Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 01-03-25

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

CONTENTS

[01] PRESIDENT, STATE LEADERS SALUTE INDEPENDENCE

[02] GREECE, SYRIA SIGN BILATERAL TRANSPORT ACCORD

[03] GREEK PM: FYROM CRISIS TOPS AGENDA AT EU SUMMIT

[04] GREEK DM MEETS WITH BULGARIAN COUNTERPART

[05] NEW AIRPORT TO BE CLEARED FOR TAKE OFF MARCH 29

[06] LARGE CROWD AT ANTI-NATO RALLY IN THESSALONIKI

[07] OLYMPIC AIRWAYS UNIONS AND MINISTER TO MEET

[08] EU, GREECE, UNITED STATES SETTLE PIRACY DISPUTE

[09] INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATED WITH GRANDEUR

[10] DEPUTY FM IN NEW YORK FOR INDEPENDENCE DAY

[01] PRESIDENT, STATE LEADERS SALUTE INDEPENDENCE

The anniversary of the beginning of Greece's revolution against Ottoman rule on March 25, 1821, was celebrated today, beginning with a Te Deum at the Athens Cathedral attended by President Costis Stephanopoulos, members of the cabinet, the leaders of political parties, the leadership of the armed forces and Greek and foreign dignitaries.

A military parade was held in Athens in the presence of the President, Prime Minister Costas Simitis, Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Christodoulos, party leaders, deputies, representatives of the diplomatic corps and the leadership of the armed forces. 

In an address delivered after the parade, President Stephanopoulos said that today's national holiday expresses the acceptance of sacrifices for the sake of freedom and the motherland.

I believe we should acquaint ourselves with this position of the spirit and of life because the freedom of the motherland always remains a paramount value and its defense is a great commitment for us."  

The Prime Minister stated that "today's parade showed, as in past years, that the Greek armed forces are very well equipped, they have a high morale and can defend national causes and rights effectively." 

Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos stated that upon entering the new century, the Greek people are celebrating history and memory with particular enthusiasm, the day 180 years ago when the struggle for national liberation, independence and the creation of the modern-day Greek state began with the uprising." 

Also, the leader of the main opposition party of New Democracy Costas Karamanlis stated that "today's anniversary is a reminder to all that national pride is not a question of figures but a question of spirit. Every victory requires determination and faith. Determination to stand your ground and claim your just causes and faith in the achievement of the target, regardless of obstacles." 

Nikos Constantopoulos, leader of the minor opposition party of Coalition of the Left and Progress said that "freedom, independence and democracy are always utilized for peace and cooperation among peoples."

Archbishop Christodoulos said that "the Greeks entered that struggle being united in principle and believing in values and principles. This gave them a social cohesion and led them to victory and they proved that over and above material things stand the spiritual ones. No pursuit of man can succeed without them. We have need of this teaching in present-day society, because Hellenism without tradition, principles and values, and primarily without faith, is Hellenism without a future."

A.F.

[02] GREECE, SYRIA SIGN BILATERAL TRANSPORT ACCORD

Transport Minister Christos Verelis, presently on an official visit to Damascus, signed two agreements on trade and passenger transportation and telecommunications with his Syrian counterpart Macram Obeid.

The transport permits pact was initialed in Damascus last month by Greek and Syrian officials, who also discussed the possibility of commissioning a viability study on making ports in the two countries compatible through the creation of facilities for Ra-Ra and Ro-Ro ferries, container traffic and rail links.

A third agreement on shipping is expected to be imminently signed by Merchant Marine Minister Christos Papoutsis during his visit to Syria. 

Mr. Obeid invited Greece to invest in his country, which has modernized its legislation to provide solutions to problems which have been faced by foreign investors and businesses. 

In turn, Mr. Verelis, who is heading a Greek business delegation, reacted positively to the call and showed great interest in transit trade, telecommunications and shipping.  

A.F.

[03] GREEK PM: FYROM CRISIS TOPS AGENDA AT EU SUMMIT

The crisis in FYROM topped the agenda of talks during the European Union Summit in Stockholm, according to Prime Minister Costas Simitis, who expressed confidence that the situation will soon normalize given the determined stance adopted both by the EU and the United States.

Speaking after the two-day Summit, hosted by Sweden which presently holds the EU's rotating presidency, Mr. Simitis stated that the international community's reaction towards the violence in Tetovo doesn't leave any room for anyone to promote unilateral changes, while he also stressed that certain NATO members, including Britain, have decided to strengthen their forces in KFOR, the multinational military contingent controlling Kosovo.

Moreover, the Greek Premier dismissed any notion of a federal solution for FYROM, saying that the EU supports the FYROM president's position of maintaining a system of cohabitation and cooperation among minorities in that country along with the participation of all sides in government.

In a meeting with FYROM's President Boris Trajkovski held on the sidelines of the Stockholm summit, Mr. Simitis reiterated Athens' standing positions regarding FYROM's territorial integrity, security, sovereignty and the inviolability of the land-locked country's borders, while at the same time condemning all acts of violence and terrorism on the part of Albanian gangs.

Mr. Simitis praised the moderation and realism? exhibited by the leaderships of the predominately ethnic Albanian parties in FYROM, before noting that a Stability Pact between the EU and FYROM -- to be signed on April 9 sends a clear message to all concerned.

Enlargement, employment and environmental concerns were among the 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 focused on strategies to increase employment through economic reforms, educational programs and social welfare. Specifically, the Summit called for the implementation of the EU policy on unemployment that was decided at Lisbon a year ago, and dealt mainly with economic and social issues.

A.F.

[04] GREEK DM MEETS WITH BULGARIAN COUNTERPART

Minister of National Defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos met with his Bulgarian counterpart Boiko Nowev in Plovdiv yesterday, whom he briefed on Greece's proposal that a meeting of Balkan defense ministers to be held in Skopje on April 5 be enlarged to include the countries participating in the multinational brigade for southeastern Europe, i.e. the United States and Italy.

"All of us together have the obligation and right to build a peaceful southeastern Europe based on the principles of democracy and freedom and which will guarantee prosperity, progress and liberties for its peoples, Mr. Tsochatzopoulos stated, while he also stressed the need for a collective expression of political support for the government of FYROM and called on the local government to show sensitivity towards problems causing reactions by the Albanian minority.

A.F.

[05] NEW AIRPORT TO BE CLEARED FOR TAKE OFF MARCH 29

The new state-of the-art airport in Athens, Eleftherios Venizelos, is to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Costas Simitis on Tuesday, March 27, in the presence of the President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos.

The first airplane will take off from the new Athens International Airport at dawn on March 29, while the last flight from the soon-to-be abandoned Hellenikon airport will take off at 8 p.m. on March 28. The first airplanes to touch down on the new airport will do so at around 3 p.m. on March 29.

The new airport, located at Spata, southeast of Athens, aims at establishing a regional hub for air routes from Europe, Asia and Africa, while its initial capacity is 16 million passengers annually, with a potential for expansion to 50 million passengers a year. Two runways allow for simultaneous take-off and landing of up to 600 aircraft per day.

State-of-the-art facilities will provide for both an expanding tourism industry and the demands of the Athens-held Olympic Games of 2004.

The GDR658 billion construction project, has involved investment by both Greek and foreign companies and an innovative co-operation between private companies and the Greek public sector. More than 100 Greek constructors were involved in the work. The operating company, Athens International Airport S.A. (AIA), owned 55% by the Greek state and 45% by the German Hochtief group, was responsible for the airport's construction and remains responsible for its operation for the next 30 years. More than 7,000 permanent jobs will be created at the airport and in associated services.

A.F.

[06] LARGE CROWD AT ANTI-NATO RALLY IN THESSALONIKI

Thousands of protesters attended a protest rally against NATO's bombing of Yugoslavia in 1999, held today in downtown Thessaloniki.

The rally was organized by the Anti-NATO Balkan Center and was attended by delegations of 23 Communist and other leftist parties from Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Turkey and Yugoslavia.

A.F.

[07] OLYMPIC AIRWAYS UNIONS AND MINISTER TO MEET

Olympic Airways union representatives are to meet with Transport Minister Christos Verelis on Tuesday, March 27, in order to discuss in detail the problems facing civil aviation workers.

OA's workers are protesting the government's plan for the sale of the national carrier.

According to reports, Mr. Verelis has pledged that there will be no lay-offs at a first stage in Olympic Airways and that any surplus workers, following its sale to a private investor, will be transferred to other agencies.

A.F.

[08] EU, GREECE, UNITED STATES SETTLE PIRACY DISPUTE

The European Union, Greece and the United States have settled a long-running dispute on television piracy, according to a European Commission press release.

The agreement was reached last week, bringing an end to a dispute that dates back to 1998 when the US requested consultations under the WTO Dispute Settlement Mechanism against the EU and Greece, citing the high level of TV piracy in this country.

Specifically, the case concerned the Greek government's failure to enforce its intellectual property laws effectively against television stations that broadcast US copyright works without authorization.

The WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (the TRIPS Agreement) requires that countries provide effective enforcement procedures that deter infringement of intellectual property rights.

A.F.

[09] INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATED WITH GRANDEUR

The anniversary of the beginning of Greece's revolution against Ottoman rule on March 25, 1821, was celebrated this Sunday, coinciding with the Feast of the Annunciation.

The celebrations began with a Te Deum at the Athens Cathedral attended by President Costis Stephanopoulos, members of the cabinet, the leaders of political parties, the leadership of the armed forces and Greek and foreign dignitaries.

A military parade was held in Athens in the presence of the President, Prime Minister Costas Simitis, Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Christodoulos, party leaders, deputies, representatives of the diplomatic corps and the leadership of the armed forces. 

Greece, the birthplace of democracy, was subject for centuries to foreign domination, culminating in almost four hundred years of political suppression by the Ottoman Empire.

The roots of the modern state of Greece date back to March 25, 1821, which marked the beginning of the end of Ottoman rule and led to eight years of war before victory and freedom were achieved.

The first Greek government was established in the city of Nafplio, eastern Peloponnese, in 1829, and Ioannnis Capodistrias was sworn in as the first governor of Greece.

A.F.

[10] DEPUTY FM IN NEW YORK FOR INDEPENDENCE DAY

Deputy Foreign Minister Grigoris Niotis attended celebrations held in New York today, marking the 180th anniversary of the March 25 Greek Independence Day.

Mr. Niotis, who is also in charge of the Greeks Living Abroad portfolio, represented the Greek government at the customary March 25 parade on Fifth Avenue.

The deputy FM was also the guest speaker at the Federation of Greek Associations of Greater New York, while he also met with Archbishop Dimitrios of America and attended a reception by the Greek General Consulate.

Greek Independence Day was also celebrated in Australia, with a parade in Melbourne attended by local and state government officials, including the Greek foreign ministry's secretary general for Greeks living abroad Dimitris Dollis, and several Greek MPs.

A.F.

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