Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 01-12-29

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

CONTENTS

[01] SIMITIS VISITS IN 2002

[02] 124 GREEK VOLUNTEERS IN AFGHANISTAN

[03] GREEKS IN FAVOR OF THE EURO

[04] G. PAPANDREOU: MESSAGE OF PEACE TO TURKEY

[01] SIMITIS VISITS IN 2002

Prime Minister Koastas Simitis' schedule for 2002, is as follows:

January 8-13: Official visit to the US.

January 22: Visit to Bulgaria.

January 30-31: Visit to Brussels participation in the Commission meeting meeting with R. Prodi speech in Bruges on The EU and social cohesion.

February 5: Visit to Romania.

February 22-23: Visit to Stockholm for the Progressive Governing of the 21st Century.

March 2-7: Official visit to Japan.

March 14-15: Trip to Barcelona to participate in the Emergency Summit Meeting of the EU.

February 19 and 20 the Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Mr. Juncker, will visit Athens. On February 25, Albanian Prime Minister I. Meta will make an official visit to Greece.

The visit of the Prime Minister to China, which is pending after two cancellations, will take place in late March or early June.

Mr. Simitis' visit to Cyprus is uncertain since the Cypriot political leadership may visit Athens.

[02] 124 GREEK VOLUNTEERS IN AFGHANISTAN

A force of 124 volunteers will be sent to Afghanistan. According to yesterday's announcement of the General Staff of National Defense (GEETHA), the Greek peace-keeping force to be sent to Cabul will consist of one Mechanized Company, a security detachment incorporated to the specific Company (about 30 commandos) and two C-130 aircraft, which will transfer materials and personnel.

According to the same announcement the peace-keeping mission is expected to depart in late January, and will remain in Afghanistan for three months. The GEETHA pointed out that the peace-keeping mission consisting of 124 men, will be comprised exclusively of volunteers, officers and non-commissioned officers. It is underlined that doctors and medical personnel will not participate in our country's force. The commander of the Greek force participated in a meeting with the British commander of the peace-keeping force, Major-General John McCall, to determine details of the operation as well as issues of commanding attention and support.

[03] GREEKS IN FAVOR OF THE EURO

The coming of the euro is the beginning of a new era for 72% of the Greek population, however, one out of three Greeks is worried about the consequences of the new currency on his or her financial status, and half of them are not ready to use it in their everyday transactions.

These were the results of Kapa-Research, the findings of which were published in The Vima newspaper. According to the information of the newspaper, 48.9% of those asked stated they were satisfied with the instituting of the euro, while 46% answered that they are not that satisfied that the drachma is being done away with.

However 55.4% of those asked expressed their concern about falling victim to some sort of scam during the first months of the euro's circulation, and 66.8% does not believe that the state can protect them from profiteering schemes.

At the same time, the establishment of the euro finds Greeks so unprepared that 66.7% stated that it had not yet calculated its income in the new currency, and only 64.5% knew that the drachma will be completely withdrawn from the market in March.

[04] G. PAPANDREOU: MESSAGE OF PEACE TO TURKEY

Great publicity has been given to Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Papandreous' New Year message to the Turkish people, by the Turkish press.

Hurriyet included an article titled Peace is our historical responsibility and subtitled Message from Papandreou for the New Year, which underlined that Foreign Minister Papandreou stressed: With the opportunity of the New Year, speaking for the entire Greek government, I would like to send you my best wishes for the development of our cooperation, in a way that will benefit both our countries, as well as my wishes for the progress and prosperity of our friends, the Turkish people.

The message of the Greek Foreign Minister for the New Year was published in the newspaper published by the Greek Embassy in Ankara.

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