Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 01-07-24

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

CONTENTS

[01] GOVERNMENT DENIES THE LIST OF NAMES ALLEGATIONS

[02] PUBLIC SPENDING AT 6% IN 2002

[03] 27TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE RESTORATION OF DEMOCRACY IN GREECE

[04] SIMITIS-PAPANTONIOU DISCUSSED THE BUDGET

[05] REQUEST FOR SIMITIS' INTERVENTION IN JERUSALEM

[06] KARAMANLIS-PAPADIMOS MEETING

[07] GAINS IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

[08] ND CALLS FOR CLARIFICATIONS ON THE LIST OF GENOA

[01] GOVERNMENT DENIES THE LIST OF NAMES ALLEGATIONS

Today's news report is untrue, stated government spokesman Dimitris Reppas when he was asked to comment on the Athens newspaper "TA NEA" report, reiterating categorically that no list of names has been given to the Italian authorities.

The mass media have a responsibility for everything they publish but many times the truth is absent, stated Mr. Reppas, adding that Greece participates in the EU procedures and this cannot be used to create false impressions to the public opinion.

The Greek government gave a real fight for the Greek protesters to be able to go to Genoa and is not aware of information on individuals who participated in terrorist actions, concluded Mr. Reppas.

Meanwhile, the list of names issue will be discussed in the responsible parliamentary committees, while Minister of Public Order Michalis Chrisochoidis will be called to testify before them.

Parliament president Apostolos Kaklamanis announced a short while ago that the relevant procedures already got underway.

[02] PUBLIC SPENDING AT 6% IN 2002

The government's economic staff appears determined to cut spending rate to 5-6% in 2002, in spite of the government ministries demands for spending increases of 10-50%.

The decision was made in a meeting under National Economy Minister Yiannos Papantoniou yesterday.

According to an announcement expected today, the spending rate increase in the first half of the year was at 7.5%, while the budget's goal was 7.9%.

[03] 27TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE RESTORATION OF DEMOCRACY IN GREECE

The 27th anniversary of the restoration of democracy in Greece will be celebrated with a grand formal reception that will be given by President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos at the presidential building gardens this evening.

Prime minister Kostas Simitis in his message on the occasion characterized July 24, 1974 as a historic day, adding that still a lot has to be done as the struggle for democracy never ends.

Mr. Simitis said that the present course is as hard and full of challenges, and therefore the vigilance of the people and society has to be continuous. He also mentioned that the consolidation of democratic institutions has been met but the broadening of social justice and the strengthening of social cohesion must also be achieved. Referring to the Turkish invasion of Cyprus, 27 years ago, underlined that the most important element for the solution of the Cyprus problem is the continuous progress in Cyprus' EU accession course.

Right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis referred in his message to the need for the Greek people to unite efforts in order to meet the national goals.

The Greek Communist Party stressed that 27 years after the collapse of the dictatorship in Greece the Greek people are faced with new torturing and difficult problems.

Coalition of the Left mentioned in its message that the anniversary of the fall of the dictatorship stresses the everlasting importance of the struggle for national independence and social progress.

The Democratic Social Movement underlined that political life is poisoned daily by unreliability, hypocrisy and lack of dignity.

[04] SIMITIS-PAPANTONIOU DISCUSSED THE BUDGET

The 2002 state budget and the condition of the Greek economy were among the issues discussed by Prime Minister Kostas Simitis and Minister of National Economy Yiannos Papantoniou in their meeting today.

Mr. Papantoniou stated that the growth rate of the Greek economy will be double the EU average this year and the following years. At the same time, he guaranteed that tax exemptions for private individuals and companies will be implemented in 2003.

[05] REQUEST FOR SIMITIS' INTERVENTION IN JERUSALEM

With a letter to prime minister Kostas Simitis the five Metropolites, who were removed from the list of candidates for the throne of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem, request for his intervention calling him to make a protest demarche to the Israeli government.

The Metropolites maintain that a gross violation of the freedom of conscience was committed by the Israeli government accusing it of unacceptable intervention in the Church of Jerusalem internal affairs in view of the election of its new head.

They maintain that the Israeli government removed their names from the list of candidates under the pretext that it took under consideration security issues of the Patriarchate and the Patriarch's position toward the state of Israel. They point out that the removal of their names insults their personality in an irreversible way, violates the freedom of the most ancient Church in the world and diminishes its prestige among the other Christian communities in the Holy Land.

[06] KARAMANLIS-PAPADIMOS MEETING

Right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis met with Bank of Greece governor Loukas Papadimos today.

In a statement he made afterwards, Mr. Karamanlis pointed out that today's meeting confirms the ND concerns over the course of the economy and the fact that there is a serious fiscal problem. He said that this is proven by the high unemployment, the abandonment of the rural areas, the lost chances as far as the Community Framework of Support is concerned, and the big delay in the liberalization of the economy.

He concluded by saying that the country needs a different policy and a different government.

[07] GAINS IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

Gains were recorded again today in the Athens Stock Exchange. The general index rose to +0.92% at 2.615,93 points, while the volume of transactions was satisfactory at 141.67 million Euro or 48.273 billion drachmas.

Of the stocks trading today, 281 recorded gains and 54 had losses, while the value of 38 stocks remained stable.

[08] ND CALLS FOR CLARIFICATIONS ON THE LIST OF GENOA

The revelation, according to which information on protesters, who went to Genoa, was given to the Italian authorities was characterized as a major moral and political issue by right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy spokesman.

He called on the government to give answers to the questions raised namely, if information was given and what kind, taking under consideration that the Italian Interior Minister speaking before his country's parliament yesterday revealed that he had in his hands "a list with the names of troublemakers".

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