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

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

CONTENTS

[01] THE ANNAN PLAN FOR THE SOLUTION OF THE CYPRUS PROBLEM HAS BEEN

[02] N17 SUSPECTS REFUSÅ TO EAT

[03] PASSARIS' EXTRADITION FROM ROMANIA IS POSSIBLE

[04] LOSSES IN THE ASE

[05] THREE FILM DIRECTORS SPEAK ABOUT THEIR WORK

[06] EVENT IN HONOR OF AMERICAN DIRECTOR BOB RAFELSON

[07] THE 43RD THESSALONIKI FILM FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION JURY

[08] PRESIDENT STEPHANOPOULOS: THE SOLUTION IN CYPRUS SHOULD NOT CONFIRM

[09] MEETING OF JUDGES AND JURISTS FROM SE EUROPE

[10] THE CRIMES COMMITTED BY 17N ARE NOT POLITICAL

[11] THE DEFENSE MINISTER ON THE NATIONAL ISSUES

[12] AWAITING THE ANNAN PLAN

[13] NO COMMENT BY MR. DE SOTO AFTER THE DELIVERY OF THE UN PLAN

[14] PRESENTATION OF THE HELLENIAD IN THE SAE-EUROPE CONFERENCE

[15] ÔÇÅ GREEK PRESENCE IN FLORENCE RALLY

[16] SIMITIS:EUROPE WILL SOON BE MULTICILTURAL

[01] THE ANNAN PLAN FOR THE SOLUTION OF THE CYPRUS PROBLEM HAS BEEN DELIVERED

The UN Secretary General Kofi Annan plan for the solution of the Cyprus problem was delivered this afternoon simultaneously to Cypriot Republic President Glafkos Clerides in Nicosia by Mr. Annan's special adviser Mr. Alvaro de Soto and to Ergun Olgun, adviser to Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash. The plan was delivered to the Turkish Cypriot side by deputy UN Secretary General Sir Kiran Prendergast at the UN headquarters in New York. The plan was also delivered to the three guarantor powers in Cyprus, namely Greece, Turkey and Britain.

Information from Turkey mentions that Ankara is displeased with the plan. According to the same information, the winner of the recent Turkish elections Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdogan has allegedly stated that the Greek Cypriots have played a role in the specific plan.

The UN Security Council will meet informally this evening to be briefed on the plan for the solution of the Cyprus problem. Its members will be briefed by Deputy UN Secretary General Sir Kiran Prendergast without ruling out the likelihood for the briefing to be made by Mr. Kofi Annan himself.

The National Council of the Cypriot Republic will meet tomorrow afternoon under President Glafkos Clerides to discuss the plan. Meanwhile, Greek Prime Minister Kostas Simitis has issued an invitation to President Clerides today to visit Athens next Saturday.

[02] N17 SUSPECTS REFUSÅ TO EAT

The November 17 suspects awaiting trial in Corydallos Penitentiary have refused to eat for the next 48 hours.

They are protesting their holding conditions, they are asking for free communication with their attorneys, doing away with isolation, open cells and normal access to the courtyard.

The Xeros brothers began refusing to eat last Friday, in solidarity to the other prisoners being held in the women's wing of Corydallos.

[03] PASSARIS' EXTRADITION FROM ROMANIA IS POSSIBLE

Romanian Undersecretary of Justice Mrs. Simona Teodorayu stated to MPA that Greek criminal Kostas Passaris, who was arrested in Romania, is likely to be extradited to Greece. However, she stated that the Justice Ministry does not comment on trials as the courts are independent bodies and they give the information that can be announced.

The Romanian Undersecretary of Justice is in Thessaloniki to attend the first informative meeting of judges and jurists from southeastern Europe that is being held in the northern Greek city, organized by the National School for Judges with the support of the Ministries of Justice and Foreign Affairs.

Referring to the Greek-Romanian relations, Mrs. Teodorayu stressed that the two countries cooperate very good at all levels and the first conference of Balkan lawyers will be organized in Bucharest in the spring with the support of Greece.

Mrs. Teodorayu also stated that in the past two years, Romania has made changes including the restructuring of the Justice sector, for the country to meet all necessary preconditions for its accession into the European Union. She added that Greece has offered its assistance to Romania and will continue to support the negotiations with the EU especially now that it will take over the rotating EU Presidency during the first half of 2003.

[04] LOSSES IN THE ASE

Losses were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today which was affected negatively by the downward course of the major European stock markets.

The general index dropped to -0.23% at 1.832,13 points, while the volume of transactions was small at 62.6 million Euro.

Of the stocks trading today, the majority of 214 had gains and 90 recorded losses, while the value of 71 stocks remained unchanged.

[05] THREE FILM DIRECTORS SPEAK ABOUT THEIR WORK

This year, the 43rd Thessaloniki International Film Festival will be presenting the directing work of a familiar figure in French cinema, Jean Francois Stevenin, who has played in numerous films. The festival will be screening three of his films, Mountain Passage 1978, Double Gentlemen 1986, and Mischka 2002.

In his speech, festival director Michel Demopoulos said, "Jean Francois Stevenin might not be well known in Greece but he is a familiar figure because of his appearances in many French films as leading and supporting actor. He has worked with Truffaut, Rivette and many other directors. He's been involved with cinema from many different posts".

Mr. Stevenin explained how he became involved with cinema thanks to... Jimmy Hendrix: "One evening I was going to a Hendrix concert in Paris. While in line, I met a screenwriter. We got along very well and 15 days later I gave up my studies, family, everything and ended up as an assistant on the set of a film. I have to thank Jimmy Hendrix for that. Every eight years I make a film as an actor, producer, director or from some other position". Mr. Stevenin also spoke about the influence exerted on him by Cassavetes' films and referred to his double identity as a director and actor, while he stressed that his films often include random encounters.

This year in the framework of Thessaloniki's 43rd International Film Festival, the New Horizons parallel events present the work of one of the most innovative modern cinematographers, Korean director Hong San-Soo. In his speech, the Director of New Horizons, Dimitri Eipidis, characterized him as the representative of the most radical movement in modern Korean cinema, "a cinema that comprehends the rest of the world and is respected and admired for its supply of new creative talent such as Hong San-Soo".

The director claimed that his pursuit of cinema was entirely coincidental: "As a child I never dreamt of becoming a director. At the age of 20 I met someone with a proposal. We worked together, I enjoyed it and so I continued".

He said that he likes simple films and stressed that he is inspired by life. He declared himself against globalization, stating the importance of the size of the community a person lives in.

In the framework of the 43rd International Thessaloniki Film Festival, New Horizons presents six films of Italian director Aurelio Grimaldi.Dimitri Eipides, the Director of New Horizons, welcomed Mr. Grimaldi characterizing him as "a hidden treasure". "His work is rejuvenating. He writes and directs his films, adds the soundtrack and even designs the costumes. Furthermore he has been able to keep away from the mainstream. His work is fresh and unique and not often encountered in modern cinema. He is a significant talent".

Aurelio Grimaldi first wanted to become a director when he was a high-school student. As he pointed out, the situation in Italian cinema is quite unusual. "To make a film in Italy you need the approval of one of the three organizations that exist for this purpose; either public television, private television or the government's cinema institution. It's strange that Berlusconi controls public television. Private television belongs to Berlusconi and a committee controlled by Berlusconi's government gives the licenses" said Mr. Grimaldi. He also stated that he prefers cinema that deals with social problems adding, however, that cinema doesn't solve them, it merely underlines them.

[06] EVENT IN HONOR OF AMERICAN DIRECTOR BOB RAFELSON

The 43rd Thessaloniki Film Festival honored defiant American director Bob Rafelson in an event given in his honor last Saturday.

The event included the screening of Five Easy Pieces (1970), the film that fused all of the director's ideological influences and launched his defiant career in cinema.

In his speech, International Thessaloniki Film Festival Director Michel Demopoulos welcomed the honored guest and stated that "the festival chose Bob Rafelson because he is the expression of a great experience in the world of cinema". Mr. Demopoulos also noted the great impact that Five Easy Pieces had in his cinematography schooling.

When asked about how he sees the film he made in 1970, Mr. Rafelson admitted that he hasn't seen it since it was filmed, something which is also true about all of his films. "I won't see it today either. I believe that when a filmmaker shoots a film it then belongs to the audience", said Mr. Rafelson.

[07] THE 43RD THESSALONIKI FILM FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION JURY PRESS CONFERENCE

Thessaloniki Film Festival Director Michel Demopoulos, presented the International Competition Jury of Thessaloniki's 43rd International Film Festival last Sunday.

Italian director and president of the seven-member International Competition Jury, Marco Bellocchio was absent from the presentation due to illness and is expected to arrive in Thessaloniki tomorrow.

Mr. Demopoulos presented the members of the jury which include: American director Bob Rafelson, French director, film and music critic, Thierry Jousse, Iranian actress-living legend and diva of Iranian cinema Niki Karimi, Yugoslavian film critic and journalist Miroljub Vuckovic, Albanian director, awarded with the Golden Alexander at the 42nd International Thessaloniki Film Festival, Fatmir Koci, and Greek director, film critic and writer, Achilleas Kiriakidis.

[08] PRESIDENT STEPHANOPOULOS: THE SOLUTION IN CYPRUS SHOULD NOT CONFIRM PARTITION

Greek President Kostis Stephanopoulos stated that there is a need for a solution in Cyprus that will not confirm its partition but will lead to the unification of the island. He made the statement in a formal luncheon given in his honor by the local authorities in the Aegean island of Chios.

He stressed that the plan to be presented should be viable, namely the solution should be able to function in a permanent way. He also said that the Greek Cypriots can have a say on the issue through a referendum.

Mr. Stephanopoulos stated that the guide in the Cyprus issue should be a feeling of patriotism and national interest. He said that the Greek side is the one that wants the solution of the Cyprus problem, while the other side maintains that the problem is solved for the past 28 years. This was Mr. Ecevit's position, stated Mr. Stephanopoulos.

[09] MEETING OF JUDGES AND JURISTS FROM SE EUROPE

The proceedings of the first informative meeting of judges and jurists from southeastern European countries opened in Thessaloniki today organized by the National School for Judges with the support of the Ministries of Justice and Foreign Affairs.

In the meeting participate 125 judges and jurists from 9 countries (Greece, Cyprus, Albania, Bulgaria, Romania, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Yugoslavia, Slovenia) and the proceedings will be completed on November 17.

In the opening ceremony, Supreme Court Prosecutor and National School for Judges General Director Evangelos Kroustallakis pointed out the prospects opened in SE Europe for a peaceful and European future. He referred to the values of a single legal civilization in Europe and stressed that the European judges have a responsibility to consolidate freedoms, and civil and social rights for a Europe built for the people.

Greek Justice Minister Philippos Petsalnikos sent a message congratulating the National School for Judges for this initiative. He stressed that the judges and jurists participating in the meeting will benefit from the further strengthening of relations among the region's countries and peoples.

[10] THE CRIMES COMMITTED BY 17N ARE NOT POLITICAL

The members of the terrorist group 17 November were politically motivated but they are not political criminals because their behavior includes actions that cannot be identified as political crimes. The statement was made to MPA by Aegean University Sociology Professor and former General Secretary of the Greek Foreign Ministry Mr. Kostas Zoras within the framework of the 2nd International Sociology Conference that ended in Thessaloniki yesterday.

However, he underlined that whether they will be tried as political criminals remains to be decided by the courts.

Mr. Zoras stated that the 17N members chose the armed violence and terrorism aimed at creating political and social conditions leading to the collapse of the system. They failed, they were unable to persuade society and finally they were defeated, said Mr. Zoras.

[11] THE DEFENSE MINISTER ON THE NATIONAL ISSUES

Vigilance and firmness in the positions concerning the issues of national importance is suggested by Defense Minister Yiannos Papantoniou after the changes in Turkey's political scene as a result of the recent elections.

The Minister of Defense gave an interview to the Athens newspaper TA NEA, on the occasion of the imminent presentation of the UN Secretary General plan for the solution of the Cyprus problem. In the interview he points out that a good scenario for Greece will be a plan consistent with the UN resolutions and the European standards, meaning a two-community, two-zone federation in Cyprus.

Mr. Papantoniou stated that the Greek side will not accept just any solution given the fact that Cyprus' accession into the EU will proceed in accordance with the Helsinki decisions independently from the political solution of the Cyprus problem.

On the developments in Turkey, he stated that the change in the political map of the neighboring country offers a more positive prospect to the Greek-Turkish relations.

[12] AWAITING THE ANNAN PLAN

We are awaiting the Annan plan, stated Foreign Minister Giorgos Papandreou, after his three hour meeting with Prime Minister Kostas Simitis, in the presence of Government Spokesperson Christos Protopapas. As he said, during this meeting they discussed the last details before the Anan plan is submitted. Mr. Papandreou pointed out that the Greek and Cypriot governments are asking for substantial procedures. At the same time he expressed hopes that a solution is found as soon as possible, but stressed that no one can guarantee such a thing, since it depends on the procedures.

The Greek Prime Minister discussed the latest developments in the Cyprus issue in a telephone communication with the President of the Cypriot Republic Glafkos Cleridis. The Foreign Minister, on his side, had a telephone communication with Kofi Annan's special consultant on the Cyprus issue, Alvaro de Soto, who stopped in Athens on his way to Cyprus. Mr. Papandreou characterized this discussion more procedural and of the essence, and stressed that the Greek government knows nothing more about the Annan plan than it did yesterday and the days before.

[13] NO COMMENT BY MR. DE SOTO AFTER THE DELIVERY OF THE UN PLAN

UN Secretary General special adviser on Cyprus Mr. Alvaro de Soto avoided to make any comments after the UN plan for the solution of the Cyprus problem was delivered to the interested parties.

Leaving the Presidential Building in Nicosia, Mr. de Soto stated that he delivered to Cypriot President Glafkos Clerides the letter with the conclusions of the UN Secretary General consultations on the next steps within the framework of the talks on the Cyprus problem. The letter was also delivered to Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash in New York and in a few hours a formal statement will be issued both from Nicosia and New York, said Mr. de Soto.

He also stated that he expects a response from President Clerides and Mr. Denktash but he avoided to refer to a timetable.

[14] PRESENTATION OF THE HELLENIAD IN THE SAE-EUROPE CONFERENCE

The program of the Helleniad (the meeting of young Greeks living abroad within the framework of a leading event in Thessaloniki, the capital of Ecumenical Hellenism) was presented in the World Council for Greeks Abroad, SAE-Europe meeting in Frankfurt yesterday by its vice-president Thessaloniki Aristotle University lecturer Mr. Chrisafis.

The initiative is supported and backed financially by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Culture and is organized in cooperation with SAE. SAE Secretary Giorgos Papadopoulos is the council's representative in the Helleniad non-profit company that was established for the materialization of the Helleniad meeting.

The goals of the Helleniad is to strengthen the ties among the young Greeks living abroad, familiarize the Greeks with Olympic sports that are not popular in Greece, promote and exploit talented athletes and promote the artistic creation of the young generation.

The 1st Helleniad is scheduled to take place in June 2003.

[15] ÔÇÅ GREEK PRESENCE IN FLORENCE RALLY

Approximately 1000 Greeks, members of Left wing movements, syndicate bodies and social movements participated in the European anti-war rally of the Social Forum that took place in Florence yesterday. President of the Coalition of the Left, Nikos Konstantopoulos, and members of the KKE participated in the rally. In his statements, Mr. Konstantopoulos was in favor of a struggle for a different world, more humane, with greater social protection.

[16] SIMITIS:EUROPE WILL SOON BE MULTICILTURAL

His view that the solution of the Cyprus issue should follow European models, with Belgium as an example, was expressed by Prime Minister Kostas Simitis in his interview to the German "Frankfurter Allgemeine" newspaper, titled "Europe Will Soon Be Multicultural".

Concerning Turkey, he stressed that the EU is not shutting the door for it, but it is discussing how their candidacy can be promoted and how reforms can move along.

Mr. Simitis denied that the European Union is too reserved as far as determining a date to start accession negotiations with Turkey is concerned, and noted: "We know Turkey a lot less than we know other accession candidates. Turkey is not like other countries. This has both to do with its religion, as well as with its History. On the other hand, Turkey is cooperating with Europe in many sectors. This means that we say yes to its candidacy. But Turkey must continue to work in this direction".

Mr. Simitis disagreed with Mr. Giscard d'Estaign's opinion that Turkey is not a European country and will never become a member of the EU. The Greek PM noted that there are many regions in Europe where people live differently, and that this does not mean that they should not be part of Europe.

On Greek Turkish relations he noted that there are disagreements on the issues of Cyprus and the continental shelf, and added: "We believe that Turkey has not moved to the necessary initiatives, because it continues to believe that part of our sovereign state in the Aegean belongs to it, and that it should play the part of a great power. But whoever wants peace should discuss with the other party, not refuse them. Turkey must abandon the notion that it can pressure us and realize that violence no longer has a place in our relations".

Drawing on the change in Turkey's political scene and the election of moderate Islamist Erdogan's party, the Greek Prime Minister appreciated that the Turkish elections showed that a large portion of the population wants a course towards Europe. At the same time he is expecting a clear statement by Mr. Erdogan during his visit to Greece, that the changes expected in Turkey are being pursued through International Law.

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