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Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2001-02-15
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, February 15, 2001
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
TITLES
[01] NATO EXERCISE IN IONIAN SEA BEGINS TODAY
[02] "PARTNERSHIP IN PEACE" FEATURED IN NATO EXERCISE
[03] IOC'S ROGGE ARRIVES IN ATHENS TODAY
[04] FYROM'S PM ON NAME: WE MUST GET RID OF SHAME
[05] HARVARD CONFERENCE EXAMINES BALKAN ISSUES
[06] TIME: IOC CHIEF SCHEMES TO STRIP ATHENS OF GAMES
[07] EUROPE'S PANMACEDONIAN ASSOCIATION AIRS ANGST
[08] THE FLORIDIS-ROGGE MEETING WAS HELD IN A POSITIVE CLIMATE
[09] MARGINAL LOSSES IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
[10] THE GOVERNMENT REMAINS FIRM TO ITS PROPOSAL ON THE FYROM NAME
[11] COSMOTE WILL BE PRESENTED TO INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS
[12] KARAMANLIS-ROGGE MEETING
[13] NEW PROSPECTS FOR THE BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS IN SE
MEDITERRANEAN
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[14] EURO-DEPUTY ANNA KARAMANOU CALLS FOR EU MEASURES AGAINST
ORGANIZED CRIME IN THE BALKANS
[15] THE EURO-PARLIAMENT APPROVED THE SHIPPING SAFETY COMMITTEE
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] NATO EXERCISE IN IONIAN SEA BEGINS TODAY
A NATO naval exercise, touted as the most important in the
anti- submarine race world-wide, is to get underway today in the
Ionian Sea and the eastern parts of Sicily, with the participation
of 12 countries, including Greece.
Code-named "Dogfish 2001", the exercise's purpose is to
showcase the Alliance's ability to conduct coordinated counter-
submarine operations and it will involve a multinational force
composed of surface vessels, submarines, naval cooperation
aircraft and helicopters. Greece will participate with a
submarine, a naval cooperation aircraft and a destroyer.
The other participating countries are France, Germany,
Britain, the United States, Spain, Italy, Canada, Norway, the
Netherlands, Portugal and Turkey.
[02] "PARTNERSHIP IN PEACE" FEATURED IN NATO EXERCISE
The 14 "Partnership for Peace" member-states are to take part
for the first time in NATO's annual crisis management exercise
codenamed CMX 200, which will be held between February 15-21.
The purpose of the exercise is to test processes for managing
joint political and military crises and improve NATO's ability to
manage crises.
The exercise's scenario is hypothetical and will take place
in an imaginary region between Iceland and Britain, where NATO's
task will be to implement a United Nations peace operation.
[03] IOC'S ROGGE ARRIVES IN ATHENS TODAY
The President of the International Olympics Committee's
Coordination Commission, Jacques Rogge is to arrive in Athens
today, in order to assess the country's course of preparations for
the 2004 Olympic Games.
Mr. Rogge will hold talks with the president of the Athens
2004 Organizing Committee, Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki, Minister
of Environment, Public Works and Urban Planning Costas Laliotis
and undersecretary of Sports George Floridis.
[04] FYROM'S PM ON NAME: WE MUST GET RID OF SHAME
Referring to the name issue pending between Skopje and
Athens, FYROM's Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski expressed his
regret that the media did not pay attention "to the backtracking
that took place, regarding the name, years ago", adding that
present negotiations with Greece aim at correcting "the shameful
adaptation of the name FYROM".
When asked what an acceptable solution would be, Mr.
Georgievski responded that "one has not been found yet". In
regards to a potential compromise on a dual name, the FYROM
Premier stated that such a compromise was reached by his
predecessor Kiro Gligorov and has been in effect for nine years
now.
"If a compromise is found, then we will accept it," he
stated.
[05] HARVARD CONFERENCE EXAMINES BALKAN ISSUES
The Balkan states are facing a challenge in adapting their
social and political practices to the demands of globalization and
modernization, according to experts addressing the third Annual
Conference on the region organized by the Kokkalis Program on
Southeastern and Central-Eastern Europe at Harvard University.
The aim of the conference was to bring together new
researchers dealing in the field of social and political sciences
in the Balkans. The conference dealt with issues related to
economic reconstruction, public administration and
democratization, the society of citizens and human rights, mass
media and democracy, traditional and new matters concerning
security, criminality and corruption.
Speakers at the conference stressed that stabilizing
parliamentary democracy was a first significant step, but the
caging of the region to economic underdevelopment, crime,
corruption, lack of a fair state and human rights and regional
security issues, were probable threats to the region.
[06] TIME: IOC CHIEF SCHEMES TO STRIP ATHENS OF GAMES
International Olympic Committee President Juan Antonio
Samaranch is reportedly scheming to strip Athens of the 2004
Olympic Games and is promoting Seoul instead, hoping in the
resulting reconciliation between North and South Korea which would
grant him the coveted million-dollar Nobel Peace Prize, according
to a "Time" magazine article.
Written by the magazine's Athens correspondent Anthee
Karassava, who's often incited Greek public opinion through
various provocative articles -laden with anonymous claims- on
Greece's terrorism record, the story quotes an unnamed source as
saying that Mr. Samaranch's ploy is "a brilliant IOC comeback
plan.
"After all the scandals, the corruption and sycophancy, the
IOC can finally be seen as contributing to international peace and
security."
According to Ms. Karassava, "the terrorist bombs that rock
the Greek capital, plus delays in the preparations, could give
(Mr. Samaranch) an excuse."
Meanwhile, IOC Coordination Commission president Jacques
Rogge, presently in Athens, dismissed such rumors as unfounded,
stressing that there is no plan whatsoever to move the Games from
Athens. Nevertheless, he added that while the Greek capital is
presently on a good track, it can't afford to lose more valuable
time in preparations.
[07] EUROPE'S PANMACEDONIAN ASSOCIATION AIRS ANGST
If the name issue pending between Athens and Skopje is a
matter of national dignity for FYROM, it is similarly one of
utmost importance to the residents of Macedonia, Greece, the Pan-
Macedonian Association of Europe states in a letter to Prime
Minister Costas Simitis where it conveys its concerns over the
reportedly impending ‘closure' of the matter.
In their letter, also forwarded to key ministers and to the
main opposition party leader -New Democracy's Costas Karamanlis,
the Association's members voice their concern that the matter will
be resolved through the adoption of a permanent name bearing the
term "Macedonia", a prospect that they call "criminal".
"FYROM's potential recognition by Greece as ‘Macedonia', and
its Church's recognition as ‘Macedonian' will not only fail to
provide a resolution to the state's entity problem, but will also
burden Greece with a burdensome legacy and political anathema; in
other words, it will constitute a tragic political error with
unforeseeable and long-term consequences."
Moreover, the Association's letter states that "the
intention to propose the term ‘Northern' or ‘Nova Macedonia' as a
solution acceptable by Greece is tragicomic as, if you have
already practically accepted the combined name, then you will also
validate the crime".
[08] THE FLORIDIS-ROGGE MEETING WAS HELD IN A POSITIVE CLIMATE
Greek undersecretary of sports Giorgos Floridis met with
International Olympic Committee, IOC, vice-president Jacques
Rogge, who is in Greece heading an IOC delegation which inspects
the course of the preparations for the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.
Mr. Rogge stated that the IOC expects that the necessary projects
will soon get underway and added that he relies on the actions the
undersecretary of sports will undertake for the completion of the
projects within the framework of the set timetable.
On the progress of the projects, the undersecretary of sports
stated that the proofs that their construction is underway will
come very soon, adding that the companies that will undertake them
will be big companies in order to avoid any problems during the
construction process.
[09] MARGINAL LOSSES IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
Marginal losses were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange
today. The general index dropped by 0.20% at 3.204,84 points,
while the volume of transactions was 104.9 billion drachmas.
Of the stocks trading today, 281 recorded gains and 54 had
losses, while the value of 35 stocks remained stable.
[10] THE GOVERNMENT REMAINS FIRM TO ITS PROPOSAL ON THE FYROM NAME
The talks on the issue of the name of FYROM are in progress
under the UN auspices reiterated today Greek government spokesman
Dimitris Reppas, pointing out that the government is firm on its
position concerning the name of FYROM as it was formed at the
beginning of the process within the framework of the United
Nations.
He underlined that the climate in bilateral relations has
changed and this is proven by the fact that the Balkan Summit
meeting will be held in Skopje on February 22-23. The improvement
of the climate between the two countries contributes to the
settlement of the issue of the name, said Mr. Reppas and concluded
that he has the belief that a solution can be found that will be
mutually beneficial.
[11] COSMOTE WILL BE PRESENTED TO INSTITUTIONAL INVESTORS
The Greek Telecommunications Organization, OTE, mobile phone
company "Cosmote" opens a presentation program to foreign
investors on Monday.
Specifically, the program includes visits by the company's
senior executives to London, Frankfurt, Milan, Paris and Edinburg
and already 17 meetings have been scheduled to take place with
foreign funds.
[12] KARAMANLIS-ROGGE MEETING
International Olympic Committee, IOC, vice-president Jacques
Rogge met with right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy
leader Kostas Karamanlis in Athens today. Mr. Rogge is in Athens
heading an IOC delegation that inspects the construction course of
the 2004 Olympic Games projects.
In statements he made after the meeting, Mr. Karamanlis spoke
of serious deviations from the timetable concerning the completion
of the Olympic Games projects and stressed that there is a climate
of confusion in roles and responsibilities. The government's
inactivity and delays can not serve as an alibi for processes that
are not open and do not guarantee respect to public money,
underlined Mr. Karamanlis.
[13] NEW PROSPECTS FOR THE BUSINESS TRANSACTIONS IN SE
MEDITERRANEAN
A protocol of cooperation signed in Jordan by the Association
of Industries in Northern Greece and the Industry Chamber in Amman
created new prospects for the development of business cooperation
in southeastern Mediterranean.
The protocol was signed during a mission by the Association
of Industries in Northern Greece to Amman on February 6-9. In the
meetings that were held it was confirmed that the two countries
share traditionally good bilateral relations, while it was also
established that the Jordanian businessmen wish to develop
cooperation with Greek businesses in the sectors of trade,
production and technology.
It was also established that a big advantage for the Greek
businessmen is the fact that about 2.800 Jordanian scientists are
graduates of Greek universities and many of them occupy top
positions both in the public administration and the private
sector.
Also, they reached the conclusion that through the Jordanian
businesses the Greek businessmen have the opportunity to approach
the markets of the Middle East and mainly, Iraq, Syria, Saudi
Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as they are Jordan's main
trade partners.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[14] EURO-DEPUTY ANNA KARAMANOU CALLS FOR EU MEASURES AGAINST
ORGANIZED CRIME IN THE BALKANS
Greek Euro-deputy Anna Karamanou called on the European
Commission to take measures against organized crime in the
Balkans.
The Euro-deputy stated that in the past 3 years the number of
women, who are led to prostitution by gangs of slave-traders has
tripled. Also, the adverse economic conditions and the inadequacy
of the state mechanism in the Balkan countries have created
favorable conditions for the crime to bloom especially, in the
sectors of prostitution and drug trafficking. In addition, huge
drug trafficking rings that cooperate closely with many local
Mafias have been formed in many newly created states.
Ms. Karamanou believes that the necessary pre-conditions in
order to tackle organized crime in the Balkans is to improve the
justice sector and the security measures at the Balkan border
regions.
[15] THE EURO-PARLIAMENT APPROVED THE SHIPPING SAFETY COMMITTEE
The plenary session of the European Parliament approved with
an overwhelming majority the report tabled by Greek Euro-deputy
Emanuel Bakopoulos on the European Commission proposal for the
creation of a Shipping Safety Committee. The goal of the committee
is to ensure greater safety in shipping and more effective
pollution prevention.
The European Union already has 12 directives and 3
regulations seeking to safeguard the tougher implementation of the
regulations in the sectors concerning ship safety, pollution
prevention, training criteria, sailors' qualifications and working
conditions on ships.
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