Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 03-12-05

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

CONTENTS

[01] VISION FOR DEMOCRACY AND SECURITY

[02] FYROM CONSULATE IN THESSALONIKI

[03] SHOT PUT TO BE HELD IN ANCIENT OLYMPIA

[04] THE BALKAN MASS MEDIA CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE EUROPEAN INTEGRATION

[05] LOSSES IN THE ASE

[06] 130,000 VOLUNTEERS FOR ATHENS 2004

[07] IN A DIGITAL AGE

[08] THE GREEK PARLIAMENT RATIFIED AGREEMENTS ON PROJECTS IN ALBANIA

[09] ALL RELIGIONS AND NATIONS HAVE A PLACE IN EU

[10] MILITARY COOPERATION BETWEEN GREECE AND FYROM

[01] VISION FOR DEMOCRACY AND SECURITY

We are inspired by the vision of Rigas Feros for a peaceful, free and democratic Balkan Peninsula, where all religions and nationalities have a place, stated Foreign Minister Giorgos Papandreou, commenting on the position of Archbishop Christodoulos on the European course of Turkey. The European course of Turkey serves our national interests, security in the region and financial development, stated Athens. There are certain circles within the EU that are against Turkey's membership to the EU, stated Turkish Foreign Minister Ab. Gul.

[02] FYROM CONSULATE IN THESSALONIKI

The creation of a consulate office of Greece in Monastiri and of the Former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia in Thessaloniki, was announced in Brussels by Foreign Minister Giorgos Papandreou.

He also stressed that this action will contribute to the further development of relations between the two countries.

On Tuesday, deputy Foreign Minister Andreas Loverdos will travel to Skopje to make the decision official.

In the margin of the NATO Foreign Ministers' meeting, being held in Brussels, Mr. Papandreou met with FYROM Foreign Minister, Ilinka Mitreva.

[03] SHOT PUT TO BE HELD IN ANCIENT OLYMPIA

The men's and women's shot put will be held in the Ancient Olympia stadium during the Athens 2004 Olympics, after the unanimous decision of the IOC's Executive Committee, which met in Lozanne.

The event will be held on August 18, 2004, and will be watched by 15,000 people.

Mrs. Aggelopoulou presented the progress of Olympic preparations to the Executive Committee. The IOC unanimously approved the schedule of the torch race.

[04] THE BALKAN MASS MEDIA CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE EUROPEAN INTEGRATION

The existing framework for the regulation of the complex issues arising from the use of digital technology was characterized as inadequate by Ministry of Press and Mass Media General Secretary Dimitra Spiliopoulou speaking in the 8th Inter-Balkan Journalism Conference on The Balkan Mass Media in the digital era organized by Macedonian Press Agency at the Nikolaos Germanos Convention Center in Thessaloniki.

Opening the conference proceedings, Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Charis Kastanidis referred to the problems that will not be solved by digital technology, stressing that digital technology will never put aside the human factor, underlining that the respect toward the people and the broadcast of truth are issues faced by the Mass Media that will never be solved by digital technology.

MPA General Director Spiros Kouzinopoulos stated that the Balkan Mass Media by exploiting the potential offered by new technologies and the Internet can contribute to the great affair of the European integration.

MPA Board of Directors President Paraskevas Paraskevopoulos pointed out that everything has changed in the past 20 years as a result of the technological development.

Athens News Agency Editing Director Nikolaos Voulelis stated that digital technology can erase borders and bring people closer but at the same time, it creates questions like Is this true for all the people in the world?

[05] LOSSES IN THE ASE

Losses were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today. The general index dropped to -0.33% at 2.187,24 points, while the volume of transactions was satisfactory at 132.3 million euro.

Of the stocks trading today, 92 had gains and 203 recorded losses, while the value of 87 stocks remained unchanged.

[06] 130,000 VOLUNTEERS FOR ATHENS 2004

Athens 2004 is celebrating the International Volunteer Day along with its volunteers. The 2004 Olympics were the cause and Athens 2004 gave the opportunity to more than 130,000 to date people, Greeks and foreigners to express their will to participate in the most massive Volunteer Program ever to have been organized in Greece.

[07] IN A DIGITAL AGE

General developments in the sectors of new technologies and the Internet and how these affect Media and how they are utilized by them, will be presented by the Director of Informatics at the Boston MIT Media Lab, Michalis Bletsas, at the 8th Interbalkan Journalistic Conference, being organized by the MPA in Thessaloniki today and tomorrow, on: Balkan Media in the Digital Age.

[08] THE GREEK PARLIAMENT RATIFIED AGREEMENTS ON PROJECTS IN ALBANIA

The Greek Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs ratified the agreements between Greece and Albania concerning the construction of infrastructure projects for the upgrading of the Bisht Palla Naval Base and the construction and supply of a military hospital at Ghirokastre, Albania.

The overall cost of the projects, which will be paid by the Greek state, is estimated at 5.5 million euro.

[09] ALL RELIGIONS AND NATIONS HAVE A PLACE IN EU

We are inspired and taught by history. We are inspired by the vision of Rigas Fereos. His vision was that of a peaceful, free and democratic Balkan peninsula, where all nationalities and religions have a place, pointed out Foreign Minister Giorgos Papandreou, commenting on the statements of Archbishop Christodoulos on Turkey's European prospects.

Mr. Papanreou, from Brussels, stressed that that vision is becoming reality today, with EU integration and the participation of the Balkans.

This vision serves our interests and security. This vision is supported by the vast majority of the Greek people. This visions serves the government consistently and successfully, underlined the Foreign Minister.

There are certain circles that are against the accession of Turkey to the EU for religious or ideological reasons, stated from Brussels Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, when called to comment on the statements of Archbishop Christodoulos on Turkey's European course.

As the Anadolu Turkish news agency transmitted, Mr. Gul underlined that there are certain circles within the EU that are against Turkey becoming a full member of the EU, and he added that this is natural in a democratic entity.

These circles may be against Turkey's accession for religious or ideological reasons. However, the majority supports Turkey's accession, he noted.

He pointed out that the Turkish side will do anything to find a final solution to they Cyprus issue, while he added that this should not only be expected of Turkey, as there are two sides to the Cyprus issue.

He also stressed that the solution of the Cyprus issue is not a criterion for Turkey's accession to the EU. The solution will create a positive atmosphere, but no one has the right to set it as a prerequisite.

[10] MILITARY COOPERATION BETWEEN GREECE AND FYROM

A military cooperation agreement between Greece and FYROM for 2004 was signed by Greek Deputy Minister of Defense Lazaros Lotidis and his FYROM counterpart Risvan Sulejmani.

The agreement includes 18 points concerning, among others, the training of about 900 members of the FYROM Special Forces Brigade in Greek military schools and facilities.

Special reference was made to the FYROM efforts for accession into the Euro-Atlantic structures and Mr. Lotidis pointed out that the Greek government is going to undertake an initiative at the NATO Summit meeting in Istanbul in June 2004 aimed at accelerating the procedures for FYROM's accession into NATO.

The Greek Deputy Minister of Defense also raised the issue of border guarding in view of the security measures on the occasion of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

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