Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 04-09-20

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

CONTENTS

[01] THE FIRST GREEK MEDALS IN THE ATHENS PARALYMPIC GAMES

[02] MOLIVIATIS-GUL MEETING

[03] MORE PARALYMPIC GAMES MEDALS FOR THE GREEK ATHLETES

[04] TZEKOS MAINTAINS THAT HE POSSESSED LEGALLY THE SEIZED MEDICINES

[05] THESSALONIKI'S 68TH ITF WAS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL OF RECENT YEARS

[06] SAMARANCH VISITS THESSALONIKI'S MUSEUM OF SPORTS

[07] GAINS IN THE ASE

[08] THE GOV'T COULD FORM AN INQUIRY COMMITTEE ON THE MILITARY SUPPLIES

[09] DECISION TO PULL UP THE CHINOOK FUSELAGE FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA

[10] COACH CHRISTOS TZEKOS TESTIFIES BEFORE THE PROSECUTOR

[11] STILIANIDIS: MOBILIZATION OF THE GREEKS ABROAD IN SUPPORT OF THE EXPO

[01] THE FIRST GREEK MEDALS IN THE ATHENS PARALYMPIC GAMES

Charalambos Taiganidis won the first gold medal for the Greek Paralympic team in the Athens Paralympic Games.

The Greek swimmer won the gold in the men's 100 m butterfly-S13 with a time 1:01.50. The silver medallist is South African Scott Field (1:01.75) and the bronze went to Russia's Andrei Shrokin (1:02.82).

Yiannis Kostakis won the bronze in the 100 m freestyle-S3 with a time 1:55.79.

Also, Efthimis Kalaras won the silver medal in discus throw-F54 with 28.07 meters.

[02] MOLIVIATIS-GUL MEETING

Greek Foreign Minister Petros Moliviatis will have a meeting in New York with his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul at 11 pm (Greek time) this evening.

The head of the Greek diplomacy during his stay in New York is also expected to meet with his US counterpart Colin Powell.

The promotion of Greece's bid for a seat in the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member in the period 2005-2006 is among the issues in the agenda of the Greek Foreign Minister in the contacts he will have in New York on the sidelines of the 59th UN General Assembly.

[03] MORE PARALYMPIC GAMES MEDALS FOR THE GREEK ATHLETES

Two more Greek athletes became Paralympic Games medallists today. Anthi Karagianni won the silver in women's 100 m T13 with a time 12.87. The gold went to Russia's Olga Semenova (12.56) and the bronze to Cuba's Ana Jimenez (12.98).

Paraskevi Kantza won the bronze in women's 100 m T11 with a time 13.34.

Ioannis Protos finished sixth in the men's 200 m T13 with a time 23.53.

[04] TZEKOS MAINTAINS THAT HE POSSESSED LEGALLY THE SEIZED MEDICINES

Coach Christos Tzekos testified before two prosecutors today and stated that he had imported legally the patent medicines that were seized from his offices confirming, however, that the National Organization for Medicines (EOF) had not approved them.

He testified for four hours concerning the anabolics and anti-doping control case in which were involved Greek sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou. According to information, he maintained that all the athletes he had trained from time to time never used banned substances.

Tzekos, who was also called to testify regarding the accusations against him concerning the import and possession of illegal substances, submitted a memo on the case to the prosecutors. Based on the EOF findings, a test on 10 different patent medicines, among those seized from the coach's storehouses, showed that they included anabolics that belonged to the category of steroids.

[05] THESSALONIKI'S 68TH ITF WAS THE MOST SUCCESSFUL OF RECENT YEARS

Thessaloniki's 69th International Trade Fair, that was completed yesterday, was the most successful of recent years given the great number of trade and private visitors.

According to Aristotelis Thomopoulos, President of HELEXPO Ltd., the organizer of Thessaloniki's ITF, there was an increase of 40% in ticket sales and a 500% increase in the number of trade visitors. Based on initial figures, a total of 205,000 people visited the exhibition, while the trade visitors were 7,500.

[06] SAMARANCH VISITS THESSALONIKI'S MUSEUM OF SPORTS

International Olympic Committee (IOC) honorary President Juan Antonio Samaranch visited Thessaloniki's Museum of Sports today.

Mr. Samaranch had visited Thessaloniki again on August 11 and watched the game between the Greek and the Korean national football teams.

Mr. Samaranch stated that Thessaloniki's Museum of Sports is one of the best he has ever visited. He also said that the success of the Athens Olympic Games was important for Greece and especially for Athens, adding that the Paralympic Games currently underway in Athens got the same response.

On the Athens 2004 Olympic Games opening ceremony, Mr. Samaranch stated that it was amazing and the best he had ever seen.

[07] GAINS IN THE ASE

Gains were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today. The general index rose to +0.53% at 2356.71 points, while the volume of transactions was at 91,6 million euros.

Of the stocks trading today, 117 had gains and 148 had losses, while the value of 138 stocks remained unchanged.

[08] THE GOV'T COULD FORM AN INQUIRY COMMITTEE ON THE MILITARY SUPPLIES

If the findings of the investigation underway lead to the need to form an inquiry committee it will be done, stated government spokesman Thodoris Rousopoulos responding to a question on whether the government intends to form an inquiry committee to examine the supplies of the armed forces.

Responding to the question if there is political responsibility in the Chinook helicopter crash, he cited the statement made by the Prime Minister.

On the armed forces supplies, he said that the government of New Democracy does not intend to cover up any case that could have problems. He said that from time to time there have been contracts that New Democracy, while in opposition, had pointed the finger at in Parliament. Such contracts are being investigated, as it is already known, stated Mr. Rousopoulos.

[09] DECISION TO PULL UP THE CHINOOK FUSELAGE FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA

Chiefs of staff of the ministries of Defense and Development decided in a meeting they had at the Pentagon today to pull up from the bottom of the sea the fuselage of the Chinook helicopter that crashed more than a week ago killing the 17 people on board. The Chinook was located in a depth of 866 meters in the sea region of Chalkidiki northern Greece.

The process is very expensive given the fact that it will cost over 40 million euros.

Meanwhile, human parts were collected from the sea region where the Chinook helicopter crashed and the search continues for those still missing.

[10] COACH CHRISTOS TZEKOS TESTIFIES BEFORE THE PROSECUTOR

Coach Christos Tzekos testifies before the prosecutor on the anti-doping case in which were involved Greek sprinters Kostas Kenteris and Katerina Thanou. Tzekos is accused of importing banned substances.

Tzekos will also testify on the motorcycle accident in which sprinters Kenteris and Thanou were involved in the evening of August 12 when they left the Olympic Village and missed a drug test.

[11] STILIANIDIS: MOBILIZATION OF THE GREEKS ABROAD IN SUPPORT OF THE EXPO 2008 BID

Deputy Foreign Minister Evripidis Stilianidis calls for the mobilization of the Greeks abroad in support of Thessaloniki's bid to host the EXPO 2008 International Exhibition in an interview with the Greek-American newspaper Ethnikos Kirikas. This is one of his goals during his visit to New York to attend an international development convention within the framework of the UN organized by the Brazilian President.

Within the framework of his visit to the United States, Mr. Stilianidis will have meetings with his counterparts from other countries to present to them the Greek bid for a seat in the UN Security Council as a non-permanent member.

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