Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 01-03-21

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

CONTENTS

[01] GREECE ISN'T PLANNING TO REINFORCE KFOR TROOPS

[02] GROSSMAN: BOTH OF CYPRUS' COMMUNITIES IN EU

[03] MORE ABORTIONS THAN BIRTHS IN GREECE

[04] THE BLACK SEA BANK WILL TAKE PART IN US1 BILLION PROJECTS IN 2001

[05] VERELIS IS ON A VISIT TO SYRIA

[06] REPPAS: CYPRUS' EU ACCESSION COURSE IS UNDERWAY

[07] REPPAS: THERE IS NO STATE INTERVENTION IN THE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

[08] REPPAS: ISOLATED PHENOMENA OF RACISM IN GREECE

[09] LOSSES IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

[10] ETHNIC GREEK ASSOCIATIONS CALL FOR GREEK GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION IN THE

[11] GREEK PREMIER, FM AT STOCKHOLM FOR EU SUMMIT

[12] GREEK STUDENTS NOT XENOPHOBIC, BUT PARENTS ARE

[13] TWO ETHNIC GREEKS WERE INJURED IN A HAND GRENADE ATTACK IN HIMARA

[14] PRIME MINISTER SIMITIS IN FAVOR OF A NATO ACTION IN FYROM

[15] STATEMENT BY SAE-AMERICA ON THE ISSUE OF THE FYROM NAME

[01] GREECE ISN'T PLANNING TO REINFORCE KFOR TROOPS

Greece isn't planning to reinforce its military force now serving in the NATO contingent controlling Kosovo (KFOR), according to Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos, who also added that the international community should undertake tougher measures.

The international community and the European Union cannot on the one hand support the political stability of the region's countries, peoples and governments, through economic and administrative means and allow some to think that they can play a game of subversion. We wholly reject this; Greece is not about to reinforce its military force now serving in KFOR, he said. ,

A.F.

[02] GROSSMAN: BOTH OF CYPRUS' COMMUNITIES IN EU

Both the Greek-Cypriot and the Turkish-Cypriot communities should have the opportunity to enter the European Union, the nominee for the post of United States assistant secretary of state Marc Grossman said during his hearing before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee yesterday.

I think that the European Union is the great goal out there and we ought to be able to make sure that all people in Cyprus whether in the North or the South, have the opportunity to get in the European Union, he stated, adding that to do that they're going to have to settle the problem.

Moreover, Mr. Grossman, who has served as US Ambassador to Ankara, stressed that it's in the interest of Turkey that there be a settlement on the island. It's surely in the interest of most of the Turkish Cypriots, I would say, to have a settlement on the island.

We have got to impress on the Turkish Cypriots and the people in Ankara that they have got to get involved in this negotiation. And we've got to use, it seems to me, leverage. But I use that term kind of in a positive way, in terms of what Cyprus is going to do to get into the European Union, he said.

A.F.

[03] MORE ABORTIONS THAN BIRTHS IN GREECE

Every year two in three pregnant women end up in having an abortion in Greece, while one in ten couples can not have children. Specifically, each year there are 100.000 births, while abortions are estimated to be 200.000. As a result, to each couple correspond 1.2 births when in Turkey they are more than four and in the rest of Europe each couple has more than two children on the average.

The increased number of abortions in Greece results from the fact that contraceptives are not being used as much as they should have, while people are ignorant regarding the way that they can be used.

The above were stated by Thessaloniki Aristotle University Obstetrics and Gynecology professor Ioannis Bontis in a press conference that was given on the occasion of the 1st Geriatrics Conference that will take place in Thessaloniki on March 30.

He also stated that one in ten couples has difficulties in conception and 10% of the births in Greece are the result of in vitro fertilization. The success rate of this method is 20-25%.

[04] THE BLACK SEA BANK WILL TAKE PART IN US1 BILLION PROJECTS IN 2001

The Black Sea Trade and Development Bank participation in the financing of US1 billion projects that will materialize in the Black Sea zone this year is estimated to be US300 million.

The above were announced in Thessaloniki today by Black Sea vice-president Daniela Bobeva clarifying that in 2000 had been approved US400-500 million projects.

Also, the Black Sea Bank has approved export credits of US17.5 million that will be received by its 11 member-states namely, Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Romania, Russia, Ukraine and Turkey.

[05] VERELIS IS ON A VISIT TO SYRIA

Greek transportation minister Christos Verelis is on a visit to Syria. The goal of the visit is the signing of an international road transportation agreement that has already been initialed.

Mr. Verelis is accompanied by a business delegation and is scheduled to meet with the prime minister and the vice-president of the Syrian government to discuss issues of bilateral interest, as well as initiatives for the development of the Greek-Syrian relations.

[06] REPPAS: CYPRUS' EU ACCESSION COURSE IS UNDERWAY

Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas, when called to comment on the statements made by US assistant secretary of state Mr. Marc Grossman according to which, the Cyprus problem must be solved before Cyprus becomes an EU member, stated that Cyprus' EU accession course is underway and it will not be interrupted.

The Greek government spokesman added that binding decisions on Cyprus' EU accession have been made in the Helsinki Summit meeting. He also stated that Cyprus' accession is not linked with the solution of the Cyprus problem and that Cyprus has all the necessary preconditions to become an EU member.

On Turkey's national action plan, the Greek government spokesman stated that it will be evaluated in the EU general affairs council meeting next May. He said that Greece evaluates Turkey's national action plan in comparison with the contents of the partnership relation text, clarifying that there are positive points regarding the Turkish state's internal organization. However, he added that on issues that concern Greece this text is not based on the EU-Turkey partnership relation text.

[07] REPPAS: THERE IS NO STATE INTERVENTION IN THE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas stated that there is no state intervention in Greece in the area of the football championship, responding to a question by a reporter on the FIFA letter that calls for a legislation to safeguard the autonomy of the Greek Football Federation.

He added that the responsible government minister has expressed his position on the issue, which is in compliance with the European Union decisions, adding that the Greek Football Federation's autonomy is indisputable but the Greek state exercises its rights.

Finally, he stated that a legislative initiative aimed at solving the problem will be undertaken after the Easter Holidays.

[08] REPPAS: ISOLATED PHENOMENA OF RACISM IN GREECE

Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas characterized as isolated the phenomena of xenophobia and racism recorded in Greece, stating that they are condemned strongly.

Mr. Reppas attributed the isolated racist phenomena to the fact that there is a large number of economic refugees in Greece compared to the Greek population. He also stressed that the sporadic incidents that have been recorded in Greece should not lead to the generalized conclusion that the Greeks are racists and xenophobic.

The Greek society is tolerant and open and as time passes such phenomena will gradually disappear, stated Mr. Reppas.

[09] LOSSES IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

Losses were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange. The general index dropped to -1.12% at 3.073,50 points, while the volume of transactions was relatively small at 184.6 million Euro or 62.9 billion drachmas.

Of the stocks trading today, 227 recorded losses and 101 had gains, while the value of 44 stocks remained stable.

[10] ETHNIC GREEK ASSOCIATIONS CALL FOR GREEK GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION IN THE ALBANIAN POPULATION CENSUS

The ethnic Greek Minority Associations in a request submitted to the Greek parliament by right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy parliament deputy Sotiris Kouvelas call on the Greek government to persuade the Albanian government to accept their demands concerning the imminent population census that will be held in Albania.

Specifically, the ethnic Greek Minority Associations want the nationality, language and religion to be included in the population census questionnaire, the Albanian government to stop the policy it follows against the ethnic Greek minority, one person per family in each household to be enough on the day of the population census, the Albanian government to announce the date of the population census in time, the population census to continue for 2-3 days including a weekend, and finally, they want the movement of immigrants at the Greek-Albanian borders to be facilitated.

[11] GREEK PREMIER, FM AT STOCKHOLM FOR EU SUMMIT

Prime Minister Costas Simitisi and Foreign Minister George Papandreou are to depart for Sweden tomorrow, in order to participate in the European Union's Summit that will be held in Stockholm on March 23-24.

Enlargement, employment and environmental concerns will be the three issues to top the agenda during the Summit.

Regarding the EU's enlargement, Sweden believes that the opportunity exists for achieving significant progress after the Nice Summit agreements.

On joblessness, the Swedish presidency is to focus on strategies to increase employment through economic reforms, educational programs and social welfare. Specifically, the Summit will be called on to implement the EU policy on unemployment that was decided at Lisbon a year ago, and will deal mainly with economic and social issues.

On the sidelines of the summit, during a working dinner also attended by EU foreign ministers, Europe's leaders will discuss political issues, such as developments in FYROM, the Middle East crisis and Europe's relations with Korea. 

As for environmental policies, Sweden is expected to promote EU cooperation regulated by environmental considerations.

Sweden is also to grant special attention to EU's relations with Russia and it will work toward the further development of its crisis management capability.

Foreign Minister George Papandreou is expected to meet with his Russian counterpart Igor Ivanov on the Summit's sidelines, as the latter will be in Stockholm, along with Russian President Vladimir Putin, to discuss economic and trade relations between Russia and the EU.

Prime Minister Costas Simitis is to outline the overall situation in Greece and the Balkans, and is expected to request from his EU counterparts that they provide an active presence to the Balkan region, as well as undertake measures that will contribute to the establishment of peace, security and stability in the area.

A.F.

[12] GREEK STUDENTS NOT XENOPHOBIC, BUT PARENTS ARE

Illustrating an obvious generation gap, students in Greece are not xenophobic since the presence of their migrant classmates doesn't bother them, but the same cannot be said of their parents who are not as tolerant.

According to a poll entitled Discrimination-Racism-Xenophobia and the Greek Educational System, 88 percent of primary school children have a positive opinion of their foreign friends, 75.6 percent have an immigrant friend, 86.8 percent are willing to share a desk with one and 60 percent believe that foreign students should be able to attend any Greek school.

On the other hand, 51.7 percent of parents are anxious over the presence of immigrants in Greek society; according to the survey, 50.7 percent of the parents are opposed to the presence of immigrant children at Greek schools, with 30.3% of them responding that they are definitely bothered and 20.4% stating that they are rather bothered.

Of the parents surveyed, 62.3% responded that foreigners living in Greece should leave, as they either aren't needed or are illegal. Another 10.9 percent responded that all foreigners should go back home, while 17.2% said that they should stay and have the same rights enjoyed by Greeks. Another portion, 7.1 percent, believes that foreigners should stay, but not have the same rights as nationals.

The survey was conducted by Kappa Research for Greece's branch of UNICEF, along with the AKMI private vocational training college, between March 6-13 in Athens and Thessaloniki.

A.F.

[13] TWO ETHNIC GREEKS WERE INJURED IN A HAND GRENADE ATTACK IN HIMARA

Two ethnic Greeks were injured in a hand grenade attack targeting a Greek coffee-shop in Himara, Albania last Sunday night.

One of the two brothers, who own the coffee-shop, was injured as well as an ethnic Greek customer and an Albanian. The last two were seriously injured. The attack was launched after a brawl between the perpetrator, who is Albanian, and ethnic Greeks living in the region.

The Himara Residents Association mentions, in a statement issued on the occasion of the imminent population census and parliamentary elections in Albania, that the Albanian government has launched a terror campaign against the ethnic Greek minority and calls on the Greek government to demand from the Albanian authorities to protect the ethnic Greeks in the region as a token of appreciation for the contribution of the Greek state in the Albanian state reconstruction efforts.

[14] PRIME MINISTER SIMITIS IN FAVOR OF A NATO ACTION IN FYROM

Greek prime minister Kostas Simitis in statements he made in London today, after yesterday's meeting with his British counterpart Tony Blair, referred to the situation created in the Balkans as a result of the Albanian extremists' actions in FYROM.

Mr. Simitis stated that he supports a more active NATO in the crisis that has been created and pointed out that the alliance can not remain indifferent. The Greek prime minister stated that NATO can not maintain that the issue is not of its concern given the fact that the present situation is the result of its earlier actions.

According to Mr. Simitis, the United States do not intend to withdraw their troops from the international peacekeeping force in Kosovo.

On Greece's stance, Mr. Simitis underlined that the Greek government will not undertake unilateral initiatives even though the Skopje government would have wanted it. He also stressed that Greece as a neighbor of the countries involved in the crisis needs to be careful in order to avoid provoking any friction. He also underlined that the Greek government will act within the framework of the international organizations to which it belongs namely, NATO and the European Union.

Mr. Simitis pointed out that in the meeting he had with Mr. Blair they discussed the issue of terrorism and the British prime minister expressed his satisfaction for the Scotland Yard and Greek Police cooperation within the framework of the investigation on the assassination of British military attache Stephen Saunders by the terrorist organization "17 November" .

[15] STATEMENT BY SAE-AMERICA ON THE ISSUE OF THE FYROM NAME

The World Council of Greeks Abroad, SAE, expresses its support to the US-Canada Pan-Macedonian Federation on the issue of the name that will be used by FYROM.

In the statement it is mentioned that if FYROM is recognized as "Macedonia" this sensitive region of the Balkans would be further destabilized. In the statement it is stressed that bilateral negotiations on the issue of the name will continue in New York in April, while the recent violence in the Balkans especially, at the FYROM-Kosovo borders, should be taken under consideration.

Also, the Greek government is being called to take under serious consideration the firm positions of the Pan-Macedonian Federation and prevent short-term interests from undermining the long lasting stability and security in Greece.

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