Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 00-09-01

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

CONTENTS

[01] 2001 BUDGET TO BE TABLED IN ASSEMBLY NEXT MONTH

[02] 65TH TIF OPENS GATES WITH 40 COUNTRIES, 1,300 FIRMS

[03] 1 DEAD AND 5 INJURED IN CHALKIDA SHIP ACCIDENT

[04] BURNS: THE GREEK-US RELATIONS ARE AT THEIR PEAK

[05] PRIME MINISTER SIMITIS' SPEECH IN THE FORMAL OPENING OF THESSALONIKI'S

[06] THE ONLY GREEK PARLIAMENT DEPUTY IN AUSTRIA IS VISITING THESSALONIKI

[07] CONFERENCE ON EINSTEIN'S GREEK MATH PROFESSOR

[08] A GREEK MECHANIZED BATTALION WILL LEAVE FOR KOSOVO

[09] TWO TURKS WERE KILLED IN A MINEFIELD IN EVROS

[10] THE GREEKS WORK MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE

[11] CARGO SHIP ACCIDENT IN CHALKIDA

[12] THE GERMAN STATE WANTS THE CONFISCATION OF ITS PROPERTY ÔO BE POSTPONED

[13] KOFI ANNAN PRAISES THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN OLYMPIC TRUCE INTERNATIONAL

[14] KAKLAMANIS VISTS US ARCHDIOCESE

[01] 2001 BUDGET TO BE TABLED IN ASSEMBLY NEXT MONTH

The government is aspiring to achieve growth rates of five percent, in order to access real and social convergence with the other members of the European and Monetary Union, according to National Economy and Finance Minister Yiannos Papantoniou.

Regarding the 2001 budget, which will be tabled in Parliament in October and be voted upon in December, Mr. Papantoniou assured that it shall fulfil meet all of the ruling party's tax-reduction pledges made during its election campaign.

As for the Athens bourse, the Minister stated that the government cannot designate share prices, although, he added, it does support the Athens Stock Exchange (ASE) through its firm economic policy, legislation and regulations.

In an effort to allay rising concerns over ASE's downward course, Mr. Papantoniou said that the bourse will make a turnaround when the market realizes the positive developments in store for the economy and enterprises.

A.F.

[02] 65TH TIF OPENS GATES WITH 40 COUNTRIES, 1,300 FIRMS

Thessaloniki's 65th International Fair, Greece's largest trade exhibition, opens its gates tonight, with the United States being this year's featured country.

Covering an expanse of 49,000 square meters, this year's TIF will feature the presence of 40 countries, with Turkey participating for the first time, as well as hundreds of private industries and enterprises from the world over.

Visitors can also enjoy a number of cultural events on the sidelines of TIF, such as a concert by Alkistis Protopsalti on Sunday, September 3, at the Palais de Sport, followed three days later by Nikos Papacostas and Franco Simone on September 6.

Singer Maria Farandouri will present the same show as the one she performed at the EXPO 2000 fair in Hanover, for a triumphal close to the 65th TIF.

A.F.

[03] 1 DEAD AND 5 INJURED IN CHALKIDA SHIP ACCIDENT

A 49 year old Ukrainian sailor was found dead and 5 others were found injured during the rescue operation carried out by port authorities on the Greek island Evia, following the accident in which the Eurobarker 10 vessel split into two pieces, due to mistakes in the loading of cement on board the vessel.

The vessel's crew was made up of 10 Ukrainians, 3 Indians, a Russian captain and 1 Greek, Nikos Pandazis. Mr Pandazis, aged 63, was amongst the injured who have now been transferred to the Chalkida hospital, together with a Ukrainian sailor, the ship's chef, the cement loader Moisis Papadopoulos from Chalkida and the cement loader of a private company, Kostas Kakavoulis.

The port authorities are currently doing their utmost to block the oil spillage created by the accident from polluting the sea.

[04] BURNS: THE GREEK-US RELATIONS ARE AT THEIR PEAK

The US exports to Greece have increased by 22.9% in the first half of the current year and by the end of the year they will reach US$ 2.2 billion, according to US ambassador to Athens Nicholas Burns.

The Greek-US relations are at their peak, said Mr. Burns, in a press conference he gave today in which he referred among others to Thessaloniki's 65th International Trade Fair, stating that the fact that this year the United States are the honored country symbolizes the "bond" that has developed between the two countries.

On the US investments in Greece, he said that 1/3 of the foreign investments in Greece are made by US companies, adding that 18.000 new jobs have been created.

Mr. Burns referring to the expansionist plans of the US companies in Greece, pointed out that himself accompanied by an economic staff will tour Alexandroupolis, Kavala and Komotini and other regions in northern Greece in October to conduct a market research on the opportunities opened for the US businesses.

Speaking about Thessaloniki's strategic position in the Balkans, he said that a US office will open soon in the city that will deal specifically with investments in the wider Balkan region.

It should be noted that in the International Trade Fair that opens its gates in Thessaloniki this

evening will participate 40 of the largest US companies, 19 of which are new.

[05] PRIME MINISTER SIMITIS' SPEECH IN THE FORMAL OPENING OF THESSALONIKI'S 65TH INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR

Prime minister Kostas Simitis in his address in the formal opening of Thessaloniki's 65th International Trade Fair this evening is expected to present the new ideological and political framework of the government's objectives after meeting its goal to make Greece part of the European Economic and Monetary Union.

Mr. Simitis will underline that economy must become even more competitive so that the businesses will take advantage and promote new technologies, while Greece will exploit the new potential in the economy and the information society. The prime minister will underline that the main goal of the government will be to be effective in its interventions in the sectors of education, health, unemployment, quality services and the better service of the people. This way, according to Mr. Simitis, social justice, solidarity and the safety of the people will be promoted. He also said that among the dominant government objectives for the next few years will be the consolidation of peace in the wider region.

The prime minister, referring to the issue of the state-issued identity cards, will reiterate that the identity cards are irrelevant to the religious faith, the historic identity and the substance of the Greeks.

On the education reform, he will say that it must go ahead, while on the 2004 Olympic Games he will underline that they are a challenge for Greece.

He will also say that the course toward modernization is not possible without conflicts underlining, at the same time, that there must be dialogue and consensus. He will stress that only through change there will be progress and he will add that no government should reject the prospect of progress because of hesitations, delays and fears.

[06] THE ONLY GREEK PARLIAMENT DEPUTY IN AUSTRIA IS VISITING THESSALONIKI

The first and only parliament deputy in Austria, who is not of Austrian origin, the Greek Maria Vasilakou is visiting Thessaloniki. Ms. Vasilakou went to Vienna in 1986 for the first time to study linguistics and psychology and she finally decided to stay there permanently and 10 years later she was elected in parliament with the party of the Greens.

In an interview with the MPA, she said that the party of the Greens backed her candidature because it was looking for a young person of non Austrian origin as a symbolic act against racism. She said that she was not surprised by Heider's rise to power, stressing that his popularity was on the rise since 1986 and it is not without significance the fact that he got over 27% of the votes in Vienna. Heider was calling for tougher measures against foreigners and immigrants for a number of years, said Ms. Vasilakou and even though the government regarded them as outrageous it was implementing them a few years later.

Ms. Vasilakou said that it would have been an injustice to say that Austrians are more racist than other people, adding that there are many factors that turned them toward Heider such as, insecurity, Heider's charismatic personality, the mistakes of the governments, and the WWII guilt complex that was never discussed out in the open and was never overcome. She added that Heider now taking advantage of the public's sensitivity demands that Slovenia and the Czech Republic should not become members of the European Union if they do not lift the decrees they had issued during WWII based on which, the German population was forced to leave from those countries.

Ms. Vasilakou also said that the foreigners in Austria make up 10% of the population on the average, while in Vienna they are over 20%. The number of Greeks living in Austria is small and in Vienna they are about 2.500. She said that the Greeks in Austria face no problems and the majority of them are well-off. She also said that she is not aware of any Greek being the victim of racism, adding that racism targets mainly non Europeans like, Africans and Asians.

[07] CONFERENCE ON EINSTEIN'S GREEK MATH PROFESSOR

An international conference takes place in Greece in honor of Einstein's Greek math professor Konstantinos Karatheodoris that will last until Monday.

The conference is being held in his birthplace, the town of Nea Vissa in Evros north-eastern Greece on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of his death.

His contribution to the restructuring of higher education in Greece was decisive as he was the one who suggested the Greek universities operation regulation that was in effect until 1982.

The conference is organized by the Pedagogical Institute, the Demokretian University and the Greek Math Society.

[08] A GREEK MECHANIZED BATTALION WILL LEAVE FOR KOSOVO

The formal ceremony for the departure of the 507th mechanized battalion that will be deployed in Kosovo took place at the Karatasios army camp in Thessaloniki today in the presence of general army staff chief Konstantinos Panagiotakis.

The 400men-strong force will leave for Kosovo next week and the Greek force in the region will number a total of 1.500 men. The general army staff chief stated that this is not an increase of the Greek force in the region, as gradually most of the troops will return home and those remaining in Kosovo will be less than 400 men.

Responding to the question if NATO has requested the increase of the Greek force in Kosovo he responded positively and pointed out that the Greek government makes its decisions based on its own interests.

[09] TWO TURKS WERE KILLED IN A MINEFIELD IN EVROS

Two young Turks were killed in a minefield in Evros, north-eastern Greece while trying to illegally cross the borders with Greece.

Omer Toprak, 22 and Ilias Ergur, 26 swam across the Evros River, became disorientated and entered a fenced minefield in the region between Gefira, Kipi and Gemisti, Evros.

[10] THE GREEKS WORK MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE

The Greeks hold a record high in working hours. It is estimated that they work more hours a week even compared to the Japanese, according to a research by the Greek labor and social security ministry.

Based on the research, the working hours cut is a distant dream for the overwhelming majority of the Greeks, 80% of whom have a 40hour week.

Specifically, 43% of the work force in Greece has a 40-47hour week and 37% works for over 47 hours a week.

Those figures are confirmed by a European Commission research as well according to which, the Greeks work more hours than the rest Europeans as well as the Japanese and the Americans.

Specifically, the Greeks work 1.940 hours a year when the Danes work 1.425 hours. The working hours in the United States and Japan are from 1.790 to 1.905 annually.

[11] CARGO SHIP ACCIDENT IN CHALKIDA

The Cambodian flag cargo ship "Europarker", broke in two pieces during the loading of cement and sank near Chalkida in the island of Evia, central Greece this morning.

Fourteen sailors among them 10 Ukrainians, a Russian, 2 Hindus and a Greek were rescued by the Coast Guard and other ships sailing in the area, while a Ukrainian sailor is missing and rescue efforts are underway. Four sailors were injured and were taken to the Chalkida Hospital.

According to the Greek merchant marine ministry, the "Europarker" had sailed into port from Turkey and its destination was Egypt. It is believed that the accident was the result of a mistake in the loading of the cement.

[12] THE GERMAN STATE WANTS THE CONFISCATION OF ITS PROPERTY ÔO BE POSTPONED

The appeal of the German state to an Athens court for an injunction to prevent the confiscation of its property was discussed this morning.

The lawyers representing the German state maintained that there must be a permission by the justice minister for the confiscation to proceed, while they characterized the buildings under confiscation as public welfare institutions.

The lawyer of the victims of the Distomo massacre that was committed by the Nazis during World War II stated that this clause has become inactive and a permission by the justice minister is no longer needed.

[13] KOFI ANNAN PRAISES THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN OLYMPIC TRUCE INTERNATIONAL CENTER IN GREECE

The United Nations and the Olympic Games share the same ideals, stated yesterday UN secretary-general Kofi Annan, praising the establishment in Greece of an Olympic Truce International Center under the auspices of the International Olympic Committee.

In a message delivered two weeks before the opening of the Olympic Games in Sydney, Mr. Annan praised the International Olympic Committee for the revival of the ancient Greek institution of the Olympic Truce according to which, all hostilities must stop during the Olympic Games.

It may appear that this is impossible to happen but as every athlete says nothing can be done without a dream, said Mr. Annan, adding that there is an increased interest in the power of sports in the promotion of a peace culture.

[14] KAKLAMANIS VISTS US ARCHDIOCESE

Greek President of the Republic, Apostolos Kaklamanis, today visited the archdiocese of North and South America, where he met with Archibishop Demetrios. The work carried out by the archdiocese amongst Greeks living abroad was discussed during the meeting, as was the role played by the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

Archibishop Demetrius and the Mr Kaklamanis stressed the importance of using verbal communication based on honesty, in dealing with any and all issues.

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