Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 05-05-12

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

CONTENTS

[01] NEW DEMOCRACY HAS A 4.5 PERCENTAGE POINT LEAD

[02] PATRIARCH IRENAEUS IS RENOUNCED BY JORDAN AND THE PALESTINIANS

[03] COOPERATION BETWEEN THE AGRICULTURAL BANK OF GREECE AND THE AMERICAN

[04] POLICE COOPERATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN GREECE AND PAKISTAN

[05] MAMMOTH FINE ON A GREEK SHIP OWNER

[06] THE 9TH WORLD CONFERENCE OF PAN-MACEDONIAN ASSOCIATIONS

[07] PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION ON THE ARMED INCIDENT IN THE ATHENS

[08] THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL TO FOLLOW DEVELOPMENTS CONCERNING THE ETHNIC GREEK

[01] NEW DEMOCRACY HAS A 4.5 PERCENTAGE POINT LEAD

The distance between the ruling party of New Democracy and main opposition Socialist Party of PASOK is at 4.5 percentage points, according to a VPRC opinion poll conducted on behalf of the Athens radio station Sky.

In response to the question which party they intend to vote for, people gave New Democracy 43.5% compared to PASOK's 39%, while the Communist Party reached 7%, Coalition 4% and LAOS 3.5%.

Regarding the party they believe will be the winner in the next elections, New Democracy has a 42 percentage point lead over PASOK with 60% compared to PASOK's 18%.

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis is the most popular political leader with 60%, PASOK's Giorgos Papandreou 54% and Coalition's Alekos Alavanos 48%.

Mr. Karamanlis is regarded more fit for the post of the Prime Minister with 50% while Mr. Papandreou got 26%.

It was a telephone opinion poll conducted across the country on a sample of 1,016 people on May 9-10, 2005.

[02] PATRIARCH IRENAEUS IS RENOUNCED BY JORDAN AND THE PALESTINIANS

Mr. Irenaeus is one step away from ceasing to be the Patriarch of Jerusalem after the decision reached by Jordan and the Palestinian Authority to regard him as deposed from the Patriarchal Throne.

Earlier, Mr. Irenaeus had refused to go to Istanbul to meet with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and reiterated his position that he will not resign.

Greek government spokesman Thodoris Rousopoulos stated that Greece has asked Mr. Irenaeus to rise to the occasion.

[03] COOPERATION BETWEEN THE AGRICULTURAL BANK OF GREECE AND THE AMERICAN BANK OF ALBANIA

Agricultural Bank of Greece (ATE) governor Dimitris Miliakos and American Bank of Albania chairman and managing director Lorenzo Roncari signed a cooperation agreement creating safe bank procedures for bilateral financial transactions.

Specifically, all foreigners living and working in Greece can use one of the 458 branches of the Agricultural Bank of Greece to forward sums of money to the city of Tirana, seat of the American Bank of Albania, as well as to the cities of Durres, Elbasan, Fieri, Vlore, Gjirokastre and Korce.

[04] POLICE COOPERATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN GREECE AND PAKISTAN

Minister of Public Order Giorgos Voulgarakis and Pakistan's Interior Minister Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao signed a bilateral police cooperation agreement during the visit of Mr. Vougarakis to Pakistan.

In the meeting they had the two government ministers discussed issues of bilateral interest, and expressed the will of both countries to develop cooperation further in the fight against illegal immigration, drug trafficking, terrorism and organized crime.

They also discussed the likelihood of holding a quadripartite conference in Athens in the immediate future with the participation of Greece, Pakistan, Iran and Turkey. The goal of the conference will be to develop effective strategies to deal jointly with illegal immigration.

[05] MAMMOTH FINE ON A GREEK SHIP OWNER

The mammoth fine of 5,2 million euros was imposed on the ship owner of ferryboat Aegean Sun that approached the port of Famagusta in the occupied part of Cyprus illegally.

Minister of Merchant Marine Manolis Kefalogiannis ordered the ship's captain to return immediately to the closest Greek port and as a result the ship sailed into the port of Piraeus empty of cargo.

The under Greek flag ferryboat Aegean Sun had approached the port of Famagusta illegally coming from the British port of Harwich in spite of the fact that the Greek ships are not allowed to the occupied ports of Cyprus.

[06] THE 9TH WORLD CONFERENCE OF PAN-MACEDONIAN ASSOCIATIONS

The 9th World Conference of Pan-Macedonian Associations from all over the world (United States, Canada, Europe, Africa and Australia) will take place in Litochoro, in the prefecture of Pieria in northern Greece on July 15-17.

The Federation of Pan-Macedonian Associations in Australia has undertaken to organize this year's world conference.

In statements he made to MPA, Dimitris Minas, President of the Federation of Pan-Macedonian Associations of Australia and Special Secretary of the World Federation of Pan-Macedonian Associations, stressed that the people of Macedonia will declare their will to promote united the issues of national importance such as the issue of the FYROM name pointing out that the name of Macedonia for the Greeks abroad is an integral part of the Greek nation. Within this framework, said Mr. Minas, cooperation with the Greek government and all political parties is sought aimed at reaching a solution that will respect the historical truth.

[07] PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION ON THE ARMED INCIDENT IN THE ATHENS POLYTECHNIC

Legal action has been launched against the police officer, the bodyguard of main opposition Socialist Party of PASOK Parliament deputy Christos Verelis.

The police officer was armed and last Tuesday evening he shot and injured a 28yearold man inside the Athens Polytechnic School. A preliminary investigation is underway on the case.

The incidents that led to an 8-hour sit-in by a group of anarchists erupted when a group of 40 youngsters attacked the cars of PASOK Parliament deputies Evangelos Venizelos and Christos Verelis who participated in a book presentation.

According to information, the police officer-bodyguard fired his gun at least 10 times to scare off the individuals who had attacked the cars of the two Parliament deputies and as a result the 28yearold was injured in the leg.

[08] THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL TO FOLLOW DEVELOPMENTS CONCERNING THE ETHNIC GREEK COMMUNITY IN GEORGIA

The Council is willing to follow closely developments regarding the situation created in Georgia, and to pressure the Georgian government every time this is considered as necessary, responded the European Council to a question raised by the European MP of PASOK, Mr. Panayiotis Beglitis regarding the violation of the human rights of the ethnic Greeks in Georgia, which was discussed at the plenum of the European Parliament in Strasburg.

More specifically, Mr. Beglitis had requested to be informed whether the European Council is aware of the violation of human rights of the ethnic Greeks in Georgia and also, asked what measures the EU is considering of taking for the protection of their rights.

In his question, Mr. Beglitis had also requested to be informed whether the European Presidency and Mr. Solana intend to make an official demarche to Tbilisi on this issue, and whether Mr. Solana in cooperation with OASE, the European Council and the UN Committee for Human Rights is willing to submit a report on the situation in Georgia.

Following is the complete response from the European Council:

The European Council wishes to thank the honorable member for the information regarding the violation of the human rights of Hellenes in Georgia.

The Council, through the political discussion it keeps with Georgia, has repeatedly expressed its concerns regarding the improvement of human rights' protection in this country.

The European Union will continue to use any opportunity to express its concerns regarding human rights in Georgia, especially within the frame of cooperation with OASE, the European Council and the UN Committee on Human Rights.

The Commissioner assigned on January 17, 2005 Mr. Michael Matthiessen to be his personal representative on human rights. The special representative of the EU for Southern Caucasus, Ambassador Mr. Heikki Talvitie, offers his services also in Georgia in order to ensure political and financial reforms especially relevant to justice, democracy, human rights, development and reduction of poverty.

On April 25, the Council (of General Issues and Foreign Relations) approved the resolutions regarding the European Neighboring Policy.

The Council, in these resolutions, mentions that Georgia hopes to maintain its close relations with the EU based on common values such are democracy, justice, respect of human rights including freedom of speech, and based on common interests determined by the European Neighboring Policy.

During the formation and the negotiation process of the action program of the European Neighboring Policy, between the EU and Georgia, the EU will focus on the necessity for improvement of the situation on human rights.

The Council is willing therefore to follow closely the developments on the situation of the Hellenic Community and to pressure the Georgian government any time this is necessary.

The European Parliament may wish to promote this issue during the next meeting of the Parliamentary Cooperation Committee of EU-Georgia on June 13-14, 2005.

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