Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 01-04-21

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

CONTENTS

[01] THE GREEK POLITICAL PARTIES ON THE 1967 COUP ANNIVERSARY

[02] TWO MEDALS WERE WON BY GREECE IN THE WRESTLING EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP

[03] JEFFIRELLI MOVIE ON MARIA CALLAS

[04] EIGHT HUNDRED THOUSAND PASSENGERS USED THE NEW ATHENS AIRPORT IN THE

[05] CROSS COUNTRY RACE OF VETERAN BALKAN RUNNERS

[06] 80 BALKAN PHOTOGRAPHERS WILL MEET IN THESSALONIKI

[07] GREEK PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION IN STRASBOURG

[01] THE GREEK POLITICAL PARTIES ON THE 1967 COUP ANNIVERSARY

Thirty four years have passed since the 1967 coup in Greece and the Greek political parties expressed their support to democracy and their concern regarding the new challenges.

Prime minister Kostas Simitis characterized the seven-year dictatorship as a period of gross violation of the basic rights and stressed that the governing socialist party of PASOK seeks consensus and the modernization of the country. In his statement the Greek prime minister points out that the national tragedy of Cyprus, which is still pending, shows that the threats are always present. He also stressed that only national unity and understanding can lead Greece to a new era without defeats and losses.

The right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy praised the role of its founder Konstantinos Karamanlis in the period after the dictatorship and stressed that the new dangers threatening the essence and quality of democracy are corruption and the operation of para-institutional centers.

The Communist Party pointed out that the anniversary is an occasion to strengthen the struggle against monopolies, imperialism and the anti-popular government policy.

The party Coalition of the Left underlined that the struggle of the people for more democracy continues today as the conservative policies are being strengthened and the social inequalities increase.

The Democratic Social Movement mentioned in its statement that the barbarity of the new class tries to turn the nation-states into protectorates.

[02] TWO MEDALS WERE WON BY GREECE IN THE WRESTLING EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP

The Greek champions won two medals in the Wrestling European Championship taking place in Budapest.

In the 54-kilos category Alexandros Kardanov defeated Turk Mevlana Kulac and in the final this evening he will face Moldavian Genadie Tulbea.

In the 63-kilos category Besik Aslanasvili was defeated (3-0) by Bulgarian Seraphim Barzakov and this afternoon he will compete for the bronze medal with Georgian Otar Tursisvili.

In the women's 56-kilos category Konstantina Tsibanakou defeated (7-2) French Sadrine Sev and won the bronze medal.

Tomorrow, in the 51-kilos category Sophia Poubouridou will try to occupy one place among the top four facing Polish Marta Vojtanovska.

[03] JEFFIRELLI MOVIE ON MARIA CALLAS

Famous French actress Fanny Ardan will be Maria Callas in the new film by Italian director Franco Jeffirelli.

The news came from Jeffirelli himself who revealed in Rome that the film's title will be "Callas forever" and the shooting will start next July in Paris, Granada, Cordova and Romania.

Jeremy Irons will be the leading man, while Jeffirelli has pledged that in the film will play many more famous actors.

Jeffirelli, who was a close friend of Maria Callas, stated that the shooting will finally start after a 20year delay as until now the scripts he received on the life of the famous Greek soprano appeared to him as unreal.

[04] EIGHT HUNDRED THOUSAND PASSENGERS USED THE NEW ATHENS AIRPORT IN THE FIRST MONTH OF ITS OPERATION

About 800 thousand passengers used the new Athens Airport at Spata in the first month of its operation and the flights made were 9.450, according to figures provided yesterday by the "Eleftherios Venizelos" Airport management.

Over one million people visited the new airport by Easter Tuesday, while most of the visitors namely, 700 thousand went to the new airport in the first week of its operation.

[05] CROSS COUNTRY RACE OF VETERAN BALKAN RUNNERS

Hundreds of veteran Balkan runners will meet at Vasilika, outside Thessaloniki, tomorrow to participate in the Balkan Cross Country Race co-organized by Thessaloniki's municipality and the city's Association of Veteran Athletes.

The veteran athletes from Greece, Albania, Turkey, Romania, Serbia, Moldavia etc will compete under the slogan "sports unite and show us the way".

The runners will also send a message of hope to the people in the Balkans by showing that sports give meaning to life.

[06] 80 BALKAN PHOTOGRAPHERS WILL MEET IN THESSALONIKI

Thessaloniki will host a meeting on the "Aspects of Balkan Photography" in which will participate 80 photographers from 9 Balkan countries. The meeting will open on April 25.

More than 350 photographs will be exhibited in 9 exhibition halls in the city center and the suburbs of Thessaloniki.

Within the framework of the meeting a one-day conference will be held on April 28 during which the Balkan Center of Photography will be founded.

[07] GREEK PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION IN STRASBOURG

A 10member Greek parliament delegation will depart for Strasbourg tomorrow to attend the proceedings of the second part of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly 2001 session that will be held on April 23-27.

In the session will be discussed issues concerning Kosovo (human rights, the refugee problem, etc), the freedom of press and information in Europe, the situation in the Middle East and other current affairs. The plenary session will also deal with the election of European Human Rights Court judges, the efforts made against the international organized crime, the demographic changes in Europe, etc.

Among the personalities who will address the assembly meeting will be Council of Europe human rights commissioner Alvaro Gil Robles, Romanian foreign minister Mircea Geoana, who is also the OSCE president, Latvian foreign minister Indulis Berzins, who is presiding over the council of ministers and others.

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