Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 05-01-21

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

CONTENTS

[01] NO MORE STRAW MEN

[02] COOPERATION AND CRITICISM

[03] NIMITZ: MANY IDEAS FOR THE SOLUTION OF THE FYROM NAME ISSUE

[04] GAINS IN THE ASE

[05] MOLIVIATIS: TURKEY'S PROVOCATIVE BEHAVIOR IS UNDER THE SCRUTINY OF THE

[06] ROUSOPOULOS ON THE INSULTING SLOGANS BY FOOTBALL FANS

[07] AMOS OZ: A FAIR "DIVORCE" IS THE SOLUTION IN THE MIDDLE EAST

[01] NO MORE STRAW MEN

The articles of the law on the Majority Shareholder were passed by Parliament yesterday with the votes of the government party of New Democracy deputies.

The deputies of main opposition Socialist Party of PASOK gave a negative vote, while the parties of the Left voted in favor of 8 of the 14 articles of the law.

Minister of Interior Prokopis Pavlopoulos accepted a proposal by Coalition Party to consider void the private agreements between businessmen and straw men.

Minister of State Thodoris Rousopoulos stated that PASOK now cares for the very few and the strong.

PASOK deputies Apostolos Kaklamanis and Evangelos Venizelos accused the minister of insults and slander.

[02] COOPERATION AND CRITICISM

Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis, addressing the national dialogue on Education that opened at Zappion Megaron Building in Athens today, issued an appeal to all forces to work together to build the Greek school of the future, the Greek education system of the new era.

Mr. Karamanlis stated that the education system has to adjust to international trends and conditions. He said that first of all, the major pending issues concerning higher education must be settled through autonomy, transparency, evaluation and certification of university units. Also, new regulations must be adopted before the opening of the new school year such as, the extension of mandatory education from 9 to 12 years, evaluation at all levels of education, life-long education etc, while changes should be made in Technological Education Institutes as well.

The government made scrappy moves characterized by partisanship, without meritocracy when manning the education sector agencies and as a result it divided the education community wasting dialogue time, said main opposition Socialist Party of PASOK leader Giorgos Papandreou.

Coalition is in favor of the dialogue on education issues but it cannot participate in a dialogue that serves public relations purposes, stated Coalition Party President Alekos Alavanos.

Student protest rallies are being held across the country, while the university professors are on a strike.

[03] NIMITZ: MANY IDEAS FOR THE SOLUTION OF THE FYROM NAME ISSUE

There are many ideas for the solution of the FYROM name issue but the goal is to find a solution that will satisfy both sides, stated UN mediator Mathew Nimitz after the meetings he had in Skopje with the FYROM leadership, clarifying that the US move to recognize FYROM under its constitutional name had as a result to cause great interest in the issue of the name.

Mr. Nimitz pointed out that FYROM and Greece have responsible leaderships willing to solve the problem, while the FYROM political leadership reiterated its position to use another name in the bilateral relations and transactions with Greece.

[04] GAINS IN THE ASE

Gains were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today. The general index rose to +0.43% at 2904.14 points, while the volume of transactions was at 186 million euros.

Of the stocks trading today, 174 had gains and 110 had losses, while the value of 137 stocks remained unchanged.

[05] MOLIVIATIS: TURKEY'S PROVOCATIVE BEHAVIOR IS UNDER THE SCRUTINY OF THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL

Turkey's behavior in the Aegean is closely monitored and is faced with calm and determination, while measures have been taken to protect national sovereignty and avert on time the likelihood of creating tension in the region, stated Foreign Minister Petros Moliviatis during the debate in Parliament on a question by main opposition Socialist Party of PASOK deputy Anna Diamantopoulou, responsible for foreign issues, concerning the recent provocation by Turkey in the sea region of Imia in the Aegean.

Also, Mr. Moliviatis stressed that such incidents are placed within Turkey's gray zones theory, a practice it follows since 1996.

When Turkey's actions are not consistent with international law Greece makes protest demarches to the neighboring country while it briefs the responsible international and European bodies.

Mrs. Diamantopoulou stated characteristically that Turkey displays its claims in the most provocative way making air and sea violations in the Aegean.

[06] ROUSOPOULOS ON THE INSULTING SLOGANS BY FOOTBALL FANS

Minister of State Thodoris Rousopoulos intends to present a proposal according to which, the football games will be broadcast using technical means that will block slogans that insult institutions or individuals.

Mr. Rousopoulos stated that it is an obligation by everybody to protect the institutions, while he reminded that the government made the start a few months ago when it passed a draft law against the violence in the football stadiums.

[07] AMOS OZ: A FAIR "DIVORCE" IS THE SOLUTION IN THE MIDDLE EAST

A fair divorce on the basis of a real and mutual compromise is the only solution to the stagnant dispute between Israelis and Palestinians that has soaked the region of the Middle East in blood for decades, stated the most famous living Israeli author Amos Oz speaking in an event held in Thessaloniki at Macedonia University organized by the Balkan, Slav and Eastern Studies Department on the occasion of his new book A Tale of Love and Darkness.

Amos Oz is the author of 18 books translated into over 30 languages. He referred to the tragedy of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute characterizing it as a fight between two refugee camps, a fight where the right of one side conflicts with the right of the other.

Meanwhile, more than 1,000 Palestinian police officers will be deployed along the borders of the Palestinian regions with Israel in an effort to avert the suicide attacks against Israeli targets, according to a decision by new Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

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