Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2001-07-12
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, July 12, 2001
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] THE MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY PRESENTED ITS NEW ACTIVITIES
[02] ANOMERITIS GUARANTEED THAT BEEF AND MILK CONSUMERS ARE NOT IN
ANY DANGER
[03] GAINS OF 2.89% IN THE ASE
[04] A BUNDESTAG DELEGATION MET WITH KAKLAMANIS
[05] THE 8TH WORLD CONFERENCE OF PAN-MACEDONIAN ASSOCIATIONS OPENS
TOMORROW
[06] SIMITIS ON THE OPINION POLLS AND ASE
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[07] THE SPECIAL MOUNT ATHOS STATUS IS PROTECTED BY THE EU
[08] POSITIVE COMMENTS IN ECOFIN ON THE GREEK ECONOMY
[09] OLYMPIC GAMES MUST RETURN TO GREECE PERMANENTLY
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] THE MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY PRESENTED ITS NEW ACTIVITIES
The Macedonian Press Agency, MPA, presented its new
activities on the Internet in a special event held in Thessaloniki
yesterday.
Among the new activities is the first Greek political
newspaper on the Internet, named Hellas.gr, which is mainly
directed to the Greeks living abroad. It can be found on the
Internet at the electronic address www.mpa.gr, subscription is
free and the users have the option either to read it on their
computer screen or print it.
This way the Greeks abroad can have adequate information on
Greece on a daily basis regardless of where they live.
President of MPA board of directors Paraskevas
Paraskevopoulos stated in the event that MPA watches developments
closely and intervenes in a pioneer way in the sector of the mass
media.
The activities of MPA were presented by its general director
Spiros Kouzinopoulos, who stated, among others, that it will be 10
years this fall since MPA was founded, adding that it was the
first mass media in Greece to become active on the Internet in
1993 and in 1994 got its own web server. Its site is visited by
over 800.000 users daily. Mr. Kouzinopoulos stressed that the goal
is for Hellas.gr to number 100.000 subscribers by the end of 2001
and 200.000 by the end of 2002.
Internet is not a threat but a new opportunity for electronic
mass media, stated Sporline director Konstantinos Kamaras and
characterized the publication of the electronic newspaper as very
significant initiative, pointing out that it opens new doors to
news information. Sportline cooperates with MPA for the
publication of the new electronic newspaper.
[02] ANOMERITIS GUARANTEED THAT BEEF AND MILK CONSUMERS ARE NOT IN
ANY DANGER
Greek agriculture minister Giorgos Anomeritis gave the
assurance that beef and milk are not responsible for the spread of
the bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) to humans.
Speaking this morning before the responsible parliament
committee, he pointed out that 7.000 of the 30.000 cattle raised
in the country were tested during the first half of the year and
the only "mad cow" disease case was the one traced in Kilkis,
northern Greece.
The minister reiterated that no animal over the age of 30
months goes to consumers without a veterinary inspection.
[03] GAINS OF 2.89% IN THE ASE
Significant gains were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange
today. The general index rose to +2.89% at 2.506,02 points and the
volume of transactions was satisfactory compared to previous
sessions at 119.65 million Euro or 40.77 billion drachmas.
Of the stocks trading today, the overwhelming majority,
namely 314, recorded gains and only 20 had losses, while the value
of 45 stocks remained stable.
[04] A BUNDESTAG DELEGATION MET WITH KAKLAMANIS
Greek parliament president Apostolos Kaklamanis and a
delegation of the German federal parliament European affairs
committee agreed that Cyprus' EU accession is a priority, during
the meeting they had in Athens today.
In the meeting they discussed the future of the EU and its
peoples, as well as, enlargement procedures. They concluded that
Cyprus meets all preconditions to become an EU member and
therefore, it rightfully claims a priority over the rest candidate
states.
Mr. Kaklamanis said that the state parliaments express the
will of the European peoples and have an important role to play in
this difficult and hopeful course of a strong European Union
offering new prospects to its peoples.
[05] THE 8TH WORLD CONFERENCE OF PAN-MACEDONIAN ASSOCIATIONS OPENS
TOMORROW
Most of the hundreds of delegates from every part of the
world have arrived in Litochoro, Pieria to attend the 8th World
Conference of the Pan-Macedonian Associations.
Speaking to MPA, US-Canada Pan-Macedonian Association
president Ms. Nina Peropoulou stated that the conference
preparations have been completed, while the delegates'
registration began this morning. Delegates have arrived from south
Africa, Europe, United States, Australia and Canada.
The proceedings of the World Conference of the Pan-Macedonian
Associations will open tomorrow morning and the formal opening of
the conference will take place in the afternoon in the presence of
Macedonia-Thrace minister Giorgos Paschalidis.
MPA will broadcast live the conference opening on the
Internet at the electronic address www.mpa.gr.
[06] SIMITIS ON THE OPINION POLLS AND ASE
Prime minister Kostas Simitis speaking in the cabinet meeting
today referred to the two opinion polls according to which, right-
wing main opposition party of New Democracy is leading socialist
governing party of PASOK in terms of popularity and ND leader
Kostas Karamanlis is more fit to become prime minister. Mr.
Simitis stated that the government's picture is not good.
The prime minister stated that opinion polls are an
indication of how citizens react in a specific moment but they are
used as means to exert political pressure, and create conflict.
Mr. Simitis also referred to the situation in the Athens
Stock Exchange and the economy, stressing that it appears that
there is a front that is responsible for the creation of a
negative climate aimed at controlling political developments.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[07] THE SPECIAL MOUNT ATHOS STATUS IS PROTECTED BY THE EU
The special status of Mount Athos will not be abolished and
the European Commission does not intend to deal with such an issue
as the monastic community in Mount Athos is under a special
regime.
The assurance was given by European Commissioner Antonio
Vitorino, responsible for justice and internal affairs issues, in
response to a question by British socialist Euro-deputy Glean Ford
on how the European Commission intends to show that the fact that
women are not allowed to visit Mount Athos is in accordance with
the EU treaties and if it will take measures to deal with the
issue.
[08] POSITIVE COMMENTS IN ECOFIN ON THE GREEK ECONOMY
The fiscal discipline in the European Union was examined in
the EU national economy and finance ministers, ECOFIN, meeting in
Brussels.
Greek minister of national economy Yiannos Papantoniou
received flattering comments on the Greek economy growth rate
which is estimated to be at 4.6%.
Mr. Papantoniou stated that if the Euro-zone economy growth
rate is at 2.2-2.4%, Greece's 4.6% is double and this is a very
big success for the Greek economy.
The average inflation in the Euro-zone will drop by the end
of the year and will be at 2.7%. Greece's inflation is expected to
follow the downward course of the Euro-zone inflation and it will
be at 2.7% or 2.8% by the end of the year.
[09] OLYMPIC GAMES MUST RETURN TO GREECE PERMANENTLY
The position that the Olympic Games must return to Greece
permanently was expressed by Australian labor party leader Kim
Beazly, who is also a candidate for the post of prime minister.
The statement was made in response to the question if he supports
Peking's bid for the 2008 Olympic Games.
Speaking in Melbourne's radio station, he said that Olympic
Games must return to Greece permanently especially, now that
Athens will have the necessary infrastructure for such athletic
events. He added that such a move will help in the restoration of
the games' prestige, while it will limit their commercialization
and corruption.
For the record, voting will take place in Moscow tomorrow for
the selection of the city that will host the 2008 Olympic Games.
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