Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 00-11-29

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

CONTENTS

[01] MEAT CONSUMERS IN ATHENS: WHERES THE BEEF?

[02] PM MEETS WITH ALBANIAN COUNTERPART ON FRIDAY

[03] GREEK ANTIDOTE TO THE "MAD COW" DISEASE

[04] KOSTUNICA AND DJINJIC WILL BE IN MOUNT ATHOS ON SUNDAY

[05] THE SUICIDE OF SHIPOWNER PANTELIS SFINIAS HAS SHOCKED GREECE

[06] COSMOTE IN THE DOW JONES STOXXSM TMI INDEX

[07] TSOCHATZOPOULOS: THE CONTRACT ON THE EUROFIGHTER JETS WILL BE SIGNED IN

[08] GAINS OF 0.55% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

[09] NEW FINDINGS IN THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE OF PHILIPPI, NORTH-EASTERN

[10] OPTIMISM REGADING THE COURSE OF INFLATION IN GREECE

[11] THE FUNERAL OF NIKOS ANASTASOPOULOS WILL TAKE PLACE TOMORROW

[12] PARLIAMENT RATIFIES G/T SEA TRANSPORT ACCORD

[13] KOSTUNICA WILL BE IN ATHENS ON DECEMBER 13

[14] ALBANIAN POLICE DETAIN FORMER PRESIDENT BERISHA

[15] BULGARIAN PATRIARCH SAYS NO TO POPES VISIT

[16] ALBANIA-GREEK COMMERCIAL TRADE ON THE RISE

[17] THE GREEK PRIME MINISTER MET WITH HIS HUNGARIAN COUNTERPART

[18] GREEK-HUNGARIAN ECONOMIC COOPERATION

[19] CELL PHONES IN UK TO HAVE SMOKE-LIKE WARNINGS

[01] MEAT CONSUMERS IN ATHENS: WHERES THE BEEF?

Beef has become a rare commodity in Attica as of lately, following a decision drawn this week by the area's butchers' association not to sell beef products, imported or domestic, until European Union officials take measures aimed at protecting consumers and not profits.

The butchers also said that the ban, which far exceeds government action taken so far, will remain in place until the state issues assurances that beef in Greece is fit for consumption.

If no effective action is taken by the state, Attica's butchers have also threatened to close their shops ten days before Christmas.

A.F.

[02] PM MEETS WITH ALBANIAN COUNTERPART ON FRIDAY

Prime Minister Costas Simitis is to receive his Albanian counterpart Ilir Meta on Friday, December 1, with whom he will discuss issues of bilateral interest.

The Albanian Premier and the President of Albania's Socialist Party Fatos Nano are to be in Athens in order to attend a seminar on minority issues, organized by the U.S. PER Institute.

According to press reports in Tirana, the leader of Albania's main opposition party Sali Berisha refused an invitation to attend the seminar.

A.F.

[03] GREEK ANTIDOTE TO THE "MAD COW" DISEASE

The hope that the "mad cow" disease and the Creutzfeld-Jacob disease that affects humans, will be treated comes from Thessaloniki, as a new method, that is still at an experimental stage, has been developed by a Thessaloniki Aristotle University professor and stops the progress of the two diseases.

According to an exclusive report on the Athens newspaper "Ethnos", the long scientific research by Pharmacology professor Theodoros Sklaviadis concerns the effective intervention that will stop the transformation of the PrP (PRION) protein, which is responsible for the diseases mentioned above, from normal to pathological.

The method developed by professor Sklaviadis and his team of researchers will be recognized at a world level in a few days and for this reason the full conclusions of this promising research are not made public yet.

Mr. Sklaviadis is in cooperation with research teams abroad which have the necessary infrastructure in order to test the method on animals. Among them is the team of researchers headed by well-known professor Andriano Agucci in Switzerland.

It should be noted that in the "Ethnos" report is mentioned that professor Sklaviadis' research concerns other nerve deteriorating diseases such as, the Scrapie that appears in sheep and the Alzheimer's disease.

The research was funded by the ministry of development in 1998 with the sum of 257.716.000 drachmas and the European program BIOMET.

[04] KOSTUNICA AND DJINJIC WILL BE IN MOUNT ATHOS ON SUNDAY

New Yugoslav president Voiclav Kostunica together with prime minister Zoran Djinjic will be on a two-day private visit to the monastic community of Mount Athos in northern Greece on Sunday and Monday, according to Yugoslav sources.

The two men will arrive in Thessaloniki by plane and then they will go to Mount Athos by helicopter to visit the Hilandariou Monastery. The two Yugoslav officials will stay in Mount Athos until Monday afternoon when they will return to their country.

It should be noted that this short unofficial visit is not related with the formal visit to Athens that will be made by the Yugoslav president on December 13.

[05] THE SUICIDE OF SHIPOWNER PANTELIS SFINIAS HAS SHOCKED GREECE

Prime minister Kostas Simitis expressed his regret for the suicide death of shipowner Pantelis Sfinias, managing director of the Minoan Lines shipping company, the owner of the "Express Samina" ferry-boat that sunk off the coasts of the Aegean island of Paros. A total of 81 people lost their lives in the September 26 shipwreck.

The prime minister was informed of the tragic development during the joint press conference he gave with his Hungarian counterpart in Budapest.

Acting government spokesman Tilemachos Hitiris stated that the conditions under which the suicide was committed are being investigated.

[06] COSMOTE IN THE DOW JONES STOXXSM TMI INDEX

Greek Telecommunications Organization, OTE, subsidiary mobile phone company COSMOTE has secured a place in the Dow Jones STOXXSM TMI index. The decision that will be in effect on December 18 was reached in the last revision of the specific index that takes place every three months.

The specific index covers 95% of the companies trading in Europe and includes a total of 1.150 different shares.

[07] TSOCHATZOPOULOS: THE CONTRACT ON THE EUROFIGHTER JETS WILL BE SIGNED IN 10 DAYS

The contract for the participation of Greece in the consortium for the production of 4th generation Eurofighter jets is expected to be signed in about 10 days.

The above were stated by minister of defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos in the briefing of the National Defense and Foreign Affairs Parliamentary Committee concerning the Greek armed forces new five-year armaments plan for the period of 2000-2005.

Mr. Tsochatzopoulos reiterated that Greece participates in the joint venture for the production of the Eurofighters and that after the contract is signed it will participate in the consortium with a 15% share.

[08] GAINS OF 0.55% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

Gains of 0.55% were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today and the general index was at 3.230,94 points, while the volume of transactions was small at 59.9 billion drachmas.

Of the stocks trading today, 195 recorded gains,144 had losses and 36 remained unchanged.

[09] NEW FINDINGS IN THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE OF PHILIPPI, NORTH-EASTERN GREECE

The new findings that were unearthed by Thessaloniki's Aristotle University archaeology students in the archaeological site of the early Christian settlement of Philippi in north-eastern Greece will be presented by Byzantine archaeology professor Giorgos Gounaris, who will give a relevant lecture in Thessaloniki's Byzantine Civilization Museum this evening.

The excavations have unearthed two two-level luxury houses dated back to the early 4th century AD, a large part of Egnatia Route, two service roads and a big public building with a pool.

The excavations in the specific archaeological site began in 1914 by the French Archaeology School.

[10] OPTIMISM REGADING THE COURSE OF INFLATION IN GREECE

Bank of Greece governor Loukas Papadimos appeared optimistic over the course of inflation in the year 2001 after delivering the Monetary Policy Council interim report on the course of the economy to parliament president Apostolos Kaklamanis.

Mr. Papadimos stated that next year different factors will have a positive effect on the course of inflation. The positive factors will be the controlled increase in the labor cost, the productivity increase and the expected budget surplus, while the course of inflation will also be determined by the oil prices and the US dollar-Euro exchange rate.

[11] THE FUNERAL OF NIKOS ANASTASOPOULOS WILL TAKE PLACE TOMORROW

The funeral of Nikos Anastasopoulos, former undersecretary and parliament deputy with the right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy, who died yesterday at the age of 56, will take place in Athens tomorrow.

New Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis expressed his regret for the death of Nikos Anastasopoulos.

[12] PARLIAMENT RATIFIES G/T SEA TRANSPORT ACCORD

The Hellenic Parliament has ratified a Greek-Turkish maritime accord, aiming to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the sector of maritime trade and facilitate the development of international sea commerce.

The accord calls for the enforcement of unhindered competition principles, equal bilateral access to ports, validation of all navigation documents issued either in Greece or Turkey, accreditation of crew and passenger identifications, emergency navigation assistance, etc.

The said accord does not apply to military or fishing vessels, neither to vessels conducting hydrographic, oceanographic or scientific research, nor to vessels exclusively performing administrative or state services.

A.F.

[13] KOSTUNICA WILL BE IN ATHENS ON DECEMBER 13

Federal Republic of Yugoslavia president Voiclav Kostunica will be on a formal visit to Athens on December 13, according to Yugoslav news agency TANJUG.

Also, according to a BETA news agency report, Mr. Kostunica and prime minister Zoran Djinjic will be on a private visit to the monastic community of Mount Athos in northern Greece on Sunday.

[14] ALBANIAN POLICE DETAIN FORMER PRESIDENT BERISHA

Albania's former President Sali Berisha was briefly detained by police today, as he was emerging from his office in Tirana along with several other Democratic Party officials and bodyguards.

According to Albanian Interior Ministry reports, Mr. Berisha, who was released later, had been held for refusing to let police search his car and check the identity papers of its occupants.

The incident took place a day after Mr. Berisha's supporters in the northern town of Tropoja attacked government buildings and fired on police.

According to Albanian Premier Ilir Meta, several people were killed when security forces returned fire, although the exact death toll is unclear.

A.F.

[15] BULGARIAN PATRIARCH SAYS NO TO POPES VISIT

Bulgarian Orthodox Patriarch Maxim is refusing "on canonical grounds" to extend an invitation to Pope John Paul II, even though the country's government has repeatedly invited the Pope to visit Bulgaria.

According to local press reports, the Bulgarian government believes that a papal visit could amount to recognition that Bulgaria was not involved in the 1981 attempt on John Paul II's life. Two Bulgarian citizens were acquitted of involvement in that attempt, due to "lack of evidence."

However, the pontiff has stated that he will accept the invitation only if Maxim invites him as well.

A.F.

[16] ALBANIA-GREEK COMMERCIAL TRADE ON THE RISE

Commercial trade between Albania and Greece is on the rise, as the latter is the neighboring country's top economic ally, along with Italy, according to press reports in Tirana.

Albania's commercial trade with Greece and Italy amount to 73 percent of the overall volume of the said country's transactions world wide.

So far this year, Albanian imports from Greece amount to 29 percent of the overall volume, marking a ten-percent increase since last year's 19 percent.

Greece is among the participating countries in an Albanian trade fair, presently underway in Tirana, the first time Greek firms are represented in the neighboring country's Panair 2000. Featuring the showcasing of 23 Greek firms, Greece's participation in Panair 2000 general trade fair has been arranged by the Thessaloniki International Trade Fair.

[17] THE GREEK PRIME MINISTER MET WITH HIS HUNGARIAN COUNTERPART

Greek prime minister Kostas Simitis met in Budapest this morning with his Hungarian counterpart Victor Orban.

The good level of bilateral relations was confirmed in the meeting and the two leaders stressed the need for the strengthening of the economic cooperation and the preservation of peace and stability in the Balkans.

Mr. Simitis pointed out that Greece supports the European Union enlargement to include central and eastern European countries, while Mr. Orban stated that his country backs the UN decisions on the issue of Cyprus.

Mr. Orban stated that about 200.000 Hungarians visit Greece every year and the new situation in Yugoslavia opens new horizons for the two countries. He also emphasized that the Hungarian government will back the Greek investors because they have created good impression and are regarded as reliable partners. Mr. Orban also called on Mr. Simitis to back Hungary's effort to become an EU member. The Hungarian prime minister stated that his country wants to host the Olympic Games in the future and for this reason the preparations for the Athens 2004 Olympic Games are been closely watched, adding that Hungary has a lot to learn from Greece.

Mr. Simitis also met with the Hungarian president and attended a meeting of Hungarian and Greek businessmen.

[18] GREEK-HUNGARIAN ECONOMIC COOPERATION

Undersecretary of national economy Yiannis Zafiropoulos, who met in Budapest today with foreign affairs undersecretary Mr. Balas, responsible for Hungary's international economic relations, stated that he is satisfied with the talks he had in the Hungarian capital.

Mr. Zafiropoulos stressed in the meeting that there is a need to further strengthen and develop bilateral economic relations through the Joint Ministerial Committee, while he also proposed the signing of an economic cooperation agreement by the two sides.

Mr. Balas accepted the proposals and it was decided that the Joint Committee of Specialists will meet in January to study the draft agreement. As it was made known, the agreement will be signed in Athens by March 2001 when the 1st meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee will take place.

Mr. Zafiropoulos also stressed that there are considerable prospects of cooperation between the two countries.

In the Greek-Hungarian forum of businessmen, Mr. Zafiropoulos and Mr. Balas stressed that the actions on which they reached agreement constitute a new beginning for the further strengthening of bilateral economic relations.

[19] CELL PHONES IN UK TO HAVE SMOKE-LIKE WARNINGS

Cell phones sold in the United Kingdom are to be accompanied by government leaflets warning of the potential dangers of such phone use, according to British health officials.

A spokeswoman for the British department of health said that the text of the leaflet was still being finalized and the government had not decided whether the leaflets should be specifically handed to buyers or left for customers to pick up.

According to local press reports, all cell phones will be sold with government health warnings to be issued ahead of the Christmas sales rush.

The leaflet follows recommendations by a government inquiry into the safety of cell phones that were published in May, which stated that, while there was no evidence yet to suggest a health risk to the whole population, early findings pointed to possible "subtle effects" on brain function. It recommended discouraging children from using cell phones. The inquiry was set up after reports that radiation from the phones could lead to cancer.

A.F.

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