Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 05-11-03

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

CONTENTS

[01] STABILITY FRONT IN THE BALKANS

[02] CHANGES IN THE SECTOR OF JUSTICE

[03] THE ISSUE WITH ALBANIA IS REGARDED CLOSED

[04] GREEK EXPORTS TO BULGARIA EXPECTED TO REACH 1 BILLION EUROS THIS YEAR

[05] SAE'S PROPOSAL ON THE CONSCRIPTION OF GREEKS LIVING ABROAD WAS ACCEPTED

[06] GREEK-ITALIAN NATURAL GAS PIPELINE CONSTRUCTION AGREEMENT

[07] GSEE DEMANDS 7.5%-9.5% WAGE INCREASES

[08] TURKISH PATROL BOAT HARASSED TWO GREEK TRAWLERS

[09] GREECE SUPPORTS THE COURSE OF THE BLACK SEA COUNTRIES TO EUROPE

[01] STABILITY FRONT IN THE BALKANS

The Presidents of Bulgaria and Romania, Georgi Parvanov and Traian Basescu respectively, and Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis after the 4th Summit meeting they had in Athens yesterday expressed the wish for the establishment of a democratic and multi-ethnic Kosovo and their support to the negotiations aimed at reaching a viable solution.

The three leaders stressed that the voice of the region must be heard and welcomed the opening of the EU accession negotiations with Croatia and Turkey and the signing of the EU Association and Stability Agreement with Serbia/Montenegro.

[02] CHANGES IN THE SECTOR OF JUSTICE

The government and the independent justice are in concord and willing to proceed with reforms, stated Justice Minister Anastasis Papaligouras after his meeting with the Prime Minister to brief him on the establishment of two committees to reform the penal code and the legal procedures' system adopted 55 years ago.

The reform will undertake two committees headed up by professor emeritus Nikos Androulakis and honorary Supreme Court Prosecutor Evangelos Kroustalakis who accompanied Mr. Papaligouras and Prime Minister Karamanlis wished them success in their work.

The effort to restore the people's confidence in the judiciary has not stopped and continues, stated Mr. Papaligouras when asked if new indictments will be issued in the illegal judicial network case.

[03] THE ISSUE WITH ALBANIA IS REGARDED CLOSED

The Foreign Ministry reiterated through its spokesman Giorgos Koumoutsakos that Greece is committed to the improvement of the Greek-Albanian relations. Mr. Koumoutsakos stated that the issue created by the incident in Albania that led to the cancellation of the meeting of Hellenic Republic President Karolos Papoulias with his Albanian counterpart Alfred Moisiu is regarded by Greece as closed.

Bilateral relations cannot be dictated by extreme elements, stressed Mr. Koumoutsakos adding that the Greek side believes that this is the will of the Albanian side as well particularly at a time when the country is looking forward to intensifying its relations with the EU.

[04] GREEK EXPORTS TO BULGARIA EXPECTED TO REACH 1 BILLION EUROS THIS YEAR

The Greek exports to Bulgaria are expected to top 1 billion euros this year establishing a trade surplus of 400 million euros for Greece under the precondition that the positive pace recorded in the January-July 7-month period will continue. During that time the Greek exports to Bulgaria recorded increase of about 30%.

According to the temporary figures provided by the Greek National Statistics Agency for the January-July 2005 period, the Greek exports to Bulgaria increased 29.5% compared to the same period in 2004 and reached 452.6 million euros. Imports from Bulgaria also rose 31.59% to 333.8 million euros. Imports in 2005 are predicted to be close to 600 million euros bringing the volume of bilateral trade relations up to 1.6 billion euros.

The Greek exports list is topped by women's cotton clothing even though the specific product recorded a decline compared to the same period in 2004 (32.3 million euros, -34%). On the other hand, the flagship of the Bulgarian exports to Greece is electric energy (44.5 million euros, +54.8%).

[05] SAE'S PROPOSAL ON THE CONSCRIPTION OF GREEKS LIVING ABROAD WAS ACCEPTED

The draft law regulating conscription issues was passed in principle in the National Defense and Foreign Affairs parliamentary committee yesterday. In favor voted the deputies of ruling New Democracy Party and main opposition Socialist Party PASOK.

Both Minister of Defense Spilios Spiliotopoulos and Deputy Minister of Defense Yiannis Lampropoulos adopted the World Council of Hellenes Abroad, SAE, proposal according to which, the children of the Greeks living abroad will be given the opportunity to study in Greek universities without losing certain privileges they enjoy in Greece for being permanent residents abroad.

SAE Deputy President Stefanos Tamvakis, responsible for Youth, Education and Cultural issues, presented SAE's proposals yesterday regarding conscription for the Greeks who are permanent residents abroad. SAE's proposal to cut military service from 6 to 3 months for the Greeks who are permanent residents abroad was also accepted.

During the past few months, Mr. Tamvakis had close cooperation with the Minister and Deputy Minister of Defense on the issue.

In statements to ANA-MPA, Mr. Tamvakis expressed satisfaction for the positive acceptance with which SAE proposals were met by the Ministry of Defense and thanked Mr. Spiliotopoulos and Mr. Lampropoulos as well as the President and the 1st Vice-President of the Special Permanent Cross-Party Parliamentary Committee on issues of Greeks living abroad, Mr. Evgenios Haitidis and Mr. Grigoris Niotis respectively, for the care with which they handle the issues concerning the Greeks abroad.

[06] GREEK-ITALIAN NATURAL GAS PIPELINE CONSTRUCTION AGREEMENT

Minister of Development Dimitris Sioufas will be in Lecce, Italy today to sign the Agreement between Greece and Italy tomorrow, November 4, for the construction of the Greek-Italian natural gas pipeline that will link the natural gas networks of the two countries.

The agreement will be signed by Minister of Development Dimitris Sioufas and Italy's Productive Activities Minister Claudio Scajola, while present in the ceremony will be Turkey's Energy and Natural Gas Minister Mehmet Hilmi Guler.

The construction of the Greek-Italian natural gas pipeline is in essence an extension of the Greek-Turkish pipeline. The materialization of the two projects will turn Greece into a channel bringing huge quantities of natural gas from the regions of the Caspian Sea and Central Asia to the energy-devouring markets in west Europe.

The project is one of the five priority axes of the Inter-European Energy Networks given the fact that the transfer of natural gas from the energy sources of the East to Europe is an EU strategic objective.

The construction of the pipeline will be undertaken by Greece's DEPA S.A. and the Italian energy company EDISON. Through Greece the pipeline will carry 8 billion cubic meters of natural gas to Italy with the potential to further increase its capacity. The construction and exploitation of the underwater natural gas pipeline will be undertaken by the company POSEIDON, founded by DEPA and EDISON which will own equal number of shares.

The DEPA S.A. investments for the construction of the natural gas pipeline part extending from Komotini to west Thesprotia will reach 600 million euros, while the investment cost of the underwater pipeline constructed jointly by DEPA and EDISON through the company POSEIDON is estimated to top 300 million euros. The project is expected to be ready by the end of 2009.

[07] GSEE DEMANDS 7.5%-9.5% WAGE INCREASES

The Greek General Confederation of Labor Unions, GSEE, demands wage increases of 7.5%-9.5% to be included in the new national collective work contract.

According to the studies conducted by the unions' Labor Institute, increases of 3.8% above the inflation rate will be necessary by 2008 for wages in Greece to reach 90% of the EU average.

[08] TURKISH PATROL BOAT HARASSED TWO GREEK TRAWLERS

A Turkish patrol boat harassed two Greek trawlers yesterday fishing inside the Greek territorial waters, 12 miles south of Alexandroupolis and 7 miles from the Turkish coasts.

The Turkish patrol boat approached the trawlers Captain Fotis and Aghia Eleousa and through HVF the Turkish Coastguard officer speaking in English urged their crews to leave the region maintaining that earlier the Greek fishermen were fishing in Turkish territorial waters.

The Greek fishermen notified the operations center of the responsible ministry immediately and two Greek Coastguard vessels from Samothrace and Alexandroupolis rushed to the area but the Turkish patrol boat had already left.

[09] GREECE SUPPORTS THE COURSE OF THE BLACK SEA COUNTRIES TO EUROPE

Greece, being the only country that is a member of the EU and at the same time a member of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC), is fully aware of the fact that economic development and cooperation are necessary preconditions for security, stability and peace.

Speaking in the international conference on the strengthening of maritime security in the Black Sea held in Sofia, Bulgaria with the participation of officials from the Black Sea countries, NATO, the EU and other international organizations Greek Union for Atlantic and European Cooperation President Theodosios Georgiou also stated that Greece would like to become the steam engine in the Black Sea countries' course to Europe.

Mr. Georgiou reminded that Greece made a great effort toward this direction when it recently held the BSEC Presidency while at the same time it dynamically supports the EU good neighborly relations policy with the Black Sea countries.

The representatives from Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, Turkey and Ukraine welcomed with great interest Mr. Georgiou's initiative suggesting the establishment of an international network of non governmental institutions in the Black Sea cooperation countries to provide the society of citizens with information on security and cooperation issues in Europe.

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