Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 04-01-20

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

CONTENTS

[01] THE GREEK GOV'T SPOKESMAN ON GUL'S RESPONSE

[02] LALIOTIS-PAPANDREOU MEETING

[03] C. KARAMANLIS IN CYPRUS

[04] DEMIS WANTS AEK

[05] KARAMANLIS-CHRISTOFIAS MEETING

[06] THE MAYOR OF THESSALONIKI WILL BE IN CUBA TOMORROW

[07] LOSSES IN THE ASE

[08] PAPANDREOU: EVALUATING AND RENEWING OFFICIALS

[09] PAPANDREOU: LAVRIO, A MODEL OF DEVELOPMENT

[10] HIRING YOUNG PEOPLE WITHOUT SECURITY DEDUCTIONS

[11] NOISE PROBLEM AT "EL. VENIZELOS" AIRPORT

[12] KARAMANLIS IN CYPRUS

[01] THE GREEK GOV'T SPOKESMAN ON GUL'S RESPONSE

Greek government spokesman Christos Protopapas stated that the response by Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul to the proposal made by Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Papandreou, calling for defense spending cuts, is very positive. He added that positive foundations are being laid this way for the proposal to turn into action.

Responding to relevant questions, the Greek government spokesman reminded to the right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy that notable defense spending cuts are being recorded in the past few years. Unfortunately, it appears that New Democracy does not follow the political developments because it should have known that the defense spending cuts were possible, to a certain degree, thanks to the foreign policy followed by Foreign Minister Giorgos Papandreou and the government in general, as well as thanks to the reconstruction of the armed forces, said Mr. Protopapas.

Mr. Protopapas stressed that an estimated 2.2 billion euros have been saved thanks to this policy.

[02] LALIOTIS-PAPANDREOU MEETING

Foreign Minister and candidate President of PASOK Giorgos Papandreou will have consecutive meetings with party former Secretaries. Specifically, he will meet with Costas Laliotis, Akis Tsochatzopoulos, and Costas Scandalidis. On the afternoon of the same day, Mr. Papandreou will meet with working women in Peristeri. On Thursday Mr. Papandreou will be in London, where he will meet with Prime Minister Tony Blair and Foreign Secretary Jack Straw regarding developments in Cyprus.

[03] C. KARAMANLIS IN CYPRUS

I am here, in Cyprus, because I want to show that we Greeks care more than ever and that we are close. We are next to you, because Cyprus is near us, said President of New Democtracy Costas Karamanlis from Nicosia, who taxed the intolerance of Ankara and Turkish Cypriot Leader Rauf Denktash with the obstructions in the Cyprus issue. Former PASOK Minister G. Petsos will run in the elections as an ND candidate in the I Thessaloniki electoral district. I come from the (political) area of the Center and I am running in the elections with ND in order to fight the arrogance, divisionary and analgetic policies of the PASOK government, said Mr. Petsos.

[04] DEMIS WANTS AEK

A formal proposal to buy AEK FC shares is being contemplated by Demis Nikolaidis, the team's former striker, according to information. Greece's international football star will have the direct cooperation of a group of businessmen who are prepared to purchase 72% of the FC's stocks, i.e. all those owned by ENIC (42.5%) and Petros Stathis (29.5%). Naturally, for an answer to be given, a formal proposition must be submitted, which may quite possibly happen over the next few days.

[05] KARAMANLIS-CHRISTOFIAS MEETING

The latest developments in the Cyprus issue and the prospects for the solution of the problem were at the center of the meeting right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis had today with Cypriot Parliament President Dimitris Christofias.

A necessary precondition for the prosperity of Cyprus is the solution of the Cyprus issue based on the UN resolutions and the European standards, stated Mr. Karamanlis after the meeting, stressing that his party always supports and backs the way the Cypriot government handles the problem.

On his part, Mr. Christofias appeared optimistic regarding the likelihood of a solution to the Cyprus problem before May 1, while he also expressed the hope that the Turkish moves on the issue will be meaningful and will lead to the solution of the problem.

Called to comment on the positive response of Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul to the proposal by Greek Foreign Minister Giorgos Papandreou for defense spending cuts, Mr. Karamanlis pointed out that New Democracy firmly works for the normalization of the Greek-Turkish relations and expressed the view that such issues should not be turned into a subject of discussion during the pre-election campaign.

[06] THE MAYOR OF THESSALONIKI WILL BE IN CUBA TOMORROW

Thessaloniki Mayor Vasilis Papageorgopoulos will be on a formal visit to Cuba tomorrow until Monday on the occasion of the inauguration of the first Greek Orthodox church of St. Nikolaos in Havana.

The events will take place in the presence of Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos, Cuban President Fidel Castro, state leaders, archpriests, and representatives of organizations of Greeks living in the US and Central and South American countries.

Mr. Papageorgopoulos is the guest of Metropolite Athenagoras of Panama and Central America.

[07] LOSSES IN THE ASE

Significant losses were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today. The general index dropped to -1.32% at 2436.61 points, while the volume of transactions was at 169.8 million euros.

Of the stocks trading today, 72 had gains and 238 had losses, while the value of 76 stocks remained unchanged.

[08] PAPANDREOU: EVALUATING AND RENEWING OFFICIALS

We are making major changes through the democratic front, we are evaluating, renewing our officials, responded Foreign Minister and candidate for the PASOK Presidency Giorgos Papandreou to journalists' questions on whether the concern in New Democracy on the so-called barons also concerns PASOK.

He also added that the democratic front is opening new paths and he expressed the hope that other parties will follow.

[09] PAPANDREOU: LAVRIO, A MODEL OF DEVELOPMENT

His proposal to hire University, Technical University, High School and Technical Professional High School graduates at full wages and medicare coverage, and that their insurance deductions burden neither the employees nor the companies, was mentioned by Foreign Minister Giorgos Papandreou in a speech he made in Lavrio, while tomorrow he will meet with the last three Secretaries of PASOK's Central Committee (Akis Tsochatzopoulos, Costas Scandalidis, and Costas Laliotis) and he will hold a discussion with working women in Peristeri.

Mr. Papandreou characterized Lavrio as a model of development in his speech at an open assembly of Lavrio residents. Lavrio has escaped the nightmare of unemployment, misery, black flags and soup kitchens, and it gives us courage and optimism, stressed the Minister. It shows that Greece is capable, that Greeks are capable, he added, and congratulated the Mayor and MPs for the efforts they made.

On dealing with youth unemployment, he proposed that young people be hired as soon as they graduate from University, Technical University, High School or Technical Education High School, at a full pension and medical care coverage, and that insurance deduction for that period of time burden neither the employees themselves, nor the employers.

He referred to the work of Andreas Papandreou and Costas Simitis and responded to the criticism of New Democracy, which often raises questions regarding the whereabouts of Mr. Papandreou when the policies of the PASOK governments were being employed, by saying: Let them understand once and for all at ND: I was here, I am here and I will be here.

He called the citizens to participate in this new beginning being promised for the creation of a great democratic front.

Mr. Papandreou greeted the response of Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul to the proposal he (Mr. Papandreou) expressed during his tour of Thrace, for a mutual and balanced decrease of Turkey's and Greece's defense budgets. This development, he said, is an example that we must not wait for things to ripen, but to take our own initiatives.

[10] HIRING YOUNG PEOPLE WITHOUT SECURITY DEDUCTIONS

His proposal to hire University, Technical University, High School and Technical Professional High School graduates at full wages and medicare coverage, and that their insurance deductions burden neither the employees nor the companies, was mentioned by Foreign Minister Giorgos Papandreou in a speech he made in Lavrio, while tomorrow he will meet with the last three Secretaries of PASOK's Central Committee (Akis Tsochatzopoulos, Costas Scandalidis, and Costas Laliotis) and he will hold a discussion with working women in Peristeri.

[11] NOISE PROBLEM AT "EL. VENIZELOS" AIRPORT

We may forbid flights at night if necessary, said Commissioner for Transports Loylola de Palacio in response to the question of Coalition of the Left EuroMP Alekos Alavanos, regarding the noise caused by the take-offs and landings of aircrafts at the Eleftherios Venizelos airport in Athens. Commissioner Palacio did not rule out the possibility of fines for certain companies.

In his question the Greek EuroMP stated that according to complaints of residents and local government bodies in Eastern Attica near to the airport, aircraft on their way to land at or take off from the airport maneuver over residential areas instead of over the sea, in order to save on time and fuel, thus burdening neighborhoods with hundreds of thousands of residents. Mr. Alavanos asked that the necessary measures be taken so that noise disturbances can be minimized.

On her part, Commissioner de Palacio accepted that there is a serious problem and stressed that the point is to search for air corridors to minimize the consequences of the noise and in some cases fines may be enforced on Airlines. If it is deemed necessary we will even reach the point of forbidding flights (at night).

[12] KARAMANLIS IN CYPRUS

President of New Democracy Costas Karamanlis will be visiting Cyprus, where he will meet with President of DYSH, Nikos Anastasiadis, the President of the Cypriot Parliament Dimitris Christofias, and former President of the Cypriot Republic Glafkos Cleridis. He will also meet with the President of NODE and in the evening he will talk with Greeks of Pontus and Greeks in an event to be held at the Hilton and at a dinner to be held in his honor by the President of DHSY.

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