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Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English, 99-04-15Macedonian 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, April 15, 1999TITLES
NEWS IN DETAIL[01] IT’S STILL RAINING BOMBS IN YUGOSLAVIA, BRIDGES KEY TARGETSBelgrade, April 15 (MPA)NATO warplanes continued to zero in on key targets in Yugoslavia last night, annihilating bridges, electrical power plants and military depots. Prishtina, the capital city of Kosovo, was not spared the wrath of war as the allied aircraft targeted two transmitters thus cutting off all television programming. Meanwhile, a steady stream of refugees continues to flee Kosovo, with some 3,000 arriving in FYROM yesterday, with another 2,000 entering Albania. A.F.[02] GREEK PM IN SOFIA TODAY TO MEET WITH BULGARIAN COUNTERPARTSofia, April 15 (MPA)Greece’s Prime Minister Kostas Simitis is presently in Sofia where he will be received by his Bulgarian counterpart Ivan Kostov. During yesterday’s European Union informal Summit in Brussels, Mr. Simitis stressed the need to arrive at a political solution for the Kosovo crisis and draw a plan for stability in the Balkans. Furthermore, the Greek Premier stressed that, despite the differing views held among the allies in regards to resolving the Kosovo conflict, the United Nations’ involvement is necessary, along with EU initiatives. A.F.[03] MAIN OPPOSITION PARTY LEADER TOURS NORTHERN GREECEThessaloniki, April 15 (MPA)The leader of Greece’s main opposition party, New Democracy’s Kostas Karamanlis, is embarking on a four- day tour of Thessaloniki, Kilkis and Serres today. During his visits, Mr. Karamanlis will meet with local producers and community leaders, while he will also give a series of addresses to his party’s supporters.This evening, Mr. Karamanlis will speak in the municipality of Kalamaria, while on Saturday he will be in Kilkis and on Sunday he will visit Serres, his hometown. A.F. [04] GREEK PRESIDENT MEETS WITH LEADERS OF AHEPA IN ATHENSAthens, April 15 (MPA)The newly-appointed members of the American Hellenic Educational Progressive Association (AHEPA) presiding board met with the President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos in Athens yesterday.The AHEPA delegates briefed the President on issues concerning the Greek community abroad, as well as the achievements accomplished by expatriated Greeks in the sectors of economy and culture. A.F. [05] COALITION OF LEFT AND PROGRESS LEADER IN SKOPJE TODAYThessaloniki, April 15 (MPA)The leader of Greece’s Coalition of the Left and Progress party, Nikos Konstantopoulos, is departing for Skopje today where he will hold talks with government and political party officials. Speaking at a news conference, he stated that “the point of my trip is to ascertain, on the ground, the problems facing FYROM and express my concerns about the repercussions this war is having on the country.” A.F.[06] GREEK AID TO KOSOVO REFUGEES AMOUNTS TO 10.5 MILLION DOLLARSApril 15 (MPA)Greek humanitarian aid to help refugees in Albania and FYROM amounts to a sum of 10.5 million US dollars so far, not including contributions from Greek non-governmental organizations (NGOs).According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Greece’s aid is the second largest overall contribution among all NATO member countries, after that of Germany ($14 million). The United States has contributed approximately 8.5 million dollars. Greek humanitarian aid to Albania and FYROM is being delivered and distributed as follows: 1. To Albania, under the supervision of the Greek Embassy in Tirana, in cooperation with the Orthodox Church of Albania and the detachment of Greek Armed Forces posted to Albania. 2. To FYROM, by the Greek NGO "Evropaiki Prooptiki" ("European Perspective") in cooperation with a network of five Greek NGOs which are distributing relief supplies to seven Reception Centers for the Support, Shelter and Protection of Refugees (a list of these Centers is attached). Greek humanitarian aid, including that provided by NGOs, is as follows: - 32 tons of food have been sent and distributed through the main Greek network of NGOs to refugees in temporary shelters on the border and in families (according to available data up to April 7, 1999). - 2000 jackets have been distributed by one of the NGOs involved in the relief project. A further 3000 are actually being distributed by the main NGO operating in FYROM. - A number of individuals and other NGOs have also sent substantial assistance. Exact figures are not available yet. As of April 7, the Greek government's humanitarian aid to refugees in Albania has been distributed as follows: - 4.120 blankets are being distributed in Koritsa by the Greek NGO "ÉÄÉÊÕ" (IDIKI - Institute of International and Social Affairs) under the supervision of the Greek Consulate in Koritsa which was already involved in an aid distribution network in Albania in collaboration with the European Community Humanitarian Office (ECHO). IDIKI has been supplying food and medical supplies to hospitals and health centers in southern Albania since June 1997. - A further 3.000 blankets were provided by the "National Foundation for the Reception and Rehabilitation of Greeks Abroad". - Fifteen tons of food had been distributed through the IDIKI network: 5 tons of flour, 5 tons of beans, and 5 tons of rice. -Two ambulances and substantial medical supplies were delivered by the Greek Armed Forces at the Yzberish army base in Albania on April 2, 1999, according to the provisions of a Protocol signed by the Greek Embassy and the Deputy Health Minister of Albania, Mr. Brahimi. The first 20 out of 200 prefabricated houses were transported to Tirana on 1 April 1999. To date 70 prefabricated houses are already in use and 70 more are being transported and assembled on the same site in the Tirana suburbs. This refugee camp was set up with the help of the Greek Armed Forces in Albania as of April 3. These houses are being supplied with electricity and running water with the assistance of a representative of the Greek Ministry of Public Works dispatched to Tirana for this purpose, in cooperation with the Greek Armed Forces in Albania. A refugee camp for 500 people in the city of Kukes was completed on April 4 and it is actually being upgraded to a capacity of 1.000 refugees. There is also a Greek camp under construction 10 Km north of Pogradec, as a national project, which is intended to provide shelter for 10.000 to 12.000 refugees. A few thousand tents have already erected. A.F. [07] ÂÏÍÍ’S PLAN: SERBS OUT, INTERNATIONAL FORCE IN, REFUGEES BACKBrussels, April 15 (MPA)Germany, presently holding the European Union’s rotating presidency, proposed a peace plan for Kosovo during yesterday’s informal summit in Brussels.According to the plan, NATO air strikes would be suspended for 24-hours if Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic withdraws his forces from Kosovo The plan also calls for the assignment of an international force in Kosovo, which would overview the return of the refugees. German Deputy Foreign Minister Ludger Volmer said there is ``fairly broad agreement on this idea'' within NATO. The idea is to find a feasible way to achieve a cease- fire and a withdrawal of the Serbs from Kosovo.'' German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, in his parliamentary address, also stated that Mr. Milosevic would first have to abide by the international community’s terms before the NATO strikes are suspended.. A.F. [08] GREEK PREMIER PRESENTS INITIATIVE FOR STABILITY IN BALKANSBrussels, April 15 (MPA)Greece’s Prime Minister Kostas Simitis presented a Greek initiative for long-term stability in the Balkans, during the European Union’s informal summit held in Brussels yesterday. Mr. Simitis stressed the importance of involving the United Nations in a political solution as a crucial first step towards peace, calling for a UN Security Council resolution to "broaden the legal foundation of efforts to solve the problem."The Premier outlined Greece's three-point plan for sustainable peace and security, this being the political cooperation of Balkan countries based on the inviolability of regional borders, economic development with international investment and a strategy to handle the humanitarian crisis. "We believe that if we pursue these three goals - a political solution to the problem with the participation of the United Nations and European Union, a new Balkan stability and development plan and the coordination and broadening of humanitarian aid - current problems can be transcended and we will gradually close this great wound that has opened in the Balkans," he stated. A.F. [09] FOUR SUITORS VIE FOR OLYMPIC AIRWAYS MANAGEMENT, BIDS ARE INThessaloniki, April 15 (MPA)Four companies have submitted binding bids for taking over the management of Greece’s national air carrier, Olympic Airways, reportedly the “cream of the crop” among international airlines. According to initial reports, Lufthansa, British Airways, Swissair and American Airlines have each submitted a bid through their subsidiary companies, thus spiraling the process into the round of assessing the offers, before personal interviews are held. Reliable sources report that Salomon Smith Barney and ETEVA, the state’s advisors, are expected to propose the selection of two bidders out of the four so that, in case the primary choice does not sign the contract within 15 days, the second would do so within a ten-day period. A.F.[10] GREEK CHURCH SENDS HUMANITARIAN AID TO YUGOSLAVIAThessaloniki, April 15 (MPA)The Church of Greece has forwarded the second part of its humanitarian aid to the Yugoslav people, in a seven-truck convoy loaded with 170 tons of foodstuffs and pharmaceutical supplies.The aid, which amounts to GRD 50.5 million, is to be received by the Orthodox Church of Serbia. The Archbishop of Athens and All of Greece Christodoulos was present during the trucks departure and said that the humanitarian aid to Serbia, Albania and FYROM, as well as to both Christian and Muslims, will continue. A.F. [11] ALMOST A MILLION YUGOSLAVS NOW NEED HUMANITARIAN AIDBelgrade, April 15 (MPA)More than 900,000 Yugoslavs need urgent humanitarian aid as a result of the NATO air strikes, according to deputy Labor and Health Minister Maksim Korac.As the Yugoslav news agency Tanjug reported, Mr. Korac called on aid agencies representatives to inform their superiors of the urgent need in humanitarian aid. He said that Yugoslavia could no longer care for 700,000 refugees who arrived in 1992 and 1995 from Bosnia and Croatia. He warned that the additional burden created by the NATO air strikes “threatens to provoke an ecological catastrophe which would imperil 12 million inhabitants of Yugoslavia.” A.F. [12] YUGOSLAV NAVY BANS NAVIGATION IN COUNTRY’S WATERSBelgrade, April 15 (MPA)The Yugoslav naval forces have banned navigation in the country’s waters, as well as in the lake of Skodra.According to a Naval Command announcement, the measure was taken in light of the increased activity of NATO warships in the Adriatic Sea, and is to be enforced until tomorrow. The announcement added that the Yugoslav navy is to oversee navigation in the region, in accordance with the terms enforced during a state of war and in relation to the Alliance’s activities in the region. A.F. [13] SERBIA’S PRESIDENT CONDEMNS ATTACK OF REFUGEES CONVOYBelgrade, April 15 (MPA)The President of Serbia Milan Milutinovic has condemned NATO’s attack on a convoy of refugees as an act of “premeditated massacre”.Approximately 85 people were killed in the attack, which occurred yesterday between the cities of Djakovica and Prizten. Mr. Milutinovic stated that “this unprecedented criminal act is the work of those who publicly embrace respect of human rights and liberties and protect, as they claim, the Albanian minority in Kosovo.” Adding that NATO has, once again, removed its facade, Mr. Milutinovic vowed that “in spite of their bombings and crimes, we shall secure the co-existence and equality of all of Kosovo’s and Serbia’s citizens.” A.F. Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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