Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 02-05-11

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

CONTENTS

[01] THE GREEKS DO NOT RISK CHANGING THEIR OCCUPATION

[02] COOPERATION TO COMBAT TERRORISM

[03] THE GREEK-TURKISH TRADE BALANCE DEFICIT HAS DECREASED

[04] PAPANTONIOU ON THE PARTHENON MARBLES

[01] THE GREEKS DO NOT RISK CHANGING THEIR OCCUPATION

The Europeans do not change occupation often and the Greeks are most hesitant in this area, according to a research conducted in 2001 by the European Statistics Agency Eurostat on the EU work force.

In 2000, only 16.4% of the workers in the EU were in the same job for less than a year, while in Greece they were 9.6% compared to a 84.3% who held the same job for more than two years.

According to the research, the main reason that makes people hesitant when it comes to changing jobs is the low education level. In Europe, 60.3% of the people ages 25-64 has a high school diploma, while Greece is below the EU average at 51.2% and Portugal at 19.2%.

Unemployment among university graduates in the EU reaches 4.9%, while Greece has the second largest percentage (7.9%) following Spain's 11.2%, as opposed to Luxembourg where unemployment among university graduates is a merely 1.2%.

[02] COOPERATION TO COMBAT TERRORISM

A joint text of principles providing for information exchange on terrorists was signed by the seven Public Order Ministers of the Adriatic-Ionian Sea Initiative in their meeting in the island of Corfu.

Specifically based on the text, the seven countries namely, Greece, Italy, Yugoslavia, Croatia, Albania, Slovenia and Bosnia-Herzegovina will have the obligation to exchange information on the economic affairs and the movement of terrorist organizations and terrorists, as well as trafficking of weapons, explosives, radioactive material, chemical and biological substances.

Also, controls will intensify along the borders of the specific countries, while police measures in airports and ports will increase.

[03] THE GREEK-TURKISH TRADE BALANCE DEFICIT HAS DECREASED

Greece's deficit in its trade transactions with Turkey decreased by 20% in the first two months of the current year and compared to the same period last year, according to the Economic and Trade Affairs Office in Istanbul.

It reached US$23.1 million compared to US$28.6 million in 2001 as a result of the fact that the Turkish exports to Greece dropped by 8.46%. The Greek exports to Turkey also recorded a decline of 1.48% to US$43.8 million in the same period of time.

In addition, the trade volume of the two countries dropped by 5.82% to US$110.8 million.

[04] PAPANTONIOU ON THE PARTHENON MARBLES

Minister of Defense Yiannos Papantoniou met with the presiding board of the British Committee set up to back the return of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece. The meeting was held within the framework of his formal visit to London.

Mr. Papantoniou characterized the talks he had with the president and the members of the committee as very meaningful. He pointed out that the opening of the Museum of the Acropolis in two years offers a good opportunity for the solution of the problem.

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