Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 00-08-13

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

CONTENTS

[01] ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH TO VISIT HUNGARY THIS WEEK

[02] CSF III COFFERS OPEN, GRD 350 BILLION TO BE DISBURSED

[03] NEW ID CARDS A DONE DEAL, TO CIRCULATE IN 2 MONTHS

[04] GREECE THE FEATURED COUNTRY AT MEDITERRANEO

[05] PHONE RATES RISE, BUT LONG DISTANCE GETS CHEAPER

[06] ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE DELEGATION IN MOSCOW

[07] MASS EXODUS TO ISLANDS RENDERS CITIES EMPTY

[08] TWISTED TALE: REMORSEFUL MD HIRES WORKER FOR SUICIDE

[09] CYPRUS WANTS NEGOTIATION, NOT MERE PRESENTATION

[01] ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH TO VISIT HUNGARY THIS WEEK

Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos is to embark on a five-day official visit to Hungary on Friday, at the invitation of the country's prime minister, Viktor Orban.

Mr. Vartholomeos will attend events celebrating the 1,000 years since the founding of the Hungarian state, while he will also visit the historic Greek village of Beloyiannis where he will join the locals in celebrations for the 50th anniversary of its establishment.

The village, located 50 kilometers south of Budapest, is named after legendary Greek Communist Nikos Beloyiannis, who was executed in the early '50s in Greece by the government. Thousands of Greek political refugees settled in this village during the early 1950s.

A.F.

[02] CSF III COFFERS OPEN, GRD 350 BILLION TO BE DISBURSED

Deputy National Economy Minister Christos Pachtas has given the "green light" for the disbursement of more than 350 billion drachmas for projects funded by the EU's Community Support Framework (CSF) III for the period between 2000-2005, a sum just over half of the 700 billion drachmas budgeted for 2000.

Meanwhile, implementation is underway for projects approved under CSF II (1994-1999), budgeted at 1.2 trillion drachmas, where sums to be disbursed through the two CSFs this year amount to 78 percent of the Public Investment Budget.

According to Mr. Pachtas, the investment of more than 17 trillion drachmas under CSF III will help balanced development and achieve convergence of living standards with the rest of the EU.

The National Economy Ministry is currently drafting legislation to promote the more efficient management of projects, in line with Community Directive 1260/99.

A.F.

[03] NEW ID CARDS A DONE DEAL, TO CIRCULATE IN 2 MONTHS

Undaunted by the Church's fury, the state plans to circulate the new public identification cards -sans religion- by mid-October, according to Public Order Minister Michalis Chrysochoides, who clarified that the new cards will be distributed to first-time users or those who need a replacement of their old card.

In an interview with the Sunday edition of the Athens daily "Eleftherotypia", Mr. Chrysochoides said that he does not fear the Church's reaction, but expressed concern over some clerics' behavior who seem to long for "the dark ages".

Many bishops are poised to deliver fiery sermons on the August 15 holiday of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary against the government's ID policy and, what they call, its putative plans to "de-Christianize" Greece.

A.F.

[04] GREECE THE FEATURED COUNTRY AT MEDITERRANEO

Greece will be the "featured country" at the 13th Mediterraneo Festival, which will be held between August 17-September 1.

World-renowned actress Irene Papas will represent Greece at an awards ceremony, while two Thessaloniki singers (Georgia Syeou and Sakis Papadimitriou will also be featured among artists representing 22 countries of hte wider Mediterranean region.

A.F.

[05] PHONE RATES RISE, BUT LONG DISTANCE GETS CHEAPER

The National Telecommunications Organization (OTE) has hiked the cost of local telephone calls, although long-distance (including international) calls and the use of the Internet have gotten cheaper.

According to the new rates, local calls will cost nine drachmas a minute, a 28.6 percent increase from the previous seven-drachma rate, with reduced rates between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m. . The monthly fixed charge for OTE will rise from 2,300 to 2,400 drachmas.

While all calls within the borders of the same prefecture will now count as local, the cost of long-distance calls will be set at 40 drachmas a minute for the whole of Greece. International calls to Balkan states will be 26 drachmas cheaper at 94 per minute, a rate which will also apply to calls to Europe, North America and Australia.

Internet use will cost 120 drachmas an hour, and calls to any mobile phone 110 drachmas per minute.

A.F.

[06] ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE DELEGATION IN MOSCOW

Archbishop of America Dimitrios is to head a three-member delegation from the Ecumenical Patriarchate which will attend the officiation services of the Church of the Christ the Savior in Moscow.

The delegation, which will be in Moscow between August 17-29, comprises the Ecumenical Patriarchate Vartholomeos and Metropolites Constantine and Cyrillus.

The inauguration ceremony will be held on August 19 and will be officiated by the Moscow Patriarch Alexius.

The Church of the Christ the Savior, established in 1880, was ruined in 1931 during the Stalin era. Its restoration was completed this year.

Archbishop Demetrios will hold the annual August 15 Assumption of the Virgin mass at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of Southampton, Long Island.

A.F.

[07] MASS EXODUS TO ISLANDS RENDERS CITIES EMPTY

City dwellers continued to flee for the islands and countryside ahead of the major religious holiday of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary on August 15, each year's largest mass exodus.

According to the Merchant Marine Ministry, boat and plane tickets are all sold out for the islands of Tinos and Paros, where the Feast is celebrated with grandeur. President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos will be the honored guest at Tinos.

Traffic police are on the alert on highways and extra lanes will be made available during peak hours.

A.F.

[08] TWISTED TALE: REMORSEFUL MD HIRES WORKER FOR SUICIDE

A 45-year-old Greek physician overwrought with remorse for his discovered involvement in illegal trading of antiquities reportedly hired an Albanian seasonal worker with the intent of convincing the latter to assist him in his suicide.

According to the police report, gynecologist Alekos Doskoris led the unsuspecting worker to a remote area where he forced him to dig a grave. Doskoris then shot the worker, seriously injuring him in the foot and chest, in an effort, according to him, to force his victim to shoot back and throw the doctor in the freshly-dug grave.

The police, however, believe that the doctor intended to kill his worker and then commit suicide over the resulting regret.

A.F.

[09] CYPRUS WANTS NEGOTIATION, NOT MERE PRESENTATION

The President of the Republic of Cyprus Glafcos Clerides has urged the United Nations to ensure that the next round of proximity talks is one of negotiation, not just a presentation of positions.

President Clerides stated that the Greek Cypriot side had informed the UN Secretary- General that, "September should be a month of negotiations and not just having each side outline its positions.

"We have done this four times so far," he said, adding it was clearly time for the next step to be taken.

Curreltny on a cruise tot he Greek islands, Mr. Clerides will be leaving for New York on September 3 to address the UN General Assembly Millennium Summit and for the resumption of talks on the Cyprus problem on September 12.

Cypriot Foreign Minister Yiannakis Cassoulides is due to travel to Athens on August 29 or 30 for a meeting with his Greek counterpart George Papandreou ahead of the resumption of talks.

A.F.

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