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Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English, 98-04-03Macedonian 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, April 3, 1998TITLES
NEWS IN DETAIL[01] GREEK PREMIER TRAVELS TO LONDON FOR EU-ASIA SUMMITGreece’s Prime Minister Kostas Simitis is currently in London, heading a ministerial delegation where he will represent Greece at the European Union-Asian countries summit.The 10 Southeast Asian countries which are to meet with the EU include Japan, China and South Korea. The meeting will be chaired by British Prime Minister Tony Blair, while it will also be attended by European Commission President Jacques Santer. [02] US ENVOY FOR CYPRUS TO MEET WITH PRESIDENT CLERIDES TODAYThe United States Presidential envoy for Cyprus Richard Holbrooke is currently in Cyprus where he will meet with Cypriot President Glafkos Clerides and the leader of the Turkish-Cypriots Rauf Denktash. The Special coordinator for the Cyprus issue Thomas Miller, following his meeting with President Clerides stated that the efforts to resolve the Cyprus issue have reached a critical point.[03] MILOSEVIC PROPOSES REFERENDUM FOR FOREIGN MEDIATION IN KOSSOVOThe President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Slobodan Milosevic proposed to the Serb authorities that they hold a referendum in order to decide on whether or not they will accept foreign mediation in the matter of Kossovo.Up until now, Belgrade is resistant to any mediation from the international community by arguing that the Kossovo issue concerns an internal affair of the country. [04] “ECONOMIST” MAGAZINE TO HOLD ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION IN GREECEThe London-based "Economist" magazine will organize its second roundtable discussion with the Greek government on April 8-9, titled "Welcoming a New Business Era" and will feature an address by the European Commission President Jacques Santer.The conference is to focus on issues concerning the Greek economy in light of the economic and monetary union, the role of the euro in the global economy and the contribution of the Olympic Games towards the overall development of Greece. Issues regarding NATO enlargement and its repercussions onto Greece will also be examined. The Economist's conference will also be addressed by International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Juan Antonio Samaranch, former US Secretary of State Lawrence Eagleburger, main opposition New Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis, other party leaders, ministers, bank governors, members of the diplomatic corps and businessmen. [05] PRESIDENT OF EUROPEAN COMMISSION TO VISIT ATHENS NEXT WEEKThe President of the European Commission Jacques Santer is to conduct an official visit to Greece between April 9-13.During his stay in Athens, Mr. Santer will meet with state and government leaders and will also be the keynote speaker at an international conference on "Greeting a new Business Age", to be held in Athens by “The Economist” magazine on April 9. Mr. Santer will also visit the island of Crete, where he will meet with representatives of local authorities and producers. This will be Mr. Santer's third official visit to Greece since assuming the top seat of the Commission in January 1995. [06] PRESIDENT OF POLAND TO VISIT GREECE ON MONDAYThe President of Poland Aleksander Kwasniewski is to embark on an official, three-day visit to Athens on April 6 where he will hold talks with the Greek government and state leadership.Mr. Kwasniewski is to be received by the President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos and Prime Minister Kostas Simitis on Wednesday. He will also attend a Greek-Polish Business Conference on ways of expanding economic relations between the two countries to be held in Athens between April 5 and 7. The conference is sponsored by the Hellenic Organization for Small and Medium Size Enterprises and Handicrafts (EOMMEH) and prominent Greek and Polish companies and discussions will focus on possible cooperation in the sectors of energy, telecommunications, defense, agriculture and foodstuffs, metals, clothing, tourism etc. National Economy and Finance Minister Yiannos Papantoniou and his Polish counterpart Janus Steinhof will also attend. [07] ROMANIA’S NEW PREMIER IS RADU VASILERomanian President Emil Constantinescu has appointed the Secretary-general of the National Agricultural Christian-Democrat Party Radu Vasile to the premier’s post.According to Romania’s constitution, the new Premier has ten days to form a cabinet and to develop a governing plan, after which he will be subject to a confidence vote in Parliament. [08] PRESIDENT OF HELLENIC REPUBLIC TO VISIT HUNGARY THIS MONTHThe President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos will embark on an official three-day visit to Hungary at the invitation of his Hungarian counterpart Arpad Goncz, from April 22 to 24. President Stephanopoulos will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos.[09] ARCHBISHOP OF AMERICA SPYRIDON TO VISIT THESSALONIKIThe Archbishop of America Spyridon is to visit Thessaloniki on the invitation o the city’s mayor Konstantinos Kosmopoulos.The two men met yesterday at the archbishopry’s headquarters and discussed the recent developments on the FYROM name issue. They also referred to the widely acclaimed exhibition of the Mount Athos Treasures and the “Dimitria” festivities that are organized on an annual basis in Thessaloniki. [10] OLYMPIC AIRWAYS BOARD MEETS WITH WORKERS UNION MEMBERSThe administrators of the national carrier Olympic Airways is to meet with the company’s unionists today, amidst the crisis that erupted over the relevant draftbill submitted to Parliament.Meanwhile, flight delays and route mergers have become a daily occurrence, while, today alone, six flights were canceled and a number of others were rerouted. The Federation of Civil Aviation Unions announced a 24-hour strike for Tuesday while stewardesses will strike both Tuesday and Wednesday. As if this wasn’t enough, technical crew have announced their intent to hold repeated strikes. [11] WESTERN EUROPEAN UNION MILITARY LEADERS IN GREECE ON TUESDAYThe general staff chiefs from the 18 countries- members of the Western European Union (WEU) are to meet in Athens on Tuesday, in order to hold a session concerning the WEU’s present operation and future planning. AS Greece presently holds the WEU's rotating six-month presidency, the session will be chaired by Greek National Defense General Staff Chief Gen. Athanasios Tzoganis and will be attended by the WEU's secretary-general, the 18 WEU national general staff chiefs, military representatives of the 10 full members, the three associate members, the seven observer states as well as the WEU's planning department director and satellite center director.[12] SERB PARLIAMENT TO CONVENE ON MONDAY OVER REFERENDUMThe Serb Parliament is to hold an extraordinary session on Monday in order to examine President Slobodan Milosevic’ proposal to hold a referendum over foreign mediation on the Kossovo issue.Mr. Milosevic’s proposal is expected to gain the House’s approval as both his Socialist Party and Voislav Seseli’s nationalist faction, which participates in the government coalition, have already expressed their approval of a referendum. Yesterday, Yugoslavia rejected the imposition of a new United Nations arms embargo as "unfounded" and unacceptable interference in its affairs. "The resolution is completely unfounded and sets a precedent in the sense that the internal affairs of a country were debated without that country's consent," a Foreign Ministry statement said. The UN Security Council voted on Tuesday, 14-0, with China abstaining, for the embargo. The Yugoslav Foreign Ministry said "the problems in Kosovo arise from separatism and terrorism, not from any attempt to curb rights and freedoms of national minorities. "That means the pressure brought to bear on the Serbian government and Yugoslavia is unfounded and unacceptable, and can only encourage those who harbor unreal and dangerous illusions and aims." Diplomatic sources in Belgrade did not expect the embargo to have any immediate impact on the Kossovo crisis. [13] PRESIDENT CLINTON’S BI-MONTHLY REPORT ON CYPRUSUnited States President Bill Clinton has remarked that there are negative developments in the efforts to resolve the Cyprus issue, this being the first time he has made such assessment, in his bi-monthly report to Congress.The report, which spans the time period between December 97-January 98, President Clinton wrote that there were developments in Cyprus, the most important of which was the Turkish-Cypriot side’s decision to call off the inter-communal talks. Moreover, the U.S. President sees the National Guard’s decision to control the Paphos air force base as another negative development, since, “it was upgraded and is now used as a military aircraft base”. Regarding the installation of the Russian made anti- aircraft S-300 missiles in Cyprus, President Clinton stresses in the report that the State Department repeatedly expressed to the Greek-Cypriot side its concerns in regards to the missiles purchase, while he also added that “it is a serious hurdle in the achievement of a solution based on a bi-zonal, two- community federation.” [14] THE EURO-ASIAN CONFERENCE GETS UNDER WAY IN LONDONGreece’s Prime Minister Kostas Simitis, currently in London for the Euro-Asian Conference, is to have a series of contacts with European and Asian officials, within the framework of utilizing and promoting Greece’s advantages, namely, its strategic location which represents the link between Europe and the Balkan markets.The conference is mainly addressing the recent crisis in Asian markets and its worldwide repercussions, as well as other issues such as the environment, drug trafficking and the protection of the dignity of women and children. Mr. Simitis is expected to meet with his Chinese and Japanese counterparts, Zhu Rongji and Ruitaro Hashimoto, respectively. The Premier will remain in London until Tuesday in order to attend the conference of his European socialist counterparts. 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 |
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