Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 00-05-30

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

CONTENTS

[01] GREEK PRESIDENT ON OFFICIAL VISIT TO CANADA

[02] ONLY TRAINED STAFF IN PUBLIC SECTOR FROM NOW ON

[03] WATER MELONS ARE USED TO HIDE CONTRABAND CIGARETTES

[04] THE CHINESE ARE EXCITED WITH THE OLIVE OIL FROM MESINIA

[05] GREEKS AND TURKS HAVE NOTHING TO DIVIDE BETWEEN THEM

[06] GREEKS DO NOT TAKE THE RISKS OF SUN EXPOSURE SERIOUSLY

[07] THESSALONIKI COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY CHAMBER DELEGATION WILL VISIT BURSA

[08] INTER-BALKAN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION CENTER IN THESSALONIKI

[09] MEETING OF THE PRIME MINISTERS OF GREECE AND BELGIUM

[10] SIMITIS: WE ARE BOTH GREEKS AND EUROPEANS

[11] LOSSES OF 0.52% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

[12] VARDINOYIANNIS LEFT THE ATHENS TEAM OF PANATHINAIKOS

[13] CANADIAN PM, GREEK PRESIDENT DISCUSS CYPRUS

[14] ΕΤΟΙΜΑ ΤΑ ΣΧΕΔΙΑ ΓΙΑ ΤΟΝ ΡΩΣΙΚΟ ΠΡΟΫΠΟΛΟΓΙΣΜΟ ΤΟΥ 2001

[15] EU IS SIMPLIFYING DIVORCE PROCEEDINGS

[01] GREEK PRESIDENT ON OFFICIAL VISIT TO CANADA

The President of the Hellenic Republic Costis Stephanopoulos is presently on an official visit to Canada, at the invitation of the country's General Governor Adrien Clarkson.

During his meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Jean Cretienne, President Stephanopoulos expressed his concern over the possible establishment of a nuclear plant in Akuyu, Turkey, through the aid of Canadian technology.

Messrs. Stephanopoulos and Cretienne discussed bilateral relations and the prospect of their development in the political, economic and cultural sectors.

The Canadian Premier referred to Greek-Turkish relations and expressed his satisfaction over the steps taken by both coutrnies' foreign ministers.

Moreover, the secretary of Canada's Committee for the Return of the Parthenon Sculptures, Steven Aston, presented the Greek President with a declaration that read "we must tell Britain that it is time to return the sculptures to the place where they belong, Greece."

The President, who is accompanied by a 30-member delegation of Greek businessmen, laid a wreath at Ottawa's Monument of the Unknown Soldier yesterday.

A.F.

[02] ONLY TRAINED STAFF IN PUBLIC SECTOR FROM NOW ON

In an effort to purge the country's ailing public sector, whose present labor force is mostly composed of elementary or high school graduates, the Ministry of the Interior has announced that only trained public servants will be hired from now, with preference granted to those holding a university or technical college degree.

As Interior Minister Vaso Papandreou indicated, out of Greece's 410,000 public servants -excluding teaching staff, the judicial body, state-employed doctors and security personnel -, 49 percent have only finished high school and 24 percent only made it to elementary. A mere 12 percent holds a technical college diploma, while only 15 percent have a university degree.

A.F.

[03] WATER MELONS ARE USED TO HIDE CONTRABAND CIGARETTES

Water melons and other fruit and vegetables are being used as a front by the cigarette smuggling rings in order to make their profitable illegal exports from northern Greece to Britain where a pack of cigarettes cost three times more and therefore their profits are bigger.

According to a news report published on the Athens newspaper "Kathimerini", it is estimated that each time the profits from this illegal trade are about US$600.000 while just a few days ago police confiscated 180.000 contraband packs of cigarettes.

Based on information, British Intelligence Service agents are in Thessaloniki to cooperate with the Greek police in order to break up the smuggling ring.

[04] THE CHINESE ARE EXCITED WITH THE OLIVE OIL FROM MESINIA

If the olive oil from Kalamata is the best in Greece then it is the best in the world, stated the Chinese embassy trade adviser Ms. Sui Hui, who until now knew nothing about the quality of the Kalamata olive oil, but now she is ready to examine ways for the promotion of olive oil trade transactions between China and Greece.

The statements were made during her visit to the southern Greek city at the invitation of Chamber of Commerce president Giorgos Karabatos and director of the municipal music school Nikos Xanthoulis. Ms. Hui stated that there should be two types of olive oil, one just for cooking and another that could be used for cosmetic purposes, while she also suggested that the packaging should be made in China and the names that will be used should be ancient Greek.

[05] GREEKS AND TURKS HAVE NOTHING TO DIVIDE BETWEEN THEM

Mayor of the Turkish town of Urgup Mr. Bekir Odenis called on the leaderships of Greece and Turkey to follow the example of the people of the two countries who have proven that they can live in harmony and have nothing to divide between them. Mr. Odenis is on a visit to the central Greek city of Larisa accompanied by his adviser Alex Kurakhian.

Mr. Odenis met with his Greek counterpart in Larisa, Mr. Tzanakoulis, who stressed that the Greek-Turkish relations are at a very good course and the two peoples only want to live in peace.

[06] GREEKS DO NOT TAKE THE RISKS OF SUN EXPOSURE SERIOUSLY

The Greeks go on summer vacations without taking seriously the risk of sun exposure as only two out of five state that they use a sun-tanning lotion when they are exposed to the sun, while the rest of them state that they do not use anything for their protection from the sun rays.

This alarming conclusion was reached based on the results of an opinion poll conducted by the "Focus" polling company on a sample of 10.316 men and women aged between 13 and 70, who live in Athens, Thessaloniki and other towns. The results of the opinion poll were published by the Athens newspaper "Ethnos".

[07] THESSALONIKI COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY CHAMBER DELEGATION WILL VISIT BURSA AND ISTANBUL

A delegation of Thessaloniki's Commerce and Industry Chamber will leave for Turkey tomorrow to visit the Chamber of Bursa and have contacts with Turkish businessmen.

The Thessaloniki Commerce and Industry Chamber delegation will be made up of 23 businessmen who are scheduled to visit the OYAK-RENAULT car industry plant and the frozen and canned food industry plant of Penguen in Bursa as well as the Sonmez Holding textile plant and the Ozdilek Trade Center of towels and textiles.

The Greek delegation will leave for Istanbul on Saturday and it will visit the city's Chamber of Commerce. Their visit will be completed on Sunday with a visit to the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

[08] INTER-BALKAN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION CENTER IN THESSALONIKI

The establishment and operation of an Inter-Balkan Public Administration Center that will be based in Thessaloniki was promoted by the Associations of Public Employees Unions from 4 countries in the region that met in Thessaloniki at the initiative of Thessaloniki's Public Employees Unions.

The meeting was attended by the Bulgarian Confederation of Independent Unions (KNSB/CITUB), FYROM's Public Administration Employees Union (UPOZ) and the Albanian Independent Union Employees in the sector of health (ITUHEA) and it is placed within the framework of the "contemporary public management" program that is financed by the INTERREG II EU program.

The contemporary public management program aims at promoting the development of networks of cooperation along the borders and their placement within a wider EU network, the creation of a permanent structure of cooperation in the sector of public administration and the cooperation of the existing networks with international organizations.

[09] MEETING OF THE PRIME MINISTERS OF GREECE AND BELGIUM

Flexibility issues within the framework of the European Union were discussed this morning in the meeting of Greek prime minister Kostas Simitis with his visiting Belgian counterpart Guy Verhofstat.

Mr. Simitis said that they discussed issues concerning the two countries as well as institutional issues that arise from the role of Greece and Belgium in the European Union. Specifically, it was stressed that there is a need for closer cooperation between the countries within the framework of the European Union given the fact that when the EU will be enlarged further there must be new forms of flexible cooperation.

They also discussed the positions that will be adopted by the two countries in the next Summit meeting, ways for the EU adjustment to the new situation that will be the result of the enlargement and the efforts made to back economic cooperation in the Euro-zone. Mr. Simitis stated that the Euro-zone must secure progress and development.

The situation in the Balkans was discussed by the two prime ministers in the lunch given in honor of the Belgian leader.

[10] SIMITIS: WE ARE BOTH GREEKS AND EUROPEANS

Greek prime minister Kostas Simitis stated that we are both Greeks and Europeans and there is no dilemma on whether we are Greeks first and then Europeans, responding indirectly to a question raised by Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All of Greece on the issue that arose after the government decision not to list the bearer's religion on the identity cards.

The prime minister stated after the meeting he had in Athens today with his Belgian counterpart that Europe is the result of what we offer and therefore, Greece is European because Europe is Greek.

Responding to a question by a reporter, the Belgian prime minister pointed out that Greece is the cradle of civilization and Europeans and Greeks are the same thing.

[11] LOSSES OF 0.52% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

The Athens Stock Exchange recorded losses of 0.52% and the general index was at 4.570,19 points, while the volume of transactions was at 138 billion drachmas.

Of the stocks trading today 176 recorded gains and 159 had losses.

[12] VARDINOYIANNIS LEFT THE ATHENS TEAM OF PANATHINAIKOS

Giorgos Vardinoyiannis left the Athens football team of Panathinaikos after 21 years of active presence in its management.

In a press conference he gave yesterday he announced that he will no longer be the team's president after 7.608 days at the post.

During his term as the team's president, Panathinaikos won 6 championships and 9 Greek Cups. In the period 1984-85, the team was among the "4" of the European Championship Cup while in 1995-96 it was among the "4" top teams in the Champions League and was defeated by Ajax in the finals.

The team will not be sold and at its wheel will be a young member of the Vardinoyiannis family possibly, Pavlos Vardinoyiannis with his cousin Yiannis.

[13] CANADIAN PM, GREEK PRESIDENT DISCUSS CYPRUS

Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien and visiting President of the Hellenic Republic Costis Stephanopoulos discussed the continuing problems of Cyprus and hopes of re-uniting the island's Greek and Turkish communities.

When asked by reporters if Canada might have a role to play in the re-unification process, Mr. Chretien responded "if we are asked, we will be pleased to help."

As for suggestions that Canada's constitution might be used as a basis for drafting a new federal constitution for Cyprus, the Canadian Premier said that "this has to be resolved by the two communities there."

A.F.

[14] ΕΤΟΙΜΑ ΤΑ ΣΧΕΔΙΑ ΓΙΑ ΤΟΝ ΡΩΣΙΚΟ ΠΡΟΫΠΟΛΟΓΙΣΜΟ ΤΟΥ 2001

Το υπουργείο Οικονομικών της Ρωσίας υπέβαλε το σχέδιο προϋπολογισμού για το 2001 στην κυβέρνηση, προβλέποντας ότι ο ετήσιος πληθωρισμός θα φθάσει το 11% μετέδωσε το πρακτορείο ειδήσεων Ιντερφάξ.

Το υπουργείο Οικονομικών ετοίμασε δυο προτάσεις για τον προϋπολογισμό, που βασίζονται στα στοιχεία για τον πληθωρισμό και την ισοτιμία συναλλάγματος. Η μία πρόταση βασίζεται στο νέο πρόγραμμα φορολογικών μεταρρυθμίσεων που ενέκρινε η Δούμα και η άλλη στο παλιό σύστημα φορολόγησης.

Η κυβέρνηση θα εξετάσει τα σχέδια για τον προϋπολογισμό του 2001 την Πέμπτη.

O.K.

[15] EU IS SIMPLIFYING DIVORCE PROCEEDINGS

Splitting up will be legally simpler for couples living in the European Union as a result of a new regulation adopted by EU justice and foreign ministers yesterday.

Effective as of March 1, 2001, the regulation makes clear that a divorce settlement in one EU country will be recognized automatically in the other 14 member states, with no need for additional civil formalities.

The regulation is based on the concept of the "usual residence" of a divorcing couple, officials said. For instance, in the case of a British couple living in Italy, an Italian court will deal with their breakup.

Child custody and visiting rights are also covered by the regulation.

A.F.

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