Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 04-01-14

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

CONTENTS

[01] DELORES PROPOSES SIMITIS FOR EC

[02] ELECTIONS WITH A LIST IF...

[03] PASOK'S BALLOTS ARE CLOSING

[04] HON.PRESIDENT UNDECIDED - YES FROM COACH

[05] SIMITIS-PAPANDREOU MEETING ON PASOK'S PRE-ELECTION STRATEGY

[06] NEW DEMOCRACY: HEALTH SYSTEM THAT RESPECTS HUMAN DIGNITY

[07] THE GOV'T SPOKESMAN ON THE DELORS INTERVIEW

[08] GOV'T SPOKESMAN: THE FOREIGN MINISTRY IS NOT LEADERLESS

[09] GAINS IN THE ASE

[10] PRESIDENT STEPHANOPOULOS WILL VISIT LEBANON

[11] MAGRIOTIS MET WITH THE RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR

[12] CHURCH OUTSIDE THE ELECTORAL BATTLE

[13] ROBIN COOK IN FAVOR OF THE RETURN OF THE PARTHENON MARBLES

[14] FLORIDIS IN WASHINGTON

[01] DELORES PROPOSES SIMITIS FOR EC

Prime Minister Costas Simtisi was placed among the top three candidates to succeed Romano Prodi in the position of President of the European Commission by former President of the Commission Jacques DeLores.

Speaking on a French television show, Mr. DeLores said that the other two most prominent candidates are the Prime Minister of Luxembourg Jean-Claude Juncker and former Prime Minister of Belgium Jean Luc Dehaene.

Romano Prodi's tenure ends in October 2004. After the Euroelections in June, the European Summit Council will decide on who will preside over the Commission for the following five years.

[02] ELECTIONS WITH A LIST IF...

Premature elections will be carried out with a list if 18 months have not passed since the previous elections according to the provision included in the election law draft by Minister of the Interior C. Scandalidis. Mr. Scandalidis withdrew the provision for the breaking up of the electoral districts of II Athens and the rest of Attica, since as he said, Greece's administrative restructuring did not move forward. It should be noted that there were intense objections to the provision, even from PASOK MPs including Mr. Pagalos ND's parliamentary representative Vyron Polydoras was reserved in answering if his party would vote on the provision, saying that the articles will be discussed at the plenary session.

[03] PASOK'S BALLOTS ARE CLOSING

PASOK is closing its ballots throughout Greece today during a Simitis-Papandreou-Chrysochoidis meeting. Mr. Papandreou will meet with the coordinator of the Central Committee of PASOK's Election Campaign, Theodoros Pagalos, and the Coordinator of PASOK's Programming Committee, Alekos Papadopoulos. The meetings will be held in Mr. Papandreou's office at the Foreign Ministry.

[04] HON.PRESIDENT UNDECIDED - YES FROM COACH

Honorary President of New Democracy Constantinos Mitsotakis refuted information in the press made public last night, according to which he will not run as a candidate in the March 7 elections. I have made no announcement on whether or not I will run in the elections. Any decision to be made I will announce myself by the end of the month, said Mr. Mitsotakis. Coach of the Greek National Basketball team Giannis Ioannidis will run in the I Thessaloniki electoral district as an MP for ND.

[05] SIMITIS-PAPANDREOU MEETING ON PASOK'S PRE-ELECTION STRATEGY

The course to the governing Socialist Party of PASOK congress, the election of the new party leader, the pre-election strategy and foreign policy issues, were discussed in the meeting Prime Minister Kostas Simitis had today with Foreign Minister and future PASOK President Giorgos Papandreou.

Mr. Papandreou stated that his pre-election campaign tour is going to be launched from Thrace, northeastern Greece this weekend, while responding to a question by a reporter he stated that Theodoros Pangalos will remain head of the pre-election campaign.

The Foreign Minister also stated that he discussed with the Prime Minister the developments in the Cyprus issue in view of the visit of Cypriot Republic President Tassos Papadopoulos to Athens on January 19.

[06] NEW DEMOCRACY: HEALTH SYSTEM THAT RESPECTS HUMAN DIGNITY

Right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis presented his party's government program on health and stated that his party will adopt a health system that will respect human dignity.

Mr. Karamanlis stated that New Democracy submits today a complete, realistic and applicable program concerning the sector of health.

Referring to the situation observed in the sector of health in Greece, Mr. Karamanlis stated that more and more Greeks are forced to seek medical care in the private sector, while he spoke of organized chaos and referred to phenomena of mismanagement and overspending of funds.

Summarizing the New Democracy program, Mr. Karamanlis stated that it secures high-level health services, free selection of physician, and easy access for all Greeks.

[07] THE GOV'T SPOKESMAN ON THE DELORS INTERVIEW

Many European politicians express an especially positive view about Kostas Simitis and the likelihood for him to assume a European post but there is nothing concrete to discuss at this point, stated Greek government spokesman Christos Protopapas.

He made the comment responding to questions concerning the positive statements made by Jacques Delors over the likelihood for Mr. Simitis to be a candidate for the post of the European Commission President.

Mr. Protopapas added that this is a proof that Greece's international position has been upgraded.

[08] GOV'T SPOKESMAN: THE FOREIGN MINISTRY IS NOT LEADERLESS

The Foreign Ministry is not without leadership, it has a head minister who is watching developments closely, stressed Greek government spokesman Christos Protopapas.

Regarding a Turkish newspaper report according to which, a Greek-Turkish agreement on the continental shelf is imminent, Mr. Protopapas stated that after consultations he had with the Foreign Ministry it was established that there is no such issue, adding that a multiform mobility will be witnessed on behalf of the Turkish side but there is no certainty that this mobility will include meaningful interventions.

Turkey attempts to improve its negative position in the international community and create better conditions for its European course but in order for this to happen it should undertake real initiatives, stated Mr. Protopapas.

[09] GAINS IN THE ASE

Gains were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today. The general index rose to +1.48% at 2.482,35 points, while the volume of transactions was considerable at 256.9 million euros.

Of the stocks trading today, 184 recorded gains and 127 had losses, while the value of 73 stocks remained unchanged.

[10] PRESIDENT STEPHANOPOULOS WILL VISIT LEBANON

Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Andreas Loverdos met with the 55 members of the business delegation that will accompany President Kostis Stephanopoulos in his formal visit to Lebanon on January 21-23.

Mr. Loverdos held the meeting to brief the members of the delegation on bilateral economic relations and consider the proposals expected to be promoted by the participants.

Meanwhile, the business forum, scheduled to take place in Beirut on January 22 attracts great interest, and will be formally opened by Greek President Kostis Stephanopoulos.

[11] MAGRIOTIS MET WITH THE RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR

Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Yiannis Magriotis met today with Russian ambassador Andrey Vdovin. In the meeting, Mr. Magriotis reminded Mr. Vdovin of the bilateral economic pending issues and the need for the Russian side to speed up the signing of a memorandum on the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline.

He called for Russia's contribution to the solution of the Cyprus issue based on the Annan Plan, while he also referred to the big importance attributed by Greece to the region of south Caucasus.

They also agreed that there is a need for a bilateral agreement to facilitate the issuing of visas to Russian citizens based on the Schengen agreement.

[12] CHURCH OUTSIDE THE ELECTORAL BATTLE

An encyclical calling priests not to have the slightest part in the pre-election confrontation of the parties was sent out yesterday by the Holy Synod, while the Metropolites of Ioannina, Theoklitos, and Phillipoi, Prokopios, accused the Archbishop of promoting a solution in the Metropolises which have been pre-electorally widowed in order to blackmail the government and the Fanari. According to the Kathimerini newspaper, discussions have been underway over the last few days, with the initiative of the government, in a final attempt to find a jointly acceptable solution.

[13] ROBIN COOK IN FAVOR OF THE RETURN OF THE PARTHENON MARBLES

British former Foreign Secretary Robin Cook in an article signed by him and published on London's newspaper Evening Standard calls on the British government to return the Parthenon Marbles to Greece.

The article is published in view of the opinion poll publicized today according to which, 80% of the British agree with the return of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece.

He mentions that the return of the Marbles will restore the unity of the major cultural monument of the Parthenon at the Acropolis in Athens, adding that by refusing to return the Marbles London's bid to host the 2012 Olympic Games will be undermined.

[14] FLORIDIS IN WASHINGTON

Minister of Public Order Giorgos Floridis will arrive in Washington this afternoon, while his meetings and discussions will begin tomorrow and end on Friday.

According to the Greek service of the Voice of America, among the high officials Mr. Floridis will have meetings with are National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice, Attorney General John Ashcroft, FBI Director Robert Mueller, Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage, and State Department Coordinator for Counterterrorism Cofer Black.

The Greek Minister's discussions will concentrate on bilateral cooperation for the battle against organized crime, Olympic security, and regional cooperation in Southeastern Europe.

According to the press office of the Greek Embassy to Washington, Mr. Floridis will be accompanied by the Chief of the Greek Police Fotis Nasiakos, the Head of the Greek Intelligence Service Pavlos Apostolidis, and the press spokesperson of the Ministry of Public Order Eleftherios Economou.

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