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Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English, 99-01-15Macedonian 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 15, 1999TITLES
NEWS IN DETAIL[01] STUDENTS HOLD STATEWIDE RALLIES, UNDAUNTED BY THREATS OF FLUNKINGThessaloniki, January 15 (MPA)High school students throughout the country are to conduct massive rallies today, in protest to the Education Ministry's academic reforms. As signs of divisiveness have appeared among the students, today's protest will determine the future of the mobilization.Meanwhile, the number of schools presently occupied by students has increased, while in Thessaloniki the secondary education authorities have announced that seven high school will not be participating in June's mandatory examinations. The parliament will continue its three-day censure debate tonight after a no-confidence vote was petitioned yesterday against Education Minister Gerasimos Arsenis by the main opposition party New Democracy. The debate will be followed by a roll-call vote. If the motion passes with a simple majority, Mr. Arsenis will be obliged to resign from his post. A.F. [02] OECD REPORT PROPOSES PENSION CUTS, PRIVATIZATION INCREASESThessaloniki, January 15 (MPA)A report issued by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) on the Greek economy, proposes pension cuts and an expanded privatization course in the public sector.The report maintains that all banking institutions currently under state control should be sold to the private sector, with the exception of the National and Agricultural (Agrotiki) banks. "Thanks to continuous efforts in recent years" the goal of the incorporation of the drachma in the euro zone on Jan. 1, 2001 "appears feasible for Greece," the report concluded. A.F. [03] OLYMPIC AIRWAYS PILOTS TO DECIDE ON MANAGEMENT'S OFFERAthens, January 15 (MPA)The Association of Civil Aviation Pilots is to decide this evening on whether or not it will accept the proposal of the Olympic Airways management in regards to overtime work.OA pilots are refusing to work overtime in order to press demands, including the hiring of more flight personnel. Today they will consider the proposal that they be granted two days off each month until the end of the year, at last December's salary rate. A.F. [04] DEVELOPMENT MINISTER TO VISIT THE UNITED STATES THIS MONTHThessaloniki, January 15 (MPA)The Minister of Development Vaso Papandreou is to conduct an official, eight-day visit to the United States on January 25.During her stay in the US, Ms. Papandreou will have a series of meetings and contacts with US government officials and Greek-American leaders. On the 25th of January she will attend a luncheon given in her honor by the Foreign Policy Association, at Manhattan's Yale Club. A.F. [05] GREEK EURODEPUTY TO THE MPA: THE EU UNDERWENT A POLITICAL CRISISThessaloniki, January 15 (MPA)Greece's ruling party eurodeputy Nikos Papakyriazis (PASOK) stated to the Macedonian Press Agency that the European Union underwent a serious institutional and political crisis, commenting on the censure vote (over allegations of fraud and mismanagement) which the Commission survived yesterday in the European Parliament.Mr. Papakyriazis stated that the vote proved that the Parliament renewed its confidence in the European Commission and thus enabled the Assembly to emerge stronger through the crisis "since it precisely proves its sense of responsibility and credibility." Furthermore the eurodeputy stated that the crisis illustrated a trend of various "somewhat strange" diversifications and divisions within the political groups which exemplifies the strong turmoil the EU went through. "For this reason alone, I believe that the final outcome was positive in the sense that a new era is somehow beginning now," he stated. Mr. Papakyriazis also stated that the European Parliament adopted a resolution calling for an independent committee to investigate charges of fraud, mismanagement and nepotism in the Commission. The inquiry was approved with 217 votes in favor, 157 against and 54 abstentions. A.F. [06] KLA DEMANDS THAT BELGRADE RELEASE NINE PRISONERSGeneva, January 15 (MPA)The "Kosovo Liberation Army" has granted a ten-day deadline to Belgrade, demanding that it release nine of its members currently incarcerated in Serb prisons, according to KLA's Switzerland-based spokesman Bardil Mahmuti.According to Mr. Mahmuti, KLA had asked the release of its prisoners in exchange for setting free eight Serb soldiers it held hostage for a course of eight days. "We decided to free them after receiving guarantees that the United States on one side and the European community on the other would press for the freeing of Albanian political prisoners," he stated. "If our demand is not met within ten days, then the international community's mediators who participated in the negotiations will not be allowed to enter Kosovo again," Mr. Mahmuti said and added that KLA had agreed to release the hostages after Belgrade agreed to certain concessions. He declined to say what would happen if the Albanians are not released within ten days, but he did indicate that it would endanger future mediation attempts. A..F. [07] UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT RESHUFFLES CABINETKiev, January 15 (MPA)Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma has reshuffled the Cabinet, dismissing five ministers and replacing them with regional leaders.Among the reshuffled is the first Deputy Prime Minister, Anatoli Golubchenko. The Prime Minister, Valeri Pustavoitenko, announced that other changes would be made in the near future. While no reason was given for the reshuffle, international press has reported that Western lenders press the Ukraine leaders to streamline its administration in order to speed up economic reform. A.F. [08] YUGOSLAV GOVERNMENT ON KOSOVO SITUATIONBelgrade, January 15 (MPA)The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia has issued a statement wherein it supports that "The efforts exerted by Serbia and Yugoslavia for the resumption of talks with the political leaders of the Albanians in Kosovo have not borne results since the Albanians' political leaders postpone the deliberations, by supporting the terrorists' fight."Moreover, the federal government has called on the international community to draw measures against the terrorists while it also, albeit indirectly, attributed responsibility to Albania on whose ground, FRY claims in its statement, "terrorists from Kosovo, as well as members from other terrorist organizations in foreign countries (who are continuously entering Kosovo) are recruited, trained and armed." A.F. [09] TENSION ERUPTS BETWEEN FRY,ALBANIA, ADDED MEASURES AT BORDERTirana, January 15 (MPA)Albanian's Foreign Ministry has strongly reacted to the statement made by the Foreign Minister of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Zivadin Jovanovic, who accused Tirana of harboring terrorists and characterized the country as "a lair of world terrorism and mainly of the Islamists."Mr. Jovanovic also claimed that Albania "constitutes the entrance point for Islamist terrorists in his country" and warned that "Yugoslavia is obliged to defend its independence." In a strongly-worded response, the Albanian Foreign Ministry denounced Belgrade for its "continuous Anti- Albanian actions" whose aim is to shield the intense preparations for new raids in Kosovo" and present Albania to the international community as a factor of instability in the Balkan region. Furthermore, the Albanian Ministry stated that Mr. Jovanovic's statements aim to "set the Balkans on fire" and "sabotage the international community's efforts to reach a solution to the Kosovo crisis." All of Albania's political leaders condemned the Yugoslav Minister's statements, while the President of Albania Rejep Meidani summoned an extraordinary session late last night with the Defense Minister Luan Kidaraga and the Chief of the General Staff Alex Antoni. According to sources, the Albanian government has decided to draw extra measures in fortifying its northeastern border region, while the independent daily "Koha Jon" reported that tens of tanks and armored vehicles have been assigned to the Albanian-Yugoslav borders. A.F. [10] STUDENTS HOLD RALLIES , POLICEMEN WOUNDED, YOUTH ARRESTEDThessaloniki, January 15 (MPA)Thousands of students, joined by teachers who are opposed to academic reforms, marched in Athens and Thessaloniki today, in rallies marked by episodes and clashes with police.Two policemen were injured in Athens when a group of young people threw Molotov bombs at the post office and the Ministry of Transportation located in the Constitution Square and arrests followed. In Thessaloniki, the protesters caused minor episodes by hurling eggs and other objects. They also threw firecrackers and lit torches while chanting slogans against Education Minister Gerasimos Arsenis. Today's rallies are massive and have surpassed all previously-held ones in size. A.F. [11] NATIONAL BANK GOVERNOR: BRAZIL CRISIS BEARS NO EFFECT ON GREEK MARKETAthens, January 15 (MPA)The governor of the National Bank of Greece Theodoros Karatzas has stated that the financial crisis which has brought Brazil on the edge of meltdown and is affecting international markets would have no negative impact on the Greek economy."I don't think the financial crisis in Brazil will have any negative repercussions on the Greek economy," Mr. Karatzas said. Mr. Karatzas expressed his assessment yesterday, during an Athens-held event organized by the Association of Greek Banks titled "Structural changes and employment in banks." A.F. [12] DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE OF THESSALONIKI PREFECTURE BEGINSThessaloniki, January 15 (MPA)The development opportunities in the prefecture of Thessaloniki are to be closely reviewed for three consecutive days, beginning today, at the First development Conference co-organized by the prefecture and the Central Macedonia District.The event will be inaugurated by the Minster of Macedonia-Thrace Yiannis Magriotis, while the Mister of Interior, Public Administration and De-centralization Alekos Papadopoulos will also deliver an address this evening. The Ministers of Environment and Development, Kostas Laliotis and Vaso Papandreou, respectively, will also be present at the second day of the conference. Today's session will tackle issues concerning agriculture, fishery and cattle raising. A.F. Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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