Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 00-05-06

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

CONTENTS

[01] THE "DYNAMIC MIX" EXERCISE WILL BE HELD WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF 12

[02] EVENTS IN THESSALONIKI IN MEMORY OF THE HOLOCAUST VICTIMS

[03] PRESIDENT STEPHANOPOULOS IS ON A THREE-DAY TOUR OF THRACE

[04] CHARGES WERE BROUGHT AGAINST THE GREEK POLICE CHIEF

[05] A KLEEMANN HELLAS DELEGATION WILL VISIT TURKEY

[06] THE 7TH THESSALONIKI FORUM OPENS ON MONDAY

[07] PAPANTONIOU WILL ATTEND THE ECOFIN MEETING ON MONDAY

[08] AGREEMENT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF PROJECTS AT THE GREEK-FYROM BORDERS

[01] THE "DYNAMIC MIX" EXERCISE WILL BE HELD WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF 12 NATO MEMBER STATES

Ankara will take part in the NATO exercise "Dynamic Mix" at the coasts of Kiparisia in Greece on May 18-June 10 with soldiers, fighter jets and warships under Greek command.

During the exercise, the Turkish fighter jets will take off from Turkish airports as well but always under Greek operational command.

In the exercise will take part 15.000 NATO soldiers from 12 allied countries backed by 65 warships and 293 fighter jets. The countries participating in the exercise are Belgium, Germany, France, Denmark, Greece, United States, Britain, Italy, Spain, Hungary, Portugal and Turkey.

[02] EVENTS IN THESSALONIKI IN MEMORY OF THE HOLOCAUST VICTIMS

The Jewish community in Thessaloniki will honor the city's 50.000 Jews and the 6 million Jews from different parts of Europe who were the victims of the Nazis in a memorial service tomorrow.

This year is the 57th anniversary of the extermination of 96% of the Jewish population in Thessaloniki by the Nazis during WWII. The Jewish community in Thessaloniki will honor their memory with a memorial service and a wreath laying ceremony at the Holocaust Monument.

The Jewish community in Thessaloniki, in a statement it has issued on the occasion of the Holocaust memorial day, mentions among others that today the nightmare of Nazism appears to be revived and expresses the hope that there will be no more racial hate victims and love and brotherhood will reign forever in the hearts of the people.

[03] PRESIDENT STEPHANOPOULOS IS ON A THREE-DAY TOUR OF THRACE

President Kostis Stephanopoulos is on a three-day tour of Thrace in north-eastern Greece and in statements he made upon his arrival at the airport of Chrisoupolis yesterday he stressed that Thrace is a model of peaceful co-habitation of two different religious cultures.

Mr. Stephanopoulos stated that the co-habitation of Christians and Muslims, which is totally harmonious, is a model of co-habitation of people with different religions.

In statements he made in the city of Xanthi, Mr. Stephanopoulos referred to the obligations Turkey has undertaken after the EU Helsinki Summit meeting and said that if it wants to become part of Europe it must meet the obligations it has undertaken toward the European Union.

[04] CHARGES WERE BROUGHT AGAINST THE GREEK POLICE CHIEF

The Athens prosecutor brought charges against Greek Police Chief Ioannis Georgakopoulos, who remained in the police leadership after yesterday's evaluations within the force.

Ioannis Georgakopoulos and former director of state security Giorgos Yiannes have been accused of being accessory before the fact in violation of duty, while charges were also brought against businessman Athanasios Papailiou.

The case concerns the issuing of illegal residence permits in Greece to the family of an Albanian Mafia member.

[05] A KLEEMANN HELLAS DELEGATION WILL VISIT TURKEY

A Kleemann Hellas delegation will visit Turkey in early June to assess the progress made in the opening of a company in Istanbul that will initially undertake trade activities and then it will proceed with the production of hydraulic elevators, according to statements made to MPA by a company representative.

The 500 million drachmas investment will be made in cooperation with the Turkish Ametal company (an elevator manufacturer). The company that will be established will cover the needs of the local market which is expected to develop considerably.

The new company will be an exclusive representative of Kleemann Hellas in the local market and gradually it will expand to neighboring countries. Initially it will undertake the import and sale of Kleemann products with the prospect to control 15-20% of the Turkish market estimated at 25-30 billion drachmas annually.

[06] THE 7TH THESSALONIKI FORUM OPENS ON MONDAY

The 7th Thessaloniki Forum opens on Monday with the participation of nine Balkan government ministers and Stability Pact Coordinator Bodo Hobach.

It is organized by the Association of Industries in Northern Greece and the Hellenic-American Chamber of Commerce in cooperation with the Organization for the Reconstruction of the Balkans based in Thessaloniki.

The two-day forum is possible to be attended by minister of national economy Yiannos Papantoniou, foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou and US ambassador Nicholas Burns.

Also, it will be attended by FYROM government vice-president Vasil Topurkowski and 200 delegates among them, four undersecretaries and tens of businessmen and representatives of international organizations such as, the World Bank, the European Bank of Investments and the SECI initiative.

[07] PAPANTONIOU WILL ATTEND THE ECOFIN MEETING ON MONDAY

Minister of national economy Yiannos Papantoniou will face the recommendations that will be made by the European Commission in the ECOFIN meeting that will be held on Monday. One of the recommendations will concern the implementation of a sensible fiscal policy.

It should be reminded that the responsible European Commissioner Pedro Soibles stated to the Greek magazine "Economikos Tachidromos" that there is a risk for a new rise of inflation and suggested a sensible fiscal policy and small wage increases.

According to information, inflation in Greece is expected to be down by 0.3% in April compared to March when the inflation rate was 3.1%.

[08] AGREEMENT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF PROJECTS AT THE GREEK-FYROM BORDERS

FYROM vice-president Vasil Topurkowski and head of the European Commission delegation in the country Jose Mauel el Pinto Teseira will sign an agreement for the construction of small projects within the framework of the program for the inter-border cooperation between Greece and FYROM.

The main target of this program is to back inter-border cooperation through local businesses in the border regions.

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