Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 03-11-28

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

CONTENTS

[01] SECURE GAMES

[02] SIMITIS: THESE 4 YEARS CHANGED GREECE SIGNIFICANTLY

[03] KARAMANLIS ATTACK ON GOVERNMENT AND SIMITIS

[04] THE GENEVA AGREEMENT IS A NEW WINDOW FOR PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST

[05] GIANNITSIS IN THE 11TH MINISTERIAL MEETING OF OSCE

[06] LOSSES IN THE ASE

[07] THE SAE WORLD CONFERENCE ON DECEMBER 11-14

[08] KEDKE WORKS CONTINUING

[01] SECURE GAMES

More than 10,000 men and women of the Greek Armed Forces, will partake in the security of the Athens Olympic Games, while they will even be present inside the stadiums, as announced by Minister of Defense Giannos Papantoniou in a radio interview, underlining that the summer Olympics will be carried out in full security for the athletes and the fans to be watching. At the same time, the President of the IOC Jacques Rogge, appears to be satisfied with the progress of preparations for the games, while he made mentioned of a pleasant surprise.

[02] SIMITIS: THESE 4 YEARS CHANGED GREECE SIGNIFICANTLY

The new high-tech hospital in Thebes, which cost more than 10 million euro, was inaugurated this morning by Prime Minister Costas Simitis. The area's residents characterized the hospital as a work that will let them breathe, which they have been waiting for for years, as conditions in the previous hospital were unacceptable.

During the inauguration, the Prime Minister supported that the creation of new health infrastructure throughout the country is the proof that the work of the PASOK government has made the 2000-2004 period one of the most productive terms since the political changeover.

Mr. Simitis also mentioned that these four years have also changed Greece impressively, as after 2000, the government has accelerated its work and its modernization infrastructures, which resulted in new hospitals, new schools, new public works, which are a great deal in number.

The new Thebes hospital has 100 beds and among other departments includes a pathological, a pediatric and surgical department, as well as outpatients' departments, microbiological labs, x-ray facilities and a hematology department.

[03] KARAMANLIS ATTACK ON GOVERNMENT AND SIMITIS

A new sharp attack against the government and Prime Minister Costas Simitis personally was launched by President of New Democracy Costas Karamanlis, during his speech at ND's Central Committee meeting, one day after the harsh Simitis-Karamanlis clash in the Parliament discussion on the economy.

Mr. Karamanlis said that the government and the Prime Minister function with a sense of end and a mania to cling to power. They are buying party time at the expense of the land. Their advisor is the panic of the upcoming defeat. C. Simitis is abandoning people who supported him and he is being abandoned. He characterized the discussion between Mr. Simitis and British Prime Minister Tony Blair regarding the return of the Parthenon Marbles as party begging.

Mr. Karamanlis once again asked for early elections and called ND members and officials to be read for anything, foreseeing harsh attacks against them by the government during the pre-election period. He called them to avoid polarization and discord, which, as he said, is what the government is after.

[04] THE GENEVA AGREEMENT IS A NEW WINDOW FOR PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST

The Geneva Agreement, the new peace plan drawn and proposed jointly by personalities of the Israeli left and the Palestinian movement was presented in Athens today by its Israeli and Palestinian architects. The event was held at the initiative of the Greek party Coalition of the Left and Germany's PDS, with the support of Euro-Parliament's Group of the Left.

Coalition of the Left President Nikos Konstantopoulos speaking in the event stated that through the plan the two sides express their commitment to the implementation of the UN Security Council resolutions 242, 338 and 1397 demanding the withdrawal of Israel back to its 1967 borders, while the mutual rights for peaceful and safe existence inside secure and recognized borders, free from threats or acts of violence, are being recognized. The plan is based on the principle Two peoples-Two states-common future for peace in the Middle East, added Mr.Konstantopoulos.

[05] GIANNITSIS IN THE 11TH MINISTERIAL MEETING OF OSCE

Greek Alternate Foreign Minister Tasos Giannitsis will be in Maastricht, Holland to attend the proceedings of OSCE's 11th Annual Ministerial Meeting to take place on December 1-2.

The meeting is expected to focus on the new threats against international security and stability, including issues concerning the efforts against terrorism, human trafficking, as well as the OSCE role in the solution of regional disputes and the promotion of tolerance in the regions where the organization is active.

[06] LOSSES IN THE ASE

Losses were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today. The general index dropped to -0.60% at 2.170,05 points, while the volume of transactions was high at 472,7 million euros.

Of the stocks trading today, 185 had losses and 115 recorded gains, while the value of 83 stocks remained unchanged.

[07] THE SAE WORLD CONFERENCE ON DECEMBER 11-14

About 800 Greeks living abroad will meet in Thessaloniki within the framework of the 5th World Conference of the World Council of Greeks Abroad, SAE, on December 11-14.

This conference aspires to be a milestone in the history of SAE by drawing up a new course of high demands in the 21st century for the Greeks all over the world in view of the 2004 Olympic Games.

The change of SAE's name will be discussed in the meeting, eight years after its founding, as the term emigrant is not appropriate anymore given the fact that Greece has over four generations of immigrants in many continents.

One of the changes promoted will be to hold the world conferences every four years and the regional conferences every two years.

For the first time in the history of the institution, the observer status will be abolished and the Greeks in Albania and Turkey will be included in the electorate as regular members. Also, the large and historic communities of Sydney and Adelaide in Australia, which were excluded, will be allowed to participate in the conferences.

[08] KEDKE WORKS CONTINUING

The works of the annual meeting of the Central Union of Municipalities and Communities (KEDKE) at the I. Vellidis conference center.

The new Municipality and Community Code, Local Government finances, and new institutional changes concerning Greece's regional reconstruction, are in the spotlight of the conference's works, to be completed tomorrow.

The new Municipality and Community Code watch the object of discussion for many months for Local Government itself as well as of negotiations with the National Committee on article 9 of law 3146/2003, which is expected to meet for the last time after the KEDKE conference. The Code will then be submitted to Parliament.

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