Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 05-11-18

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

CONTENTS

[01] THE THESSALONIKI FILM FESTIVAL OPENS TODAY

[02] INTERNATIONAL COMMUNIST MEETING IN ATHENS

[03] KARAMANLIS-MOLYVIATIS MEETING

[04] TWO TEENAGERS INDICTED FOR LAST NIGHT'S INCIDENTS

[05] TRAINING OF PUBLIC SERVANTS

[06] THE US AUTHORITIES RELEASED THE TWO GREEK SAILORS

[07] DINNER EVENT AT THE US CONGRESS WITH MAIN SPEAKER AMBASSADOR MALLIAS

[01] THE THESSALONIKI FILM FESTIVAL OPENS TODAY

Thessaloniki's 46th Film Festival opens today with the screening of Danis Tanovic's film Hell, the second part of the trilogy inspired by Krzysztof Kieslowski and screenwriter Krzystof Piesiewicz before Kieslowski's death in 1996. Over 200 films will be screened within the framework of the festival until November 27.

The festival will close with the screening of the film All the Invisible Children and ticket proceeds will be donated to the All the Invisible Children fund established by UNICEF and the World Food Programme.

[02] INTERNATIONAL COMMUNIST MEETING IN ATHENS

International Meeting of Communist and Labor Parties on The Contemporary tendencies of capitalism and the economic, social and political consequences - The alternative way of the communists gets underway in Athens today.

The meeting will attend 72 political parties from 61 countries. Specifically, 42 political parties from Europe, 9 from the Middle East, 7 from Asia, 8 from Latin America, 2 from North America, 3 from Africa and 1 from Australia.

The three-day meeting is organized by the Greek Communist Party.

[03] KARAMANLIS-MOLYVIATIS MEETING

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis met with Foreign Minister Petros Molyviatis today.

Mr. Molyviatis stated that it was a routine meeting and that he briefed Mr. Karamanlis on current developments on issues of foreign policy.

Meanwhile, Foreign Ministry spokesman Giorgos Koumoutsakos announced yesterday that the informal troika for cooperation in SE Europe is scheduled to visit Pristina and Belgrade in the immediate future probably on December 6-7. The troika will be made up of Foreign Minister Petros Molyviatis and his counterparts from Romania and Croatia.

The visit's aim is to record the interest of the neighboring countries in the crucial issue of the final status of Kosovo, brief all sides on the issue and underline the need for continuous consultation and cooperation.

Responding to relevant questions, Mr. Koumoutsakos pointed out that the inviolability of the borders and the region's stability characterize the Greek foreign policy.

[04] TWO TEENAGERS INDICTED FOR LAST NIGHT'S INCIDENTS

A Thessaloniki prosecutor issued an indictment against two 18-year-olds arrested last night in Thessaloniki during incidents recorded after the events commemorating the 1973 Polytechnic School student uprising in Athens.

One of them is accused of having in his possession a portable personal computer stolen earlier by other individuals who had removed it from Aristotle University.

For the record, a total of 30 individuals were briefly arrested outside the university to be determined if they participated in attacks using Molotov cocktail bombs and rocks against police officers. They were released when no proof of involvement in such acts was found.

[05] TRAINING OF PUBLIC SERVANTS

The continuous training of public servants is among the government's goals. This is the first time such an initiative materializes within the framework of an agreement with the Confederation of Public Servants (ADEDY), stated in Thessaloniki Minister of Interior, Public Administration and Decentralization Prokopis Pavlopoulos.

Mr. Pavlopoulos opened officially the vocational training actions for public servants from Greece and Bulgaria placed within the framework of the Interreg III European program and funded by 75% by the EU.

According to Mr. Pavlopoulos, training centers are being established across Greece, while cross-border cooperation mainly with Balkan states is being formed to help them acquire a relevant experience on their course toward Europe.

ADEDY President Spiros Papaspiros stated to ANA-MPA that a plan is ready for the development of cross-border cooperation on the training of public servants with more countries, like Turkey and Cyprus, while similar plans will follow with FYROM, Albania, Italy and central European countries.

[06] THE US AUTHORITIES RELEASED THE TWO GREEK SAILORS

Two Greek sailors, Panagiotis Kokkinos and Athanasios Halkias, from the Panama flag cargo ship "Friendship" have left New York and are on their way to Athens after strong pressures and coordinated actions on behalf of the Greek government.

The two were set free after requests for their immediate release made by the Greek consulate.

The two Greeks remained incarcerated even though they had served the 30-day sentence imposed on them by a New York court for causing pollution with the excuse that the US immigration service had taken over their case.

[07] DINNER EVENT AT THE US CONGRESS WITH MAIN SPEAKER AMBASSADOR MALLIAS

Greece's new ambassador to the United States Alexandros Mallias outlined the priorities of the Greek foreign policy, stressing Greece's leading role in the Balkans and Athens' strategic relation with Washington in a dinner event held at the US Congress yesterday.

The Greek ambassador responded to questions by reporters on the Cyprus issue, the Greek-Turkish relations and Greece's role in the consolidation of peace and democracy both in the Middle East and the Balkans and mainly in FYROM and Kosovo.

Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Matt Bryza, responsible for European Affairs, characterized Mr. Mallias as a diplomat with a vision and active in the promotion of the joint strategic agenda of the US and Greece which includes the reunification of Cyprus, stability in the Balkans and promotion of democracy at a global level.

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