Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 00-04-20

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

CONTENTS

[01] HALKIDIKIS TOURISM EXPECTED TO INCREASE THIS YEAR

[02] THE GREEKS ARE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE EU

[03] SAMARANCH WARNED GREECE OVER THE OLYMPIC GAMES

[04] SATISFACTION OVER THE RESULTS OF THE GREEK-TURKISH TALKS

[05] PAPANDREOU-CEM-ALBRIGHT MEETING IN NEW YORK IN MAY

[06] THE ISSUES OF THE GREEK-TURKISH CONFERENCE OF JOURNALISTS IN ISTANBUL

[07] NEW JERSEY DELEGATION OFFICE IN THESSALONIKI

[08] GAINS OF 1.32% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

[09] G/T CROSS BORDER COOPERATION FURTHER PROMOTED

[10] BONE MARROW DONOR FOUND IN GREECE FOR T/C BOY

[11] GREEK INSCRIPTIONS IN WEST FYROM DATED BACK TO THE 6TH CENTURY AD

[12] NATIONAL BANK OF GREECE AND ALPHA CREDIT BANK BRANCHES IN ALBANIA

[13] SERB OPPOSITION TO MEET IN ATHENS

[01] HALKIDIKIS TOURISM EXPECTED TO INCREASE THIS YEAR

Tourism to Northern Greece's holiday resorts in the Halkidiki peninsula is expected to increase by five-to-seven percent this summer, according to the Chairman of the Halkidiki Hoteliers Association.

In an interview with the Macedonian Press Agency Michalis Athanasopoulos, this year's extended summer holiday season has already born results, such as the first arrival of 450 German tourists, while, he added, that bookings so far are promising a good season.

According to the Association's chairman, the majority of tourists opt for Sithonia while the region of Cassandra is doomed to remain downgraded for another year, unless the matter concerning the "Porto Karras" hotel is soon resolved.

As for the peninsula's third leg, the monastic, all-male community of Mt. Athos, he stated that it is especially attractive for male tourists, both from a historic and a religious aspect.

A greater number of tourists is also expected in the Pieria prefecture where, according to the Chairman of the Pieria Tourist Agents Association Savvas Sidiropoulos, about 450,000 are expected between June and August, thereby making up last year's losses stemming from the Kosovo conflict.

According to Mr. Sidiropoulos, those opting for Pieria travel by car from Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, while abut five percent are from Romania and the former Soviet Union.

A.F.

[02] THE GREEKS ARE OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE EU

The Greeks are the most satisfied and optimistic over their economic and family situation compared to all the rest EU people, according to an opinion poll conducted by the Euro-Barometer in the EU member-states.

Based on the opinion poll, part of which was reported by the BBC radio service, 10% of the Greeks are very satisfied and 63% rather satisfied with their lives. A 44% of the Greeks believes that the year 2000 will be better than the last year, while 77% stated that they are very proud to be Greek and 20% rather proud, a percentage much higher than in other EU states.

The Greeks also state very satisfied with the way democracy functions, while in other EU states the percentage is very low. Specifically, 11% of the Greeks state very satisfied and 42% rather satisfied. More satisfied than the Greeks are only the British, the people of Luxembourg and the Irish.

Only 15% of the Greeks read newspapers and 71% prefer the television when they want to be informed. The overwhelming majority believes that the country has benefited by the EU and is in favor of the single currency.

On Turkey's accession into the European Union more negative than the Greeks are the Germans and the people of Luxembourg.

[03] SAMARANCH WARNED GREECE OVER THE OLYMPIC GAMES

International Olympic Committee, IOC, president Juan Antonio Samaranch issued a strong warning to Greece from Lauzanne calling for drastic organization improvements in view of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens underlining that otherwise the games could be at risk.

Specifically, he stated that there are three stages of progress in the projects under construction characterized by three different colors namely, "green" when all things go well, "yellow" when there are many problems and "red" when the host country is at risk of losing the games. He added that Greece is at the end of the "yellow" stage and predicted that it will enter the "red" stage if the necessary procedures do not speed-up by December.

The organizers do not understand what the games mean, stated characteristically Mr. Samaranch and spoke of problems in hotel accommodations, traffic, security, communications and infrastructure projects.

From his side, IOC vice-president Nick Paund stated that there must be a great crisis for the games to be taken away from Greece.

Responding the Greek ministry of culture pointed out that the remarks have been taken under consideration and all national forces must mobilize for the successful organizing of the Olympic Games. Minister of culture Theodoros Pangalos tomorrow will have a meeting with minister of environment, land planning and public works Kostas Laliotis while on Tuesday he will meet with International Olympic Committee officials.

[04] SATISFACTION OVER THE RESULTS OF THE GREEK-TURKISH TALKS

The third round of the Greek-Turkish talks on the European principles will be held in Ankara on May 17 and 18.

According to information, both the Greek and the Turkish sides are satisfied with the results of the second round of talks that took place in Athens.

The new round of talks in Ankara will concern the drawing up of a budget in relation with the community resources, the management of community resources on agriculture, customs cooperation, the transfer of experience aimed at meeting the EMU criteria, state commissions and the free movement of capital.

[05] PAPANDREOU-CEM-ALBRIGHT MEETING IN NEW YORK IN MAY

A tripartite meeting of Papandreou-Albright-Cem will be held in New York on May 2 and in that meeting the Greek foreign minister intends to raise among others and the issue of Cyprus.

Greek and Turkish foreign ministers Giorgos Papandreou and Ismail Cem will be in New York at the invitation of the US East and West Institute to be honored for their contribution to peace and security in south-eastern Europe.

Mr. Papandreou and Mr. Cem will also attend a closed meeting with US secretary of state Madeleine Albright, the foreign ministers of Balkan states, head of the EU foreign and defense policy Javier Solana and UN secretary-general Kofi Annan to discuss the developments in the Balkans.

[06] THE ISSUES OF THE GREEK-TURKISH CONFERENCE OF JOURNALISTS IN ISTANBUL

The axes of the 2nd Conference of Greek and Turkish Journalists and mass media executives will be issues of foreign policy that are characterized as national issues and the measures that can be taken by the mass media aimed at the promotion and improvement of relations between the two peoples.

The conference will be held in Istanbul in late September and early October organized by the Turkish branch of the Lasting Contact and Cooperation Group.

[07] NEW JERSEY DELEGATION OFFICE IN THESSALONIKI

A delegation office that most likely will be based in Thessaloniki will be opened by the US state of New Jersey. The office is possible to open at the Commerce and Industry Chamber of Thessaloniki after a proposal made by its president Dimitris Bakatselos.

The intention of the US state to open such an office was announced within the framework of a visit by a New Jersey business delegation headed by Trade and Economic Development of New Jersey Committee vice-president Gerald Jansen.

[08] GAINS OF 1.32% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

The Athens Stock Exchange had gains of 1.32% today as it continued to be favorably affected by the interest rate cuts, while the purchase interest in all sectors resulted to the rise of the general index to 4.314,11 points. The volume of transactions was at 133.7 billion drachmas.

According to stock market circles, the fact that the general index did not react with a violent plunge after yesterday's sudden rise but instead it increased its gains should be regarded as a pleasant surprise.

[09] G/T CROSS BORDER COOPERATION FURTHER PROMOTED

The mayors of fourteen municipalities from Thrace met in Tekirdag yesterday in order to map out the details of the "Euroregion" plan that calls for cross-border cooperation between the local authorities and private firms from the prefectures of Evros (Greece) a Erdine (Turkey).

The mayor of Tekirdag Osman Tabak noted that the establishment of a "Euroregion" in the area is very significant for Turkey, a country on the path of inclusion to the European Union, and added that a prior similar effort was planned in 1980, but was shelved due to the then-existing tension between the two neighbors.

"The earthquakes brought the two administrations close once again. We will contribute to the rapprochement, this collaboration," je stated.

Twenty-three mayors from Greece and Turkey met on April 15

and discussed the formation of a Euroregion area on both sides of the Evros River, or Meric, in Turkish.

A.F.

[10] BONE MARROW DONOR FOUND IN GREECE FOR T/C BOY

A potentially suitable bone marrow donor has been located in Greece for ten-year old Turk-Cypriot Kemal Sarajoglu, according to the Cyprus News Agency.

The sample has been forwarded to the Anthony Nolan Bone Marrow Trust in London where the potential donor will be asked to provide further blood samples in order to confirm the match.

The Greek donor is registered with the Bone Marrow Volunteer Donors Trust in Athens.

A.F.

[11] GREEK INSCRIPTIONS IN WEST FYROM DATED BACK TO THE 6TH CENTURY AD

Greek and Latin inscriptions that were discovered in west FYROM and are dated back to the 6th century AD are recorded in the scientific work under the title "Inscriptiones Macedoniae Septentrionalis" that was presented in Belgrade.

The book was published as part of the 10th volume of the series "Inscriptiones Graecae" that are being published for the past 120 years by the Academy of Berlin.

[12] NATIONAL BANK OF GREECE AND ALPHA CREDIT BANK BRANCHES IN ALBANIA

Branches of Greek banks are about to open soon in Girokastra, Albania.

According to the Albanian newspaper "Gazeta Skiptare", socialist parliament deputy Vaggel Tavo announced that branches of the Greek Alpha Credit Bank and the National Bank of Greece will open soon in the city of Girokastra.

[13] SERB OPPOSITION TO MEET IN ATHENS

Representatives of the Serb opposition parties and their youth chapters, the Serb orthodox church and non-governmental organizations are to meet in Athens tomorrow, in an attempt to coordinate their efforts in promoting democratic ideals at their country.

The meeting is taking place under the initiative of Alexander Karagorgevic, a member of the former royal family of Serbia.

The leader of the Democratic Party of Serbia and member of the coalition "Alliance for Change" Voislav Kustunica stated that he will not attend the meeting, which he characterized as unnecessary since the items to be discussed are topics already and commonly discussed by the opposition leaders in Belgrade.

A.F.

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