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Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English, 99-03-01Macedonian 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, March 1, 1999TITLES
NEWS IN DETAIL[01] PKK MEMBER's PRESS CONFERENCE BRINGS ON FLURRY OF REACTIONSAthens, March 1 (MPA)After an aide of PKK leader Abdulah Ocalan hurled an array of espionage and betrayal allegations against the Greek Prime Minister and a number of government officials, a flurry of reactions came forth throughout Greece, led by the Premier Kostas Simitis who said that "some people are attempting to blacken the image of Greece. Our country over the years has helped at its cost those who are persecuted and suffering. Look around you at the thousands of Kurds, the hundreds of thousands of Albanians and compare Greece to the other countries of the European Union," Mr. Simitis said.Famous composer Mikis Theodorakis also expressed his chagrin over the sense of ingratitude displayed by the PKK secretary Semsi Kilic who leveled the undocumented accusations , a mere few hours after her successful evacuation from the Greek embassy in Nairobi by the Greek government. Obviously distraught, Mr. Theodorakis stated that Ms. Kilic's words were an insult to all of Greece. Meanwhile, the PM expelled deputy Kostas Badouvas from the ruling party's Parliamentary Group since he espoused the accusations made by Ms. Kilic. Main opposition party leader Kostas Karamanlis accused the Premier of subjecting the country to risks and international isolation, calling on him to resign. A.F. [02] PRESIDENT OF GREECE TRAVELS TO UZBEKISTAN TODAYAthens, March 1 (MPA)President Kostis Stephanopoulos embarks on a three-day official visit to Uzbekistan today, at the invitation of his counterpart Islam Karimof.Greece and Uzbekistan signed a friendship and cooperation pact and a series of cooperation agreements in commerce, technology, training and tourism when Mr. Karimof visited Greece on April 1, 1997. Newly appointed Deputy Foreign Minister Grigoris Niotis is accompanying the Greek president on his visit. A.F. [03] GREEK PM AT EUROPEAN SOCIALIST PARTY CONGRESS IN MILANAthens, March 1 (MPA)Prime Minister Kostas Simitis is to take part in the European Socialist Party's Congress, which begins in Milan today.The Greek Premier is said to be determined to set forth the Kurdish issue and the Ocalan affair by condemning Turkey's human rights violations and its abhorrent disregard for the European Union's principles and regulations. The Premier is accompanied by former foreign minister Theodoros Pangalos, their first joint appearance since the latter was asked by the former to resign last week. Meanwhile, rumors that Mr. Pangalos is to be assigned as Greece's new EU Commissioner have yet to be confirmed. A.F. [04] GREEK ECONOMY REVIEWED BY THE EUROPEAN UNIONAthens, March 1 (MPA)The governor of the Bank of Greece Lukas Papademos is to meet on Wednesday with the governor of the European Union's Central Bank, with whom he will discuss the Greek economy's overall situation and the flexibility of one out of the five conditions set forth by the Maastricht Treaty, that is inflation.According to reports, the EU could propose that Greece, instead of achieving the median inflation rate of those three countries with the highest index, it could alternatively, if it achieves a two-percent inflation rate at the end of the year, apply for EMU accession in March of the year 2000. A.F. [05] MIKIS THEODORAKIS CHAGRINED OVER PKK MEMBER'S INGRATITUDEAthens, March 1 (MPA)Greece's famous composer Mikis Theodorakis has expressed his chagrin over the sense of ingratitude displayed by PKK member Semsi Kilic who, a mere few hours after her successful evacuation from the Greek embassy in Nairobi, accused the Greek government of espionage and betrayal.Obviously distraught during his televised statement, Mr. Theodorakis (who is a known liberal) stated that Ms. Kilic's words were an insult to all of Greece, a country that has always stood by oppressed, not the oppressors, as history attests. He said that her accusations are unfathomable and announced that, as much as he feels for the Kurdish people and their plight, he is canceling his participation in tonight's concert held in support of the Kurds. A.F. [06] CHRISTOPHER HILL IN PRISHTINA TODAYPrishtina, March 1 (MPA)United States envoy Christopher Hill is to hold talks with the leaders of the ethnic Albanians in Kosovo today, while efforts are presently underway to establish the political terms achieved last week curing the in- principle peace agreement at Rambouillet, France.Meanwhile, armed conflict between the two sides in Kosovo continues. A.F. [07] PASOK DEPUTY BADOUVAS EXPELLED FROM PARLIAMENTARY GROUPAthens, March 1 (MPA)Prime Minister Kostas Simitis has expelled parliamentarian Kostas Badouvas from the ruling PASOK party's parliamentary group over the latter's involvement in the Ocalan affair and the fact that he fully adopted the accusations made against the government by the PKK leader's secretary.Government spokesperson Dimitris Reppas stated that given the deputy's position in the matter, he no longer belongs ion the party's parliamentary group. A.F. [08] FORMER FM's TRIP TO KENYA WAS A PLANNED AND OFFICIAL VISITAthens, March 1 (MPA)The Greek foreign ministry has categorically denied the allegations made by a PKK member who said that former FM Theodoros Pangalos had traveled to Kenya in late 1998 in order to prepare the grounds for the arrest of PKK leader Abdullah Ocalan.Mr. Pangalos made an official visit to Africa in November of 1998, which visit was organized at the beginning of the year and announced to the press in May 1998, a foreign ministry announcement read. "The official visit of the former foreign minister, Theodoros Pangalos, to Africa was used in an unacceptable manner during the press conference on Saturday. "It stretches the boundaries of imagination that an official visit organized at the beginning of the previous year and announced to reporters in May could have any relationship to the events which followed much later," according to the Foreign Ministry. A.F. [09] BULGARIAN BUSINESSMEN IN THESSALONIKI THROUGH OPEThessaloniki, March 1 (MPA)A delegation of 21 Bulgarian businessmen is to attend a seminar organized by the Exports Promotion Organization (OPE) where contacts will be made with Greek entrepreneurs.The Bulgarian investors are representing the food sector, while there are also delegates from the Center of Light Industry, Plovdiv's Chamber of Trade and Industry, and Bulgaria's Export's Promotion Center. The OPE seminar falls in the auspices of Greece's technical assistance to Bulgaria, which is provided through funds from the Ministry of National Economy. The organizers aim to provide the visitors with significant information on export businesses, as well as product promotion and distribution abroad. A.F. [10] HIGH TURNOUT RATE AT ELECTIONS FOR PASOK's CONGRESSThessaloniki, March 1 (MPA)Approximately 80% of the ruling PASOK party's members voted in yesterday's elections of the delegates to the party's 5th congress.In Thessaloniki, which has 260 delegates, is it assessed that 60% are in favor of Akis Tsochatzopoulos, with the remaining 40% camping with "reformers" Evangelos Venizelos and Yiannis Magriotis. A.F. [11] CONCERT TO BE HELD IN SUPPORT OF KURDS TONIGHT IN ATHENSAthens, March 1 (MPA)Featuring a pantheon of Greek artists, musicians and intellectuals, all participating on a volunteer basis, Athens will host a free concert this evening at Constitution Square, held in support to the Kurdish people.However, on the aftermath of the allegations made by Semis Kilic -the secretary of Kurdish Leader Abdullah Ocalan- against Greece, some of the previously-willing participants have canceled their appearance. Among them are Greece's famous composer Mikis Theodorakis, signer Maria Faradouri and actor Stavros Paravas. A.F. [12] GREEKS EARN IMPRESSIVE RANKS IN SWIM SHORT COURSE WORLD CUPThessaloniki, March 1 (MPA)Greek swimmers earned impressive ranks during the Arena Festival swim short course World Cup, held during the weekend in Gezelgirchen, Germany.PAOK's Katia Sakatsani broke Greek records in the 200 medley races with 2:18.87, topping her 1997 record 2:19.31, while in the 400 medley she finished fourth. The Cup's last meet will be held tomorrow in Iberia, Italy, where eight more of Greece's top swimmers will race. A.F. [13] ALBANIA TO SIGN PEACE ACCORD FOR KOSOVO, ACCORDING TO PRESSBelgrade, March 1 (MPA)All the leaders of Kosovo's ethnic Albanians are ready to sign the peacekeeping accord in Kosovo, according to Belgrade's daily "Dnevni Telegraf" which quotes sources from Prishtina.According to the paper, rumors calling for fallings out among the Albanians regarding the accord's text, do not stand. Specifically, the only hitch is the stance adopted by the representative of the Kosovo Liberation Army (UCK) Adem Demaci, who does not agree with the accord's political section. Nevertheless, the paper continues, Mr. Demaci's stance will not be a hurdle and the Albanian side will proceed to signing the accord. A.F. Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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