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Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English, 99-04-21Macedonian 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 21, 1999TITLES
NEWS IN DETAIL[01] NATO MISSILE DESTROYS SOCIALIST PARTY BUILDING IN BELGRADEBelgrade, April 21 (MPA)The imposing building which houses the ruling Socialist Party in Belgrade was struck early this morning by a NATO missile, but no victims have been reported. The surrounding area has been evacuated due to the risk of the burning building’s collapse. Meanwhile, Allied aircraft also struck the Danube River’s last bridge in Novi Sad, not sparing targets in various Yugoslav cities, as well as Montenegro’s capital, Prishtina. A.F.[02] GREEK PREMIER TO PROMOTE PEACEMAKING PLAN FOR KOSOVONew York, April 21 (MPA)Addressing a Greek-American gathering held last night in Astoria, New York, Greek Prime Minister Kostas Simitis expressed his determination to promote Greece’s peacemaking plan for Kosovo. Mr. Simitis stressed that Greece must first defend its own interests, while also upholding the obligations stemming from its participation in international organizations such as NATO. He further underlined that Greece will not participate in military operations and pointed out that the government is promoting the convocation of a Balkan summit conference to be held in Athens. A.F.[03] GREEK DEFENSE MINISTER: YUGOSLAVIA CRISIS WILL NOT ESCALATEAthens, April 21 (MPA)Greece’s Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos has expressed his optimism that the crisis in Yugoslavia will not escalate to the point where it will require the intervention of ground troops.Speaking to the Greek service of the BBC, Mr. Tsochatzopoulos stated that the escalation has to have a ceiling, stressing that “if the Alliance decides to embark on a ground operation, then that would mean that it has decided on a full-scale war.” The Greek Minister added that the deployment of ground troops is politically wrong. A.F. [04] HELLENIC PETROLEUM DEAL WITH FYROM PROCEEDS AS PLANNEDThessaloniki, April 21 (MPA)The agreement signed between the “Hellenic Petroleum” company (ELPE) and the government of FYROM concerning the purchase of the neighboring country’s state-owned refineries (OKTA) and the construction of a Thessaloniki-Skopje pipeline, is proceeding as planned, Greek officials have categorically stated. Speaking to the Macedonian Press Agency, an ELPE administrative officer has vehemently refuted a relevant article published in the Skopje daily “Macedonia Denes”, which claimed that the said agreement has been canceled. On the contrary, the said agreement was re-confirmed during yesterday’s Skopje-held meeting between Greece’s Undersecretary of National Economy Alexandros Baltas (who was on a formal visit to FYROM accompanied by ELPE’s director Eleftherios Tzellas) and FYROM’s Premier Luptco Georgievski, as well as during talks held with OKTA officials. Moreover, the study for the course of the Thessaloniki- Skopje oil pipeline was recently assigned to the English company Pepsen. The ELPE official, who stated that the published article is completely unfounded, pointed to possible motives for the claims, since a great number of foreign ventures are coveting for the opportunity to collaborate with FYROM in the oil sector. A.F.[05] GERMAN REINFORCEMENTS TO NATO THROUGH THESSALONIKIThessaloniki, April 21 (MPA)German military reinforcements to NATO have proceeded to FYROM’s region of Kumanovo from Thessaloniki as 50 tanks and approximately ten jeeps were unloaded early this morning at the city’s port from a German transport ship.Meanwhile, the transport of humanitarian aid for Kosovo refugees in Albania and FYROM continued today at Thessaloniki’s “Macedonia” airport. Five C 130 and C 141 U.S. aircraft landed at the airport, transporting large quantities of pharmaceutical supplies, foodstuffs and military tents. A.F. [06] GREEK PREMIER MEETS WITH ARCHBISHOP SPYRIDON OF AMERICANew York, April 21 (MPA)Greek Prime Minister Kostas Simitis, presently in New York for NATO’s 50th anniversary, met with Archbishop Spyridon of America yesterday to whom he stressed that Greece counts on the Orthodox Church's organizations abroad to successfully face problems. "Greece ...is facing major challenges in Europe, the Balkans and further afield. To deal with these challenges it needs the assistance and the contribution of all. It needs the assistance of expatriate Greeks everywhere, who must have the unanimity to promote and defend our national issues and the country's progress," Mr. Simitis stated after visiting with the Archbishop. Today, Mr. Simitis will address a lunch held in his honor by the Council on Foreign Relations. The Premier’s address will concern foreign policy issues, including the Kosovo crisis, Greek-Turkish relations and the Cyprus issue.Tomorrow, the Premier will attend a lunch held in his honor by the board of directors of the Woodrow Wilson Research Institute on foreign, economic and social policy issues. On Saturday, the 19 NATO leaders will attend a formal dinner held in their honor and hosted by US president Bill Clinton at the White House. Mr. Simitis will depart for Greece on Sunday, April 25 after the close of the NATO summit. A.F. [07] GREEK FOREIGN MINISTER DEPARTS FOR UNITED STATES TODAYAthens, April 21 (MPA)Greece’s Foreign Minister George Papandreou is departing for the United States today, where he will hold a series of meetings on the sidelines of the NATO Summit.Tomorrow morning, Mr. Papandreou will meet with U.S. assistant Secretary of State Mark Grossman and, later in the afternoon, will be received by the Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. The Greek FM will also meet with his German counterpart Joschka Fischer and is also scheduled to have talks with US former President Jimmy Carter who will be accompanied by the President of the Council of Greeks Abroad Andrew Athens. Their talks are to center around the subject of humanitarian aid. A.F. [08] GREEK FM WILL TRAVEL TO MOSCOW NEXT WEEKAthens, April 21 (MPA)Greece’s Foreign Minister George Papandreou will conduct an official visit to Moscow next week, April 28, on the invitation of his Russian counterpart Igor Ivanov.Mr. Papandreou’s visit to Moscow will coincide with Kofi Annan’s (the United Nations Secretary-General) presence in the Russian capital. According to reports, Mr. Papandreou’s visit falls within the framework of Greece’s initiatives for easing the crisis in Kosovo and for reaching a political solution to the conflict. A meeting between Russian President Boris Yeltsin and Mr. Papandreou has not been ruled out. A.F. [09] GREEK COMMUNIST PARTY’S HONORARY PRESIDENT IN BELGRADEAthens, April 21 (MPA)The honorary President of the Communist Party of Greece (KKE) Harilaos Florakis is to meet with Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic in Belgrade today.President Milosevic will also receive a delegation from the General Confederation of Greek Laborers (GSEE), the country’s largest labor group. Meanwhile, containers transporting 150 tons of humanitarian aid gathered by the members of the Greek- Serb Friendship Association departed for Yugoslavia this morning. A.F. [10] GREEK EUROMEP ASKS COMMISSION FOR MEASURES TO AID EXPORTSBrussels, April 21 (MPA)The Greek deputy of the European Parliament Alekos Alavanos (Coalition of the Left and Progress) has asked the European Commission to draw immediate measures that would relieve the consequences borne by the conflict in Yugoslavia on the exports of Greek products.Specifically, Mr. Alavanos proposed the cost subsidy of fresh farm products and the activation of an older regulation that had been enforced during the Bosnia war. A.F. Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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