Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 01-05-27

Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

CONTENTS

[01] FIRST ORDINATION IN ASIA MINOR AFTER 80 YEARS

[02] PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC HONORS SOULI HEROES

[03] GREECE, CYPRUS ECONOMIC RELATIONS ON THE RISE

[04] OLDEST ICON OF CHRIST AT BYZANTINE MUSEUM

[05] ECONOMIC GROWTH LEADS TO HIGHER ENERGY NEEDS

[06] ITALY, GREECE, BALKANS SIGN TRANSPORT DEAL

[07] PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN CYPRUS TODAY

[01] FIRST ORDINATION IN ASIA MINOR AFTER 80 YEARS

Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos is presently on a visit to the Cappadocia region of Turkey, an area that was a center of Orthodox Christianity in eastern Asia Minor during the Byzantine era.

Today, the Patriarch ordained Metropolitan Bishop Tarasios of Buenos Aires as an elder of the Orthodox Church, nearly 80 years after the last such ordination in Asia Minor following an agreement in 1923 that allowed an exchange of populations between Greece and Turkey.

Yesterday, Mr. Vartholomeos led a morning liturgy at the Church of Saints Konstantinos and Eleni in the village of Sinasos where he saluted the recent rapprochement between Greece and Turkey, saying the move would benefit the peoples of both countries and stand as an example for world peace.

Accompanied by other church officials and pilgrims, Mr. Vartholomeos will also attend receptions hosted by senior local government officials.

A.F.

[02] PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC HONORS SOULI HEROES

The President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos attended commemorative events in Souli, Epirus, today, honoring the town's legendary resistance to Ottoman Turkish rule in the 19th century.

Souli's inhabitants, the Souliotes, lived in fort-like villages in the mountains and remained independent during most of the occupation of Greece by the Ottoman Turks. They fought successfully (17901802) against Ali Pasha, the Turkish governor of Ioannina.

In 1803, however, Ali Pasha massacred many of them after concluding a false truce. In what has become a historic point of reference, 63 Souli women leapt to their death from a cliff, many holding their babies in their arms, preferring to die than succumb to the Turks.

A.F.

[03] GREECE, CYPRUS ECONOMIC RELATIONS ON THE RISE

Economic relations between Greece and Cyprus are on a steadily upward course and are expected to be strengthened even farther in view of Cyprus' accession to the European Union and the subsequent decrease in dues for a number of products.

According to a bulletin issued by the office of the Greek embassy's Economic and Commercial Affairs adviser in Cyprus, commercial transactions are constantly moving upwards, resulting in their volume increasing from 136.9 million Cyprus pounds in 1994 to 254.4 million in 2000, registering a rise of 85.7 percent. In 2000 alone, the increase in the volume of bilateral trade amounted to about 20 percent.

Greek exports to Cyprus more than doubled over the 1994-2000 period and increased from 100.1 million Cyprus pounds in 1994 to about 206.1 million in 2000.

Furthermore, Cyprus' exports to Greece over the same period also went fairly well. Cyprus, a purely importing country, increased its exports to Greece from 36 million Cyprus pounds in 1994 to 48.3 million in 2000, increasing by about 34 percent.

A.F.

[04] OLDEST ICON OF CHRIST AT BYZANTINE MUSEUM

The President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos is to inaugurate an exhibition at the Byzantine Museum on May 28, organized by the Greek Church to mark the 2000th anniversary of the birth of Christ.

The exhibition is focusing on the images of Christ throughout the centuries and features 200 icons, murals, small artifacts and ecclesiastical embroidery from the Byzantine Museum and private collections.

Also on display is an icon of Christ, probably the oldest of its kind to be saved and dating back to the 6th century, which is released for the first time ever from the Sinai Monastery, along with eight more icons and a manuscript.

A.F.

[05] ECONOMIC GROWTH LEADS TO HIGHER ENERGY NEEDS

As economic growth has turned on the switch to energy consumption of unprecedented levels, renewable energy sources are slowly becoming the solution to the country's ever-increasing needs.

According to Development Minister Nikos Christodoulakis, renewable energy sources (RES) account for 9 percent of Greece's needs at present, whereas a 20-percent figure should be reached within a decade. He also cited a 180-billion-drachma program to fund the construction of RES units throughout the country.

A.F.

[06] ITALY, GREECE, BALKANS SIGN TRANSPORT DEAL

A joint declaration calling for closer regional cooperation in the areas of transport and the fight against crime was in Split, Croatia, on Friday, during a two-day conference organized as part of an Adriatic-Ionian initiative to expedite the European Union's enlargement.

With Greece, Italy, Yugoslavia, Croatia, Bosnia, Albania and Slovenia represented by 200 experts, the participants stressed the need to harmonize visa requirements as a step in fighting illegal immigration.

The states "strongly condemn illegal trafficking in human beings," they said in a statement, adding that they are "fully prepared to intensify their co-operation in combating all forms of organized crime, money laundering and illicit trade as well as international terrorism."

A.F.

[07] PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN CYPRUS TODAY

Cyprus's political party leaders cast their votes in today's parliamentary elections, expressing optimism that their parties will be included in the 56-seat House of Representatives. A total of eight parties, five already in the House, and six independent candidates are contesting the election.

The parties vying for votes are left-wing AKEL (the Progressive Party of the Working People), right-wing DISY (the Democratic Rally), center-right DIKO (the Democratic Party), socialists KISOS (the Social Democrats Movement), and the centrist pro-European United Democrats party, George Perdikis' Green party, Nicos Koutsou's right-wing anti-federalist party New Horizons and ADIK (the Fighting Democratic Movement).

Under the proportional representation system, a party or independent candidate needs to secure 1.79 per cent of the vote to win a seat in the House.

According to the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), outgoing House President Spyros Kyprianou called for consensus at the new House of Representatives with deputies having as priority the future of the island.

Mr. Kyprianou noted that the new House "will introduce Cyprus into the European Union".

In regards to the 26 parliamentary seats which belong to the Turkish Cypriot community and are empty, Mr. Kyprianou stated that we always wanted the legal representatives of the Turkish Cypriots to acquire their seats, but this requires an end to the occupation, withdrawal of Turkish settlers, a proper solution of the Cyprus problem, based on international law, Security Council decisions and the acquis communautaire, not to mention the recent decision of the European Court of Human Rights. But as a matter of principle, the seats are there.

Enclaved Greek Cypriots, who now number about 550, vote in specific polling stations in Nicosia, Larnaca, Limassol and Paphos. In the aftermath of the Turkish invasion in 1974 there were about 20,000 Greek Cypriots living in occupied Cyprus.

The European Court of Human Rights judgment considers Ankara guilty of human rights abuses in Cyprus. Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkish troops invaded and occupied the island's northern third.

A.F.

Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article