MPA NEWS IN BRIEF (04/03/1996)

From: Macedonian Press Agency <mpa@uranus.ee.auth.gr>

Macedonian Press Agency Brief News in English Directory

BRIEF GREEK NEWS BULLETIN BY MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY

Thessaloniki March 4, 1996

TITLES

NEWS IN DETAIL

[01] PASOK DELEGATION MEETS WITH MILOSEVIC IN BELGRADE

Moreover, within the parameters of the Congress's session, a delegation of the Albanian Party for Human Rights and Liberties met with the Minister without Portfolio Marguite Savovic, who is responsible for the areas of human rights and rights of ethnic minorities of The F.R. of Yugoslavia.

According to the Yugoslavian News Agency Tanjug, the vice-president of the Party for Human Rights George Lekkas, emphasized that his party considers Cossova to be a province of the Yugoslav Republic of Serbia.

It was commonly agreed upon that now is the right time for Albania and Yugoslavia to stabilize their relations by granting mutual respect to sovereignty and territorial integrity.

[02] DENKTASH SHOULD BE TRIED FOR WAR CRIMES, SAY EURODEPUTIES

The proposal is a result of the self-proclaimed leader's unabashed confession that more than 2,000 persons missing since the 1974 turkish invasion of Cyprus have been killed in cold blood.

The issue to bring Denktash to TheTribunal will be brought before the joined parliamentary session of Cyprus- European Union, currently taking place in Nicosia. The EU Commissioner on External Affairs Hans Van Den Broek is also participating in the meeting.

The Cypriot government however is expressing its reservations regarding the referral to The Tribunal.

According to Cypriot government spokesperson Yiannis Kassoulides, the Republic of Cyprus has not yet decided to press charges on Denktash for the war crimes.

"It is still an open matter," Kassoulides said.

"Our priority is to continue with the efforts of the tripartite committee," he said, referring to the investigation team working under the United Nations auspices for over ten years on the issue of the missing Cypriots.

[03] GREEK-AMERICANS TO ADOPT FAMILIES FROM CONSTANTINOPLE

Mr. Spyropoulos , who is heading a 14-member delegation from the United States currently on a visit to Constantinople, described his impressions of the group's recent meeting in Constantinople with Patriarch Vartolomew.

Expressing his concern for the fate of Constantinople's Greeks, where the once-astounding number of 300,000 Greeks in 1955 has been reduced to a mere 2,500 elderlies today, Mr. Spyropoulos spoke of the difficult task the Orthodox Church is faced with.

"The small population of Greeks makes the function of Constantinople's orthodox churches very difficult," he said.

He referred to his meeting with the Patriarch as an important and moving one, a meeting that was sealed by the Council's invitation to Mr. Vartholomew to visit the greek communities in the United States.

The Patriarch accepted the invite and expressed to the delegation his aim to visit all the corners of the world where Greeks are found.

[04] ARAMCO TO BUY HALF OF MOTOROIL

Aramco will also invest $50 million to restore the refinery, as well as to clean up pollutions at the refinery's installations in the Gulf of Corinth.

The refinery, owned by the Vardinoyiannis Group, has an annual capacity of 4.95 million tons and suplies 600 gas stations in the AvinOil chain.

Aramco, which has for long been on the trail of a european market opportunity, will use this alliance as a base from which it will supply new markets in Eastern Europe.

[05] DENKTASH IS IN STABLE CONDITION AFTER HEART ATTACK

Currently hospitalized in the intensive care unit of a Nicosia hospital, Denktash will be flown to Ankara this week to be examined by a team of doctors provided by Turkish President Suleiman Demirel.

The 72 -year-old leader of the turkish-occupied territory has never had a heart attack before and, according to his doctor Sait Kenan, his attack can be linked "to his age , exhaustion and recent stress."

During the following 48 hours it will be assessed if Denktash is completely out of danger. According to another of his treating physicians, Denktash is not completely out of risk.

"There is no complication at the moment," said Dervis Oral, "the risk continues, but is diminishing gradually."