Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 00-11-22

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

CONTENTS

[01] REPPAS: THE POPE IS ALWAYS WELCOME IN GREECE

[02] MEETING OF THE FOREIGN MINISTERS OF GREECE AND FYROM

[03] THE SIMITIS-KOTSARIAN MEETING WAS HELD IN A POSITIVE CLIMATE

[04] THE INTER-BALKAN JOURNALIST CONFERENCE OPENS IN THESSALONIKI ON FRIDAY

[05] AN IOC DELEGATION INSPECTS THE OLYMPIC PROJECTS IN ATHENS

[06] THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE IS IN FREE FALL

[07] KARAMANLIS-DIMITROV MEETING

[08] KOSTAS KENTERIS WILL BE IN MONTE CARLO

[09] THE ARMENIAN PRESIDENT WILL BE IN THESSALONIKI TOMORROW

[10] PAPANDREOU: ANY COUNTRY THAT DOES NOT RESPECT THE EU PRINCIPLES WILL

[11] NEW VIOLATIONS OF THE CYPRIOT AIRSPACE BY TURKISH FIGHTER JETS

[12] SIMITIS-META DISCUSS BILATERAL RELATIONS

[13] THE CONTACTS OF THE GREEK MINISTER OF NATIONAL ECONOMY IN BERLIN

[01] REPPAS: THE POPE IS ALWAYS WELCOME IN GREECE

Greek government representative, Dimitris Reppas today reiterated that Pope John Paul II is always welcome in Greece and added that he is recognised as a State Leader.

Mr Reppas stressed that the Leader of a foreign state is welcome in the country and that the government cannot take a negative stance as far as the possibility of the Pope visiting Greece is concerned, however he also said that the details of such a trip would have to be discussed by all parties involved.

[02] MEETING OF THE FOREIGN MINISTERS OF GREECE AND FYROM

The Greek government will proceed with the establishment of a FYROM consulate in Thessaloniki next year, while it has accepted a FYROM proposal to establish a Balkan University for European Studies in the city, according to statements made by Greek foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou after the meeting he had with his FYROM counterpart Alexander Dimitrov in Athens.

Mr. Papandreou stressed that cooperation between Greece and FYROM is excellent, very close and developing. He also referred to the issuing of visas and stated that Greece has decided to issue one-year and multiple entry visas, clarifying that Greece acts within the framework of the Schengen agreement on the specific issue.

On the issue of the FYROM name, Mr. Papandreou stated that it is handled within the framework of the UN and expressed the view that there is a political will from both sides to reach a solution that will satisfy both countries.

The two ministers also discussed the issue of Kosovo, the developments in Yugoslavia, the relations between Serbia and Montenegro as well as issues concerning the wider region.

They also discussed the Greek-Turkish relations and the Cyprus issue, while a special emphasis was given to the imminent meeting in Zagreb with the participation of the EU countries and the south eastern European countries.

Both ministers reiterated that they are in favor of the territorial integrity and support the existing borders in the Balkans as well as the democratic procedures, the economic cooperation and the development of the countries which are the main factors for stability in the region.

[03] THE SIMITIS-KOTSARIAN MEETING WAS HELD IN A POSITIVE CLIMATE

Greek prime minister Kostas Simitis met at noon today with Armenian president Robert Kotsarian, who is on a formal visit to Greece. Mr. Simitis characterized as very good the cooperation between the two countries and expressed Greece's interest in a greater economic presence in Armenia. Mr. Simitis also stated that Greece backs the efforts for peace in the Nagorno Karabach region.

The prime minister stated that political cooperation between the two countries is very good, adding that there is a close cultural cooperation, while the economic relations must be promoted further. Referring to the Greek economic presence in Armenia, he brought as an example the Greek Telecommunications, OTE, the Commercial Bank of Greece and other Greek companies that are active in Armenia.

In the meeting they also discussed the future developments in the energy market and Mr. Simitis stated that oil price increases give a special importance to the Black Sea and the countries in the region regardless of whether they have oil or not.

Referring to the problems in the region of Armenia, Mr. Simitis pointed out that Greece seeks to promote any cooperation aimed at the peaceful solution of the Nagorno Karabach issue within the framework of international law and the UN decisions.

From his side, the Armenian president referred to the efforts for the reconstruction of his country and expressed strong interest in the Greek investment capital.

Earlier in the morning, Mr. Kotsarian had met with undersecretary of national economy Yiannis Zafiropoulos and it was agreed that a Greek business delegation will visit Armenia in the first two months of 2001.

The Armenian president also met with Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All of Greece and thanked him for the assistance offered by the Greek Church to the Armenian people.

A cooperation protocol between the cities of Athens and Yerevan was signed in Mr. Kotsarian's meeting with Athens mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos, who honored him with the golden medal of the city.

[04] THE INTER-BALKAN JOURNALIST CONFERENCE OPENS IN THESSALONIKI ON FRIDAY

The directors and editors-in-chief of the 60 largest Balkan mass media as well as, leading computer scientists, specializing in the latest developments in new technologies and the Internet, will attend the 6th Inter-Balkan Journalist Conference on "The New Technologies in the mass media for the development of inter-Balkan cooperation" which is organized by MPA and will take place in Thessaloniki on November 24-25.

The conference will be attended by representatives of leading mass media in Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Kosovo, Moldavia, FYROM, Romania and Turkey. Also, among the main speakers in the conference will be 12 directors and editors-in-chief representing leading newspapers and radio-television stations in Greece.

The conference will open with the speeches of Organization for the Reconstruction of the Balkans general secretary Andrea Zobel, Boston MIT University Media Lab Computer Science director Michalis Bletsas, who will refer to the latest developments in the Internet and Aristotle University Computer Science professor Yiannis Pitas, who will present a program on the protection of copyright on the Internet.

[05] AN IOC DELEGATION INSPECTS THE OLYMPIC PROJECTS IN ATHENS

An International Olympic Committee, IOC, delegation inspects the course of the 2004 Olympic Games projects in Athens, while IOC vice-president Jacques Rogge is expected to arrive in the Greek capital later this evening.

The IOC delegation held a meeting in a central Athens hotel and discussed specific issues concerning the Olympic Village where the athletes will be staying and the village that will host the journalists from all over the world covering the sports events.

According to information, the committee appears to be satisfied with the date set for the start of the Olympic Village construction works namely, in May 2001.

Former Sydney Olympic Games minister Michael Knight is one of the IOC delegation members visiting Athens. In statements he made, characterized as a misunderstanding everything that was heard regarding his role in the Athens Olympic Games. He clarified that he will neither have the role of a supervisor, nor he will be an envoy of IOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch but he will just be an IOC coordinating committee member.

[06] THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE IS IN FREE FALL

Losses of 2.92% were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today and the general index plummeted to 3.307,56 points, while the volume of transactions was small at 62.9 billion drachmas.

Of the stocks trading today, 304 recorded losses, 45 had gains and 28 remained unchanged.

[07] KARAMANLIS-DIMITROV MEETING

FYROM foreign minister Alexander Dimitrov, who is on a visit to Greece, met with right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis and they discussed the situation in the Balkans in view of the EU Summit that will take place in Zagreb as well as, issues concerning the relations between Greece and FYROM.

Mr. Karamanlis referred to the gradual improvement observed in bilateral relations and the positive development in bilateral economic relations. He also stated that New Democracy backs the existing borders in the Balkans and stressed the need for inter-Balkan cooperation and the development of the relations with the EU. Mr. Karamanlis also stressed that the necessary political will must be displayed to deal with the issue of FYROM's name which is an obstacle to the further improvement of bilateral relations.

[08] KOSTAS KENTERIS WILL BE IN MONTE CARLO

Greek Olympic Gold medallist in the men's 200m in the Olympic Games in Sydney, Kostas Kenteris will depart for Monte Carlo on Saturday where he will be honored by the IAAF in the World Athletics Gala that takes place every year at the end of the season.

It will be his second visit to the principality and he is the only Greek athlete honored by the World Federation of Sports.

[09] THE ARMENIAN PRESIDENT WILL BE IN THESSALONIKI TOMORROW

Armenian president Robert Kotsarian will be in Thessaloniki tomorrow wrapping-up his formal visit to Greece.

He will arrive at Thessaloniki's airport in the morning and he will have meetings with the local authorities. Before his departure tomorrow in early afternoon, he will also meet with representatives of the Armenian community in Thessaloniki.

[10] PAPANDREOU: ANY COUNTRY THAT DOES NOT RESPECT THE EU PRINCIPLES WILL NOT BECOME ITS MEMBER

Greece is ready to proceed with the ratification of the EU-Turkey partnership relation text based on what was agreed in Helsinki.

The above were stated by Greek foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou in a joint press conference with deputy foreign minister Elisavet Papazoi on the Inter-governmental conference and the EU-Turkey partnership relation.

The EU-Turkey partnership text was drawn up after consultations between the "15" EU member-states and the candidate for accession countries, said Mr. Papandreou, underlining that Turkey must make its decisions, adding that it must make its small revolution for wide reforms. He also said that Turkey must recognize its obligations toward the EU which are in effect for all the candidate for EU accession countries.

All the Euro-deputies and the Euro-parliament have made it clear to Turkish foreign minister Ismail Cem that any country that does not respect the basic principles of the EU will not be accepted as its member.

Mr. Papandreou said that it is reasonable for Greece to ask that the Greek-Turkish relations and the Cyprus problem be included in the EU-Turkey partnership text. He also said that Turkey must realize that the good relations with Greece and its efforts for the solution of the Cyprus problem is for its own benefit and the benefit of the wider region.

Responding to the question if he was annoyed by the statements made by Ismail Cem in Antalya, he said that Turkey's reactions were excessive because the issues raised are nothing more than the basic principles of the EU.

Commenting on the EU decision based on which, Cyprus will participate in the joint military forces of the EU, he said that it is absurd for an EU candidate country to want to block another EU candidate from participating in the European procedures.

[11] NEW VIOLATIONS OF THE CYPRIOT AIRSPACE BY TURKISH FIGHTER JETS

New violations of the Cypriot airspace by Turkish fighter jets were recorded yesterday morning within the framework of the Turkish military exercise "Toros 200".

The violations were made by two F16 and two RF4 fighter jets and according to the Cypriot ministry of defense spokesman, they flew over Morfou but they did not land at the illegal airfield in Lefkonikou.

[12] SIMITIS-META DISCUSS BILATERAL RELATIONS

Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis held a telephone conversation with his Albanian counterpart Ilir Meta, with whom he discussed recent developments in bilateral relations, according to the newspaper "Gazeta Skiptare".

The newspaper states that Mr Meta invited Mr Simitis to formally visit Tirana and the two leaders discussed recent developments in Greek-Albanian relations, mainly the worries expressed by Mr Simitis on behalf of the Greek government in a letter to the Albanian Prime Minister.

In his letter, the Greek Prime Minister referred to the fact that Albania has failed to keep up its commitment to respecting human rights and in particular, the rights of the Greek minority in Albania.

[13] THE CONTACTS OF THE GREEK MINISTER OF NATIONAL ECONOMY IN BERLIN

The Greek-German cooperation in combination with the undertaking of joint activities in the wider Balkan region and the Black Sea, the strengthening of cooperation between the Greek governing socialist party of PASOK and the German Social-democratic party, SPD, as well as the issue of the German war reparations, were the main issues discussed in the contacts Greek minister of national economy Yiannos Papantoniou had in Berlin.

In statements he made in an interview with Deutsche Welle stated that in the meeting he had with the SPD general secretary they discussed the potential for greater cooperation between the two parties.

Mr. Papantoniou made it clear in the contacts he had with German officials that Greece can be Germany's partner in the Balkans, while they also discussed the likelihood of a German participation in the privatization prepared by the Greek government.

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