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Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English, 99-04-14
BRIEF GREEK NEWS BULLETIN BY THE MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY
Thessaloniki, April 14, 1999
TITLES
[01] PREMIER CHAIRS MEETING OF DEFENSE, FOREIGN MINISTERS
[02] NATO DOUBLES ITS AIR ARMADA, RAIDS ARE DAILY
OCCURRENCE
[03] DEPLOYMENT OF GROUND TROOPS IN KOSOVO REMAINS AN
OPTION
[04] EUROPEAN UNION HOLDS EXTRAORDINARY SUMMIT TODAY
[05] FYROM’S FOREIGN MINISTER REFUTES REPORTS OF NAME
AGREEMENT
NEWS IN DETAIL
[01] PREMIER CHAIRS MEETING OF DEFENSE, FOREIGN MINISTERS
Athens, April 14 (MPA)
Prime Minister Kostas Simitis chaired a meeting of the
defense and foreign ministers this morning, where they
examined issues related to the European Union and NATO
summits.
Mr. Simitis will depart for Brussels later in the day
where he will participate in the European Union informal
Summit.
Tomorrow, the Greek Premier will travel to Sofia for an
official visit, at the invitation of Bulgarian Prime
Minister Ivan Kostov.
Mr. Simitis will return to Athens on Friday, where he
will brief the President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis
Stephanopoulos on developments regarding Yugoslavia and
the wider Balkans as well as on the outcome of the EU
summit.
He will depart for the United States on Sunday, April 18,
in order to take part in a NATO summit marking the 50th
anniversary of the Alliance.
A.F.
[02] NATO DOUBLES ITS AIR ARMADA, RAIDS ARE DAILY
OCCURRENCE
Belgrade, April 14 (MPA)
Having more than doubled its air armada, NATO
continues to bombard Yugoslavia and has declared its
intent to intensify its daytime raids against Yugoslav
military targets.
According to the Yugoslav news agency Tanjug,
infrastructure sites have been hit, such as a
hydroelectric power plant and a rail bridge connecting
Belgrade to Montenegro; a series of explosions were also
heard in Prishtina, the capital of Kosovo.
British Premier Toni Blair announced yesterday evening
that the United Kingdom will dispatch an additional 2,000
troops to the Balkans.
A.F.
[03] DEPLOYMENT OF GROUND TROOPS IN KOSOVO REMAINS AN
OPTION
Washington, April 14 (MPA)
The United States have assigned an additional 300
aircraft and increased air power, following the request
of supreme allied commander in Europe, U.S. Army Gen.
Wesley Clark.
United States President Bill Clinton has allowed for the
possibility of ground troops being deployed in Kosovo. At
the same time, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi
Annan has expressed his willingness to undertake a peace
initiative for Kosovo.
A.F.
[04] EUROPEAN UNION HOLDS EXTRAORDINARY SUMMIT TODAY
Brussels, April 14 (MPA)
The European Union is to hold an extraordinary
Summit conference in Brussels today, where the
participants will discuss the German presidency’s
proposal to send an international peacekeeping force, not
mandated by NATO, to Kosovo.
Greece’s Prime Minister Kostas Simitis is to
participate in the Summit, along with the UN Secretary-
General Kofi Annan.
Greek government spokesperson Dimitris Reppas has stated
that the country supports Germany’s proposal.
A.F.
[05] FYROM’S FOREIGN MINISTER REFUTES REPORTS OF NAME
AGREEMENT
Skopje, April 14 (MPA)
FYROM’s Foreign Minister Alexander Dimitrov has
refuted reports that his government intends to sign an
agreement with Greece on the name issue pending between
the two countries.
Speaking during a press conference, Mr. Dimitrov was
asked to comment on the Greek media’s relevant reports
and said “perhaps it was an Easter gift from the press to
the Greeks.”
According to the numerous reports, Greek Premier
Kostas Simitis was to meet with the President of FYROM
Kiro Gligorov in Washington on April 25, on the occasion
of NATO’s fiftieth-year mark, and the two would sign an
agreement that would allow the neighboring country to be
named “Republic of Macedonia-Skopje”.
A.F.
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