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Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English, 99-03-15Macedonian 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, March 15, 1999TITLES
NEWS IN DETAIL[01] GREEK FM ADDRESSES INFORMAL MEETING OF EU FOREIGN MINISTERSWiesbaden, March 15 (MPA)Greece's Foreign Minister George Papandreou addressed his European Union counterparts during an informal summit held in Wiesbaden, Germany, where he briefed them on the Turkish claims, Greece' stance on the Ocalan affair and the results of his recent tour of Balkan capitals to promote a peace deal for Kosovo. "We hope that the opportunity will now be seized to promote a comprehensive and viable solution to the Kurdish problem, in the interests of Turkey itself...We expect that self-restraint and prudence will prevail, and that the potential for peace can be secured, based on respect for human rights, Turkey's territorial integrity and a fair trial for Mr. Ocalan," Mr. Papandreou stated."Turkey is at a crossroads. Either its distance from Europe will grow and it will be led to isolation, or it will revise its policy on the Kurdish problem and the issue of democratic liberties, proceeding to the necessary reforms based on the criteria of respect for legality both at home and in its international relations," he said. Mr. Papandreou also lauded the EU foreign ministers' show of solidarity towards Greece and the recognition for the need for a coordinated and comprehensive European policy in the Balkans. Regarding Kosovo, the Greek FM told reporters that the initiative for the convening of an inter-Balkan conference on Kosovo remained on the table. A.F. [02] THREE MISSING CLIMBERS DISCOVERED DEAD IN MT. OLYMPUSThessaloniki, March 15 (MPA)The bodies of the three climbers of Mt. Olympus who had been missing since yesterday afternoon were discovered shortly after midnight, in an 800-meter deep ditch.The rescue team had great difficulty accessing the steep site which is located at an altitude of 2,500 meters. According to assessments so far, the three male climbers slipped and fell into the snowed ditch and unavoidably dragged one another downwards as they were tied together with rope. A helicopter pilot has spotted the bodies of the alpinists and efforts to pull up their bodies are presently under way. A.F. [03] EU FOREIGN MINISTERS INFORMAL COUNCIL SUPPORTS GREECEBrussels, March 15 (MPA)The European Union allies have expressed their solidarity towards Greece, in light of the continuous provocations and threats hurled by Turkey, during the informal EU Foreign Ministers held in Germany.Concurrently, the Foreign Ministers called on Kosovo's two conflicting sides to sign the agreement that will stem from the second round of talks in Paris, France. A.F. [04] SECOND ROUND OF KOSSOVO TALKS BEGINS TODAY IN PARISParis, March 15 (MPA)The second round of talks between the two sides of the strife-torn Kosovo region (Serbs and ethnic Albanians) is to begin today in Paris, France.NATO Secretary-General Javier Solana has warned that if the agreement is not signed by both sides, then the Alliance will seek -and gain- approval to attack Serb targets. A.F. [05] GERMAN FM SALUTES GREECE'S STANCE ON OCALAN CASEWiesbaden, March 15 (MPA)German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer saluted Greece's stance on the Ocalan affair, during an informal two-day session held in Wiesbaden for the Union's FMs."We expressed solidarity with Greece, as a member-state facing attacks which we reject as fully unjustified," Mr. Fischer stated. A.F. [06] TIPPER GORE, US VICE-PRESIDENT'S WIFE, IN THESSALONIKI TONIGHTThessaloniki, March 15 (MPA)Tipper Gore, the wife of United States Vice President and presidential candidate Al Gore, is to arrive in Thessaloniki this evening where she will address a forum organized by the city's American College Anatolia tomorrow.Ms. Gore will speak on The Role of Volunteerism in Covering Social Needs." The event will held in honor of the 60th anniversary since the founding of Anatolia's Alumni Association, which also coincides with the school's administrative board resolution to promote volunteerism through its social activities. Ms. Gore, a known advocate of volunteerism, is the Clinton Administration's mental health adviser. A dinner will be held in her honor tomorrow evening and will be attended by several ministers, including Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos, local and prefecture officials, as well as the US ambassador in Greece. Ms Gore will tour the city and travel to the nearby ancient Macedonian archaeological site in Vergina before briefs visits to Athens and Crete. A.F. [07] MAIN OPPOSITION LEADER TO MEET WITH US SECRETARY OF DEFENSEWashington, March 15 (MPA)The leader of Greece's main opposition party, New Democracy's Kostas Karamanlis, is to meet with the United States Secretary of Defense William Cohen in Washington this evening.In an interview with an Athens Sunday paper published yesterday, Mr. Karamanlis stated that he expects the US to undertake an initiative for the promotion of a fair and viable solution to the Cyprus issue, following the elections in Turkey. A.F. [08] RALLY HELD IN LITOCHORO, PROTESTING NATO FORCESLitochoro, March 15 (MPA)Thousands of individuals gathered in Litochoro yesterday, protesting the presence of NATO troops who are bound for Kosovo.The pacifist rally, comprising members of the communist party of Greece, was organized by the Greek Committee for International Detente and Peace. A.F. [09] CONSUMER DAY CELEBRATED TODAY, COMPLAINTS ON THE RISEThessaloniki, March 15 (MPA)The international day of the consumer is celebrated today, albeit Greeks have flooded the country's consumer advocate group INKA with a record number of complaints, mostly concerning altered or expired foods, followed with cost-of-living woes.In 1998, according to the General Federation of Greek Consumers, complaints marked a whooping 69.44% increase. Meanwhile, INKA's Macedonia chapter is opposed to generic branding, supporting that name-brand goods boost the consumer's freedom of choice. A.F. [10] "REVENGE FALCONS OF APO" CLAIM ISTANBUL BOMB ATTACKSAnkara, March 15 (MPA)An unknown Kurdish organization which calls itself "Revenge Falcons of Apo" has claimed responsibility for the bomb attack that occurred in an Istanbul mall yesterday and killed 13 persons, while injuring six others, according to Turkish daily "Hurriyet".The daily said that an unidentified individual called at a television station and said that the aforementioned organization is behind the attack. Turkish authorities are continuing their efforts to locate the perpetrators although their suspicion has fallen on the PKK which had conducted similar attacks in 1991 and 1995. Istanbul governor Erol Cakir said that the attacks may continue and stressed that added security measures have been taken, although this is a vast city with areas which police may not be able to reach. A.F. [11] CLARK: MILOSEVIC RESPECTS NATO'S FORCEParis, March 15 (MPA)Gen. Wesley Clark, the supreme NATO commander in Europe, has stated that the Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic is fully aware of NATO's power and the damage his country could potentially suffer in case of an air raid."Milosevic is cunning but today we are at an advantage, since he respects the power of NATO's air forces", Gen. Clark stated while addressing a Paris institute of defense studies, and added that he expects Serbia to succumb to pressures and grant the go-ahead for the deployment of foreign troops in Kosovo. Furthermore, the NATO General stressed that the present situation in Serbia is dangerous, an 14 brigades are presently in a state of alert near the administrative borders of Kosovo, while the number of Serb forces in Kosovo supersedes that which was agreed upon during the Milosevic-Holbrooke talks. A.F. Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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