Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 03-09-19

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

CONTENTS

[01] SOLUTION TO CITY PLANNING

[02] INTERNATIONALLY ACCEPTED STRUCTURE

[03] CONTRIBUTION TO UKRAINE'S GREEK HELLENISM

[04] MEDICAL AID FOR THE ETHNIC GREEKS IN MARIUPOL

[05] PROTOPAPAS: PARLIAMENT IS BRIEFED ON A REGULAR BASIS

[06] MARRIAGE IN CRISIS

[07] GAINS IN THE ASE

[08] SIMITIS ATTACK ON ND

[09] FOREIGN MINISTRY ANNOUNCEMENT ON NEW AIR CORRIDORS

[10] GREEK BUSINESSMEN IN KUWAIT IN DECEMBER

[11] TAX AUDITS FOR UNAUTHORIZED BUILDINGS

[12] KARAMANLIS IS IN UKRAINE

[01] SOLUTION TO CITY PLANNING

Prime Minister Costas Simitis characterized the new bill on unauthorized constructs, which was approved Cabinet and is expected to be promoted in 2003, as an important step in dealing with the city planning problems citizens are faced with. New Democracy characterized the decision as pre-electoral, while the KKE and Coalition mentioned a continuation of benefits. The Technical Chamber is also against this decision, while it asked that the bill be withdrawn. We have not counted the exact number of unauthorized buildings to be legalized, pointed out Minister of the Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works Vasso Papandreou. Cases where the unauthorized constructs have been built in small ravines, biotopes, public seafront land, archeological sites and forests and reforestable areas, carry a penalty of up to 2 years imprisonment.

[02] INTERNATIONALLY ACCEPTED STRUCTURE

The new regulations regarding the airways over the Aegean promote national interests, stressed a Foreign Ministry announcement, answering questions submitted to Parliament on the issue. It was also pointed out that the claim that a training area has been provided within the Limnos airport terminal area, is completely unfounded. There is no joint management of the Aegean's airspace, stated alternate Foreign Minister Tassos Giannitsis.

[03] CONTRIBUTION TO UKRAINE'S GREEK HELLENISM

One of the most modern Diagnostic Centers in the Republic of Ukraine and the largest Medical Center of the Council of Hellenes Abroad (SAE), offering free healthcare in the Black Sea region, will be inaugurated in the city of Mariopol, Ukraine. The functioning of this hi-tech Diagnistics Center is a unique achievement, since it will offer millions of Greeks and the local population free medical healthcare, pointed out SAE President Andrew Athens, founder of the program of Basic Medical Care. The Greek government will be represented by deputy Foreign Minister Iannis Magriotis and Costas Karamanlis, President of New Democracy, the main opposition party.

[04] MEDICAL AID FOR THE ETHNIC GREEKS IN MARIUPOL

The first 4 tons of medical-pharmaceutical aid for the ethnic Greek community arrived today by plane to Mariupol, Ukraine from Thessaloniki. Tomorrow, Deputy Foreign Minister Yiannis Magriotis and World Council for Hellenes Abroad, SAE, President Andrew Athens will inaugurate the first SAE Medical Center in Mariupol where the humanitarian aid will be used.

Already, the specific Medical Center offers its services to over 200.000 ethnic Greeks living in the region and will contribute decisively to the improvement of their quality of life.

Mr. Magriotis stated before departing for Mariupol that the Medical Center, that he founded just a year ago together with Mr. Athens, was a 3-million-euro project financed by SAE with the support of the Greek State.

He pointed out that other five SAE Medical Centers are in operation and underlined that in the past 3 years they have cared for over 7 million patients.

[05] PROTOPAPAS: PARLIAMENT IS BRIEFED ON A REGULAR BASIS

The Parliament is briefed on a regular basis on issues concerning Greece's foreign policy, stated Greek government spokesman Christos Protopapas pointing out that both Foreign Minister Giorgos Papandreou and Alternate Foreign Minister Tasos Giannitsis brief regularly the responsible Parliament Committee on foreign policy developments.

He said that a detailed discussion on the issue of air corridors was made in Parliament yesterday, adding that he does not understand all the talk about secret diplomacy. Mr. Protopapas pointed out that as soon as the talks between Greece and Turkey give concrete results the Parliament will be briefed by the Foreign Ministry leadership.

[06] MARRIAGE IN CRISIS

One in three marriages ends up in divorce in Greece, according to figures gathered by the Archbishopric of Athens, while the number of marriages has dropped in the past few years showing that marriage in Greece is in crisis.

According to the Athens newspaper To Vima, infidelity is common, both for men and for women, and it appears to be the main cause that leads to a divorce, based on a research conducted by the Greek Social Research Center, (EKKE).

At the same time, another important cause for divorce is the women's emancipation that upgraded them both economically and socially, while they stopped being depended on their husbands.

Also, the easing of social pressures has played a role in the increase of divorces as now couples prefer to break up their marriage instead of compromising to save it.

In the municipality of Athens, 5 to 6 divorces are being issued on a daily basis and it is estimated that a total of 2.000 divorces are being issued every year.

[07] GAINS IN THE ASE

Gains were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today. The general index rose to +0.88% at 2.039,38 points, while the volume of transactions was considerable at 146.6 million euros.

Of the stocks trading today, the majority of 282 recorded gains and 58 had losses, while the value of 43 stocks remained unchanged.

[08] SIMITIS ATTACK ON ND

His certainty that Greece will respond to the great challenges marking the 2004-2008 period successfully, was expressed by Prime Minister Costas Simitis, who launched a harsh attack against New Democracy during his speech at the inauguration of the new Igoumenitsa port.

This work is not a model (maquette), said the Prime Minister, addressing New Democracy, which has accused the government of inaugurating model works, while he underlined: New Democracy proves, on a daily basis, that it cannot govern Greece. The Greek people will not allow ND to re-establish the state at its own discretion. We must all prove that we rise to the occasion enforced and demanded by Greece's new reality and the new international reality. In this new framework there is no room for the unclear speaking, confusion, and populism reproduced by the Opposition. Nor is there room of course for submission to assumptions of the party basis for quick appointments.

The Prime Minister stated that it is shameful that the President of ND would characterize all-day schools as children parking lots, and wondered: Is learning parking and are teachers valets? It is shameful for such things to be said.

Mr. Simitis mentioned the successes of the government in the domestic and foreign policy sectors, and repeated that the new four-year term's priority will be the acceleration of real and social convergence, while he went on to list the improvements expected in salaries and pensions by 2005.

Minister of the Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works, Vasso Papandreou, said that the new Igoumenitsa port breathes new life and brings Ipiros out of its isolated state.

[09] FOREIGN MINISTRY ANNOUNCEMENT ON NEW AIR CORRIDORS

The new regulations on the air corridors over the Aegean promote Greece's national interests stressed a Foreign Ministry announcement, in response to questions raised in Parliament on the issue.

Furthermore, it was pointed out that the claim that space for training was given within the area of the Limnos airport terminal.

The Foreign Ministry stressed that it is a misconception that the air corridors deterred violations by Turkish aircrafts.

A response to the questions was also given by alternate Foreign Minister Tassos Giannitsis, who stressed that there is no co-administration of the air space of the Athens FIR.

"It is not acceptable, when the course of a development that most benefits our country, which establishes the positions of our policy and guarantees the Greek interests, to be encountered with a phobia stance, with alarmism and with efforts to undermine advantages achieved and without concrete argumentation, he stated.

Particularly arguments regarding to national dangers demand high level of responsibility and the need for an effort to brief and understand what a wider reform means or does not mean.

Therefore, in regard to several groundless views expressed before the reforms were known it should be noted: There is no co-administration of the air space of the Athens FIR. Something like that even if it is a Turkish intention, will not be acceptable by any government nor stands, whoever supports it should come out and explain on a logical frame how those opinions are based. There is no concession of zones of interest to Turkey in the Greek air space area of responsibility or somewhere else. It is unacceptable, for the Greek citizen, to promote such claims, he added.

The air corridors, international and local, did not prevent the Turkish air activities.  It is not right to combine the success of our goals, to improve the network of the Athens FIR and the technical reforms for the altitudes, with that issue.

The Turkish provocative attitude in the Aegean will be encountered in the future with the same decisiveness as we did in the past. Nothing has changed, he continued.

The strengthening of the position of the Athens FIR in the international network of air traffic reinforces and does not depreciate our positions on national issues occupying our country. The international procedure of the formal approval of the new air corridors to ICAO has not been concluded yet.

We are interested in the benefits emerging and the prospects coming ahead.

However the success of our positions should not be mistaken and undermined with behaviors that not only aid our effort but could probably lead to negative results. 

As in the past, the same took place now, any proposal for bilateral negotiation with Turkey on the issue of the air corridors was disapproved.  The process of the new reforms took place within the predictable framework of multi party procedure of ICAO.

Bilateral negotiation did not take place in any form or at any stage of the procedure.

Today, in a meeting of the Parliamentary Committee for Foreign Affairs we agreed to hold and an analytical briefing during a special session of the Committee", concluded the alternate Foreign Minister.

[10] GREEK BUSINESSMEN IN KUWAIT IN DECEMBER

Greek businessmen will be given the chance to have contacts in Arab countries, especially Kuwait, during the trade mission being organized from December 7 to December 11 2003, by the Arab-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce and the Ministry of Development.

The initiative of the Chamber in question, is part of its efforts for the promotion and development with Arab countries in general, especially with Kuwait.

During their stay in Kuwait, the Greek businessmen will have a chance to communicate with Kuwaiti businessmen and trade company, industry, tourism and investment representatives, on a personal level, so as to utilize all the chances offered by country's market.

[11] TAX AUDITS FOR UNAUTHORIZED BUILDINGS

Unauthorized building owners can start submitting applications to their municipalities for connections to the electricity grid and water supply, as is foreseen in the bill approved by the Cabinet yesterday and which will be submitted to Parliament immediately, to be voted on by the end of the year.

Meanwhile, Minister of the Environment, Physical Planning and Public Works Vasso Papandreou, addressed a strict warning through Flash radio, stating that there will be tax audits, in order to ascertain if the requirements for the legalization of the unauthorized structures can take place.

At the same time, she pointed out that a draft of law on unauthorized buildings in forests, which is being processed by the Ministry of Agriculture, will soon be submitted, and she gave her assurance that procedures to swiftly demolish all unauthorized buildings that have been irrevocably judged as such, will commence immediately.

[12] KARAMANLIS IS IN UKRAINE

Right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis stated upon his arrival in Odessa, that Ukraine is a historic place for Hellenism. Odessa is the first stop of Mr. Karamanlis' three-day visit to the country. Mr. Karamanlis pointed out that this was the place that was home to those who planned the Greek Revolution against the Turkish yoke in 1821, writing the history of modern Greece.

The President of ND underlined that today with Europe's enlargement what is important for the Greeks is to remember who they are, stressing that Greece can become one of the leading countries in the European Union. He also said that Greece owes a lot to those Greeks who came to live to Odessa, Mariupol and other cities in the wider region.

Mr. Karamanlis visited the Ukrainian Elementary School, where the Greek language is being taught, the cenotaph of martyr Patriarch Grigorios the 5th, and the Museum of Filiki Eteria (a secret society founded in Odessa in 1814 having as a goal to prepare the revolution that freed the Greek nation from the Turkish yoke).

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