Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 02-04-18

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] KAKLAMANIS: GREECE WILL NOT ACCEPT AN EU ENLARGEMENT WITHOUT CYPRUS

[02] SIMITIS: THE GREEK ECONOMY WILL BECOME STRONGER IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS

[03] KARAMANLIS IN "THE ECONOMIST" CONFERENCE

[04] MARGINAL GAINS IN THE ASE

[05] EUROPEAN COMMISSION INTERVENTION IN THE OA FINANCES

[06] THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NATURAL GAS PIPELINE IN GREECE STARTS NEXT YEAR

[07] INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION INCREASED BY 0.2% IN THE EURO-ZONE

[08] SIMITIS-ROBERTSON ON THE MIDDLE EAST, THE BALKANS AND THE EURO-ARMY

[09] EVENTS FOR ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

[10] PRIME MINISTER IN BUCHAREST

[11] SIMITIS-SOLANA MEETING

[01] KAKLAMANIS: GREECE WILL NOT ACCEPT AN EU ENLARGEMENT WITHOUT CYPRUS

All those, who think that Greece is bluffing when it says that the EU enlargement will not be ratified by the Greek Parliament if Cyprus is not included, are very naïve, stated Greek Parliament President Apostolos Kaklamanis in a press conference to the Greek-American mass media in New York.

Responding to a question on the role of the US to the solution of the Cyprus problem and the threats of Turkey in case Cyprus becomes an EU member, Mr. Kaklamanis expressed the belief that the US has the power to make Turkey respect the UN Security Council decisions. The US, said Mr. Kaklamanis, is inactive regarding the problem of the Turkish occupation of Cyprus.

Mr. Kaklamanis also stressed that the Greek-Americans work hard to contribute in a decisive way to the organized and systematic promotion of the Greek national issues.

[02] SIMITIS: THE GREEK ECONOMY WILL BECOME STRONGER IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS

Prime Minister Kostas Simitis stated that in the next two years until 2004 the Greek economy will become even stronger. The statement was made after the cabinet meeting on the course of the economy that was held in Athens today.

Mr. Simitis stated that in the past six years the economic growth rate in Greece is higher than the EU economic growth rate and as a result the per capita income for the Greeks increased from 64% of the EU average in 1993 to 71% in 2001.

He added that an important work has already been done but there is still a lot of work that needs to be done to further accelerate the procedure for real convergence.

Mr. Simitis stated that there is a world economic recession but Greece is an exception. Its growth rate is 3.8% namely, more than double the EU average.

[03] KARAMANLIS IN "THE ECONOMIST" CONFERENCE

Right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis backed the creation of a Palestinian state and the protection of the Israeli borders speaking today in The Economist magazine conference in Athens. Israel and Palestine must live together, said Mr. Karamanlis and added that blood has no color, no religion and no ethnic identity.

The ND leader stated that his party backs the Saudi Arabia proposal for an international conference on the Palestinian issue with the participation of the EU and the United States. He also condemned violence regardless of its origin, stressing that there can be no peace through aggressive statements or through statements for future attacks.

Referring to the Euro-army issue, Mr. Karamanlis stated that certain parts of the US-British text serve Turkey and stressed that no Greek government will ever sign such a text. He said that the terms demanded by Turkey to be included in the specific text create negative suspicions instead of positive prospects.

On the Cyprus issue, the New Democracy leader stated that Greece will not agree on the EU enlargement if Cyprus is not included in the first wave of the candidate states that will become EU members. He also referred to the situation in the Balkans and underlined the need for peace and stability in the region which can be achieved through the economic cooperation of the region's states.

[04] MARGINAL GAINS IN THE ASE

Marginal gains were recorded again today in the Athens Stock Exchange. The general index rose to +0.05% at 2.203,27 points, while the volume of transactions was at 74 million Euro or 25.2 billion drachmas.

Of the stocks trading today, 133 had gains and 159 had losses, while the value of 85 stocks remained unchanged.

[05] EUROPEAN COMMISSION INTERVENTION IN THE OA FINANCES

The European Commission will make a thorough check on the finances of the Greek state-run airline Olympic Airways. It is stressed that the European Commission will appeal to the European Court in case it is concluded that two reconstruction programs in the periods 1994-98 and 1998-2002 were not implemented.

The above were stated by European Commission Vice-President Loyola de Palacio responding to a question by Greek Euro-deputy Antonis Trakatelis, elected with the right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy. The question was made on the occasion of the OA management decision to cut three direct foreign flights to and from Thessaloniki.

[06] THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NATURAL GAS PIPELINE IN GREECE STARTS NEXT YEAR

The construction of the Greek part of the Komotini-Ankara natural gas pipeline will start in January 2003. The Greek part of the pipeline will be 82.3 kilometers long and the project will cost 3.8 million Euro.

The Greek Public Gas Company proclaimed the opening of a competition of bids for those companies that are interested in taking over the construction of the project scheduled to start in January 2003 and will be completed in June 2004.

[07] INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION INCREASED BY 0.2% IN THE EURO-ZONE

The industrial production growth rate in the Euro-zone in the month of February overturned the estimates made by analysts as, according to a statement by Eurostat, is smaller than expected.

Specifically, industrial production in the Euro-zone in February increased by 0.2% compared to January and dropped by 3.3% compared to the same period last year.

[08] SIMITIS-ROBERTSON ON THE MIDDLE EAST, THE BALKANS AND THE EURO-ARMY

Prime Minister Kostas Simitis in his meeting today with NATO secretary-general George Robertson in Athens reiterated the Greek government position according to which, Athens will not accept Ankara's text on the Euro-army.

Mr. Robertson pointed out that in the case of a collective problem a collective solution is necessary.

In statements he made to reporters, Mr. Robertson said that he thanked Prime Minister Simitis for the support of the Greek government to the cooperation relation between NATO and Russia and praised Greece's work in the Balkans. He said that Greece has a big influence in southeastern Europe and later today the Defense Ministers of the Balkan states will meet in Athens to discuss the initiatives that will contribute to the strengthening of stability in this sensitive region.

Prime Minister Simitis also referred to the cooperation between NATO and Russia, stressing that Greece always believed that a closer contact and cooperation is necessary for security in Europe. He said that an effort must be made for peace and cooperation in the Balkans.

He also raised to Mr. Robertson the issue of the Middle East and stated that they agreed that an effort must be made for peace in the region. He said that they discussed in detail the issue of the European defense and security (ESDP), and the problem of cooperation between the EU and the NATO states that are not EU members.

Mr. Simitis stated that Greece rejects the so-called Ankara text, adding that other solutions must be found for the EU to be able to use NATO's means.

[09] EVENTS FOR ARMENIAN GENOCIDE

The memory of the 1,5 million Armenians that fell victim to the Genocide of the Turkish regime of 1915 will be honored this Sunday in Thessaloniki.

At 11am an event will take place in the lecture room of the Company of Macedonian Studies. Greeting speeches will be addressed by the Minister of Macedonia-Thrace, Giorgos Paschalidis, the Ambassador of the Republic of Armenia, Prefect Kostas Papadopoulos, Mayor Vasilis Papageorgopoulos, and the representative of the Armenian Youth. Journalist Alexis Papahelas will make a speech entitled: Historical truth and modern realities. Turkey's case.

At 1pm wreaths will be lain at the war memorial of the 3rd Army Corps. On Wednesday April 24, a memorial service will be held at the Orthodox Armenian church of the Holy Mother.

[10] PRIME MINISTER IN BUCHAREST

Prime Minister Kostas Simitis is departing for Bucharest this afternoon, at 5:pm, in order to participate in the Three Member Summit Meeting between Greece, Romania and Bulgaria. The Prime Minister will return to Athens tomorrow afternoon.

[11] SIMITIS-SOLANA MEETING

Prime Minister Kostas Simitis will meet with the representative of the EU on Joint Foreign Policy and Defense Issues this afternoon. The Euroarmy will be at the center of discussions.

At 9:30am Prime Minister Simitis met with the Secretary General of NATO, Lord George Robertson, at the Parliament.

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