Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 04-01-28

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

CONTENTS

[01] FIDEL INVITED TO MT. ATHOS

[02] ELECTORAL AW WITH FEW AMENDMENTS

[03] ANTHOPOULOS REMOVED FROM PASOK

[04] ELIE WIESEL IN THESSALONIKI FOR HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL

[05] THE JEWISH COMMUNITY IN THESSALONIKI HONORED THE GREEK JEWS KILLED IN

[06] THE HOLOCAUST OF THE THESSALONIKI JEWS

[07] BOOKS FROM THE GREEK PARLIAMENT TO THE LIBRARY OF ALEXANDRIA

[08] LOSSES IN THE ASE

[09] PAPANDREOU IN THESSALONIKI

[10] MAGRIOTIS-RAZOV DISCUSSED THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF GREEK-RUSSIAN

[11] EXPECTING IMPRESSIVE MOVES IN CUBA

[01] FIDEL INVITED TO MT. ATHOS

A formal invitation will be extended to Cuban leader Fidel Castro to visit Mt. Athos, by Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos, in his letter thanking him for the warm welcome during his historic visit to Cuba, which opened up new horizons for Orthodoxy and Hellenism, both in this island country of the Caribbean, and throughout the American continent.

[02] ELECTORAL AW WITH FEW AMENDMENTS

The reversal of the law was impossible, since the review of the Constitution in 1986, abolished the examination of content and intent of a legislative regulation by the President of the Republic, mentioned an announcement of the Presidency of the Republic. The announcement made it known that Mr. Stefanopoulos signed the law on the strengthening of private investments in which the so-called Pachtas amendment was incorporated. Minister of Finance Nikos Christodoulakis stated that the amendment will be nullified immediately, in the first draft of the Ministry in Parliament.

[03] ANTHOPOULOS REMOVED FROM PASOK

Serres MP and former deputy Minister Giannis Anthopoulos has been removed from PASOK after the unanimous decision of the party's ethics committee, as Mr. Anthopoulos signed the Pachtas amendment for the extension of the Porto Carras hotel's grounds without the knowledge or approval of his colleagues, through an unacceptable procedure, which is not consistent with the morals and characteristics of a Party member. Earlier, the Serres MP had been removed from PASOK's Parliamentary Group after the decision of Prime Minister Costas Simitis. MPs Mr. Chrysanthakopoulos and Mr. Katsanevas did not appear before the party committee to explain themselves in connection to the case.

[04] ELIE WIESEL IN THESSALONIKI FOR HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL

Events for January 27, which has been instituted by the Greek state as the Memorial Day for the Greek Jewish Martyrs and Heroes of the Holocaust, have been programmed by the Jewish Community of Thessaloniki. In the framework of the events, representatives of the Jewish Community will lay wreaths at the Monument of the Holocaust today at 11:30 am. The ceremony will also be attended by Peace Nobel Laureate Elie Wiesel, who will then hold a speech (12:30pm) at the conference center of Pireos Bank in Ladadika.

[05] THE JEWISH COMMUNITY IN THESSALONIKI HONORED THE GREEK JEWS KILLED IN NAZI CONCENTRATION CAMPS

The Jewish Community in Thessaloniki honored the memory of the Greek Jews killed in Nazi concentration camps during WWII on the occasion of the Greek Jews Memorial Day.

Wreaths were laid at the Jewish Holocaust Monument this morning by US Ambassador to Athens Thomas Miller, Nobel Prize laureate Elie Wiesel, Prefect of Thessaloniki Panagiotis Psomiadis, Parliament Deputy Sotiris Kouvelas representing the right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy, City Councillor Theodoros Aspasidis representing the Mayor of Thessaloniki, Central Jewish Council President Moisis Konstantinidis, the German Ambassador and the General Consuls of France and Russia.

In an event held afterwards at the amphitheater of the Byzantine Instruments Museum Elie Wiesel, who received a Nobel Prize in 1986, was the main speaker. He stated that he is deeply moved because he is in Thessaloniki as most of the Greek Jews killed in Nazi concentration camps came from the city. He underlined that he met many Jews from Thessaloniki in the concentration camps where he was held himself and his family.

Mr. Wiesel referred to the importance of the adoption by the Greek Parliament of January 27 as Greek Jews Martyrs and Heroes of the Holocaust Day. He also stressed that it is unfair the fact that the role of the Greek Jews in the resistance is not mentioned in the history books, adding that he felt it was his duty to refer to them in his books.

Mr. Wiesel expressed the belief that soon a solution will be reached in the peace problem in Israel.

Thessaloniki Jewish Community President David Saltiel declared Mr. Wiesel honorary member of the community.

[06] THE HOLOCAUST OF THE THESSALONIKI JEWS

The people of Thessaloniki remember and honor the holocaust of hundreds of thousands of Greek Jews by the Nazi Germans sixty years ago. They keep alive the memory of those persecuted and tortured, they remember the confiscation of property, the destruction of libraries and businesses, stated among others Prefect of Thessaloniki Panagiotis Psomiadis speaking in a memorial on the holocaust of the Greek Jews organized by the Jewish Community in Thessaloniki.

Mr. Psomiadis, referring to the stance of the rest of the Greeks toward the Greek Jews, pointed out the moving intervention undertaken by Archbishop Damaskinos together with 29 presidents of associations and organizations, saying that it was not totally successful but it displayed the strong reaction of the people of Thessaloniki, while all the victims of the holocaust were distinguished members of the local community.

[07] BOOKS FROM THE GREEK PARLIAMENT TO THE LIBRARY OF ALEXANDRIA

A total of 2,574 books by ancient and contemporary authors, corresponding to 1,868 titles, have been sent to the Library of Alexandria in Egypt after a decision by Greek Parliament President Apostolos Kaklamanis.

In a letter to the Library of Alexandria Director, Mr. Kaklamanis mentions that with this donation the Greek Parliament wants to express its support and friendship to the spiritual institution that has undertaken the significant task of collecting and safeguarding the human thought from the ancient times until now.

[08] LOSSES IN THE ASE

Significant losses were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today. The general index dropped to -1.25% at 2414.7 points, while the volume of transactions was at 161.3 million euros.

Of the stocks trading today, only 44 had gains and 278 had losses, while the value of 61 stocks remained unchanged.

[09] PAPANDREOU IN THESSALONIKI

PASOK's pre-election campaign is continuing today with the great open party meeting at Palais de Sport in Thessaloniki, with Foreign Minister and candidate party President Giorgos Papandreou speaking. Mr. Papandreou will then hold a dinner for the MPs and Party officials from Thessaloniki, while tomorrow he will visit areas in the II Thessaloniki electoral district, among which Lagadas, where he will speak at an open meeting, and in the evening he will address repatriated Greeks from abroad in a meeting in downtown Thessaloniki.

[10] MAGRIOTIS-RAZOV DISCUSSED THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF GREEK-RUSSIAN RELATIONS

The action plan for the further development of the Greek-Russian relations in the sectors of policy, economy, culture and education were discussed by Greek and Russian Deputy Foreign Ministers Yiannis Magriotis and Sergei Razov respectively in the meeting they had in Moscow today.

They both underlined that the discussion was held in a very good climate and soon a protocol will be signed for the realization of the action plan. Also, Mr. Magriotis and Mr. Razov gave positive answers to a number of pending issues between the two countries.

The Russian Deputy Foreign Minister pledged that he is going to send a letter to the company GASPROM for the implementation of the 1998 natural gas for Greek products agreement. The agreement, which has not been implemented yet, provides that 70-75% of the foreign exchange received from the natural gas supply to Greece will be used by Russia for the purchase of Greek products. Mr. Razov confirmed Russia's political will for cooperation in the construction of the Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil-pipeline.

Mr. Magriotis stated the Russia-Germany agreement for the issuing of visas to Russian citizens within the framework of the Schengen agreement is being examined for the purpose of implementing a similar agreement between Russia and Greece, which will bring a big number of Russian tourists to Greece.

The Greek Deputy Foreign Minister expressed the belief that starting in the next academic year a Slav Studies Department will be in operation in the University of Athens and Mr. Razov expressed satisfaction over this development.

The issue of the erection of a monument in the Municipality of Kalamaria, Thessaloniki, where graves of Russian soldiers have been found, was also raised during the meeting.

On February 25, Mr. Magriotis will meet in Athens with the Russian undersecretary, responsible for Black Sea issues, to discuss the prospects of further cooperation between the two countries in the specific region.

[11] EXPECTING IMPRESSIVE MOVES IN CUBA

A formal invitation will be extended to Cuban leader Fidel Castro to visit Mt. Athos, by Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos, in his letter thanking him for the warm welcome during his historic visit to Cuba, which opened up new horizons for Orthodoxy and Hellenism, both in this island country of the Caribbean, and throughout the American continent.

In a discussion with the press shortly before the landing of the Olympic Airways flight in Istanbul, the Ecumenical Patriarch mentioned the unexpectedly warm welcome he received from the Cuban government and its President Fidel Castro, as well as the pressures of the US.

The Americans cannot be pleased, but we are not a party, we are not an ideology, pointed out the Patriarch, asking those who continue insist on the embargo against Cuba: What did the poor do, what did the children do, so as not to have medicines, asked the Head of Orthodoxy.

Mr. Vartholomeos observed that the role and mission of the Patriarchate place it above ideologies, political confrontations and quarrels.

The extent of the warm welcome Mr. Vartholomeos found from both the Cuban leadership and people, is evident in the fact that the President of Cuba met with the Patriarch 7 times, had three private meetings with him, accompanied him to the airport in his car, and expressing views that were unimaginable for an unyielding Marxist revolutionary such as Fidel.

According to statements of the public, they expect help from the Ecumenical Patriarch and Greece, not merely financial, but help with ideas, because it seems that Cuba is at the beginning of impressive openings. Evidence of this opening can be found both in the wish expressed by Fidel for books on Mt. Athos and Orthodoxy to be sent to Cuba, in order to be distributed to the country's schools and foundations, and in the invitation for the foundation of Theology School of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Havana, with the expenses to be covered by the Cuban State.

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