Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 05-12-21

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

CONTENTS

[01] NEW REGULATIONS ON FIRST DEGREE HEALTH CARE

[02] PRESS CONFERENCE ON THE NEW PASSPORTS

[03] JORDAN'S KING ABDULLAH IN ATHENS

[04] THE FOREIGN MINISTER ADDRESSED THE PARLIAMENT

[05] THE GREEK WHO CHANGED AUSTRALIA'S GOLD COAST

[01] NEW REGULATIONS ON FIRST DEGREE HEALTH CARE

Minister of Health Nikitas Kaklamanis stated after the meeting he had with the Prime Minister that he received the green light to submit the draft bill on first degree health care in the first half of 2006.

Responding to the question if he discussed with the Prime Minister the likelihood to run for mayor in the city of Athens, Mr. Kaklamanis stated that the discussion was made last summer.

He added that the discussion will be repeated when the time comes and the time will come when Mrs. Bakoyianni will say publicly what she intends to do.

[02] PRESS CONFERENCE ON THE NEW PASSPORTS

New, forge-proof passports will be issued in 2006 by the Greek police authorities. The high security standard passports were presented by Minister of Public Order Giorgos Voulgarakis in a press conference today.

Security standards will be at three levels: watermark, invisible images that appear with the use of special devices and security measures to verify the authenticity of the document by the Passport Division and Crime Labs.

Beginning next August, passports will come with microchips for the digital identification of their owners. The old passports issued by the prefectures will be valid until December 31, 2006. Starting on January 1, 2007, only the passports issued by the Greek Police Passport Division will be valid.

[03] JORDAN'S KING ABDULLAH IN ATHENS

Hellenic Republic President Karolos Papoulias met at noon today at the Presidential Building in Athens with King Abdullah II of Jordan who is on a working visit to Greece accompanied by his wife, Queen Rania.

The talks held concerned the strengthening of bilateral economic relations and were sealed with the signing of two agreements on tourism and investments.

President Papoulias praised the Jordanian monarch's stance in favor of a moderate Islam and against terrorism and agreed that the creation of a Palestinian state is the only solution for a fair and lasting peace in the Middle East. President Papoulias and King Abdullah were also in favor of a united and democratic Iraq.

The Hellenic Republic President said that they agreed that terrorism cannot be combated by repressive means alone but in order to deliver a strike at its roots education, living standards of the people and respect of human rights need to be improved. He added that they had the opportunity to reconfirm the very good relations between the two countries and the closeness of opinions on the hard to be solved and complex problems in the Middle East.

King Abdullah underlined the wish to further strengthen economic relations stressing that for this reason he will meet tomorrow with distinguished members of the Greek industry sector and private sector.

Two economic agreements were signed before the meeting of President Papoulias with King Abdullah, one on tourism signed by Minister of Tourist Development Dimitris Avramopoulos and Jordan's Minister of Industry and Commerce Sharif al Zubi and another one on the promotion and mutual protection of investments signed by Deputy Foreign Minister Evripidis Stylianidis and Mr. Zubi.

[04] THE FOREIGN MINISTER ADDRESSED THE PARLIAMENT

Foreign Minister Petros Molyviatis speaking in parliament characterized the results of the latest European Council meeting as great Greek success, pointing out that the 20 billion euros of the 4th Community Support Framework and the preservation of the Common Agricultural Policy as it is until 2013 were secured after intense diplomatic efforts.

In addition to the 20 billion, said Mr. Molyviatis, Greece won a one year extension to the deadline for the adsorption of community funds, which in a different case would be lost, as well as a higher percentage of EU financing of programs in different parts of Greece saving this way an estimated 6.5 billion euros.

[05] THE GREEK WHO CHANGED AUSTRALIA'S GOLD COAST

Over 800 people bid farewell to Greek Australian William (Vasilis) Nikiforidis, the Greek who changed the picture of Australia's most cosmopolitan coastal region, the Gold Coast in Queensland.

In Australian society, Nikiforidis, who died at the age of 69, was widely known by his business activities. He built huge apartment complexes in the region and transformed it completely.

The "twin towers" in the heart of Broadbeach are still under construction with estimated cost of $ 750 million.

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