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Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English, 98-01-26Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Macedonian Press Agency at http://www.mpa.gr and http://www.hri.org/MPA.BRIEF GREEK NEWS BULLETIN BY THE MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCYThessaloniki, January 26, 1998TITLES
NEWS IN DETAIL[01] ANOTHER STRIKE IN LABOR SECTOR TO BE HELD TOMORROWAthens, January 26 (MPA)Greece’s workers at DEKOs (public enterprises and corporations) are to embark on news strikes tomorrow, along with bank employees and urban transportation staff.The strike is prompted over a provision in the government's new tax bill that allows a change in the status of workers at DEKOs in the framework of their reform. Workers say that the provision directly undermines their status. National Economy and Finance Minister Yiannos Papantoniou has repeatedly stated to unionists presenting him with their demands that the provision applied only to loss-making or bankrupt DEKOs. He has said a six-month period of negotiations between DEKO management and unions was sufficient time to achieve an agreement on changes but has stressed that the final decision lay with the government. [02] EU FOREIGN MINISTERS COUNCIL TO CONVENE IN BRUSSELS TODAYBrussels, January 26 (MPA)The Foreign Ministers Council of the European Union member- states are to convene today in Brussels where the British-held presidency is expected to exert pressures for Turkey’s participation in the European conference, to be supported by Germany, France and the Netherlands.Moreover, the Foreign Ministers are to discuss the issue of Kurdish-origin immigrants. Greece is to bring forth the issue of interrupting the Greek-Turkish dialogue among the two countries’ experts committees. [03] THESSALONIKI’S FARMERS TO EMBARK ON 2-DAY PROTESTSThessaloniki, January 26 (MPA)Farmers in Thessaloniki are to blockade the Ministry of Macedonia and Thrace building for two days starting February 2 as a protest over fund allocations, prices set for agricultural products and the ongoing trials of farmers arrested in last year’s demonstrations, according to the president of the Federation of Farmers' Associations of Thessaloniki, Dimitris Parlapanis.Mr. Parlapanis also said that these demonstrations will be a warning and any further mobilization will depend on the government’s response. [04] TOURISM BETWEEN GREECE AND CHILE TO BE STRENGTHENEDAthens, January 26 (MPA)The President and secretary-general of the Greek National Tourist Organization Yiannis Stephanides and George Skoulas respectively, are to meet with Chile’s Foreign Minster Mariano Fernandez and Chile's Ambassador in Athens, Marcia Cov Arrubias today, when they will discuss the various ways to further promote tourism relations between the two countries.The meeting is prompted by today’s arrival of Chile's Economy Minister Alvaro Garcia to Athens. The officials will discuss specific plans aiming to upgrade tourism relations between the two countries, such as the organization of conventions, training and special forms of tourism. [05] PASSPORT-VISA REVIEW AGENCY OPENS AT MACEDONIA-THRACE MINISTRYThessaloniki, January 26 (MPA)Beginning today, a passport review agency is to operate in Thessaloniki, a collaboration between the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Macedonia-Thrace.According the alternate Minister of Foreign Affairs George Papandreou, the Ministry of Macedonia-Thrace will also host an agency that will grant visas to Greek-origin individuals from the former Soviet Union. [06] GREECE’S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE IN 1997 ROSE TO 10.4 PERCENTAthens, January 26 (MPA)Greece’s unemployment rate in 1997 rose to 10.4%, that is 450,000 jobless individuals, according to a poll conducted by the Athens radio station “Flash”.Half of these individuals are newcomers to the job market, not taking into account the teachers who are assigned to jobs according to a list placement. Sixty-three percent of the unemployed are women, three out of ten are young adults and six out of ten have been out of job for lengthy periods of time. As for their educational level, 40% are high school graduates, 23% have finished elementary school, while 12% hold a university degree. [07] UN HOLDS SEMINAR FOR REFUGEES IN ALEXANDROUPOLISAlexandroupolis, January 26 (MPA)The Athens-chapter of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees organized a seminar in the city of Alexandroupolis today where the participants examined the process of defining the term “refugee”.The session examined issues such as the refugee’s status, international protection, international and national legislation, while the High Commissioner’s representative Jauvier de Riedmatten and the police chief of Alexandroupolis presented salutations. [08] DEVELOPMENTS IN CYPRUS TO TAKE PLACE AFTER ELECTIONSNicosia, January 26 (MPA)The President of Cyprus Glafkos Clerides announced today that a coordinated effort organized by the United States and Great Britain -as the current president of the European Union- is to take place immediately after the island’s presidential elections.Cypriot Foreign Minister Yiannakis Kasoulides called on Turkey to seek recourse with the Security Council on the issue of the Paphos air force base. [09] AGRICULTURAL TRADE FAIR AGROTICA ’98 OPENS JANUARY 28 IN THESSALONIKIThessaloniki, January 28 (MPA)The largest annual agricultural trade fair in the Balkans, Agrotica '98, is to open in Thessaloniki on January 28, organized by Helexpo, International trade Fair of Thessaloniki.This year’s event, which started 14 years ago, will feature an increased number of exhibitors and will occupy the largest area in the fair’s history. According to Helexpo, 1,517 Greek and foreign exhibitors will display their goods, on a site of more than 38,500 square meters. A total of 776 foreign exhibitors from 35 countries and 741 Greek companies will participate, while seven countries - Albania, Bulgaria, France, Spain, Italy, Poland and Tunisia - will participate with national pavilions. [10] YUGOSLAV BUSINESS DELEGATION TO VISIT THESSALONIKI’S “AGROTICA ’98”Thessaloniki, January 26 (MPA)A Yugoslav business delegation is to visit Thessaloniki, within the framework of the “Agrotica ‘98” trade fair that will open its doors on January 28.Thessaloniki’s Trade and Industry Chamber is to organize a business meeting, on Thursday evening, where Greek businessmen will have the opportunity to meet their Yugoslav counterparts. The Yugoslav businessmen represent the sectors of chemical industry, agricultural machinery, agricultural foods and products, etc., and are interested in forming joint ventures. [11] NEWS BULLETINS TO BE BROADCAST IN FOREIGN LANGUAGESAthens, January 26 (MPA)Foreigners in Greece will be able to hear news in seven languages, beginning today, on the state radio station ERA 2.The news bulletins will be produced by the Voice of Greece (ERA 5), by a team of 37 Greek and foreign journalists and broadcast on 93.6 and 103.7 FM daily at 7.03 (in Arabic and Russian), 8.03 (Polish, Albanian and English and at 9.03 (French and Bulgarian). [12] GREEK-BULGARIAN COOPERATION FOR AIDS AND HEPATITIS PREVENTIONAlexandroupolis, January 26 (MPA)Centers for the prevention of sexually-transmitted diseases, such as AIDS, Hepatitis B and C and syphilis, are to be founded at the medical schools of Sofia, Philipoupolis Varna, Pleven and Stara Zagora, which will also conduct epidemic control checks in the vicinity of each medical school, as well as in the region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace.This three-year program falls under the initiative “Health” of the Community’s INTERREG-2, whose budget amounts to 253 million drachmas. [13] ALBANIAN PM: WE WELCOME GREEK INITIATIVE ON ALBANIAN-SERB DIALOGUETirana, January 26 (MPA)Albania’s Prime Minister Fatos Nano hailed the Greek initiative on a Milosevic- Nano-Rugova meeting, at a news briefing held in Tirana on Saturday."We cannot but welcome any initiative which encourages dialogue, especially when it is about Kosovo," said Mr. Nano. "I can neither neglect nor define a hierarchy of partners or factors, but I can find partnership and real possibilities which stimulate dialogue, " he stated, adding "the Greek initiative has this orientation as well. It encourages the dialogue which began to institutionalize in Crete and I hope that even after yesterday's statements of Rugova, this initiative be one of the segments that will not let the situation under the Serb, Albanian or whose ever terrorism, Islamic or of other faiths, and be attached to the sanctions against Serbia and Milosevic; We will but be integrated in such initiatives, irrespective of their dimensions". "I have addressed an official letter to the NATO Secretary General, Javier Solana, who is also chairman of the Euro-Atlantic association, to sensitize the participating countries on the need and urgency of coordinating their initiatives to resolve the Kosovo issue, to grant rights and status to the Albanians there as, why not, to invite these countries to a round table on the Balkans in Tirana. The ongoing responses have been encouraging to further our initiatives". 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/Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |