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Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English, 98-05-12Macedonian 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, May 12, 1998TITLES
NEWS IN DETAIL[01] ECONOMY MINISTER TO CHAIR MEETING ON PRIVATIZATIONAthens, May 12 (MPA)National Economy and Finance Minister Yiannos Papantoniou is to chair a ministerial meeting on the state’s privatization process tomorrow. Until the end of the week, the Bank of Greece and the government are to determine the policy they will adopt on matters concerning labor, insurance and privatization of the state-owned enterprises.Moreover, tomorrow’s meeting will finalize the sale, through the stock market, of a fourth of the Greek Petroleum’s shares, 75% of the country’s duty free shops and an additional 15% of the state telecommunication organization’s (OTE) shares. [02] TURKEY’S DEFENSE MINISTER COMMENTS ON G/T RELATIONSRhodes, May 12 (MPA)Turkish Defense Minister Ismet Sezgin has not ruled out his country’s recourse tot he International Court of Justice at The Hague, while at the same time he stressed that Ankara wants to discuss with Greece its sovereign rights in the Aegean, accusing the Greek government of militarizing the island’s in the eastern Aegean, and warning that Turkey will take the necessary measures if the S-300 missiles are installed in Cyprus.In an interview with a Greek daily, Mr. Sezgin that his country’s military planes are not bound to uphold ICAO regulations while in regards to the challenge of Greece’s sovereignty in 4-5 inhabited island, he added that “there is a way out. All the issues can be set forth in the framework of a dialogue. These problems... can be solved if we sit down at a [negotiating] table," he said in the interview published today. In regards to the Lausanne treaty, Mr. Sezgin said that “we can set forth all the Articles of the Lausanne Treaty, but not in one of these Articles is there the term that the islands be militarized. Nevertheless, there is military on the islands.” Concerning Greece’s proposal that Turkey seek recourse with the International court of Justice at The Hague, Mr. Sezgin stated that “the International court of Justice at the Hague is the last institution that we would seek recourse with. We could set forth all the issues that concern us and, if we don’t reach an agreement, then the only institution that remains for us to seek recourse with will be the ICH.” [03] ECONOMY MINISTER TO ADDRESS SEMINAR ON PRIVATIZATION PROCESSAthens May 12 (MPA)National Economy and Finance Minister Yiannos Papantoniou will be the guest speaker at a seminar on privatization today, an event organized by the Foundation for Economic and Industrial Research (IOBE). The seminar is titled "Demystifying Privatization" and will focus on the process in Greece in the context of Europe, pinpointing the obstacles to success.[04] WEU MEETING CONTINUES IN RHODES TODAYRhodes, May 12 (MPA)The two-day conference of the Western European Union’s Defense and Foreign Ministers is to continue at the island of Rhodes today.Greece, which is presently holding the WEU’s six- month rotating presidency, is being represented by the Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos and Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos. Turkish Defense Minister, in an interview with an Athens daily, said that his country’s could resort to the International Court of Justice at the Hague if talks take place between Athens and Ankara and if these talks arrive at some conclusion. Meanwhile, bilateral talks between the Greek and the Turkish sides on the confidence Building Measures over the Aegean did not take place yesterday at the meeting. [05] ARCHBISHOP CHRISTODOULOS TO BE RECEIVED BY PREMIERAthens, May 12 (MPA)The newly-elected Archbishop of Athens and All of Greece Christodoulos, will meet with Prime Minister Kostas Simitis in Athens today. Government spokesperson Dimitris Reppas stated that this is a ceremonial contact. On behalf of the Archbishop, the Metropolite of Serres Maximos stated that Mr. Christodoulos is ready to discuss ecclesiastical issues, such as the taxation of church and others.[06] PANGALOS COMMENTS ON NATO INTERVENTION IN KOSOVORhodes, May 12 (MPA)On the sidelines of yesterday’s session of the Western European Union Foreign and Defense Ministers Conference, Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos expressed strong doubts that an idea for intervention in Kosovo had been put forward within the NATO alliance. "It is a matter of interpretation. I would be very guarded on whether such an idea was being examined by NATO," he told reporters. Fifty-six foreign and defense ministers from 28 European countries participate in the two-day WEU summit, with the participation of NATO Secretary-General Javier Solana.[07] RICHARD HOLBROOKE TO MEET AGAIN WITH IBRAHIM RUGOVAPrishtina, May 12 (MPA)United States presidential envoy Richard Holbrooke is to travel to Prishtina today in order to meet with the leader of Kossovo’s Albanian community Ibrahim Rugova. After meeting with Serb President Slobodan Milosevic yesterday, Mr. Holbrooke stated that the distance between the two leaders of Kossovo is vast. Mr. Holbrooke stated that his earlier meetings in Belgrade with Milosevic and with Rugova in Tirana born no results, as Mr. Milosevic has "made it clear he does not want an international negotiator". Mr. Holbrooke told reporters that he had "no idea" about how to resolve the Kosovo crisis and was concerned after the Albanians warned him that "violence is spreading like wildfire." At least 150 people have been killed in fighting between Serbian police and guerrillas of the ethnic Albanian Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) this year.[08] LIFE IN 21ST CENTURY WILL BE HEALTHIER, ACCORDING TO UN REPORTUnited Nations, May 12 (MPA)Life in the twenty-first century should be healthier and longer for more people than ever before, according to a major report released yesterday by the UN World Health Organization (WHO). In The World Health Report 1998, WHO offers a "cautiously optimistic" view of the future. It predicts that worldwide, premature deaths -- defined as occurring before the age of 50 years -- will be cut by half by the year 2025. But it warns that in 1998, over 7 million adults will die before reaching this age, and 10 million children will die before their fifth birthday. WHO says global life expectancy at birth, now 66 years, is projected to reach 73 years by 2025. However, Dr. Hiroshi Nakajima, WHO's Director- General, points out that the extra years are shared unequally among rich and poor. "Tragically, while average life expectancy has been increasing throughout the 20th century," he says, "three out of four people in the least developed countries are dying before the age of 50 - - the global life expectancy of half a century ago". Dr. Nakajima says the international community's prime concern must be the plight of those most likely to be left furthest behind "as the rest of the world steps confidently into the future". The Report, which is based on a review of health trends over the last 50 years, finds that socioeconomic development and major advances in health have benefited people in most countries and are likely to continue in the next century, unless a major economic crisis arises. The Report cites "an unmistakable trend towards healthier, longer life". For developing countries, the good news is that by 2025, infectious diseases such as poliomyelitis, leprosy, guinea-worm disease, filariasis and hepatitis B, which together afflict and disable hundreds of millions of people, will have been eliminated or reduced to very low levels. In the industrialized world, where the aging population is a major concern, declines in disability from heart disease and some cancers among older people are already evident, due to prevention programs, education and improved treatment, WHO says. Technological advances, and more progress in medical research, treatment, care and rehabilitation should further enhance the quality of life, especially for older people.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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