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BRIEF GREEK NEWS BULLETIN (09/10/1995)From: Macedonian Press Agency <mpa@uranus.eng.auth.gr>Macedonian Press Agency DirectoryBRIEF GREEK NEWS BULLETIN BY MACEDONIAN PRESSAGENCYThessaloniki, October 9, 1995NEWS IN ENGLISH[01] SECOND ROUND OF GREECE-FYROM NEGOTIATIONS TOMORROW[02] CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF PASOK TO HAVE A SESSION ON WEDNESDAY[03] NO NEW TAXES TO BE IMPOSED[04] ALBANIAN SOLDIER ARRESTED FOR DRUG-TRAFFICKING AT BORDERS[05] NO DEVELOPMENT ON THE CYPRUS PROBLEM EXPECTED IN 1995[06] THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH WILL VISIT AUSTRALIA IN NOVEMBER[07] EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT CAUTIOUS TOWARDS NEW TURKISH GOVERNMENTNEWS IN ENGLISH[01] SECOND ROUND OF GREECE-FYROM NEGOTIATIONS TOMORROWAll pending issues on the Greece - FYROM will be examined tomorrow during the second round of the bilateral negotiations due to be held in Scopje tomorrow, in application of the interim agreement the two parties had signed in New York on September, 13th and which enters into force a month later. A greek Foreign Ministry delegation under ambassador Kipreos, director of the Balkan Issues Directorate of the Greek Foreign Ministry has already left for the capital of FYROM. The negotiations will probably last two days and they will continue from the point they finished last week in Athens. The United States have expressed strong interest in a quick and effective settlement of the pending issues between the two countries aiming at maintaining the balance and stability in the region. During the first meeting they had last week in Athens, Greece and FYROM have already discussed the way the people and goods will move to each other as well as the opening of state liaison offices in the two capitals. The talks in Scopje will focus on the transport of goods and individuals, and on the establishment of liaison offices in Athens and Skopje. Among the issues the two parties will discuss in the second meeting are the status of the passports and the visas and the issue of the transport permissions. Among the issues in suspension after the first meeting are the letters MK, which on cars refer to "Macedonia" and the signs on the vagons of the trains which write "Macedonia" while no solution was found for the goods writing "made in Macedonia" when they are to be sold in the grek market. Another issue in suspension is the sign the FYROM liaison office in Athens will have. Meanwhile the interim agreement signed by Athens and Scopje in New York was ratified by an overwhelming majority in the FYROM Parliament since 102 deputies in the 120-member parliament voted for the ratification. Deputy mr Sali Ramantani, of albanian origin, voted against while two other albanian deputies from the Popular Democratic Party (NDP) casted blank ballots. After the voting concluded speaker of the parliament mr Stoyan Antov, who acts as the interim President of the republic as long as president Gligorov is out of power stated speaking to the deputies that everyone participating in that Parliament Session should be proud after the ratification. [02] CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF PASOK TO HAVE A SESSION ON WEDNESDAYPASOK central committee will have a new session on Wednesday so that they elect the new secretary of the body in replacement of mr Akis Tsohadjopoulos who moved to the government while according to the statute of the party the secretary should have no governmental position. The most probable replacement is ex - interior minister mr Constantinos Scandalidis while as the Press and Media Minister mr Tilemahos Hitiris said today that the President of the party and Prime Minister mr Andreas Papandreou intends during the session to respond to the in-party criticism he received lately by prominent members of the party as ex-ministers ms Vasso Papandreou, Constantinos Simitis and Theodoros Pangalos who have proposed that mr Papandreou be replaced form the leadership of the party on account of his weak health. It is yet not known whether they will take part in the 19-member executive bureau of the party which will also be elected on Wednesday. The central committee is not expected to examine the case of MP mr Kiriakos Spiriounis who was put outside the parliamentary group of the party after he criticised strongly the Prime Minister. According to the statute of the party an MP can not be writen off the party unless there is a resolution by the central committee. [03] NO NEW TAXES TO BE IMPOSEDGreek Government contradicted today that any new taxes will be imposed in 1996 despite opposite rumours which appeared in the press. Press and Media Minister mr Tilemahos Hitiris said that there will only be an adjustment of the old stages to new taking the inflation into account. The Budget Minister mr Alexandros Papadopoulos after he met the Prime Minister today, said that there will be loosening in the way the financial policy of the country is set and added that the targets set by the European Union are stricter fir 1996. Meanwhile most of the greek banks have lowered the interest rates of loans for the purchase of houses, which now are between 9-14% while they were about five units higher. Observers in the Greek capital regard this as a sign of health of the greek banking system after rates on bank accounts fell sharply by also about 5 units.. [04] ALBANIAN SOLDIER ARRESTED FOR DRUG-TRAFFICKING AT BORDERSA 19-year-old albanian soldier was arrested near Kakavia at the greek-albanian borders as he was trying to smuggle 11 kilos of cannabis to Greece. Victor Valari, was arrested as he was trying to sell the drugs to undercover greek policemen but his greek partner managed to escape by opening fire against the policemen. None was injured and according to evidence at the disposal of the greek police, the arrested albanian soldier is a member of a drug-trafficking ring which smuggles large quantities of drugs to Greece. Also, 10 kilos of cannabis were found in unclaimed luggage on a bus from Albania after a search by greek customs officers at the border crossing of Kakavia. It is the fifth time in the last two weeks that the customs officers make such a discovery in the region. [05] NO DEVELOPMENT ON THE CYPRUS PROBLEM EXPECTED IN 1995Cypriot President Glafkos Kliridis stated that he expects no development on the Cyprus problem before the end of this year. Speaking to reporters after his arrival in New York he stated that the greek side has already responded to the questionnaire presented by the United States while the turkish side hasn't and is not expected to. The cypriot President also reiterated that he knows nothing of a new meeting with turkish-cypriot leader mr Rauf Denktash while he also said that no date has been set yet for his meeting with US President Clinton. Tomorrow, President Kliridis will meet with UN Secretary General Dr Boutros Boutros Ghali and later will address the General Assembly of the United Nations. On Wednesday mr. Kliridis will have talks with the US President's special envoy to Cyprus, mr Richard Beattie. [06] THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH WILL VISIT AUSTRALIA IN NOVEMBEREcumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos will visit Australia on November 10-26 after an invitation by Archbishop of Australia, Stylianos. The head of the Orthodox Church will visit the largest cities of Australia and New Zealand and will attend the ceremonies marking the 10th anniversary of the establishment of Agios Andreas Theology School. [07] EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT CAUTIOUS TOWARDS NEW TURKISH GOVERNMENTThe European Parliament which will be soon asked to ratify the customs union with Turkey is cautious towards the new turkish government formed by Prime Minister Tansou Ciller, which is the country's 51st. European Parliament observers characterize the new minority government as one of the most conservative in the turkish history and stress that the customs union is in danger. The leader of the Greens in the European Parliament ms. Claudia Roth in a statement she issued, characterizes the new coalition government as an obstacle to Turkey's democratization and to the improvement of its relations with the European Union. Ms. Roth expressed her concern over the fact that this government is supported by the extreme right and criticised the absence of a Human Rights Ministry from it. She also characterized as a new blow to the dignity of women the fact that Ayvaz Gokdemir, who a few months ago had called her a "whore", was appointed minister in the new turkish coalition government. According to turkish newspaper "Hurriyet", a french socialist Euro-deputy, who requested to remain anonymous, stated that the position of the nationalist leader mr. Turkesh, who participates in the coalition government, agaiant the abolition of article 8 of the anti-terrorist law puts the customs union in danger, while a german Eurodeputy stated that "the dinosaurs beat ms. Ciller". |