Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 05-06-01

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

CONTENTS

[01] THE SOCIAL SECURITY ISSUE IS ON THE TABLE

[02] NEW US APPROACH TO THE ISSUE OF CYPRUS

[03] INDICTMENTS ISSUED FOR THE CHINOOK TRAGIC ACCIDENT

[04] BALLOT BOXES FOR THE BULGARIAN NATIONALS LIVING IN GREECE

[05] CHARTER FLIGHTS FROM ISTANBUL TO MYCONOS AND SANTORINI

[06] THE DUTCH DECIDE ON THE EUROPEAN CONSTITUTION

[07] CONGRATULATORY LETTER BY THE PAN-MACEDONIAN ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA

[01] THE SOCIAL SECURITY ISSUE IS ON THE TABLE

The bank employees' social security issue will clear up in the next few weeks according to Minister of Labor Panos Panagiotopoulos who made the statement while leaving the Prime Minister's office where he took part in a meeting with Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis and the Minister of Finance.

Mr. Panagiotopoulos stated that the Minister of Finance has offered a deadline to the bank employees' unions and the bankers to complete negotiations and find a solution.

In case no solution is found the problem will be faced with a legislative initiative by the government.

Meanwhile, the meeting of the EMPORIKI Bank employees' unions with the bank's governor was fruitless, while the Greek bank employees' unions have declared a 48-hour strike to take place on June 7 and 8.

[02] NEW US APPROACH TO THE ISSUE OF CYPRUS

The United States have adopted a different approach to the issue of the so-called isolation of the Turkish Cypriots, stated US State Department spokesman Richard Boucher when asked about the arrival of US House Representatives in Cyprus through the illegal airport at Timpos causing the strong discontent of the Cypriot government.

Meanwhile, the UN assistant secretary-general, responsible for political affairs, continues his contacts in Cyprus aimed at establishing if the preconditions are met for the resumption of the solution process.

Mr. Boucher stated yesterday that legislation is not violated by the US Representatives' trip to the occupied northern part of Cyprus, pointing out that there is a different approach now on behalf of the US to the issue of the so-called isolation of the Turkish Cypriots.

[03] INDICTMENTS ISSUED FOR THE CHINOOK TRAGIC ACCIDENT

Indictments on two capital offences and two misdemeanors were issued by the Thessaloniki Military Court prosecutor on the accident with the Chinook helicopter that happened last September in the sea region off the coasts of Sithonia in Chalkidiki northern Greece.

According to the Athens daily Eleftherotipia, the prosecutor reached the conclusion that the helicopter crashed as a result of mechanical failure and all the victims were killed in the air.

Sources cited by the newspaper point out that military personnel and civilians from the air traffic control towers watching the helicopter have a share of the responsibility for the accident.

According to the forensic examination, no one of the victims of the tragic accident was drowned given that they all sustained heavy injuries, a fact proving that they lost their lives while in the air.

For the record, the helicopter tragedy happened on September 11, 2004 and as a result all its 17 passengers were killed, among them, Patriarch Petros of Alexandria.

[04] BALLOT BOXES FOR THE BULGARIAN NATIONALS LIVING IN GREECE

Bulgarian nationals living in Greece can exercise their right to vote in the June 25 elections.

Ballot boxes will be open in the Bulgarian embassy in Athens and in the Bulgarian consulate in Thessaloniki from 6 am until 7 pm. According to the diplomatic authorities of the neighboring country, eligible to vote are those over the age of 18 who possess a valid passport or a certificate issued by the Bulgarian embassy mentioning that the voter has submitted the necessary documents for the renewal or issuing of a passport.

The Bulgarian nationals living in Greece who wish to exercise their right to vote will have to notify their country's diplomatic authorities in person, or with a letter, telex, telephone call, e-mail or fax at the Bulgarian embassy and consulate in Athens and Thessaloniki respectively.

[05] CHARTER FLIGHTS FROM ISTANBUL TO MYCONOS AND SANTORINI

The Turkish airline Atlas Jet launches charter flights from Istanbul to Myconos and Santorini on June 15.

The flights will take place twice a week (Thursday and Sunday) until September and will be used 70-seat Bombadier CRJ700 passenger planes.

According to the general director of Atlas Jet, the company will offer one-week vacation packages to the Aegean islands of Myconos or Santorini starting from 449 euros. The airplane ticket prices for the Thursday flights will be 150 euros while on Sundays the ticket price will be at 250 euros.

[06] THE DUTCH DECIDE ON THE EUROPEAN CONSTITUTION

The European interest has focused on Holland today, one of the six countries that founded the European Economic Community, as its citizens are called to respond through a referendum on whether their country will adopt the European Constitutional Treaty.

According to the latest opinion polls, the majority will vote NO in spite of the fact that the Dutch voters maintain that they have not been affected by the French response.

A total of 11,6 million people over the age of 18 will cast their vote today until 9 pm Dutch time (10 pm Greek time).

The result of the Dutch referendum is not binding, but the government has pledged to take it under consideration in the debate to take place in the Upper and Lower Parliament in case the voter participation percentage is over 30% and the NO vote is overwhelming.

[07] CONGRATULATORY LETTER BY THE PAN-MACEDONIAN ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA

The Pan-Macedonian Association of America sent a congratulatory letter to Greek Parliament vice-president Giorgos Sourlas for the way he handled the situation during the Forum of the Baltic Parliamentary Conference, OSCE and NATO that took place in Montenegro.

The Pan-Macedonian Association supports the position Mr. Sourlas expressed on Greece's leading role in the efforts for peace and development in the Balkans, while it also agrees with the view that the European prospect of the countries in the region will be complete when all European countries will become members of the EU.

The Pan-Macedonian Association congratulated Mr. Sourlas for his stance when the FYROM delegation attempted to enforce the use of the name "Macedonia" during the conference meetings.

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