MPA NEWS IN BRIEF (13/05/1996)

From: Macedonian Press Agency <mpa@philippos.mpa.gr>

Macedonian Press Agency Brief News in English Directory

BRIEF GREEK NEWS BULLETIN BY MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY

Thessaloniki May 14 1996 (M.P.A.)

TITLES

NEWS IN DETAIL

[01] PRESIDENT IN CHICAGO TO MEET GREEK-AMERICAN COMMUNITY LEADERS

President of Greece will arrive in Chicago today where he will meet with leading members of the Greek- American community and discuss the promotion of Greek national issues in the United States.

In Chicago this evening, the President will attend a function hosted in his honor by the Presidents of the International and Regional Councils of Greeks Abroad (Mr. Athens and Mr. Tomaras respectively) and will be given an address by Chicago Mayor Richard Tarley.

In Sacramento yesterday, his second-to-last stop of his official state visit to the US, the President met with California Governor Pete Wilson and city Mayor Joe Cerna, who granted Mr. Stephanopoulos the city's key.

Priot to departing for Illinois, the President visited Sacramento's Greek research facility Vryonis Center and met with its founder Spyros Vryonis.

Also yesterday, during his Los Angeles visit, President Stephanopoulos gave a speech on the situation in Greece and the Balkans at the Council of World Affairs before an audience that comprised mostly American government officials and Greek-American academics.

In his speech, President Stephanopoulos stated that regarding greek-turkish relations, US President Bill Clinton is "hesitant in taking a position since both countries are US allies and the State Department is opting for keeping the balances."

On the issue of greek-american economic cooperation, the President stated that Greece would like to see cooperation between american and greek businesses in the Balkans and the greater region, to the benefit of both sides. The President stated that there are excellent opportunities for cooperation with Amercian businessemen in Greece and the Balkans.

On the cypriot issue, President Stephanopoulos pointed out that the turkish government is not making any concessions and is not enforcing any of the United Nations resolutions. Moreover, he emphasized that while prior to Cyprus' invasion by Turkey the Turk-Cypriots living on the island amounted to 18 per cent and the Greek-Cypriots were 82 per cent, Ankara is now speaking of equal communities on Cyprus.

Referring to relations between Greece and Albania, the President stated that the Tirana government does not recognize all of the rights of the greek minority living in Albania, although, as Mr. Stephanopoulos stated, he had personally received relevant promises from Albanian President Sali Berisha.

Responding to a question posed by the Macedonian Press Agency, President Stephanopoulos stated that he was greatly satisfied and moved by the contacts he made with the Greeks living in the US, pointing out that his visit's primary aim was to meet with the Greeks abroad, which is the reason why he was accompanied by the Alternate Foreign Minister George Romeos, who is also responsible for issues of Greeks abroad.

Referring to his contacts with US government officials, the President characterized them as "satisfactory", noting that everything was held "on a friendly level" and made special references to the needs of Greeks abroad, focusing on the area of improving the teaching of the greek language, as well as the need for more comprehensive coverage by the greek television throughout the US.

President Stephanopoulos will stay in Chicago until tomorrow and will return to Athens on May 16.

[02] CYPRUS-EUROPEAN UNION ASSOCIATION COUNCIL TO BE HELD TODAY

The European Union-Cyprus Association Council will proceed as scheduled today, following yesterday's Council of EU Foreign Ministers decision to dissociate the issue of Turkey's Customs Union from Cyprus' EU accession process.

During today's Association Council, the "15" will adopt a common position according to which those decisions drawn on March 6, 1995, -which referred to Turkey's Customs Union and to the start of negotiations regarding Cyprus' accession- were agreed upon within the framework of an all-inclusive discussion and not a compromise.

Turkey hopes to receive hundreds of million of dollars from the MEDA aid program that is set to provide ECU 8,4 billion to 12 mediterranean countries.

The Greek Foreign Minister, Theodoros Pangalos, has stated that the lifting of Greece's veto on this funding is depended upon Athens receiving a satisfactory statement from Ankara regarding the turkish claims in the Aegean Sea.

[03] GREEK CINEMA DIRECTOR HAILED AS THE BEST IN EUROPE

Greek cinema is recognized as being among the most competitive in the international arena according to the Canadian Institute of Cinematography's program director Tom MacSorley, who also stated that after the death of Polish director Cristof Kislowski, the Greek Theodoros Aggelopoulos is the greatest director in European cinema.

"A marvelous mixture of the ancient and the modern, comedy and tragedy, personal and political, is what makes Greek cinema one of the most competitive in the international scene," MacSorley said.

During Ottawa's currently ongoing Festival of Greek Cinema, the two Greek films that were shown were Antonis Kokkinos' "Telos Epohis" and Mihalis Kakoyiannis "Stella".

Complete archives of the Macedonian Press Agency bulletins are available on the MPA Home Page at http://www.mpa.gr/ and on the U.S. mirror at http://www.hri.org/MPA/