Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 04-04-05

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

CONTENTS

[01] A NEW REFERENDUM IS LIKELY IN CYPRUS AFTER SIX MONTHS

[02] OVER 4,000 UNACCOMPANIED MINORS CAME TO GREECE FROM ALBANIA

[03] THE GOV'T SPOKESMAN ON THE CYPRUS ISSUE

[04] SIGNIFICANT GAINS IN THE ASE

[05] EU TRANSPORTATION MINISTERS INFORMAL MEETING

[06] THE GREEK MINISTER OF PUBLIC ORDER MET WITH PORTUGUESE OFFICIALS

[07] PAPANDREOU MET WITH THE AMBASSADORS OF US AND RUSSIA

[08] MEETING OF GREEK LAWYERS WITH COLLEAGUES FROM FYROM

[09] MOLIVIATIS-MILLER MEETING

[10] VALINAKIS-MEIMARAKIS TO VISIT NICOSIA TOMORROW

[01] A NEW REFERENDUM IS LIKELY IN CYPRUS AFTER SIX MONTHS

UN Secretary-General adviser on Cyprus Alvaro de Soto's legal adviser Didier Pfirter did not rule out the likelihood of a new referendum in Cyprus within six months in case the Annan Plan gets rejected in the April 24 referendum.

Speaking to Swiss journalists, Mr. Pfirter also stated that if the Turkish Cypriots accept the plan and the Greek Cypriots reject it Brussels could reconsider its stance toward the Turkish Cypriot community and offer it a more favorable status.

He also expressed the view that this development could lead to a permanent partition of the island adding, however, that a new referendum could be organized after 6 months.

[02] OVER 4,000 UNACCOMPANIED MINORS CAME TO GREECE FROM ALBANIA

Over 4,000 minors from Albania came unaccompanied to Greece in the past few years hoping for a better future. However, this development has proved that many of them have fallen victims of exploitation, sexual or other, while in many cases their traces were lost and they are listed as missing.

The responsible authorities and non-governmental organizations came to the conclusion that the exploitation of children has taken up invisible dimensions and one of them is child pornography, according to Vincent Tounecuillert, head of the Terres des Hommes organization in Albania.

In a press conference in Thessaloniki on the occasion of a one-day conference on Human Trade Illegal trade of Children in SE Europe, Mr. Tounecuillert pointed out, among others, that the legalization of illegal aliens in Greece is a positive development, adding that he supports the deportation of juvenile foreigners who are in Greek institutions.

[03] THE GOV'T SPOKESMAN ON THE CYPRUS ISSUE

The nature of the discussion in the Political Party Leaders' Council cannot be predetermined and its decisions will not be binding, stressed Greek government spokesman Thodoris Rousopoulos responding to a relevant question.

Mr. Rousopoulos said that the Prime Minister, the President of the Republic and the political party leaders will decide when the meeting will take place.

He said that Deputy Foreign Minister Yiannis Valinakis and New Democracy Secretary Vangelis Meimarakis will visit Cyprus tomorrow after consultations with the Cypriot government and will hold meetings with representatives of the Cypriot government and the Cypriot political parties.

Asked to comment on the statement made by the Turkish Foreign Minister according to which, in case the Greek Cypriots reject the Annan Plan the Turkish Cypriot pseudo-state will have to be recognized by the international community, Mr. Rousopoulos stated that the pseudo-state remains a pseudo-state for the Greek government.

Regarding the Greek government position on the referendum, Mr. Rousopoulos responded that the Cypriots should be left uninfluenced and the Greek government should express its position in the appropriate time. He also reiterated the statement made by the Prime Minister in Parliament that Greece cooperates, supports and participates.

[04] SIGNIFICANT GAINS IN THE ASE

Significant gains were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today. The general index rose to +1.95% at 2419.07 points, while the volume of transactions was at 115.0 million euros.

Of the stocks trading today, 220 had gains and 81 had losses, while the value of 95 stocks remained unchanged.

[05] EU TRANSPORTATION MINISTERS INFORMAL MEETING

Greek Minister of Transportation and Communications Michalis Liapis will depart for Dublin to represent Greece in the EU Transportation Ministers informal meeting.

Among the issues to be discussed in the meeting tomorrow will be the commitment that will be undertaken by the EU Transportation Ministers through the signing of the implementation of the European Charter on Road Security.

Mr. Liapis stated that a very important political decision is going to be made aimed at cutting down the number of traffic accidents and limiting their effects at every level by expanding the implementation of a strategic action plan.

[06] THE GREEK MINISTER OF PUBLIC ORDER MET WITH PORTUGUESE OFFICIALS

Greek Minister of Public Order Giorgos Voulgarakis met this morning with Portugal's Minister to the Prime Minister's Office Jose Luis Arnaut, responsible for sports issues.

The meeting was held in the presence of the Greek Police Chief Lieutenant General Fotis Nasiakos and National Information Service Director Pavlos Apostolidis. Also present were Portugal's ambassador to Athens Duarte Ramalho Ortigao, Portugal's National Olympic Committee President Jose Vincente Moura, National Spots Institute President Jose Manuel Constantino, Euro 2004 Security Committee General Coordinator Leonel Carvalho and Euro 2004 Coordinating Committee Board of Directors President Vasco Lynce.

In the meeting, they discussed issues of mutual interest and specifically, issues concerning the security of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, as well as the Euro 2004 that will take place in Portugal.

[07] PAPANDREOU MET WITH THE AMBASSADORS OF US AND RUSSIA

Main opposition Socialist Party of PASOK leader Giorgos Papandreou had separate meetings at his office in Parliament today with new Russian ambassador to Athens Andrei Valentinovic Vdovin and US ambassador to Athens Thomas Miller.

In the meetings dominated the Cyprus issue as well as the developments in Iraq and the Middle East.

[08] MEETING OF GREEK LAWYERS WITH COLLEAGUES FROM FYROM

A four-member delegation of lawyers from FYROM will have a meting with the presiding board of the Thessaloniki Bar Association within the framework of the cooperation promoted by the lawyers of Thessaloniki with lawyers' associations from neighboring Balkan countries.

The goal of the meeting will be to brief the representatives of the FYROM lawyers on issues concerning the organizing and operation of the Greek Bar Associations to convey the Greek experience to their country.

[09] MOLIVIATIS-MILLER MEETING

Greek Foreign Minister Petros Moliviatis met with US ambassador to Athens Thomas Miller for the first time after the end of the consultations on Cyprus in Lucerne, Switzerland.

Among the issues they discussed was the Cyprus issue and responding to a question by a reporter the US ambassador pointed out that the Cypriot people will decide if they will approve the UN Secretary-General plan, adding that himself is optimistic regarding the atmosphere that can be formed by April 24 when the two referendums will be held on the island.

Commenting on the outcome of an opinion poll, which shows a high percentage against the Annan Plan, he said that many of those who respond no do not know what the plan includes and suggested that it will have to be studied carefully.

[10] VALINAKIS-MEIMARAKIS TO VISIT NICOSIA TOMORROW

Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Yiannis Valinakis and Greek governing party of New Democracy Secretary Evangelos Meimarakis will be in Nicosia tomorrow.

They will meet with Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos tomorrow afternoon, while they will also have talks with the leaders of all political parties in Cyprus on the issue of the Annan Plan.

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