Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 00-08-01

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

CONTENTS

[01] THE OTE-YAHOO! DEAL WAS PUT INTO EFFECT TODAY

[02] GREEK FORCES OFFICIALLY WITHDRAW FROM ALBANIA

[03] CD-ROM FOR THE GREEK-SPEAKING COMMUNITIES IN SYRIA AND LEBANON

[04] GAINS OF 0.26% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

[05] GREEK FIRE-FIGHTING ASSISTANCE TO FYROM

[06] PAPOUTSIS REACTS STRONGLY TO ITALIAN ACCUSATIONS

[07] THE NEW US AMBASSADOR TO ANKARA IS IN FAVOR OF THE SOLUTION OF THE

[08] THE GREEK UNDERSECRETARY OF NATIONAL ECONOMY VISITED ALBANIA

[09] ALBANIA THANKED GREECE FOR THE PEACE-KEEPING FORCE

[10] QUESTIONS OVER THE ARREST OF THE FOUR DUTCH MEN BY THE YUGOSLAV

[11] TSOCHATSOPOULOS MEETS WITH MEIDANI IN TIRANA

[12] THE FOUR "SPIES" WERE TOURISTS, SAY THE DUTCH AUTHORITIES

[13] COMPENSATION FOR THE PEOPLE WHO WORKED AT FORCED LABOR CAMPS IN GERMANY

[14] THE WORK OF A GREEK PAINTER WILL BECOME A UN STAMP

[15] REFERENCE TO CYPRUS IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY PLATFORM

[16] THE PAN-MACEDONIAN ASSOCIATIONS ARE CONCERNED OVER THE NAME FYROM WILL

[01] THE OTE-YAHOO! DEAL WAS PUT INTO EFFECT TODAY

The business deal that was signed yesterday by Greek Telecommunications Organization, OTE, and Yahoo! Europe according to which, the customers of OTE affiliates namely, Cosmote and OTEnet, will have access to specialized services of the Yahoo! Inc. through the WAP service provided by their mobile phone and through their personal computer, was put into effect today.

This deal is a significant step by OTE in the effort to increase its competitiveness in view of the liberalization of the telecommunications market that will take place after January 1, 2001.

The Yahoo! Europe managing director stated that the deal with Cosmote and OTEnet is the first business deal of her company in Greece and one more step of the Yahoo! Everywhere initiative. She also stated that the specific deal will give the opportunity to the Greek Internet users to have an access to the most popular Yahoo! services.

[02] GREEK FORCES OFFICIALLY WITHDRAW FROM ALBANIA

A protocol calling for the removal of Greek troops from Albania was signed in the country's capital by Albanian minister of Defence Ilir Gioni and his Greek counterpart Akis Tsochatsopoulos.

During his speech, Mr Tsochatsopoulos characterised the presence of Greek forces in the region as a symbol of peace, strategically important for its stability and safety.

He also said that the Greek forces completed their mission successfully and have laid the foundations for the development of relations between the two countries.

The official ceremony for the withdrawal of Greek troops took place in the Izi Beriz army base, where they moved into originally in 1997.

[03] CD-ROM FOR THE GREEK-SPEAKING COMMUNITIES IN SYRIA AND LEBANON

The Greek Language Center dictionary department in cooperation with Thessaloniki's Aristotle University recently issued a new CD-ROM under the title "Lebanon-Syria" which is based on research and texts by sociologist and linguist Ms. Roula Tsokalidou.

This Greek Language Center project focuses on the Hellenism and the Greek-speaking communities in Lebanon and Syria and the special cultural, social and religious make-up of those countries. Based on the research made, the Greek population in the region managed to survive after being forced to leave the Greek territory about 100 years ago.

[04] GAINS OF 0.26% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

Gains of 0.26% were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today and the general index was at 3.998,57 points, while the volume of transactions was very low at 62.8 billion drachmas.

Of the stocks trading today 155 had gains, 177 recorded losses and 45 remained stable.

[05] GREEK FIRE-FIGHTING ASSISTANCE TO FYROM

A Greek fire-fighting helicopter participates since this morning in the efforts aimed at putting out a fire in Vladovo, FYROM, 25 km from the Greek-FYROM borders.

It is a Russian made M26 helicopter which is based at Thessaloniki's Macedonia Airport within the framework of the fire prevention measures in Greece.

There was a consultation between the ministry of Macedonia-Thrace and the FYROM authorities and yesterday the Greek helicopter flew over the burning region to assess the situation. Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Giorgos Paschalidis was briefed on the situation and finally, it was decided that the helicopter must participate in the fire-fighting efforts.

[06] PAPOUTSIS REACTS STRONGLY TO ITALIAN ACCUSATIONS

The minister of Commercial Shipping, Christos Papoutsis has reacted strongly to articles published by the Italian press, which imply that Greece and Turkey cooperate with the intention of facilitating the movement of illegal immigrants.

The Italian Foreign minister accused Athens and Ankara of failing to take necessary measures against the transport of illegal immigrants, after a vessel carrying 418 illegal immigrants landed on Italian shores bearing a Turkish flag. The vessel had apparently travelled via Greece.

Mr Papoutsis described the publications as being "inaccurate", stressing that Greece has implemented the Sengen Agreement, thus protecting the borders of the European Union.

He also added that the problem of illegal immigrants not only concerns the prosecuting authorities but is a political issue concerning the EU, as well as bilateral relations between Italy and other Mediterranean countries.

"It is for this reason that a cooperation agreement is needed between all countries concerned, so that they can assume their responsibilities and take action, to effectively deal with this problem".

The Italian minister, using unusually strong language, referred to the incident as being "extremely offensive", before going on to say that "if the suspected route taken by the vessel is confirmed, there will be serious repercussions".

[07] THE NEW US AMBASSADOR TO ANKARA IS IN FAVOR OF THE SOLUTION OF THE CYPRUS PROBLEM

New US ambassador to Ankara, Robert Pearson, who was sworn-in yesterday in a ceremony held in the presence of US secretary of state Madeleine Albright, expressed Washington's support to the negotiations on Cyprus.

The US diplomat believes that Greece and Turkey are two countries that have made significant steps aimed at exploiting new opportunities, cooperate and back the UN efforts to achieve a fair solution in Cyprus.

[08] THE GREEK UNDERSECRETARY OF NATIONAL ECONOMY VISITED ALBANIA

The signing of the deal for the purchase of the Albanian Mobile Phone Company, AMC, by Telenor-Cosmote and the visit of Greek undersecretary of national economy Mr. Zafiropoulos to Tirana were widely covered by the Albanian mass media.

The Albanian press referred extensively to the deal for the sale of AMC's 85% to Telenor-Cosmote for the sum of US$ 85.6 million, stressing that 50% of the money will be paid in the next 30 days and the rest of it in 6 months.

According to the Albanian press, the company will invest a total of US$ 120 million, 60% of which in the next three years.

It is also mentioned that the Greek undersecretary of national economy and Albanian minister of finance Mr. Angeli signed an agreement according to which, Albania will receive US$ 8 million for the sectors of health and education.

[09] ALBANIA THANKED GREECE FOR THE PEACE-KEEPING FORCE

The withdrawal of the Greek peace-keeping force from Albania started this morning and will be completed in the next three days after a three-year stay in the country.

Minister of defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos attended the withdrawal ceremony at the Isberis Army Camp, near Tirana, and had the opportunity to meet with Albanian president Redzep Meidani, prime minister Ilir Meta and minister of defense Ili Tzoni.

The Albanian leadership thanked the Greek force for its contribution to the upgrading of the Albanian armed forces, while the Greek minister characterized the bilateral relations as being of strategic importance.

Greek ambassador to Tirana Alexandros Mallias delivered to the Greek defense minister the "Mother Teresa" medal awarded to the Greek government by the Albanian president in 1999 for its assistance to the Kosovar refugees that gathered in Albania in that period.

[10] QUESTIONS OVER THE ARREST OF THE FOUR DUTCH MEN BY THE YUGOSLAV AUTHORITIES

There are dark spots in the case of the four Dutch nationals who were arrested by the Yugoslav authorities accused of entering the Yugoslav territory to abduct and murder Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic.

The arrest of the four Dutch men was announced in Belgrade yesterday by Yugoslav minister of information Goran Matic without mentioning when the arrest took place and under what circumstances. The Yugoslav security services arrested four members of a Dutch special unit who had a mission to enter Yugoslavia and according to their own testimonies, they were going to kill president Milosevic or commit other terrorist acts on Yugoslav territory, added Matic in statements he made to journalists.

The Yugoslav minister did not clarify when the Dutch men were arrested and he just said that their arrest was made before the G8 summit meeting in Japan on July 21-23. According to Mr. Matic, the four Dutch men were arrested in Serbia near the borders with Montenegro. In the press briefing there was also a screening of a video with the testimonies of the four men.

The Dutch authorities have stated that they are not aware of the case and the Dutch foreign ministry announced that it does not have any information on the four. A Dutch foreign ministry representative stated to the French News Agency that nothing is known about their identity or their nationality, clarifying that The Hague authorities are looking for reliable information that will confirm the fact. The Dutch foreign ministry spokesman also stated that an effort will be made to collect more evidence on the case through the Dutch embassy in Belgrade given the fact that the Yugoslav government has not given out any information.

[11] TSOCHATSOPOULOS MEETS WITH MEIDANI IN TIRANA

Greek minister of Defense, Akis Tsochatsopoulos, today met with the President of Albania, Retzep Meidani, during a visit to Greece's neighbouring country.

Mr Meidani thanked the minister of Defense for the aid offered by Greece in moments of crisis, such as that of Kosovo and during the scandal concerning the banks' collapse. He also stressed that now is the time to further strengthen cooperation between the two countries.

"It is unacceptable for a warring state inherited from the Greek-Italian war in Albania, to still exist as far as the business world and ordinary people of both countries are concerned", said Mr Meidani.

Mr Tsochatsopoulos expressed his satisfaction with the statement made by his Albanian host.

[12] THE FOUR "SPIES" WERE TOURISTS, SAY THE DUTCH AUTHORITIES

The four Dutch men, who were arrested by the Yugoslav authorities accused of planning to kill Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic were tourists, who went to Yugoslavia to spend their vacation time.

The Dutch government stated that is trying to gather information from the Yugoslav embassy in The Hague and the foreign ministry in Belgrade on the case but for the moment it has not received any response.

A Dutch government source stated that there is information that the four individuals in question went to Croatia and Montenegro for vacations like they did last year and the government does not rule out the likelihood the four to have been used by the Yugoslav authorities as propaganda tools against the West.

Yugoslav minister of information Goran Matic had announced yesterday that four Dutch men, members of secret services, were arrested accused of planning to kill president Milosevic and deliver his dead to US president Bill Clinton during the G-8 summit meeting in Okinawa, Japan.

The Yugoslav minister maintained that the four had been trained by the British special forces (SAS) which according to the British newspaper "The Independent", also train Montenegro's special police force.

Mr. Matic presented a video showing a man under the name Ian van Irsel who admits, speaking in English with a Dutch accent, that he and his partners were hunting down people who are wanted by the International Court in The Hague.

The Dutch man stated on camera that he was planning to put Milosevic in a ski bag and take him out of the country but the other members of the team had different plans, like to abduct Milosevic, kill him and them behead him. Then they were going to put his head in a box and send it to their country.

Washington has offered a US$ 5 million reward for any information that would lead to Milosevic's arrest as well as the arrest of former leaders of the Bosnian Serbs namely, Radovan Karadjic and Ratko Mladic.

However, the Dutch ministry of defense confirmed that one of those arrested, named Gotfreid de Rue, was a member of the Dutch army but it did not give publicity further information on the identity of the other three.

[13] COMPENSATION FOR THE PEOPLE WHO WORKED AT FORCED LABOR CAMPS IN GERMANY

The law, according to which, DM 10 billion will be paid as compensation to people who worked at forced labor camps during WWII will be put into effect in Germany in the next few days. The institution responsible for the management of the applications submitted and the payment of the compensation will be the International Organization for Immigration which will manage a budget of DM 540 million.

According to the new law, a right to receive compensation have those held in concentration camps and those held under other conditions in jails or ghettos but had to work in forced labor. Also, a right to compensation have those who were deported from their countries and were transferred to the 1937th district of the Third Reich or in regions occupied by the Nazis and were forced to work in industry plants, businesses or in the public sector held under conditions of imprisonment or in extremely adverse conditions.

[14] THE WORK OF A GREEK PAINTER WILL BECOME A UN STAMP

The work of Greek painter Dimitris Nalbantis "Remembrance", one of the six paintings that were selected to be part of the UN stamp collection, presents the colors of Greece and the greatness of the Greek civilization in the best possible way.

The painting is included in the exhibition under the title "Our World in the Year 2000: The United Nations Millennium Art Exhibition" which was inaugurated in the UN headquarters in New York on July 21 and will remain open for the public until August 28.

[15] REFERENCE TO CYPRUS IN THE REPUBLICAN PARTY PLATFORM

The Cyprus problem is mentioned in the Republic Party platform that circulated during the party congress that is being held in Philadelphia, in the United States.

In the platform's chapter that deals with Europe, the Republicans refer to the Cyprus problem by stressing that they encourage a peaceful solution in Cyprus, while they add that the interested parties must respect the wish of the Cypriot people.

The Republicans also mention that a fair and permanent solution will benefit the people of Cyprus and will serve the interests of the United States as well as the interests of their allies, Greece and Turkey.

[16] THE PAN-MACEDONIAN ASSOCIATIONS ARE CONCERNED OVER THE NAME FYROM WILL USE IN SYDNEY

The Federation of Pan-Macedonian Associations in Australia expressed the strong concern of the Greek-Australian community over the name that will be used by the FYROM delegation in the Olympic Games, in a letter to the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games Committee president.

Federation president Dimitris Minas, who signs the letter, underlines that all the countries use the formal name of that former Yugoslav Republic, namely FYROM, in sports events and expressed the hope that the Olympic Games Organizing Committee in Sydney will follow their example and will not yield to the pressures of the Slav-macedonians in Australia.

In the letter it is mentioned that any effort for the political exploitation of the games by the FYROM delegation through exerting pressures for the use of the name "Macedonia" will cause the strong reaction of the Greek community in Australia and the thousands of Australians who have a good knowledge of the European history.

In the letter it is also stressed that Greece has given to the world not only the Olympic Flame and the spirit of the games but the Macedonian civilization as well, many centuries before the arrival of the Slavs in the Balkans.

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