MPA NEWS IN ENGLISH (24/06/1996)

From: Macedonian Press Agency <mpa@philippos.mpa.gr>

Macedonian Press Agency News in English Directory

MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Thessaloniki, June 24, 1996

NEWS IN ENGLISH

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

TITLES

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

NEWS IN DETAIL

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[01] ANDREAS PAPANDREOU'S FUNERAL SERVICE TO BE FIT FOR A STATE LEADER

Andreas Papandreou will be buried on Wednesday, June 26, with state leader's honors at Athens' First Cemetery where his father George Papandreou is also buried.

Greece's Armed Forces will pay tribute to the Greek Socialist leader and fighter jets F-16 and Mirage 2000 will fly in synchronized manoeuvres during the funeral procession.

Mr. Papandreou's remains will be placed on a gun-carriage and will be followed by vehicles from all three sectors of the Greek Armed Forces.

[02] ANDREAS WILL BE A HARD MAN TO FORGET, ALL LEADERS AGREE

President of Greece Kostis Stephanopoulos expressed his deep sorrow for Andreas Papandreou's death, upon being told the sad news.

"His death saddens me greatly, as it saddens all Greeks," the President stated. "Andreas Papandreou was an outstanding political leader, who for many years offered his extraordinary services to the nation. I am certain that all are participating in this deep sense of sadness, friends and opponents. I want to express my most sincere condolences to his wife, children, and other relatives, as well as to the government and the PASOK party."

"I am deeply shaken by the sad news of Andreas Papandreou's death," stated the Greek Prime Minister Kostas Simitis when he was told of the Socialist leader's death.

"The great leader is no longer alive, yet he leaves to us his work as a living legacy, since his political path is interwoven with Greece's recent history. His death is a national loss for Greece," Mr. Simitis stated.

Former President of Greece Konstantinos Karamanlis also expressed his deep sorrow and stated that "Andreas Papandreou, through his struggles, marked a long period of our national life with his dynamic personality."

Main opposition party New Democracy leader Miltiades Evert issued a written statement, remarking that "Andreas Papandreou's lengthy political presence, crowned by the creation of PASOK and his repeated rise to power, influenced the country's life. The assessment of this presence belongs to the future's history and it is certain that the void left by Andreas Papandreou's death in the political arena, as he shaped it, is irreplaceable."

Former Prime Minister Konstantinos Mitsotakis, New Democracy's honorary president, will expedite his return from Paris and proceed in making a statement upon his arrival in Athens.

Minor Opposition Party Political Spring leader Antonis Samaras stated that Mr. Papandreou "was a great leader of international dimensions who, through his strong and charismatic personality, marked an important chapter of Greece's modern political history. His death constitutes a great loss during these hard times for our country."

Communist Party (KKE) Secretary-General Aleka Paparega expressed her condolences to the family of Andreas Papandreou, the government and members of PASOK. Honorary President of KKE Harilaos Florakis also expressed his warm condolences to the Papandreou family, as well as to the government and PASOK.

Coalition Party of the Left and Progress (Synaspismos) President Nikos Konstantopoulos stated that "we salute a great political leader with feelings of sorrow, a leading political personality that has influenced the development of Greece during the past thirty years." He also expressed his condolences to Mr. Papandreou's family.

Athens Mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos stated that "Greece is mourning today," adding that Mr. Papandreou left behind a chapter of modern Greek history in which he held a central role.

"Those who adored him and those who fought him are honoring him today," said the Mayor.

[03] HISTORY BOWS TO ANDREAS PAPANDREOU, SAYS GREEK GOVERNMENT

Andreas Papandreou's political presence did not simply mark a political period but also determined the political developments in Greece for many decades, stated today greek government spokesman, Dimitris Reppas on the occasion of the death of PASOK's leader.

Mr.Reppas pointed out that this historic leader inspired and led an unprecedented popular movement, adding that his death apart from being a national loss is also and a private loss for everyone.

He said that this is a new page in history, while the members of the government of PASOK and the party members have a duty to face the challenges of the times and to fulfil the obligations that stem from the visions of Andreas Papandreou for a great and united PASOK and also for national dignity, social justice and prosperity.

[04] GREEK FOREING MINISTER PANGALOS LAMENTS PAPANDREOU'S DEATH

Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos hailed PASOK President Andreas Papandreou as the creator of the country's contemporary foreign policy.

Mr. Pangalos emphasized that Mr. Papandreou "had a decisive input in the modern order of things as people wished for."

Andreas Papandreou shaped Greece's form as it exists today, and as we defend it, stated the Foreign Minister.

[05] FRIENDS, OPPONENTS PAY LAST TRIBUTE TO ANDREAS PAPANDREOU

Thousands of mourning citizens have been filing outside the Athens Metropolitan Church since yesterday afternoon, holding a flower in their hands, in order to pay their last respects to the Socialist leader and PASOK President. Mr. Papandreou's body will lie in state for three days.

The news of Mr. Papandreou's death has travelled around the world, with leaders from just about every country expressing their admiration for the Greek leader and their sadness for his loss, among them United States President Bill Clinton, France's Jacques Chirac, United Nations Secretary-General Butros Ghali, European Commission President Jacques Santer, the Prime Ministers of Britain, France and Belgium, Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos, and the Archbishop of North and South America Iacovos.

Turkey's President Suleiman Demirel and Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz also expressed their sincere condolences.

[06] PASOK PARTY FOURTH CONGRESS TO TAKE PLACE AS SCHEDULED

PASOK party Executive Bureau has decided that its fourth Congress will take place as scheduled, on Thursday June 24, one day after its President Andreas Papandreou's burial.

The four-day party congress will elect the PASOK President and Vice-President, with Prime Minister Kostas Simitis and Interior Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos being considered as the top candidates.

Mr. Papandreou died just hours after adding the final touches on an address to the 4,000 PASOK delegates.

[07] US EMBASSY, CONSULATE CLOSED ON WEDNESDAY TO HONOR ANDREAS

Also closed will be the American Library at the Greek- American Association and the American Center in Thessaloniki.

[08] AHEPA SENDS CONDOLENCES OVER LOSS OF ANDREAS PAPANDREOU

The American Hellenic Educational Progressive Associati on (AHEPA) expressed its condolences today to the Greek people and the family of the late Andreas Papandreou who died on Sunday.

"Andreas Papandreou was a giant in the modern democratic history of Greece," said Ahepa's Supreme President Dr. Spiro Macris.

"Andreas Papandreou gained great admiration in America for his stand against the junta in the late 1960's and early 1970's, and he was a major force in helping re-institutionalize democracy in Greece," he added.

[09] COUNCIL OF GREEKS ABROAD EXPRESSES GRATITUDE TO ANDREAS

Yesterday's convention of the Council of Greeks Abroad in Asia and Africa was overshadowed by the death of Andreas Papandreou and, as such, the Conference began with a minute of silence honoring the deceased Greek leader.

The President of the World Hellenism Council Andrew Athens told the Macedonian Press Agency that Mr. Papandreou was not only a great political leader but a personal friend of his as well and the creation of the Council was his inspiration.

"We are deeply grateful to him and I hope that we will continue his path and we will bring life to his dreams for Greeks living abroad," Mr. Athens stated.

[10] GREEKS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD MOURN THE LOSS OF PAPANDREOU

Greeks throughout the world are mourning the loss of Andreas Papandreou and Greek flags are placed at half mast outside the Greek embassies were Greeks are signing the condolences books.

Canadian Prime Minister Jan Cretien has sent a condolences telegraph through the television and radio media, in which he emphasizes that Andreas Papandreou was a great political personality in Greece's contemporary history. Also, Mr. Papandreou had special ties with Canada being that he had stayed in Toronto during the junta regime in Greece and had been a lecturer at the city's York University.

In Melbourne, Australia, the greek-australian community will hold a short memorial service on Wednesday whose time will coincide with Mr. Papandreou's funeral in Athens. Also, the Australian Parliament will observe a minute of silence in honor of the Greek leader.

[11] NEW YORK TIMES FEATURES LENGTHY OBITUARY ON ANDREAS

One of the most prestigious daily newspapers in the United States, "The New York Times", featured a lengthy obituary on Andreas Papandreou in its Sunday edition yesterday.

The article describes the Greek leader as a fiery and ambiguous Premier who dominated greek politics.

According to the author, Marilise Simmons,few other politicians in modern Greece have inspired as much love and loathing at home and as much bewilderment and irritation abroad as Andreas Papandreou.

"He was successful at home because he appealed to Greece's thirst for change and his nationalist polemics appealed to the Greeks' perennial feeling of being misunderstood and unappreciated."

Author Nicholas Cage, who has written several books on Greece and is a former NY Times correspondent in Athens, stated that Andreas Papandreou had the rare gift to make ordinary people feel they mattered.

The paper's obituary refers also to the race for succession in the PASOK party leadership and concludes by stating that during his decade-long presence in office, Andreas Papandreou modernized Greece.

[12] FORMER US ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE HOLBROOKE ON ANDREAS

Former US Assistant Secretary of State, Richard Holbrooke made praising statements on the personality and the political work of Andreas Papandreou from Crans Montana in Switzerland.

He said that Andreas Papandreou was a great personality in greek history. He said that he had contacts with Papandreou only in the last year of his life, adding that he was a great admirer of the former greek Prime Minister. Mr.Holbrooke said that Papandreou made courageous steps for the settlement of the differences between Greece and Albania and of course between Greece and FYROM, while he played an important role in the Dayton peace agreement.

Mr.Holbrooke recalled that serb President Milosevic had told him that Papandreou and Gligorov would never reach an agreement and when the interim accord between Greece and FYROM was achieved, Milosevic could not hide his admiration.

Mr.Holbrooke added that he regards Papandreou not only as a historic personality in Greece, but as an important factor in the Balkan peace process as well, stressing that he will be greatly missed.

Statement on the death of Andreas Papandreou was also made and by former Governor of the European Bank, Jacques Attali. He said that Papandreou was a great socialist leader, who led his country to economic and political modernization, revived the Socialist party and made Greece a full member of the European Union. He stressed that Papandreou and Miterrand were two of the great historic personalities in this century.

[13] CYPRIOT PRESIDENT TO ATTEND ANDREAS PAPANDREOU'S FUNERAL

The President of the Cypriot Republic Glafkos Clerides will travel to Athens in order to attend the funeral of Andreas Papandreou on Wednesday afternoon.

Mr. Clerides has stated that Cyprus is especially mournful of the Socialist leader's death since he, aside from the joint defense doctrine, presented many examples of his government's will to defend the Cypriot Republic.

[14] DEATH OF ANDREAS PAPANDREOU CREATED A SENSATION IN TURKEY

A telegram of condolences for the death of Andreas Papandreou was sent by turkish President Suleiman Demirel. In the message is mentioned that Turkey remembers Andreas Papandreou not only as a hard opponent, but also as a friend who had the courage and the strength to start a substantial dialogue immediately after the dangerous nadir the greek-turkish relations had reached in 1987.

Turkish caretaker Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz's first reaction to the news of Papandreou's death was to express the belief that Papandreou wanted peace between the two countries inspite of all the rhetoric.

Meanwhile, turkish Foreign Minister, Emre Gonensay in a letter of condolences to his greek counterpart expressed his "deep sorrow" for the death of Andreas Papandreou. In his letter mentions that the deceased throughout his life was a unique personality in the greek political scene.

Their sorrow for the death of Andreas Papandreou expressed the President of the turkish National Assembly and many turkish politicians among them, Hikmet Cetin who had met Papandreou when he was Foreign Minister of Turkey.

[15] LEADERS OF BALKAN COUNTRIES SEND CONDOLENCES TO GREECE

Messages of condolences have been forwarded by the leaders of Balkan countries, honoring the memory of Greek leader Andreas Papandreou.

In Belgrade, Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic sent a telegraph of condolences on behalf of his people to Mr.Papandreou's familly, Greek President Kostis Stephanopoulos, Prime Minister Kostas Simitis and PASOK's Central Committee.

Serbian Socialist Party Secretary-General Gorica Gajevic said "the Greek people and the contemporary socialist movement have lost a great man and socialist, as honest fighter for the promotion of modern socialist ideas and the founding of contemporary socialist thought, while the Serbian people have lost a great and honest friend, a European leader and a founder of the Greek-Serbian friendship."

In the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Prime Minister Zoran Lilic stated in his condolences that the Yugoslav people will always remember the great understanding and support they received during Mr. Papandreou's stay in office.

Albanian President Sali Berisha sent a telegraph from Tirana to President Stephanopoulos in which he called Mr. Papandreou a "historic figure of modern Greece. The Greek people and generations to come will remember for a long time Mr. Papandreou's contribution to the consolidation of democracy and his country's development."

In Bulgaria, Prime Minister Zhan Videnov sent a message of condolence to Prime Minister Kostas Simitis expressing his sadness over the death of Papandreou, whom he called "one of the greatest men of european states."

"Bulgaria lost a very good friend who will remain in the memory of million of Bulgarians, as one of the most outstanding representatives of European politics, the socialist and social democratic movements," Prime Minister Videnov stated.

In FYROM, the news of Mr. Papandreou's death was featured on the first page of local newspapers although, up to date, no official statement has been issued from the skopjan government.

[16] BULGARIAN PREMIER TO ATTEND FUNERAL OF ANDREAS PAPANDREOU

Bulgarian Prime Minister, Jan Videnov will attend the funeral of Andreas Papandreou that will be held on Wednesday, as it was announced from Sofia.

In a message of condolences, mr.Videnov describes Papandreou as a very good friend of Bulgaria, one of the symbols of the european socialist movement and as one of the most significant european statesman.

[17] NORWAY'S PREMIER PRAISES PAPANDREOU'S FIGHT FOR DEMOCRACY

Norwegian Prime Minister, Gro Harlem Brundtland in statements she made on the death of Andreas Papandreou stresses that he played a historic role in the fight for Democracy and freedom in Greece.

The norwegian Prime Minister added that Papandreou's political work was of great importance for the modernization of greek society and for Greece's active participation in the european cooperation.

[18] RUSSIAN COMMUNIST PARTY LEADER SENDS CONDOLENCES

Russian Communist party leader, Genadi Zuganov in a message to PASOK's Central Committee expressed his deep sorrow for the death of Andreas Papandreou and offered his condolences to the family of the deceased.

The russian Communist party leader underlines in his message the outstanding contribution of Andreas Papandreou to the strengthening of Greece's role and to the solution of international and regional policy problems.

Mr.Zuganov characterized the deceased as one of the most significant figures in the development of the Social-Democratic movement and stressed his contribution to the further development of the traditional greek-russian relations.

[19] FRENCH AND AUSTRIAN MASS MEDIA REPORT ON PAPANDREOU'S DEATH

The french mass media covered the news of Papandreou's death extensively, all stressing that he was a political leader who marked Democracy in Greece.

French President, Jacques Chirac said that he was a great political personality, while the general secretary of the french Socialist party mentioned Papandreou's unique style in government, his great courage and his inspiration, by saying that his private life was more or less like his public life.

Austrian Chancellor and President of the governing Social- Democratic party, Frants Vranitski stated that Andreas Papandreou was one of the greats of the socialist movement. The austrian Chancellor, who is on a visit to Saudi Arabia, expressed his deepest sympathy for the loss of a successful leader who ruled for many years. He stressed that Papandreou contributed greatly to Greece's deliverance from the miltary dictatorship and to the improvement of the standards of living for the greek people, while at a european level he fought successfully for the interests of the working class.

Austrian Federal Parliament President and vice-President of the governing Social-Democratic party, mr.Fischer stated that the death of the former greek Prime Minister is a painful loss for Greece and the European Social-Democrats. The President of the Austrian Parliament underlined the "pro-austrian and constructive" position adopted by the greek EU Presidency, which was headed by Prime Minister Papandreou and its term coincided with the negotiations for Austria's accession into the European Union.

The death of Andreas Papandreou was the main story on the austrian television news bulletins under the tile "Greece mourns". The news of his death continue to be broadcasted by the austrian radio, while it is mentioned that Papandreou was a leading figure and dominated Greece's political scene for a number of years.

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

[20] FISCHER AGAINST PARTICIPATION OF ISLAMISTS IN TURKISH GOVERNMENT

Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly President, Leni Fischer stated today that she is against the participation of the islamists in the turkish government.

In a press conference, ms.Fischer stated that she is very concerned over a possible participation of the islamists in a coalition government in Turkey and wished for guarantees for the preservation of the turkish secular state.

Former turkish Prime Minister, Tansou Ciller is expected to announce tomorrow her decision on whether she will form a coalition government with the islamist "Prosperity" party of Nesmetin Erbakan.

Meanwhile, about 60 people were injured in Ankara today during clashes between leftist demonstrators and police. The clashes started when police forces attacked about 250 people protesting against the start of legal procedures aiming at making the country's Labour Party illegal. According to the arguments based on which the legal procedure in Turkey's High Court of Justice has started, the political programme of the Labour party, which was recently founded, is in conflict with the country's Constitution.

[21] FYROM'S PRESIDENT WILL VISIT TURKEY ON JUNE 27-30

Skopjan President, Kiro Gligorov will make a formal visit to Turkey on June 27-30 after an invitation by his turkish counterpart, Suleiman Demirel.

According to an announcement by the turkish Foreign Ministry, the delegations of the two countries will discuss bilateral relations, regional and international issues and the development potential of bilateral economic and trade relations.

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