Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2001-05-04
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, May 4, 2001
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
TITLES
[Á] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] POPE WILL NOT REFER TO CYPRUS WHILE IN GREECE
[02] UK BOMBER TIED TO UNDERWORLD, NOT TERRORISM
[03] SECRETARY OF STATE PUTS THE BLAME ON DENKTASH
[04] PREMIER TO ATTEND ESP CONVENTION IN BERLIN
[05] ARCHBISHOP OF GREECE WILL TRAVEL TO RUSSIA
[06] ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH VISITS XANTHI IN N. GREECE
[07] POPE REALIZES DREAM TO RETRACE APOSTLE'S STEPS
[08] NATIONAL ECONOMY MINISTER SPEAKS TO CNN
[09] IPEKCI AWARD BESTOWED ON AGRICULTURE MINISTER
[10] OTE REORGANIZED, TO BE SPLIT INTO 4 COMPONENTS
[11] PRESIDENT OF GREECE RECEIVES POPE AT MANSION
[12] DEVELOPMENT MINISTER TOUTS REGIONAL GROWTH
[13] MINISTER: TVX HELLAS MUST CONFORM TO RULING
[14] POPE: GREECE'S MISSION IS TO BUILD UNITING BRIDGES
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] POPE WILL NOT REFER TO CYPRUS WHILE IN GREECE
Even the minutest detail has been checked and up to par in
light of the imminent arrival of Pope John Paul II who will be
visiting Athens today at the invitation of the President of the
Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos.
The Pontiff will not be transported in the well-known glass-
covered "pope mobile", nor will he kiss Greek soil upon his
arrival – a traditional gesture he performs when visiting a new
country – instead, he will be handed an olive branch and flowers
at Athens' airport. Also, the Pontiff will make no reference to
the Cyprus issue during his public appearance.
Pope John Paul II will be greeted at the airport by Foreign
Minister George Papandreou, while, immediately afterwards, he will
be meeting with the president, Prime Minister Costas Simitis,
Parliament Speaker Apostolos Kaklamanis and main opposition New
Democracy leader Costas Karamanlis at the presidential mansion.
The state is enforcing draconian security measures during the
Pope's stay in Athens. In addition to a 5,000-strong police force
on alert throughout his stay, the 80-year-old Pontiff will be
protected by sharpshooters during his address at Pnyx Hill, a
location beneath the Acropolis where the Apostle Paul preached to
the ancient Athenians. Security forces will also be on guard at
the Vatican's embassy.
Transportation in the Greek capital is to be disrupted as All
roads to be traveled by the Pope and his entourage are to be
closed off. The recently-opened Attiki Odos motorway leading to
Greece's new international airport will be closed off to all
traffic as of 10:00 a.m.
Police will also close off Messogion Avenue leading from the
northern suburbs to Athens, and the central Vassilissis Sophias
Avenue, along which the Pope and his entourage will pass en route
to the Presidential Mansion. Equally stringent measures are being
taken at the Vatican's embassy in Paleo Psychico, where the Pope
will be staying.
According to the itinerary, the Pope is arriving in Athens at
11:30 this morning, on board an Alitalia airliner, and a small
welcoming reception will be held at the airport.
Later, he will be visiting the Presidential Mansion where the
official welcoming will be taking place, as well as the
Archdiocese, before arriving at the residence of his
representative in Athens where he will be staying.
He will dine with Catholic clergymen there and rest before
going to Agios Dionysios Catholic Cathedral for a meeting with
clergymen and monks of the Catholic Church.
At 8 a.m. tomorrow, the Pope will be visiting the indoor
basketball stadium at the installations of the Athens Olympic
stadium where a church service will be held in Greek and Latin.
The Pope's address to the faithful is to be read in Greek.
Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Christodoulos will be
present alongside the visiting pontiff on three occasions – the
first during John Paul's visit to the Athens Archbishopric,
followed by their joint appearance at the foot of the Acropolis.
Finally, Mr. Christodoulos will visit the Pope at the residence of
the Vatican's representative in Athens this evening.
The Athens visit will fulfil the Pope's dream to retrace the
steps of Pope Apostle Paul. He will be the first pontiff to visit
Greece since the Great Schism of 1056, when Christianity was
divided into Eastern and Western branches.
After his departure from Athens, the Pope will visit Damascus
and Malta.
[02] UK BOMBER TIED TO UNDERWORLD, NOT TERRORISM
A British woman who was killed in Athens yesterday when a
homemade bomb she was carrying in her car exploded, reportedly had
ties to the underworld, according to initial police reports.
`The woman identified as Mary-Susan Aristidi or Ari, was
reportedly involved in a local protection racket, while a police
search of the woman's home turned up a bomb-making plant and four
hand grenades, including a two Soviet-made grenades similar to the
one that reportedly exploded inside the car.
The 49-year-old woman was found in her BMW, after the
explosion that occurred shortly after midnight.
The victim was wearing black gloves and had cotton balls in
her ears. The remains of the bomb were discovered next to the
handbrake between the two front seats of the car, which bore
British license plates, while the detonator was found in a purse
in the backseat.
[03] SECRETARY OF STATE PUTS THE BLAME ON DENKTASH
In an unprecedented move, United States Secretary of State
Colin Powell clearly blamed Turkish-Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash
for being responsible for the recent deadlock in the Cyprus issue.
During his testimony before a Senate committee, Mr. Powell
stated that "we are in a state of partial stagnation due to the
position adopted by Mr. Denktash", adding that Washington supports
the United Nations' efforts to persuade the Turkish-Cypriot leader
to return to the Cyprus talks.
Mr. Powell also said that he is examining the Cyprus issue
and seeking the best way for US involvement and the role the
special coordinator on the Cyprus issue should play.
[04] PREMIER TO ATTEND ESP CONVENTION IN BERLIN
Prime Minister Costas Simitis is to attend the European
Socialist Party Convention in Berlin on May 6-8, according to
government spokesman Dimitris Reppas.
Mr. Simitis will depart for Berlin on Sunday, heading a
ruling PASOK party delegation that will also include Central
Committee Secretary Costas Skandalidis.
According to Mr. Reppas, discussions at the meeting will
include a proposal made by German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder on
making the European Union a federalized entity.
[05] ARCHBISHOP OF GREECE WILL TRAVEL TO RUSSIA
Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Christodoulos is to
embark on an official visit to Russia tomorrow, heading a
delegation of Metropolitans.
Mr. Christodoulos, who will remain in Russia until May 14,
will be welcomed at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport by the Patriarch
of All Russia Alexiy and the members of the Holy Synod of the
Russian Church.
He will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the
President of the State Duma Selezhnev, Moscow Mayor Luzhkov, the
Greek ambassador to Moscow and many Metropolitans of the Russian
Church.
During his stay, Archbishop Christodoulos will be visiting
many holy monasteries and shrines, as well as St Petersburg's
Academy of Theology, while he will also be attending receptions
and commemorative events.
[06] ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH VISITS XANTHI IN N. GREECE
Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos, currently on a visit to
Thrace, officiated at a church service in Xanthi yesterday, in the
presence of 20 Metropolitans, including the Metropolitans of
Alexandroupolis Anthimos and Ioannina Theoklitos.
"Some criticize us Orthodox believers as being pagans because
we respect the holy relics of the faith. We do not attribute
strength to these material objects but we accept that it is the
grace of God that acts through them," the Patriarch said in
referring to saints and holy relics.
His visit will conclude on May 7 in the city of Komotene and
the Dadia Monastery.
Meanwhile, the Metropolitan of Langadas and Holy Synod Deputy
President Spyridon extended a message of welcome from Archbishop
of Athens and All Greece Christodoulos to the Ecumenical
Patriarch, while Mr. Vartholomeos in turn congratulated the
Archbishop on the occasion of the third anniversary of the
assumption of his duties.
Archbishop Christodoulos could not meet with the Ecumenical
Patriarch, due to his scheduled preparations for the Pope's
arrival to Athens.
[07] POPE REALIZES DREAM TO RETRACE APOSTLE'S STEPS
Realizing his dream to retrace the steps of Apostle Paul,
Pope John Paul II arrived in Athens at 11.30 this morning on board
an Alitalia airliner and was handed an olive branch and flowers by
children wearing traditional costumes.
Foreign Minister George Papandreou represented the government
at the welcoming reception held at the airport.
The Pontiff was not transported in the well-known glass-
covered "pope mobile", nor did he kiss Greek soil upon his arrival
-a traditional gesture he performs when visiting a new country-.
The state is enforcing draconian security measures during the
Pope's stay in Athens. In addition to a 5,000-strong police force
on alert throughout his stay, the 80-year-old Pontiff will be
protected by sharpshooters during his address at Pnyx Hill, a
location beneath the Acropolis where the Apostle Paul preached to
the ancient Athenians. Security forces will also be on guard at
the Vatican's embassy.
Transportation in the Greek capital is to be disrupted as all
roads to be traveled by the Pope and his entourage are to be
closed off.
Police will also close off Messogion Avenue leading from the
northern suburbs to Athens, and the central Vasilissis Sophias
Avenue, along which the Pope and his entourage will pass en route
to the Presidential Mansion.
Equally stringent measures are being taken at the Vatican's
embassy in Paleo Psychico, where the Pope will be staying.
The Pope will visit the Presidential Mansion where the
official welcoming will be taking place, as well as the
Archdiocese, before arriving at the residence of his
representative in Athens where he will be staying.
He will dine with Catholic clergymen there and rest before
going to Agios Dionysios Catholic Cathedral for a meeting with
clergymen and monks of the Catholic Church.
At 8 a.m. tomorrow, the Pope will be visiting the indoor
basketball stadium at the installations of the Athens Olympic
stadium where a church service will be held in Greek and Latin.
The Pope's address to the faithful is to be read in Greek.
Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Christodoulos will be
present alongside the visiting pontiff on three occasions – the
first during John Paul's visit to the Athens Archbishopric,
followed by their joint appearance at the foot of the Acropolis.
Finally, Mr. Christodoulos will visit the Pope at the residence of
the Vatican's representative in Athens this evening.
Pope John Paul II is the first pontiff to visit Greece since
the Great Schism of 1056, when Christianity was divided into
Eastern and Western branches.
After his departure from Athens, the Pope will visit Damascus
and Malta.
[08] NATIONAL ECONOMY MINISTER SPEAKS TO CNN
Minister of National Economy and Finance Yiannos Papantoniou,
presently on a visit to the United States, stressed Greece's role
in the economic development of the Balkans during an interview
with CNN.
Referring to Greece's accession to the euro zone, Mr.
Papantoniou said that this means high growth rates of about 5%,
very low inflation close to 2.5 percent, and a budget surplus for
the first time in the past 35 years.
Moreover, the Minister referred to Greece's preparations for
the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, and underlined that "we are an
attractive destination and we are trying to benefit from our
accession to the euro zone as best as we can."
[09] IPEKCI AWARD BESTOWED ON AGRICULTURE MINISTER
Greece's Agriculture Minister George Anomeritis received the
Ipekci Award, along with his Turkish counterpart Husnu Yusuf
Gokalp, for their cooperation protocol signed in June last year.
The biannual awards were also bestowed on the former dean of
Athens University Constantine Dimopoulos and the current dean of
Istanbul University, Kemal Alemdaroglou, for their role in
promoting friendship and cooperation between Greece and Turkey.
[10] OTE REORGANIZED, TO BE SPLIT INTO 4 COMPONENTS
The Hellenic Telecommunications Organization (OTE), a heavily
traded share on the Athens bourse, is to be divided into four
components in an effort to improve its operational efficiency.
Inaugurating the launch of OTEGlobe, a venture specializing
in telecommunication services, OTE chairman Nikos Manasis stated
that it was difficult for the group to exert control over its 30
current subsidiaries due to its unwieldy structure.
"OTE will be divided into four components, representing fixed-
line telephony services, mobile telephony, Internet services, and
other activities," he said.
Details of the reorganization will be presented to
shareholders at the annual general meeting on June 25.
[11] PRESIDENT OF GREECE RECEIVES POPE AT MANSION
The President of the Hellenic Republic Costis Stephanopoulos
received Pope John Paul II this morning with full head of state
honors, immediately after the pontiff's arrival in Greece at
Athens airport at 11:30 a.m.
President Stephanopoulos greeted the head of the Roman
Catholic Church outside the presidential mansion with a warm
handshake and then followed him up the steps.
The two men entered the building after listening to the Greek
national anthem, where the political and military leadership of
the country lined up to greet the pope.
The frail pontiff shook hands with Parliament speaker
Apostolos Kaklamanis, Foreign Minister George Papandreou,
Alternate Foreign Minister Elisavet Papazoi, Deputy Foreign
Minister Grigoris Niotis, members of the Cabinet, Athens Mayor
Dimitris Avramopoulos and the heads of the Greek military.
President Stephanopoulos then greeted the representatives of
the Vatican.
[12] DEVELOPMENT MINISTER TOUTS REGIONAL GROWTH
The Simitis-led government will grant highest priority to
regional growth, along with increased employment, in an effort to
put an end to uneven growth rates noted in various parts of
Greece, according to Minister of Development Nikos
Christodoulakis.
Addressing a Thessaloniki-held conference that featured the
presence of the city's production, industrial and local government
sectors, Mr. Christodoulakis stressed that in order to achieve the
provincial region's convergence with the country's larger cities,
major infrastructure works have to be completed.
"Growth will be borne from these infrastructures," according
to the Minister, who explained that these projects in themselves
will attract foreign investments in Greece.
Moreover, the Development minister stressed that the sectors
of natural gas and new technology are the "winning hands" for
northern Greece, as the region thus acquires the needed strategic
advantages that will promote it into a Southeast European
metropolis.
In reference to a recent framework adopted for the Attica region,
which calls for the adoption of greener technology manufacturing
units and industries, Mr. Christodoulakis stated that the plan
could also be enforce in Thessaloniki by encouraging the use of
environmentally friendly means of production.
Mr. Christodoulakis also stressed the significance of the
Third Community Support Framework, amounting to 2.5 trillion
drachmas, which provides an enormous growth opportunity for the
region.
However, the Minister stressed that a sine qua non condition
for increasing entrepreneurial competitiveness in Greece is the
simplification of the administrative framework concerning the
establishment of new firms.
"The state must encourage, not avert, the spirit of enterprise,"
he stated.
The Macedonian Press Agency was among the sponsors of this
conference, the first of its kind, which concludes in
Thessaloniki tomorrow.
[13] MINISTER: TVX HELLAS MUST CONFORM TO RULING
The TVX Hellas mining company has no other choice but to
conform to the Highest Court's recent ruling, Minister of
Development Nikos Christodoulakis stated in reference to the
recent court decision that upheld residents' objection to the
operation of a gold mine in northern Greece.
Addressing a Thessaloniki-held conference that featured the
presence of the city's production, industrial and local government
sectors, Mr. Christodoulakis stated that environmental protection
is not safeguarded through a belligerent stance towards
investments, but, rather, through entrepreneurial competition,
modern infrastructures and the citizen's right to exercise
control.
In a recent ruling, the Council of State, Greece's highest
court, has ruled in favor of local residents in who are opposed to
the operation of a gold mine and mill owned by TVX Hellas SA, a
subsidiary of the Canadian mining company, TVX Gold Incorporated.
With 20 votes to 7, the Council of State upheld the residents'
challenges to the Olympias project, which is not currently in
operation, and voted to overturn all acts of government, inter
alia presidential decrees establishing the mining unit, approving
environmental specifications and selecting a site for the project.
The Council of State found that the mill's use of cyanide and
arsenic for processing gold ore would endanger the environment and
the health of residents. Specifically, the court found that the
state had not taken sufficiently into account the impact that the
processing method would have on the environment.
The court's ruling, which is to be published in May, could
have a significant effect on the project, which has been held up
since 1996.
The $248-million project aims to develop 254,000 ounces of gold on
an annual basis, along with 2.3 million ounces of silver, 21,500
tons of zinc and 22,500 tons of lead over the first five years of
production.
[14] POPE: GREECE'S MISSION IS TO BUILD UNITING BRIDGES
Given its geographical and historical virtues, Greece has a
mission to build bridges that will not differentiate between
Europe's eastern and western regions but, will, rather unite them,
Pope John Paul II stated during his visit to the Presidential
Mansion in Athens today.
In a speech given before the President of the Hellenic
Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos, the Pope -the first to visit
modern Greece since the Great Schism of 1056, when Christianity
was divided into Eastern and Western branches-, paid homage to the
influence and role Greece played on European and global culture,
and said that his visit aimed to acknowledge this.
Moreover, he referred to important historic figures from
Greece and their contribution to western culture and morals -
using examples such as the Hippocratic Oath, the Olympic Games and
the Marathon.
The Pope stated that he is visiting Greece as a pilgrim to
retrace the steps of the Apostle Paul, whose form had dominated
2,000 years of Christian history and whose memory was indelibly
printed in the soil of Greece.
In turn, President Stephanopoulos stressed Pope John Paul's
unflagging efforts in support of major moral values, his support
for democracy, peace and international brotherhood and his efforts
for economic equality in favor of the poor and downtrodden peoples
of the world.
Moreover, he stated that the Pontiff's visit takes place at a
"crucial time of transition for the future of Europe and humanity,
when we have a duty to concern ourselves with the important moral
issues and cultivate moral values that will help create the future
European identity."
The President described the Pope's desire to worship at the
Areios Pagos rock, where the Apostle Paul spoke to the ancient
Athenians, as a sign of respect for the apostle himself and to an
important historic site in Athens where the idea of justice and
democracy were born.
Finally, President Stephanopoulos referred to the efforts for
reconciliation between the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches,
initiated under Ecumenical Patriarch Athinagoras and Pope Paul VI,
and expressed hope that these would continue and contribute to the
development of a climate of cooperation, understanding and trust
between the two countries.
Following the speeches, the Pope had brief talks with the
president, Prime Minister Costas Simitis, Parliament speaker
Apostolos Kaklamanis and the leader of main opposition New
Democracy Costas Karamanlis.
Mr. Kaklamanis expressed satisfaction over the Pope's
reference to human rights and noted that human rights were also
currently being violated on Cyprus.
Following his meetings, Pope John Paul II arrived at the
residence of his representative in Athens where he will be
staying. He will dine with Catholic clergymen there and rest
before going to Agios Dionysios Catholic Cathedral for a meeting
with clergymen and monks of the Catholic Church.
At 8 a.m. tomorrow, the Pope will be visiting the indoor
basketball stadium at the installations of the Athens Olympic
stadium where a church service will be held in Greek and Latin.
The Pope's address to the faithful is to be read in Greek.
Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Christodoulos will be
present alongside the visiting pontiff on three occasions – the
first during John Paul's visit to the Athens Archbishopric,
followed by their joint appearance at the foot of the Acropolis.
Finally, Mr. Christodoulos will visit the Pope at the residence of
the Vatican's representative in Athens this evening.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
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