Macedonian Press Agency News In Brief (96-10-18)

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

BRIEF GREEK NEWS BULLETIN BY MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY

Thessaloniki, October 18, 1996

TITLES

[01] GREECE'S PRESIDENT SEES UNION OF HEARTS ON NATIONAL ISSUES

[02] PRIME MINISTER OFFICIATES PASOK'S CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEETING

[03] DEFENSE MINISTER: A QUICK ACTION FORCE IS A FIRM ELEMENT OF DEFENSE

[04] GREECE'S DEFENSE AND EDUCATION MINISTERS TO VISIT CYPRUS

[05] GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS MEET WITH LOCAL LEADERS OVER HALKIDIKI'S GOLD MINE

[06] CYPRIOT PRESIDENT GLAFKOS CLERIDES TO MEET WITH SIR DAVID HANNAY

[07] BOUTROS GHALI HAILS THE PREVENTIVE DIPLOMACY SEMINAR HELD IN FYROM

NEWS IN DETAIL

[01] GREECE'S PRESIDENT SEES UNION OF HEARTS ON NATIONAL ISSUES

Lamia, October 18 (M.P.A.)

The President spoke in Lamia where he attended festivities commemmorating the 160-year mark since the founding of the municipality and the 52 years since the city's liberation from occupation forces.

"There may be different points of view... which is how it is supposed to be in democracies," the President said, " but when it comes to supporting national rights, the independence of pride and integrity, in other words all (the elements) which constitute a modern proud nation, we are all in agreement."

[02] PRIME MINISTER OFFICIATES PASOK'S CENTRAL COMMITTEE MEETING

Athens, October 18 (M.P.A.)

"The electoral outcome gives PASOK the historic opportunity to be the party that will lead the country to the year 2000," the Premier stated.

Mr. Simitis also referred to the party's political action axes and pointed out that officials should be appreciated from the areas that supported the party during the recent elections.

Moreover, the Prime Minister spoke of a crisis in the main opposition party New Democracy and emphasized the need to develop PASOK's social-oriented side.

[03] DEFENSE MINISTER: A QUICK ACTION FORCE IS A FIRM ELEMENT OF DEFENSE

Athens, October 18 (M.P.A.)

Mr. Tsohatzopoulos added that a productive defense policy is a prerequisite for the maintenance of peace and the decisive vindication and protection of national rights.

[04] GREECE'S DEFENSE AND EDUCATION MINISTERS TO VISIT CYPRUS

Athens, October 18 (M.P.A.)

The two ministers have been invited by the Cypriot Minister of Education and Culture Clare Angelidou who had discussed with them in Athens the new memorandum of cultural cooperation between the two countries which is expected to be ready by the end of the year.

[05] GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS MEET WITH LOCAL LEADERS OVER HALKIDIKI'S GOLD MINE

Thessaloniki, October 18 (M.P.A.)

Participating in the conference, headed by Macedonia- Thrace Minister Philippos Petsalnikos, are the undersecretaries of National Economy Christos Pachtas, Development Anna Diamantopoulou, l.abor Christos Protopappas and Agriculture Vasilis Geranides.

Three persons were injured last night and six others were arrested (but were later released) when episodes erupted near the multi-billion-drachma gold production project, operated by Canadian company TVX Gold, where angry locals protesting the project blocked the access road and clashed with police.

The local residents claim that the gold processing plant will hurt local tourism and damage the environment.

Earlier this week, the company's local supervisor stated that the firm will suspend its 270 billion USD - Greece's largest project during the past three decades- on October 23 if local residents continue to disrupt their work.

"The company is scheduled to suspend the operation of the mines if the road (to the mines) does not open before the end of October," said Costas Sinis, TVX's executive vice-president in Greece.

The gold processing plant has been stopped from starting operations for the past ten months.

According to Sinis, the company has so far lost 28 million USD from these delays and it has continued to pay its 500 workers without making any profits.

The area's residents appear divided as hundreds of local laborers and residents took part in a march held in the city of Poligyros on Monday, expressing their support to the gold production project.

TVX Gold foresees that the project will triple the area's gold output to 1.2 million ounces by 1998. The company bought the two mines in Halkidiki during December of 1995.

According to environmental impact reports published by TVX Gold, the project is environmentally sound as it will employ modern technology to process the gold.

[06] CYPRIOT PRESIDENT GLAFKOS CLERIDES TO MEET WITH SIR DAVID HANNAY

Nicosia, October 18 (M.P.A.)

The British diplomat met yesterday with the alternate special representative of the United Nations Secretary-General Gustav Feischel and with the Turkish- Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash.

In the evening, President Clerides will meet with the leaders of Cyprus' political parties whom he will brief on his meeting with Sir Hannay.

[07] BOUTROS GHALI HAILS THE PREVENTIVE DIPLOMACY SEMINAR HELD IN FYROM

Skopje, October 18 (M.P.A.)

Mr. Ghali noted that the most important task of the UN is to prevent conflicts and that the UNPREDEP deployment in FYROM was the first preventive mission ever employed.

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/

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