Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2001-03-27
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, March 27, 2001
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
TITLES
[Á] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] STATE-OF-THE-ART AIRPORT INAUGURATED TODAY
[02] PRODI BECOMES HONORARY CITIZEN OF THESSALONIKI
[03] MEDITERRANEAN TV CONFERENCE IN THESSALONIKI
[04] WORLD LEADERS AT "ECONOMIST" EVENT IN ATHENS
[05] DEFENSE MINISTER RECEIVES FINNISH COUNTERPART
[06] TURKISH PM: THE AEGEAN ISSUE IS "COMPREHENSIVE"
[07] GREEK FM AND UK's COOK, DISCUSS FYROM CRISIS
[08] NATO EXERCISE BEGINS IN IONIAN SEA ON FRIDAY
[09] HOLY SYNOD CONVENES TODAY OVER ID REFERENDUM
[10] EURASIAN INSTITUTE REVIEWED AT ASIA FORUM
[11] POMP & CIRCUMSTANCE AT AIRPORT INAUGURATION
[12] GREEK FM DISCUSSES CYPRUS ISSUE WITH UK's COOK
[13] OPPOSITION AHEAD IN VOTES, BUT PM STILL LEADING
[14] IT'S OFFICIAL, THE POPE WILL VISIT GREECE ON MAY 4
[15] ALBANIAN PM ATTENDS GREEK HOLIDAY RECEPTION
[16] APPEAL OF SUSPECTED LEFTIST TERRORIST CONTINUES
[17] SIMITIS: THE NEW AIRPORT CONFIRMS GREECE'S GEO-POLITICAL
IMPORTANCE
[18] THE GREEK PRESIDENT WILL WATCH THE FOOTBALL GAME BETWEEN THE
NATIONAL TEAMS OF GREECE AND GERMANY
[19] SIMITIS-KARAMANLIS-ZIZIC IN THE 8TH THESSALONIKI FORUM
[20] LOSSES IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
[21] THE NEW ATHENS AIRPORT WILL HAVE A VERY POSITIVE EFFECT ON
THE ECONOMY
[22] SIMITIS AND PAPARIGA DISCUSSED THE DEVELOPMENTS IN FYROM AND
THE BALKANS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[23] PAPANDREOU'S INTERVIEW WITH THE CNN
[24] COOK: THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY WILL NOT RECOGNIZE THE
TURKISH CYPRIOT REGIME
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] STATE-OF-THE-ART AIRPORT INAUGURATED TODAY
The new state-of the-art airport in Athens, "Eleftherios
Venizelos, is to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Costas Simitis
today, in the presence of the President of the Hellenic Republic
Kostis Stephanopoulos and other officials.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony will also be attended by the
leader of the main opposition party of New Democracy Costas
Karamanlis.
The first airplane will take off from the new Athens
International Airport at dawn on March 29, while the last flight
from the soon-to-be abandoned Hellenikon airport will take off at
8 p.m. on March 28. The first airplanes to touch down on the new
airport will do so at around 3 p.m. on March 29.
The new airport, located at Spata, southeast of Athens, aims
at establishing a regional hub for air routes from Europe, Asia
and Africa, while its initial capacity is 16 million passengers
annually, with a potential for expansion to 50 million passengers
a year. Two runways allow for simultaneous take-off and landing of
up to 600 aircraft per day.
State-of-the-art facilities will provide for both an
expanding tourism industry and the demands of the Athens-held
Olympic Games of 2004.
Higher airport taxes and fees charged to airlines are to
result in increased ticket prices and, subsequently, boost
revenues, bringing Athens into line with other large European
airports.
The GDR658 billion construction project has involved
investment by both Greek and foreign companies and an innovative
co-operation between private companies and the Greek public
sector. More than 100 Greek constructors were involved in the
work. The operating company, Athens International Airport S.A.
(AIA), owned 55% by the Greek state and 45% by the German Hochtief
group, was responsible for the airport's construction and remains
responsible for its operation for the next 30 years. More than
7,000 permanent jobs will be created at the airport and in
associated services.
A large portion of AIA's operating costs will be covered by
income from concession agreements for the provision of passenger
services and facilities. The airport terminal will feature 10 food
and beverage outlets spanning an area of 2,000 square meters.
[02] PRODI BECOMES HONORARY CITIZEN OF THESSALONIKI
European Commission President Romano Prodi will be in
Thessaloniki on March 31, to attend commemorative events on the
20th anniversary of Greece's accession to the European Union.
Mr. Prodi will be proclaimed an honorary citizen of
Thessaloniki, during an extraordinary municipal council meeting
where the Mayor of Thessaloniki Vassilis Papageorgopoulos will
award him the city's Gold Medal of Honor.
It will be the first time the municipal council will be
proclaiming a European Commission president an honourary citizen.
The celebrations will also be attended by Prime Minister
Costas Simitis and European Parliament President Nicole Fontaine,
as well as other dignitaries.
The events will also include three forums: "Greece in Europe-
20 years of future prospects", "Economic and regional development
in Greece and Europe" and "Enlargement and future organization in
Europe."
[03] MEDITERRANEAN TV CONFERENCE IN THESSALONIKI
The eight annual conference of Copeam (the Permanent
Conference of the operators of the Mediterranean Audiovisual) is
to get underway in Thessaloniki tomorrow, themed after
"Mediterranean identities: Crisis issues and the mass media's
responsibility".
Organized by Greece's state-owned ERT-3, in cooperation with
COPEAM and the Mediterranean Association of Television Stations,
the four-day event is to be presented live on MPA's web site.
COPEAM was established in 1996 in Cairo, where it became a
non-profit International Association with a Chairmanship, three
vice presidents, an office, a committee and a general secretariat.
COPEAM numbers 80 founding members, five inter-government
institutions, two international agencies, five international
associations, 31 radiotelevision bodies, 12 professional
independent agencies and ten operators.
The cooperation among the European, African and Mediterranean
television station aims at designating – through audio-visual
means- a "renewed Mediterranean policy".
[04] WORLD LEADERS AT "ECONOMIST" EVENT IN ATHENS
An international conference to be held by the magazine "The
Economist" in Athens on April 3-4, will be attended by Prime
Minister Costas Simitis and other leaders, among them the former
president of the United States George Bush.
The international event will focus on the theme "Leadership
Strategy at the Dawn of the 21st Century".
Other leaders expected to attend are former president of the
former Soviet Union Mikhail Gorbachev, Palestinian President
Yasser Arafat, former Israeli prime minister Shimon Peres, former
Russian prime minister Yevgeny Primakov, Yugoslav President
Vojslav Kostunica and FYROM Premier Ljubco Georgievski, Albanian
Premier Ilir Meta, Secretary General of the Council of the
European Union and High Representative for Common Foreign Policy
and Security Policy (CFCP), Brussels, Javier Solana, and others.
Among the participants representing Greece will be Foreign
Minister George Papandreou, National Defense Minister Akis
Tsochatzopoulos, National Economy Minister Yiannos Papantoniou,
leader of the main opposition party of New Democracy Costas
Karamanlis and the party's honorary president Constantine
Mitsotakis and Bank of Greece Governor Loukas Papademos.
[05] DEFENSE MINISTER RECEIVES FINNISH COUNTERPART
Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos met with his Finnish
counterpart Jan-Erik Enestam in Athens yesterday, with whom he
discussed the recent development in FYROM and the security
situation in the overall region of the Balkans.
Mr. Tsochatzopoulos requested that the Southeastern European
countries provide support to FYROM's government in resolving the
present situation through political means.
Messrs. Tsochatzopoulos and Enestam signed a bilateral
military cooperation agreement, which calls for the joint use of
the Crotale anti-aircraft system, exchanges of training staff
between the two countries' peacekeeping force centers and
cooperation in the construction of armored personnel carriers.
Also, the Finnish Defense Minister thanked Greece for its
role in Finland's joining WEAG, a western European armaments
union.
[06] TURKISH PM: THE AEGEAN ISSUE IS "COMPREHENSIVE"
Ankara has for a long time requested a dialogue with Athens
and has proposed joint operations and exercises, therefore, the
recent comments expressed by Greece's defense minister were a
"welcomed development", Turkish Premier Bulent Ecevit stated in an
interview with the Sabah daily.
Mr. Ecevit also stressed that the Aegean issue is a
"comprehensive" one, adding that "as you will note, I am not
saying the Aegean issues, I'm saying the ‘Aegean issue'. The
issues in the Aegean are inter-related, including the continental
shelf, air space, demilitarization of the islands, territorial
waters, etc. All of these comprise something that is tied
together."
Greece position is that the only outstanding issue
remaining to be settled in the Aegean is the delineation of the
continental shelf, and deems that the International Court of
Justice at The Hague is the proper venue to adjudicate the matter.
Moreover, Greece maintains a six-nautical-mile territorial waters
limit and eight miles for its national airspace. As for the
demilitarization of its Aegean islands, Athens maintains that the
inalienable right of self-protection and defense in the face of a
security threat -- as mentioned by the UN Charter -- overrides the
provision of the 1923 Lausanne Treaty.
[07] GREEK FM AND UK's COOK, DISCUSS FYROM CRISIS
Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou and his British
counterpart Robin Cook discussed the FYROM crisis during talks
held in London yesterday, while they also had a telephone
conversation with their counterpart from FYROM Srgjan Kerim.
Messrs. Cook and Papandreou appealed to Mr. Kerim that he
undertake an initiative towards a political resolution of the
crisis, concurrent with the military operations, a resolution
which, according to Mr. Cook, will satisfy the expectations of the
Albanian minority.
Mr. Cook also stressed that it has been made clear to FYROM's
government that the military operations will have to correspond to
the real threat and have a specific target, i.e. the terrorists,
not civilians.
Following the talks, Mr. Cook said that the Albanians, whom
he termed as "terrorists", should have received the message that
"they would have no support in any corner of Europe, if they
attempt to change the borders with blood."
Mr. Papandreou said that the proposed political initiatives
"will aim at further isolating the actions of the terrorists and
contribute to the continual inclusion of Albanians in that country
as speedily as possible and in the most effective way possible and
of course with the support of the European Union."
The two men also discussed the results of the recently-held
European Union Summit in Stockholm, the Cyprus issue as well as
the progress of the ongoing investigation over the assassination
of Brigadier Stephen Saunders.
[08] NATO EXERCISE BEGINS IN IONIAN SEA ON FRIDAY
A NATO mine warfare exercise code-named "Ariadne 2001" is to
be held in the Ionian Sea between March 30 and April 8.
The international exercise will feature the participation of
minesweepers, torpedo boats and logistics ships from Greece, Italy
and France.
[09] HOLY SYNOD CONVENES TODAY OVER ID REFERENDUM
The Holy Synod of the Church of Greece s to convene this
afternoon in order to examine whether it will extend the deadline
for collecting signatures in favor of a referendum for religion to
be listed in identity cards.
The number of signatures collected so far is expected to be
announced by the end of May, while the collection of signatures
will apparently continue unofficially, even though it was due to
end on March 25.
[10] EURASIAN INSTITUTE REVIEWED AT ASIA FORUM
The proposal for the establishment of an institute for
cooperation among the stock markers of Europe, Asia and the Middle
East in Thessaloniki is expected to gradually materialize, as its
founding chapter and organizational chart are to be discussed
during an international conference in Athens this week.
The two-day conference on capital markets and modern
technology will take place on March 29-30, as part of the Asia
Forum series of events.
Taking part will be stock market officials from around 15
countries in Asia, Eastern Europe, central Asia, the Black Sea
region and the Mediterranean.
Among the speakers are Athens bourse president Panayotis
Alexakis, consultant at Salomon Smith Barney Miranda Xafa and
Christos Megalou, director of Credit Swiss First Boston Europe
Ltd.
The establishment of the Thessaloniki center, which will
serve as a bridge between the stock markets of Europe and Asia, is
to be discussed during the second day proceedings headed by ASIA
FORUM chairman, Prof. Marios Nikolinakos.
[11] POMP & CIRCUMSTANCE AT AIRPORT INAUGURATION
The new international airport of Athens "Eleftherios
Venizelos", Europe's largest greenfield development, was
inaugurated today by the Prime Minister Costas Simitis, in the
presence of President Costis Stephanopoulos and other dignitaries
who attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Christodoulos performed
the customary blessing ceremony at the premises.
The first take off from the new airport, named after Greek
statesman Eleftherios Venizelos, will take place this afternoon
with an Olympic Airways Boeing 737-400 aircraft.
The first flights at Spata arrive from abroad after 3 p.m.
tomorrow and the airport will be open to the public from 4 a.m.
Thursday for departures. The old airport at Hellenikon closes
tomorrow at midnight, apart from non-commercial flights. A
gigantic 24-hour operation is to begin at 6 a.m. tomorrow to move
all heavy equipment from Hellenikon via the Vari-Koropi road.
[12] GREEK FM DISCUSSES CYPRUS ISSUE WITH UK's COOK
Cyprus's European course could form stronger incentives for
the island's security and for overthrowing the policy followed by
Turkey on the specific matter, Greek Foreign Minister George
Papandreou said after talks with his British counterpart Robin
Cook in London.
According to Mr. Papandreou the mentality that Greeks and
Turks cannot co-exist and that views that the Turkish-Cypriots are
being protected by the occupational forces will essentially have
to be overthrown since "the average Turkish-Cypriot sees a
different vision before him, (sees that) he can take part in a
great Europe."
[13] OPPOSITION AHEAD IN VOTES, BUT PM STILL LEADING
The main opposition party of New Democracy is ahead of the
ruling PASOK party in intended votes, but Primer Minister and
PASOK leader Costas Simitis is still deemed most suitable for the
post, according to a recent poll.
Conducted by Metron Analysis on behalf of Antenna TV, the
poll found that 31 percent of the respondents would cast a vote
for ND, as opposed to 27.5% who would opt for PASOK, followed by
13.8% for the Athens Mayor's newly-founded party Free Citizen's
Movement (KEP), 5.5% for the Communist Party of Greece (KKE), 3.6%
for the Coalition of the Left and Progress and 1.7% for the
Democratic and Social Movement (DIKKI).
As for the most likely winner in prospective elections, the
poll found that 39.3 percent believe New Democracy would prevail,
as opposed to 33.4 percent who are confident of PASOK's victory.
However, 30 percent view PASOK as the party most suitable to
govern, followed by ND (27%), KEP (9%), KKE (3%), Coalition (2%)
and DIKKI (1%).
Mr. Simitis was voted as the most suitable person for the
premier's post by 33 percent of the respondents, followed by N.D.
leader Costas Karamanlis (25%) and Athens Mayor Dimtris
Avramopoulos (16%).
Mr. Avramopoulos scored highest on the popularity scale with
65.4 percent, followed by Mr. Karamanlis (51.7%), Coalition leader
Nikos Constantopoulos (50.5%), Costas Simitis (48%) and DIKKI
leader Dimitris Tsovolas (38.4%).
[14] IT'S OFFICIAL, THE POPE WILL VISIT GREECE ON MAY 4
The Vatican has officially announced that Pope John Paul II
will visit Greece on May 4, at the start of a five-day pilgrimage
to retrace the steps of Apostle Paul.
The pontiff is arriving in Greece specially in order to
worship at the site where the Apostle Paul preached to the
Athenians on Pnyx Hill.
The 80-year-old Pope will depart for Syria on May 5 and plans
to travel on to Malta on May 8 before returning to Rome on May 9.
The visit is the first-ever by a pontiff to the modern Greek
state and the first by a Roman Catholic pope in Greece proper for
more than 1,200 years.
The President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos
had invited the Pope to the country during his recent visit to the
Vatican.
[15] ALBANIAN PM ATTENDS GREEK HOLIDAY RECEPTION
Albanian Prime Minister Ilir Meta attended a reception given
at the Greek Embassy in Tirana in honor of Greece's national
Independence Day of March 25.
Hosted by Ambassador Dimtiris Iliopoulos, the reception was
also attended by other officials, among them the leader of
Albania's Socialist Party Fatos Nano, the president of the
Democratic Party Sali Berisha, and the Archbishop of Albania
Anastasios.
Mr. Iliopoulos noted that Greece's national holiday of March
25, marking the anniversary of the beginning of Greece's
revolution against Ottoman rule in 1821, paved the road for the
liberation of other Balkan countries.
[16] APPEAL OF SUSPECTED LEFTIST TERRORIST CONTINUES
Suspected leftist terrorist Abraham Lesperoglou, who is
charged with the October 1982 attempted murder of a policeman is
to testify in the Athens Court of Appeals today.
Lesperoglou, who police believe was a member of the 1980s
terrorist group Anti-State Struggle, was convicted of trying to
kill policeman George Psaroudakis during an attempted burglary.
Psaroudakis has testified that Lesperoglou was the man who shot
him.
All three judges and one of the four jurors found him guilty
and sentenced him to 17 years' imprisonment.
[17] SIMITIS: THE NEW AIRPORT CONFIRMS GREECE'S GEO-POLITICAL
IMPORTANCE
Greece with its new airport confirms its geo-political
importance and underlines the new opportunities for development
that are being opened, stressed prime minister Kostas Simitis
speaking today in the inauguration ceremony of Athens "Eleftherios
Venizelos" International Airport at Spata.
Mr. Simitis pointed out that the project was completed based
on the specifications set and following transparent procedures
taking under consideration the public interest, while he referred
to the difficulties that were encountered. He also referred to the
rest big projects that are underway across the country.
Mr. Simitis said among others that the new airport can serve
16 million passengers a year, while it can be expanded further.
Meanwhile, the new airport has its own web site (www.aia.gr)
for the passengers, visitors and all those who would want to
cooperate with the Athens International Airport (AIA) company. The
site's visitors can get information on how they can go to AIA, how
long it will take them and how much it will cost if they choose
mass transportation. Also, they can learn all about the scheduled
flights, bank services, stores and restaurants on the grounds of
the new airport.
[18] THE GREEK PRESIDENT WILL WATCH THE FOOTBALL GAME BETWEEN THE
NATIONAL TEAMS OF GREECE AND GERMANY
Greek president Kostis Stephanopoulos will watch the football
game between the national teams of Greece and Germany that will
take place in Athens tomorrow within the framework of the
preliminary phase for the World Cup.
His presence is expected to boost the morale of the Greek
football players, who will do everything in their power to get a
good result.
[19] SIMITIS-KARAMANLIS-ZIZIC IN THE 8TH THESSALONIKI FORUM
The 8th Thessaloniki Forum that will take place on April 2-3
is expected to become the grounds for a fruitful dialogue on the
future of the southeastern European states. The forum will be held
with the participation of almost all the members of the Serb
government in the presence of Greek prime minister Kostas Simitis
and right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy leader
Kostas Karamanlis.
The forum is organized by the Association of Industries in
Northern Greece and the Hellenic-American Chamber of Commerce.
In the conference have been invited Yugoslav prime minister
Zoran Zizic and Stability Pact coordinator Bodo Hobach. The
meeting will also be attended by the finance ministers of
Yugoslavia, Cyprus, Albania and FYROM. Also, present will be
senior executives representing international organizations and
credit institutions such as, the European Reconstruction Agency in
southeastern Europe, the World Bank, EBRD and the Overseas Private
Investment Cooperation.
Also, invited to attend the forum are the foreign ministers
of Albania, FYROM and Yugoslavia. The US assistant secretary of
state James Swiggart, responsible for south-central European
affairs, will present the US position regarding the situation in
the region, while it is the first time that the US is represented
in the forum at such a high level.
[20] LOSSES IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
Losses were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today. The
general index dropped to -0.80% at 3.057,89 points, while the
volume of transactions was small at 147 million Euro or 50.1
billion drachmas.
Of the stocks trading today, 107 recorded gains and 223 had
losses, while the value of 44 stocks remained stable.
[21] THE NEW ATHENS AIRPORT WILL HAVE A VERY POSITIVE EFFECT ON
THE ECONOMY
Minister of environment, public works and land planning
Kostas Laliotis speaking in the inauguration ceremony for the new
Athens Airport stated that the main ambition for the "Eleftherios
Venizelos" Airport is to be recognized as one of the most modern,
safe and reliable airports in Europe and the world and become
competitive and profitable.
Minister of transportation and telecommunications Christos
Verelis referred during the inauguration ceremony to the positive
effect the new Athens airport will have on the Greek economy.
Mr. Verelis stated that 2.000 job positions will be created
for every 1 million passengers, adding that in the next 12 months
the new airport will serve about 13 million passengers.
[22] SIMITIS AND PAPARIGA DISCUSSED THE DEVELOPMENTS IN FYROM AND
THE BALKANS
Greek prime minister Kostas Simitis discussed with Communist
Party general secretary Ms. Aleka Papariga the developments at the
borders of FYROM with Kosovo as a result of the actions by the
Albanian extremist groups as well as, the situation in the Balkans
in general.
The prime minister presented the firm Greek positions to Ms.
Papariga and briefed her on the initiatives undertaken by the
Greek government within the framework of the EU and NATO for the
normalization of the situation. He said that the European Council
has accepted Greece's proposal according to which, the EU-FYROM
association agreement will be signed on April 9. He also referred
to the talks he had with FYROM president Boris Trajkovski.
On the conclusions of the European Council concerning the
crisis in FYROM, Mr. Simitis stated that the EU has sent a clear
message that accomplished facts, conflicts and nationalism are
unacceptable, adding that the EU assistance and solidarity toward
FYROM are given.
On the issue of the name that will be used by FYROM, Mr.
Simitis said that it is still pending and clarified that he has
pointed out to the FYROM state and political leadership that the
improvement of bilateral relations does not mean that the issue of
the name does not have to be resolved. He said that the issue is
still open and certain moves should be made on behalf of the FYROM
side.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[23] PAPANDREOU'S INTERVIEW WITH THE CNN
Greek foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou referred to
Greece's positions regarding the crisis in FYROM in an interview
with the US television network CNN.
Mr. Papandreou referring to his visit to London and his
meeting with British foreign minister Robin Cook stated that
Greece and Britain sent a clear message to the terrorists namely,
that they do not represent the Albanian population and the
Albanian community and that they are just a small isolated group.
Responding to a question on the assistance offered to FYROM
by Greece in spite of the differences between the two countries on
the issue of the name that will be used by FYROM, Mr. Papandreou
stated that the Greek government is in close cooperation with the
FYROM government, stressing that Greece wants FYROM to be a stable
and multi-ethnic country, adding that Greece does not want the
borders to change because this would destabilize the wider region.
Mr. Papandreou stated that Greece works within the framework of
the KFOR and shares a bilateral military relation with FYROM.
Referring to the NATO actions concerning border control, he
pointed out that the alliance gradually increases its presence in
this area, stressing that the region is mountainous and the
terrain is unknown.
[24] COOK: THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY WILL NOT RECOGNIZE THE
TURKISH CYPRIOT REGIME
British foreign minister Robin Cook made it clear that the
Turkish Cypriot regime will not be recognized by the United
Nations and the international community and called on Turkish
Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash to return to the negotiating table.
Mr. Cook spoke in a gathering in northern London last night
that was attended by Turkish Cypriots as well. In the same
meeting, his Greek counterpart Giorgos Papandreou stated that
Cyprus will become an EU member whether a solution is reached on
the Cyprus problem or not.
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