Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 00-09-19

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

CONTENTS

[01] PREMIER CONGRATULATES GREEK MEDAL WINNER

[02] HATZIIOANNOU: THE MEDAL WAS A GIFT FROM GOD

[03] THE GREEK GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN ON THE YUGOSLAV ELECTIONS

[04] THE NEW DEMOCRACY PARTY CONGRESS WILL BE HELD IN MARCH

[05] GAINS OF 0.43% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

[06] A HOLY LITURGY WAS HELD FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 100 YEARS IN A PARTLY

[07] THE MAJORITY OF THE GREEKS WANT THE PRESIDENT TO BE ELECTED DIRECTLY BY

[08] THE REAL "CAPTAIN CORELLI" WILL VISIT KEFALONIA

[09] STATE WILL NOT YIELD TO PRICE INCREASE PRESSURES

[10] PANGALOS: ATHENS MOSQUE IS NO FAVOR TO ERBAKAN

[11] GREECE RANKS 25TH IN MEDAL VALUE ON DAY FOUR

[12] KAKLAMANAKIS ADVANCES TO FIFTH RANK IN MISTRAL

[13] BRITISH INTEREST IN THE 2004 OLYMPIC GAMES

[14] A GREEK-AUSTRALIAN GOLD MEDALIST IS ON AN AUSTRALIAN STAMP

[15] THE GREEK ATHLETES' PROGRAM IN TOMORROW'S EVENTS

[16] BANNED ROMANIAN WEIGHTLIFTER IS NOW AWOL

[17] ESCAPED CONVICTS HIJACK OLYMPIC CAR, NO VICTIMS

[01] PREMIER CONGRATULATES GREEK MEDAL WINNER

Prime Minister Costas Simtis sent a congratulatory telegraph to Weightlifter Leonidas Sabanis, who on Sunday took the silver medal in the men's 62kg category in the Olympics, securing Greece's first medal in the Sydney Games.

In his message, the Premier wished every success upon Sabanis and all the Greek athletes competing in the Sydney Olympic Games.

Congratulatory messages to Sabanis also poured in from the leader of the main opposition party of New Democracy Costas Karamanlis, the leaders of minor opposition parties Coalition of the Left and Progress (Nikos Constantopoulos) and Democratic and Social Movement (Dimitris Tsovolas) and the Minister of National Defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos.

A.F.

[02] HATZIIOANNOU: THE MEDAL WAS A GIFT FROM GOD

Greek weightlifting champion Ioanna Hatziioannou, who won the bronze medal in the women's 63kg category, stated that the medal was a gift from God, stressing that she did not hope for a medal given the fact that she had problems with her back.

Ioanna Hatziioannou was born in Munich on October 22, 1973 to Greek immigrants, who returned to Greece and specifically to Thessaloniki in 1980. She started training in weightlifting at a very young age and 12 years ago she participated in a Greek championship for the first time. Since then she has broken the Greek record in her category many times.

Last year, she won the bronze medal in the Athens World Championship by lifting 127.5kg in the clean and jerk setting a European record.

She has been distinguished many times in the European Weightlifting Championship. In 1997 she won the gold in the total and the clean and jerk and the silver in the snatch, while in 1999 she won the gold in the clean and jerk, the silver in the total and the bronze in the snatch.

The bronze Olympic medalist is studying economics at Macedonia University in Thessaloniki.

[03] THE GREEK GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN ON THE YUGOSLAV ELECTIONS

The communication channel between the two countries is open and will remain open regardless of the election results in Yugoslavia, stated Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas reiterating that Greece wants the elections to be held with democratic procedures.

When asked to comment on the text issued by the 15 EU foreign ministers to the Serb people calling them not to vote for Milosevic and the accusations launched by the Greek Communist Party, he stated that foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou does not blackmail the neighboring country over the elections.

He said that the people will form the election result in Yugoslavia and if elections are held based on democratic procedures there will be no problem. Regardless of who will be elected we will accept him, stated Mr. Reppas.

He also referred to the recent trip of the Greek foreign minister to Yugoslavia, underlining that he raised issues of democratic procedures to the Yugoslav leadership and called on it to contribute to the imminent elections in a way that will allow no dispute of the results.

Finally, the Greek government spokesman stated that a discussion is held in the foreign affairs parliamentary committee on who will go to Yugoslavia as an observer in the elections.

[04] THE NEW DEMOCRACY PARTY CONGRESS WILL BE HELD IN MARCH

The course of national issues and foreign policy issues was discussed today in the right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy executive committee meeting that was president over by party leader Kostas Karamanlis.

In the meeting was also discussed the issue of the party congress and it was decided to be held in March.

[05] GAINS OF 0.43% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

Small gains of 0.43% were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today and the general index was at 4.164,39 points.

The volume of transactions was satisfactory at 146.4 billion drachmas and the biggest gains of 1.59% were recorded in the bank index. Of the stocks trading today, 243 had losses, 99 recorded gains and 44 remained unchanged.

[06] A HOLY LITURGY WAS HELD FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 100 YEARS IN A PARTLY DESTROYED CHURCH IN TURKEY

A partly destroyed historic church, the church of St.Georgios in the town of Selim Pasha in Turkey, opened for the first time after 100 years last Saturday and a holy liturgy was held by Metropolite Kirillos of Selefkia, while the Turkish authorities and simple people were watching curiously.

The holy liturgy was attended by about 102 residents of Nei Epivates in Thessaloniki, who visited Silivria and Selim Pasha (former Epivates) in Turkey in the period of September 14-17 looking for the houses of their forefathers.

The issue of the restoration of the St. Georgios church was discussed with the Selim Pasha municipal authorities and it was decided that a campaign to raise the necessary funds will take place in Greece, according to a statement made to MPA by Nei Epivates town councillor Giorgos Kariotis.

[07] THE MAJORITY OF THE GREEKS WANT THE PRESIDENT TO BE ELECTED DIRECTLY BY THE PEOPLE

The majority of the Greeks want the president of the republic to be elected directly by the people, according to an opinion poll conducted by the polling company V-PRC on behalf of the Athens newspaper "Imerisia".

The majority (58.5%) want the direct election of the president by the people, while 28.1% of those questioned believe that the best way to elect the president is that which is currently in effect.

The proposal for the direct election of the president has considerable support among the governing socialist party of PASOK voters (45.7%), while the support among the right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy voters is greater, namely 67.9%.

[08] THE REAL "CAPTAIN CORELLI" WILL VISIT KEFALONIA

An Italian government delegation, headed by the Italian minister of defense, will be in the Ionian island of Kefalonia on September 29 on the occasion of the 57th anniversary of the Italian soldiers' massacre that was committed by the Germans during WWII, a few days before Italy's armistice on the island

Among the members of the delegation will be 90yearold Amos Pambaloni, the real "captain Corelli" played by Nicholas Cage in the film that was recently shot in the Ionian island.

The tragic epilogue of those events were the deaths of thousands of Italians, 390 officers and 9.640 soldiers, who served in the Akui Division, the 33rd Artillery Regiment and an Italian navy unit. Specifically, 1.315 were killed in battle, 3.000 were drowned when the German ships taking them to concentration camps were sunk by mines, and 5.325 were executed in cold blood by Wermacht, while they were giving themselves up in Kefalonia.

[09] STATE WILL NOT YIELD TO PRICE INCREASE PRESSURES

In spite of the continuing fuel crisis and the strengthening of the US dollar, the state does not intend to submit to pressures exerted for increased fares and prices, neither will it divert from its fiscal policy, according to the Minister of National Economy and Finance Yiannos Papantoniou.

In an interview with the Athens daily "Ta Nea", Mr. Papantoniou stressed that the state's main concern is to contain inflation below the three-percent level, for as long as the oil crisis lasts.

Regarding demands to cut fuel taxes, Mr. Papantoniou stressed that there is no leeway, as Greece already has the lowest fuel taxes throughout Europe.

A.F.

[10] PANGALOS: ATHENS MOSQUE IS NO FAVOR TO ERBAKAN

The Greek state's decision to erect a mosque in Attica is in no way related to the re-opening of the Chalki Theological School in Istanbul, Culture Minister Theodoros Pangalos stated in response to Turkey's former premier (and one of the country's welfare party founders) Necmettin Erbakan, who stated that if a mosque is built in Athens, then Chalki will reopen.

"We're not building the mosque as a favor to Mr. Erbakan, or to anyone else. We have Greeks who are Muslims and who, according to our constitution, have an equal right to religion as the rest of the Greeks, the majority of whom are Christian-Orthodox," Mr. Pangalos said.

"Now, if Mr. Erbakan took this opportunity to recall Turkey's responsibility- a responsibility that arises from international accords, to render the Chalki Theologicakl School operable, then so much for the better."

The government's plans to erect a mosque and Islamic cultural center in Peania, eastern Attica, were presented by the Minister of Culture to the ambassadors of Morocco, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority, during a meeting held in Athens yesterday.

The three Arab diplomats presented Mr. Pangalos with a series of proposals concerning the mosque, which is to be built by the year 2004.

Mr. Pangalos stated that the mosque is a necessary addition for Athens, home to approximately 100,000 Muslims.

In addition to the mosque, the cultural center will feature a library, an information center and a recreation area.

A.F.

[11] GREECE RANKS 25TH IN MEDAL VALUE ON DAY FOUR

Rk Country Gold Silver Bronze Total

1 United States of America 6 5 4 15

2 Australia 4 5 5 14

3 France 4 6 2 12

4 China 5 1 5 11

5 Italy 3 2 3 8

6 Russia 1 3 3 7

7 Japan 2 3 1 6 8 Germany 1 3 2 6

9 Korea 1 3 2 6

10 Britain 1 3 1 5

11 Netherlands 3 1 0 4

12 Bulgaria 2 1 1 4

13 Cuba 1 1 2 4

14 Switzerland 1 1 1 3

15 Czech Republic 1 0 2 3

16 Slovakia 0 2 1 3

17 Belarus 0 1 2 3

18 Turkey 2 0 0 2

19 Ukraine 1 1 0 2

20 Romania 1 0 1 2

21 Sweden 1 0 1 2

22 Canada 1 0 1 2

23 Spain 1 0 1 2

24 Brazil 0 1 1 2

25 Greece 0 1 1 2

26 North Korea 0 1 1 2

27 Indonesia 0 0 2 2

28 Hungary 1 0 0 1

29 Lithuania 1 0 0 1

30 Croatia 1 0 0 1

31 Mexico 1 0 0 1

32 Yugoslavia 0 1 0 1

33 Chinese Taipei 0 1 0 1

34 Latvia 0 0 1 1

35 Costa Rica 0 0 1 1

36 Kyrgyzstan 0 0 1 1

37 Georgia 0 0 1 1

38 South Africa 0 0 1 1

39 Belgium 0 0 1 1

40 Thailand 0 0 1 1

A.F.

[12] KAKLAMANAKIS ADVANCES TO FIFTH RANK IN MISTRAL

Greece's sailing gold medalist (Atlanta '96) has edged up to the fifth position in the overall ranking, a marker improvement from yesterday's 11th slot.

Kaklamanakis finished tenth in the fourth race of the Mistral Men's class, amassing 47 points. Australia is leading the overall ranking, followed by Austria and Germany.

As for the Women's Mistral class, Greece's Aggeliki Skarlatou presently ranks eighteenth.

A.F.

[13] BRITISH INTEREST IN THE 2004 OLYMPIC GAMES

A short article published by the British newspaper "The Guardian" is especially interesting, as it mentions that based on local newspaper reports the city of Manchester is ready to take over the 2004 Olympic Games in case Athens fails to complete the necessary projects.

The British city has all the necessary sports facilities ready as in 2003 it will host the Games of the Commonwealth.

[14] A GREEK-AUSTRALIAN GOLD MEDALIST IS ON AN AUSTRALIAN STAMP

Greek-Australian Michael Diamond (his Greek last name is Diamantidis), who won the gold medal for Australia in the shooting competition, is on an Australian stamp since yesterday, just one day after his big success.

The shooting champion dedicated the medal he won to the memory of his father, Kostas Diamantidis, who was his coach and died from cancer last March.

[15] THE GREEK ATHLETES' PROGRAM IN TOMORROW'S EVENTS

Weightlifter Valerios Leonidis will compete for the gold medal tomorrow in the 69kg category.

Swimmer Tonia Machera will compete in the women's 100m freestyle preliminaries, while Haidi Antikatzidi will start her effort in the equestrian competition.

In sailing, the pairs of Kosmatopoulos-Trigonis and Bekatorou-Tsoulfa will compete in the men's and women's 470 category respectively. Tomorrow, will also compete Antonis Bougiouris and Maria Vlachou.

[16] BANNED ROMANIAN WEIGHTLIFTER IS NOW AWOL

Traian Ciharean, one of two Romanian weightlifters banned from the Olympics after testing positive from steroids, is now missing after refusing to board a plane destined for Romania.

Following the positive test, Ciharean was ordered to leave the Olympic Village and turn in his Olympic accreditation. He then refused the Romanian Olympic Committee's offer of a trip home and disappeared after leaving the village.

"We were working on his ticket to go home and he refused to take it and left his badge,'' said Alex Epuran, a spokesman for the Romanian Olympic Committee.

"We reported it to the Olympic Village police, as we were requested to do."

Mr. Epuran said that Romanian officials had not been in contact with Ciharean since he left the Olympic Village last night.

Asked if the Romanian delegation was concerned for Ciharean's safety, Mr. Epuran said, "He's out of our delegation. He's out of the village. He's not our concern anymore."

A.F.

[17] ESCAPED CONVICTS HIJACK OLYMPIC CAR, NO VICTIMS

Two escaped convicts hijacked a car leased to South Korea's Olympic committee near the main site of the Sydney Games today, in an attempt to flee from the police.

According to Associated Press wire reports, the car's four occupants, one a member of South Korea's National Olympic Committee - were freed unharmed a short time later, and the escapees abandoned the car and fled on foot.

None of the occupants was taken hostage in the escape, said Sydney Olympics organizing committee spokesman Milton Cockburn. All four were taken to a hospital, apparently to be treated for shock.

One of the occupants was a low-ranking official of the South Korean Olympic committee and the other three were Korean volunteers from Australia, said Chou Eun-ki, a spokesman for the delegation.

Chou said Korean officials were still getting details of the hijacking from the four, but the hijacking apparently was foiled by police.

A.F.

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