Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 00-08-02

Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

CONTENTS

[01] THE COLLECTION OF SIGNATURES ON THE ID CARDS ISSUE WILL START ON

[02] INCREASED FLOW OF AMERICAN TOURISTS TO GREECE

[03] VARVITSIOTIS: THE CEM STATEMENTS ARE UNHEARD-OF

[04] EIGHT GREEK SAILORS ARE HELD HOSTAGE IN GABON

[05] LOSSES OF 0.42% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

[06] CONSTITUTION EXPERT ARISTOVOULOS MANESIS DIED TODAY

[07] THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH IS IN FAVOR OF A MOSQUE IN ATHENS

[08] GREEK AND CYPRIOT DEFENSE MINISTERS HOLD TALKS

[09] GREEK FIRES FINALLY UNDER CONTROL

[10] THE PAPANDREOU-CEM MEETING WAS CANCELED

[11] THE ISSUE OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN TURKEY WERE RAISED BY THE NEW US

[12] THE OFFICIAL REPORT ON THE FALCON ACCIDENT

[13] THE HAGUE DENIES ANY RELATION WITH THE FOUR DUTCH MEN ARRESTED IN

[01] THE COLLECTION OF SIGNATURES ON THE ID CARDS ISSUE WILL START ON SEPTEMBER 1

The collection of signatures in favor of the optional listing of religion on the state-issued identity cards will start on September 1. This was announced after the Metropolites' Committee meeting established by the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece to deal with the issue in question.

Metropolite Ierotheos of Nafpaktos stressed that the procedure is legally valid and activates article 44 of the Greek constitution according to which, a number of signatures can lead to a referendum. The Holy Synod will meet on August 31 in order to consider additional issues concerning the collection of signatures.

Archbishop Christodoulos will raise again the issue of the identity cards in his sermon on the occasion of the feast of the Transfiguration on August 6.

[02] INCREASED FLOW OF AMERICAN TOURISTS TO GREECE

It appears that the last terrorist attack by "17 November" did not have a negative effect on the efforts aimed at attracting American tourists to Greece as there is an increased demand for airplane tickets from New York and Boston and other US cities to Athens with stop-overs in European countries.

The demand is increased compared to the past years and the airlines with direct flights to Athens, Olympic Airways and Delta Airlines, as well as the chartered flights, are booked until the first week of September.

According to "Homeric Tours", the biggest travel agency in the United States that brings tourists to Greece for the past 32 years, the tourist flow to Greece is very increased and the agency's chartered flights are booked until the end of the summer.

[03] VARVITSIOTIS: THE CEM STATEMENTS ARE UNHEARD-OF

Right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy parliament deputy Ioannis Varvitsiotis characterized as unheard-of the statements made yesterday by Turkish foreign minister Ismail Cem. Based on press publications, Mr. Cem stated that his country will blackmail Greece into a dialogue on all issues and on issues the Turkish side wants.

Mr. Varvitsiotis stated that this is a direct provocation for Greece and called on foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou to investigate immediately if that was the content of the Cem statements. He said that Mr. Papandreou has to bring the issue before the European Union and the international organizations, pointing out that it must be realized by the government that the foreign policy can not be exercised with handshakes and public relations smiles.

Mr. Varvitsiotis added that Turkey can not on the one hand blackmail Greece without respecting international law and treaties and on the other to seek a European course.

[04] EIGHT GREEK SAILORS ARE HELD HOSTAGE IN GABON

The authorities in Gabon, west Africa are holding hostage the crew members of the cargo ship "Peter" and captain Manolis Dimitriadi. According to the Gabon authorities, the under Maltese flag cargo ship, which sank in the port of Aberville, caused extensive pollution and the country's authorities demand compensation for the ecological disaster in order to free the men.

In spite of the fact that none of the 8 crew members has committed an offense and no charges have been pressed the authorities went on to seize their passports and for the past 54 days they are being held in a hotel in the city of Vento, according to the Athens newspaper "TA NEA".

The Gabon authorities claim from the ship's insurance company the sum of US$ 3 million in order to remove the ship from the bottom of the sea and clean up the region from the fuel that has leaked.

The insurance company has not satisfied this demand yet in spite of the fact that the ship-owner Lane Enterprises has no pending issues with it, according to statements by its representative Nikos Giamakidis, who also stated that the sum demanded is outrageous.

Both the ship-owner and the relatives of the captain hope that there will be diplomatic intervention for the solution of the problem. Meanwhile, the crew's fate will depend for the time being on the specialists and diplomats from Europe who have been invited to the African country to reach a conclusion on the causes of the shipwreck and the pollution that has been caused.

[05] LOSSES OF 0.42% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

Losses of 0.42% were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today and the general index was at 3.981,61 points, while the volume of transactions was small at 75.8 billion drachmas.

Of the stocks trading today 214 recorded gains, 112 had losses and 45 remained stable.

[06] CONSTITUTION EXPERT ARISTOVOULOS MANESIS DIED TODAY

Constitution Law professor in Thessaloniki's Aristotle University Aristovoulos Manesis died in an Athens hospital in the early morning hours today from kidney failure at the age of 78.

He was born in Argostoli, Kefalonia in 1922. He studied Law in Thessaloniki and continued his postgraduate studies in Paris and Heidelburg specializing in Public Law.

He defended the constitutional order and popular freedoms and during the Nazi occupation of Greece he was with the resistance, he was against the April 21, 1967 junta and was among the first members of the anti-junta organization Democratic Defense in Thessaloniki. As a result he was fired from his position as a professor (1968) and for a while he was displaced in Lidoriki. Later, he moved to France and in the period 1970-1974 he taught Public Law in the University of Amiens.

[07] THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH IS IN FAVOR OF A MOSQUE IN ATHENS

Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos, who visited the historical Greek village of Lidisi, is in favor of the construction of a mosque in Athens.

Responding to a question by a reporter, he underlined that a mosque must be built for the Muslim diplomats, businessmen and tourists and for the Muslim athletes, who will visit Greece in the 2004 Olympic Games.

[08] GREEK AND CYPRIOT DEFENSE MINISTERS HOLD TALKS

Cooperation in issues concerning the defense and security of Greece and Cyprus was top of the agenda during the talks held by Defense ministers of both countries, Akis Tsochatsopoulos and Socrates Chasikos respectively.

After the talks, Mr Chasikos reiterated that we can talk with Turkey but our efforts to increase our defense remain constant. He also revealed that he informed Mr Tsochatsopoulos of the conclusions resulting from his talks with Javier Solana in Brussels, concerning common foreign policy and EU security policies.

[09] GREEK FIRES FINALLY UNDER CONTROL

The fires that broke out in Corfu, Cephalonia and in various parts of Larisa are finally under control.

The flames reached within a short distance of the houses in the village of Moraitika in Corfu, after being strengthened by strong winds. Local firemen fought to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading to inhabited areas. Four fire brigade aircraft and three helicopters frequently approached the fire.

Local inhabitants suspect arson as the fire broke out in two different places at the same time. Strong winds calmed down this morning, allowing firemen to bring the flames under control.

[10] THE PAPANDREOU-CEM MEETING WAS CANCELED

The Turkish newspaper "Hurriyet" wrote that the meeting of the foreign ministers of Greece and Turkey, Giorgos Papandreou and Ismail Cem, that was going to take place on the occasion of the first anniversary of the Greek-Turkish rapprochement in Aegean has been canceled.

The Turkish newspaper cites Greek press reports according to which, the decision for the cancellation was reached because of the tension in Cyprus, pointing out that Mr. Papandreou and Mr. Cem had agreed to meet again in August in their meeting in Ochrid for the Balkan foreign ministers summit.

According to the Turkish newspaper, that refers to reports on the Athens newspapers "TO VIMA" and "Eleftherotipia", diplomatic sources in Athens believe that the two ministers can meet on the sidelines of the UN general assembly meeting that will take place in New York next month.

[11] THE ISSUE OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN TURKEY WERE RAISED BY THE NEW US AMBASSADOR TO ANKARA

US ambassador to Ankara Robert Pearson stated in his swearing-in ceremony in Ankara that the United States will continue their efforts for the rapprochement of Greece and Turkey and the solution of the Cyprus problem.

The new ambassador to Ankara also referred to the Turkish EU candidature and maintained that Turkey is getting ready for a big test, adding that it must improve its human rights record.

[12] THE OFFICIAL REPORT ON THE FALCON ACCIDENT

The September 14,1999 freak air accident that had as a result the death of deputy foreign minister Yiannos Kranidiotis and his son Nikos was caused by a mechanical failure and the wrong piloting, announced Vasile Toku, chief investigator of the Romanian transportation ministry Civil Aviation Department.

The chief investigator stated that at an altitude of 5,000 feet and for about 24 seconds the Greek Falcon 900 airplane had 10 vertical falls that exceeded the limits of the aircraft. The passengers, who did not have their seat belts fastened hit against the walls of the aircraft due to the accelerations that were the result of the unstable course of the plane leading to the deaths of 7 passengers.

The committee that conducted the investigation was made up of specialists from France, the United States, Germany and Britain.

[13] THE HAGUE DENIES ANY RELATION WITH THE FOUR DUTCH MEN ARRESTED IN SERBIA

The International Court of Justice in The Hague for war crimes in former Yugoslavia denied any relation with the four Dutch men arrested by the Belgrade authorities accused of planning to kill Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic. An International Court representative stated that all these are pure fantasies.

According to the independent Yugoslav news agency "Beta", an employee of the Dutch embassy in Belgrade met yesterday with representatives of the Yugoslav foreign ministry but the content of their talks was not made known.

Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article