Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 00-02-25

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

CONTENTS

[01] THE EUROPEAN POPULAR PARTY CONFERENCE OPENS IN THESSALONIKI TODAY

[02] TSOCHATZOPOULOS: STRATEGIC CONVERGENCE WITH ISRAEL

[03] GREECE IS CONSIDERING TO SEND 20 POLICE OFFICERS TO KOSOVO

[04] LOSSES OF 0.60% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

[05] THE FOREIGN MINISTERS OF GREECE, TURKEY AND BULGARIA WILL MEET ON MARCH

[06] THE RECONSTRUCTION ORGANIZATION OFFICE WILL OPEN IN MARCH

[07] ONE IN TEN GREEKS IS A FOREIGN STUDENT

[08] EUROPEAN COMMISSIONER VITORINO WILL VISIT ATHENS ON MONDAY

[09] MESSAGE BY THE ROMANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER TO HIS GREEK COUNTERPART

[10] 140 GREEK BUSINESSMEN ARE VISITING TURKEY

[01] THE EUROPEAN POPULAR PARTY CONFERENCE OPENS IN THESSALONIKI TODAY

The Balkan policy of the Greek right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy will be presented by its leader Kostas Karamanlis, who is also the European Popular Party vice-president, within the framework of the European Popular Party conference on Democracy-Stability-Cooperation in south-eastern Europe that opens in Thessaloniki today.

The procedures of the conference, that is being held at the initiative of New Democracy in cooperation with the European Popular Party and the European Democratic Union with the participation of representatives of about 45 Balkan and European political parties, will open with the speeches of European Popular Party president Wilfrid Martens and European Popular Party parliamentary group leader in the Euro-parliament Hans Gert Pittering.

The conference will focus on processing proposals and making decisions on practical measures through which the European Popular Party will be able to help the Balkan political parties and contribute to the political stability and peace in the Balkan region.

It is the third meeting organized by the European Popular Party with the participation of Balkan parties. The first meeting was held in Thessaloniki and the second in Banja Luka.

[02] TSOCHATZOPOULOS: STRATEGIC CONVERGENCE WITH ISRAEL

The relations between Greece and Israel in the recent past were not the kind they could have been based on the common interests shared by the two countries, pointed out minister of defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos speaking through video in the Defense Analyses Institute one-day conference on Greece and Israel in a changing regional environment that is being held in Thessaloniki.

He said that a new model for a bilateral or even multilateral cooperation is needed today and added that within the international environment there is a strategic convergence of interests in a number of sectors covering the wider region of the eastern Mediterranean, the Balkans, Europe and the Black Sea.

Mr. Tsochatzopoulos appeared optimistic that solutions can be found that will restore the climate of peace, stability and cooperation in eastern Mediterranean. He said that the new relation of the European Union with Turkey can create the framework for the solution of the Cyprus problem and the peaceful coexistence of the peoples in the region based on the agreement reached in Helsinki.

Mr. Tsochatzopoulos stated that Greece is in favor of the peace process among Israel, the Palestinians and the neighboring Arab countries. He also said that Greece works toward the expansion of the EU's interest and presence in eastern Mediterranean, while it has the political will to contribute to the widening of relations between Israel and the European Union and the European institutions in general.

Israeli ambassador to Athens Ran Curiel, speaking in the one-day conference stated that the Greek-Israeli relations have developed with an unprecedented pace in recent years. He stressed that Greece can contribute further to the development of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, while he also spoke about the Arab-Israeli talks, the rapprochement between Greece and Turkey and the efforts made for the solution of the Cyprus problem.

Thessaloniki's Jewish Community president Andreas Sefiha referred to the role of the city which links the Greeks with the Israelis and suggested that it should become a Greek-Israeli meeting center.

[03] GREECE IS CONSIDERING TO SEND 20 POLICE OFFICERS TO KOSOVO

Greece is considering to send 20 police officers to Kosovo within the framework of the reinforcement of the International Police Force deployed in the region.

NATO secretary general George Robertson stressed during his visit to Athens yesterday that there is no reason to increase the number of KFOR soldiers but he pointed out that the demand of the UN representative for the reinforcement of the International Police Force in Kosovo must materialize soon in order for the KFOR to be able to fulfill its mission.

[04] LOSSES OF 0.60% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

The Athens Stock Exchange session closed today with losses of 0.60% at 5.203 points. In spite of the losses recorded, the volume of transactions was 188.9 billion drachmas.

The losses were recorded in the second half of the session and as a result all the secondary indexes, with the exception of the insurance companies stocks, followed a downward course and closed with significant losses.

[05] THE FOREIGN MINISTERS OF GREECE, TURKEY AND BULGARIA WILL MEET ON MARCH 5

The tripartite meeting of the foreign ministers of Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey will take place on March 5.

The meeting will be held in the three cities of Burgas, Andrianoupolis and Orestiada and the foreign ministers will sign a joint statement that will include the principles on good neighborly relations and cooperation.

Meanwhile, the foreign ministers of Greece, Albania and FYROM will meet in Korce and Ohrid on March 8 and 9 within the framework of the tripartite cooperation.

[06] THE RECONSTRUCTION ORGANIZATION OFFICE WILL OPEN IN MARCH

The formal opening of the Reconstruction Organization for SE Europe office will formally open in Thessaloniki by the end of March, possibly on March 20, according to reliable press reports.

The organization's charter of operation was approved by the EU Council of Ministers last December. Its board of directors was formed last January and in its first meeting in Thessaloniki it elected Mr. Migareli to the post of the general director.

[07] ONE IN TEN GREEKS IS A FOREIGN STUDENT

One in ten Greeks gets his or her higher education outside Greece in a European university, according to the European Statistics Agency "Eurostat" which provided data for the year 1997. The European Union average is under 2%.

Based on the same facts, one in five Europeans, who are studying abroad, is Greek. Most favorite country for the Greek students is Britain followed by Germany and France.

[08] EUROPEAN COMMISSIONER VITORINO WILL VISIT ATHENS ON MONDAY

European Commissioner Antonio Vitorino, responsible for justice and internal affairs issues, will visit Athens on Monday within the framework of the informative contacts he will have with the member-states before the ministers' council meeting that will take place at the end of March.

The EU Commissioner will meet on Monday with deputy foreign minister Christos Rokofillos, minister of public order Michalis Chrisohoidis and justice minister Evangelos Yiannopoulos to discuss the issues raised in the Tampere European Council meeting namely, justice, internal affairs, asylum granting, immigration and crime.

[09] MESSAGE BY THE ROMANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER TO HIS GREEK COUNTERPART

Romanian government vice-president and foreign minister Petre Roman sent a message to his counterpart Greek foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou on the occasion of the 120th anniversary of the restoration of diplomatic relations at ambassadors' level between Greece and Romania.

In the message is underlined Romania's political will to cooperate with Greece both at a regional and a European level to build a better, happier and more prosperous future.

Also, the Romanian foreign minister looks forward to his country's undertaking of initiatives in cooperation with the Greece in 2000.

[10] 140 GREEK BUSINESSMEN ARE VISITING TURKEY

The 140-member Greek business delegation left for Istanbul, Turkey today for a visit that will last until February 27 seeking to lift the obstacles in bilateral economic relations and hoping that they will open new ways for business cooperation.

In the delegation participate representatives of construction and textile companies, cement and paper industries, tourist and shipping institutes as well as, business executives from the area of insurance and computers firms, health organizations and money and credit institutions.

Within the framework of the contacts the Greek businessmen will have in Istanbul will be discussed the settlement of issues such as, tax reductions, the increase of exports subsidies and double taxation.

They will also seek the establishment of joint ventures for the successful activation of Greek and Turkish businessmen in the Black Sea countries and the south-eastern European markets. Also, it is expected that the decision reached by the business councils of both countries for the creation of an Athens based Greek-Turkish Chamber of Commerce will be ratified.

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