Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 01-05-22

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

CONTENTS

[01] GREEK FM REQUESTS U.S. INPUT IN FYROM NAME ISSUE

[02] LABOR MINISTER INVITES UNIONS TO "TALK TURKEY"

[03] PRESIDENT, PM DISCUSS GREECE'S TERM AS EU CHIEF

[04] GREEK BEACHES ARE CLEANEST IN ALL OF EUROPE

[05] POPULAR GREEK ACTOR DINOS ILIOPOULOS IS IN A COMA

[06] EVENT ORGANIZED BY OTE IN ROMANIA

[07] REPPAS: NO CHANGE IN THE FRAMEWORK CONCERNING CIVIL MARRIAGE

[08] THE GREEK GOVERNMENT IS SATISFIED WITH THE PAPANDREOU-POWELL CONTACTS

[09] LOSSES IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

[10] HELLENIST VICTOR DAVIS HANSON IN ATHENS

[11] THE DOCTORS OF THE WORLD CALL FOR THE ABOLITION OF ANTI-PERSONNEL MINES

[12] POLICE FIND TWO MORE BODIES AT EVROS MINEFIELD

[13] CHEMISTS WARN: NEW GASOLINE MAY BE HARMFUL

[14] TURKISH PROPONENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN ATHENS

[15] BALKAN OFFICIALS IN SOFIA

[16] ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH VARTHOLOMEOS WILL HOLD A LITURGY IN A CHURCH IN

[01] GREEK FM REQUESTS U.S. INPUT IN FYROM NAME ISSUE

Greece's Foreign Minister George Papandreou, presently on an official visit to the United States, has reportedly requested the Bush Administration's assistance in resolving the name issue pending between Athens and Skopje.

Following successive meetings with US Secretary of State Colin Powell, Vice President Dick Cheney and National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, Mr. Papandreou stated that the talks confirmed that Greek-US relations remain very close with the Bush Administration in office.

Following a working lunch with Mr. Powell, Mr. Papandreou stated that we had a very constructive and useful discussion.

Among the issues discussed were the present situation in the Balkans, Greek-Turkish relations and the Cyprus issue, terrorism and bilateral-interest matters.

Our relation is very warm. Greece and the U.S. are cooperating very closely in the Balkans. We talked on the broader cooperation between the U.S. and the European Union in the Balkans and the perspective of incorporating the whole region in the EU, the Greek FM stated, adding we talked, of course, about Cyprus and Turkey, as well as the Middle East.

In regards to Cyprus, Mr. Papandreou called for Washington's support for the unimpeded course of the island republic's accession to the EU, as well as for pressure to be exerted on Ankara to have Turkish-Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash return to UN-sponsored proximity talks. 

Mr. Powell expressed his support for the UN secretary general's good offices and the need for a resumption of talks after general elections are held in Cyprus on May 27. He also expressed support for the decision taken at the EU Helsinki summit and referred to the need for all to contribute to the lifting of the existing deadlock. 

In reference to the Balkans, Messrs. Papandreou and Powell discussed the future of Kosovo, while the Greek FM said a clear message should be sent to all that the U.S. and the EU do not support the province's independence.

The two also discussed Balkan reconstruction, as well as the need for the stability pact to proceed at a faster pace.

A.F.

[02] LABOR MINISTER INVITES UNIONS TO "TALK TURKEY"

Labor and Social Security Minister Tassos Yiannitsis issued invitations to trade unions for talks over the state's contentious social security reforms, hoping to escape the stalemate that has already led to two mass strikes.

The invitation calls the country's largest labor union, the General Confederation of Greek Labor (GSEE) to meet with the minister within the following ten days.

However, fuelled by the state's eleventh hour move to shelve the reforms right before the first strike took place on April 26, the unions are expected to insist that the government conform to their proposals, i.e. that it expand its contribution to social security and pensions.

Specifically, GSEE, supported by the Supreme Administrative Council of Civil Servants (ADEDY), demand that the state's social security system be funded trilaterally by employees, employers and the state. The unions also call for the discovery of new funding sources that would prevent potential deficits in pension funds.

The labor unions also demand that the government guarantee the publicly funded and operated character of the social security system, the organizational and operational restructuring of the system and a maximum of 35 years of employment to pension.

In his letter, the Labor Minister reiterated the government's pledge to continue to financially support security funds.

A.F.

[03] PRESIDENT, PM DISCUSS GREECE'S TERM AS EU CHIEF

The President of the Hellenic Republic Costis Stephanopoulos received the Prime Minister Costas Simitis at the Presidential Mansion today, with whom he discussed the full gamut of current affairs.

Following the 50-minute talks, Mr. Simitis stated that Greece has to act now in order to ensure Cyprus's accession to the European Union during Greece's presidential term, i.e. the first half of 2003.

We are presently in the process of forming the agenda that we will handle in 2003, which, in addition to the enlargement, could very likely include decisions for the new Common Agricultural Policy, the premier stated.

A.F.

[04] GREEK BEACHES ARE CLEANEST IN ALL OF EUROPE

Greek beaches are the cleanest in all of Europe, according to a European Union report that rates the quality of swimming waters in all of its member-states.

According to the annual report, 98.8 percent of Greek beaches are fit to swim in, as they meet all of the strict regulations imposed by Greek and EU legislation.

Out of a total of 1,862 Greek coasts, only 16 failed to meet suitability conditions.

Minister of Environment, Town Planning and Public Works Costas Laliotis stated that the report's conclusions reaffirm, once again, the very good quality of waters in 98.8 per cent of our beaches and allow Greece to rank first among European Union member-states.

A.F.

[05] POPULAR GREEK ACTOR DINOS ILIOPOULOS IS IN A COMA

Popular actor Dinos Iliopoulos, who is in the intensive care unit of the Central Clinic of Athens, is in a critical state.

According to the statement issued by his doctors, Dinos Iliopoulos is in a coma, while the latest lab tests showed that his brain has suffered extensive ischemic lesions.

[06] EVENT ORGANIZED BY OTE IN ROMANIA

An event under the title "2001-A Peace Odyssey" will be held in Bucharest organized by the Greek Telecommunications Organization, OTE, and the companies of the ROMTELECOM & COSMOROM Group with the support of OTE International Investments.

The goal of the event that will take place on June 5-6 will be to strengthen cooperation in telecommunications as a means for the peaceful coexistence in the region of southeastern Europe and stress the important role played by the OTE group of companies in the development of the Romanian telecommunications market.

[07] REPPAS: NO CHANGE IN THE FRAMEWORK CONCERNING CIVIL MARRIAGE

There is no question of a change in the existing framework concerning civil marriage, reiterated today Greek government spokesman Dimitris Repas responding to a relevant question by reporters.

Mr. Reppas said that the Greek government has never dealt with such an issue and no such issue was ever brought up for discussion.

Meanwhile, parliament president Apostolos Kaklamanis backed religious marriage in statements he made earlier on the occasion of the latest statements by minister of justice Michalis Stathopoulos, who promoted the idea of mandatory civil marriage.

Mr. Kaklamanis stated that both the state end the Church must get serious and avoid creating issues out of nothing, stressing that such issues do not contribute to the calm the Greek people need for their peaceful and productive deeds.

[08] THE GREEK GOVERNMENT IS SATISFIED WITH THE PAPANDREOU-POWELL CONTACTS

Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas stated that the Greek government is satisfied with the contacts foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou had with US secretary of state Colin Powell in Washington. Mr. Reppas stated that in many sectors, such as the Balkan issues, the US government shares the same policy with Greece, while on the issues of Greek national interest it is obvious that Greece's positions have gained ground.

When he was asked to comment if the US and Greek views converge on the Cyprus issue, the Greek government spokesman stated that as it has been stated by the United States, Cyprus' EU accession is an EU matter.

He said that the wish is for the dialogue within the UN framework to continue under the auspices and observation of UN secretary-general, adding that if the Cyprus problem is not resolved this can not lead to the interruption of Cyprus' EU accession course. Mr. Reppas also said that Cyprus cannot be the hostage of Turkey.

[09] LOSSES IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

Losses were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today. The general index dropped to -0.99% at 3.147,35 points, while the volume of transactions was small at 52.569 billion drachmas or 154.3 million Euro.

Of the stocks trading today, the overwhelming majority namely, 281, recorded losses and only 51 had gains, while the value of 43 stocks remained stable.

[10] HELLENIST VICTOR DAVIS HANSON IN ATHENS

The causes that led to the gradual fading of the Greek studies in the United States will be analyzed by distinguished Hellenist professor and California State University Classical Studies Program director Victor Davis Hanson in the lecture he will give in Athens on May 28.

The event is organized by the Alexandros Onasis Institute and the Greek Humanist Society. The theme of his speech is: "Who Killed Homer?" which is also the title of his book that was written in collaboration with professor John Heath.

In the book the two professors analyze Greece's significance for western civilization and how this idea has been lost in America of today.

Forty-eight-year-old Hellenist professor Victor Davis Hanson, who has a 20year academic experience, has played a leading part in the upgrading of classical studies in the United States and has been honored, among others, by the American Philological Association for his contribution to the teaching of the ancient Greek classics to undergraduate students.

[11] THE DOCTORS OF THE WORLD CALL FOR THE ABOLITION OF ANTI-PERSONNEL MINES

Five years after the Treaty of Ottawa, Greece and Finland are the only European countries that continue to have minefields on their territory.

Only yesterday, three illegal immigrants lost their lives and one was seriously injured while trying to cross the Greek-Turkish borders in Evros, northeastern Greece overturning once again the myth that the minefields are adequately marked. The above were pointed out in a statement issued by the Doctors of the World on the occasion of the tragic event and tomorrow's visit to Greece by Noble Peace Prize winner Jody Williams, who is the president of the World Committee for the Abolition of Anti-Personnel Mines.

Ms. Williams will be present, together with Greek defense minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos, in the opening of a symposium under the title "The child as a messenger of peace" that will be held at the Megaron Music Hall on Thursday, May 24.

[12] POLICE FIND TWO MORE BODIES AT EVROS MINEFIELD

Police have discovered the bodies of two more illegal immigrants who were killed when they tried to enter Greece from Turkey across the Evros border and trespassed into a fenced minefield, the same site where three others also died on Sunday.

According to the police report, the two men, aged between 25-30, were apparently killed 20 days ago when they wandered into the marked minefield near Ferres.

Meanwhile, the three earlier victims, along with another man who was injured, have been identified as the Iranian nationals Mesit Dar-Aba, 26; Bugiuk Safik-Sak 25 and his 27-year-old brother Bugiuk Hamit.

The fourth man, 24-year-old Samady Aydin-Efes, is presently hospitalized in Alexandroupolis and is said to be in stable condition.

A.F.

[13] CHEMISTS WARN: NEW GASOLINE MAY BE HARMFUL

The new type of lead-free gasoline products that will be replacing the currently-used super as of January 1, 2002, contain carcinogenic elements harmful to health, according to the president of Greece's Chemists Association Nikos Katsaros.

As Mr. Katsaros stated, some of these products have already appeared in the market without the prior approval of the Transportation and Communications Ministry.

The Ministry has called for the adaptation of the country's refineries to new gasoline specifications that will be effective at the end of the year, proposing the use of the substitute fuel for super gasoline, presently used by about two million cars in Greece.

According to the Ministry, the new fuel will comply with stricter specifications than the current gasoline, modeled on similar steps already taken in Italy and Spain, and is to be available on the Greek market most likely in August.

The Transportation and Communications Ministry has submitted its proposal to the ministries of national economy/finance, development, and environment, calling for the prompt issue of joint ministerial decisions to enable adaptation of refineries to the new specifications.

A.F.

[14] TURKISH PROPONENT OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN ATHENS

Turkey's leading human rights campaigner Akin Birdal was in Athens yesterday to address a conference entitled "Greece-Turkey-Europe: Human Rights", organized by the Greek Union for the Rights of Man and Citizen.

The key message shared by all speakers was that respecting human rights is a prerequisite for rapprochement between the two peoples.

Mr. Birdal, the honorary president of Turkey's Human Rights Union, has been stripped of his civil rights in Turkey. The target of Turkish far right circles which have accused him of links to Kurdish rebels, Mr. Birdal was shot and critically wounded by two gunmen in 1998.

A.F

[15] BALKAN OFFICIALS IN SOFIA

Romanian president Ion Iliescu, former president Emil Constantinescu and former foreign minister Petre Roman will be at the opening of the proceedings of the Balkan Political Group in Sofia on May 26, according to diplomatic sources in Bucharest.

Also, present will be Turkey's former president Suleiman Demirel, FYROM's former president Kiro Gligorov, Albania's former prime minister Fatos Nano and Greek foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou.

The Balkan Political Group was established at the initiative of former Bulgarian president Zeliu Zelev.

[16] ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH VARTHOLOMEOS WILL HOLD A LITURGY IN A CHURCH IN KAPPADOKIA FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 77 YEARS

Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos will be in Kappadokia, Turkey on Friday afternoon to hold a liturgy in the church of St. Konstantinos and Eleni in the town of Sinasu on May 26. No Christian Orthodox liturgy was held in the church since the population exchange between Turkey and Greece.

Together with the Ecumenical Patriarch will be bishops from the Fanar in Istanbul and Greece, while many faithful are expected to come from different countries to attend the liturgy.

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