Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 02-05-02

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

CONTENTS

[01] DENKTASH PROVIDING NO SOLUTION

[02] GOVERNMENTAL REACTION TO ATTACK ON PRESIDENT

[03] ARCHBISHOP CHRISTODOULOS FAINTS

[04] G.MAGRIOTIS IN JERUSALEM TOMORROW

[01] DENKTASH PROVIDING NO SOLUTION

The document submitted by Rauf Denktash in his last meeting with President Cleridis, opens no paths of resolving the Cyrpus matter, but is a repetition of all his known positions, stated government spokesperson of Cyprus, Michalis Papapetrou.

As Mr. Papapetrou mentioned to the Cypriot News Agency, the President of the Republic completed his study of the document and his answer was to be sent to the occupational leader yesterday, as well as to the special consultant of the UN, Secretary General on the Cyprus Issue, Alvaro de Soto. The study of the document took place at a special meeting, chaired by President Cleridis, with the participation of the General District Attorney of the Republic, Alekos Markidis, government spokesperson and Undersecretary to the President Pantelis Kouros.

Direct dialogues on the Cyprus issue have no success prospects, due to Denktash's and Ankara's persistence in confederate partitionist positions, stated the President of the Parliament of AKEL, Dimistris Christofias.

Speaking at yesterday's Pan-Cypriot Workers Federation meeting, D. Christofias said that this year's Mayday finds the Cyprus issue in a very crucial stage, and he stressed that stone-walling and eating away at time, what the Turkish Cypriot leader is aiming at, cannot be tolerated. Possible blackmail in relation to Cyprus' course concerning its EU accession, he said, must be dealt with decisively. The international factor, stated Mr. Christofias, has an obligation to take responsibility placing pressure and influencing the Turkish side, into aligning itself with UN resolutions and high level agreements, so that a path opens for productive discussions.

[02] GOVERNMENTAL REACTION TO ATTACK ON PRESIDENT

A television show on TILEASTY television, by journalist V. Papadopoulos, caused the anger of the political world, after questioning the democratic convictions of the President of the Republic Kostis Stefanopoulos and his position during the dictatorship.

The Greek people know and firmly support the President of the Republic, stated Minister of the Press and Media and government spokesperson Christos Protopapas, when asked to comment on the unethical attack on Mr. Stefanopoulos.

His morals and democratic struggles are well known. Nobody especially from the area where the attack originated can even think of blemishing his name.

We are all on the President's side, and I want to stress that the ridiculousness of these accusations tells a few things about their inspirers, underlined Mr. Protopapas.

Both the television station and the journalist that made the attack are well known to us, stated deputy Minister Tilemachos Chytiris.

I don't think that one needs to comment, meaning that the President of the Republic has no need to be judged by journalists of that level. The President of the Republic is too high above them, he pointed out.

Secretary of PASOK's Central Committee, Kostas Laliotis, when asked to comment on the event, stressed that nobody in Greece can question the political and social course, as well as the democratic morals, of Kostis Stefanopoulos.

Kostis Stefanopoulos is a diamond honoring Democracy at its highest office, the Presidency of the Republic. Hands off Kostis Stefanopoulos, he underlined.

[03] ARCHBISHOP CHRISTODOULOS FAINTS

Doctors' appreciations are reassuring concerning the fainting of Archbishop Christodoulos, during his visit to the Asclepio hospital in Voula, drawing on the Easter holidays.

The Archbishop underwent the necessary examinations and the doctors mentioned a hypoglycemia episode, due to fatigue and fasting.

Mr. Christodoulos received the wishes of the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister, political party leaders, and many church and government officials, over the telephone.

[04] G.MAGRIOTIS IN JERUSALEM TOMORROW

Deputy Foreign Minister Giannis Magriotis will leave for Jerusalem tomorrow on a special Olympic Airways flight, in order to represent the Greek government at the Ceremony of the Holy Light at the grave of Jesus.

Returning to Athens on Holy Saturday, Mr. Magriotis will attend the official ceremony for the receiving of the Holy Light, which has been organized by the Foreign Ministry and the Eastern Attica Prefecture.

The Holy Light will then be taken by procession to the exarchate of the Sacrosanct Grave at Plaka, in order to be distributed to the faithful, while at the same time, it will be transferred to 20 different locations in Greece.

At 8:30pm, Mr. Magriotis will arrive in Thessaloniki, where, at Macedonia airport, the reception ceremony for the Holy Light of the Resurrection will take place. The ceremony will be organized by the prefecture local government of Thessaloniki in cooperation with the Holy Metropolis of Kalamaria.

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