Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 01-12-27

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

CONTENTS

[01] TENSIONS WITH ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN ZACHYNTHOS

[02] OCALAN ISSUE IN THE SPOTLIGHT AGAIN

[03] GREECE AND FINLAND FIRST TO USE EURO

[04] SIMITIS IN CYPRUS IN JANUARY

[05] KARAMANLIS: ND WILL WIN ANY ELECTIONS

[01] TENSIONS WITH ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS IN ZACHYNTHOS

The illegal immigrants who were spotted off the shore of Zachynthos, and brought to the island by the authorities a few weeks ago, have caused tensions.

The State granted pink cards, which are valid until they are granted political asylum, to 350 of the 738 illegal immigrants, resulting in a large number of them reacting. Certain immigrants managed to escape from the hotel in which they were staying and the islands' authorities have undertaken investigations to trace them. Also, many of the disgruntled illegal immigrants have moved to hunger strikes in the last few days.

[02] OCALAN ISSUE IN THE SPOTLIGHT AGAIN

Discharged Captain of the Navy Antonis Naxakis and 11 other individuals accused of aiding in the illegal arrival and harboring of Abdullah Ocalan in Greece, will take the stand, accused of two fellonies.

The Athens Court of Appeals approved the first ruling of the judicial council, which is 92 pages long, according to which Antonis Naxakis and the two women escorting Ocalan are indicted on charges of insulting Greece's state of international peace. Author Voula Damianakou and her daughter are facing charges of accommodating an illegal alien. With this ruling, Ocalan is also indicted with illegal entry to Greece.

[03] GREECE AND FINLAND FIRST TO USE EURO

Due to the time difference, the Finnish and the Greeks will hold the euro an hour earlier than all other citizens of the European Union.

Thanks to the fact tat Greece is the Easternmost member of the euro-zone, Greeks will have the opportunity to use the European currency 60 minutes before the rest of Europe. The Finnish will also receive the euro quite early, and might have to compete in who will make the first euro-transaction.

In the meanwhile, the supply of euro bank notes and coins to the public will, as it seems, go through without any problems, as, from the morning of December 31, about 3,295 commercial bank branches and 55 ELTA departments, will have the currency in their tills, ready to supply those who ask for it. Apart from those, there will also be hundreds of currency exchange booths, which will have supplied themselves from banks.

[04] SIMITIS IN CYPRUS IN JANUARY

Prime Minister Kostas Simitis will travel to Cyprus in January, according to information of Cyprus media sources. An exact date was not given for his visit, since Mr. Simitis will travel to Washington in early January to have discussions with US President Bush. Cyprus is among other issues to be discussed.

[05] KARAMANLIS: ND WILL WIN ANY ELECTIONS

His certainty that New Democracy would win the elections, no matter when they might be held, was expressed by President of New Democracy Kostas Karamanlis, while speaking on Antenna TV.

To the question on whether there is a chance of national elections being held simultaneously with the municipal elections to be held in October 2002, he answered that he cannot make such a prediction, he does not consider it probable, but he cannot rule out that possibility. He is prepared for elections, even if they were to be held tomorrow, but, as he said, the important issue is not winning the elections, but being prepared for the next day, to respond to the citizens' expectations, because most cannot.

Mr. Karamanlis stated that New Democracy has many individuals in its ranks that could live up to the responsibilities of being mayor in the city preparing to host the 2004 Olympics, but said that the name of the candidate would be withheld for a few more months.

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