEY
Political analysts are divided in the United States over
Washington's policy toward Greece and Turkey, according to the BBC
radio Greek service.
George Sitilidis, director of the Western Policy Center in
Washington stated that he does not expect a significant change in
Washington's policy toward Greece, Cyprus and Turkey at least in
the first two years of the George Bush Jr. administration.
However, after the first two years he expects changes in the
Washington-Athens relations, adding that Greece's position in the
region has changed compared to the position it had in the past 50
years.
Mr. Sitilidis also stated that the new US president will
focus his attention on the foreign policy the United States follow
on big issues such as, the relations with Russia, China and the
cohesion of NATO. Mr. Sitilidis expressed the view that the Bush
administration will be more friendly toward Turkey, as it is a
significant US partner in terms of the policy followed toward
Iran, Iraq and Russia.
Responding to the question concerning the likely removal of
Nicholas Burns from his post as US ambassador to Athens, Mr.
Sitilidis said that both the republicans and the democrats know
that Mr. Burns did an excellent job as a US ambassador to Athens.
The general impression is that he will be in Athens until mid
2001, adding that Nicholas Burns was appointed to the position by
president Clinton but he had also served in the National Security
Council under the George Bush presidency.
[19] GREECE'S ASSISTANCE TO FRY TO DEAL WITH ITS URGENT NEEDS
Greece's assistance to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
aimed at helping it to deal with its urgent needs was announced by
the Greek mission participating in the 1st international
coordinating meeting of the donor countries for FRY that took
place in Brussels.
Specifically, Greece will offer 22.660.000 Euro for food,
medical aid and financial support, while 30 buses will be sent to
Yugoslavia to cover transportation needs.
In the meeting that was held under the auspices of the
European Commission and the World Bank participated 41 countries
and 19 international organizations which focused their interest on
finding ways to satisfy the urgent needs of the FRY and especially
those concerning energy, health and social welfare issues.
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