Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 02-05-09

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

CONTENTS

[01] K. SIMITIS IN BELGRADE

[02] ANKARA EUROARMY TEXT UNACCEPTABLE

[03] THE GREEK MINISTER OF FINANCE IS IN ANKARA

[04] STATE BUDGET DEFICIT INCREASE

[05] GAINS IN THE ASE

[06] THE WHOLESALE PRICES INDEX AT 3.7% IN MARCH

[07] THE ECB SEES DE-ESCALATION OF INFLATIONARY PRESSURES

[08] A.DIAMANTOPOULOU STATEMENTS ON EUROPE DAY

[09] BULGARIAN PRIME MINISTER IN THESSALONIKI

[10] N. CHRISTODOULAKIS IN TURKEY

[11] THE GREEK PRIME MINISTER IS IN BELGRADE

[12] MR. GITONAS IS VISITING ZAGREB

[13] G. PAPANTONIOU AT MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR BRIGADIER SAUNDERS

[01] K. SIMITIS IN BELGRADE

Prime Minister Kostas Simitis began his two-day visit to Yugoslavia this morning. It is the first official visit of a Greek Prime Minister to the neighboring country in 16 years. The goal of the Prime Minister's meeting with the Yugoslavian leadership is a new beginning in Greece's Balkan policy.

In Belgrade, Mr. Simitis will meet with his Yugoslavian counterpart Dragisa Pesic, the President of Yugoslavia Voislav Kostunica, Deputy Prime Minister Labus Miroljub, Serb Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic of the Lower Parliament of Yugoslavia, Dragoljub Micunovic. The President of Monte Negro, Milo Djukanovic, will also travel to Belgrade today, in order to have discussions with Mr. Simitis.

During his two-day visit to the Yugoslavian capital, Prime Minister Kostas Simitis will be received by the Patriarch of Serbia, Paul, while he will participate in a meeting of Yugoslavian and Greek businessmen, to be held in the Belgrade Hyatt.

The Greek Prime Minister will return to Athens tomorrow afternoon

[02] ANKARA EUROARMY TEXT UNACCEPTABLE

Minister of National Defense Giannos Papantoniou characterized the Ankara text on the Euroarmy as unacceptable, during a speech at the London School of Economics, on Greece and New European Security.

Mr. Papantoniou pointed out that the text was drafted outside EU procedures, and he stressed that if its positions are adopted, it would cause a breakdown in the Joint European Security and Defense Policy, since Turkey would be able to make unfounded claims against Greece within the EU.

Mr. Papantoniou referred to the Cyprus issue, underlining that there is a historic opportunity approaching in the accession of Cyprus to the EU. He observed that Cyprus' accession would also benefit the Turkish Cypriot side, while he stressed that resolving the Cyprus issue would be a positive development for Turkey as well, removing another obstacle in its course for EU accession, while at the same time ensuring improvement in Greek-Turkish relations.

Referring to the Middle Eastern crisis, he stressed the necessity of intervention by the International Community, in order to stop violence and begin negotiations for the final solution of the problem immediately, and he added that the solution cannot be military, but must be the result of negotiations.

He also made special mention of developments in the Balkans, pointing out that after a long crisis period, the requirements for incorporation in the European Security System and accession to the EU are now available. As he said, such a development would be a positive contribution to stability in Southeastern Europe and the development of these countries.

In closing, Mr. Papantoniou underlined the priorities of the Greek Presidency in the sector of EU defense.

[03] THE GREEK MINISTER OF FINANCE IS IN ANKARA

The Greek-Turkish economic cooperation potential was discussed in detail in the working dinner Greek Minister of Finance Nikos Christodoulakis and his Turkish counterpart Kemal Dervis had in Ankara.

The visit of the Greek Finance Minister to Ankara coincides with the recovery of the Turkish economy which facilitates cooperation with Greece, stated Mr. Dervis after the meeting he had with Mr. Christodoulakis.

Mr. Christodoulakis is accompanied by important businessmen namely, Nikos Nanopoulos of Eurobank and Mr. Georganas of the Bank of Piraeus, who had extensive talks with Turkish banking system officials.

At a political level, Greece wants Turkey to consolidate its democratic institutions through its relations with the EU, stated the Minister of Finance.

[04] STATE BUDGET DEFICIT INCREASE

The state budget deficit in Greece increased by 16.7% in the first trimester of 2002 compared to the same period last year reaching 1.67 billion Euro. According to Undersecretary of Finance Giorgos Floridis, the state budget surplus is expected to be 816 million Euro in 2002.

Mr. Floridis presented the innovations that will be included in the drawing-up of the new state budget, stressing that an emphasis will be given to the more systematic evaluation of expenditures.

[05] GAINS IN THE ASE

The upward course continues in the Athens Stock Exchange. The general index rose to +1.04% at 2.298,29 points in today's session, while the volume of transactions was at 125.7 million Euro or 42.8 billion drachmas.

Of the stocks trading today, the overwhelming majority namely, 221 recorded gains and 86 had losses, while the value of 66 stocks remained unchanged.

[06] THE WHOLESALE PRICES INDEX AT 3.7% IN MARCH

The wholesale prices index in Greece was at 3.7% in the month of March, according to figures provided by the Greek National Statistics Agency.

For the record, the index in question was at 2.8% in the month of February.

[07] THE ECB SEES DE-ESCALATION OF INFLATIONARY PRESSURES

The European Central Bank sees de-escalation of inflationary pressures in the Euro-zone in the following months pointing out, however, that price prospects are not favorable compared to the end of 2001.

According to the monthly bulletin issued by the ECB, annual inflation is expected to drop in the following months. However, it is not clarified if the price index will drop below the 2% target as it was maintained last week in the text accompanying the bank's decision to keep the Euro interest rates unchanged.

The ECB's monthly bulletin also maintains that price stability depends on the course of oil prices and the wage demands that will be raised by the workers.

[08] A.DIAMANTOPOULOU STATEMENTS ON EUROPE DAY

Half a century after the historic proclamation for European Unification, Europe is preparing to turn a new page, pointed out Greek EU Commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou.

The major issues of Political Unification and Broadening are the main point of focus of discussions on the future of Europe. A future that European and national leaderships, and people most of all, must not allow to be blemished by the activation of political cancer cells of extreme right nihilism, populism, europhobia and the simplification of the anti-everything position, underlined Mrs. Diamantopoulou.

If 50 years ago the appeal of Robert Schuman was addressed to the leaderships of the European peoples, today the materialization of the European ideal concerns both leaders and individual citizens, she ended.

[09] BULGARIAN PRIME MINISTER IN THESSALONIKI

The Prime Minister of Bulgaria, Simeon Saxe-Coburg Gotha, will arrive in Thessaloniki on an unofficial visit this afternoon.

At 8:30pm he will meet with Minister of Macedonia-Thrace, Giorgos Paschalidis at the Government House, and will attend a dinner in his honor there. Tomorrow morning he will depart for Ouranoupoli in Chalkidiki, and from there he will go to Mt. Athos. He will stop at Daphne, Karyes, where he will have contacts with Mt. Athos' civil administration, and he will stay at the Holy Zografou Convent until Saturday afternoon.

He will depart for Bulgaria from Thessaloniki on Sunday afternoon.

[10] N. CHRISTODOULAKIS IN TURKEY

Minister of Economy and Finance Nikos Christodoulakis departed for Turkey today, beginning his two-day visit to the neighboring country, in an attempt to further strengthen Greek-Turkish financial and commercial relations.

Mr. Christodoulakis, accompanied by a small group of businessmen, will meet with his Turkish counterpart, Cemal Dervis, as well as Foreign Minister Ismail Cem.

At the same time he will have meetings with the board of directors and member-businesses of the Turkish Industrialists' Association, in order to discuss prospects of Greek-Turkish alliances in the business world.

His agenda also includes examining promotion possibilities for economic cooperation in the broader Southeastern Europe region, with the creation of Greek-Turkish businesses, as well as cooperation in EU frameworks.

Mr.Christodoulakis' visit to Turkey is in the framework of further efforts to strengthen bilateral relations, efforts that have lately become systematic.

It should be noted that Greece and Turkey recently signed two memoranda of cooperation in the key sectors of natural gas and electricity.

[11] THE GREEK PRIME MINISTER IS IN BELGRADE

The formal two-day visit of Greek Prime Minister Kostas Simitis to Belgrade opened with the signing of economic and technical cooperation agreements mainly in the sectors of air and road transportation. The agreements were signed by Mr. Simitis and his Federal Republic of Yugoslavia counterpart Dragisa Pesic.

It is the first formal visit by a Greek Prime Minister to Belgrade in 16 years. This fact was stressed by Mr. Simitis, who underlined that there is a desire for a new beginning in bilateral relations.

Mr. Simitis characterized the discussion with his Yugoslav counterpart as friendly and warm and stressed that the two countries have a common purpose namely, cooperation, peace and development in the Balkans.

Yugoslavia is looking forward to the stability plan funds in which Greece's participation is US$500 million. For the record, Yugoslavia will receive half of the Greek economic assistance. Also, Yugoslavia is looking forward to further economic assistance from Greece and wants the improvement of bilateral trade relations.

Mr. Simitis stated that Greece will back Yugoslavia's accession into the Council of Europe and the Euro-Atlantic structures, stating that the country's accession is expected to take place in September 2002. Also, Greece backs the development of closer relations with the EU and finally, Yugoslavia's accession into the EU. In addition, Greece backs the redefinition of relations between Serbia and Montenegro and the relevant agreement signed by the two countries.

Mr. Simitis is scheduled to have meetings with Federal Parliament President Mr. Mitsunovic, the Serb President, and the President of Montenegro. Tomorrow, he will meet with the Yugoslav President and the Deputy Prime Minister. Earlier, he will have a meeting with Patriarch Pavle of Serbia.

[12] MR. GITONAS IS VISITING ZAGREB

Greek Parliament A' Deputy President Kostas Gitonas departs for Zagreb today to attend the two-day conference of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly Parliament Presidents.

In the conference on Democracies Faced with Terrorism the issues that will be discussed concern terrorism and ways in which the problem can be faced by democratic societies. The conference participants will also discuss the adoption of a charter defining the obligations of the states.

[13] G. PAPANTONIOU AT MEMORIAL SERVICE FOR BRIGADIER SAUNDERS

Minister of National Defense Giannos Papantoniou began his visit to London, by laying a wreath at the memorial plaque for Brigadier Steven Saunders, murdered by November 17, in the Foreign Office.

Present at the memorial service were Brigadier Saunders' widow, the British Secretary of Defense, Geoff Hoon, and representatives of the Foreign Office and Scotland Yard. In the speeches of the two Defense Ministers, the close cooperation and will of the authorities to effectively confront international terrorism, and bring the killers of Steven Saunders to justice, were expressed.

Mr. Papantoniou stated that it was necessary for Greece to be present at this event.

Greece has stated that it is fighting to find these murderers, the instigators of this crime, and that there is very close cooperation between Greek authorities and the corresponding British services, aiming at finding the guilty parties and in general revealing the culprits of N17's murders. I have stated this with great emphasis and I want to hope that these efforts will be effective, he underlined.

Mr. Papantoniou also noted that he expressed the support of the Greek people to Mrs. Saunders, and he assured her that Greeks will give any help they can in memory of her husband.

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