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Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English, 98-07-10Macedonian 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, July 10, 1998TITLES
NEWS IN DETAIL[01] PRESIDENT OF HELLENIC REPUBLIC TO TOUR THE CYCLADESAthens, July 10 (MPA)The President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos is to embark on a three day through the Cyclades today.The islands the President is to visit are Amorgos, Santorini, Theracia, Anafi and Ios. This morning, President Stephanopoulos attended the swearing-in ceremony of the second lieutenants at the Air Academy. [02] DEFENSE MINISTER COMPLETES US VISIT, WILL TRAVEL DIRECTLY TO MUNICHWashington, July 10 (MPA)National Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos is to complete his official visit to the United States today and will depart directly for Munich in order to attend a joint meeting of PASOK Eurodeputies and the German Social- democratic SDP Eurodeputies. The meeting will focus on political, economic and social relations between Greece and Germany as well as social developments in the wake of the Cardiff EU summit.[03] GOVERNMENT WANTS TO CONTAIN INFLATION AT 2% IN 1999Athens, July 10 (MPA)The government is to undertake drastic measures in order to de- escalate inflation and contain it at the 2% level, in order to meet one of the basic terms for Greece’s accession to the Economic and Monetary Union. There was a 0.1-point slip in consumer price inflation to 5.2 percent in June from 5.3 percent in May. The Ministry of Development is to adopt a series of measures in the consuming sector of foodstuff and automobile spare parts, which will lead to lower prices on these goods.[04] GREECE IS PURCHASING 20 USED F-16 FIGHTER AIRCRAFT FROM THE USWashington, July 10 (MPA)Greece is purchasing 20 used f-16 fighter aircraft from the US, in a deal finalized by the Greek and American defense secretaries, Akis Tsochatzopoulos and William Cohen respectively, in Washington. The 20 second-hand F-16s were purchased for 5 million dollars apiece. These planes, like the F- 16s Greece already has, will be upgraded. Greece is also getting four US-made naval destroyers which will replace the Greek navy's existing destroyers.[05] STATE EXPECTS MORE TOURISTS TO VISIT GREECE THIS YEARAthens, July 10 (MPA)The Greek Tourism Organization’s Secretary-General Nikos Skoulas stated yesterday that the state expects an increase of 10- 12% in the number of tourists who are to visit Greece this year.The National Statistics Service said its latest data showed a 9.20 percent rise in the arrival of charter flights. ``In April-May 1998 charter flight arrivals reached 851,111 persons compared to 779,379 in the same period last year,'' it said in a statement. Tourist arrivals at the airports of Athens, Rhodes, Corfu, Iraklion and Thessaloniki, which represent about 70 percent of total arrivals in the charter flights category, rose by 5.67 percent in May compared with a year earlier. Tourism is one of the country's key industries, contributing $7 billion a year to the economy, and making up about 12 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). [06] GREEK TRANSPORTATION MINISTER ON VISIT TO BELGRADEBelgrade, July 10 (MPA)Transport and Communications Minister Tassos Mantelis is currently on an official visit to Belgrade in order to promote cooperation between Greece and Yugoslavia in the sectors of transport and communication. Mr. Mantelis is heading a delegation of public utilities and organizations executives. Today he is scheduled to hold talks with Serb President Milan Milutinovic and Yugoslav federal Prime Minister Momir Bulatovic, as well as the Yugoslav ministers of transport and communications.[07] TURKISH GENERAL STAFF CHIEF TRAVELS TO CYPRUS’ OCCUPIED REGIONNicosia, July 10 (MPA)Turkish general staff chief Haki Karadayi is to travel to the occupied region of Cyprus today where he will meet with the leader of the Turkish-Cypriots Rauf Denktash and the self-called “prime minister” Darvis Eroglou. Turkish Premier Mesut Yilmaz is to travel to the occupied region on July, while Turkish President Suleiman Demirel will travel to the occupied region at the end of the month.[08] RUSSIAN, US OFFICIALS DISCUSS CYPRUS ISSUE IN MOSCOWMoscow, July 10 (MPA)Russia and the United States view the status quo in Cyprus as unacceptable and have reiterated their support to UN efforts for a solution to the Cyprus problem. According to the CNA, the latest developments in the Cyprus question were discussed in Moscow yesterday evening, during a meeting between Russian envoy for Cyprus, Vladimir Tchizov, and the US State Department's Coordinator for Cyprus, Thomas Miller. Russia's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Vladimir Rahmanin, told Russia’s "Novosti" news agency that the two sides reaffirmed their interest and readiness to help promote bicommunal gatherings, that would facilitate the restoration of trust and cooperation between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities. The spokesman said both Russia and the US believe that there should be action towards the Turkish Cypriot leadership in order to create the conditions which would allow communication between the two communities. According to Mr. Rahmanin, the two sides reconfirmed their support to the UN Secretary-General's mission of good offices and efforts made by Kofi Annan's Special Advisor, Diego Cordovez, to resume direct talks between the two sides in Cyprus. Both Messrs. Tchizov and Miller welcomed the recent UN Security Council resolutions on Cyprus. They also stressed the need to continue their contacts and exchange of views, in order to achieve the greatest possible coordination between Russia and the US in the search for an acceptable Cyprus settlement, under UN auspices.[09] PRESIDENT OF HELLENIC PARLIAMENT CONTINUES VISIT TO CHINABeijing, July 10 (MPA)The President of the Hellenic Parliament Apostolos Kaklamanis, continues his official visit to the People's Republic of China, having visited the city of Chengdu yesterday. Mr. Kaklamanis addressed the Chengdu Popular National Assembly presidium and referred to the Turkish intransigence on the Cyprus issue as well as the Turkish provocations against Greece. Today, he is expected at the city of Lhasa in Tibet. Mr. Kaklamanis is on a series of visits to local legislatures in the world's most populous country.[10] CYPRIOT PRESIDENT CLERIDES TO MEET WITH RUSSIA’S YELTSIN ON MONDAYNicosia, July 10 (MPA)Cypriot President Glafkos Clerides is to be received by his Russian counterpart Boris Yeltsin in Moscow on Monday.The news was confirmed by Kremlin, one day after the first test-firing of the ground-to- air S-300 missiles, which took place before political and military leaders of the Cypriot Ministry of Defense. The United States continue to pressure Nicosia into calling off the deal and, instead, propose the purchase of a smaller- scale system. This solution is rejected by Cyprus, which says it would be willing to discuss the matter only in the case of the island’s demilitarization or of positive developments in the overall issue. [11] BOSNIA: US, EU HALT SARAJEVO PROJECTS OVER SLOW REFUGEE RETURNSSarajevo, July 10 (MPA-AFP)The United States and European Union have suspended aid projects in Sarajevo to protest the slow pace of non-Moslem refugee returns to the Bosnian capital, international officials said Thursday. "Whilst there has been some movement in the Sarajevo returns, clearly there have been many deadlines that have been missed," said Simon Haselock, spokesman for the top international mediator in Bosnia, Carlos Westendorp.Westendorp fully supported the US and EU decisions to suspend projects, he said, adding that a "definitive judgment" on the question of refugee returns would be made this month. Projects worth several million dollars have been halted by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and by the European Union, the biggest donor of post-war aid to Bosnia- Herzegovina, the Oslobodjenje newspaper reported. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says that only around 800 non-Moslems have come back to Sarajevo since February, when local authorities pledged at a major conference to speed up returns. The conference had set a target of 20,000 non-Moslem returns this year to Sarajevo. [12] GREECE TO TAKE PART IN BUDAPEST’S INTERNATIONAL FOOD EXPOThessaloniki, July 10 (MPA)The International Exhibition of Foods and Beverages and Food Process (FOODAPEST) is to be held in Budapest in November 24-27, 1998, with the participation of Greece.The event, held every two years, is considered the largest in the field for the central-eastern European region. It should be noted that Greek food and beverages exports to Hungary are steadily on the rise. The products to be exhibited will represent all the food and beverage sectors of Greece, as well as related machinery and process materials. [13] STUDENTS FROM BULGARIA TO BE HOSTED IN GREECEKozani, July 10 (MPA)Sixteen high school students from the Bulgarian city of Hissar are to be hosted in Greek homes between July 17-23, under the youth exchange program organized by the Municipality of the Greek city Kozani. The boys and girls, aged 16-18, will have the opportunity to tour archaeological sites in the region, as well as museums. They will be accompanied by the deputy mayor of Hissar Penka Rahova, two professors and two interpreters. The students will also be received by the secretary general of the Western Macedonia Region, the Prefect of Kozani and the chairman of the Inter-Balkan Cooperation Center.[14] GROUP OF GREEK-ORIGIN YOUTH LIVING IN ARMENIA HOSTED IN KOMOTINIKomotini, July 10 (MPA)A group of 37 youngsters of Greek origin, who live in Armenia, are currently being hosted in Komotini’s student center in an effort to familiarize them with Greece, its language and culture.The hosting event is organized by the prefecture of Rodopi, in cooperation with the Ministry of Macedonia-Thrace, the Greek Tourism Organization and various organizations related to Greeks living abroad. The students, aged 11-16, are to stay in Komotini until July 23. 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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