Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 00-08-28

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

CONTENTS

[01] 7 GREEKS NABBED IN VENEZUELAS HUGE DRUG BUST

[02] GREEK PARLIAMENT SPEAKER IN N.Y. FOR UN SUMMIT

[03] REPPAS: DENKTASH DOES EVERYTHING HE CAN TO AFFECT THE CYPRUS TALKS

[04] MEETING UDER THE PUBLIC ORDER MINISTER IN THE REGIONS DESTROYED BY THE

[05] LOSSES OF 1.98% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

[06] THE "PRESPES 2000" EVENTS WERE A BIG SUCCESS

[07] THE SEARCH FOR A MISSING DANISH TOURIST CONTINUES IN ELOUNDA, CRETE

[08] THE GREEK MINISTER OF PUBLIC ORDER WILL BE IN THE US ON SEPTEMBER 7-8

[09] TARMAC AMERICA INC BUYOUT BY TITAN LTD

[10] THE SEVEN GREEKS INVOLVED IN THE INTERNATIONAL COCAINE RING WILL APPEAR

[11] STATE SPOKESMAN: ALL FIRES ARE NOW UNDER CONTROL

[12] THE SEARCH CONTINUES IN THE SEA REGION OF KOS FOR THE RESCUE OF ILLEGAL

[13] UN HOPES FOR THE RESTORATION OF THE STATUS QUO IN STROVILIA, CYPRUS

[01] 7 GREEKS NABBED IN VENEZUELAS HUGE DRUG BUST

Seven Greeks, among them shipowners and businessmen, have been arrested in connection with a Venezuelan drug bust, the largest in the South American nation's history, all of whom will appear before an Athens prosecutor today.

The Greeks have been identified as shipowner Philippos Makris, 42, businessmen Ioannis Lemos, 52, and Angelos Kanakis, 52, shipping agents Theodoros Fatsis and Nikos Mavridoglou, 54, and merchant marine captain Constantine Athanasios. Shipowner Ilias Lemos, 53, was arrested and detained in France.

Six of the Greek suspects were employees or associates of the Kalisti Maritime shipping company based in the port of Piraeus.

The eight-month-long international operation, which resulted in the seizing of a record ten tons of cocaine, resulted in 16 arrests in Venezuela, France, Italy and Greece.

The operation began as separate investigations by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration office in Athens, Greece, the Customs office in Houston and other agencies. The investigations were eventually united and coordinated by the U.S. Justice Department.

The US Drug Enforcement Administration helped finance the raids, and Colombia, France, Britain, Italy, Greece and Panama also collaborated.

A.F.

[02] GREEK PARLIAMENT SPEAKER IN N.Y. FOR UN SUMMIT

The Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament Apostolos Kaklamanis will depart for New York today in order to attend the first world summit of Parliament presidents, which will be held in New York from August 30 through September 1.

The summit will be themed as the Parliamentary Vision for World-Wide Cooperation at the Dawn of the Third Millennium.

UN Secretary General Koffi Annan and various Parliament presidents will address the worldwide conference, which is held under the auspices of the Inter-Parliamentary Association.

In his address, Mr. Kaklamanis is expected to refer to issues pertaining to world peace, security, democracy and respect for human rights.

This is the first time a conference for parliamentary presidents has been held on a global level.

A.F.

[03] REPPAS: DENKTASH DOES EVERYTHING HE CAN TO AFFECT THE CYPRUS TALKS NEGATIVELY

Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash does everything he can to affect the Cyprus talks in a negative way, commented Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas.

Mr. Reppas also expressed the Greek government's regret because the issue has not been dealt with by the United Nations and expressed the hope that the international organization will undertake the necessary initiatives.

[04] MEETING UDER THE PUBLIC ORDER MINISTER IN THE REGIONS DESTROYED BY THE FIRE IN IOANNINA

Minister of public order Michalis Chrisochoidis visited the village of Kastani in Ioannina, north-western Greece where he had a meeting with undersecretary of agriculture Evangelos Argiris, Fire Department chief Panagiotis Fourlas and local authorities.

The next moves of the fire-fighting forces were discussed in the meeting, while the problem of the fires that approach Greece from the Albanian side of the borders was also examined.

It should be noted that Greek fire-fighting aircraft and helicopters participate in the efforts to put those fires under control and stop their course toward the Greek borders.

[05] LOSSES OF 1.98% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

Big losses of 1.98% were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today, the first day of the trading week. The general index dropped to 3.558,99 points while the volume of transactions was at 44.6 billion drachmas.

Of the stocks trading today only 37 recorded gains, while 312 had losses and 21 remained stable.

[06] THE "PRESPES 2000" EVENTS WERE A BIG SUCCESS

This year's "Prespes 2000" cultural events, that were held in the presence of significant political personalities from Greece and the rest Balkan countries, were very successful. The events will be completed today with a Bulgarian poetry night and a music concert.

The strengthening of cooperation on issues of security in the specific region and in all border regions in general, the migration for economic reasons and the movement of people and goods were discussed in the meeting minister of interior Vaso Papandreou had with her counterparts from Albania and FYROM.

Ms. Papandreou characterized the meeting as constructive and stressed the need to hold such meetings on an annual basis and with a specific agenda. On the issue of the legalization of the Albanians in Greece, the minister stated that a draft bill on immigration has been submitted in parliament and it is expected to be voted through soon.

An agreement on the inter-border route that will be followed by the Olympic Flame in 2004 was also reached in the meeting of culture minister Theodoros Pangalos and undersecretary Giorgos Floridis with their counterparts from Cyprus, Albania, FYROM and Bulgaria.

There was also a significant economic meeting of undersecretary of national economy Yiannis Zafiropoulos with his counterparts from Albania and FYROM. They discussed the preconditions and procedures based on which the Greek plan for the reconstruction of the Balkans will begin to materialize. It was also decided that Albania and FYROM will have until September 20 to submit their proposals to the Greek ministry of national economy on the projects and activities they want to be included in the Greek plan for the reconstruction of the Balkans.

[07] THE SEARCH FOR A MISSING DANISH TOURIST CONTINUES IN ELOUNDA, CRETE

The search for a 56yearold tourist from Denmark, who disappeared at the Kolokitha island region last Thursday at noon, continues without results in Crete southern Greece.

Carl Andersen, who suffers from epilepsy, went to the region from Kanaliou Beach in Elounda, Crete.

[08] THE GREEK MINISTER OF PUBLIC ORDER WILL BE IN THE US ON SEPTEMBER 7-8

Greek minister of public order Michalis Chrisochoidis will visit the United States on September 7 and 8, announced government spokesman Dimitris Reppas.

During his stay in the United States, Mr. Chrisochoidis will sign a memorandum of better police cooperation with the US justice minister. Mr. Reppas clarified that this memorandum does not constitute a state agreement and for this reason it does not have to be approved by the parliament.

[09] TARMAC AMERICA INC BUYOUT BY TITAN LTD

The Greek cement industry TITAN Ltd. will buyout the construction materials company TARMAC AMERICA Inc., an Anglo American subsidiary, for the sum of US$ 636 million, the estimated working capital included.

The buyout contract has already been signed, while the whole procedure is expected to be completed in the next two months after the responsible US federal authorities give their necessary approval.

In addition, TITAN Ltd. has reached a deal to sell TARMAC's mining activities and their working capital to the US Vulcan Materials company for the sum of US$ 227 million.

The funding of TARMAC's buyout by the Bank of America, the National Bank of Greece and Alpha Bank has been secured.

[10] THE SEVEN GREEKS INVOLVED IN THE INTERNATIONAL COCAINE RING WILL APPEAR BEFORE THE PROSECUTOR TOMORROW

The seven Greek businessmen, who were members of an international drug-trafficking ring, will appear before the prosecutor tomorrow.

The huge police operation lasted 2 years and in it participated drug enforcement agencies from 12 countries. A total of 45 people have been arrested while the value of the five ships and the drugs confiscated is estimated at US$ 1 billion.

According to information, a Greek police officer, who served at the Athens airport passport department, was also involved in the drug-trafficking ring.

[11] STATE SPOKESMAN: ALL FIRES ARE NOW UNDER CONTROL

The fires that devastated massive expanses of Greece's forested land have been contained government spokesperson Dimitris Reppas said, albeit adding that all land and air fire-fighting forces continue to be in a state of alert, as there risk of some of the fires may be rekindled from adverse weather conditions, especially in the Peloponnese and central Greece.

Mr. Reppas also thanked Israel for having responded to Greece's call for help by sending two fire-fighting helicopters.

Countering criticism that the state was slow to act in battling the blazes, Mr. Reppas said that the country's fire-fighting forces were present from the on-start of the blazes, but were battling with a volatile combination of hot weather and strong winds.

Lastly, the government spokesperson stressed that the state is looking into reports of Albanian gang involvement in fires at the Greek-Albanian borders.

A.F.

[12] THE SEARCH CONTINUES IN THE SEA REGION OF KOS FOR THE RESCUE OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

Hopes fade away for the rescue of more illegal immigrants who ended up in the sea when their slave-trading ship, that sailed from Alikarnasos at the Turkish coasts with destination the Greek coasts, overturned at the sea region of the south-eastern Aegean island of Kos.

The Coast Guard continues the search for survivors. Six foreigners have been rescued while 6 bodies have been pick up from the sea. On board the small boat were 32 people from Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan.

[13] UN HOPES FOR THE RESTORATION OF THE STATUS QUO IN STROVILIA, CYPRUS

The Turkish side continues to ignore the representations made by the UN peace-keeping force in Cyprus calling for the lifting of the restrictions imposed on the movement of the UN force by the Turkish Cypriot occupation regime in the northern part of the island.

From their side, the United Nations still hope that the return to the previous situation will be allowed. Referring to the issue that arose with the change in the status quo in Strovilia, the UN confirms the facts seeking to reach conclusions, stated UN secretary general deputy special representative in Cyprus Zbigniu Vlosovic after the meeting he had with Cypriot president Glafkos Clerides.

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