Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2001-07-24
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, July 24, 2001
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] GOVERNMENT DENIES THE LIST OF NAMES ALLEGATIONS
[02] ND CALLS FOR CLARIFICATIONS ON THE LIST OF GENOA
[03] PUBLIC SPENDING AT 6% IN 2002
[04] GAINS IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
[05] KARAMANLIS-PAPADIMOS MEETING
[06] REQUEST FOR SIMITIS' INTERVENTION IN JERUSALEM
[07] SIMITIS-PAPANTONIOU DISCUSSED THE BUDGET
[08] 27TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE RESTORATION OF DEMOCRACY IN GREECE
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] GOVERNMENT DENIES THE LIST OF NAMES ALLEGATIONS
Today's news report is untrue, stated government spokesman
Dimitris Reppas when he was asked to comment on the Athens
newspaper "TA NEA" report, reiterating categorically that no list
of names has been given to the Italian authorities.
The mass media have a responsibility for everything they
publish but many times the truth is absent, stated Mr. Reppas,
adding that Greece participates in the EU procedures and this
cannot be used to create false impressions to the public opinion.
The Greek government gave a real fight for the Greek
protesters to be able to go to Genoa and is not aware of
information on individuals who participated in terrorist actions,
concluded Mr. Reppas.
Meanwhile, the list of names issue will be discussed in the
responsible parliamentary committees, while Minister of Public
Order Michalis Chrisochoidis will be called to testify before
them.
Parliament president Apostolos Kaklamanis announced a short
while ago that the relevant procedures already got underway.
[02] ND CALLS FOR CLARIFICATIONS ON THE LIST OF GENOA
The revelation, according to which information on protesters,
who went to Genoa, was given to the Italian authorities was
characterized as a major moral and political issue by right-wing
main opposition party of New Democracy spokesman.
He called on the government to give answers to the questions
raised namely, if information was given and what kind, taking
under consideration that the Italian Interior Minister speaking
before his country's parliament yesterday revealed that he had in
his hands "a list with the names of troublemakers".
[03] PUBLIC SPENDING AT 6% IN 2002
The government's economic staff appears determined to cut
spending rate to 5-6% in 2002, in spite of the government
ministries demands for spending increases of 10-50%.
The decision was made in a meeting under National Economy
Minister Yiannos Papantoniou yesterday.
According to an announcement expected today, the spending
rate increase in the first half of the year was at 7.5%, while the
budget's goal was 7.9%.
[04] GAINS IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
Gains were recorded again today in the Athens Stock Exchange.
The general index rose to +0.92% at 2.615,93 points, while the
volume of transactions was satisfactory at 141.67 million Euro or
48.273 billion drachmas.
Of the stocks trading today, 281 recorded gains and 54 had
losses, while the value of 38 stocks remained stable.
[05] KARAMANLIS-PAPADIMOS MEETING
Right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy leader
Kostas Karamanlis met with Bank of Greece governor Loukas
Papadimos today.
In a statement he made afterwards, Mr. Karamanlis pointed out
that today's meeting confirms the ND concerns over the course of
the economy and the fact that there is a serious fiscal problem.
He said that this is proven by the high unemployment, the
abandonment of the rural areas, the lost chances as far as the
Community Framework of Support is concerned, and the big delay in
the liberalization of the economy.
He concluded by saying that the country needs a different
policy and a different government.
[06] REQUEST FOR SIMITIS' INTERVENTION IN JERUSALEM
With a letter to prime minister Kostas Simitis the five
Metropolites, who were removed from the list of candidates for the
throne of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, request for his
intervention calling him to make a protest demarche to the Israeli
government.
The Metropolites maintain that a gross violation of the
freedom of conscience was committed by the Israeli government
accusing it of unacceptable intervention in the Church of
Jerusalem internal affairs in view of the election of its new
head.
They maintain that the Israeli government removed their names
from the list of candidates under the pretext that it took under
consideration security issues of the Patriarchate and the
Patriarch's position toward the state of Israel. They point out
that the removal of their names insults their personality in an
irreversible way, violates the freedom of the most ancient Church
in the world and diminishes its prestige among the other Christian
communities in the Holy Land.
[07] SIMITIS-PAPANTONIOU DISCUSSED THE BUDGET
The 2002 state budget and the condition of the Greek economy
were among the issues discussed by Prime Minister Kostas Simitis
and Minister of National Economy Yiannos Papantoniou in their
meeting today.
Mr. Papantoniou stated that the growth rate of the Greek
economy will be double the EU average this year and the following
years. At the same time, he guaranteed that tax exemptions for
private individuals and companies will be implemented in 2003.
[08] 27TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE RESTORATION OF DEMOCRACY IN GREECE
The 27th anniversary of the restoration of democracy in
Greece will be celebrated with a grand formal reception that will
be given by President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis
Stephanopoulos at the presidential building gardens this evening.
Prime minister Kostas Simitis in his message on the occasion
characterized July 24, 1974 as a historic day, adding that still a
lot has to be done as the struggle for democracy never ends.
Mr. Simitis said that the present course is as hard and full
of challenges, and therefore the vigilance of the people and
society has to be continuous. He also mentioned that the
consolidation of democratic institutions has been met but the
broadening of social justice and the strengthening of social
cohesion must also be achieved. Referring to the Turkish invasion
of Cyprus, 27 years ago, underlined that the most important
element for the solution of the Cyprus problem is the continuous
progress in Cyprus' EU accession course.
Right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy leader
Kostas Karamanlis referred in his message to the need for the
Greek people to unite efforts in order to meet the national goals.
The Greek Communist Party stressed that 27 years after the
collapse of the dictatorship in Greece the Greek people are faced
with new torturing and difficult problems.
Coalition of the Left mentioned in its message that the
anniversary of the fall of the dictatorship stresses the
everlasting importance of the struggle for national independence
and social progress.
The Democratic Social Movement underlined that political life
is poisoned daily by unreliability, hypocrisy and lack of dignity.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
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