Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 01-06-17

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

CONTENTS

[01] TURKISH FM HOLDS GREEK FM IN HIGHEST REGARD

[02] ND CHIEF URGES PARTY CADRES: WORK RELENTLESSLY

[03] GLIGOROV INSISTS ON BRIBE OFFER, NAMES ONE MAN

[04] ATHENS SATISFIED WITH RESULTS ON EU EXPANSION

[05] GREEK-EGYPTIANS IN ATHENS FOR 3RD CONGRESS

[06] RED CROSS ON BALKAN COOPERATION OUTREACH

[07] EUROSTAT ON GREECE'S PENSION EXPENDITURES

[08] "CYPRUS-AEGEAN-THRACE" NULLIFYING DISTANCES

[09] GREEK-ISRAELI TECHNOLOGY FORUM ON JUNE 26-27

[10] BALKAN EDUCATIONAL MEETING SOON IN ISTANBUL

[01] TURKISH FM HOLDS GREEK FM IN HIGHEST REGARD

Although a tough negotiator, George Papandreou is an exceptional intellectual, Turkish Foreign Minister Ismael Cem stated in reference to his Greek counterpart, adding that if he were Greek, he would consider Mr. Papandreou an outstanding foreign minister.

In a wide-spanning interview with the Vimagazino insert of the Athens daily To Vima, Mr. Cem stated that he is supportive of the rapprochement process between Greece and Turkey, since he believes in peace, cooperation and mutual understanding, all of which are to the benefit of the two neighbors.

Referring to a recent warning he issued over Cyprus's EU accession prospects, Mr. Cem clarified that

what I said when I was on Cyprus is that if things get really messed up, then I want to say in all honesty that we are all in for problems.

I also said that more than anyone Turkey (will bear the most problems), but nevertheless, we will all have problems.

Finally, he also referred to last week's Piri Reis issue -- when press reports in Athens claimed a Turkish research vessel would conduct oil exploration surveys in the Aegean's international waters

We can't face problems under the spotlights of excessive publicity, and with a dialogue via the press, he said. He also added that he briefed Mr. Papandreou over the matter immediately, assuring the Greek side that the vessel wasn't conducting surveys in Greece's continental shelf.

A.F.

[02] ND CHIEF URGES PARTY CADRES: WORK RELENTLESSLY

Don't let up during summer, not even for a day, or even an hour, the leader of the main opposition of New Democracy Costas Karamanlis urged his party's cadres during ND's central committee meeting in Athens yesterday.

Inaugurating the conference, Mr. Karamanlis raised a banner of unflinching political independence and stressed that even if the media refrain from airing anything having to do with ND, we still must come closer to citizens and brief them on our positions.

On Saturday, the ND leader noted that the party is to embark on fielding candidates for the upcoming municipal and prefectural elections after September.

Referring to the contentious social security reform issue, Mr. Karamanlis charged the ruling PASOK party with simply putting up a social façade in an effort to hide its still-standing initial proposal.

Reiterating his call to oust National Economy Minister Yiannos Papantoniou, Mr. Karamanlis blamed him for the Athens bourse's dismal performance over the past year and a half.

The conference was addressed today by ND deputy Prokopis Pavlopoulos, with several other top officials attending, including George Souflias, Dora Bakoyianni, Marietta Yiannakou and Nikitas Kaklamanis.

A.F.

[03] GLIGOROV INSISTS ON BRIBE OFFER, NAMES ONE MAN

FYROM's former president Kiro Gligorov reiterated his recent claims that in May 1992 the Greek government made persistent financial offers in an effort to make him agree to forsake the term Macedonia from his country's name, this time actually naming one individual who served as a go-between.

In an interview with the Sunday edition of the Athens daily To Vima, Mr. Gligorov stated that a Greek retired army general, Nikos Grylakis, attempted to bribe him with an ancient amphora. He also reiterated his earlier claim that Greek intelligence officials offered him, via FYROM's secret service agents, the sum of one million dollars if he would agree to changing the name of his country.

Mr. Gryllakis served at the security chief of Greece's then-premier, Constantine Mitsotakis who is presently the honorary president of the main opposition party of New Democracy.

When Mr. Gligorov made his first allegations last week, Mr. Mitsotakis' response was quick and to the point last night: The specific reference lacks any seriousness, he said, adding that the claim is irrational and crude.

A.F.

[04] ATHENS SATISFIED WITH RESULTS ON EU EXPANSION

Athens considers the European Union's imminent expansion to be a pre-determined and irreversible process, Prime Minister Costas Simitis stated on the sidelines of the EU Summit held in Gottenborg, Sweden.

In regards to Cyprus' accession to the EU, the Premier stressed that Athens would exhaust all its efforts and influence to ensure that the island republic participates in the next wave of EU enlargement, while adding that he personally believes Cyprus will be among the first group of countries set to join the Union.

Moreover, Mr. Simitis reiterated that Greece is in favor of accelerated negotiations with a handful of prospective members on track for the first wave, thereby allowing those new member-states to participate in the 2004 Euro-elections.

In regards to FYROM, the Premier praised the EU's devotion to the policy of preserving recognized borders in the Balkans and the said country's territorial integrity.

As for the possibility of establishing an international force to intervene in FYROM, the Premier said that if European countries commit forces, then Greece would also follow suit.

A.F.

[05] GREEK-EGYPTIANS IN ATHENS FOR 3RD CONGRESS

The Association of Greek-Egyptians held its third world congress in Athens on June 15-17, in a conference attended by many politicians, as well as by government and Parliament members.

"Greece is one, but the Greeks who played an important role were the best everywhere and this was the case with the Greeks from Egypt," Deputy Press Minister Telemahos Hytiris stated, addressing the conference entitled Greek-Egyptian: Cultural Activity - Historical Presence and Perspective.

The event was held under the auspices of the Patriarch of Alexandria and All of Africa Petros VII who was given an honorary distinction with the medal of the Federation of Greeks from Egypt for his great contribution.

The 3rd conference follows two others, one in 1984 and the other in 1992, and is attended by many Greeks from Egypt who are distinguishing themselves abroad.

A.F.

[06] RED CROSS ON BALKAN COOPERATION OUTREACH

Representatives from Balkan countries agreed in principle on cooperation between local Red Cross organizations aimed at training and taking joint initiatives to tackle disasters in the Balkans.

The agreement was reached during a meeting, organized by the Red Cross at the Panteios University, on the dissemination of international humanitarian law.

A.F.

[07] EUROSTAT ON GREECE'S PENSION EXPENDITURES

Expenditures for pensions in Greece amount to 12.5 percent of the GDP, slightly below the European Union's average of 12.6%, according to the EU's statistical service Eurostat.

Between 1990 and 1998, expenditures for pensions increased by 0.4 percent in Greece, from 12.1 percent of GDP in 1990 to 12.5 percent in 1998. In EU member-states they increased by 0.9 percent, from 11.7 percent of GDP to 12.6 percent.

According to Eurostat, pensions represent about half of the total of social benefits (47 percent) in the EU. In Greece, 53 percent of social benefits are destined for pensions. The highest percentage in the EU is to be found in Italy with 61 percent and the lowest in Ireland with 27 percent. 

A.F.

[08] "CYPRUS-AEGEAN-THRACE" NULLIFYING DISTANCES

A meeting focusing on the theme "Cyprus-Aegean-Thrace: Nullifying Distances-Culture-Local Administration-Communication" is to be held at Aigeiros, in the Rodopi prefecture, from June 19-22.

The organizers of the meeting are the cultural communication agencies "Poseidonio of Nicosia" and "Poseidonio of Thrace" and the municipality of Aigeiros, while the event will be sponsored by the enlarged Rodopi-Evros prefectural administration.

Foreign Minister George Papandreou, Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos and Macedonia-Thrace Minister George Paschalidis have been invited to attend, while a concert will be given at Aigeiros on June 21 by well-known Cypriot composer Marios Tokas.

A.F.

[09] GREEK-ISRAELI TECHNOLOGY FORUM ON JUNE 26-27

A Greek Israeli Technology Forum, to be held in Athens June 26-27, will bring together 20 Israeli and more than 30 Greek companies in the fields of information technology, telecommunications and new technologies.

According to Oded Distel, Trade Attache at the Israeli embassy in Greece, the technology forum is a unique opportunity to expand cooperation, exchange of know-how and creating joint ventures between Greek and Israeli technology and telecommunications companies.

The Greek market offers a special opportunity to Israeli companies ahead of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games and the significant prospects from Greek enterprises' expansion in the Balkans.

Bilateral trade in technology products totals 300 million US dollars, while Greek investments to Israel total 30 million US dollars. Cosmote, Intracom, Intrasoft, InfoQuest, Pouliadis Group, Interdata, Petrola and Telestet are among the biggest names to participate in the forum, organized by the Israeli embassy's export department and SEPE.

A.F.

[10] BALKAN EDUCATIONAL MEETING SOON IN ISTANBUL

The second educational meeting of leading officials of the Balkan countries on political and economic cooperation and development will take place June 20-23 in Istanbul, organized by the Kokkalis Program, in collaboration with Turkey's Sabaci University.

The Istanbul meeting, which comprises the third and final part of this year's educational program that was launched in March at Harvard University in the US, will be attended by 25 prominent officials holding key positions in the political and economic sectors of their countries.

The delegates include the government spokesman of FYROM, ministers from the Serb and Turkish governments, members of Romania's senate, and advisors of the Bulgarian president and the prime ministers of Albania and Greece.

A.F.

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