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Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English, 98-08-05Macedonian 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, August 5, 1998TITLES
NEWS IN DETAIL[01] PREMIER MEETS WITH AGRICULTURE MINISTER TO REVIEW FIRE CONSEQUENCESAthens, August 5 (MPA)Prime Minister Kostas Simitis met with the Minster of Agriculture Stephanos Tzoumakas this afternoon and the two men reviewed the measures that will be taken in order to prevent floods that may occur as a results of the devastating fires that have ravaged thousands of acres throughout the country.Meanwhile, the Minister of Public Order George Romeos said that the state mechanism moved ably in combating the fires which he contributed to arson. [02] GREECE TO PLAY AGAINST SPAIN ON FRIDAY’S GAME OF WORLDBASKET ’98Athens, August 5 (MPA)Greece will play against Spain during Friday’s game of the ongoing WorldBasket '98 championship in Athens, having finished third in Group E. The Greek team yesterday was beat by Yugoslavia, the score being 70-56. If Greece manages to beat Spain, then it will face the winner of the Yugoslavia-Argentina match. The Championships are being held at the capital’s Peace and Friendship stadium.[03] FIRES RAGE ALL OVER COUNTRY, PM INTERRUPTS HOLIDAY, RETURNS TO ATHENSAthens, August 5 (MPA)Tens of forest fires are raging throughout the country, while the eastern region of Attica has been declared an emergency state.Prime Minister Kostas Simitis interrupted his summer holiday and returned to Athens yesterday where he chaired an emergency meeting on the blaze on Mount Pendeli. No casualties have been reported from the fire. The Minister of Public Order George Romeos has stated that the fires are likely the work of arsonists. More than 600 firemen have been battling the blaze, which has razed thousands of acres (hectares) of pine woods. [04] DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER TO MEET WITH CYPRIOT PRESIDENT ON FRIDAYAthens, August 5 (MPA)Greece’s deputy Foreign Minister Yiannos Kranidiotis is to exchange points of view on the Cyprus issue with the President of the Republic of Cyprus Glafkos Clerides during their meeting in Nicosia on Friday.Speaking to RIK, Mr. Kranidiotis stated that he does not plan to relays the US formula for the S-300 anti-aircraft missiles. Also present at the Clerides-Kranidiotis meeting will be the Cypriot Foreign Minister Yannakis Kasoulides. [05] CONFLICT CONTINUES IN KOSSOVOPrishtina, August 5 (MPA)The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported yesterday that more people are fleeing shelling in Kossovo, with over 70,000 persons having fled their homes. UNHCR Spokesman Kris Janowski said that the road between Srbica and Giogovac was "packed with people on the move in horse carts, tractors and private vehicles." He added that houses were burning and smoke was rising from the west of the road. In the villages of Vrbovci and Ceres, some 3,000 people are being accommodated by villagers or taking refuge in a nearby forest. "We hope to deliver basic supplies to these people as soon as possible, but the ongoing conflict and the constant movement of people make it difficult for us to provide them with adequate aid," said Mr. Janowski.[06] PENTAGON OKS MISSILE SALE TO GREECEWashington, August 5 (MPA)The United States Department of Defense has approved the potential sale of 1,322 Stinger missiles, 188 launchers and support equipment to Greece at an estimated cost of $150 million.According to the Associated Press, the Pentagon stated that ``this proposed sale will contribute to the foreign policy and national security of the United States by improving the military capabilities of Greece'' and the ability of NATO militaries to cooperate with common weaponry. It will not affect the military balance of the region, the statement added. Greece already has this type of Stinger RMP Block 1 missiles in its inventory, the statement said. The prime contractor for the sale will be Raytheon of Tucson, Ariz., the statement said. The Stinger is a short-range air defense missile that can be used to defend troops against threats posed by cruise missiles, unmanned aerial vehicles, low-flying fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. [07] UN REPORTS: VIOLATIONS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE CONTINUENew York, August 5 (MPA)A senior United Nations human rights official on Tuesday said violations of indigenous people's rights continue, despite the increased international attention to their plight. Speaking to reporters as the United Nations prepared to commemorate the International Day of the World's Indigenous People later this week, the Deputy Director of the New York Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Elsa Stamatopoulou, expressed concern about threats to indigenous cultures. "Ethnocide is the major plight facing indigenous communities, by which we mean the denial by the mainstream society to grant them the chances to live within and through their cultures." Ms. Stamatopoulou cited three major controversial issues that she said were crucial for the survival of indigenous people, namely land and natural resources, the right to self-determination and the right to culture, language and education. Nina Sibal, the Director of the New York Office of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), described her agency's work to benefit indigenous people through multilingual education. She stressed the importance of raising awareness, in particular through international appeals and declarations, such as the 1992 Declaration on the Rights of Persons belonging to National or Ethnic, Religious and Linguistic Minorities. These pronouncements drew attention to the conditions of extreme poverty and political marginality faced by the majority of indigenous people, and invited political leaders to listen to the many voices clamoring for dignity, justice and solidarity for all. In response to a question, Ms. Stamatopoulou described the process underway to draft a declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples. Representatives of indigenous groups had considered it to be an extremely good draft, she said, noting that the text was now being reviewed by a working group of the Commission on Human Rights, which was making slow progress. At best, the General Assembly would adopt the draft by the year 2004, she observed.[08] US SENATE COMMEMORATES 24TH ANNIVERSARY OF CYPRUS’S INVASIONWashington, August 5 (MPA)The answer to resolving the Cyprus problem lies with Turkey, according to US senators, who stressed Ankara’s intransigence during the senatorial session on the commemoration of the 24th anniversary since the Turkish invasion of the island.The special session was initiated by Greek-origin senator Mike Bilirakis. The attending senators called on the Clinton administration to intensify its efforts in ending the occupation of northern Cyprus. 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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