Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 00-03-03

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

CONTENTS

[01] NEW BOOKS FOR THE MINORITY SCHOOLS IN THRACE

[02] NIKAS WILL FILE SUIT AGAINST PRESS PUBLICATIONS IN FYROM

[03] REPPAS' STATEMENTS ON THE US REPORT ON THE PROTECTION OF COPY RIGHT

[04] LOSSES OF 1.18% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

[05] THE MEETING OF THE FOREIGN MINISTERS OF GREECE, BULGARIA AND TURKEY

[06] A GREEK NAVY FRIGATE PARTICIPATES IN A MULTI-NATIONAL EXERCISE

[07] KAKLIKIS-DIMOVSKA FORMAL MEETING

[08] CULTURAL EVENT ON SEFERIS IN KORCE

[01] NEW BOOKS FOR THE MINORITY SCHOOLS IN THRACE

Greece and Turkey agreed on the teaching material included in the Turkish-speaking books of the Muslim minority schools in Thrace, north-eastern Greece and already certain of them have been distributed to the minority students.

According to the Treaty of Lausanne, the 1958 education agreement and the 1964 protocol signed by Greece and Turkey, the teaching material in the Muslim minority schools in Thrace is determined by Turkey but it has to be approved by Greece.

After an agreement reached between the two countries, the Turkish authorities incorporated in the school books the Greek Pedagogical Institute's remarks and many of the books have already been distributed to the students. The new books will be distributed to a total of 7.437 minority school students in Thrace.

[02] NIKAS WILL FILE SUIT AGAINST PRESS PUBLICATIONS IN FYROM

The NIKAS meat industry is getting ready to file suit in the following days against everyone responsible for the scenarios that found their way to the FYROM press concerning the Greek company's alleged involvement in the illegal funding of the governing VMRO-DPMNE party.

Also, the company intends to ask for the immediate intervention of the FYROM government calling it to deny the slanderous, as they are characterized, accusations, according to which NIKAS had offered economic support to VMPO-DPMNE's rise to power.

Meanwhile, the company is ready to "freeze" the new investment it had planned jointly with a Cypriot partner for its expansion to the dairy products area unless the FYROM government denies the rumors, according to statements made to MPA by company president Mr. Panagiotis Nikas.

The case has taken up huge dimensions in FYROM and the opposition parties called on the prosecutor general to launch an in depth investigation to find out if the accusations are well-grounded and bring those responsible to justice.

Specifically, the FYROM newspapers published extensive front-page articles according to which, NIKAS had funded the pre-election campaign of VMRO in the 1998 parliamentary elections through the NIKAS-SKOP company it had founded jointly with a local partner. The newspapers also maintain that FYROM prime minister Ljupco Geogievski is a hostage of the Greek companies because NIKAS financed his pre-election campaign in exchange for the company's exemption from taxation and the more favorable treatment of its products.

The rumors were backed by NIKAS partner Mr. Pesevski, who maintained that part of the 15 million DM the company pledged to invest in Skopje ended up in VMRO's pockets instead of being invested in the new cooked pork meat production unit.

Commenting on the statements, Mr. Nikas characterized them as a joke and refused any involvement in the issue maintaining that Mr. Pesevski's motives are serving his own personal interests as he intended to take over the factory in which he participated as partner.

Mr. Nikas stated that Pesevski is a wanted con-man and the company was not aware of that when it proceeded to a business cooperation with him, while because of wrong legal moves he got authorization to appear as being absolutely in charge of the factory, adding that it will continue to work as usual.

Mr. Nikas added that he never sought to be involved in politics neither in Greece nor in any of the other countries in which he has interests. On the contrary, he avoided with diligence any involvement. Within this framework, all the necessary procedures have already been made for filing suit both against Mr. Pesevski and the newspapers that published the relevant accusations without backing them with evidence.

According to the FYROM newspapers, in the case are allegedly involved former finance minister Boris Stoimenov, urban planning minister Dusko Kantievski and high ranking officials of the FYROM ministries of foreign affairs and defense. Meanwhile, according to today's issue of "Makedonija Denes" daily, Boris Stoimenov's holding BS company offered paid advisory services to NIKAS, but the NIKAS management denies that there was ever such a cooperation between them. Moreover, the specific newspaper maintains that the NIKAS equipment and factory in Skopje came directly from Greece without undergoing any customs checks after an intervention by Stoimenov himself, adding that the equipment is at least 20-25 years old.

Mr. Nikas clarified that those accusations are also false stressing that the equipment entered FYROM following the normal procedures and that the necessary customs documents are available. He said that with the exception of certain air conditioner units that were used in an older production unit the basic equipment in the heart of the factory is modern and meets the 1995 European Union specifications.

[03] REPPAS' STATEMENTS ON THE US REPORT ON THE PROTECTION OF COPY RIGHT

Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas referred today to the US report on copy right. He pointed out that the specific report welcomes the progress made in the area and it is stressed that tele-piracy in Greece has dropped to 5%.

The Greek government spokesman also expressed the belief that this phenomenon will disappear in the immediate future.

[04] LOSSES OF 1.18% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

The week closed for the Athens Stock Exchange with significant losses of 1.18% at 5.116,98 points, while the volume of transactions rose to satisfactory levels exceeding the 200.28 billion drachmas.

Of the stocks trading today 154 recorded gains, 160 moved downward and 51 remained stable.

[05] THE MEETING OF THE FOREIGN MINISTERS OF GREECE, BULGARIA AND TURKEY WILL BE HELD IN BURGAS

The meeting of the foreign ministers of Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey will be held in Burgas, Bulgaria on Sunday.

The joint statement that will be signed after the meeting will include the positions of the foreign ministers on the issues that will be discussed, while there will be references to the principles of international law and treaties.

The talks will focus on the Balkans, the developments in Kosovo, the course of the stability pact, Turkey's and Bulgaria's European prospect as well as bilateral relations and the inter-border cooperation.

The three ministers will give a joint press conference and then they will depart for Andrianoupolis where they will attend a formal dinner. The final stop of the tripartite meeting will be in Orestiada where they will visit the city hall and the folklore museum and they will attend an event organized in their honor by the city mayor.

Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas, responding to a question on what the Greek government anticipates to come out of this meeting, stated that the joint statement that will be issued after the meeting will include the positions of the three countries on how they understand the developments in the region aimed at the safeguarding of stability and peace.

Mr. Reppas added that those meetings were inaugurated with the Balkan conference in Crete in 1997 and their goal is to establish a peaceful environment in the region.

When asked to comment on the building of a nuclear plant in the region of Akkuyu in southern Turkey, the Greek government spokesman reiterated that Greece has expressed a negative stance toward the operation of such plants in the region and the same position has been expressed by other countries as well.

[06] A GREEK NAVY FRIGATE PARTICIPATES IN A MULTI-NATIONAL EXERCISE

A Greek Navy frigate will participate in an air and sea multi-national exercise that will take place at the borders of the Istanbul FIR with the international air space.

The Greek foreign ministry denied that the exercise will expand to the Turkish occupied part of Cyprus.

[07] KAKLIKIS-DIMOVSKA FORMAL MEETING

Head of Greek liaison office in FYROM, ambassador Kaklikis had a formal meeting with FYROM interior minister Dista Dimovska.

The meeting focused on the strengthening of cooperation between the interior ministries of the two countries. Ms. Dimovska referred to the actions undertaken by her ministry, stressing that the fight against crime in all its forms is a priority especially, drug trafficking and illegal arms trade.

From his side, the Greek ambassador expressed the Greek government's willingness to offer assistance in technical equipment and at specialists' level in the effort to tackle those problems.

Ms. Dimovska extended an invitation to her Greek counterpart minister of public order Michalis Chrisochoidis to visit FYROM.

[08] CULTURAL EVENT ON SEFERIS IN KORCE

A cultural event on the 100th anniversary of the birth of Nobel laureate Greek poet Giorgos Seferis was organized by the Authors Club in Korce, Albania.

The event was attended by Greek consul general Mr. Garilidis, who promised that a similar event will be held in Athens to honor poets from Korce.

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