Subject: BRIEF NEWS GREEK BULLETIN (20/6/1995) Topic: mpa From: Macedonian Press Agency BRIEF GREEK NEWS BULLETIN BY MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY Thessaloniki, June 20 1995 CONSTRUCTION OF THE BALKAN OIL PIPELINE TO BE ACCELERATED Bulgarian newspaper "Standard" stresses that there is a necessity for the acceleration of the construction of the Balkan oil pipeline which will bring russian oil from the bulgarian city of Burgas to the greek city of Alexandroupolis, while expresses certain concerns over the materialization of the construction as a result of the observed delay. The newspaper writes that Turkey will take advantage of the delay and will have ready its own "parallel oil pipeline". The newspaper underlines that a year after the signing of the preliminary agreement for the construction of the oil pipeline was announced by russian President Yeltsin and greek Foreign Minister Karolos Papoulias the talks have made no progress. Also, it is stressed that the recent unilateral decision by Turkey to impose limitations to the movement of tankers in Bosporus gives a new push to the idea of the construction of the oil pipeline BurgasAlexandroupolis. 45 BOSNIANSERBS DISABLED IN WAR WILL GIVE BLOOD FOR EGION. Forty five bosnians disabled by the war in Former Yugoslavia, who are hosted in the beach resort of Agia Triada in Thessaloniki after an initiative by Minister of Macedonia-Thrace mr.Costas Triaridis, offered to donate blood for those injured by the devastating earthquake that hit the southern greek city of Egion. The blood donation will take place at the camping of the Greek Tourist Organization in Agia Triada in the morning of Thursday, June 22nd. The disabled ex-servicemen from Bosnia arrived in Thessaloniki on June 16th for a few days of vacation away from the war. After learning about the devastation in Egion they offered to give blood for their brothers as they called the injured from the earthquake in an expression of the friendship, love and solidarity between the two peoples. JAT WILL RESUME FLIGHTS BETWEEN THESSALONIKI AND BELGRADE Yugoslav Airlines "JAT" will resume flights between Thessaloniki and Belgrade on Thursday, June 22nd for the first time after the embargo was imposed on former Yugoslavia. At 9:30'am on Thursday the Transportation Minister of New Yugoslavia and his serb counterpart mr.Yiokic will arrive with a "JAT" flight at Macedonia Airport in Thessaloniki. Also, are expected to arrive serb Trade and Tourism Minister mr.Nikolic and President of the Serb Chamber mr.Stoikovic. The yugoslav airlines will make direct flights from Belgrade to Thessaloniki on a regular basis twice a week, every Thursday and Sunday, while a third flight will also be scheduled in the near future. ROMANIA WILL APPLY FOR MEMBERSHIP IN THE EUROPEAN UNION Romania will formally apply for membership in the European Union on June 22nd. A committee of specialists has already worked out Romania's accession strategy and will present it when the application will be submitted. Committee President and academician mr.Postolake underlined that this strategy is not simply a written document destined for negotiation but is a document outlining the preparation of romanian society which will give the time and ability to the country to fulfill the essential terms towards the accession into the European Union. PROPOSAL TO CUT ECONOMIC AID TO TURKEY IN THE US CONGRESS. A vote of great importance is expected to take place in the US Congress tomorrow Wednesday, June 21st or on Thursday, June 22nd. The vote will be held after the discussion of a proposal submitted by Republican House Representative John Porter from Illinois which calls for the change of the foreign aid law for the fiscal year of 1996. If the proposal is approved will cut considerably the economic aid to Turkey. According to the proposal submitted by mr.Porter, all economic aid to Turkey should be cut until March 1st, 1996 and by then the Head of the State Department in cooperation with the Minister of the Defence will have to submit a report informing the US House of Representatives on the progress made by Turkey in the human rights protection. Mr.Porter sets as pre-conditions for the US economic aid to Turkey the withdrawal of the turkish occupation forces from Cyprus, the implementation of a plan by Turkey which will safeguard the economic, political and human rights of the kurdish minority, the lifting of Armenia's blockade and the safeguarding of the freedom of expression. A similar proposal had been submitted by mr.Porter to the responsible US Congress Committee in the past but it was rejected with 25 votes against and 16 for. GREECE:INFLATION TO DROP BUT UNEMPLOYMENT TO RISE IN 1995 Economic development in Greece is possible to increase in 1995 and the price index is expected to slow down but unemployment is possible to rise according to the annual report of the Organisation for the Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) which will be published today. The international organisation estimates that the increase of the private consumption volume will remain unchanged in 1995 while is not expected to accelerate before the year 1996. Nevertheless, development is expected to increase in 1995 due to the anticipated acceleration of the public investments' course. According to the report, this increase in the production is possible to reach 2,25% in 1996 compared to 1,9% in 1995. According to the forecast of the international organisation, inflation is possible to slow down and reach 9,25% by the end of 1995, while by the end of 1996 it can be at 7%. Despite this recovery the unemployment percentage is possible to increase reaching 10% in 1995 mainly due to the restructuring of the businesses facing problems, while in 1996 the unemployment rate can be stabilized. The OECD also estimates that those forecasts can be affected mainly by the policy concerning the state budget revenues and expenses stressing that every significant deviation can destabilize the market forecasts and considerably slow down development. FIRST GREEK-SERB BUSINESS CONFERENCE =94=8F OPEN TOMORROW. The 1st Greek-Serb Business Conference will open in Thessaloniki tomorrow on the grounds of the city's International Trade Fair. The 35 serb businessmen participating in the conference arrived in Thessaloniki yesterday. This first meeting of greek and serb businessmen is held after an initiative of the Municipality of Kalamaria and is organised by the Chamber of Arts and Crafts, the Chamber of Trades and the Greek Center of Productivity. In the Conference will be discussed the prospects of economic cooperation between Greece and Serbia after the end of the embargo. This cooperation will be centered in Thessaloniki and the serb city of Mitrovica, one of the most productive regions in Serbia.