Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English, 99-03-16

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From: The Macedonian Press Agency at http://www.mpa.gr and http://www.hri.org/MPA.

BRIEF GREEK NEWS BULLETIN BY THE MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY

Thessaloniki, March 16, 1999

TITLES

[01] EUROPEAN COMMISSION MEMBERS RESIGN EN MASSE OVER REPORT

[02] TOP PASOK OFFICIALS MEET TODAY IN LIGHT OF THURSDAY'S CONGRESS

[03] US PRESIDENT CLINTON MEETS WITH NATO CHIEF SOLANA

[04] TIPPER GORE, US VICE-PRESIDENT'S WIFE, IN THESSALONIKI

[05] GERMAN CHANCELLOR G. SCHROEDER TO BE IN ATHENS TOMORROW

[06] EFFORTS TO RETRIEVE BODIES OF THREE CLIMBERS ARE UNDERWAY

[07] GERMANY, BRITAIN WARN TOURISTS ABOUT TRAVELLING TO TURKEY

[08] UN REPORTS: BOTH KLA AND SERBS DENY ACCESS TO UNHCR TEAMS

[09] GREEK TELECOMMUNICATIONS ORGANIZATION ISSUES MPA PHONECARD

[10] GREECE AIMS AT FUNDING PACKAGE LARGER THAN 2ND CSF

[11] 17 NOVEMBER SENDS DECLARATION ON OCALAN CASE TO A DAILY

[12] GREEK EURODEPUTY: COMMISSION'S RESIGNATION UNPRECEDENTED

NEWS IN DETAIL

[01] EUROPEAN COMMISSION MEMBERS RESIGN EN MASSE OVER REPORT

Brussels, March 16 (MPA)

European Commission President Jacques Santer announced his resignation along with the 19 others.

The 140-page report that resulted from the investigation has found that the commissioners exercised lax control over programs, put friends and relatives on their payroll and denied any wrongdoing, some saying they were unaware of sloppiness and fraud on their watch. "It is becoming difficult to find anyone who has even the slightest sense of responsibility," the report concluded.

The fraud report was most critical of Research Commissioner Edith Cresson, a former French prime minister who "failed to act in response to known, serious and continuing irregularities over several years" in educational and other programs for which she was responsible. A.F.

[02] TOP PASOK OFFICIALS MEET TODAY IN LIGHT OF THURSDAY'S CONGRESS

Athens, March 16 (MPA)

PASOK's political secretariat and Executive Bureau are to tackle last minute details prior to the event. A.F.

[03] US PRESIDENT CLINTON MEETS WITH NATO CHIEF SOLANA

Washington, March 16 (MPA)

NATO Secretary-General Javier Solana was received by United States President Bill Clinton with who he discussed a potential armed intervention in the region.

Speaking to reporters, President Clinton stressed that if the Serb side continues to refuse to sign the agreement, there will be no other option but the use of military force. A.F.

[04] TIPPER GORE, US VICE-PRESIDENT'S WIFE, IN THESSALONIKI

Thessaloniki, March 16 (MPA)

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 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.

[05] GERMAN CHANCELLOR G. SCHROEDER TO BE IN ATHENS TOMORROW

Bonn, March 16 (MPA)

Mr. Schroeder's visit to Greece is part of his series of contacts held in light of the EU Summit Conference. A.F.

[06] EFFORTS TO RETRIEVE BODIES OF THREE CLIMBERS ARE UNDERWAY

Thessaloniki, March 16 (MPA)

The rescue team has had great difficulty accessing the steep site which is located at an altitude of 2,500 meters.

The three male alpinists appear to have slipped and fallen into the snowed ditch and unavoidably dragged one another downwards as they were tied together with rope. A.F.

[07] GERMANY, BRITAIN WARN TOURISTS ABOUT TRAVELLING TO TURKEY

Bonn, March 16 (MPA)

The German Foreign Ministry said that the government is taking this threat "very seriously", while Great Britain's Foreign Office said the government was advising tourists to be alert to the possibility of bombings and that, despite the efforts of Turkish security forces, their safety could not be guaranteed. A.F.

[08] UN REPORTS: BOTH KLA AND SERBS DENY ACCESS TO UNHCR TEAMS

Geneva, March 16 (MPA)

Another 6,000 people were displaced by fighting along the southern border with Macedonia.

According to UNHCR, both the KLA and Yugoslavian forces denied humanitarian workers access to the affected areas.

UNHCR reported that at least 230,000 persons are now displaced within Kosovo as a result of the fighting, with another 170,000 having fled the province in the past year. Several hundred thousand who have not been forced to leave their homes nevertheless remain affected by the conflict.

Since the end of the first round of peace negotiations last February in Rambouillet, France, some 30,000 persons have been forced to flee their homes and endure miserable conditions in the surrounding forests and mountains, according to UNHCR. A.F.

[09] GREEK TELECOMMUNICATIONS ORGANIZATION ISSUES MPA PHONECARD

Thessaloniki, March 16 (MPA)

The regional director of OTE's central Macedonia division Nikos Vervelides stressed that the phone card is the second of a like series issued by OTE (the first one was dedicated to the Organization of Exports Promotion), aiming to promote those organizations of the wider public sector which perform national service, such as the MPA. At today's press conference, where the card was unveiled, it was also pointed out that during the past two weeks (since the Ocalan case first emerged) the MPA's server on the Internet received over 900,000 calls, 40% of which were domestic and 60% foreign. A.F.

[10] GREECE AIMS AT FUNDING PACKAGE LARGER THAN 2ND CSF

Athens, March 16 (MPA)

Mr. Papandreou stated that such a development would bear negative results for Greece which plans to steadfastly continue with negotiations, aiming at a funding package larger from the Second Community Support Framework.

Moreover, the Greek FM has communicated with his Spanish counterpart Mr. Matutes who has refuted rumors of Spain having shifted its stance on the Agenda 2000. A.F.

[11] 17 NOVEMBER SENDS DECLARATION ON OCALAN CASE TO A DAILY

Thessaloniki, March 16 (MPA)

Referring to the Ocalan case, the group also attributes blame to Mr. Simitis' ministers and "not only the known three (who resigned) since none of them acknowledged his responsibility upon resignation, as well as the leadership of PASOK. (In) the conspiracy which led to the arrest of the fighter Ocalan, Greece played the role of a "friend" who pulls you inside a trap. This role could only be played by Greece since this (is the only country) trusted by the Kurds and the PKK." A.F.

[12] GREEK EURODEPUTY: COMMISSION'S RESIGNATION UNPRECEDENTED

Brussels, March 16 (MPA)

Speaking to the Macedonian Press Agency, Mr. Papakyriazis expressed his concern over the consequences to be borne two months prior to the enforcement of the common currency. A.F.

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