Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2001-02-28
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, February 28, 2001
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
TITLES
[Á] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] BELGIAN DEFENSE MINISTER PRESENTLY IN ATHENS
[02] GREEK FM HOLDS TALKS WITH TURKISH COUNTERPART
[03] WINE COMPETITION BEGINS IN THESSALONIKI TODAY
[04] HOUSE REJECTS REVIEW OF ILLEGAL NATURALIZATION
[05] GREEK BIZ TEAM HAS PRODUCTIVE VISIT TO BELGRADE
[06] ELECTRONIC CAMERAS TO BE INSTALLED IN ROADS
[07] FRUIT PICKERS FROM BULGARIA TO WORK IN GREECE
[08] HOUSE SPEAKER MEETS WITH CROATIAN PREMIER
[09] GREEK EARNS FIRST PRIZE IN TOURIST FILM FESTIVAL
[10] ALOIS BRUNNER TO BE TRIED IN ABSENTIA ON FRIDAY
[11] THE ITALIAN PRESIDENT WILL BE IN KEFALONIA TOMORROW
[12] SIMITIS-PERRSON MEETING IN ATHENS
[13] BALKAN ECOLOGICAL ORGANIZATIONS WILL MEET IN THE CITY OF
DRAMAS
[14] LOSSES IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
[15] THE CYPRUS ISSUE IS HIGH ON THE AGENDA OF THE GREEK
GOVERNMENT
[16] MEETING OF GREEK AND TURKISH FILM CRITICS
[17] JOVANOVIC'S CONTACTS IN ATHENS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[18] AMNESTY INTERN/L: US EXPORTS TORTURE WEAPONS
[19] ALOIS BRUNNER WILL BE TRIED IN ABSENTIA IN PARIS ON FRIDAY
[20] THESSALONIKI PORT ORGANIZATION- FRY ECONOMIC CHAMBER
COOPERATION MEMORANDUM
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] BELGIAN DEFENSE MINISTER PRESENTLY IN ATHENS
Belgian Defense Minister Andre Flahaut is presently
conducting an official visit to Athens, at the invitation of his
Greek counterpart Akis Tsochatzopoulos.
This morning, Mr. Flahaut will lay a wreath at the Unknown
Soldier's Monument and in turn will hold talks with Mr.
Tsochatzopoulos.
The Belgian Defense Minister is to meet with Foreign Minister
George Papandreou this evening.
[02] GREEK FM HOLDS TALKS WITH TURKISH COUNTERPART
Foreign Minister George Papandreou held talks with his
Turkish counterpart Ismael Cem during a meeting held yesterday on
the sidelines of a NATO summit in Brussels.
Messrs. Papandreou and Cem discussed economic matters and
also referred to the Greek FM's scheduled visit to Ankara two
months from now.
Moreover, the two foreign ministers agreed to continue and
complete the Confidence Building Measures process between the two
countries.
[03] WINE COMPETITION BEGINS IN THESSALONIKI TODAY
The second International Wine Competition will begin in
Thessaloniki today, aiming to present the world's quality wines
and to further promote and expand the wine culture in the
Mediterranean region.
Coinciding with the international food and beverages trade
fair "DETROP", the event is organized by the Ambelonas Vinters
Union and held under the auspices of Office International de la
Vigne et du Vin and several Greek wine agencies.
The judges committee will comprise Greek and foreign wine
experts, producers and journalists. The competition will conclude
on March 3.
[04] HOUSE REJECTS REVIEW OF ILLEGAL NATURALIZATION
The Hellenic Parliament has rejected a proposal tabled by the
main opposition party of New Democracy which called for an
investigation into allegations of illegal naturalizations of
foreign nationals.
With 115 deputies voting in favor and 150 against, the House
rejected ND's proposal for the formation of a committee that would
examine the illegal offering of Greek citizenship to immigrants.
The ruling PASOK, along with the Greek Communist Party, the
Coalition of the Left and Progress and Stephanos Manos' Liberals
voted against the motion.
ND leader Costas Karamanlis had asked for the re-checking of
the cases where foreign nationals were granted Greek citizenship,
adding that in the following days he would brief the President of
the Hellenic Republic Costis Stephanopoulos on the case.
[05] GREEK BIZ TEAM HAS PRODUCTIVE VISIT TO BELGRADE
An 80-member business delegation, headed by the Minister of
Macedonia-Thrace George Paschalides, has already conducted a
series of successful contacts in Belgrade where, by the end of
their visit's first day, they met with the representatives of
about 200 Yugoslav firms.
Various seminars are being held on the sidelines of business
activities, where speakers include Serbian Minister of
International Trade Relations Goran Pitic, Minister of Industry
and Privatization Alexandar Vlachovic and Mr. Paschalides who
spoke on "Reconstruction Steps."
In his address, Mr. Pitic referred to the investment
opportunities that have arisen in his country, whose economy has
began to show signs of recovery and stability.
According to Mr. Pitic, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia is
presently working on a modernization program that involves reforms
in three areas: taxation system, private sector development and
amending legislation pertaining Foreign Direct Investment.
Mr. Vlachovic also referred to the privatization process in
his country, where laws are being tailored as to ensure
transparent and expedient procedures.
Mr. Paschalides stated that a common front should be created
against bureaucracy and corruption and stressed that the focus
should be turned to the private sector, reform in public
administration, infrastructure and environment.
Also, the chairman of Serbia's Economic Chamber Mr.
Veselinovic referred to the existence of 188 joint projects, of
which 100 are partially Greek, whose invested capital surpassed
the DEM 650 million mark during the past five-year period.
The visit is organized by the Thessaloniki Chamber of
Commerce and Industry (TCCI), in cooperation with the Interbalkan
and Black Sea Business Center and Thessaloniki's production and
scientific agencies. According to the TCCI, the purpose of the
delegation will be to probe possibilities of developing
cooperation between businessmen from the two countries. It is the
first delegation to be organized by agencies in Thessaloniki to
the region after the end of the war in the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia.
[06] ELECTRONIC CAMERAS TO BE INSTALLED IN ROADS
The Council of State has given the go-ahead to a presidential
decree that foresees the installation of flash cameras on Greek
roads to monitor drivers breaking the law.
In addition to taking pictures of offenders' cars and license
plate numbers, the cameras will also register the date and exact
hour of the offense, while in speeding cases, the precise speed
will be noted.
The Council found that the recording of such information will
not contravene privacy laws, as the purpose of the enterprise is
to catch drivers who break the highway driving code.
According to the decree, three copies of the photograph will
be made: one for the prosecution, one to be sent to court and a
third for the offender himself.
[07] FRUIT PICKERS FROM BULGARIA TO WORK IN GREECE
Hundreds of farm workers from Pleven, Bulgaria, are to work
seasonally as fruit pickers in Greece's city of Edessa, through an
effort jointly undertaken by the municipal authorities of the two
sister cities.
In an interview with the Bulgarian news agency BTA, the Mayor
of Pleven N. Zelenogorski stated that the cities of Edessa and
Pleven will provide and care for the transport and accommodation
of the laborers.
The two cities are among the founding members of the
International Association of Balkan Sister Cities, which is headed
by the mayor of Pleven.
The Association is expected to hold its next meeting at
Edessa during April.
[08] HOUSE SPEAKER MEETS WITH CROATIAN PREMIER
Visiting Croatian Premier Ivica Racan held talks with the
President of the Hellenic Parliament Apostolos Kaklamanis this
morning, which was an opportunity to have a constructive
discussion on promoting bilateral ties, as well as on cooperation
for the establishment of stability, security and peace in the
wider Balkan region.
"The cultural levels of Greece and Croatia, as well as their
geopolitical position, in the farthest southern and northern tips
(respectively) of Europe's southeastern wing, grant them the
opportunity to carry out a significant role to the benefit of
their nations and Europe as a whole," Mr. Kaklamanis stated.
In turn, the Croatian Premier underlined the significance
granted by his country to Greece's role -as a member-state of the
European Union- in the Balkan reconstruction process. Mr. Racan
also relayed his country's will to further strengthen cooperation
with Greece in the economic sector.
[09] GREEK EARNS FIRST PRIZE IN TOURIST FILM FESTIVAL
Greek director, Panos Kekas earned the first prize at the
Milan-held XXVI International Tourist Film Festival's environment
section, with his documentary entitled "On the Paths of Centaurs".
The said documentary is part of the travel series "On the
Trail of Pausanias" broadcast by Greece's state-owned television
channel ET-1. Kekas has also filmed numerous documentaries
centered around culture and environment, many of which have also
been awarded.
[10] ALOIS BRUNNER TO BE TRIED IN ABSENTIA ON FRIDAY
The trial of Nazi official and war criminal Alois Brunner,
who masterminded the deportation of Thessaloniki's 50,000 Jews to
death camps during World War II, begins on Friday in absentia in
Paris.
Brunner, who is of Austrian descent, was an SS lieutenant who
espoused the German citizenship in order to gain ascent in
Hitler's regime hierarchy. He not only is the perpetrator of the
destruction of Thessaloniki Jewish community -having organized 19,
in all, missions to the crematoriums- but he also led 24,000 Jews
in France's Drancy concentration camp during World War II.
According to Nazi-hunter Simon Wiesenthal, Brunner is in
Syria if he is alive.
"We know that he is no longer in the apartment where he
lived" in Damascus, Wiesenthal told the French news agency AFP,
albeit adding that "Syria is big enough to hide such a man."
Brunner was suspected of having sought refuge in Syria in the
1950s.
"He is in Syria if he is still alive," Mr. Wiesenthal added,
saying that Brunner would now be 88 years old.
Brunner ran the Drancy internment camp outside Paris, from
where Jews were deported to camps in Germany and Eastern Europe.
He is also held responsible for massive deportations of Jews from
Vienna and Slovakia.
This will not be the first time Brunner will be tried in
absentia; a trial was held in 1954 in Paris, followed by another
two years later in Marseilles, and in both cases he was handed the
death penalty.
French lawyer Serge Klarsfeld, who is intent on finding
Brunner since his father was among the lieutenant's victims,
stated that Friday's trial will focus on Brunner's involvement in
the mass killings that took place at Drancy's concentration camp.
French authorities have repeatedly raised the Brunner matter
to Syria, while French President Jacques Chiraq, during his 1996
visit to Damascus, had requested from the then-president Hafez al
Assad that he investigate the matter.
[11] THE ITALIAN PRESIDENT WILL BE IN KEFALONIA TOMORROW
Italian president Carlo Azeglio Ciampi will visit the Ionian
Sea island of Kefalonia tomorrow to attend a memorial service for
the 10.000 Italian soldiers massacred in September 1943 by the
German army after the truce signed by Italy.
President Ciampi will be accompanied by some of the survivors
of that tragedy among them the then artillery captain Amos
Pampaloni, who is now 85 years old.
A documentary aired by the RAI-UNO Italian state television
showed that the 9.000 Italian soldiers, who were executed in cold
blood by their former allies, chose death than humiliation and
only a few of them surrendered to the Germans to end up in Nazi
concentration camps. Other 2.500 Italian soldiers, who were held
prisoners of war by the Germans, drowned when their ships entered
a sea region with British mines, while 600 more were executed in
the Ionian Sea island of Corfu.
[12] SIMITIS-PERRSON MEETING IN ATHENS
The European Union social policy, development at a European
level, employment, enlargement and the common agriculture policy
were the main topics that were discussed by Greek prime minister
Kostas Simitis and his Swedish counterpart Goran Perrson, who was
on a visit to Athens.
The two prime ministers also discussed issues concerning the
preparation of the extraordinary European Council meeting that
will be held in Stockholm on March 23-24. Mr. Simitis briefed Mr.
Perrson on the outcome of the Inter-Balkan Summit that was held in
Skopje, Cyprus' EU accession course and the Greek positions in
favor of the European intervention in the Middle East.
Earlier, the prime minister of Greece had a tripartite
meeting with his counterparts Mr. Perrson from Sweden, who is
currently holding the EU rotating presidency and Mr. Ivica Racan
from Croatia and they examined the situation in the Balkans. The
Swedish prime minister referred to the promotion of Croatia's
relations with the European Union and stated that this is a sign
that normality and European orientation are returning to the
Balkans. Mr. Racan also had separate meetings with right-wing main
opposition party of New Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis and
Athens mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos.
In his meeting with his Swedish counterpart, Mr. Simitis
stressed the need for greater attention to be paid on the EU
social policy in relation with the economic development, the
implementation of new technologies, research, education, the
elimination of inequalities and the solution of the problem of
unemployment. He also referred to the aging population phenomenon.
The Swedish prime minister stated that the goals of the
Swedish EU presidency are economic growth and equality. He also
responded negatively to the question if the common agricultural
policy will be renegotiated and pointed out that the EU budget has
been finalized.
[13] BALKAN ECOLOGICAL ORGANIZATIONS WILL MEET IN THE CITY OF
DRAMAS
The 1st meeting of the Balkan Ecological Organizations will
be held in the northern Greek city of Dramas. The meeting is aimed
at the cooperation of ecological organizations on issues
concerning the environment, the exchange of information on common
ecological problems, the promotion of information, scientific
knowledge on the Balkan Peninsula environment through the
operation of a Balkan Ecological Organizations Network and the
assessment of the ecological problems in the Balkan Peninsula.
The meeting will be attended by representatives of ecological
organizations from Yugoslavia, FYROM, Romania, Albania, Bosnia-
Herzegovina, Montenegro Turkey, Slovenia, Bulgaria and Croatia.
[14] LOSSES IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
New losses were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today.
The general index dropped to 0.79% at 3.129,06 points, while the
volume of transactions was 206.9 million Euro.
Of the stocks trading today, 69 had gains and 272 recorded
losses, while the value of 30 stocks remained stable.
[15] THE CYPRUS ISSUE IS HIGH ON THE AGENDA OF THE GREEK
GOVERNMENT
The Cyprus issue is high on the agenda of the Greek
government, stated Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas on
the occasion of the meeting of Greek foreign minister Giorgos
Papandreou with US Secretary of State Colin Powell.
Mr. Reppas stated this was the first meting with the new US
government and the talk they had was not detailed, adding that the
cooperation between the two governments is necessary and will
continue.
On the US stance concerning the Cyprus issue, Mr. Reppas
underlined that the US is firm on its position and the only thing
that changes is the model that will be in effect. Namely, there
will be no special envoys for Cyprus and the issue will be watched
by the head of the US State Department. Mr. Reppas stated that
this change is possible to have positive results.
[16] MEETING OF GREEK AND TURKISH FILM CRITICS
A meeting of film critics from Greece and Turkey will be held
in Alexandroupolis, northeastern Greece on March 3-5 organized by
the city's Cinema Club in cooperation with the Greek Association
of Film Critics and the Turkish Association of Film Critics.
The goal of the meeting is to exchange views on the art of
cinema and lay the foundations for future cooperation on cultural
issues.
[17] JOVANOVIC'S CONTACTS IN ATHENS
Serb Socialist Party vice-president and former foreign
minister of Yugoslavia Zivadin Jovanovic met in Athens yesterday
with honorary president of right-wing main opposition party of New
Democracy Konstantinos Mitsotakis, Democratic Social Movement
leader Dimitris Tsovolas and Communist Party general secretary Ms.
Aleka Papariga.
Mr. Jovanovic visited Athens at the invitation of the Greek
Communist Party and discussed with Mr. Mitsotakis and Mr. Tsovolas
the developments in Yugoslavia and the Balkans in general.
Mr. Tsovolas in statements he made after the meeting with Mr.
Jovanovic stressed that they concluded that the cooperation
between the Leftist and progressive forces in the Balkans is
necessary for the preservation of peace and stability and the
protection of human rights.
In the meeting Mr. Jovanovic had with the Communist Party
general secretary it was established that they share the same
views concerning the situation in Kosovo and South Serbia.
Mr. Jovanovic underlined that if the peacekeeping force in
Kosovo did its job the Albanian terrorism and the secessionist
moves would have been averted. He also called for the return of
the expelled Kosovo Serbs to their homes.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[18] AMNESTY INTERN/L: US EXPORTS TORTURE WEAPONS
Dozens of U.S. firms reportedly sell torture weapons and
other related equipment overseas, according to Amnesty
International which calls for a ban on these sales.
According to the human rights group, these weapons include
high-tech electroshock gear, serrated thumb cuffs that tear the
flesh if the victim tries to flee, and leg irons.
"No US company should profit from torture," an Amnesty
International spokesperson stated, denouncing all forms of gain
that is derived from such activities.
In spite of the fact that it is illegal to own some of this
equipment in the US, Amnesty International stated that the
Commerce Department has issued a plethora of export licenses for
sales, under the category of "crime control equipment", amounting
to $97 million from 1997 to date.
The countries leading the list of buyers for this equipment
are Saudi Arabia, Russia, Taiwan, Israel and Egypt, according to
data provided by Amnesty International.
[19] ALOIS BRUNNER WILL BE TRIED IN ABSENTIA IN PARIS ON FRIDAY
War criminal Alois Brunner, who is accused of organizing the
holocaust of Thessaloniki's 50.000 Jews together with other Nazi
officers as well as, the annihilation of 24.000 Jews in Dransi,
France and other European regions during WWII will be tried in
absentia in Paris on Friday.
It is not the first time that Brunner is tried in absentia.
He was tried again in Paris in 1954 and two years later in
Marseilles.
Brunner's whereabouts are not known and according to certain
sources, he is dead while others believe that he has found refuge
in Syria. The former SS captain is accused of many crimes against
humanity during WWII.
[20] THESSALONIKI PORT ORGANIZATION- FRY ECONOMIC CHAMBER
COOPERATION MEMORANDUM
The signing of a cooperation memorandum by the Thessaloniki
Port Organization and the FRY Economic Chamber in three weeks was
examined today by representatives of the two institutions,
according to statements made in a press conference in Belgrade by
Economic Chamber president Slobodan Tsorac.
Referring to the visit of the Greek business delegation to
Belgrade, Mr. Tsorac underlined that the FRY counts on the Greek
assistance which is not in the form of a humanitarian aid but
focuses on the materialization of joint programs and ventures.
Northern Greek Industries Association president Vasilis Takas
pointed out that the Greek institutions work toward the
specialization of the Balkan Reconstruction Plan measures and aim
at an economic assistance for the development of the business
activity between Greece and FRY through joint ventures.
Mr. Takas also referred to future activities within the
framework of the Greek-Yugoslav cooperation such as, the
establishment of an office that will be responsible for the Balkan
Reconstruction and is scheduled to be in operation in a few
months. Meanwhile, the 8th Balkan Conference (Thessaloniki Forum)
will be held in Thessaloniki on April 2-3 within the specific
framework of cooperation. The conference will be attended by the
Serb prime minister, FRY foreign economic relations minister
Miroljub Labus and Serb international economic relations minister
Goran Pitic.
Greek embassy in Belgrade trade and economic affairs adviser
Christos Farmakis, referring to issues concerning the Greek-Serb
cooperation, stated that the sum of DM1million will be offered for
medicine supplies and education in FRY through the Greek foreign
ministry and the Greek-Serb Friendship Association.
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