Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 03-08-28

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

CONTENTS

[01] CHRISTODOULAKIS: DEVELOPMENT WITHOUT EMPLOYMENT IS AN EMPTY SHIRT

[02] THE EU REQUESTS THE PROTECTION OF "FETA" AND "OUZO" BY THE WTO

[03] REQUEST FOR THE RELEASE OF VLADIMIR GUSINSKY

[04] SOTIRIS KONDILIS ADMITTED PARTICIPATION IN 17N TERRORIST ACTS

[05] MARGINAL LOSSES IN THE ASE

[06] THE LIST OF CANDIDATES FOR THE METROPOLIS OF THESSALONIKI TO THE

[07] 17N TRIAL DEFENDANT NIKOS PAPANASTASIOU DENIED PARTICIPATION IN THE

[08] THE PSYCHIATRIC EVALUATION REQUEST BY TELIOS' DEFENSE WAS REJECTED

[09] PAVLOS SERIFIS DENIED ANY PARTICIPATION IN 17N

[10] THE CREWS OF THE TWO SHIPS THAT COLLIDED IN THE SAMOS-IKARIA STRAIT ARE

[01] CHRISTODOULAKIS: DEVELOPMENT WITHOUT EMPLOYMENT IS AN EMPTY SHIRT

The social benefits programs, under no circumstance, will be left outside fiscal policy, stated Minister of Finance Nikos Christodoulakis.

Development without employment can be likened to an empty shirt, while development and employment without social cohesion is dangerous, stated characteristically Mr. Christodoulakis.

The assurance that the fiscal policy will be followed strictly was given to the Association of Industries as well.

The government package is estimated at about 1.5 billion euros.

A strong criticism was made to the state of the economy by right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis, who maintained that Greece is second in the EU concerning long-lasting unemployment.

[02] THE EU REQUESTS THE PROTECTION OF "FETA" AND "OUZO" BY THE WTO

The issue of feta and ouzo, which is a hot issue for the Greek producers, will be raised in the World Trade Organization, WTO.

According to the statement issued today by the European Commission, it was established after intense negotiations that these two products are so-called, name origin products.

Based on this, the EU included feta and ouzo on the list of products that will be sent to the WTO calling for their protection so that their name will not be used arbitrarily by third parties in the world market.

[03] REQUEST FOR THE RELEASE OF VLADIMIR GUSINSKY

The lawyers of Russian tycoon Vladimir Gusinsky, who was arrested at Athens' Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport last week on an Interpol warrant, submitted a request for the release of their client.

In the request is mentioned, among others, that the arrest warrant issued by the Russian authorities, which accuse him of a US0 million fraud, is not a valid one. They also maintain that the persecution he suffers is politically motivated in response to the criticism he had launched against Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Vladimir Gusinsky was arrested at Athens' Eleftherios Venizelos International Airport last Thursday and since Monday he is being held at Koridallos Prison.

[04] SOTIRIS KONDILIS ADMITTED PARTICIPATION IN 17N TERRORIST ACTS

Today's session on the 17 November terrorist group trial was completed with the testimony of defendant Sotiris Kondilis.

The defendant admitted that he was a member of the terrorist group and his participation in two of its acts, in addition to the shootout between police and 17N members at Sepolia, Athens in 1991.

The two terrorist acts, in which he admitted his involvement, were the assassination of Turkish diplomat in Athens Omer Sipahioglu in 1994 and the attack on the US embassy. Referring to those two attacks, he said that he made a conscious decision to participate in them.

Kondilis maintained that he always thought that he was going to admit his 17N membership in the case he was arrested because, as he stated, the 17N acts were politically motivated.

[05] MARGINAL LOSSES IN THE ASE

Marginal losses were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today. The general index dropped to -0.06% at 2.256,03 points, while the volume of transactions was at 191.4 million euros.

Of the stocks trading today, 82 recorded gains and 250 had losses, while the value of 59 stocks remained unchanged.

[06] THE LIST OF CANDIDATES FOR THE METROPOLIS OF THESSALONIKI TO THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE

The Holy Synod of the Church of Greece decided in a 5 hour meeting yesterday to send the list with the candidates for the throne of the Metropolite of Thessaloniki to the Ecumenical Patriarchate just for briefing purposes.

According to information, two days ago Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All of Greece was more in favor of not sending the list.

Finally, the Holy Synod decided yesterday to send the list to the Ecumenical Patriarchate not for approval but simply in order to be briefed on the procedure.

[07] 17N TRIAL DEFENDANT NIKOS PAPANASTASIOU DENIED PARTICIPATION IN THE TERRORIST GROUP

The 17 November terrorist group trial continued in an Athens court today with the testimony of defendant Nikos Papanastasiou.

The defendant rejected any participation in the terrorist group and stated in court that during the months of his detention awaiting trial he was anticipating the moment when he would be able to defend himself and say he is innocent.

He maintained that he has no involvement whatsoever in the crimes he is being accused of and he was never a member of the terrorist group 17 November.

[08] THE PSYCHIATRIC EVALUATION REQUEST BY TELIOS' DEFENSE WAS REJECTED

The head judge in the terrorist group 17 November trial rejected the request made by defendant Kostas Telios' lawyers for a psychiatric evaluation of their client.

According to the court, there is no cause for a psychiatric evaluation as there is no indication whatsoever that Kostas Telios is mentally ill, while he appears to be in a perfectly good condition to clearly depict events as they happened.

[09] PAVLOS SERIFIS DENIED ANY PARTICIPATION IN 17N

17 November terrorist group trial defendant Pavlos Serifis, who testified in court today, denied any participation in the activities of the terrorist group.

He maintained that he does not know why he became involved in the case and added that his earlier testimony, before an examining judge, was the product of pressures and threats by the police.

Pavlos Serifis also mentioned that in 1975, when he allegedly participated in the assassination of CIA station chief in Athens Richard Welsh, he was in Germany, while the crime in question is covered by the statute of Limitations.

[10] THE CREWS OF THE TWO SHIPS THAT COLLIDED IN THE SAMOS-IKARIA STRAIT ARE SAFE

Eight Greek and 17 Turkish sailors, making up the crews of the two cargo ships, the Greek "Elpida 1" and the Turkish "Servet Deval" that collided in the sea region between the Aegean islands of Samos and Ikaria in the early morning hours today under unclear circumstances, are safe.

The two ships, accompanied by a Coast Guard patrol boat, are on their way to Karlovasi, Samos. The collision caused only material damage, while no inflow of water and no sea pollution were reported.

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