Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 00-03-04

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

CONTENTS

[01] NEW RECORD HIGH IN THE PRODUCTION OF OPIUM IN TURKEY

[02] PAPANTONIOU: THE STOCK MARKET FOLLOWS AN UPWARD COURSE

[03] FOUR HIGH SPEED BOATS OF ITALIAN CIGARETTE SMUGGLERS HAVE BEEN

[04] HEZBOLLAH WAS PLANNING A "HOLY WAR" IN TURKEY

[05] ALBANIANS ENTERED A SERB BORDER ZONE

[06] PERRAKIS WILL BE IN LISBON

[07] EU COMMISSIONER DIAMANTOPOULOU IS IN JAPAN

[01] NEW RECORD HIGH IN THE PRODUCTION OF OPIUM IN TURKEY

New record highs were broken in the production of opium in Turkey in 1999, according to a UN drug control international council report published by the Turkish newspaper "Milliyet".

Based on the facts included in the report, there was enough opium produced in Turkey in 1999 to make 105.6 tons of morphine which means that there was an increase of 21% compared to 1998. The poppy fields became 12 times larger in the past 15 years and in 1999 were estimated at 87.193 hectares increased by 77% compared to last year.

In Australia, the second largest opium producing country after Turkey, there was enough opium produced to make 103.4 tons of morphine. The opium produced by Turkey and Australia represents 50% of the world production.

[02] PAPANTONIOU: THE STOCK MARKET FOLLOWS AN UPWARD COURSE

Greek minister of national economy Yiannos Papantoniou in an interview with the Athens newspaper "Ependitis" stated that the Athens Stock Exchange will follow an upward course because also upward is the course of the Greek economy, adding that there is a lot of exaggeration in the stock market talk.

Responding to a question concerning the nervousness in the Athens Stock Exchange and the losses recorded, Mr. Papantoniou expressed his opposition to those who maintain that the stock market follows a downward course.

He stated that it is wrong to say that there is a decline in the Athens Stock Exchange, stressing that it has dropped from the high point it had reached in September but since then the general index moves between 5.500 and 5.000 points. He said that a reorganization in the general index is being observed, adding that this is normal and no government can rule it out or predict it. Mr. Papantoniou stressed that therefore, the general index is stable after many months of big increases in 1999.

The Greek minister of national economy also stated that the Athens Stock Exchange reflects the dynamics of the Greek economy, stressing that when the general index today is close to 5.500 points compared to the 1.000 points in 1997 is obviously in pace with the development policy of the Greek economy.

[03] FOUR HIGH SPEED BOATS OF ITALIAN CIGARETTE SMUGGLERS HAVE BEEN CONFISCATED

Four high speed boats that allegedly belong to Italian cigarette smugglers have been confiscated in the Ionian Sea island of Corfu.

According to Italian authorities and press publications, the Italian smugglers have moved their illegal activities to Greece and specifically, to the Ionian Sea ports.

Within the framework of his investigation the Italian prosecutor from Masa Karara went to Corfu and asked for the cooperation of the local coastguard authorities. The four high speed boats that were at the Gouvies marina for at least a year and a half were confiscated after enough information was collected in cooperation with the Greek authorities. The investigation by the responsible police agencies continues.

[04] HEZBOLLAH WAS PLANNING A "HOLY WAR" IN TURKEY

The Islamist terrorist organization Hezbollah was planning to launch a "Jihad" or "Holy War" in Turkey in October 2001, according to the Turkish newspaper "Hurriyet", based on the contents of a document found in a villa in the region of Kavatzik which belonged to the organization.

The documents were written by the murdered leader of the organization Hussein Velioglu and mention that the "Jihad" was scheduled to start in south-eastern Turkey before the month of the Ramadan with dynamic protests that were planned to gradually spread in big cities such as Ankara, Istanbul and Ismir.

The goal of the Islamists is to exterminate the people with secular beliefs and launch terrorist attacks on military installations.

Istanbul Police Department groups of specialists have already studied 42.000 of the 160.000 pages of documents that have been found.

[05] ALBANIANS ENTERED A SERB BORDER ZONE

About 170 Albanians crossed the Serb borders with Kosovo after an exchange of gunfire near the village of Dobrosin, in the demilitarized Serb zone, where a new group of Albanian rebels has been formed, according to the KFOR forces.

A US patrol reported gunfire at noon today coming from the outskirts of Dobrosin, less than 1 kilometer away from the borders with the UN administered province.

The gunfire was exchanged between Albanian extremists and the local Serb police, according to a KFOR representative.

[06] PERRAKIS WILL BE IN LISBON

European affairs general secretary Mr. Perrakis represents Greece in the EU informal justice and internal security council meeting that is being held in Lisbon.

In the two-day ministers' meeting will be discussed issues concerning crime prevention, measures for the materialization of the freedom, security and cooperation space as a follow up to the Tampere summit meeting, the establishment of a European Police Academy, the participation of police forces in European Union operations in crisis management situations as well as other issues.

[07] EU COMMISSIONER DIAMANTOPOULOU IS IN JAPAN

Greek European Commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou is on a formal visit to Japan. In her 5-day visit Ms. Diamantopoulou will have a number of contacts and meetings with Japanese government ministers and administration officials, the leadership of the workers' unions confederation as well as, with the high executives of certain of the largest companies in the country.

On Monday, the Greek European Commissioner responsible for employment and social affairs issues will deliver the opening speech in the 8th Euro-Japanese Symposium on the new employment strategies in the European Union and Japan.

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