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Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2004-01-29
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY
Thessaloniki, January 29, 2004
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] FAREWELL SIMITIS
[02] THE NEW PASOK ANNOUNCED BY G. PAPANDREOU
[03] DIFFERENCE INCREASED AFTER PORTO CARRAS
[04] TRANSPARENCY IN THE SPOTLIGHT
[05] PAPANDREOU IS CERTAIN THAT PASOK WILL BE THE WINNER
[06] GREEK-CZECH JOINT BUSINESS COMMITTEE
[07] THE MAJORITY OF THE GREEKS APPROVE PAPANDREOU'S DECISION ON THE TEN PARLIAMENT DEPUTIES
[08] LOSSES IN THE ASE
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS IN DETAILS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] FAREWELL SIMITIS
A warm applause sealed yesterday's pre-agenda discussion in Parliament on public administration, where Costas Simitis announced to the body that this would be the last such meeting he would participate in as Prime Minister. We may have not always agreed,
but we did always agree to move forward. I thank you all for helping me become better at my job, said Mr. Simitis.
[02] THE NEW PASOK ANNOUNCED BY G. PAPANDREOU
His intention to begin the procedure for PASOK's transgression, was announced by PASOK candidate President Giorgos Papandreou, in a speech for the party youth in Thessaloniki. Mr. Papandreou stressed that politics must return to their ethical basis and a
ppeared certain that he will win the elections. Today he will visit areas in the II Thessaloniki electoral district, and he will make a speech in the municipality of Lagadas at an open meeting, and in the evening he will address repatriated Greeks living
abroad in a rally in downtown Thessaloniki.
[03] DIFFERENCE INCREASED AFTER PORTO CARRAS
A difference of 4.3 units in favor of ND against PASOK was recorded by VPRS, published in the "Kathimerini" newspaper. Today's poll, in relation to the previous one carried out by the same company, shows an increase of the difference between the two majo
r parties, which is appreciated as being the reflection of the Pachtas amendment on Porto Carras. There was also a significant increase in ND's victory probability.
[04] TRANSPARENCY IN THE SPOTLIGHT
If everyone is dishonest, then who is honest? Since I believe in transparency I fight, but I am also against exaggeration and scandal mongering for one's personal gain, said Prime Minister Costas Simitis in the pre-agenda discussion in Parliament. Mr. Ka
ramanlis attacked the Prime Minister in turn, accusing him of "doom saying" and of sending messages of division. He supported that his party has always pioneered in all national issues and he added that ND, even to this day, asks for an open and honest di
scussion, but is getting no reply.
[05] PAPANDREOU IS CERTAIN THAT PASOK WILL BE THE WINNER
Greek Foreign Minister and governing Socialist Party of PASOK future President Giorgos Papandreou stated that he is certain of his party's victory in the March 7 elections, speaking in the Medicinal Baths Center in Langada, near Thessaloniki today.
He also issued an invitation for a new start that will lead the country to a new era. Beginning on March 7, a new effort will be underway, said Mr. Papandreou, underlining that the farm economy will allow farmers to move on to new kinds of crops, to new
economic activities, even to a combination of activities.
[06] GREEK-CZECH JOINT BUSINESS COMMITTEE
Greek Minister of Agriculture Giorgos Dris and his Czech counterpart Jaroslav Palas reached an agreement for the establishment of a joint business committee by Greece and the Czech Republic that will undertake to give a new boost to the already increased
trade transactions between the two countries in the farm sector.
The new committee will be formed very soon, as according to a statement made by Mr. Dris, the responsible general secretaries of the Greek and Czech Ministries of Agriculture will undertake to realize this new body within the first half of 2004.
For the record, the Ministers of Agriculture of Greece and the Czech Republic have signed an agreement of cooperation in the sectors of agriculture, food industry, forest and water management, while the new move for the strengthening of bilateral relatio
ns is expected to be mutually beneficial in view of the Czech Republic's EU accession.
[07] THE MAJORITY OF THE GREEKS APPROVE PAPANDREOU'S DECISION ON THE TEN PARLIAMENT DEPUTIES
The majority of the Greek people approve the decision made by governing Socialist Party future President Giorgos Papandreou to remove from the party ticket the names of the Parliament deputies who were involved in the Pachtas amendment case concerning P
orto Carras Hotel in Chalkidiki, northern Greece.
Specifically, based on the opinion poll, conducted by the OPINION polling company on behalf of the Athens newspaper "Eleftherotypia" for the period January 27 and 28, when the amendment case had already taken up huge dimensions, 62.2% of the voters in At
hens and Thessaloniki believe that the decision to exclude the ten PASOK Parliament deputies from the party ticket was the right decision compared to 21.8% who believed that the decision was wrong.
[08] LOSSES IN THE ASE
Losses were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today. The general index dropped to -0.95% at 2391.73 points, while the volume of transactions was at 158 million euros.
Of the stocks trading today, 91 had gains and 218 had losses, while the value of 79 stocks remained unchanged.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
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