Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2001-02-01
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, February 1, 2001
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
TITLES
[01] ECONOMY MINISTER DEFENDS POLICY BEFORE HOUSE
[02] SAE OCEANIA TO DISCUSS 2004 GAMES AT CONFERENCE
[03] BULGARIAN FOREIGN MINISTER TO VISIT ATHENS
[04] PM: "CENSURE MOTION AIMS AT RUINING ECONOMY"
[05] CAB RIDES, LOCAL PHONE CALLS PRICIER AS OF TODAY
[06] GREEK-ALBANIAN ECONOMIC COOPERATION SIGNED
[07] YOUNG AMERICAN RUNAWAY FOUND IN THESSALONIKI
[08] ND HON. LEADER: WE COULD COMBAT TERRORISM
[09] US: "GREEK SPEAKER IS OUT OF TOUCH WITH REALITY"
[10] THE US STATE DEPARTMENT ON THE STATEMENTS MADE BY THE GREEK
PARLIAMENT PRESIDENT
[11] THE AREA WITH THE RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL WAS BEING WATCHED FOR
OVER THREE MONTHS
[12] LOSSES WERE RECORDED IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
[13] THE CORONARY DISEASE IS ON THE RISE IN GREECE
[14] THE COOPERATION BETWEEN GREECE AND IRAN IN THE AGRICULTURAL
SECTOR IS SATISFACTORY
[15] ATHENS EXPRESSED CONCERN AND CONDEMNED STRONGLY THE INCIDENTS
IN PRESEVO
[16] SIMITIS: TODAY'S VOTE WILL BE A VOTE OF CONFIDENCE FOR THE
GOVERNMENT
[17] THE POLISH OLYMPIC COMMITTEE VISITED "ATHENS 2004"
ORGANIZATION
[18] A WRESTLING ATHLETE SUFFERED A PARALYZING NECK INJURY DURING
PRACTICE
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[19] CALM IN MITROVICA AFTER THE INCIDENTS CAUSED BY ALBANIANS
TARGETING THE GREEK FORCE
[20] PROTOCOL OF COOPERATION BETWEEN ERT-3 AND THE BULGARIAN STATE
TELEVISION
[21] EBRD APPROVED A US$50 MILLION CREDIT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF
AN OIL PIPELINE BY "HELLENIC PETROLEUM"
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] ECONOMY MINISTER DEFENDS POLICY BEFORE HOUSE
Minister of National Economy and Finance Yiannos Papantoniou,
who is facing a censure motion over the dismal recent performance
of the Athens Stock Exchange (ASE), stated that the bourse's
transformation to a mature from a developing market is what caused
the index to drop over the past year.
The motion was initiated by the conservative main opposition
party of New Democracy which has attributed ASE's recent downward
trend (which was reversed just yesterday) mainly to the lack of a
legislative framework, the non-independence of the Capital Market
Committee, the government's failure to promote structural changes
and its alleged intervention in the Stock Exchange.
Addressing the Parliament in his defense, Mr. Papantoniou
stated that the ASE was in limbo because high risk funds departed
for developing markets and low risk funds did not yet come to
invest in Greece due to the international crisis.
Moreover, he accused ND of "attempting to destroy
(investors') confidence, causing the exact opposite of the desired
result."
Mr. Papantoniou stated that the main opposition failed on all
the aims it set during its reign in government between 1990-93,
whereas, the governments of PASOK under (late premier) Andreas
Papandreou and (current premier) Costas Simitis, achieved all the
aims they set.
ND deputy Prokopis Pavlopoulos accused Mr. Papantoniou of
distorting reality, stating that "he is trying to make the entire
government jointly responsible and to degrade the huge economic
and political scandal of the stock exchange."
According to parliamentary regulations, 50 signatures are
required for such a motion, and the debate must be carried out
within 48 hours at the latest. A roll-call vote on the motion will
take place tonight, while a minimum of 151 votes are required to
pass the motion.
[02] SAE OCEANIA TO DISCUSS 2004 GAMES AT CONFERENCE
The World Council of Hellenes Abroad (SAE) regional
conference for Oceania, to be held February 10-11 in Melbourne,
will discuss the Athens 2004 Olympic Games and how overseas Greeks
can contribute to their success.
Attending delegates will also discuss the structure and
representation of SAE, ongoing negotiations between Greece and
Australia on a pension agreement, national issues, and education
and culture matters.
The first conference of the Forum of Greek Women of Oceania
will also take place during the same weekend, while the SAE youth
will organize an educational day-seminar in April in cooperation
with the Association of Greek-Australian Students.
[03] BULGARIAN FOREIGN MINISTER TO VISIT ATHENS
Bulgarian Foreign Minister Nadezhda Mikhailova will conduct
an official visit to Athens on February 8-9, following the
invitation of her Greek counterpart George Papandreou.
Ms. Mikhailova and Mr. Papandreou will review the means of
expediting the materialization process of joint projects between
the two countries, including the operation of three new border
stations.
The Bulgarian FM is scheduled to meet with the President of
the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos, President of the
Hellenic Parliament Apostolos Kaklamanis, Athens Mayor Dimitris
Avramopoulos and the leader of the main opposition party of New
Democracy Costas Karamanlis.
Bilateral trade and economic cooperation between the two
countries was very productive in 2000 at a time when Greece,
according to initial assessments, is in either first or second
place regarding investments in Bulgaria.
[04] PM: "CENSURE MOTION AIMS AT RUINING ECONOMY"
In a meeting with ruling PASOK party deputies yesterday,
Prime Minister Costas Simitis accused the conservative main
opposition New Democracy party of attempting to degrade the
government's performance in the economy with its motion for a vote
of censure against the Minister of National Economy and Finance
Yiannos Papantoniou.
Mr. Simitis stated that the censure motion is aiming at
ruining the economy, while he added that the criterion for the
state's economic policy cannot be the performances of the stock
exchange, but, instead, the real progress of the economy.
The Premier also said that the government's main concern at
present is fighting unemployment, while he added that PASOK has
opened a front against corruption.
"We are all judged by our actions and by the work we offer in
serving the public interest," he stated.
[05] CAB RIDES, LOCAL PHONE CALLS PRICIER AS OF TODAY
Taxi rates will rise as of today, February 1, along with
slight increases in the rate of local phone calls.
Specifically, the rate per kilometer will to 80 drachmas from
the previous 76, while the surcharge for transport to and from
airports will rise to 400 dr. from 300 dr.
In addition, the surcharge for transport to and from ports,
railroad stations and KTEL inter-city bus terminals will increase
to 200 dr. from 150 dr. The surcharge for each piece of luggage
will also rise from 50 dr. to 100 dr.
As for telephone calls, local calling rates will increase
from nine drachmas to 10.5 and the fixed charges from 2.400
drachmas to 2,800.
Long distance calls will be cheaper by about 30 percent with
charges down to 28 drachmas per minute around the clock.
International calls will be reduced by an average of 10 percent.
Call charges to Internet providers will remain unchanged.
[06] GREEK-ALBANIAN ECONOMIC COOPERATION SIGNED
Greek National Economy Deputy Minister Yiannis Zafiropoulos
concluded his round of contacts in Tirana yesterday evening with
the signing of a joint cooperation protocol on the economic and
industrial sectors.
In a joint press conference with Albania's Minister of
Economy Anastas Angelli, Mr. Zafiropoulos characterized the
protocol as a "significant, decisive, useful and critical step in
the development of bilateral economic ties."
In reference to Greece's economic aid for Albania, Mr.
Zafiropoulos stated that the Greek plan for the reconstruction of
the Balkans will be first implemented in Albania and the funds
allocated to that country will total 50 million euro, to be spent
over the next five years.
"The implementation will begin with Albania as it is the only
country of the region to have submitted complete plans," the
deputy Minister stated, adding that "these plans are the result of
frequent contacts and bilateral cooperation of the two
governments."
During his stay in Albania, Mr. Zafiropoulos participated in
the Eighth conference of the joint ministerial committee on the
economic, industrial and technical cooperation between the two
countries.
[07] YOUNG AMERICAN RUNAWAY FOUND IN THESSALONIKI
Police in Thessaloniki, northern Greece, have discovered the
15-year-old American girl who was missing for several months from
her Florida home, believed to have been lured here by a German
male felon (resident of Thessaloniki) whom she met on the
Internet.
According to the police report, Lindsey Shamrock, was
discovered in an apartment in Thessaloniki last night and will be
returned to her family.
The man, 35-year-old Frantz Konstantin Baehring, has not been
located yet, although a warrant for his arrest has been issued in
Florida, on charges of interfering with parental custody. The
Greek authorities are expected to enforce the warrant. Baehring
reportedly served time in Thessaloniki's prison for fraud and
afterwards took up permanent residence in Greece.
Also, two people have been arrested in the US on charges of
helping the girl travel to Greece.
According to the Associated Press, a 24-year-old woman from
Florida is accused of bringing the girl an airline ticket to Ohio
and driving her to Tampa for her flight.
US authorities have also arrested a 41-year-old man,
identified as Robert Arnder of Dennison, Ohio, who pleaded
innocent to a 308-count indictment that includes rape and other
charges against other minors. As AP reported, the girl stayed with
Arnder for about two weeks, and he helped her obtain a passport
and fly to Greece.
[08] ND HON. LEADER: WE COULD COMBAT TERRORISM
Blasting the ruling PASOK party for its anti-terrorism
policies, or lack thereof, the honorary president of the
conservative main opposition New Democracy Constantine Mitsotakis
asserted yesterday that his party could have resolved the problem
had it stayed in power just a little longer.
In an interview with the television channel "Antenna", Mr.
Mitsotakis, stated that "had my government stayed for another six
months the problem of terrorism would have been resolved."
Mr. Mitsotakis, who served as premier between 1990-93, stated
that "the terrorists were in prison at the time," adding that
"many had been arrested", although he stopped short of naming whom
he was referring to.
He also criticized the ruling party for abolishing New
Democracy's legislative framework on terrorism and stressed that a
new legislative framework is necessary to tackle the problem.
The ND honorary president also said that he doesn't think the
government will be able to exhaust its term, while he expressed
doubt as to whether Greece will actually host the 2004 Olympic
Games.
[09] US: "GREEK SPEAKER IS OUT OF TOUCH WITH REALITY"
The US State Department has officially expressed its
"surprise" and "disappointment" over the criticism regarding US-
Greek anti-terrorism cooperation asserted by the President of the
Hellenic Parliament Apostolos Kaklamanis to a visiting delegation
of US congressmen.
State Department spokesman Richard Boucher stated that "we
were surprised and disappointed by the fact that Mr. Kaklamanis
defined in this erroneous manner the anti-terrorist cooperation
between the two countries."
He further added that "I would like to underline that we are
closely cooperating with the Simitis government in order to
support its efforts against terrorism. We absolutely respect Greek
sovereignty and state authority. We have been helping Greece in
this sector for many years now. We have also expressed strong
public support to Greece's anti-terrorist efforts, especially
after last year's assassination of a British official. We have
made clear that we absolutely support the safe holding of the
Olympic Games in Athens in 2004".
Stressing that Greece and the US are very close partners, Mr.
Boucher also stated that "we believe that Mr. Kaklamanis is out of
touch with what is happening regarding the excellent relations
between the two states.
"The accusation that we are in a certain way using terrorism
to undermine the Olympics is simply erroneous and I will dismiss
it" he concluded.
[10] THE US STATE DEPARTMENT ON THE STATEMENTS MADE BY THE GREEK
PARLIAMENT PRESIDENT
The US State Department spokesman strongly criticized the
statements made by Greek parliament president Apostolos Kaklamanis
after the meeting he had last Friday with a US House of
Representatives delegation in Athens.
According to the BBC radio, the US State Department spokesman
stated that the United States are surprised and disappointed by
the fact that Mr. Kaklamanis presented the Greek-US cooperation in
an incorrect way, while he characterized as unacceptable and out
of touch with reality the statements made by the Greek parliament
president.
The US State Department spokesman stressed that Washington
backs the efforts to tackle terrorism and cooperation with the
Greek government is very good, a fact recognized by the Greek
government itself.
According to the BBC, the United States will not dictate to
the Greek government what it should do on the issue that has been
created with Mr. Kaklamanis, adding that Washington did not have
any other choice than to react to the unacceptable accusations.
Responding to comments according to which, there is pressure
in view of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, the US official
stated that the United States want safe games.
[11] THE AREA WITH THE RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL WAS BEING WATCHED FOR
OVER THREE MONTHS
The state agencies were watching discreetly for over three
months the region of the forest of Kouri in Asvestochori near
Thessaloniki, where the radioactive material were found buried,
according to the newspaper "Angelioforos".
The 520 plutonium and americium tables were located by the
economic crime police which acted after information it had
received concerning a radioactive and chemical materials illegal
trade ring.
According to the police authorities, the radioactive material
was possibly stolen from Ukrainian storage areas after the break
up of the former Soviet Union, while it is still a mystery how it
arrived in the area where it was buried.
[12] LOSSES WERE RECORDED IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
Losses were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today. The
general index dropped by 0.52% at 3.247,87 points, while the
volume of transactions was impressive at 271.20 million Euro or
92.41 billion drachmas.
Of the stocks trading today, 73 had gains and 266 recorded
losses, while the value of 37 stocks remained unchanged.
[13] THE CORONARY DISEASE IS ON THE RISE IN GREECE
The coronary disease and the cerebral strokes showed an
increase of 30-40% in Greece in the past decade, while in western
Europe and the United States they are on the decline.
The above were announced by Thessaloniki's Aristotle
University pathology professor and director of the preparatory
pathology clinic Giorgos Ziakas in a Greek medical conference that
is being held in Thessaloniki
According to Mr. Ziakas, the increase observed in Greece is
attributed to the increased cholesterol in the blood, the arterial
hypertension and cigarette smoking, while the decline in western
Europe is attributed to the implementation of preventive medicine
and the improved information that reaches the public.
[14] THE COOPERATION BETWEEN GREECE AND IRAN IN THE AGRICULTURAL
SECTOR IS SATISFACTORY
This year the cooperation between Greece and Iran in the
agricultural sector focuses on the use of new technologies in the
modernization of the irrigation networks and the more effective
management of water resources.
The above were stressed to MPA by Iranian undersecretaries of
agriculture Gholamreza Hosseinifar and Mohammad Ali Tahmasebi, who
are in Thessaloniki on the occasion of the 17th Agrotica
Agricultural Exhibition.
They stated that the Greek-Iranian cooperation got a
different dimension after the signing of a cooperation protocol in
1999 and expressed satisfaction over the results achieved so far.
They also stated that Iran is interested in the cultivation of
olive trees and the issue has been discussed repeatedly.
[15] ATHENS EXPRESSED CONCERN AND CONDEMNED STRONGLY THE INCIDENTS
IN PRESEVO
Athens expressed its strong concern regarding the incidents
in Presevo and speculated that there is a risk for a new tension
hotbed to be created in the region.
The Greek foreign ministry condemned the incidents and
foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou is in constant communication
with Skopje, Belgrade and Tirana as well as NATO secretary-
general, the UN secretary-general and the Swedish foreign
minister.
Mr. Papandreou suggested that there must be a kind of
supervision in the area by the OSCE and stressed that a message
must be sent to extremists that they will not succeed in their
effort to destabilize the wider region.
In a statement issued by the Greek foreign ministry it is
mentioned that the Kosovars and the KFOR are called to take
decisive measures for the protection of the international military
force and all the Christian Orthodox monuments in the region.
In the same statement it is stressed that the continuing
attacks by Albanian extremists targeting Serbs cause concern and
instability in the region of south Serbia and especially in FYROM.
It is also pointed out that Greece has a strong interest in
restoring calm and avert any destabilizing action, while it also
calls for the implementation of the UN Security Council Resolution
1244.
[16] SIMITIS: TODAY'S VOTE WILL BE A VOTE OF CONFIDENCE FOR THE
GOVERNMENT
The vote of the parliament deputies tonight will be a vote of
confidence for the government, stated prime minister Kostas
Simitis in today's cabinet meeting.
Acting government spokesman Tilemachos Hitiris stated that
Mr. Simitis stressed that the censure motion tabled by the right-
wing main opposition party of New Democracy is a censure motion
targeting the country's economic course and not minister of
national economy Yiannos Papantoniou.
The prime minister accused New Democracy of using these
methods trying to hurt the economy and take advantage of the
problem faced by investors, underlining that it has failed.
Mr. Hitiris stated that the main opposition party does not
have the support of the people and the market.
[17] THE POLISH OLYMPIC COMMITTEE VISITED "ATHENS 2004"
ORGANIZATION
The Polish Olympic Committee completed its visit to Athens
aimed at the briefing of its representatives on the progress of
the preparations works for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.
It should be noted that a Belgian Olympic Committee
delegation will visit Athens on February 6-9 followed by the
Japanese and the French Olympic Committees on February 12-14 and
February 22-24 respectively.
It is estimated that based on the experience in Sydney,
Athens will be visited by about 60-70 Olympic Committee
delegations before the end of the year.
[18] A WRESTLING ATHLETE SUFFERED A PARALYZING NECK INJURY DURING
PRACTICE
Eighteen-year-old wrestler Yiannis Simeonidis suffered a
severe neck injury during practice on January 18 and is still in
the intensive care unit of Thessaloniki's Ippokration Hospital in
a critical condition. According to the doctors, the athlete will
be a quadriplegic.
The members of the Association of Wrestling Referees
expressed their sensitivity by depositing a considerable sum of
money to the bank account that has been opened in the National
Bank of Greece (account number: 51009541) in the name of the
athlete's father Eleftherios Simeonidis and Association of
Wrestling Clubs in central-western Macedonia president Giorgos
Pozidis.
The parents of the young athlete want a large sum of money in
order to be able to take their son abroad for treatment.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[19] CALM IN MITROVICA AFTER THE INCIDENTS CAUSED BY ALBANIANS
TARGETING THE GREEK FORCE
Kosovska Mitrovica is calm after last night's incidents
caused by Albanian protesters targeting the Greek force deployed
in the region.
The men of the 507th Mechanized battalion were caught in the
middle of the clashes that erupted between the KFOR peacekeeping
force and Albanian protesters. About 150 Albanians armed with
stones and molotov cocktail bombs attempted to forcible enter the
Christian Orthodox church of St. Savvas which was guarded by Greek
soldiers, who managed to turn them back by shooting warning shots
in the air.
The incidents were the most serious of the past few months
and have caused strong concern in the international community as
there are fears for an escalation of the tension. According to
Flash.gr, Greek foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou had telephone
contacts with NATO officials while Greece's ambassador to Belgrade
Michalis Spinellis visited regions in southern Serbia on Tuesday
night and met with local officials who presented to him the
situation in detail.
According to the KFOR press center, 23 soldiers of the
peacekeeping force and members of the UN international police were
injured in yesterday's incidents. As it was made known, there were
no Greek soldiers among the injured.
[20] PROTOCOL OF COOPERATION BETWEEN ERT-3 AND THE BULGARIAN STATE
TELEVISION
A protocol of cooperation was signed by Greek state
television channel ERT-3 and the Bulgarian state television
presidents Dimitris Katsantonis and Radomir Tsolakov. The protocol
was signed in Sofia yesterday in the presence of Greek ambassador
Michalis Christidis.
It provides for the exchange of television programs, news of
political, economic, cultural and sports interest as well as co-
productions.
[21] EBRD APPROVED A US$50 MILLION CREDIT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF
AN OIL PIPELINE BY "HELLENIC PETROLEUM"
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
approved a US$50 million credit for the construction of a 221
kilometers long oil pipeline by the "Hellenic Petroleum" company
that will link Thessaloniki with Skopje, according to the Skopjan
news agency MIA.
The overall construction cost of the project is estimated at
US$105 million and "Hellenic Petroleum" will contribute with the
sum of US$55 million.
The oil pipeline will be able to carry 2.5 million tons of
oil a year.
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