Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 00-03-10

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

CONTENTS

[01] THE WEEK CLOSED WITH LOSSES OF 0.04% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

[02] PAPANTONIOU ORDERED AN EXTENSIVE INQUIRY IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

[03] GREENPEACE PROTEST OUTSIDE THE AGRICULTURE MINISTRY BUILDING

[04] SIMITIS IS MOST FIT FOR THE POST OF THE PRIME MINISTER

[05] KOSTIS STEPHANOPOULOS IS SWORN-IN TO THE PRESIDENCY TOMORROW

[06] A FILM DOCUMENTARY PRESENTS TROY OUTSIDE THE ANCIENT GREEK CIVILIZATION

[07] EARTHQUAKE OF UP TO 7.4 ON THE RICHTER SCALE IS EXPECTED TO HIT

[08] PICKERING: NO MORE WARS IN THE BALKANS

[01] THE WEEK CLOSED WITH LOSSES OF 0.04% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

The week closed for the Athens Stock Exchange with marginal losses of 0.04% today, while the general index was at 4.863,55 points, under the weight of the especially negative psychology existing in most investors.

Most of the secondary indexes followed a downward course with the exception of the banks and the construction and insurance companies recording gains of 0.04%, 1.01% and 2.25% respectively.

The causes for the losses recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange yesterday during the speech of prime minister Kostas Simitis on Greece's EMU application led minister of national economy Yannos Papantoniou to order an investigation and its conclusions will be made public sometime next week.

[02] PAPANTONIOU ORDERED AN EXTENSIVE INQUIRY IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

National economy minister Yiannos Papantoniou ordered an extensive inquiry on the way stock prices are being formed in the Athens Stock Exchange after the climate that was created in yesterday's session when the stock prices dropped dramatically during the speech of the prime minister in Zappion building in Athens where he presented Greece's application to join the EMU.

The minister of national economy stressed that the capital market committee will launch an in depth investigation to determine if there are stock manipulation phenomena. The conclusions that will be reached will be evaluated by the responsible authorities and if there is evidence the necessary actions will be taken.

Mr. Papantoniou stated that the interpretations on what happened must move outside the area of the economy and the exact direction of the investigation is an issue that will come out from the investigation itself. He reiterated that the interpretations must be outside the area of the economy because no economic development yesterday, neither inside Greece nor outside, can explain what happened.

[03] GREENPEACE PROTEST OUTSIDE THE AGRICULTURE MINISTRY BUILDING

Members of the environmental organization Greenpeace dumped a ton of cotton outside the ministry of agriculture building in Athens this morning in protest for the illegal imports and cultivation of genetically produced cotton seeds.

The members of the ecological organization made the protest in an effort to inform the people on the health risks posed by the genetically altered food products.

[04] SIMITIS IS MOST FIT FOR THE POST OF THE PRIME MINISTER

An opinion poll conducted by the polling company "V.PRC" and published on the Athens newspaper "TA NEA", shows that 48.3% of those questioned believe that prime minister and governing socialist party of PASOK leader Kostas Simitis is more suitable for the post of the prime minister compared to 29.5% in favor of right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis.

Regarding the popularity of the political party leaders Kostas Simitis is ahead with 60.2%, followed by Coalition of the Left leader Nikos Konstantopoulos with 51.8%, the leaders of New Democracy and Democratic Social Movement Kostas Karamanlis and Dimitris Tsovolas with 46.6%, the Liberals' leader Stephanos Manos 28.3%, Political Spring leader Antonis Samaras 18.5% and Greek Communist Party general secretary Aleka Papariga 18.3%.

[05] KOSTIS STEPHANOPOULOS IS SWORN-IN TO THE PRESIDENCY TOMORROW

Kostis Stephanopoulos will be sworn-in to the Greek presidency in a special ceremony that will be held in parliament tomorrow.

The presidential decree declaring the dissolution of the parliament and the holding of elections on April 9 is expected to be issued on Tuesday.

[06] A FILM DOCUMENTARY PRESENTS TROY OUTSIDE THE ANCIENT GREEK CIVILIZATION

A film documentary that will present Troy and its history as being outside the ancient Greek civilization is being financed by the Turkish culture ministry, according to the Turkish newspaper "Radikal".

The newspaper mentions that efforts are being made for the documentary under the title "Wilusa" to be ready in time for the Troy exhibition that will be held in Germany in 2001.

According to "Radikal", the documentary will be based on the excavations that were made in Troy in 1988-1998 and will present the positions of Tubigen University professor Manfred Korfmann, who made the excavations. Prof. Korfmann maintains that Troy did not belong to the ancient Greek civilization and has an Asia Minor character both from a political and a cultural point of view.

[07] EARTHQUAKE OF UP TO 7.4 ON THE RICHTER SCALE IS EXPECTED TO HIT ISTANBUL IN 30 YEARS

A 105 kilometers-long fault, 10 kilometers away from the southern regions of Istanbul, has been located at the bottom of the Sea of Marmara.

The Turkish newspaper "Radikal" writes that the evidence come from the scientific research boat "Sismik-1". According to scientists, the fault will become active in 30 years and will cause an earthquake measuring 7.4 on the Richter scale.

[08] PICKERING: NO MORE WARS IN THE BALKANS

US assistant secretary of state Thomas Pickering in his article published on the French newspaper "Le Figaro" points out that the United States have pledged to act in south-eastern Europe in the same way they acted in western Europe after WWII and in central Europe after the Cold War era.

He said that there is mobility in the reconstruction of the multi-national republics, the protection of human rights and the opening of the borders to trade and investment, adding that the goal will be achieved through the development of bilateral relations with each of the countries in the region and through the development of relations within the framework of NATO, the EU and OSCE. He also stated that the stability pact for south-eastern Europe is an important means to achieve this goal.

Also, the US official pointed out that Greek foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou in a speech in the London School of Economics last January had stated that a true society of citizens characterized by tolerance and openness must be promoted in south-eastern Europe and for this to happen all the countries must work together instead of cursing their neighbors.

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