Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 00-07-29

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

CONTENTS

[01] PRESIDENT STEPHANOPOULOS: GREECE IS A SAFE COUNTRY

[02] SAMARANCH COMMENTED ON THE 2004 OLYMPIC GAMES IN ATHENS

[03] GREECE'S DEFENSE IS BEING REINFORCED

[04] A MENTALLY DISTURBED PERSON ATTACKED THE RUSSIAN CONSULATE IN

[05] VISIT TO TURKEY BY THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR THE PREVENTION OF TORTURE

[01] PRESIDENT STEPHANOPOULOS: GREECE IS A SAFE COUNTRY

Greek president Kostis Stephanopoulos gave a special emphasis to the issue of terrorism speaking in the city of Patras today in the conference of the people from Achaia, Peloponese in southern Greece, who live abroad.

Mr. Stephanopoulos stated that Greece is a safe country and this must be realized by all and mainly by the Americans.

He characterized as unwise the bombing of Kosovo, while he called on the Greeks living abroad to exert pressures on the governments of the countries where they live and do everything possible for the solution of the Cyprus problem. He also called on them to protect the Greek language.

[02] SAMARANCH COMMENTED ON THE 2004 OLYMPIC GAMES IN ATHENS

International Olympic Committee, IOC, president Juan Antonio Samaranch expressed his views on the developments regarding the organizing part of the 2004 Olympic Games in Greece responding to a question made by a "New York Times" reporter regarding his recent visit to Athens within the framework of an interview he gave to the newspaper.

The IOC president referred to the meetings he had with the prime minister and the president of the republic and stated characteristically that things go better, while he expressed his belief that the selection of Ms. Yianna Angelopoulou to the post of the organizing committee president was the best it could be.

Mr. Samaranch also referred to her big victory that was to bring the 2004 Olympic Games to Athens and gave assurances that things move to the right direction because Ms. Angelopoulou coordinates the same team she was heading when Athens was seeking to host the 2004 Olympic Games.

[03] GREECE'S DEFENSE IS BEING REINFORCED

Greece's defense is being reinforced in a decisive manner with the new armaments program that was adopted by the government and this fact was acknowledged by the armed forces leadership which thanked the prime minister and the ministry of defense leadership for the increased defense funding.

Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas confirmed the fact and stated that Greece's defense spending is proportionally the biggest among the EU countries. He said that it is undertaken by the government and the Greek people because the goal is to strengthen the country's deterrent ability toward any external threat.

[04] A MENTALLY DISTURBED PERSON ATTACKED THE RUSSIAN CONSULATE IN THESSALONIKI

With a sword in his hand a 40yearold man entered the Russian consulate in Thessaloniki and demanded to be taken to Chechnya.

The man was disarmed by the police and was returned to the psychiatric clinic from where he had escaped. No other details are available on the incident.

[05] VISIT TO TURKEY BY THE EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR THE PREVENTION OF TORTURE

A delegation of the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and the inhuman or humiliating treatment (CPT) visited Turkey on July 16-24.

One of the main goals of the visit was to examine the measures taken at this period of time by the Turkish authorities for the creation of new smaller cells for the inmates. The delegation also examined the way the inmates were being treated.

The delegation members met with the Turkish justice minister and the president of the parliamentary committee on human rights as well as with high ranking officials from the ministries of foreign affairs, interior and justice. They also met with representatives of non governmental organizations such as, the Association for Human Rights, the Turkish Medical Association and the Forensic Surgeons Association.

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