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Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English, 99-01-27Macedonian 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 27, 1999TITLES
NEWS IN DETAIL[01] TEACHERS UNION DECIDES TO CONDUCT ANOTHER 48-HOUR STRIKEThessaloniki, January 27 (MPA)The Secondary Education Teachers Federation (OLME) has decided on another 48-hour strike tomorrow and Friday, while students, who continue to protest the educational reforms, are to conduct massive rallies tomorrow.The marathon talks held yesterday between Education Minister Gerasimos Arsenis an OLME representatives led to an impasse, in spite of the glimpse of hope for a breakthrough. Mr. Arsenis expressed his disappointment at OLME for not making the slightest concession and vowed to proceed with his reforms. The OLME chairman said that the Mister's proposal did not help alleviate the crisis. A.F. [02] MOODY'S SEES PROGRESS IN GREEK ECONOMYThessaloniki, January 27 (MPA)Moody's sees marked progress in the course of Greece's economy and notes that the real and nominative convergence that has already been achieved was largely due to the reduction of interest rates on state bonds.Furthermore, the Moody's report attributes the reduction of primary deficit to the Greek Premier's stringent tax measures. A.F. [03] NATO OFFICIALS MEET IN BRUSSELS TO DISCUSS KOSOVOBrussels, January 27 (MPA)The permanent representatives of NATO member-states are to meet in Brussels today in order to discuss the proposals of the Alliance's secretary-general Javier Solana.According to diplomatic sources, the said proposals are quite balanced and addressed both sides involved in the conflict. Meanwhile, NATO's warning of air raids has perturbed many EU member-states, among them Greece, which are undertaking efforts to modify or strike the proposal. A.F. [04] PRIME MINISTER SIMITIS TO ATTEND ESP SUMMIT IN VIENNA ON FRIDAYAthens, January 27 (MPA)Prime Minister Kostas Simitis is to attend the European Socialist Party summit, to begin in Vienna on Friday, according to government spokesman Dimitris Reppas.This morning Mr. Simitis visited the offices of National Bank of Greece where he was briefed on the operation of the state's largest bank and spoke about the government's economic policy. He is the first Premier to visit the National Bank after 40 years. A.F. [05] SAE PRESIDENT TO VISIT GREECE AND EGYPTThessaloniki, January 27 (MPA)The President of the council of Greeks Abroad (SAE) is to embark on a series of contacts and meetings when he arrives in Greece on Friday.On Saturday, January 30, the University of Ioannina is to bestow an award upon Mr. Athens for his contribution to world Hellenism. On Monday Mr. Athens will meet with the country's political and state leaders while on Friday, February 30 he will depart for Alexandria, Egypt, where he will attend the three-day conference of the youth committee of the SAE Africa-Asia SAE chapter. Upon his return to Greece, Mr. Athens will join the delegation of the Archbishop of America Spyridon who is to conduct an official visit to Greece between February 9- 14. A.F. [06] SVVE TO PROMOTE THESSALONIKI AS "INTERNATIONAL CITY"Thessaloniki, January 27 (MPA)The Federation of Industries of Northern Greece (SVVE) aims to contribute to the industrial and regional development of northern Greece, promote economic cooperation with countries in southeastern Europe and establish Thessaloniki as an "international city."In a press conference held yesterday in Thessaloniki, the chairman of SVVE Vassilis Takas presented the federation's targets and planning and referred to the introduction of the euro and the utilization of business opportunities created by the unified European currency. On a regular basis, SVVE organizes relevant seminars and provides printed material on the euro . A.F. [07] MISSING AMERICAN DISCOVERED MURDERED, BOYFRIEND CONFESSESThessaloniki, January 27 (MPA)The Greek boyfriend of a missing American woman has confessed to her murder, after leading investigators to her dismembered body in a ravine, on the hills of northern Greece.Following a lengthy interrogation, twenty-four-year-old George Skiadopoulos confessed last night that he murdered July Marie Scully, a 30-year-old former model from New Jersey, 20 days ago, hacked her to pieces and dumped her remains outside the city of Kavala, about 165 kilometers (100 miles) northeast of Thessaloniki. Ms. Scully met Skiadopoulos in 1997 on a Caribbean cruise ship, where he served as petty officer. She had moved to Kavala last month and they planned to marry. According to reports, she apparently had changed her mind and planned to return to the United States where she has a three-year-old daughter from her previous marriage. She had recently been awarded about $600,000 in a divorce settlement and had given up custody of the child. On January 11 Skiadopoulos returned to Athens and reported his girlfriend missing. He claimed that she left him after a quarrel. A.F. [08] MEETING ON LESSER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, PYGMY CORMORANTAlexandroupolis, January 27 (MPA)The results of the LIFE program for the protection of the Lesser White-fronted Goose and the Pygmy Cormorant are to be presented during a meeting organized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), in association with the Hellenic Ornithological Society and the Society for the Protection of Lake Prespes, on February 5.The meeting will examine the course of the Life program, as well as the state's action plans, for the protection of these two bird species. Greece is the only European Union member-state where the Lesser White-fronted Goose and the Pygmy Cormorant nest during the winter. The Greek Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Environment have co-signed a relevant proposal tabled with the European Union, in order to participate in the said program's observation committee. The program's aim is to protect these two bird species and enable them to proliferate through the waterlands protection act. A.F. [09] VOLLEBAEK TO MPA: POLITICAL SOLUTION TO KOSOVO IS PRIORITYStrasbourg, January 27 (MPA)OSCE Chairman and Norway's Foreign Minster Knut Vollebaek grants priority status to discovering a political solution to the Kosovo issue, by pointing out that the military lever needs to be maintained , while at the same time increasing the political pressure.Speaking to the Macedonian Press Agency, Mr. Vollebaek stated that the flow of arms to the Kosovo Liberation Army (UCK) needs to be stringently regulated and that efforts needs to be undertaken in order to form negotiating teams that will held determine the future status of Kosovo. Furthermore, he recommended that intense diplomatic activity be set into motion, where Greece's contribution could be significant. Within that framework, the Norwegian Minister recently met with his Greek counterpart Theodoros Pangalos and Greece's alternate Foreign Minister George Papandreou since "we need all the positive forces and their stance displays willingness for cooperation and was both constructive and substantial," as he stated. He further stated that while military action should be averted, the military pressure should be maintained. He is expected to convene the Contact Group members this week in order to prepare a new status for Kosovo. Following the meeting held between the US Secretary of State and Russia's Foreign Minister, where for the first time ever criticism was exerted towards both sides of the Kosovo conflict, Mr. Vollebaek said that the ethnic Albanians living in Kosovo need to accept their responsibilities. A.F. [10] 15TH AGROTICA FAIR IS INUAGURATED TONIGHTThessaloniki, January 27 (MPA)The 15th exhibition of agricultural products and machinery, "Agrotica", is to be inaugurated in Thessaloniki this evening, featuring the participation of 1,218 exhibitors from Greece and abroad.The event is expected to attract over 100,000 visitors, a certain increase from last year's exhibition, from 56 countries. A.F. [11] AGRICULTURE MINISTER TO INAUGURATE "AGROTICA"'S FIRST CONFERENCEThessaloniki, January 27 (MPA)Agriculture Minster George Anomeritis is to declare the opening of the first conference at the Thessaloniki- held "Agrotica" on Saturday, while the Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Yiannis Magriotis is to also present a salutation.The event, titled "Globalization and the Greek market", will focus on the challenge presented to Greece's agricultural economy by the Economic and Monetary Union. Moreover, emphasis will be granted to the changes expected to occur in the sector due to GATT. A.F. 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