Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 04-09-14

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

CONTENTS

[01] JUDICIAL INTERVENTION IN THE CHINOOK AFFAIR

[02] ROUSOPOULOS ON THE CHINOOK AFFAIR

[03] THE GOV'T SPOKESMAN ON THE DEFENSE SPENDING CUTS BY GREECE AND TURKEY

[04] MARGINAL GAINS IN THE ASE

[05] THE GOV'T SPOKESMAN ON THE ALLEGED TORTURE OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

[06] DYNAMIC GROWTH FOR THE GREEK-HUNGARIAN TRADE RELATIONS

[07] PAPUA NEW GUINEA HAS WITHDRAWN FROM THE ATHENS GAMES

[08] GOULEKAS-PSOMIADIS ON THE BLOWING UP OF A CROSS NEAR A CHURCH IN

[01] JUDICIAL INTERVENTION IN THE CHINOOK AFFAIR

Athens prosecutor Dimitris Papangelopoulos ordered a preliminary investigation on the purchase of the helicopter that crashed near Mount Athos in Chalkidiki northern Greece last Saturday killing 17 people, among them the Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa.

The judicial investigation was launched based on a press report on the Athens newspaper Avriani according to which, it was to the knowledge of those responsible that the helicopter presented problems when flying at a specific speed.

Also, Mr. Papangelopoulos requested from the Athens television station Alpha the material of the interview Minister of Defense Spilios Spiliotopoulos gave last Monday.

Mr. Spiliotopoulos had mentioned then that the aircraft that had replaced the Prime Minister's Falcon presented problems and it was grounded at his order, while an inquiry is underway on the issue.

[02] ROUSOPOULOS ON THE CHINOOK AFFAIR

Greek government spokesman Thodoris Rousopoulos was called to comment on information according to which, Mount Athos deputy governor Mr. Aristos Kasmiroglou had informed deputy Foreign Minister Panagiotis Skandalakis between 12.30 and 12.45 last Saturday that the Chinook had not arrived.

Mr. Rousopoulos stated that based on the briefing he had by the Foreign Ministry there is no such reference in the report prepared by Mr. Kasmiroglou and called to comment on the exact time the Prime Minister was informed, Mr. Rousopoulos said that himself was informed at 14.15 and immediately contacted the Prime Minister who had just been informed by Defense Minister Spiliotopoulos.

On the removal of Air Force General Staff Chief, Mr. Rousopoulos observed that the investigations ordered concern the causes of the tragedy and the causes of the delay in the briefing of the responsible authorities. On the issue of the delay in information, it was established that the Air Force agencies did not work as they should have, given the fact that certain regulations have to be observed providing for specific steps that have to be taken at a specific time. This did not happen, said Mr. Rousopoulos, that's why the resignation of the Air Force General Staff Chief was requested.

Finally, responding to a question concerning the cancelled visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Mount Athos, Mr. Rousopoulos confirmed that the Russian President had requested to have access to 2 of the Armed Forces' 15 Chinook helicopters but it had not been determined which of them were going to carry the Russian officials to Mount Athos.

[03] THE GOV'T SPOKESMAN ON THE DEFENSE SPENDING CUTS BY GREECE AND TURKEY

Greek government spokesman Thodoris Rousopoulos referred to the issue concerning the defense spending cuts by Greece and Turkey, pointing out that it was first raised in January 2003 in a meeting Kostas Karamanlis had with Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara.

Later, when New Democracy came to power and Mr. Erdogan became the Prime Minister of Turkey the issue was again raised during the contacts between the Defense Ministers of the two countries and Mr. Spiliotopoulos made relevant announcements on the sidelines of the NATO Summit meeting in Istanbul in June.

Greece had stated that is willing to proceed with cuts in the revised five-year defense program and channel the saved funds to the sector of social policy, while Turkey would channel the funds to the sector of education.

This is the reality but there is no written agreement and the government has never mentioned something like that. However, in politics there are written agreements that are not observed and verbal agreements that they are, said characteristically Mr. Rousopoulos, calling on the opposition to be more careful on the occasion of statements made by leading members of the opposition on the specific issue.

[04] MARGINAL GAINS IN THE ASE

Marginal gains were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today. The general index rose to +0.02% at 2327.37 points, while the volume of transactions was small at 70,1 million euros.

Of the stocks trading today, 74 had gains and 182 had losses, while the value of 147 stocks remained unchanged.

[05] THE GOV'T SPOKESMAN ON THE ALLEGED TORTURE OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS

Greek government spokesman Thodoris Rousopoulos was asked to comment on the information that came to publicity according to which, Greek soldiers have allegedly tortured illegal immigrants on a rocky islet.

Mr. Rousopoulos stated that he is not aware of the issue but if it is true it is a repulsive incident and those responsible will be punished.

[06] DYNAMIC GROWTH FOR THE GREEK-HUNGARIAN TRADE RELATIONS

The bilateral trade relations between Greece and Hungary show an increase of 50% compared to last year and the Greek exports are estimated to reach 100 million euros by the end of the year, according to the Hungarian embassy commercial attaché Janos Szatmari, who presented the figures in a press conference today on the occasion of Thessaloniki's 69th International Trade Fair.

However, there is a deficit in the trade balance for Greece given the fact that the value of products with Hungarian label sold in Greece will reach 200 million euros this year and 90% of them are high technology industrial products.

The Greek invested capital in Hungary is estimated at 500 million euros and the lion share belongs to about 30-40 big investments.

[07] PAPUA NEW GUINEA HAS WITHDRAWN FROM THE ATHENS GAMES

With the latest withdrawal of Papua New Guinea, the number of the participating NPCs in the Athens 2004 Paralympic Games has been reduced to 142.

Papua New-Guinea became the fifth National Paralympic Committee to cancel its participation, following Haiti, Myanmar, Vanuatu and Lebanon.

With the participating NPCs expected to amount to more than 140, Athens is sure to break another record in the history of the Paralympic Games.

The previous record number was set in the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games, where 123 NPCs and 3,843 athletes took part.

The 12th Summer Paralympic Games begin on Saturday, September 18, where athletes will compete in 20 sports. The Opening Ceremony will take place on Friday, September 17 at the Olympic Stadium in Athens. 

[08] GOULEKAS-PSOMIADIS ON THE BLOWING UP OF A CROSS NEAR A CHURCH IN ALBANIA

It is not the first time the ethnic Greeks in Albania are faced with such provocation, stated governing party of New Democracy Parliament deputy Kostas Goulekas when asked to comment on the blowing up of a Cross made of concrete which was placed near the Christian Orthodox church of St. Dimitrios in the village of Tzara in Albania.

The ND deputy, elected in Thessaloniki, stressed that the good neighborly and friendship relations announced by the Albanian government are not being forged through such actions.

Prefect of Thessaloniki Panagiotis Psomiadis protested against the blowing up of the Cross and reiterated the comments he had made on the occasion of the incidents recorded after the football game between the national football teams of Albania and Greece in Tirana.

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