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Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2003-01-20

Macedonian Press Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Macedonian Press Agency at http://www.mpa.gr and http://www.hri.org/MPA.


MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY Thessaloniki, January 20, 2003

SECTIONS

  • [A] NATIONAL NEWS
  • [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

  • NEWS HEADLINES

    [A] NATIONAL NEWS

  • [01] PERATIKOS&PETSOS WERE NOT BLACKMAILED
  • [02] AT THE SOURCE OF THE BLACKMAILER'S INFORMATION
  • [03] MOBILIZATION OF THE LAW
  • [04] NEGOTIATIONS AMIDST DISPUTES
  • [05] FROM N17 TO ELA
  • [06] SIMITIS GREEN LIGHTS NEW ARRESTS
  • [07] DE SOTO: K. ANAN MAY TERMINATE EFFORTS IF NO SOLUTION FOUND BY 28/2
  • [08] FOR A SOLUTION WITHOUT WAR
  • [09] WWII BOMBS FOUND IN OLD ATHENS AIRPORT AREA
  • [10] CHURCH OF GREECE: 16 MILLION EURO BUDGET
  • [11] TSOCHATZOPOULOS ON A TWO-DAY VISIT TO BRUSSELS
  • [12] FOREIGN INVESTMENTS OF 6 BILLION EUROS EXPECTED IN GREECE
  • [13] CHRISTODOULAKIS-BARNIER MEETING
  • [14] THE GOV'T SPOKESMAN ON TERRORISM
  • [15] SIGNIFICANT LOSSES IN THE ASE
  • [16] ECOFIN MEETS TOMORROW
  • [17] PROTOPAPAS ON TURKEY'S EUROPEAN COURSE
  • [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

  • [18] COMMISSIONER VERHEUGEN ON TURKEY'S POLICY TOWARD ITS NON-MUSLIM MINORITIES NEWS IN DETAILS

    [A] NATIONAL NEWS

  • [01] PERATIKOS&PETSOS WERE NOT BLACKMAILED Shipowner Michalis Peratikos and former Minister Giorgos Petsos stated to the press that they had not been blackmailed in the name of "November 17".

    "What is important however is for those who were blackmailed and are alive, to speak. Because if they do not dare to speak this abscess will never be broken", stressed Mr. Petsos.

    Giorgos Petsos and Michalis Peratikos were present at the memorial service for the terrorist victims, held at the church of the Trinity in Piraeus.

    Besides, Marianna Latsis' testimony to the DA, is expected to be important to the progress of the investigations in the blackmails case.

    According to information, the notes of N17 victim Dimitris Aggelopoulos mentioned a telephone communication of his with Giannis Latsis, who told him that he was being blackmailed as well. This fact led Gianna Aggelopoulou to take the initiative and discu ss the issue this summer with Marianna Latsi.

  • [02] AT THE SOURCE OF THE BLACKMAILER'S INFORMATION The DA has called Mrs. Marianna Latsi, daughter of shipowner Giannis Latsis, to testify as part of the investigation of the blackmails case, while on her part, Mrs. Aggelopoulou questions the degree to which it is appropriate for the Head of the Olympic Organizing Committee to testify. The DA is trying to locate the sources of the blackmailer's information, which may well be individuals holding important positions in the state.
  • [03] MOBILIZATION OF THE LAW M. Psomiades, the legally invisible owner of AEK FC, is just the beginning, according to Minister of Culture Evaggelos Venizelos' statements to the "Ethnos" newspaper, while he gave his assurance that investigations will be carried out with no exceptions . At the same time the emergency audit is beginning in AEK today, executed by the Auditing Council, after the order of dep. Minister of Culture, G. Lianis. Mr. Psomiadis has also been called before the Sportsfan's Committee. AEK fans protested against Mr.

    Psomiadis and AEK coach Mr. Bajevic yesterday, while Mr. Psomiadis did not attend the AEK-Panionios game.

  • [04] NEGOTIATIONS AMIDST DISPUTES President of the Cypriot Republic Glafkos Cleridis was characterized as a medieval feudal lord by his main opponent in the presidential elections, T. Papadopoulos, who combined the date the negotiations will end, which are being repeated at a rapid pace today, with the date of the elections. Rauf Denktash will ask his MPs to ratify the plan's negotiations, while he stated that "if the parliament says yes, it should also find someone to sign it." Cypriot Foreign Minister Ioannis Kassoulidis stated that it

    is possible for Denktash to be overturned before the final date, while Alvaro De Soto did not rule out the lifting of international intervention if no solution is found by then.

  • [05] FROM N17 TO ELA Prime Minister Kostas Simitis has allegedly given the green light for a new round of arrests of other terrorist organizations apart from N17, according to publications in Sunday newspapers, which published information on ELA's visages and its connection with organizations abroad, mainly that of Carlos, as well as the connections between local terrorist organizations. About 200 people allegedly participated in ELA.
  • [06] SIMITIS GREEN LIGHTS NEW ARRESTS The green light for a new round of arrests in the terrorism case was given to Minister of Public Order Mich. Chrysochoidis by Prime Minister K. Simitis, as was mentioned in the "Sunday Eleftherotypia" newspaper.

    Officials of the Ministry of Public Order said that "after painstaking investigations, today, the police authorities are in the position to make the next major step in the terrorism case". Regarding the ELA terrorist organization, they noted that "the fi rst arrests may be carried out within the current week". They did not specify on the number of arrests, but they underlined that "there will be more than one but less than ten".

    As they noted, there is sufficient information to lead the suspects to the DA and they made mention of locating the ELA's ringleaders, who are: The "theorist" who picked up where Kassimis, the alleged founder of ELA, left off and was in charge of the pol itical front, the "operation organizer" who played the role Dimitris Koufontinas had in N17, i.e. organizing and participating in operations, and the "bourgeois", a person above suspicion with a good social and professional position.

    Officials of the anti terrorism service assured Mr. Chrysochoidis that these three, as well as one woman, "are well tied up".

  • [07] DE SOTO: K. ANAN MAY TERMINATE EFFORTS IF NO SOLUTION FOUND BY 28/2 It is possible that UN Secretary General Kofi Annan will terminate his efforts for a solution on the Cyprus issue, if no solution is found by February 28, based on the plan he has submitted.

    The above was stressed by Special Consultant on the Cyprus issue Alvaro De Soto, in an interview to the "Ta Nea" newspaper, and he noted that in such a case "darkness and uncertainty" will reign. He believes that the revised Annan proposal is a wholly ba lanced approach to the issue and he has been given the impression that it is time for a decision to be made on the Cyprus issue. Based on the atmosphere prevailing in both Cypriot communities, he underlined that popular demand for a solution of the Cyprus

    issue must be heard.

  • [08] FOR A SOLUTION WITHOUT WAR Head of the UN team of Inspectors in Iraq Hans Blix, will brief the European Union in Athens today, while NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson does not rule out the possibility to avert the war. An atmosphere in favor of averting the war is being formed

    in the EU, as is evident both from Head of EU Foreign Policy Xavier Solana, as well as from German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer.

  • [09] WWII BOMBS FOUND IN OLD ATHENS AIRPORT AREA Two bombs dating back to WWII were found this morning in the area of the old Ellinikon airport, Athens, according to an announcement made by the General Army Staff.

    The bombs were located by the Landmine Clearing Battalion carrying out operations in the area so that it is safe for the 2004 Olympics.

    The bombs were located at a depth of approximately 1.8 meters and will be disarmed by bomb technicians and then taken to the Avlona shooting range to be destroyed.

  • [10] CHURCH OF GREECE: 16 MILLION EURO BUDGET The 2003 budget of the Church touched on 16 million euro, approximately 240,000 euro less than last year.

    According to "Flash" radio, the Holy Synod will dispense 9 million of the figure above to its central financial service for the construction of new buildings or the maintenance of existing ones, 890,000 to public relations and events, and just 45,000 to charity.

    The basic sources of income of the Church are rents, which pay it more than 9 million euro, and dividends providing more than 2.5 million euro.

  • [11] TSOCHATZOPOULOS ON A TWO-DAY VISIT TO BRUSSELS Development Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos will be on a two-day visit to Brussels tomorrow to present the positions and priorities of the Greek Ministry of Development within the framework of the Greek EU Presidency.

    Specifically, the Minister of Development will address the International Conference on Industrial Policy in the Enlarged Europe organized tomorrow by the European Commission.

    On Wednesday, January 22, Mr. Tsochatzopoulos will visit the European Parliament to present and discuss the priorities of the Ministry of Development within the framework of the Greek EU Presidency with the members of the Euro-Parliament Committees on In dustry, Energy, and Technology. He will also discuss them with the Legal Affairs and Internal Market Committee.

  • [12] FOREIGN INVESTMENTS OF 6 BILLION EUROS EXPECTED IN GREECE Foreign investments in Greece in the sectors of telecommunications, tourism and electricity production, are expected to be at 6 billion euros by the year 2006.

    Also, the presence of foreign investors in the Greek economy is strengthened through investments in the Greek stock market and the Hellenic Petroleum and Skaramanga Shipyards privatization in progress.

    Based on the OECD latest figures for the period 1992-2001, Greece has attracted just 0.2% of the world investments which is indicative of the structural problem in the Greek economy during the 90s; a tendency that was not reversed even in the "golden per iod" of 1999-2001.

  • [13] CHRISTODOULAKIS-BARNIER MEETING Greek Finance Minister Nikos Christodoulakis meets in Brussels today with European Commissioner Michel Barnier, responsible for structural funds. They will discuss the present and future of European funding within the framework of the 2nd and 3rd communi ty support framework.

    Mr. Barnier is expected to raise the major issue of community funding within the framework of the 2nd community support framework that will have to be closed by March 31.

    In case the necessary documents are not collected by Athens before the above mentioned deadline, the European Commission will be unable to approve the last funding. It will be unable to release a big part of the still undistributed 1.5 billion euros and Greece will run a serious risk of losing the community funds in question.

  • [14] THE GOV'T SPOKESMAN ON TERRORISM The Prime Minister appreciates deeply the Angelopoulou family of businessmen contribution to the efforts against terrorism and the exposure of other illegal networks.

    The above were stated by Greek government spokesman Christos Protopapas responding to a relevant question by reporters. Mr. Protopapas added that the responsible prosecutor received the documents that were handed over by members of the Angelopoulou famil y almost simultaneously with the government.

  • [15] SIGNIFICANT LOSSES IN THE ASE Strong pressures were exerted on the Athens Stock Exchange today and the general index recorded losses of -1.30% at 1.667,67 points, while the volume of transactions was at 53.7 million euros.

    Of the stocks trading today, 57 recorded gains and 246 had losses, while the value of 78 stocks remained unchanged.

  • [16] ECOFIN MEETS TOMORROW The ECOFIN meeting to be held tomorrow under the presidency of Greek Finance Minister Nikos Christodoulakis is expected to approve five Stability and Development Programs submitted by Germany, France, Italy, Greece and Finland, as well as the Convergence

    Program submitted by Sweden.

    The revised program submitted by Greece will be approved in the meeting without difficulty. However, the "15" will repeat the criticism and remarks made by the European Commission mainly concerning public debt.

    The "15" are expected to stress that the growth rate of the Greek economy is regarded as feasible and in agreement with the recent EU predictions. At the same time, they will call on the Greek government to adopt structural changes and new, radical refor ms in the retirement system and employment.

    Meanwhile, the Eurogroup Council meets this evening and the interest of the 12 Finance Ministers of the Euro-zone is expected to focus on the international situation and the effects of the strengthening of the euro, the oil price hikes and the imminent i nvasion of Iraq on the Euro-zone economy.

  • [17] PROTOPAPAS ON TURKEY'S EUROPEAN COURSE Greek government spokesman Christos Protopapas referred to the issue of Turkey's European course.

    He stated that Greece wants to have as a neighbor a country that functions based on the European standards, respects human rights and operates like a European state.

    Mr. Protopapas said that Greece has an interest in boosting Turkey's European orientation. He added that it remains to be seen whether Turkey will exploit the opportunities given to it by the European Union.

  • [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

  • [18] COMMISSIONER VERHEUGEN ON TURKEY'S POLICY TOWARD ITS NON-MUSLIM MINORITIES European Commissioner Gunter Verheugen condemned Turkey's policy toward all its non-Muslim minorities responding to a question by Greek Euro-deputy Stavros Xarhakos, elected with the right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy. Mr. Xarhakos' questi on concerned the persecutions suffered by minorities in Turkey and the destruction of cultural heritage in the islands of Imvros and Tenedos.

    Mr. Verheugen mentions that the Greeks, Armenians and Jews in Turkey face problems concerning their right to own property, while in many instances property has been confiscated or is at risk of being confiscated.

    Referring to the reforms announced recently by Turkey, Mr. Verheugen stated that they do not cover all the problems faced by religious minorities regarding property rights, while there are difficulties in registering property like in the case of the isla nds of Imvros and Tenedos.

    In his question, Mr. Xarhakos had raised the issue of the expulsion of the Greek residents of Imvros and Tenedos in violation of the Treaty of Laussane regulating the Greek-Turkish relations since 1923. He also added that the Greek population of Imvros h as been reduced from 9.400 people to just 200.


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