Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 00-03-27

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

CONTENTS

[01] PM, MAIN OPPOSITION LEADER TO HOLD DEBATE

[02] BRITISH MPS VISIT ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE OF VERGINA

[03] THIRTY-FOUR PARTIES TO VIE FOR A SHOT AT LEADERSHIP

[04] GREECE ISSUES DEMARCHE OVER TURKISH BLACKLIST

[05] PREMIER: THE PEOPLE WILL TRUST PASOK

[06] GREEK FM MEETS WITH CYPRIOT PARTY LEADER

[07] EUROPEAN CENTER OF COMMUNICATION, INFO, CULTURE

[08] PM ADDRESSES CAMPAIGN RALLY IN CENTRAL GREECE

[09] ANKARA: THERE IS A LIST, BUT ARCHBISHOPS WELCOME

[10] OPEC AWAITED TO DECIDE ON OIL OUTPUT INCREASE

[11] PUTIN EMERGES VICTORIOUS IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

[01] PM, MAIN OPPOSITION LEADER TO HOLD DEBATE

Prime Minister and ruling PASOK party President Costas Simitis

is to appear with the leader of the main opposition party of New Democracy Costas Karamanlis, in a nationally-televised debate on Thursday.

In pre-election campaigns held yesterday, both the Premier and Mr. Karamanlis focused on the issues plaguing the country's farmers.

Continuing his campaign rally, Mr. Simitis is to visit the Institute of the Academy of Athens today, while Mr. Karamanlis will address a rally in Trikala.

The Secretary General of the Communist Party of Greece Aleka Paparega is to give a press conference on the European Union's Lisbon-held Summit, while the President of the Coalition of the Left and Progress Nikos Constantopoulos is to visit the Central Union of Municipalities and Communities of Greece.

A.F.

[02] BRITISH MPS VISIT ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE OF VERGINA

A delegation of eight British parliamentarians who are members of the committee responsible for issues of cultural heritage, mass media and sports visited the royal tombs and the archeological sites of Vergina today, accompanied by the British Ambassador and the director of the British School of Athens,

The committee's meeting is expected to earmark the launching of official talks concerning the Parthenon Marbles.

This afternoon, the British delegates are to meet with the curator of Thessaloniki's Archeological Museum and in turn will depart for Athens where they will meet with the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Culture, George Papandreou and Elisabeth Papazoi respectively.

A.F.

[03] THIRTY-FOUR PARTIES TO VIE FOR A SHOT AT LEADERSHIP

Thirty-four parties are to vie for a shot at the country's leadership during April 9's parliamentary elections, according to official registration forms.

Aside from the five parties represented in the recent Parliament (ruling PASOK party, New Democracy, Communist Party of Greece, Coalition of the Left and Progress and the Democratic and Social Movement, ) parties appearing on the ballot will include:

The Hellenic European Party, the Alternative Ecologists, the Greek Laborers Party, the Communist Party of GreEce (Marxist-Leninist), etc.

A.F.

[04] GREECE ISSUES DEMARCHE OVER TURKISH BLACKLIST

The Greek Embassy in Ankara has issued a demarche to the Turkish authorities, requesting the confirmation of a Turkish newspaper report which claims that Ankara has placed Archbishop Christodoulos and eight other Greek public figures on a "blacklist", barring their entry into the country.

However, BBC has reported that Istanbul airport authorities are not aware of such a list.

The "Sabah" newspaper claimed the nine Greek nationals were among 56 Europeans also barred from entering Turkey.

A.F.

[05] PREMIER: THE PEOPLE WILL TRUST PASOK

Prime Minister and ruling PASOK party President Costas Simitis expressed his confidence that the Greek people will once again bestow their trust on PASOK, in an interview with the Athens daily "Eleftheros Typos".

According to Mr. Simitis the elections of April 9 are to be judged by essentially whom the Greek people are going to trust in fulfilling the immense efforts of the recent years.

When asked if he is concerned over the course of the Athens Stock Exchange, Mr. Simitis responded that the investors need to acquire a certain behavior that is not marked by nervousness or panic.

"Afterall," Mr. Simitis said, "stability and the economy's positive course is the supporting basis of the ASE. And stability is secured. The Greek bourse has had a stable course of growth since 1994."

Regarding social security, Mr. Simitis stated that the sector is in need of reform, while he stressed that "the Greek society possesses the maturity and the inclination to discover a solution to the insurance sector", adding that he is certain that a fair and sound solution will be discovered.

A.F.

[06] GREEK FM MEETS WITH CYPRIOT PARTY LEADER

Greece's Foreign Minister George Papandreou met with the leader of the Cypriot political party AKEL Dimitris Christofias today, with whom he discussed the latest developments on the Cyprus issue, in light of the imminent third round of talks.

Messrs. Papandreou and Christofias focused on the opportunities arising for rapprochement between the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish Cypriots, the development of which would contribute to the resolution of the Cyprus issue.

Mr. Christofias briefed Mr. Papandreou on his recent -the first ever by a Greek Cypriot leader- visit to the occupied Carpacia where 300 Greek Cypriots live.

Moreover, the Cypriot official stated that every opportunity must be utilized to promote dialogue between the two sides, while he also added that the West and the United Nations should exert pressure on Ankara and the Turkish-Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash.

Lastly, Mr. Christofias stated that he is in favor of confidence-building -measures.

A.F.

[07] EUROPEAN CENTER OF COMMUNICATION, INFO, CULTURE

The European Center of Communication, Information and Culture is to be presented today to the local business and social sectors, as well as the media, by the Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Yiannis Magriotis this afternoon.

The Center was founded on the initiative of the Ministries of Macedonia-Thrace and Foreign Affairs and the European Commission, aiming at the facilitation of public information concerning the European Union.

A.F.

[08] PM ADDRESSES CAMPAIGN RALLY IN CENTRAL GREECE

Addressing a pre-election campaign rally in the city of Larisa last night, Prime Minister and ruling PASOK party President Costas Simitis stressed the vital role of development in facing the challenges of global competition.

Mr. Simitis pointed out that this very issue was discussed at the Lisbon-held European Union Summit where the EU allies established the coming years' rate of development at three percent.

"We in Greece already have a growth rate of 3.5 percent," Mr. Simitis stated, adding that this rate is expected to increase to four percent in the following years.

Moreover, the Premier said that the country is presently at the EU's leading edge regarding growth rates, "a result of our own policy, our economic policy, which was enforced with the assistance and sacrifices of the people."

Referring to the country's national policies, Mr. Simitis stated that the message of peace is a constant in Greece's international relations.

A.F.

[09] ANKARA: THERE IS A LIST, BUT ARCHBISHOPS WELCOME

Turkey' s Foreign Ministry has removed the name of Archbishop of Athens and All of Greece Christodoulos from a "blacklist" of individuals who are barred from entering the country, according to a report published today in the "Sabah" daily.

According to the article, a high-ranking official of the Turkish foreign ministry stated that the ministry of the interior does at times set entry limitations, although he is said to have added that the specific list, compiled in 1998, was reviewed in 1999 which is when the Archbishop's name was removed.

Moreover, the article reported that Mr. Christodoulos was barred from entering Turkey, not because of providing aid to the PKK (which is why the eight Greek deputies are on the blacklist), but because he deviated from Greece's official policy when he spoke of the "Great Idea".

Nevertheless, the paper pointed out that following the input of the Greek government, the Archbishop shifted his position and, as a matter of fact, was the one who amassed the largest amount of aid for Turkey's earthquake victims.

A.F.

[10] OPEC AWAITED TO DECIDE ON OIL OUTPUT INCREASE

OPEC is awaited to decide today on the need to boost output to rein in world-wide galloping petroleum prices.

A preliminary consensus reached in Vienna yesterday calls for an increase of one to one-and-a-half million barrels of crude per day, as of next month.

Iraq has also decided to gradually increase production and exports by 700,000 barrels per day.

A.F.

[11] PUTIN EMERGES VICTORIOUS IN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

Russia's Acting President Vladimir Putin has emerged as the leader in the country's presidential elections held yesterday, where, with 94.08 of the votes counted, he amassed 52.41 percent of the ballots, as opposed to 29.45% of the votes cast in favor of the Communist party leader Gennady Zyuganov.

Elected as the second post-Soviet president, Mr. Putin had had a big lead in opinion polls for months. Having amassed more than the 50 percent needed to secure a knockout first-round victory, Mr. Putin will not be forced to a runoff with the Communist leader, albeit the latter accused the government of rigging the elections, claiming that his percentage should stand at about 40 percent.

Voter turnout amounted to 68.7% of the electorate.

A.F.

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