Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 01-04-24

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

CONTENTS

[01] THE RADIATION THREAT STILL EXISTS 15 YEARS AFTER THE CHERNOBYL DISASTER

[02] THE GREEN CARDS MUST BEAR THE NAMES OF FAMILY MEMBERS ACCOMPANYING

[03] GREENPEACE ACTIVISTS HELD A PROTEST IN A CHEMICAL PLANT IN THESSALONIKI

[04] NO NEWS IN GREECE NEXT THURSDAY

[05] THE GREEK PRIME MINISTER MET WITH HIS UKRAINIAN COUNTERPART

[06] LIMITED INCIDENTS ERUPTED OUTSIDE THE TURKISH CONSULATE IN THESSALONIKI

[07] THE GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN DENIED THE INFORMATION ON THE RESIGNATION OF

[08] LOSSES IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

[01] THE RADIATION THREAT STILL EXISTS 15 YEARS AFTER THE CHERNOBYL DISASTER

The radiation threat is still real 15 years after the Chernobyl disaster in Ukraine and will continue to be present for many years to come at 20% of the Belarus territory, a country that never had nuclear reactors.

However, the country's regime tries to hide the fact that there is a risk for the 2,2 million people living in the forbidden zone, which is fenced in. An equal threat face the rest of the Belarusians as well, as polluted with radiation products from that region are being illegally distributed for consumption.

The above were mentioned in the presentation of a book written by Belarussian journalist Svetlana Alexievic with the title "Chernobyl, a chronicle of the future". The book has been published in 20 countries and was honored with 10 international awards. In Belarus it is a forbidden book as its author has been characterized as a dissenter.

[02] THE GREEN CARDS MUST BEAR THE NAMES OF FAMILY MEMBERS ACCOMPANYING IMMIGRANTS TO GREECE

A new population of illegal-legal immigrants is being created in the country as a result of the fact that the names of the family members accompanying immigrants with green cards in Greece are not written on them.

The above are mentioned in a letter by Greek Euro-deputy Anna Karamanou, of the governing socialist party of PASOK, addressed to labor minister Tasos Yiannitsis, about two weeks before the opening of the process for the legalization of the illegal immigrants in Greece based on the latest legislation.

Ms. Karamanou points out that the deportation of the family members accompanying green card holders is forbidden but their names are not mentioned on any formal document and therefore, they can have no transactions with state agencies thus limiting their rights.

Ms. Karamanou calls on the labor minister to reconsider the regulation forbidding to write on the green cards the names of the family members of their holders in order to avoid placing their wives and children outside the law and on the fringe of society.

[03] GREENPEACE ACTIVISTS HELD A PROTEST IN A CHEMICAL PLANT IN THESSALONIKI

Members of the Greek office of the ecological organization GREENPEACE held a protest in the facilities of the Phosphoric Fertilizers Industry chemical plant in Thessaloniki reacting to its operation.

The activists entered the plant's facilities and four of them were tied with ropes to a large storage tank containing hydrochloric acid, while a sign wrote "Stop climate-ozone killers".

In the operation participated about 20 GREENPEACE activists from Greece, Germany and Slovakia. No incidents were reported.

According to GREENPEACE, the specific plant produces 3% of the gas emissions that are responsible for the "greenhouse effect" in Greece and the only one that continues to produce substances that destroy the ozone layer.

[04] NO NEWS IN GREECE NEXT THURSDAY

The mass media offices will be closed in Greece on April 26 as the journalists' unions will participate actively in the 24hour general strike that will be held in the country in response to certain points of the social security system reforms proposed by the government.

The Greek journalists call for meaningful dialogue for the improvement of the social security system.

[05] THE GREEK PRIME MINISTER MET WITH HIS UKRAINIAN COUNTERPART

Ukrainian prime minister Victor Yusenko, who is on a visit to Athens, met today with his Greek counterpart Kostas Simitis.

Mr. Simitis assured the Ukrainian prime minister that bilateral economic and trade relations will be strengthened. He also stated that the study on the Odessa-Piraeus sea line will start soon. Mr. Yusenko appeared very satisfied with those assurances.

Tomorrow, the Ukrainian prime minister will visit Thessaloniki.

[06] LIMITED INCIDENTS ERUPTED OUTSIDE THE TURKISH CONSULATE IN THESSALONIKI

Limited incidents erupted outside the Turkish consulate in Thessaloniki where a march of tens of Armenians ended up, held on the occasion of the 86th anniversary of the Armenian genocide that was committed by the Ottoman Turks.

A police force outside the consulate stopped the protesters in their attempt to approach the building and clashes erupted when they tried to break the police line.

One protester was slightly injured.

A rally was also held by Armenians outside the Turkish embassy in Athens this morning.

[07] THE GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN DENIED THE INFORMATION ON THE RESIGNATION OF THE LABOR MINISTER

The information on the resignation of labor minister Tasos Yiannitsis was denied today by government spokesman Dimitris Reppas saying characteristically that they has no relation with reality and such an issue was never raised.

When he was asked to comment on the statements made by undersecretary of labor Nikos Farmakis according to which, the labor ministry feels alone in the effort to reform the social security system, he responded that the government backs all its members at the front line, within the framework of the decisions reached in the joint meeting of the governmental committee and the governing socialist party of PASOK Executive Bureau.

Mr. Reppas stated that the government and party officials actively participate in the effort aimed at completing the social dialogue process achieving a desirable result.

[08] LOSSES IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

Loses were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today. The general index dropped to -0.99% at 3.230,75 points, while the volume of transactions was small at 129.94 million Euro or 44.27 billion drachmas.

Of the stocks trading today, 48 recorded gains and 283 had losses, while the value of 43 stocks remained stable.

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