Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2001-06-11
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, June 11, 2001
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
TITLES
[Á] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] EMERGENCY LANDING AT "MACEDONIA" FOR AIR RAGE
[02] LOWER TAXES ARE IN STORE, ACCORDING TO MINISTER
[03] JOURNALISTS HOLD CONFERENCE IN SAMOTHRACE
[04] PSEKA SUPPORTS CYPRUS' ACCESSION TO EU
[05] EU FMs DISCUSS FYROM CRISIS AND EUROARMY FORCE
[06] ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARRESTED IN NAXOS
[07] MEETING ON ORTHODOXY IN PATMOS
[08] LOSSES IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
[09] GREECE SEEKS DIPLOMATIC SOLUTION IN FYROM
[10] "EVROS-MARITZA-MERIC" COOPERATION PROTOCOL
[11] OA CANCELED ITS FLIGHTS TO SKOPJE
[12] BALKAN INTER-REGIONAL COOPERATION MEETING
[13] THE CYPRUS AIRWAYS TROUBLEMAKER IS FREE
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[14] DISAPPOINTING GROWTH IN EURO-ZONE
[15] VENIZELOS' MEETINGS IN VENICE
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] EMERGENCY LANDING AT "MACEDONIA" FOR AIR RAGE
A Cyprus Airlines passenger aircraft was forced
to make an emergency landing at Thessaloniki's
"Macedonia" airport last week, when one of its
passengers expressed symptoms of air rage and began
harassing the other travelers.
The passenger, 35-year-old Russian national
Hussein Mozed Mohammed, was reportedly intoxicated on
board the Moscow-Larnaca flight, and refused the
crew's attempts to calm him down.
Apprehended by airport security staff, the
Russian national appeared before the Thessaloniki
prosecutor yesterday, facing charges of disrupting
transport systems.
The aircraft continued its journey to Larnaca
with a slight delay.
[02] LOWER TAXES ARE IN STORE, ACCORDING TO MINISTER
Economic reforms slated for implementation in
2003 include lower taxes, accompanied by a simpler
taxation system to replace the existing labyrinthine
one, according to Minister of National Economy and
Finance Yiannos Papantoniou.
In an interview with the state-owned television
channel "NET", Mr. Papantoniou also stressed that
there will be no new taxes for any income group, while
he also announced plans to increase the portion of
untaxed income and to reduce taxation for businesses.
Specifically, the "sweeping" reforms include
means to ensure fairer taxation, boost business
competitiveness, and simplification of the tax system.
In another interview with the Sunday edition of
the Thessaloniki paper "Aggelioforos Tis Kyriakis",
Mr. Papantoniou announced that Greece's economy is to
present a whopping 10-trillion-drachma surplus by the
end of the decade, indicating that these excess funds
will be allocated to funding the country's ailing
social security system.
[03] JOURNALISTS HOLD CONFERENCE IN SAMOTHRACE
The ninth annual conference of Greek journalists
is to begin on Thursday, at the northeastern Aegean
island of Samothraki.
The four-day event, themed "Power and the Mass
Media", is jointly organized by the local
municipality, the Prefecture Administration of Evros,
the ministry of press and mass media, the ministry of
Macedonia-Thrace and journalists' unions.
[04] PSEKA SUPPORTS CYPRUS' ACCESSION TO EU
The Greek-Turkish rapprochement, as engineered by
Foreign Minister George Papandreou, has to be
supported and the Greek and Cypriot communities abroad
have to pressure the Bush Administration into
supporting Cyprus's accession to the European Union,
the President of AHEPA John Economy told the
Macedonian Press Agency, on the sidelines of the 12th
annual conference of the International Coordinating
Committee for Cypriot Struggle (PSEKA), presently held
in Washington.
Mr. Economy also indicated that times have
progressed, noting that "it's the first time we hear a
Secretary of State, Colin Powell, speak openly against
(Turkish-Cypriot leader) Rauf Denktash."
Former US Ambassador to the UN Richard Holbrooke,
addressing the conference through a videotaped
message, referred to Mr. Denktash as "the most
intransigent person" with whom he had come in contact
in the region.
Mr. Holbrooke also noted that no country outside
the EU could prevent Cyprus' accession to the EU.
US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs,
Marc Grossman, said that Cyprus' accession to the
European Union is a significant development and can
prove a great incentive to solve the Cyprus problem.
Mr. Grossman also stated that the new US
Administration was interested in a just and viable
solution of the Cyprus problem, and expressed hope
that there would be better developments.
In her address, US Assistant Secretary of State
for European Affairs, Elizabeth Jones, said that US
policy in the region over the next few years was set
to focus on the EU's decision to include Cyprus in its
enlargement, as well as the cooperation of Greece,
which will take over the presidency of the bloc in
2003.
Featuring the attendance of approximately 100
representatives from the US, Canada, UK, Australia,
Greece and Cyprus, the conference was also addressed
by Greece and Cyprus's ambassadors to the United
States, Alexandros Philon and Erato Markouli-Kozakou,
respectively.
[05] EU FMs DISCUSS FYROM CRISIS AND EUROARMY FORCE
Greece will veto any European Army proposal that
would be contrary to its interests during today's
European Union General Affairs Council, Foreign
Minister George Papandreou stated.
Speaking in reference to Ankara's insistence on
participating in the nascent European forces'
activities (even though it not an EU member) Mr.
Papandreou further stressed that any revision of the
Nice Summit decision is ruled out; the said Summit had
resolved that decisions on the actions of the European
force will be taken only by EU members.
The situation in FYROM is to also be discussed by
the General Affairs Council, where Greece is expected
to table a "three phase" five-day plan for an
immediate end to ongoing conflict and reinstatement of
inter-ethnic dialogue.
The first phase calls for the EU and the US to
apply pressure on the four major parties comprised in
FYROM's coalition, calling for a cease fire within 48
hours and the withdrawal of all armed groups from the
conflict zones.
The second phase calls for the initiation of high-
level talks between coalition representatives who will
establish the basis of the dialogue to follow.
The third phase is that of the five-day dialogue
headed by FYROM President Boris Trajkovski, which will
culminate with the final text of an agreement that
will be submitted to the EU.
[06] ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS ARRESTED IN NAXOS
Three crew members of the Greek towboat "Star", with 138
Kurdish illegal immigrants on board, were arrested by the Greek
police when the ship suffered a mechanical failure near the Aegean
island of Naxos.
The illegal immigrants had boarded the ship at the Turkish
coasts and are currently held in a school-building awaiting
deportation. The Greek police is looking for two more crew members
who managed to escape arrest.
[07] MEETING ON ORTHODOXY IN PATMOS
The 8th general assembly of the Inter-parliamentary
Cooperation on Orthodoxy will be held in the Aegean island of
Patmos on June 28-July 2 with the participation of delegations
from 20 European countries and Greek origin parliament deputies
from the United States, Canada and Australia.
Among the speakers will be former Russian prime minister
Gevgeni Primakov and Greek European Commissioner Anna
Diamantopoulou.
[08] LOSSES IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
Big losses were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today.
The general index dropped to -2.85% at 2.876,76 points, while the
volume of transactions was 118.7 million Euro or 40.45 billion
drachmas.
Of the stocks trading today, just 24 stocks recorded gains
and the overwhelming majority namely, 331 had losses, while the
value of 26 stocks remained stable.
[09] GREECE SEEKS DIPLOMATIC SOLUTION IN FYROM
Greece wants a political and diplomatic solution to be
reached in the Skopje crisis, stated Greek government spokesman
Dimitris Reppas, adding that dialogue is the only solution and the
Greek government is opposed to any thought or any action
undertaken by a group, aimed at bringing a change in the existing
borders.
Mr. Reppas stated that the situation in Skopje will be
examined in the EU General Affairs Council meeting in Luxembourg
today and Greek foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou will submit a
plan aimed at defusing the crisis, while Javier Solana, head of
the European joint foreign policy and policy of defense, will
brief its members on the situation.
On the rumors concerning the attacks launched against Greek
businesses in Skopje, Mr. Reppas stated that the Greek government
is in constant communication with the diplomatic agencies to take
the necessary measures, while he also stressed categorically that
there is no question of a Greek military presence in FYROM.
Meanwhile, the EU foreign ministers meeting in Luxembourg
have issued a joint statement condemning the Albanian extremist
action in FYROM and calling on all sides to display self-restraint
and avoid putting the civilian population in any danger.
Greek foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou proposed to adopt a
"black list" with the Albanians, who commit illegal acts, to be
unable to get a permission to enter any European Union country. He
also suggested that the council should allow the European
Commission to determine the time in which a stability agreement
will be reached between the EU and Albania to send a positive
message to the Albanian prime minister for his contribution to the
efforts for peace in the region.
[10] "EVROS-MARITZA-MERIC" COOPERATION PROTOCOL
The cooperation protocol for the establishment of the "Evros-
Maritza-Meric" Euro-region was signed in the municipality of
Trigono in northeastern Greece last Saturday by the Greek and
Bulgarian Associations of Border Regions "Evros" and "Maritza"
respectively.
Proposals for the organizing and operation of the Euro-region
were discussed in the special event that was held on the occasion
of the signing of the protocol. Present in the ceremony was a
Turkish delegation.
[11] OA CANCELED ITS FLIGHTS TO SKOPJE
The Greek state-run airline Olympic Airways canceled its
flights to Skopje today in response to the threats launched by the
ethnic Albanian rebels according to which, the Skopje Airport will
be bombed.
The OA announced that it is canceling its flights to the
FYROM capital for precautionary reasons.
The flights' cancellations were decided one day after the
threats launched by one of the leaders of the ethnic Albanian
rebels, who warned that they will bomb the airport and other
buildings in Skopje if the FYROM armed forces continue their
attacks against the rebels.
[12] BALKAN INTER-REGIONAL COOPERATION MEETING
A Balkan Committee within the framework of the Association of
the Regional Coastal Regions of Europe will be founded in the
northeastern Greek city of Kavala, where the first meeting of
inter-regional cooperation in the Balkans is being held.
A proposal that will be made by Eastern Macedonia and Thrace
Region general secretary Aris Papadopoulos suggests that the
Balkan Committee seat should be based in a northern Greek city.
The goal of the committee will be to develop cooperation and
initiatives for peace, cooperation, security and more job
opportunities for the people living in the region.
The decision that will be made in the Kavala meeting will be
approved in the European Coastal Regions Committee general
assembly meeting that will be held in Portugal in September.
[13] THE CYPRUS AIRWAYS TROUBLEMAKER IS FREE
A Thessaloniki court sentenced to 6 months in prison the
35yearold Syrian Mohammad Hussein Mozed, who forced a Cyprus
Airways pilot to make an emergency landing at Thessaloniki's
Macedonia Airport last Saturday.
The plane was on its way to Larnaca, Cyprus coming from
Moscow and during the flight the 35yearold, who had consumed large
quantities of alcohol, harassed the other passengers and at one
point he even attacked members of the crew who tried to calm him
down.
In his testimony before the court, he stated that he could
not remember what happened exactly during the flight because he
had consumed three bottles of wine mixed with whisky and vodka.
The 35yearold appealed against the court decision and was
released.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[14] DISAPPOINTING GROWTH IN EURO-ZONE
The actual growth in Euro-zone in 2001 will be lower than
predicted by the European Central Bank (ECB) showing a
considerable decline, according to a research conducted on behalf
of the British newspaper Financial Times, the German Financial
Times and the French Les Echos.
ECB governor Wim Duisenberg had stated that growth in
Euroland will be 2-2.5% in 2001, but the research analysts do not
seem to go along with this viewpoint and maintain that by the end
of this year's second trimester the Euro-zone growth will drop to
1.8% on an annual basis.
They also believe that in the third trimester it could drop
even more, to 1.4%, just over the 1.3% growth rate recorded in the
US economy in January-March 2001.
Justifying their pessimism, the analysts cite isolated
economic figures that came to light recently showing, beyond any
doubt, a notable industrial production decline and an increasing
deficit in business confidence.
[15] VENIZELOS' MEETINGS IN VENICE
Greek culture minister Evangelos Venizelos met yesterday with
the mayor of Venice and the dean of the Venice University for
talks on the cooperation of the city of Venice and the local
university with the Greek culture ministry in view of the Cultural
Olympiad.
A Modern Greek Studies Department was established in Venice
in 1996 based on an agreement between Paolo Costa, the then Venice
University dean who is now the city mayor.
The success of the great exhibition on the Greeks of the West
at Palacco Grazzi, and the Velimezi Collection exhibition as well
as, the restoration of the Venice Greek Institute Images Museum
have proven that this Italian city is an ideal place for cultural
events of Greek interest due to its historical and cultural ties
with Greece.
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