Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 00-01-17

Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

CONTENTS

[01] PROPOSAL FOR GREEK-BRITISH COOPERATION IN THE MILITARY VEHICLE INDUSTRY

[02] JEFF KENNETT WILL BE IN GREECE IN FEBRUARY

[03] COMMERCIAL BANKS INTEREST RATES CUTS ANNOUNCED BY THE NATIONAL BANK OF

[04] THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE REACTED TO THE REVALUATION WITH GAINS OF

[05] ASE PRICE INDEX INCREASES BY 2.14% SO FAR TODAY

[06] PHANTOM DISAPPEARS FROM RADAR

[07] ASIA FORUM 2000 TO BE HELD IN THESSALONIKI

[08] DRACHMA REVALUATION OPENS EMU GATES

[09] CAB DRIVERS EMBARK ON 48-HOUR STRIKE TOMORROW

[10] EXHIBITION FOR GREEK-AUSTRALIANS TO OPEN IN ATHENS

[11] REACTIONS TO ARKANS DEATH MIXED

[01] PROPOSAL FOR GREEK-BRITISH COOPERATION IN THE MILITARY VEHICLE INDUSTRY

The proposal of a British company for the co-production with the Greek Vehicle Industry of "Challenger 2E" armored tanks will be examined in the talks between Greek minister of defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos and his visiting British counterpart Jeffrey Hoon who arrived in Thessaloniki today.

The discussion concerns the co-production of 250-500 armored tanks for the Greek army, while talks are also underway with companies from the United States, Russia, Germany and France. The British company "Vickers" is also interested in acquiring part of the Greek Vehicle Industry shares package and the two defense ministers visited the car industry plant in Sindos, outside Thessaloniki this afternoon.

In statements the two ministers made, they characterized bilateral relations as excellent and expressed the wish for the further improvement of relations to expand to the sector of armaments.

[02] JEFF KENNETT WILL BE IN GREECE IN FEBRUARY

Former prime minister in the Australian state of Victoria Jeff Kennett will visit Greece in February on the occasion of a television report on the return of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece.

Mr. Kennett is also scheduled to visit London for the same purpose namely, for the needs of the Australian "Channel 9" television program "60 Minutes". Mr. Kennett is a member of the Australian Committee for the return of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece in which also participate former prime ministers, government ministers, parliament deputies, literary people and journalists from Australia.

The move of the Australian Committee has the total support of the mass media and the public opinion in the country.

[03] COMMERCIAL BANKS INTEREST RATES CUTS ANNOUNCED BY THE NATIONAL BANK OF GREECE GOVERNOR

National Bank of Greece governor Theodoros Karatzas announced cuts in the commercial banks interest rates to take place in the following days. The announcement was made in a working lunch given in his honor by the foreign press correspondents in Athens.

Mr. Karatzas stressed that the banks are expecting the Bank of Greece decisions on the interest rates cuts, while he also stated that the developments in the Athens Stock Exchange are expected to be positive as a result of the revaluation of the drachma.

[04] THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE REACTED TO THE REVALUATION WITH GAINS OF 1.68%

The Athens Stock Exchange general index had gains of 1.68% as the expectations stemming from the revaluation of the drachma were not fulfilled and there were no impressive gains recorded.

The general index closed at 5.362,3 points, while the volume of transactions remained at relatively low levels at 254 billion drachmas.

The market now expects the decision of Bank of Greece governor Loukas Papadimos for the de-escalation of the intervention interest rates. The decision is expected to be announced on Wednesday.

[05] ASE PRICE INDEX INCREASES BY 2.14% SO FAR TODAY

News of the drachma's revaluation to the euro, set by Brussels at 340.75 drachmas per euro, has boosted the Athens Stock Market which marked gains of 2.14% at noon today.

Specifically, the general price index posted 5,386.73 points, with trade volume reaching 163 billion drachmas.

A.F.

[06] PHANTOM DISAPPEARS FROM RADAR

The Greek air force has launched a land and sea search for the location of a Phantom aircraft that disappeared from the radar this morning, as it flew over the islands of Eubia and Skyros.

The aircraft, with pilot and co-pilot on board, was conducting the Andravida-Skyros flight route.

A.F.

[07] ASIA FORUM 2000 TO BE HELD IN THESSALONIKI

Political and business leaders from Europe, Asia and the Middle East are to meet in Thessaloniki next month, in a conference organized by the newly-founded "Asia Forum 2000".

The conference, to be held on February 7-8, constitutes the first public event held by a Greek organization aiming to create business links between 90 countries from the European Union, eastern Europe, the Balkan and Black Sea regions and the Middle East.

Held under the auspices of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, National Economy, Development, Merchant Marine, Macedonia-Thrace and Transportation-Communication. The event is expected to feature the participation of more than 30 countries.

The participants will review the opportunities, forms and conditions of economic cooperation among their countries.

A.F.

[08] DRACHMA REVALUATION OPENS EMU GATES

The new central parity of the Greek drachma, fixed by the European Union's monetary committee at 340.75 drachmas per euro , is expected to boost Greece's accession to the Economic and Monetary Union.

According to the Minister of National Economy and Finance Yiannos Papantoniou, the drachma's new parity will facilitate the country's efforts to reduce the inflation rate, to lower interest rates and the inflow of foreign capital, while he also stressed that the drachma was revaluated for the first time in the post-war period.

The main opposition party New Democracy described the revaluation as the last act in a series of retractions.

The Greek Communist party has said that the change in the drachma parity is

anti-popular, while the Coalition of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) stated that the government preferred the option of a hard drachma in dealing with inflation, which was at the same time being re-fueled by uncontrollable speculation.

The Democratic Social Movement (DHKKI) stated that the government is seeking early elections, before the Greek people learn about the tough terms that will be imposed in view of Greece's admission to the euro zone.

A.F.

[09] CAB DRIVERS EMBARK ON 48-HOUR STRIKE TOMORROW

Greece's taxi drivers are to embark on a 48-hour strike tomorrow at 5 a.m., in protest to a pertinent draft bill proposed by the Ministry of Transportation.

A limited numbers of cabs will operated during the strike in order to serve health emergencies.

A.F.

[10] EXHIBITION FOR GREEK-AUSTRALIANS TO OPEN IN ATHENS

A photographic social history exhibition titled "In Their Own Image: Greek Australians" will open in Athens this month, at the Eleftherias Park Arts Center.

The exhibition, developed by documentary photographer, Effy Alexakis and social historian, Leonard Janiszewski, will reveal the Greek Australian presence as a unique and integral part of Australian society, from the 1810s to the present day.

Funded through the Australian Government's 'Visions of Australia' Program, the Greek Ministry for Culture, the Sydney Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (SOCOG), Olympic Airlines and the Greek National Tourist Organization (Sydney Office), the exhibition will feature historical and contemporary photographs, with accompanying social histories of the subjects.

The event will also feature an audio/visual production based upon the photography and historical research undertaken by Janiszewski and Alexakis in the last decade.

A.F.

[11] REACTIONS TO ARKANS DEATH MIXED

The assassination of Zeljko Raznatovic - also known as Arkan - did not come as a surprise to the international community, with most leaders expressing their disappointment that the 47-year-old paramilitary leader would not go to the Hague.

United States Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said the US took no satisfaction in Arkan's murder and would have wanted him to stand trial in The Hague. British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook also said he was not surprised that the man had died violently.

Arkan was killed by unidentified gunmen while leaving a restaurant inside Belgrade's Hotel Intercontinental. Two others died in the gunfire, including his bodyguard. He was under indictment by a U-N tribunal for the former Yugoslavia for alleged war crimes in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia.

A.F.

Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article