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Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2001-08-28
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, August 28, 2001
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] ARCHBISHOP REVEALS NUMBER OF SIGNATURES
[02] N. KONSTANTOPOULOS MEETS WITH G. PAPANDREOU
[03] 3.008.901 SIGNATURES ON THE ID ISSUE
[04] SIMITIS MEETS THE YOUN WATER POLO CHAMPIONS
[05] K. SIMITIS: THESE ATHLETES REPRESENT GREECE'S SUCCESS
[06] NORTHERN GREECE LEADS IN EXPORTS
[07] THE IOC PRESIDENT WILL BE IN ATHENS IN SEPTEMBER
[08] THE ID CARDS ISSUE HAS CLOSED REITERATED MR. REPPAS
[09] THE CHEFS DES CHEFS IN "ATHENS 2004"
[10] PRIME MINISTER SIMITIS IN SLOVAKIA IN NOVEMBER
[11] ND: NO TRANSPARENCY IN THE PROCEDURE CONCERNING "HELLAS SAT"
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] ARCHBISHOP REVEALS NUMBER OF SIGNATURES
More than 3 million signatures are expected to be revealed by
Archbishop Christodoulos, at 11 a.m. this morning. This is
considered the main weapon of Mr. Christodoulos in view of his
meeting with Mr. Stefanopoulos, President of the Greek Republic,
tomorrow, where he will express the request for a referendum to
take place on the ID issue. The government considers the Church's
position dividing and it seems as if the President of the Republic
is recommending Mr. Christodoulos takes on a lower profile.
New Democracy was accused of opportunist politics on the id
issue by the government spokesperson, Dimitris Reppas, while he
criticized the church's initiative to collect signatures.
Mr. Reppas expressed his regrets for those who, as he said,
promote confusion in order to create impressions and hurt the
image of the Prime Minister. "It is not possible for the Church-
State affairs to be monopolized on this issue", he added, and
stressed that if a request from the Archbishop for a meeting with
the Prime Minister is received it will be accepted, on the term
that there is a specific agenda, so that there is a substantial
result.
When Mr. Reppas was asked about today's meeting of Archbishop
Christodoulos and the President of the Republic, Mr.
Stefanopoulos, he stated that he would not comment on the
President's initiative.
[02] N. KONSTANTOPOULOS MEETS WITH G. PAPANDREOU
The Foreign Secretary, Giorgos Papandreou, will meet with the
President of the Coalition of the left, Nikos Konstantopoulos.
During the meeting, the President of the Coalition will be
informed on foreign policy issues and will formulate the party's
position on the way to deal with the FYROM crisis.
[03] 3.008.901 SIGNATURES ON THE ID ISSUE
3.008.901 signatures have been concentrated by the church on
the request for a referendum to take place, on whether religion
should be recorded on ID cards, as announced by the Archbishop of
Athens and all of Greece, Christodoulos, who harshly attacked the
government and called it to either hold the referendum or submit a
bill to parliament.
Apart from the 3.008.901 signatures there were also 16.344
forms which were not counted because they were found to be invalid
after the triple computer check that took place.
Mr. Christodoulos appealed to the government for a discussion
and reaching of a common understanding, and characteristically
said :"With due respect we call the Greek state to come to a
common understanding with us, without needless struggles. We also
call all of the Nation's bodies to come to the same understanding.
We ask the government to move to the holding of a free and
peaceful referendum, so that the total will of the people may be
expressed freely, without evasions and alibis, by implementing the
highest constitutional order of the people's sovereignty which is
the highest democratic obligation of everyone. I once more address
the Greek government and from the bottom of my hearts say: Come
and let us discuss the cultural future of this land. The Church is
your helper not your enemy".
The Archbishop was highly critical towards the government on
the matter of the identity cards and the Prime Minister's denial
to meet with the Archbishop for a discussion on the issue. He
insinuated that there are circles inside the government that want
the de-christianization of the country and spoke of "obligatory
modernization". "The ones that dared to change the image of Greece
must feel awful, denying its most characteristic feature, which is
the religion of the people.", he stressed, and added: "The respect
of the people's religious sentiment and the pursuit of the gradual
de-christianization of the country , is the heart of the problem.
Anything else said is misleading. The Greece of trials and today's
dangers does not have the luxury of distractions and fanaticism or
rifts caused by an obligatory modernization. The time has come for
the rulers of this land to listen. As we have listened to them
many times. To hear the voice of those who signed the appeal of
the Church , and belong to all political sectors without
discrimination. All those people's voices, who are children of
God, and children of this great homeland. The people of God have
spoken soberly and determinably, with no inclination for
confrontations with their government. And spoke in an
unprecedented and impressive way which will not be forgotten. More
than 3 million Greek men and women asked for a referendum and the
Holy Synod repeats at this time its standing request for an
honorable, honest and fruitful, for our national identity,
discussion. It is in the hands of the government, according to the
constitution, to appease the people's request with a referendum or
to submit a new law to the parliament on identity cards".
Mr. Christodoulos spoke of a 14 month unpredictable course
and bitter confrontations, during which a lot was said. Positions
and arguments were submitted. "At times in good faith and at
others with the intensity of a deceitful war strategy, which at
times reached the limits of slander and insults to orthodox
people. Even outside politics there were underhanded and scheming,
small and great, insidious and calculating people, with various
machinations unworthy of their part, who tried to undermine the
holy unity of the Church and divide the people. They succeeded in
neither. All they achieved was to reveal themselves".
[04] SIMITIS MEETS THE YOUN WATER POLO CHAMPIONS
Today, at 12 noon, Prime Minister Kostas Simitis met with the
National Youth Water Polo Team, which received the gold medal in
the world championship held in Istanbul.
[05] K. SIMITIS: THESE ATHLETES REPRESENT GREECE'S SUCCESS
Prime Minister Kostas Simitis met at noon today with the
athletes that were recently distinguished in track, sailing, water
polo and rowing. The Ministerial Olympic Committee for 2004 was
present. Addressing the Greek athletes, Mr. Simitis called them to
intensify their efforts with the 2004 Olympic as their climax, and
presented them each with a commemorative gift with his signature.
The Prime Minister stressed that today's meeting, like others
before it were conducted for the same reason, the successes of
Greek teams. "We all know that at the World Track Meet, Greece
came in seventh in the number of medals won, and surpassed other
countries with a much greater athletic tradition. These victories,
our athletes' victories in sailing, rowing, water polo, and track,
show that if we work with a plan and try hard we can achieve
success. These athletes represent Greece's successes, Greece that
creates, Greece with confidence, Greece that achieves and wins.
They deserve warm congratulations", he underlined.
Mentioning the Inter-ministerial Committee for the 2004
Olympics, Mr. Simitis stressed that the presence of Greek athletes
is a prompting for the committee to work quickly and efficiently
with 2004 being the culmination of this effort as its target.
GAINS IN THE ASE
Small gains were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today.
The general index rose to +0.66% at 2.805,88 points, while the
volume of transactions was at 158.9 million Euro or 54.154 billion
drachmas.
Of the stocks trading today, 207 recorded gains and 123 had
losses, while the value of 46 stocks remained stable.
[06] NORTHERN GREECE LEADS IN EXPORTS
The exports of the northern Greek companies showed an
increase of over four times higher than the average annual
increase recorded in the companies operating in the country as a
whole, reaching 4.5 billion Euro last year.
The average annual increase in northern Greece was 12.8%
compared to 3% in the country as a whole. In 2000, the exports of
the northern Greek companies corresponded to 49.3% of the overall
exports in Greece, while in 1997 they were 47% (without counting
the exports of oil products).
Furthermore, the sales of the export companies in northern
Greece, inside and outside the borders, were over 14 billion Euro
last year with an annual increase of 10.7% in the period 1995-
2000, according to a research conducted by the Association of
Exporters in Northern Greece.
[07] THE IOC PRESIDENT WILL BE IN ATHENS IN SEPTEMBER
The 2004 Olympic Games ministerial committee met today to
discuss issues concerning all sectors of preparations for the
Athens Olympic Games and prime minister Kostas Simitis called on
the committee members to show effectiveness. Among the issues
discussed were the progress in the construction of the journalist
villages, the shortcomings in the sector of hospitality, and the
Olympic village projects.
In statements he made afterwards, undersecretary of press
Tilemachos Hitiris, pointed out that the projects under
construction are on the final stage and assured that their
timetable will be met.
Meanwhile, newly elected International Olympic Committee,
IOC, president Jacques Rogge and new coordinating committee
president Dennis Oswald will visit Greece on September 25-28
heading a 43-member delegation and according to their schedule
they will visit at least 5 Olympic projects.
[08] THE ID CARDS ISSUE HAS CLOSED REITERATED MR. REPPAS
"The Archbishop has returned to the statements he has made
from time to time and now we will reiterate our firm position. The
identity cards issue has closed", stated government spokesman
Dimitris Reppas.
The statement was made by Mr. Reppas immediately after the
announcement by Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All of
Greece of the number of signatures collected by the Church calling
for a referendum on the listing of the bearer's religion on the
state-issued identity cards.
[09] THE CHEFS DES CHEFS IN "ATHENS 2004"
The chefs of state leaders and kings visited the offices of
the "Athens 2004" Organizing Committee today to be briefed on
dietary issues concerning the athletes, the Olympic Family
members, and the visitors of Athens during the 2004 Olympic Games.
Welcoming the members of this exclusive international Club,
"Athens 2004" Organizing Committee adviser Spyros Kapralos
underlined that the Olympic Games will give an opportunity to
Greece to promote its modern, dynamic, and creative side to the
world, while creating infrastructure and know-how that will
contribute to its future development.
He said that the world trend to recognize the value of the
Mediterranean diet has brought the traditional Greek cuisine to
the front stage forming the necessary preconditions for its
international promotion.
The Club's inspirer and currently its general secretary Mr.
Gilles Bragard expressed the certainty that the 2004 Olympic Games
will be successful and underlined that the chefs have a common
problem they have to face, as they will have to satisfy the
different dietary habits of thousands of athletes and their
escorts.
The "Athens 2004" dietary program was presented to the Chefs
des Chefs by "Athens 2004" Nutrition Services director Mr. Makis
Fokas, who referred in detail to the demands in products, and
quantities of food and beverages, as well as in chefs and
equipment.
[10] PRIME MINISTER SIMITIS IN SLOVAKIA IN NOVEMBER
Prime minister Kostas Simitis will be on a formal visit to
Slovakia on November 12-13, accompanied by undersecretary of
national economy Yiannis Zafiropoulos, responsible for
international economic relations.
The prime minister will also be accompanied by Greek
businessmen, who will have meetings with government officials and
local businessmen.
[11] ND: NO TRANSPARENCY IN THE PROCEDURE CONCERNING "HELLAS SAT"
The procedures followed in the signing of the contract
concerning the first Greek telecommunications satellite "Hellas
Sat" to be set in orbit were not transparent and were against the
interests of the state, according to Athanasios Himaras of the
right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy, who is
responsible for issues of transportation and telecommunications.
He stated that the government has placed the contract with a
joint venture which has not participated in previous bids, while
the country almost lost the deadline for the right to set a
satellite in orbit as a result of the government's
irresponsibility.
Mr. Himaras said that when the governing socialist party of
PASOK came to power in 1981, Turkey was 50 years behind Greece in
the sector of telecommunications but today Ankara has three
telecommunications satellites in operation.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
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