Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 05-09-28

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

CONTENTS

[01] THE DEFENSE MINISTER ON THE BRIBERY ALLEGATIONS

[02] THE GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN ON THE LE MONDE REPORT

[03] MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE IN THESSALONIKI

[04] PRESIDENT PAPOULIAS TO FORMALLY VISIT CYPRUS

[05] NEW SIDEREMPORIKI COMPANY IN BULGARIA

[06] PARTIAL SOLAR ECLIPSE

[07] CRITICISM ON GOVERNMENT REGARDING UNEMPLOYMENT

[08] SKANDALAKIS MET WITH THE CHRISTIAN ORTHODOX PATRIARCH OF GEORGIA

[01] THE DEFENSE MINISTER ON THE BRIBERY ALLEGATIONS

Minister of Defense Spilios Spiliotopoulos responded to questions by reporters concerning the interview of a former executive of the French company Thales to the newspaper Le Monde in which he fingered a Greek government minister accusing him of receiving bribes in a frigate sale case in 2003.

The Minister of Defense stated that the case is being closely watched as it unfolds.

[02] THE GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN ON THE LE MONDE REPORT

Government spokesman Thodoris Rousopoulos responding to a question by a reporter on the Le Monde news report according to which, a Greek government minister was bribed in 2003 to promote the purchase of six frigates built by the French company Thales, stated that the issue will be discussed in Parliament after a relevant question is submitted.

Regarding the likelihood for the individual who made the accusation to be called to Athens to testify, Mr. Rousopoulos observed that all due process will get underway depending on the response that will be given in Parliament.

[03] MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE IN THESSALONIKI

The 21st Conference on Multiple Sclerosis opened in Thessaloniki today with the participation of 3,500 delegates organized jointly by the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS) and the Americas Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS).

In this year's conference have been invited to participate among others 70 distinguished neurologists and neuroscientists from Europe, the United States and Canada.

According to conference president and neurology professor in Thessaloniki's Aristotle University Ioannis Milonas, an estimated 2.5 million people around the world suffer from multiple sclerosis an illness that afflicts more often people 20-30 years old.

Multiple sclerosis is an inflammatory disease of the central nervous system and one of the most common neurological diseases observed in young adults. It rarely appears in children and after the age of 50. It is an autoimmune disease meaning that the body's natural defenses are actually attacking its own myelin (=the nerve insulating material).

New drugs and new treatment methods will be presented in the conference.

[04] PRESIDENT PAPOULIAS TO FORMALLY VISIT CYPRUS

Hellenic Republic President Karolos Papoulias will be on a formal visit to Cyprus on October 16-19.

Mr. Papoulias will visit Cyprus after an invitation by Republic of Cyprus President Tassos Papadopoulos.

[05] NEW SIDEREMPORIKI COMPANY IN BULGARIA

The northern Greek firm SIDEREMPORIKI MAKEDONIAS (SIDMA SE) and Packer Plada Ltd, which occupies a leading place in the sector of steel manufacturing and trade in Israel, founded a new company in Bulgaria.

The SID-PAC Bulgaria SA share capital is 200,000 euros and soon will reach approximately 1,300,000 euros. This sum will be used to partially finance the creation of a high-tech center of steel processing and distribution (Steel Service Center) and a sales network in Bulgaria.

According to the SIDMA SA management, SID-PAC Bulgaria SA was founded to further expand its activities by exploiting the opportunities emerging in Balkan states.

[06] PARTIAL SOLAR ECLIPSE

The Friends of Astronomy Club will offer the chance to the people in Thessaloniki to observe the phenomenon of the partial solar eclipse on Monday, October 3 in front of Thessaloniki's Aristotle University Observatory beginning at 11 am.

The earth, the moon and the sun will align and the moon will hide a large part of the visible surface of the sun for a considerable time and during that time the sun will look like half moon.

Those interested can watch the phenomenon that will begin at 11:08 am (Greek time) and end at 1:57 pm through telescopes equipped with special sun filters.

[07] CRITICISM ON GOVERNMENT REGARDING UNEMPLOYMENT

Unemployment is the main problem faced by Greek society and this will be underlined by PASOK on its course toward the people, stated main opposition Socialist Party PASOK leader Giorgos Papandreou in his opening speech in the party's Parliamentary Group Coordinating Body meeting.

Mr. Papandreou referred to the bad news coming from Brussels regarding the economy that reveal the size of the mistakes made by the government which he accused of tampering with unemployment statistics.

[08] SKANDALAKIS MET WITH THE CHRISTIAN ORTHODOX PATRIARCH OF GEORGIA

Deputy Foreign Minister Panagiotis Skandalakis, who is on a formal visit to Georgia, conveyed the greetings and respect of Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis and Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens to Christian Orthodox Patriarch Elias of Georgia.

Patriarch Elias of Georgia stated that the relations of the Patriarchate with the Church of Greece are being strengthened as well as bilateral relations and expressed gratitude for the help offered by Greece both to the ethnic Greeks in Georgia and the Georgian students in Greece.

The Patriarch of Georgia stated that hopefully Greek will be the second language for every educated Georgian. He expressed regret for the ethnic Greeks who leave Georgia adding, however, that there is hope that they will return to a Georgia that will be strong and won't need the help of other countries because when they leave they do not sell their properties.

The Patriarch of Georgia also referred to the problems the country has with its neighbors and at this point the Greek deputy Foreign Minister stated that he hopes that the problems will be solved peacefully and reminded the Patriarch that the Greeks too had problems with their neighbors from time to time.

Mr. Skandalakis stated that the strong men governing Georgia today, who have won the confidence of the EU and NATO, will get through. He briefed the Patriarch on the contacts he had with ethnic Greeks and stressed that the Greek policy is to support the people of Greek origin living abroad to encourage them to stay in the places where they were born and raised.

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