Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 02-07-20

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

CONTENTS

[01] THE GREEK REGIONS AMONG THE POOREST IN EUROPE

[02] THE SPANISH AGRICULTURE MINISTER WILL VISIT GREECE

[03] TWO MEN CONNECTED TO N17 BROUGHT IN

[04] TWO MEN ARRESTED BY THE COUNTER-TERRORISM SERVICE

[05] SOLA LUNA DANCE FESTIVAL IN SKOTINA, PIERIA

[06] IOC ENTOUSIASTIC WITH OLYMPIC SECURITY AFTER N17 ARRESTS

[07] DOCTORS SATISFIED BY XEROS' HEALTH

[08] GIOTOPOULOS' WIFE IS QUESTIONED BY THE POLICE

[09] PRIVATIZATION IN GREECE IS AT THE FINISHING STRETCH

[10] GIOTOPOULOS, TZORTZATOS AND PSARADELIS WILL TESTIFY ON WEDNESDAY

[11] THREE OF THE 17N MEMBERS WILL TESTIFY TOMORROW

[12] 28 YEARS SINCE THE TURKISH INVASION OF CYPRUS

[13] US AMBASSADOR MILLER PRAISED GREECE FOR THE "17 NOVEMBER" BREAK UP

[01] THE GREEK REGIONS AMONG THE POOREST IN EUROPE

The regions of Eastern Macedonia, Thrace, Central Macedonia, Thessaly, Epirus, Western Greece and the Peloponnese are still included among the 30 EU regions with the lowest GDP and among the 30 EU regions with the lowest disposable income for their residents, according to the European statistics agency, Eurostat.

According to Eurostat, the regions of Western Macedonia, the Ionian Sea Islands, the Northern Aegean Sea Islands and Crete are also among the 30 EU regions with the lowest GDP but they are not among the 30 EU regions with the lowest disposable income for their residents.

[02] THE SPANISH AGRICULTURE MINISTER WILL VISIT GREECE

Spain's Agriculture Minister will visit Greece on July 29-30 to meet with Greek Agriculture Ministry officials and deal jointly with the European Commission proposals on the issue of the Common Farm Policy interim revision.

According to an announcement, after the informal EU Agriculture Ministers Council meeting in early September, Greece will be visited by Finland's Minister of Agriculture to discuss the issue with his Greek counterpart and coordinate their actions. Italian Minister of Agriculture will also visit Greece in the following days at a date that has not been decided yet.

Meanwhile, responsible European Commissioner Frantz Fischler gave the assurance that the Greek farmers will not be hurt by the revision of the Common Farm Policy, stressing that more funds will be given than today for the development of the Greek rural areas.

[03] TWO MEN CONNECTED TO N17 BROUGHT IN

Two men were brought in to GADA, who were earlier arrested in the fields of the Prefecture of Preveza and Thesprotia. According to information, they are Iraklis Kostaris and Kostas Karatsolis, Athens residents, who are connected to November 17. Both of them were arrested in the country and were taken to Athens by police helicopters and the fire department, escorted by police and special forces. Men of the counter-terrorism service are searching the apartment of one of the men who were arrested in Galatsi, Athens.

[04] TWO MEN ARRESTED BY THE COUNTER-TERRORISM SERVICE

Two men were arrested this afternoon by the counter-terrorism service and are being transferred to Athens by helicopter. The area in which they were arrested is unknown, while according to information, there is evidence linking them to the November 17 terrorist group.

[05] SOLA LUNA DANCE FESTIVAL IN SKOTINA, PIERIA

The 2nd International Electronic Dance Music Festival Sola Luna 2002, will be held from July 26 to July 29 at the Olympus Camping in Skotina, Pieria. Sola Luna has invited dozens of the most important names of the world electronica scene on three different stages, and promises the audience three unique days and nights in one of the most beautiful parts of Greece, the foot of Mt. Olympus.

The fully equipped stages with the necessary music and sound demands will host more than 90 DJs, live bands, and in general projects from the entire modern electronic music scene of the world (ambient, ethnic, freestyle, dub-reggae, drum 'n' base, breakbeat, techno, trance, tech house, progressive, trip hop, electro, funk, acid jazz, etc.)

Further information on how to reach Skotina and specifics about the camping site can be found at www.solalunafestival.com.

[06] IOC ENTOUSIASTIC WITH OLYMPIC SECURITY AFTER N17 ARRESTS

The International Olympic Committee characterized the arrests of the basic suspects of November 17 as extremely encouraging for the security of the 2004 Athens Olympics.

In fact, in an article concerning the arrests of the N17 members, the Los Angeles Times stressed that IOC and State Department officials, as well as Greek experts, expressed their hopes that the developments in Athens are indeed a success, that will lead to the eradication of November 17 and contribute to the security of the 2004 Olympic Games.

[07] DOCTORS SATISFIED BY XEROS' HEALTH

Savvas Xeros is undergoing continuous examinations at the Evaggelismos hospital. His doctors according to information are satisfied and are examining him in order to see if he will be able to undergo surgery on his left eye for post injury cataract within the next few days.

It should be noted that District Attorney Ioannis Diotis went to the Evaggelismos today, while so far Xeros has not been visited by any members of his family.

[08] GIOTOPOULOS' WIFE IS QUESTIONED BY THE POLICE

Maite Peynaud, wife of Alexandros Giotopoulos, who is accused of being the terrorist organization "17 November" leader, is at the central offices of the anti-terrorist agency in Athens where she is being questioned.

Giotopoulos appeared before the prosecutor yesterday and was accused of a series of "17 November" terrorist attacks. More arrests are expected in the next few days.

[09] PRIVATIZATION IN GREECE IS AT THE FINISHING STRETCH

Privatization in the Greek energy sector is moving ahead after the decisions made yesterday by the governmental committee.

Specifically, a package of Public Electricity Company shares will be sold to private investors through the stock exchange in the fall, and the international bid for the Public Natural Gas Company strategic partner, who will purchase 30-35% of its shares, will be launched in 15 days. Meanwhile, the Hellenic Petroleum Company negotiations with the joint venture Lukoil/Latsis Group are speeding up and concern only the establishment of two joint venture companies, their spread to the Balkans and oil drilling.

The decisions were announced yesterday by Minister of Development Akis Tsochatzopoulos, who backed the measures before the governmental committee. In the meeting it was also decided that the Bank of Greece will take over the supervision of the single banking and insurance market.

[10] GIOTOPOULOS, TZORTZATOS AND PSARADELIS WILL TESTIFY ON WEDNESDAY

Alexandros Giotopoulos, Vasilios Tzortzatos and Theologos Psaradelis will testify before an examining judge on Wednesday concerning their role in the terrorist organization 17 November.

Giotopoulos has denied any involvement in the terrorist organization 17 November. However, according to Greek Police spokesman Lefteris Economou, based on evidence gathered during the preliminary examination, Giotopoulos not only participated in the organization but had a leading role in it.

The Athens newspaper Imerisia writes that based on reliable information from senior police officers, Giotopoulos is the leader, founder and writer of all the 17 November manifestos, including that on the assassination of British military attache in Athens Brigadier, Stephen Saunders. The same sources mention that a large number of arrests will be made in the following days, maybe 30-40, including arrests of members of other terrorist organizations that acted in parallel or in cooperation with 17 November.

On Vasilios Tzortzatos it was established that he took part in many of the crimes committed by the terrorist organization from 1985 until 1992.

Theologos Psaradelis confessed that together with other 17 November members participated in a 1986 robbery, while based on the evidence collected so far he also took part in another robbery in 1988.

Meanwhile, the relation of the 17N or certain of its members with the illegal Turkish organization DHKP/C, the new name of Dev Sol, is being examined within the framework of the investigations concerning the relations of 17N with other organizations, according to the Athens newspaper TA NEA. It is possible that the attacks on the two Turkish diplomats were decided within the framework of the cooperation between the two organizations. Based on the same news report, about 100 members of this organization live in Athens.

[11] THREE OF THE 17N MEMBERS WILL TESTIFY TOMORROW

Terrorist organization 17 November members, Christodoulos Xiros, Vasilis Xiros and Dionisis Georgiadis will testify tomorrow before an examining judge.

They are accused of capital offences some of which are included in the new law against terrorism and organized crime.

Meanwhile, the search continues to locate Dimitris Koufodinas, another 17N member. Police believe that he accompanied Savas Xiros in the Port of Piraeus in the evening of June 29 when the time bomb he was carrying exploded in his hands. They also believe that after the explosion, Koufodinas went to the Damareos Street hideout from where he took a gun and removed certain evidence.

[12] 28 YEARS SINCE THE TURKISH INVASION OF CYPRUS

Cypriot President Glafkos Clerides in his message on the occasion of the 28th anniversary of the Turkish invasion of Cyprus referred to the solution of the Cyprus problem. He stressed, among others, that the Greek Cypriot side is preparing to face any eventuality after the threats launched by the Turkish side in its effort to stop Cyprus' EU accession course.

Referring to the efforts for the solution of the Cyprus problem, Mr. Clerides underlined the intransigence displayed by the Turkish side. He also thanked the Greek government and the Greek political world as a whole for the valuable help they offer and specifically, for the diplomatic efforts that eventually will lead to Cyprus' accession into the European Union.

[13] US AMBASSADOR MILLER PRAISED GREECE FOR THE "17 NOVEMBER" BREAK UP

US ambassador Thomas Miller praised Greece for the miraculous developments in the effort to break up the terrorist organization 17 November speaking in the 80th AHEPA congress in New York last night.

Mr. Miller underlined the excellent cooperation between Greece and the United States in the effort to combat international terrorism.

The US ambassador also referred to the Greek-US trade relations, the Greek-Turkish relations, Cyprus and the stability in the region, the cooperation with Greece in view of its EU Presidency and the preparations in Greece for the 2004 Olympic Games.

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