Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2001-04-03
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, April 3, 2001
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
TITLES
[Á] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] UK, GREECE SIGN COOPERATION MEMORANDUM
[02] WORLD LEADERS AT "ECONOMIST" EVENT IN ATHENS
[03] PREMIER: PEACE IS THE ROAD TO BALKAN PROSPERITY
[04] JAPANESE TOURISM DELEGATION ARRIVES IN ATHENS
[05] GREEK FM MEETS WITH US EX-DEFENSE SECRETARY
[06] COHEN: NATO SAVED LIVES OF FYROM'S ALBANIANS
[07] ATHENS CONFERENCE BRINGS LEADERS TOGETHER
[08] GREEK AID TO BALKANS TO BE ALLOCATED SOON
[09] FMs OF ALBANIA, YUGOSLAVIA MEET IN THESSALONIKI
[10] EX FM ACCUSES POLICY MAKERS OF DOUBLESPEAK
[11] COMPLAINTS TO OMBUDSMAN RISE BY 56% IN 2000
[12] MINISTER APOLOGIZES FOR HITCHES AT NEW AIRPORT
[13] EU, S.E. EUROPE, SHOULD FORGE ENERGY POLICY
[14] MARCH INFLATION EXPECTED TO CLOSE AT 3.2%
[15] GREEK, ROMAN ANTIQUITIES SOLD AS TRINKETS IN UK
[16] SIMITIS-KOSTOV: POLITICAL SOLUTION IN FYROM BASED ON THE
RESPECT OF THE BORDERS
[17] STEPHANOPOULOS-BUSH MEETING
[18] THE GENERAL INDEX OF THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE BROKE A NEW
NEGATIVE RECORD
[19] ZIZIC: YUGOSLAVIA'S TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY IS THE KEY TO
BALKAN SECURITY
[20] CONTACTS FOR COOPERATION BETWEEN THE STOCK MARKETS OF
BELGRADE AND ATHENS
[21] KIRIAKOPOULOS: BULGARIA-SERBIA ATTRACT THE INTEREST OF
INVESTORS
[22] RADIO-MARATHON BY UNICEF FOR THE CHILDREN OF PALESTINE
[23] PROPOSAL FOR THE CREATION OF A BALKAN INDUSTRY FEDERATION
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[24] UNEMPLOYMENT IN THE EURO-ZONE REMAINED AT 8.7% IN FEBRUARY
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] UK, GREECE SIGN COOPERATION MEMORANDUM
British Minister for the Cabinet Office, Dr. Marjorie Mowlam,
was received by Greece's Minister of the Interior Vasso Papandreou
in Athens yesterday, with whom she signed a wide-ranging
memorandum of cooperation for the modernization of Greece's public
sector.
According to Ms. Papandreou, the memorandum concerns a
program of exchanges and cooperation with Britain, "which has a
more effective public administration than we do.
"Its help will surely be useful for the program of upgrading
our public administration," she said. In turn, Ms. Mowlam stated
that "we look forward to the cooperation between the two sides and
to learn from one another".
The agreement also includes cooperation on electronic
administration issues. Ms. Papandreou noted that Ms. Mowlam made
positive mention of Greece's TAXIS system used by the tax
services, as well as several other electronic administration
services.
The British official also met with Development Minister Nikos
Christodoulakis with whom she discussed issues of mutual interest,
particularly the promotion of competitiveness targets set by the
Lisbon summit.
Following their talks, Mr. Christodoulakis said that Greece
is interested in utilizing British experience on such issues as
supporting underprivileged areas through the establishment of new
businesses, combating social exclusion and helping the
rehabilitation of special groups.
[02] WORLD LEADERS AT "ECONOMIST" EVENT IN ATHENS
An international conference hosted by the magazine "The
Economist" is to get underway in Athens today, featuring the
attendance of Prime Minister Costas Simitis and other leaders,
among them the former US president 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.
[03] PREMIER: PEACE IS THE ROAD TO BALKAN PROSPERITY
Security and prosperity in the Balkans will be the result of
peace and cooperation, Prime Minister Costas Simitis stated
yesterday during his closing ddress before the Eighth Thessaloniki
Forum.
"This will be the only way to transform the Balkans from a
region of tension, conflict and insecurity to a place that
contributes without difficulty and delays in the course of the
European Union's progress," the Premier stated.
Outlining Greece's course during the past 50 years, Mr.
Simitis stressed that modern-day Greece emerged from being a
poverty-stricken state in the 1950s and now ranks among the 25
most prosperous in the world.
The Premier also referred to the government's social
policies, the "corner stone" of the government's economic policy.
"Our vision is a Greece without social exclusion and
discrimination, with a safety net for the aged and the weak," he
stressed, adding that the government aims to confront unemployment
and to continually upgrade the quality of the services rendered in
the health and educational sectors.
He also stressed the government is forging ahead with the
deregulation of markets, decreasing bureaucracy and opening
"closed" professions, as well as reforming the taxation system.
Regarding the Greek reconstruction program for the Balkans,
the Premier said it will be of a five-year term and will be funded
with 530 million euros. This program, according to the Premier,
includes financial backing for projects in the sectors of social
and economic infrastructures, private investments and services.
During his stay in Thessaloniki, the Premier conducted a
surprise inspection, on an internal revenue service office and a
branch of the state employment agency.
Also, the Premier inaugurated an exhibition based on the
journal of Anne Frank at Thessaloniki's port. The exhibition is
hosted by the Dutch Embassy, in cooperation with the Jewish
community of Thessaloniki.
The Premier departed for Athens last night, where he will
address an international conference hosted by the magazine "the
Economist".
He is scheduled to meet with his Bulgarian counterpart Ivan
Kostov this morning.
[04] JAPANESE TOURISM DELEGATION ARRIVES IN ATHENS
A delegation of Japanese officials from the tourism sector is
to arrive in Athens today for talks with Deputy Minister Nikos
Christodoulakis.
The delegation, comprising public and private sector
officials, is visiting Athens in the aftermath of Japanese Prime
Minister Yoshiro Mori's visit in January. It is the first official
Japanese delegation, headed by Ground, Infrastructure and
Transport Deputy Minister Jiro Hanyu, visiting Greece to discuss
tourism matters. The Japanese delegation will also tour several
tourist attractions around the country.
[05] GREEK FM MEETS WITH US EX-DEFENSE SECRETARY
United States' former Defense Secretary William Cohen, who is
in Athens to attend a conference sponsored by The Economist"
magazine, called the arrest of former Yugoslav leader Slobodan
Milosevic a "pleasant development", following his meeting
yesterday with Greece's Foreign Minister George Papandreou.
Addressing reporters after the talks, Mr. Cohen reiterated
Washington's standing position of referring Mr. Milosevic to the
International Court of Justice at The Hague.
In turn, Mr. Papandreou said that he is satisfied by
Yugoslavia's cooperation with the international community.
Regarding Mr. Milosevic's arrest, the Greek FM said the
issue falls within the domain of Yugoslav authorities, justice and
political forces, adding that "any other statement is redundant."
Mr. Papandreou is to meet today with former US President
George Bush and the European Union's Security chief Javier Solana,
while he will also discuss Cyprus's accession course to the EU
with the chief of the island's negotiations committee George
Vasiliou.
He will also have talks with Serbian Prime Minister Zoran
Djindjic and Yugoslav FM Goran Svilanovic.
[06] COHEN: NATO SAVED LIVES OF FYROM'S ALBANIANS
United States' former Defense Secretary William Cohen, who is
in Athens to attend a conference sponsored by "The Economist"
magazine, criticized the attacks of Albanian extremists against
FYROM stressing that NATO did not save them from genocide for them
to be creating problems and a crisis in the region.
The former secretary also reiterated his support for
Washington's and the Alliance's policy in bombing Serbia,
stressing that there should be no states that allow the existence
of ethnic cleansing policies.
"Diplomacy and politics collapsed, the military intervention
was the only solution," he said.
However, the honorary president of Greece's main opposition
party of New Democracy and former Premier Constantine Mitsotakis,
criticized the West's crisis management of the great international
issues.
Addressing the conference, Mr. Mitsotakis stated that the
most powerful country in the world, the US, demands that an
international court exist in order to try everybody, except
Americans.
[07] ATHENS CONFERENCE BRINGS LEADERS TOGETHER
An international conference hosted by the magazine "The
Economist" is to get underway in Athens today, bringing together
many of the world's political, business and finance leaders, along
with several well-known international statesmen.
Focusing on the theme "Leadership Strategy at the Dawn of the
21st Century", the conference will feature the attendance of Prime
Minister Costas Simitis and the former US president George Bush.,
as well as former Israeli premier Shimon Peres, former Russian
premier Yevgeny Primakov and current EU High Commissioner for a
common foreign and defense policy, Javier Solana. The Premiers of
Serbia (Zoran Djindjic), Albania (Ilir Meta) and FYROM (Ljubco
Georgievski) will also be present.
Large multinational business interests will also be
represented, through speakers as Stelios Hatziioannou, president
of EasyGroup, the vice-president of Ericsson Western Europe and
the president of Chrysler Europe, while Nobel-prize winning
economist Robert Mundell is also participating.
Participants from Greece will include main opposition New
Democracy leader Costas Karamanlis, former premier and ND Honorary
President Constantine Mitsotakis, Foreign Minister George
Papandreou, National Economy Minister Yiannos Papantoniou, Defense
Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos and the governor of the Bank of
Greece, Loukas Papademos.
[08] GREEK AID TO BALKANS TO BE ALLOCATED SOON
Greece will soon sign aid agreements with Balkan countries
that will receive financing for projects under Athens' economic
reconstruction plan for the region, according to the National
Economy and Finance Minister Yiannos Papantoniou.
Addressing the Eighth Thessaloniki Forum yesterday, Mr.
Papantoniou stated that the agreements –which fall under Greece's
five-year reconstruction plan worth 180 billion drachmas- are
likely to be signed around Easter and will activate the program.
The Minister also stressed his belief that Greece's plan will
also attract much private capital for the recipient countries.
[09] FMs OF ALBANIA, YUGOSLAVIA MEET IN THESSALONIKI
The foreign ministers of Albania and Yugoslavia, Paskal Milo
and Goran Svilanovic, respectively, held talks yesterday on the
sidelines of the Eighth Thessaloniki Forum.
During his address, Mr. Svilanovic said that Balkan countries
should hold a conference to guarantee their security and to define
minority rights in the region.
In turn, Mr. Mr. Milo confirmed his government's efforts
towards rapprochement with Yugoslavia, stressing that the Albanian
government is resolved to bridge the gap between the two countries
despite criticism from nationalists in his country. Regarding the
developments in FYROM, Mr. Milo said that they were the result of
action taken by extremist groups, which belong to a population who
has been waiting for ten years to achieve its demands. He stressed
that the armed action in FYROM was not part of a "Greater Albania"
prospect.
[10] EX FM ACCUSES POLICY MAKERS OF DOUBLESPEAK
Any claim of conflict between the state's social policy
versus its defense spending is a "false dilemma" according to
PASOK deputy and former minister Theodoros Pangalos, who bluntly
accused the state's foreign policy makers of engaging in
"doublespeak".
In an interview with Thessaloniki's ERT-3 state-owned
television channel, Mr. Pangalos accused the state of "cutting
back in defense spending in regards to maintaining a supremacy and
balance of armaments in the Aegean while, concurrently, it is
policing the Balkans on behalf of NATO."
Not known to mince his words, Mr. Pangalos also blasted the
foreign ministry's leadership whose policy, he stated, "will lead
to crises and conflicts", as well as "to a compromise with Turkey,
which does not serve national interests".
Mr. Pangalos also unleashed his wrath against the Foreign
Minister's close aide Alex Rondos, as well as the Premier's press
adviser George Pantayias.
"It is unfathomable that an aide could conduct foreign policy
in the absence of the minister and the government," he said.
"Who gave Mr. Rondos the right to speak of Montenegro's and
Kosovo's break up from Serbia, a mere ten days after the Premier's
declarations on the inviolability of borders in the Balkans?
"Had I been the minister, I would have fired him in a
minute," he stressed.
Mr. Pantayias didn't fare much better; in Mr. Pangalos'
words, he should have been kicked out from the Premier's mansion.
[11] COMPLAINTS TO OMBUDSMAN RISE BY 56% IN 2000
Complaints filed with the state's Ombudsman Office rose by 56
percent during the year 2000, with a total of 10,107 reports
filed, according to the agency's annual report.
Thirty-four percent of the complaints concerned bad
management and poor public interaction in municipalities and
prefectures, while 22% were filed against state insurance funds.
Fifteen of the latter cases have been referred to the district
attorney as they concern irregularities in the issuance of
building permits.
Half of the overall complaints for poor management complaints
were filed in the Attica prefectures (50%), followed by Central
Macedonia, Peloponnese, Crete, South Aegean and mainland Greece.
Among state insurance funds, most incidents of bad management
concerned IKA (Social Insurance Foundation), followed by the Metal
Workers Auxiliary Fund, the OGA farmers' fund and the business
owners TEBE fund.
[12] MINISTER APOLOGIZES FOR HITCHES AT NEW AIRPORT
Environment, Town Planning and Public Works Minister Costas
Laliotis offered a public apology to the 15,000 passengers who
were inconvenienced by the "teething problems" experienced by
Athens' new international airport "'Eleftherios Venizelos".
According to Mr. Laliotis, who flew to Kavala this morning to
inaugurate a section of Egnatia Odos, the vast portion of the
problems should be attributed to personnel who were not acquainted
with the new operational systems.
[13] EU, S.E. EUROPE, SHOULD FORGE ENERGY POLICY
The European Union's member-states and the countries of the
southeastern European region should forge their common energy
strategy in order to wean themselves away from the Middle East,
according to the conclusions of a workshop held this morning on
the sidelines of the Eighth Thessaloniki Forum.
The workshop's participants, who focused on the sectors of
construction and energy, also agreed that common policies should
be formed in the transportation sector, in order to overcome
bureaucratic hurdles and avert delays.
[14] MARCH INFLATION EXPECTED TO CLOSE AT 3.2%
March inflation is expected to close between 3.2 to 3.3
percent, a sharp decline from February's 3.5%, according to the
National Statistics Service.
According to press reports, the decrease in inflation is due
to declining fuel prices. The National Statistics Service, which
will release its official data next Monday, is expected to note
that the trend will not continue to April due to lower fuel prices
in April last year.
[15] GREEK, ROMAN ANTIQUITIES SOLD AS TRINKETS IN UK
Ancient artifacts from Greece, Rome and Egypt are presently
being offered for sale at London's landmark gift shop
"Fortnum&Mason", alarming noted archaeologists who fear that this
could encourage looting.
According to London's daily "The Times", the merchandize
includes a Roman bronze statue of Zeus from the 1st-2nd century
AD, Greek pots, some of which date from 500BC, a silver
tetradrachm from Athens circa 440BC, decorated with the head of
Athena and an owl and Egyptian sculptures of pharaohs.
Store officials claim that the items, sold between 15,000 to
10 million drachmas, have been bought from old collections, and
are everyday items that are surplus to overstretched museums.
According to "the Times" the store claimed that "everyone
should have the opportunity to own a small piece of history,
provided that the artefacts are sufficiently common and are
neither of any national heritage nor should be legitimately in a
museum environment."
Alex Hunt, of the Council for British Archaeology, said the
trade was comparable to selling endangered species.
"They are encouraging people to take things out of the ground
and trade in them," he said.
Victoria Solomonidis, the cultural counsellor at the Greek
Embassy, said: "This has to be looked into very carefully. It
encourages pilfering."
[16] SIMITIS-KOSTOV: POLITICAL SOLUTION IN FYROM BASED ON THE
RESPECT OF THE BORDERS
Prime minister of Greece Kostas Simitis and his Bulgarian
counterpart Ivan Kostov in a joint press conference they gave
after the meeting they had in Thessaloniki today, shared the same
views for a political solution in FYROM without violence and
through greater understanding on the basis of the principles of
the inviolability of the borders and the respect of international
law.
There can be no change of borders in the Balkans agreed both
the prime ministers, who condemned the use of violence and backed
the political cooperation of all sides, as only through
understanding a solution can be found.
Bulgaria does not have expansionist aspirations, clarified
Mr. Kostov responding to a question on the statement made by
Bulgarian president Petar Stoyanov concerning the deployment of
Bulgarian troops in FYROM.
Responding to a question by a Bulgarian journalist on the
nationalist exaltations in the Balkans and the tendency to create
a Greater Albania, Mr. Kostov pointed out that the model of
ethnically clean states is a phenomenon of the past century and
has no European prospect.
He said that the likelihood of Bulgaria's participation in a
multi-national force that will undertake to cover the borders
between Kosovo and FYROM is being considered and it will happen
only after a UN Security Council decision.
The Greek prime minister stated that there is no issue of
military presence and reiterated Greece's firm position for a
political solution through understanding, stressing that Greece
supports the existing borders in the Balkans and the
implementation of international law.
The two prime ministers pointed out that negotiations between
the EU and Bulgaria move with a satisfactory pace and are expected
to be completed in 2004, while Bulgaria is likely to become an EU
member in 2007.
Bulgarian prime minister Kostov stated that the goal is for
the trade transactions between Greece and Bulgaria to reach the
US$1 billion mark, adding that in the first half of 2000 they were
US$440 million. On the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline, he
said that developments are now more tangible, as there is progress
in the drawing up of the project that is expected to be completed
soon.
[17] STEPHANOPOULOS-BUSH MEETING
Former US president George Bush, father of the current US
president, met in Athens today with Greek president Kostis
Stephanopoulos.
Mr. Bush expressed gratitude for the warm welcome reserved
for him and stressed that he feels absolutely safe in Greece. He
also said that his son and US president George Bush shares the
same feelings with him. On the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, he
said that he will visit Greece to watch the games and expressed
the view that an excellent job is being done aimed at hosting
impeccable Olympic Games.
Earlier, Mr. Bush had meetings with Greek foreign minister
Giorgos Papandreou, right-wing main opposition party of New
Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis and Athens mayor Dimitris
Avramopoulos.
In the Bush-Papandreou meeting that was held in the presence
of US ambassador to Athens Nicholas Burns were discussed issues
concerning the Greek-US relations and the situation in the
Balkans. Mr. Papandreou congratulated Mr. Bush for his son's
victory in the US presidential elections and Mr. Bush praised Mr.
Papandreou for his contribution to the Greek-Turkish
rapprochement. Mr. Bush expressed concern regarding the
developments in the Balkans and backed the inviolability of the
borders, stressing that his country will work closely with Greece
and the European Union for peace in southeastern Europe.
[18] THE GENERAL INDEX OF THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE BROKE A NEW
NEGATIVE RECORD
Losses were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today. The
general index dropped to -2.16% at 2.966,65 points, its lowest
point in the last two years.
The volume of transactions was very disappointing today at
118.4 million Euro or 40.356 billion drachmas.
Of the stocks trading today, 335 recorded losses and just 8
had gains, while the value of 21 stocks remained stable.
[19] ZIZIC: YUGOSLAVIA'S TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY IS THE KEY TO
BALKAN SECURITY
Yugoslav prime minister Zoran Zizic, speaking in the 8th
Thessaloniki Forum today, warned that a new crisis circle will
open if the Balkan states are broken up and new national borders
are created.
He said that Yugoslavia has entered a new course after the
democratic political developments but again new obstacles were
raised, referring to the problems in Kosovo, south Serbia and
FYROM as well as, Montenegro's decision to hold a referendum on
whether it will continue to be a part of Yugoslavia or not.
The Yugoslav prime minister pledged that his country will
move ahead on the road to political and economic integration and
thanked the Greek people for the assistance they have offered for
the past 10 years.
He called on the Greek businessmen to take part in bilateral
cooperation, pointing out that Yugoslavia is very interested in
the new technologies and know-how available in the Greek banking
sector, adding that the Greek experience can also be used in the
tourist development of the Montenegro coasts.
[20] CONTACTS FOR COOPERATION BETWEEN THE STOCK MARKETS OF
BELGRADE AND ATHENS
Serb undersecretary of international and economic relations
Mr. Milovanovic met with senior officials of the Athens Stock
Exchange and discussed the prospect of cooperation between the
stock markets of Belgrade and Athens through the exchange of know-
how.
The meeting was held in Thessaloniki today on the occasion of
the 8th Thessaloniki Forum and focused on the Greek Market of
Emerging Capital Markets.
After the meeting, the two sides agreed to continue the
cooperation contacts.
[21] KIRIAKOPOULOS: BULGARIA-SERBIA ATTRACT THE INTEREST OF
INVESTORS
The Greek investors are expected to turn to Bulgaria and
Serbia in the near future within the framework of the economic
reconstruction of southeastern Europe.
Bulgaria, stated Greek Industries Association president
Odiseas Kiriakopoulos, managed to put its house in order, its
labor cost is still low, while it has a well-educated labor force
in the area of high technology. He also said that Bulgaria has
made a huge progress in recent years, managed to put inflation
under control, almost completed the privatization process and is
now at a very good phase.
On the other hand, Serbia, which has huge needs it is
estimated that it will develop quickly if it will proceed with its
privatization and attract foreign investors.
Mr. Kiriakopoulos stated that in the workshop that was held
within the framework of the 8th Thessaloniki Forum it was stressed
that the countries in the region must deal with the problem of
corruption.
[22] RADIO-MARATHON BY UNICEF FOR THE CHILDREN OF PALESTINE
UNICEF will organize a big radio-marathon in Greece on
Thursday for the children of Palestine with the support of the
Greek State Radio, ERA, and the cooperation of the radio stations
of ANT1, Sky and Flash 9.61FM.
The goal of the radio-marathon, that will begin at 9am and
will be completed at 8pm, is to collect money for the improvement
of the children's lives in Palestine.
The money that will be collected will be offered for the
support of UNICEF's emergency aid, medical care, vaccination and
education programs.
[23] PROPOSAL FOR THE CREATION OF A BALKAN INDUSTRY FEDERATION
President of Kapniki-Michailidis Group, Alexandros
Michailidis, speaking in the 8th Thessaloniki Forum proposed the
creation of a Balkan Industry Federation with the participation of
representatives from every country in the region.
The proposed federation could emerge as the official
representative of the sector in the talks with the state
governments in southeastern Europe for the development and
protection of private investments.
The Kapniki-Michailidis Group, which is active in the tobacco
industry, has 17 production units in 11 Mediterranean and Balkan
countries and a total of 11.000 employees.
Greek Textile Company president Christos Akkas stressed the
need to improve competitiveness in the southeastern European
countries. He said that immediate measures must be taken such as,
the industrial education not only for the managers but the
employees in general, openness in the privatization process,
incentives for the first years of operation of an industry (grants
and tax incentives) and development of the capital market in every
country.
The dairy and ice cream company DELTA has a notable presence
in the Balkans and according to DELYUG SA (DELTA Yugoslavia)
general director Mr. Makridopoulos, being able to function in the
business environment of southeastern Europe is not something one
can learn from the management manuals.
The company is active in the wider region for the past 8
years and its investments are estimated to be over US$85 million.
It has three ice ream production plants in Bulgaria, Serbia and
Romania, a distribution network of 400 trucks and over 45.000 sale
points in four countries namely, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Romania and
FYROM with a market share of 40-70%, while it also has 1.500
employees and its retail dealers are over 40.000.
Mr. Makridopoulos stated that the future investor must select
its investment object very carefully, forge cooperation deals in
order to make the risk involved smaller, choose experienced
management, adopt a low political profile and conduct detailed
studies.
There are many investment opportunities in southeastern
Europe, stated ALUMIL Company president Giorgos Milonas. The
aluminium industry ALUMIL has a strong presence in the Balkans
since 1992 and now plans to expand to Serbia as well.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[24] UNEMPLOYMENT IN THE EURO-ZONE REMAINED AT 8.7% IN FEBRUARY
Unemployment in the Euro-zone countries in the month of
February remained at the same levels with January (8.7%),
according to the European statistics agency (Eurostat).
Based on the same figures, unemployment in all the EU states
also remained stable at 8%, but in those countries are not
included Britain and Greece, as there were no available figures on
them.
The lowest unemployment rates were recorded in Luxembourg
(2%), Holland (2.6%), Austria (3.7%) and Ireland (3.8%), while the
largest unemployment rate belongs to Spain (13.7%).
In February 2000, unemployment in the Euro-zone was at 9.4%,
while in all the EU member-states was at 8.7%.
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