Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 02-10-07

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] TURKISH INTERVENTION IN N17 TRIAL

[02] SKEPTIC ACCEPTANCE OF ANTITERRORISTIC RALLY

[03] SIMITIS: CAUTION IS NECESSARY BECAUSE OF THE INTERNATIONAL UNCERTAINTY

[04] PROTOPAPAS: GREECE PERSISTS IN ITS POSITION ON THE RESPECT OF THE

[05] THE ASE PLUNGES AGAIN

[06] THE ISSUE OF THE UNCOLLECTED GARBAGE IN THESSALONIKI IS AT A STALEMATE

[07] 150 MOVIES IN THESSALONIKI'S 43RD FILM FESTIVAL

[08] IMMIGRATION POLICIES PRESENTED

[09] CONFRONTATIONS IN VIEW OF ELECTIONS

[10] A "LOCAL GOVERNMENT ANTI-RACISM MAP"

[11] ATTACK ON IRAQ AFFECTS GREEK GROWTH RATE

[12] CLERIDES WILL BE IN ATHENS ON OCTOBER 17

[01] TURKISH INTERVENTION IN N17 TRIAL

Turkey wants to intervene in terroristic organization "November 17" trial, during which murders and injuries of Turkish diplomats will be tried, as Foreign Ministry in Ankara announced.

According to a publication of the Turkish Daily News, Turkey will not intervene officialy in the state, the relatives of Turkish diplomats killed in a N17 terrorist attack, as well as the diplomats that were injured in the attack, may participate in the case with civil suits.

The announcement underlined that Turkey, as a state, will not become involved, but the relatives of the two diplomats killed and the three diplomats that were seriously injured will, while the US and the UK are expected to follow the same course of action.

[02] SKEPTIC ACCEPTANCE OF ANTITERRORISTIC RALLY

Certain conditions must be met in order for other parties to participate in the proposal of PASOK Centra; Committee Secretary K. Laliotis to turn the November 17 anniversary march into a protest against the "November 17" terrorist group and terrorism in general.

"If the specific proposal has a overall political framework without extreme and one-sided views, and the march ends at the Parliament, we have not problem with it", was the reaction of ND Secretary Ev. Meimarakis, who made it clear that ND will neither agree to nor participate in a protest march ending at the US Embassy. Mr. Meimarakis noted that "ND has always celebrated the N17 anniversary, but has not participated in it because it ended at the US Embassy".

The President of the Coalition of the Left, Nikos Konstantopoulos, appeared positive, but broadened the message to be sent, making mention of a "rally of all the people against terrorism, the atmosphere of this lust for terror, against the war in Iraq, with slogans for the right to employment and education".

KKE Disagrees

KKE MP G. Chourmouziadis was negative concerning the march, preparing us for the party's final position.

"A rally of all the people against terrorism would be a critical strike against terrorism, those in the media lusting for terror, and would cancel out any connection between the people's revolution of the Polytechnic School and the criminal actions of certain arms bearers, who were absent at the time", explained PASOK. The government spokesperson underlined the importance of "a symbolically positive and important movement".

A similar action had been mentioned within ND last week, following the attack on the "Apogevmatini" newspaper offices and had been characterized as "a good idea" by party Spokesperson Thodoris Roussopoulos, but no official position had been taken.

[03] SIMITIS: CAUTION IS NECESSARY BECAUSE OF THE INTERNATIONAL UNCERTAINTY

There is no problem with the Greek economy but there is international uncertainty and caution is necessary because of this, stressed Prime Minister Kostas Simitis after the meeting he had with Bank of Greece Governor Nikolaos Garganas.

However, Mr. Simitis expressed concern regarding the rise of inflation and the risks involved in the open policy concerning household loans.

The Greek economy, according to the Greek Prime Minister, has endogenous powers, high growth and investment rates, while it has proceeded with structural changes which allow it to deal with international uncertainty. However, he stressed that developments in the international scene affect Greece's course and mentioned as an example the decline in the tourist sector.

[04] PROTOPAPAS: GREECE PERSISTS IN ITS POSITION ON THE RESPECT OF THE BORDERS

Greece persists in its position concerning the respect of the existing borders. Greek government spokesman Christos Protopapas stated that Greece wants the status quo in the region to be preserved.

Mr. Protopapas made the statement responding to a question on the scenarios on the creation of a Kurdish State Federation in Iraq.

[05] THE ASE PLUNGES AGAIN

The Athens Stock Exchange plunged again today. The general index dropped to 2.63% at 1.745,26 points, while the volume of transactions was small at 66 million Euro.

The Greek stock market followed the example of the basic indexes in the stock markets around the world and continued its downward course, while the moves made by the responsible officials in the ASE aimed at boosting the market did not have any effect on investors.

Of the stocks trading today, just 27 recorded gains and 317 had losses, while the value of 30 stocks remained unchanged.

[06] THE ISSUE OF THE UNCOLLECTED GARBAGE IN THESSALONIKI IS AT A STALEMATE

The issue of the uncollected garbage piling up in the streets of Thessaloniki for at least a week has reached a stalemate as there is no common ground between the striking municipal employees and the city mayor, who refuses to pay them productivity bonuses maintaining that this the government's responsibility.

City Mayor Vasilis Papageorgopoulos appealed to the courts last week asking that the municipal employees' strike be declared illegal. Today, a court in Thessaloniki ruled in favor of the mayor but the municipal workers announced new consecutive 48hour strikes.

The situation is very dangerous for local residents as the population is at risk of infectious diseases as a result of the uncollected garbage left to decompose in the streets.

It is estimated that a total of at least 1.000 tons of uncollected garbage cover the city streets.

[07] 150 MOVIES IN THESSALONIKI'S 43RD FILM FESTIVAL

More than 150 recently produced movies and older ones, both from the Greek and the international scene, will be screened within the framework of Thessaloniki's 43rd Film Festival that will take place on November 8-17.

The main event in this year's festival will be the special presentation of the work of Greek director Pantelis Voulgaris, who has been honored in Berlin's Film Festival. Also, there will be a retrospective on the work of Italian director Marco Belloccio, while similar presentations will be made on the work of American director Bob Rafelson and Hungarian Bela Tar.

A number of parallel events, concerts, exhibitions and interactive events will be held within the framework of the festival.

[08] IMMIGRATION POLICIES PRESENTED

Four axes of immigration policy were presented by Dora Bakoyanni, at an immigrants' gathering in Kypseli: Development of employment potential with emphasis on the learning of Greek preparation of a pilot programme and incorporation into the work market. Incorporation and cultural approach to Greek society. Access of health services and preventive medicines. Information and consultation services with the creation of a foreigners' center and communication line with the municipal authorities in the basic Balkan languages. She also promised documents in many languages concerning: Issuing and renewing work and stay permits, finding legal employment, and workers' rights and obligations.

[09] CONFRONTATIONS IN VIEW OF ELECTIONS

Political confrontations have intensified over the past few days, as the date for the local government elections, October 13, approaches. PASOK accused New Democracy of extreme Right wing choices, causing the heated reaction of the main opposition party, which returned fire accusing by the government of attempting to turn the people's attention away from existing problems to the problems of the past.

The fires of the tensions were lit during the Prime Minister's speech from the Corinth Youth Center, where he spoke of extreme Right wing selections, as well as twisting reality on the terrorism issue.

In response, the President of New Democracy, Kostas Karamanlis, from the island of Samos, accused the government of suffering from a syndrome of talking about the past and being trapped in a vicious circle of apathy and inaction.

The Secretary of PASOK's Central Committee, Kostas Laliotis, noted in his interview to the Sunday Eleftherotypia, that the President of ND is a captive of the extreme Right, while Minister of the Environment, Planning and Public Works, Vasso Papandreou, in her interview to the Sunday Ethnos, underlined that ND holds extreme Right wing views and officials in its ranks.

In an even harsher tone, Government Spokesperson Christos Protopapas accused Kostas Karmanlis of making speeches that divide the Greek people, disregarding the autonomy of local government, and making deals with extreme left figures, in order to achieve his party goals. To these statements, ND Press Spokesperson Thodoris Roussopoulos answered that the government was in a state of panic and that it dove into yesterday.

Honorary President of ND, Konstantinos Mitsotakis, in statements from Alexandroupoli, pointed out that these elections will be political and that the message will be crushing for PASOK. ND's Political Planning Secretary Giorgos Souflias made mention of a PASOK attempt to polarize. In fact, in statements from Thessaloniki, Secretary of ND's Central Committee Ev. Meimarakis, accused the government and PASOK, of extreme behavior and degrading the level of politics.

An attack against PASOK and New Democracy was launched by the Secretary General of the Greek Communist Party, Aleka Papariga, during her visit to Thessaloniki on Saturday, while on Sunday, the President of the Coalition of the Left, Nikos Konstantopoulos, stressed that once more, Mr. Simitis and Mr. Karamanlis have chosen polarization, demagogy, and money wasting. President of DIKKI, Dimitris Tsovolas made mention of political games in statements he made from Trikala and Larissa.

[10] A "LOCAL GOVERNMENT ANTI-RACISM MAP"

Efforts to collect signatures for the Local Government Anti-Racist Map, which began with the cooperation of the People's Movement Against Racism with the SOS Racism movement, has reached its climax, one week before the municipal elections.

The initiative was supported from the very beginning by the Vice Chairperson of the European Monitoring Centre against Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC), Professor Petros Stangos, other university staff members and local government officials.

The Local Government Anti-Racism Map asks municipal authorities to work in order to eradicate all forms of discrimination, promoting the creation of suitable infrastructure, informing personnel and publishing special rights' guides.

[11] ATTACK ON IRAQ AFFECTS GREEK GROWTH RATE

The outline for the 2003 budget will be submitted today and includes two scenarios, related to Greek responses to the imminent US attack on Iraq. The first is the one approved by the Cabinet, and foresees a growth rate of 4.1% for 2003. This is the optimistic scenario, which does not take into consideration the economic consequences of a military confrontation in the Middle East.

The second scenario, the pessimistic one, lowers the estimated growth rate to 3% - 3.1%, with corresponding adjustments to the rest of the Budget's dimensions. The scenario was outlined based on the appreciation that an attack on Iraq and its consequences will be difficult to avoid, while it has the protection of weaker social groups as its main goal, in case there is a war with Iraq.

Prime Minister Kostas Simitis will meet with the Governor of the Bank of Greece N. Garganas today, with the budget as their number 1 financial issue of the day. Apart from the budget, due to the submission of its outline to parliament today, the two sides will also discuss the situation of international economy, as well as the development of basic public finance dimensions.

Mr. Simitis's visit to the Bank of Greece today, which comes to complement his meeting last week with Minister of Finance Nikos Christodoulakis, marks the Prime Minister's wish to be more fully informed on the course of the economy and especially on the pressing issue of the inflation.

The Governor of the Bank of Greece, N. Garganas, is expected to display the basic appreciation of the central credit institution on the development of the price index and repeat the concerns of the Bank of Greece on its side effects on the competitive position of the economy.

[12] CLERIDES WILL BE IN ATHENS ON OCTOBER 17

Cypriot President Glafkos Clerides will be in Athens on October 17 to meet with Prime Minister Kostas Simitis.

The statement was made by Cypriot government spokesman Michalis Papapetrou after the cabinet meeting.

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