Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 05-10-24

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

CONTENTS

[01] MANTOUVALOS RESIGNED FROM THE ND PARLIAMENTARY GROUP

[02] REGULATIONS ON FOREIGN INVESTMENTS AND MONEY LAUNDERING

[03] THESSALONIKI CELEBRATES

[04] DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER STILIANIDIS' INTERVIEW WITH TANJUG

[05] STILIANIDIS: LIFTING OF MEASURES BANNING THE IMPORTS OF POULTRY

[06] "WATERLOO" THE BEST EUROVISION SONG EVER

[01] MANTOUVALOS RESIGNED FROM THE ND PARLIAMENTARY GROUP

Ruling party of New Democracy deputy Petros Mantouvalos elected in the district of Piraeus resigned from the ND parliamentary group. An associate of Mr. Mantouvalos is allegedly involved in the bribery of judge Evangelos Kalousis who is accused of being part of a corrupt judiciary network.

Mr. Mantouvalos stated that he resigned because he does not want to make difficult the work of the government and the Prime Minister or become a burden.

An associate of Mr. Mantouvalos had deposited a sum in a bank account of Mr. Kalousis allegedly for the purchase of a car by a female associate in Mr. Mantouvalos' office who is no longer living.

[02] REGULATIONS ON FOREIGN INVESTMENTS AND MONEY LAUNDERING

The governmental committee met today under the presidency of Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis and gave the green light for the two Ministry of Finance and Economy draft bills aimed at combating money laundering and attracting foreign investments.

Head of the government's economic staff Giorgos Alogoskoufis stressed after the meeting that the draft bill on money laundering dictated by a community directive will lead to great improvements in the way the problem is dealt with given the fact that large amounts of money obtained from serious crimes are used to finance terrorist activities and criminal acts.

Mr. Alogoskoufis underlined that the article 7 committee is being upgraded. The committee deals with money laundering cases and the Minister of Finance and Economy pointed out that the relevant draft bill will soon be presented in Parliament to incorporate the community directive into the state law.

On the second draft bill, the Minister of Finance and Economy stressed that it aims at attracting foreign investments and concerns the companies based outside Greece which either are already active in the country or wish to become active in Greece and the wider Balkan region.

[03] THESSALONIKI CELEBRATES

A priceless Byzantine icon from the Museum of Sassoferrato, Italy depicting Saint Dimitrios arrives in Thessaloniki today at the initiative of the municipality of Thessaloniki and the Italian Cultural Institute in Thessaloniki to be worshiped by the faithful within the framework of the events celebrating the city's patron saint feast day on October 26 and the October 28 national holiday, commemorating Greece's heroic stance when it was attacked by fascist Italy during WWII.

Hellenic Republic President Karolos Papoulias will be in Thessaloniki tomorrow for the city's celebrations commemorating the city's patron saint feast day, the liberation of Thessaloniki and the October 28th national holiday.

The icon will be at the church of St. Dimitrios for the duration of the celebrations, while it will stay in Thessaloniki for a month on the occasion of the 1,700 years since the martyrdom of its patron saint and the 40th Dimitria cultural events.

The icon will be received this afternoon at the Ancient Agora in a ceremony held in the presence of Mayor Vasilis Papageorgopoulos and members of the City Council. The icon will arrive at the church of Saint Dimitrios in procession and delivered to Metropolitan Bishop Anthimos.

It is an impressive miniature, 9x6 centimetres, depicting Saint Dimitrios standing against a gold background in military garb holding a lance with his right hand and with the left a blue shield decorated with a heraldic white lion against a ground strewn with gold stylized flowers.

Dated back to the 13th century, was taken to Italy by philhellenic humanists and antiquity lovers from Constantinople under unclear circumstances (before the Fall of Constantinople) and this is the second time it leaves Italy after being exhibited in New York's Metropolitan Museum.

Cardinal Bessarion appears to have given the icon to his secretary Niccols Perotti (1447). Cardinal Bessarion was the one who allowed the revival and study of ancient texts. He was the father of the propagation of the Greek civilization to the West.

For the record, Sassoferrato is close to San Lorenzo in Campo from where the holy relics of Saint Dimitrios came to Thessaloniki.

[04] DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER STILIANIDIS' INTERVIEW WITH TANJUG

A solution without the support of Serbia-Montenegro cannot be accepted, stressed regarding the status of Kosovo Deputy Foreign Minister Evripidis Stilianidis in an interview with the news agency Tanjug on the sidelines of the 1st Summit of the Hellenic-Serb Business Council held in Athens.

Mr. Stilianidis also stated that Greece has made this stance clear to its friends and allies in Europe, the United States and the United Nations.

He also stressed that Greece believes that the standards set for the province should be met before negotiations on the final status get underway in order to protect its wealth, cultural monuments and the rights of minorities.

Mr. Stilianidis stated that a final solution should be examined considering a status for Kosovo that will be less than independence and more than autonomy.

He also stated that the promotion of the European prospect is the only way for stability, peace and cooperation in western Balkans.

Mr. Stilianidis stated that those issues will be discussed in the upcoming visit of Serb Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica to Athens.

He said that in the Greek Plan for the Economic Reconstruction of the Balkans Serbia has a priority and in cooperation with Serb Minister of International Economic Relations Milan Parivodic Athens has made the necessary steps to launch the construction of Axis 10 motorway which will be not only a road of peace and cooperation but a commercial, investment and tourist road as well.

Mr. Stilianidis said that the Greek side will undertake an even more active role in the sector of investments, adding that there is enough capital to support Greek investors in Serbia-Montenegro.

Regarding investments, he said that the Greek businessmen have invested a total of 1.4 billion euros in Belgrade through 150 Greek-Serb companies 80 of which are purely Greek.

[05] STILIANIDIS: LIFTING OF MEASURES BANNING THE IMPORTS OF POULTRY PRODUCTS

The mobilization of the Greek diplomatic mechanism after a relevant request by responsible Deputy Minister of Rural Development and Food Alexandros Kontos was immediate aimed at lifting the unilateral measures issued by bordering countries banning the imports of Greek poultry products.

The above is mentioned by Deputy Foreign Minister Evripidis Stilianidis in a relevant statement adding that an order for aggressive mobilization to promote the internationally certified safety and quality of the Greek poultry products was issued to the Economic and Commercial Affairs Offices network around the world at a period of time when this constitutes comparative advantage in the international market.

[06] "WATERLOO" THE BEST EUROVISION SONG EVER

The song Waterloo by the legendary group ABBA was voted the best Eurovision song ever in a spectacular contest-party held in Copenhagen on October 22 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the major European song contest.

The second place, among 14 songs, won the song Nel blu di pinto di blu (Volare) by Domenico Modugno and the third place went to Hold me now by Johnny Logan.

Greece with Helena Paparizou and My Number One entered the top five occupying the fourth place.

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