Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 03-05-29

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

CONTENTS

[01] PATRIARCHICAL TRIBUTE

[02] ANTI-SMOKING MEASURES IN PRIVATE SECTOR

[03] THOUGHTLESSNESS, NOT DECEIT BROUGHT OCALAN

[04] PORTO CARRAS WILL BE READY FOR THE SUMMIT

[05] SMOKING WILL BE PROHIBITED IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR

[06] HITIRIS ON THE FYROM NAME IN AN "ATHENS 2004" GUIDE

[07] INFLATION IN THE EURO-ZONE WILL BE UNDER 2% IN 2003

[08] THE STATE GOVERNMENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE INEFFECTIVENESS OF THE

[09] GAINS IN THE ASE

[10] SIGNATURE COLLECTION ON FYROM'S NAME

[11] THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH AT THE JEWISH HOLOCAUST MONUMENT

[12] PRIME MINISTER SIMITIS IS VISITING SAINT PETERSBURG

[01] PATRIARCHICAL TRIBUTE

Ecumenical Patriarch Mr. Vartholomeos will pay tribute to genocide of the Jews of Thessaloniki at the monument of the Holocaust. The Patriarch is in town on occasion of the Meeting for the Dialogue Between Judaism and Orthodoxy. Immediately after that, Mr. Vartholomeos, who had stressed the need to lift religious fanaticism and overcome religious confrontations, will visit the offices of the Jewish community of Thessaloniki. Chairman of the World Jewish Congress, Mr. Israel Singer, is also in Thessaloniki. Mr. Singer characterized the Jewish Community of Thessaloniki a symbol of the tragedy. The meeting for inter-religious dialogue has been completed.

[02] ANTI-SMOKING MEASURES IN PRIVATE SECTOR

The joint agreement between the Ministry of Health and the General Union of Greek Workers and the Association of Greek Industrialists, which will extend anti-smoking measures to the private sector.

As far as how changes will be carried out in businesses, depending on the space, that will be decided by the employers, who will ask for the view of their employees.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health seems dedicated to working for the real application of anti-smoking measures that have been taken in the public sector and which continue to be violated. In the framework of the effort for the application of the measures, the Ministry announced that it will commence checks by a special corps of investigators, as well as fines starting from 150 euro, for every cigarette smoked in a forbidden area.

Regarding the measures that have already been taken, the Minister of Health, Costas Stefanis, repeated that these will gradually be applied, according to the persuasion, consent, information triptych, underlining that they must be applied with a sensitivity which will certify that the measures are not against smokers, but smoking, which harms both smokers and those around them.

[03] THOUGHTLESSNESS, NOT DECEIT BROUGHT OCALAN

Following Ph. Petsalnikos, who made mention of thoughtlessness, Th. Pagkalos and Al. Papadopoulos, i.e. all the ministers who were forced to resign due to the unfortunate ending of the attempt to bring the leader of the PKK, Ab. Ocalan, to Greece, expressed their certainty that Commander Naxakis, who had undertaken the initiative, had no intention of harming his country. In fact, Mr. Pagkalos characterized Mr. Naxakis' role as technical, of secondary importance.

[04] PORTO CARRAS WILL BE READY FOR THE SUMMIT

Works at the Porto Carras Grand Resort hotel complex in Chalkidiki are moving along according to the approved schedule, in order for the Greek Presidency of the EU to host the Thessaloniki Summit in June.

This clarification was made in an announcement today by company owner of the resort, TECHNIKI OLYMPIAKI, drawing on publications made by a portion of the press on the progress of the works.

The technical wholeness and know how of Techniki Olympiaki, as well as the experience of the Porto Carras Grand resort staff, guarantee the complete success of hosting the European leaders and the thousands of journalists during the Summit, ended the announcement.

[05] SMOKING WILL BE PROHIBITED IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR

The Greek Health Ministry reached an agreement with the representatives of employees and employers to expand the measures against cigarette smoking in the private sector.

Smoking will be prohibited, starting on October 1, 2003, in waiting, reception, and transaction areas for the public, in conference rooms, amphitheaters etc, while the measures will be in effect in the rest working areas beginning on March 1, 2004.

With the consensus of employers and employees every company will have to adopt measures for the protection on non-smokers.

The violators of the anti-smoking measures will pay fines of up to 150 euros.

[06] HITIRIS ON THE FYROM NAME IN AN "ATHENS 2004" GUIDE

Acting Greek government spokesman Tilemachos Hitiris responded to a question by a reporter concerning an Athens 2004 printed guide in which FYROM is mentioned as Macedonia.

Mr. Hitiris underlined that nothing has changed in the Greek government's position regarding the issue of the FYROM name and reiterated the response given by the Athens 2004 Organizing Committee.

Mr. Hitiris pointed out that the Committee has located the source of the mistake, which was made by a foreign company, and underlined that it was corrected and therefore, there is no issue pending. He also ruled out the likelihood of expedience, repeating that it was nothing more than a mistake.

[07] INFLATION IN THE EURO-ZONE WILL BE UNDER 2% IN 2003

The belief that inflation in the Euro-zone will drop under 2% in 2003, was expressed by European Central Bank Executive Board member Domingo Solans.

Mr. Solans stated that the harmonized price index in the Euro-zone will drop under 2% during the year, while by the end of the current year the European economy will reenter a development course.

The assessment made by Mr. Solans on the course of inflation is regarded by analysts as one more indication that the ECB will announce an interest rate cut.

[08] THE STATE GOVERNMENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE INEFFECTIVENESS OF THE BALKAN REGIONAL COOPERATION

Head of the Greek Foreign Ministry Balkan Affairs Office ambassador Alexandros Mallias attributed the ineffectiveness of the Balkan regional cooperation to the lack of will on behalf of the state governments and to the Stability Pact. The statement was made in a seminar for southeastern European journalists held in Thessaloniki and organized by the Greek Ministry of Press and Mass Media.

Mr. Mallias stressed that the Stability Pact is not a regional cooperation instrument but a tool for its support, adding that the Balkans is a necessary addition for Europe. He also said that with the EU enlargement the need for the region to acquire a stronger voice in the European continent becomes bigger.

Mr. Mallias said that it is important for the United States and the EU to keep the Balkans among their top interests and continue the cooperation. He added that the EU will have to prove that it is in a position to become active in policing and security. Mr. Mallias added that the most important problems in the Balkans are unemployment, insecurity (as a result of the conflicts) and the feeling that what Europe is offering is distant and not tangible. He said that the EU can send a tangible message for the governments in the region to be able to use it and make constitutional and legislative reforms which they would be impossible to be made in a different case.

[09] GAINS IN THE ASE

Gains were recorded at the Athens Stock Exchange today. The general index rose to +0.24% at 1.712,26 points, while the volume of transactions was at 101.5 million euros.

Of the stocks trading today, 116 recorded gains and 192 had losses, while the value of 70 stocks remained unchanged.

[10] SIGNATURE COLLECTION ON FYROM'S NAME

The collection of signatures within the framework of a new information campaign on the name of Macedonia, directed to the international public opinion, was decided by the representatives of many institutions in Thessaloniki gathered at the Thessaloniki Prefecture Council Conference Hall. The meeting was held at the invitation of Pan-Macedonian Association of America New England Governor Panos Spiliakos and US Greek Electronic Center Director Evangelos Rigos.

The program THEMIS-MACEDONIA was presented during the event constituting a new appeal for the information of the international public opinion, in which it is stressed that the Greeks around the world do not accept a name for FYROM that will include the term Macedonia or any of its derivatives.

After the collection of thousands of signatures, the appeal will be forwarded to the President of the United States, the members of the US Congress, the UN members, the EU members and the members of all state Parliaments in the world. A total of 6.000 Parliament deputies worldwide will receive the collected signatures.

It is stressed in the appeal that a continuous and persistent effort is being made by the FYROM state, which is falsely attempting to associate the Slav population of the country with the ancient Macedonians who were indisputably Greeks. It is also stressed that the arrival of the Slavs in the region did not take place until the 6th century AD.

More details on this effort can be seen in eight languages at the electronic address www.greece.org/themis/Macedonia and also, at www.greece.org/themis/macedonia/associations.htm.

[11] THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH AT THE JEWISH HOLOCAUST MONUMENT

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew expressed repugnance for the extermination of 50.000 Thessaloniki Jews in Nazi camps during WWII. He characterized as dangerous all those who do not accept anyone who is different from them and stressed that this has to be explained to the children so that crimes of the past will not be repeated. On its part, the Jewish Community in Thessaloniki honored him and declared him honorary member.

For the first time, the head of Orthodoxy attended the ceremony held at noon today at the Jewish Holocaust Monument and laid a wreath in memory of the victims of the holocaust.

Present in the ceremony were Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos, Mrs. Berkley member of the US Congress, Rabbi Israel Singer President of the World Jewish Congress, New Democracy Euro-deputy Antonis Trakatelis, the consul generals of the United States, Germany, France, Spain and Turkey, Thessaloniki Prefect Panagiotis Psomiadis, Mayor Vasilis Papageorgopoulos, World Council of Hellenes Abroad Andrew Athens, the Metropolite of France, a representative of the Metropolite of Thessaloniki, and President David Saltiel and members of the Jewish Community.

No interpretation can justify the mass extermination of thousands of people for the sole reason of belonging to a certain race or religion. Some people cannot accept the existence of others who are different from them, said the Ecumenical Patriarch.

Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos backed the peaceful coexistence of different people. He said that the anniversary of the Jewish holocaust is a National Memorial Day, stressing that Thessaloniki is proud for its Jewish dimension.

[12] PRIME MINISTER SIMITIS IS VISITING SAINT PETERSBURG

Greek Prime Minister Kostas Simitis is in Saint Petersburg to attend, together with other leaders from around the world, the EU-Russia Summit meeting and the celebrations on the occasion of the 300th anniversary of the founding of the city. Tomorrow, Mr. Simitis will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Later today, Mr. Simitis will visit the Greek Square where the statue of Ioannis Kapodistrias, will be unveiled made by sculptor Klikov and funded by Greek Diaspora businessmen.

The Prime Minister will give a press conference tomorrow and he will meet with the Chinese leader.

The EU-Russia Summit meeting will take place on Saturday. A joint press conference will be given by European Council President, the President of the Russian Federation and the European Commission President.

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