Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 03-10-13

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

CONTENTS

[01] ATHENS-FANARI FALL OUT

[02] KARAMANLIS YES TO PROSPECTS

[03] ELECTIONS WITH ASSAULT AND GRENADES

[04] PASOK HOPES FOR A COMEBACK

[05] ROUSOPOULOS' RESPONSE TO HITIRIS ON KARAMANLIS' VISIT TO ANKARA AND

[06] THE ECONOMIC PACKAGE OF MR. SIMITIS WILL BE IMPLEMENTED

[07] HITIRIS: THE PRESENCE OF MR. KARAMANLIS IN ANKARA IS CONSTRUCTIVE

[08] HITIRIS ON THE RELATIONS OF THE CHURCH OF GREECE AND THE PATRIARCHATE

[09] SMALL GAINS IN THE ASE

[10] HITIRIS ON THE ELECTIONS IN ALBANIA

[11] SIMITIS MEETINGS

[01] ATHENS-FANARI FALL OUT

The relations between the Ecumenical Patriarchy and the Church of Greece seem to be headed to a complete fall out, as both sides insist on their positions. Ecumenical Patriarch Mr. Vartholomeos stated from Switzerland that the Metropolises of N. Greece are Metropolises of the Ecumenical throne, while Archbishop Christodoulos who decided not to travel to Fanari for the meeting with the Patriarch, allegedly denounced an effort to be overthrown and addressed the people. Hierarchs fear a schism. There are no patriarch or anti-patriarch supporters stated the Archbishop's spokesperson.

[02] KARAMANLIS YES TO PROSPECTS

There was an especially good atmosphere at the meeting between President of New Democracy Costas Karamanlis and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who met in Ankara, for the conference of the governing party. Mr. Karamanlis pointed out that the path of Greece's neighbor towards Europe may not be an easy one, it is however the necessary one. He is struggling to change the atmosphere with significant reforms, said Mr. Karamanlis regarding Mr. Erdogan.

[03] ELECTIONS WITH ASSAULT AND GRENADES

There were serious incidents on the first Sunday of the municipal elections in Chimara, Albania. A member of the election center supervisory committee, Thodoros Kokavesis, who is of Greek descent, is being treated for injuries at the Ioannina hospital, after he was assaulted by unknown at the election center. A grenade had been used against the election center earlier.

[04] PASOK HOPES FOR A COMEBACK

Optimism that PASOK can make a comeback and cover the distance from ND shown in the polls, was expressed by Foreign Minister Giorgos Papandreou in the Sunday Kathimerini newspaper, although he recognized that citizens are tired of bureaucracy, and the extent of corruption. He also characterized the rumors of Costas Simitis' departure prior to the elections as scenarios. PASOK Central Committee Secretary Michalis Chrysochoidis was certain of PASOK's victory, because he believes it has a moral and political advantage over ND, and a depth of officials and its experience is well known, as he stated to the Sunday Vima newspaper. All those who want the country to move forward, just have to join their powers for a governmental left, stated Minister of the Merchant Marine Giorgos Paschalidis, who called all parties, movements, currents, people of the Left in a dialogue with prospects of participation in the government, in his interview to the Sunday Eleftherotypia.

[05] ROUSOPOULOS' RESPONSE TO HITIRIS ON KARAMANLIS' VISIT TO ANKARA AND TBLISI

The consistent and clear positions of New Democracy and its leader Kostas Karamanlis on the Greek-Turkish relations are known for years to the Simitis government, stated right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy spokesman Thodoris Rousopoulos. It is a positive thing that the government was finally able to discover and applaud those positions, added Mr. Rousopoulos in response to the statements made earlier by Undersecretary of Press Tilemachos Hitiris.

He also said that the government has to realize that there is a huge difference between giving the Greek nationality to people of Greek origin and giving the Greek nationality to foreigners through procedures that are not open, having as a motive political expedience.

[06] THE ECONOMIC PACKAGE OF MR. SIMITIS WILL BE IMPLEMENTED

The government initiatives are being undertaken and not pre-announced, stated Undersecretary of Press Tilemachos Hitiris when asked if the government intends to take new economic measures aimed at "reversing" the political climate.

The "Simitis package" will be implemented stated Mr. Hitiris and clarified that except from the measures concerning wages and pensions that will materialize starting on January 1, 2004, all other measures will be implemented by the end of 2003. He used as an example the 1,000euro economic aid offered to the parents of higher education students who are studying away from their home and not at the city of their residence. This sum will be given starting now under certain circumstances.

On the strike mobilizations, Mr. Hitiris reiterated that the government sees the Greek society as a whole and the increases it has approved are as much as it can give. He added that the government can understand the demands of the workers but on the other hand, it also sees the problems of the unemployed suggesting that everybody should display social consciousness.

[07] HITIRIS: THE PRESENCE OF MR. KARAMANLIS IN ANKARA IS CONSTRUCTIVE

The presence of Mr. Karamanlis in Ankara is constructive and the government is pleased with the fact that the leader of the right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy shares in a tangible manner the positions of the government concerning the policy followed toward Turkey, stated Greek Undersecretary of Press Tilemachos Hitiris.

Mr. Hitiris stated that there is a change in the position of the ND President regarding the Greek-Turkish relations.

Mr. Hitiris also commented on the visit of Mr. Karamanlis to Tblisi, saying that he had strongly criticized the government for its policy regarding the Greeks from the former Soviet Union and now he is visiting them.

[08] HITIRIS ON THE RELATIONS OF THE CHURCH OF GREECE AND THE PATRIARCHATE

Greek Undersecretary of Press Tilemachos Hitiris stated that a solution to the issue concerning the crisis between the Church of Greece and the Ecumenical Patriarchate could be found within the framework of the Church.

Mr. Hitiris added that a solution could be found in a spirit of compromise and love.

[09] SMALL GAINS IN THE ASE

Small gains were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today. The general index rose to +0.19% at 2.112,57 points, while the volume of transactions was considerable at 177 million euros.

Of the stocks trading today, 98 recorded gains and 208 had losses, while the value of 77 stocks remained unchanged.

[10] HITIRIS ON THE ELECTIONS IN ALBANIA

The Greek government watches closely the election results and what happened during the elections in Albania, stated Greek Undersecretary of Press Tilemachos Hitiris.

Responding to a relevant question, Mr. Hitiris stated that the reaction of the Greek government is going to be proportional to the incidents that took place, which will have to be clarified first.

[11] SIMITIS MEETINGS

The Prime Minister is carrying out a series of meetings with party officials and ministers today, in view of tomorrow's meeting of PASOK's parliamentary group.

Mr. Simitis met this morning with PASOK official Paraskevas Avgerinos and at noon with Secretary of PASOK's Central Committee Michalis Chrysochoidis.

Later this afternoon he will meet with Minister of Finance Nikos Christodoulakis and deputy Minister of Finance Christos Pachtas.

Meanwhile, Mr. Simitis' visit to the School for the Blind in Kalithea, which had been scheduled for tomorrow at 10:30am, has been postponed.

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