Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2001-05-16
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, May 16, 2001
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
TITLES
[Á] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] STRIKE ENCORE TOMORROW, NOTHING WILL OPERATE
[02] POWELL: TERRORISM ISSUE NOT ENDEMIC TO ATHENS
[03] BLACK SEA HELLENISM LIBRARY TO BE INAUGURATED
[04] GREECE, EU TO DECLARE WAR AGAINST MOSQUITOES
[05] TECHNICAL COLLEGES NOW EQUAL TO UNIVERSITIES
[06] JEWISH CEMETERY WAS VANDALIZED BY BURGLARS
[07] GREEKS PAY BACK IN EURO COIN AS OF DECEMBER 1
[08] RISING GASOLINE PRICES FUEL THE STATE'S CONCERNS
[09] ATHENS MAYOR IN THESSALONIKI AS PARTY LEADER
[10] A 17YEAROLD GREEK WON THE BRONZE MEDAL IN A BALKAN MATH
OLYMPIAD
[11] INTRACOM EXPANDS TO CHINA
[12] GAINS IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
[13] INSPECTION OF OLYMPIC VELODROME
[14] THE GREEK GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN ON CYPRUS' EU ACCESSION COURSE
[15] ATHOC PRESIDENT STATEMENTS AFTER IOC EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[16] INFLATION IN THE EURO-ZONE WAS AT 2.9% IN APRIL
[17] PAPANDREOU MET WITH META AND NANO
[18] PAPANDREOU: THE CHANGE OF BORDERS WILL NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEMS
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] STRIKE ENCORE TOMORROW, NOTHING WILL OPERATE
The country is to come to a standstill tomorrow as everyone,
even performers, is expected to take part in a mass strike held in
protest to the social security reforms proposed by the state.
Tomorrow's strike is essentially an "encore" of April 26's
massive protest, the largest in over 20 years, whose momentous
planning forced the government to shelve the proposed reforms one
day before the strike was to get underway.
In spite of the government's repeated appeals for "dialogue",
tomorrow's strike will also proceed as planned. As such, all
public utilities will be closed, along with state and private
schools, banks, tax offices, ministries and municipal offices,
while there will be no public transport all day. National air
carrier Olympic Airways will carry out only one flight per
destination, while the Railway Organization of Greece (OSE) will
conduct only the so-called "social service" routes.
Hospitals will only function with skeleton staff, while a
news blackout will cover the state, as the media sector will be
striking en masse.
The strike has been declared by the country's main labor
umbrella groups - the General Confederation of Greek Labor (GSEE),
representing the private and the broader public sector, and ADEDY,
the civil servants' union.
[02] POWELL: TERRORISM ISSUE NOT ENDEMIC TO ATHENS
United States Secretary of State Colin Powell is confident
that 2004 Olympics will be safe, as Greece will effectively handle
the threat of terrorism, which, he stated, "is not endemic to
Athens".
In his testimony before the Senate's Budget committee,
Secretary Powell rejected the direction of Senator Ben Campbell
who insisted that the US must exert pressure on Athens in order to
safeguard the security of American and other athletes who will be
participating in the 2004 Games.
Instead, Mr. Powell stated that "we certainly should monitor
their (2004 Games) preparations to make sure our youngsters are
not being put in conditions of danger.
"But I have confidence that the Greek authorities know how to
deal with this kind of thing, and any concerns we do have, we
should present to them."
However, the Secretary of State stated that the threat of
terrorism "is not endemic to Greece", adding, "I mean, we had our
own homegrown whacko, whoever it was, who set a bomb off in
Atlanta."
[03] BLACK SEA HELLENISM LIBRARY TO BE INAUGURATED
The Archive and Library of the Black Sea Hellenism are to be
inaugurated on May 18, in Thessaloniki by the Undersecretary of
Foreign Affairs (responsible for Expatriate Affairs) Grigoris
Niotis and the city's prefect Costas Papadopoulos.
The event is to be held within the framework of the Third
Session of the Advising Committee of the Center of Study and
Development of Greek Culture of the Black Sea. The session will
also review the Center's achievements in its four-year course.
The session will be attended by the Ministers of Macedonia-
Thrace George Paschalides and Defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos.
During the evening session, the Center of Study and
Development of Greek Culture of the Black Sea is to sign a
protocol of cooperation with the Inter-Balkan and Black Sea
Business Center, while the Greek Culture Center of Sweden is to
sign a protocol of cooperation with the Association of Greeks in
Romania.
[04] GREECE, EU TO DECLARE WAR AGAINST MOSQUITOES
Greece is to begin implementing a European Union program
aimed at combating mosquitoes in several regions of the country
where the nuisance is most prevalent, following a funding
agreement reached with the EU's pertinent EDEN project.
According to press reports, the "war" on these annoying
insects is to involve the spraying of aerial and land insecticide,
to be used under the direction of experts and university
professors who have studied the problem.
Countries participating in the mosquito control program are
Greece, Spain, France, Italy and Germany. The program will begin
in May and end in November, while the resulting report will be
relayed to the EU so that it may implement the system in other
countries as well.
[05] TECHNICAL COLLEGES NOW EQUAL TO UNIVERSITIES
The education ministry's bill on tertiary education, which
upgrades state technical education institutes (TEIs) to university
status was passed by Parliament last night, with a majority vote
of 134 vs. 124.
However, the presidents of all the country's universities,
which remain closed in protest, had vowed earlier to mount their
opposition to the bill unless the government promised to evaluate
the technical colleges within three years, withdraw the provisions
concerning post-graduate studies and classify them as "non-
university institutions."
On the other hand, TEI representatives have expressed their
satisfaction with the bill, according to which TEIs will not be
classified as "non-university institutions," but will be allowed
to conduct their own research, organize postgraduate studies in
conjunction with Greek and foreign universities, and grant their
graduates the same professional rights as university graduates.
Meanwhile, in an interview with an Athens radio station,
Educaiton Minister Petros Efthimiou referred to the university
rectors' protests by stating that "conflict in the higher
education sector is unfathomable".
The parliamentary debate on other reforms in higher education
is to continue this evening.
[06] JEWISH CEMETERY WAS VANDALIZED BY BURGLARS
The unknown assailants who broke into the Thessaloniki Jewish
Cemetery and vandalized the premises, are most likely burglars and
not pro-Nazi followers, according to the police.
The vandals, who broke in on Monday, stole a cordless phone
and caused damages to the office, while they also unearthed six
marble gravestones from the cemetery.
Apparently they climbed over the stonewall fence and broke in
the office hoping to find valuables.
The President of the Thessaloniki Jewish Community Andreas
Sefiha also agrees with the police's assessment, since both the
method of break-in and the theft of valuables point to a burglary.
[07] GREEKS PAY BACK IN EURO COIN AS OF DECEMBER 1
Greece will begin circulating a limited number of euro coins
as of December 1, in order to allow consumers to adjust to the new
single European currency ahead of its official circulation date of
January 1, 2002.
According to the national euro coordinating committee,
commercial banks, the Hellenic Post Office and possibly the
internal revenue service offices will distribute approximately
three million packages with the new euro currency to small- and
medium-sized enterprises.
The Greek government also plans to promote "gentlemen's
agreements" between the state with employers in order to avoid any
speculative moves during the conversion period.
Minister of National Economy and Finance Yiannos Papantoniou
stated that all conversions from drachmas to euros will be made in
a way that will be to the consumer's benefit.
[08] RISING GASOLINE PRICES FUEL THE STATE'S CONCERNS
The government's concerns are mounting over the continuous
rise in fuel prices, which are to increase significantly as of
midnight.
Specifically, unleaded fuel will increase by 5.8 drachmas per
liter, rising to 300 drachmas per liter in some areas, while
diesel is to be increased by two drachmas.
Development Minister Nikos Christodoulakis is to embark on a
series of contacts with the oil sector's representatives in an
effort to contain the prices. He will also confer with Prime
Minister Costas Simitis over this matter today.
[09] ATHENS MAYOR IN THESSALONIKI AS PARTY LEADER
Athens Mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos made his inaugural
appearance as leader of the newly-founded Movement of Free
Citizens (KEP) party in Thessaloniki yesterday.
Proffering his opinion on all current issues, Mr.
Avramopoulos stressed that his party was founded upon the
initiative of individuals who advocate societal changes and have
entrusted him with the task of leading the effort.
In regards to the contentious issue of social security
reforms, Mr. Avramopoulos proposed the formation of an all-
spanning expert committee, which will result in a cohesive
proposal that will lead to a legislative bill. In all cases, he
stressed, the potential solution should not involve pension cuts
or increased taxes.
Commenting on the decline noted by KEP in a recent poll, Mr.
Avramopoulos said that it is simply too early to assess a
political party that has yet to complete its program and
organizational structure. Still, he pointed out, it's no small
feat that it ranked as the country's third political power and it
won't be long before it climbs to the top.
KEP's founding congress and youth conference is to be held in
Thessaloniki in November.
[10] A 17YEAROLD GREEK WON THE BRONZE MEDAL IN A BALKAN MATH
OLYMPIAD
A seventeen-year-old from Pirgos, in southern Greece won the
bronze medal in the Balkan Math Olympiad.
Stathis Metsovitis participated in the competition that was
held in Belgrade, Yugoslavia with other five students from Greece.
[11] INTRACOM EXPANDS TO CHINA
The Intracom management will open a new office in Peking,
China within the next two months to exploit the opportunities in
the huge Chinese telecommunications market. The company is also
expected to expand to Latin America.
The company's investments in the research and development of
new products are expected to follow an upward trend as by the end
of 2001 the sum allocated for this purpose will be 29 billion
drachmas compared to 18.7 billion drachmas the previous year.
[12] GAINS IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
Gains were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today. The
general index rose to +0.57% at 3.039,61 points, while the volume
of transactions was small at 49.718 billion drachmas or 145.91
million Euro.
Of the stocks trading today, 215 recorded gains and 103 had
losses, while the value of 57 stocks remained stable.
[13] INSPECTION OF OLYMPIC VELODROME
A delegation of the International Cycling Union (UCI),
representatives of the General Secretariat of Sport, officials of
the ATHOC Sports and Olympic Works Divisions and members of the
Greek Cycling Federation participated in yesterday's meeting at
the Olympic Velodrome in AOSC.
The participants were briefed by the technical officials of
the UCI about the improvements and overlays on the track and other
Velodrome facilities in view of the Olympic Games. The head of the
UCI delegation, Mr. Lucien Bailly, UCI track coordinator in
Sydney, the technical delegate (track) for the Athens 2004 Olympic
Games, Mr. Enrico Della Casa and the track constructions expert
Mr. Jean Moiroud, pointed out that several works must be
undertaken in the Velodrome. In their report to be submitted to
the UCI, the IOC and ATHOC, they will also propose the
installation of an overall Velodrome cover.
Also present were the President and the Secretary-General of
the Greek Cycling Federation (in Greek EOP), Mr. Athanassios
Terzis and Mr. Costas Karabetsos, as well as members of the EOP
Board, the ATHOC Director for Cycling Mr. Vladimiros Petsas, the
Director for Olympic Venues Infrastructures, Ms. Elli
Papakonstantinou and the representative of the General Secretariat
of Sport, Mr. Georgios Zarkadoulas.
[14] THE GREEK GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN ON CYPRUS' EU ACCESSION COURSE
No one can stop Cyprus' EU accession course, stated Greek
government spokesman Dimitris Reppas when he was called to comment
on the EU-Cyprus Association Council decision that the solution of
the Cyprus problem is not a precondition for Cyprus' accession
into the EU.
The Greek government spokesman added that Cyprus is the EU
candidate state that made the biggest progress in all sectors and
pointed out that this decision is the best response to Turkey
which believes that it can raise obstacles to Cyprus' EU accession
course.
Mr. Reppas also mentioned that with this decision the Turkish
Cypriot side is blamed for maintaining the stagnation in the
efforts to solve the Cyprus problem, adding that this is a very
important moment not only for Cyprus and Greece but for the
international community itself.
[15] ATHOC PRESIDENT STATEMENTS AFTER IOC EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETING
Today ATHOC President, Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki,
Managing Director, Ioannis Spanudakis, as well as the Executive
Directors Spyros Capralos and Marton Simitsek presented to the IOC
Executive Board in Lausanne, the progress made in the course of
preparations for the 2004 Olympic Games.
After the meeting, the President of ATHOC stated that it was
not just the new airport, the new highways and the tender for the
Olympic Village that is already in place but there are also the
side works in four other cities and the great marketing results as
93% of the budget has already been secured with only five out of
the 40 predicted sponsors.
Ms. Angelopoulos-Daskalaki stated that there is also the
progress in Communications, Health, Services and Security, adding
that only yesterday, US secretary of state Colin Powell went out
to say that the US trust Greece because a major effort is being
made.
Responding to a question, the ATHOC president said that there
is no decision yet about any change in the canoe venue.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[16] INFLATION IN THE EURO-ZONE WAS AT 2.9% IN APRIL
An increase of 0.5% was recorded in the Euro-zone inflation
last month compared to March and as a result it has reached 2.9%,
according to the European Union Statistics Agency, Eurostat.
On an annual basis, inflation in all EU member-states was at
2.3% in March and 2.6% in April, which is a very high percentage
compared to the 2% limit set earlier by the European Central Bank.
Last year, inflation in April was 1.9% in the Euro-zone and
1.7% in the European Union as a whole.
Increased inflation was recorded in April in Holland (5.3%),
Portugal (4.6%) and Ireland (4.3%), while the lowest inflation was
recorded in Britain (1.1%), followed by France (2%) and Austria
(2.5%).
[17] PAPANDREOU MET WITH META AND NANO
Greek foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou met with Albanian
prime minister Ilir Meta and Socialist Party president Fatos Nano
on the sidelines of the Inter-Balkan Meeting (SEECP) held in
Tirana today.
In the meeting were discussed issues concerning the latest
developments in the Balkan region and the Greek-Albanian
relations.
Among the issues under discussion were the course of the
Stability Pact implementation, the participation of the countries
in the region in European institutions and the joint battle
against organized crime.
Albania, Greece, Yugoslavia and FYROM were represented at
foreign ministers level, while Bulgaria, Turkey, Romania, Bosnia-
Herzegovina and Croatia at undersecretaries of foreign affairs
level.
[18] PAPANDREOU: THE CHANGE OF BORDERS WILL NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEMS
Greek foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou addressing the
Initiative for the Cooperation in southeastern Europe foreign
ministers meeting in Tirana, pointed out that the change of
borders cannot solve the problems in the region but on the
contrary creates new divisions.
He said that the political party leaders are being encouraged
to cooperate closely for the further consolidation of a multi-
ethnic society in FYROM and stressed that the goal is to condemn
terrorism and extremism. Mr. Papandreou also said that support
will be offered only to those who want peace, democracy and
cooperation.
The Greek foreign minister stated that the southeastern
European foreign ministers meeting sends a clear message that
sovereignty, territorial integrity and the existing borders in
FYROM will be protected.
On the Greek-Albanian relations, he said that Greece
cooperates closely with the government in Tirana for the
strengthening of regional stability and pledges to back Albania's
European prospect.
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