Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2000-12-22
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, December 22, 2000
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
TITLES
[01] THE NATO EXERCISE "DISTANT THUNDER" HAS BEEN CANCELED
[02] THE ASSOCIATION OF DAILY NEWSPAPERS' JOURNALISTS IN MACEDONIA-
THRACE CONDEMNED THE ARMED INTERVENTION IN THE TURKISH PRISONS
[03] MARGINAL LOSSES IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
[04] REPPAS ON THE SAFETY OF THE GREEK AIRPORTS
[05] REPPAS: TOTAL COINCIDENCE OF VIEWS BETWEEN THE GREEK AND THE
CYPRIOT GOVERNMENTS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[06] SIMITIS WILL VISIT INDIA IN FEBRUARY
[07] SOLBES MIRA ON GREECE'S FISCAL PROGRAM
[08] THE FUNERAL OF THE PATRIARCH OF JERUSALEM WAS HELD TODAY
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] THE NATO EXERCISE "DISTANT THUNDER" HAS BEEN CANCELED
The NATO exercise "Distant Thunder", scheduled to take place
in the Adriatic and the Ionian Sea in May 2001, has been canceled
after objections raised by Turkey.
According to the Athens radio station "Flash", commander of
the allied forces in southern Europe general Elis announced in a
letter addressed to National Defense General Staff Chief general
Manousos Paragioudakis his decision to cancel the exercise, saying
that the cancellation was necessary because the study of the
conclusions reached in the previous exercise has not been
completed yet.
[02] THE ASSOCIATION OF DAILY NEWSPAPERS' JOURNALISTS IN MACEDONIA-
THRACE CONDEMNED THE ARMED INTERVENTION IN THE TURKISH PRISONS
The Association of Daily Newspapers' Journalists in Macedonia-
Thrace in a statement it has issued condemned the barbaric
behavior of the Turkish leadership toward the political prisoners
in the country and called on all the Turkish journalists to rise
to the occasion by revealing and condemning the crime that is
being committed against democracy, freedom and human dignity.
In the association's statement it is mentioned that the
premeditated crime in Turkey, which has as victims the 12.000
political prisoners in the country, continues for a fifth day and
tens of people have been killed while hundreds have been injured
so far.
The association condemns the barbaric behavior and calls on
the EU member-states to think that human rights is a protected
value everywhere and always and it is not protected in a selective
manner depending on whether the political situation allows for it.
[03] MARGINAL LOSSES IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
Marginal losses of 0.09% were recorded in the Athens Stock
Exchange today. The general index was 3.397,90 points and the
volume of transactions was small at just 33 billion drachmas.
Of the stocks trading today, 126 recorded gains, 205 had
losses and the value of 34 remained unchanged.
[04] REPPAS ON THE SAFETY OF THE GREEK AIRPORTS
The flights from the Greek airports are safe, while the Greek
airports operate in a safe way, reiterated today Greek government
spokesman Dimitris Reppas responding to a relevant question by
reporters.
Mr. Reppas added that Greece will undertake all necessary
initiatives to overcome as soon as possible the situation that has
been created and return to normal the cooperation between the
responsible civil aviation authorities in Greece and the United
States.
[05] REPPAS: TOTAL COINCIDENCE OF VIEWS BETWEEN THE GREEK AND THE
CYPRIOT GOVERNMENTS
Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas called on the
international community for more action and effectiveness, when he
was asked to comment on the Turkish Cypriot regime decision to
impose a 3month prison sentence to Greek Cypriot contractor
Panikos Tziakourmas, who was abducted while on British bases
territory in Cyprus.
Mr. Reppas stated that the international community and the
foreign governments even though they see that the occupation
forces are responsible for such aggressive actions they do not do
anything more than pointing out the responsibilities that belong
to Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash and the forces he
controls.
The international community should be more dynamic in order
to handle such actions more effectively, pointed out Mr. Reppas,
stressing that there is total coincidence of views between the
Greek and the Turkish government.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[06] SIMITIS WILL VISIT INDIA IN FEBRUARY
The foreign ministers of Greece and India stated after the
meeting they had in New Delhi today that the visit of Greek prime
minister Kostas Simitis to India in February will give a new boost
to the further growth of bilateral relations.
Meanwhile, working groups will be formed by the two sides
that will undertake the preparations for the visit and examine the
issues that will be discussed for the further development of
bilateral relations. The two foreign ministers also stated that
steps can be made in the economic cooperation sector as well.
The meeting of the two ministers was held in a very positive
climate and the Hindu foreign minister stressed that Greece is a
factor of peace in the region being a UN and a NATO member.
[07] SOLBES MIRA ON GREECE'S FISCAL PROGRAM
European Commissioner Pedro Solbes Mira, responsible for
economic and monetary affairs, attributed the problems faced by
Greece in the economic sector to the oil price increases, speaking
in a presentation of a European Commission report on the
contribution of the EU member-states fiscal programs to
development.
Greece was accepted in the Euro-zone due to its successful
efforts in the economic sector and because it responded fully to
the Maastricht criteria for its accession into the Economic and
Monetary Union, stated the European Commissioner.
[08] THE FUNERAL OF THE PATRIARCH OF JERUSALEM WAS HELD TODAY
The funeral of Patriarch Diodoros of Jerusalem was held in
Jerusalem today in the presence of representatives of states and
all the Christian Orthodox Churches. The Greek state was
represented by undersecretary of foreign affairs Grigoris Niotis
and the Greek Church by Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All
of Greece.
The Patriarch suffered from kidney failure and died last
Tuesday evening, while earlier he had a heard attack.
Patriarch Diodoros was born in the northeastern Aegean island
of Chios in 1923 and in 1938 went to Jerusalem where he finished
high school and became a monk. In 1952 he was admitted in the
Athens University Theology School. He graduated in 1957 and
returned to Jerusalem. On February 3, 1981 he was elected
Patriarch of Jerusalem.
He founded schools, nursery schools, orphanages and
hospitals, while he contributed to the restoration of historical
monasteries and the improved guarding of the holy sites.
Most favorites to replace him to the Patriarchate of
Jerusalem are Metropolite Erineos of Ierapolis, Metropolite
Cornelius of Sevastia and Metropolite Timotheos of Vostron.
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