Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 00-03-26

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

CONTENTS

[01] TURKISH UNIVERSITY TO ASSIST ILL GREEK-CYPRIOT

[02] PARTIES PRESS ON WITH PRE-ELECTION CAMPAIGNS

[03] MOODYS UPGRADES GREEK DEBT, DEPOSIT CEILINGS

[04] ATHENS WANTS ANKARA TO EXPLAIN ITSELF

[05] PRESIDENT INAUGURATES PREHISTORY MUSEUM

[06] EUROPE SWITCHES TO SUMMER TIME TODAY

[07] BODIES OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FLOATING AT SHORE

[08] CONFERENCE ON NATO BOMBING OF BELGRADE ENDS

[09] PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN RUSSIA, PUTIN FAVORITE

[10] SEARCH CALLED OFF FOR SURVIVORS OF SUNKEN SHIP

[01] TURKISH UNIVERSITY TO ASSIST ILL GREEK-CYPRIOT

Istanbul University is to assist in the efforts to save a young Greek-Cypriot boy suffering from leukemia, in a gesture of cooperation, according to Turkish daily "Milliyet".

According to the Turkish paper, Greece's Foreign Minister George Papandreou telephoned Sarik Tara, co-chairman of the Turkish-Greek Business Council, on Friday and asked for assistance in a campaign to find suitable bone marrow for six-year-old Andreas Vasiliou.

"Milliyet" has reported Istanbul University has agreed to check 150,000 blood samples.

Doctors have said that Andreas will die within three months if a marrow transplant is not carried out.

Turkish-Cypriots have also launched a campaign to help the boy. They are to start donating blood this evening in the United Nations building at the island's demarcation line.

A.F.

[02] PARTIES PRESS ON WITH PRE-ELECTION CAMPAIGNS

With two weeks to go until the parliamentary ballot of April 9, Greece's political parties are pressing on at full steam with their pre-election campaigns.

Prime Minister and ruling PASOK party President Costas Simitis is to address a rally at the city of Larisa in central Greece this evening, while the leader of the main opposition party of New Democracy Costas Karamanlis is to speak in Agrinio.

The Secretary General of the Communist Party of Greece Aleka Paparega is visiting Mantoudi, while the President of the Coalition of the Left and Progress Nikos Constantopoulos is in Kastoria and the leader of the Democratic and Social Movement Dimitris Tsovolas is in Alexandroupolis.

A.F.

[03] MOODYS UPGRADES GREEK DEBT, DEPOSIT CEILINGS

Reflecting the high likelihood of Greece`s entry into the European Monetary Union, Moody`s Investors Service has upgraded the country's short-term foreign currency country ceilings for debt and bank deposits to Prime-1 from Prime-2.

The European Council of Finance Ministers (ECOFIN) is likely in May 2000 to certify Greece`s eligibility to join the currency union, paving the way for the country to enter the euro area as of January 2001.

A.F.

[04] ATHENS WANTS ANKARA TO EXPLAIN ITSELF

Greece's Foreign Minister George Papandreou is to ask for explanations from his Turkish counterpart Ismael Cem in regards to a personae non grata list of leading Greeks published in the Turkish press.

The said report, published by the Turkish daily Sabah, lists various eminent Greeks who are forbidden to enter Turkey, among them the Archbishop of Athens and All of Greece Christodoulos.

If the report is confirmed, the Greek government intends to undertake every necessary action towards Turkey and the European Union.

Mr. Papandreou stated that such actions are the product of fanatic circles in Turkey which want to halt the Greek-Turkish rapprochement process.

The list reportedly includes 56 individuals from various European countries, among them Greece.

The spokesperson of the main opposition party, New Democracy's Aris Spiliotopoulos, has also called for the report's retraction.

According to the Turkish report, the Archbishop of Athens is included in the list because he is said to have referred to not liberated lands in one of his sermons.

However, Mr. Christodoulos stated that he has spoken of not forgotten and not not liberated lands.

If that's the reason why my entry to Turkey has been prohibited, then all Greeks should be prohibited from visiting Turkey, he stated.

A.F.

[05] PRESIDENT INAUGURATES PREHISTORY MUSEUM

The President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos inaugurated today the Santorini Museum of Prehistory, which features artifacts and ancient plant life found during excavations on the island.

The exhibit's finds, which date back to 4500 BC to 1700 BC, include the island's geologic history during that period, copper tools and weapons and writing tablets.

A.F.

[06] EUROPE SWITCHES TO SUMMER TIME TODAY

The European Union, including Greece, switched to summer time today, when clocks were set one hour ahead at 3 a.m., according to the Ministry of Transportation and Communications.

Summer time is to end on Sunday, October 29.

A.F.

[07] BODIES OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS FLOATING AT SHORE

The bodies of eight illegal immigrants, among them two babies, were found floating on the seashore of the island of Kos yesterday, where they were retrieved by Coast Guard authorities.

The victims are believed to be Iraqi illegal immigrants who had attempted to sail into Greece from Turkey. Local authorities suspect smuggling rings that operate in Turkey.

A.F.

[08] CONFERENCE ON NATO BOMBING OF BELGRADE ENDS

A three-day, international conference entitled "The consequences of NATO's bombing against Yugoslavia" is concluding in Belgrade today, featuring the participation of experts from 40 countries, including officials from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Yugoslavia's Foreign Minister Zivadin Jovanovic stated that the 78-day raids resulted in the deaths of 2,000 civilians and the wounding of 6,000 others.

According to the Yugoslav Minister, NATO activated more than 2,900 bombs and one thousand missiles, destroying 250 schools and universities, 20 hospitals, 60 bridges, 300 factories, eight media buildings and a score of churches and monasteries.

Concerning the peace restoration process in Kosovo, Mr. Jovanovic stated that the presence of KFOR in the region failed to achieve a reduction in the existing tension.

A.F.

[09] PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN RUSSIA, PUTIN FAVORITE

Presidential elections are being held in Russia today, where citizens are to choose their second post-Soviet president, widely expected to be Acting President Vladimir Putin who has had a big lead in opinion polls for months.

According to AFP, 45.5 percent of the electorate had voted by 6:00 p.m.

Mr. Putin is confident that he will amass the 50 percent needed to secure a knockout first-round victory or be forced to a runoff.

Communist leader Gennady Zyuganov is running a distant second, while Liberal Grigory Yavlinsky, is third so far.

First preliminary results are expected shortly after all voting has finished.

A.F.

[10] SEARCH CALLED OFF FOR SURVIVORS OF SUNKEN SHIP

Canadian and American rescuers called off their search late Friday for more survivors of a Greek freighter that sank the previous night, drowning at least six of the 31 crew members on board.

Thirteen people were rescued from the Greek-owned cargo ship "Leader L" which sailed under a Panamanian flag.

The ship began sinking on Thursday while sailing 360 miles north-east of the Bermudas.

A.F.

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