Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 97-04-23

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

Macedonian Press Agency: News in English Directory

MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Thessaloniki, April 23, 1997

NEWS IN ENGLISH

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

TITLES

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

NEWS IN DETAIL

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[01] GREEK PREMIER TO MEET WITH CHANCELLOR KOHL IN BONN TOMORROW

Greece's Prime Minister Kostas Simitis, currently in Frankfurt, is to meet with German chancellor Helmut Kohl in Bonn tomorrow, where the two men will discuss European issues as well as Greece's relations with Turkey.

Specifically, during their two-hour meeting the two leaders will also discuss the latest developments in Albania, the European Monetary Union's process, as well as NATO's eastward expansion.

In statements he made yesterday, Mr. Simitis said that Greece will not lift its veto over Turkey's funding from the European Union for as long as Ankara does not satisfy the three conditions set forth by Greece.

[02] GREEK FOREIGN MINISTER COMMENTS ON TURKEY ASSOCIATION COUNCIL

Greece's Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos characterized as "positive the stance adopted by the European Union in regards to the EU-Turkey Association Council, since it includes the three terms set from Greece to Turkey.

The European Union has issued its common position for the EU- Turkey Association Council, set for April 29, wherein it states that the further strengthening of relations between the Community and Turkey depends on a number of factors.

Specifically, the EU's common position states that one of these factors is "the improvement of relations between an EU member-state and Turkey through the settlement of issues between them in acordance with international law, including means such as the International Court of Justice, as well as through good neighborly relations and the rejection of the threat of use of force in accordance with the UN Charter."

Moreover, the common position states that Turkey must improve its human rights record, bringing its standards to internationally- accepted levels.

Regarding Cyprus, the EU refers to its Council's decision to start accession negotiations with Cyprus six months after the Intergovernmental Conference. According to the statement, the Council is said to attach the highest importance to the efforts to bring the leaders of the island's two communities in direct talks.

"It (the EU) is convinced that a solution to the Cyprus problem on this basis is urgently needed to remove the cause of lasting tension in Cyprus and the region," the statement reads, adding that "lack of progress would be to the detriment of Turkey, the EU and EU-Turkish relations."

Meanwhile, Greece's Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos is to meet with his Turkish counterpart Tansu Ciller in Istanbul on April 30, the day after the Association Council.

Mr. Pangalos has stated that Greece's firm position is that Ankara must withdraw any threat of war and abandon its claims in the Aegean Sea, for which it can resort to the International Court of Justice at The Hague. A.F.

[03] MINISTER OF FINANCE AND ECONOMY ANNOUNCES CHANGES IN UTILITY RATES

The Minister of Finance and National Economy Yiannos Papantoniou announced today that changes will occur in the public utility rates, although he clarifed that the increases will not surpass the going inflation rate. The price increases are to be put into effect after June 1997 and are not expected to affect inflation which in April barely touched the six-percent mark. A.F.

[04] MR.PANGALOS GAVE DETAILS ON THE TASK OF THE TWO COMMITTEES OF SPECIALISTS FORMED BY GREECE AND TURKEY

Greek Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos gave details on the task of the two committees of scientists and specialists formed by Greece and Turkey on the initiative of the Dutch EU Presidency. Mr.Pangalos also clarified the Greek government's positions on every aspect of the Greek-Turkish relations.

The Foreign Minister stated that each committee will be made up of three members, who will study procedural issues and will record their positions. Each side will send a report to the Dutch EU Presidency which in turn will convey it to the other side. The two committees will not meet and the Dutch EU Presidency will last until June. Its goal is to record the Greek-Turkish disputes as seen from both sides to achieve the clarification of the pending issues between the two countries

Turkey's final response on the Dutch proposal will be given tomorrow evening or in two days at the latest and a Dutch envoy will deliver it to Athens.

On the EU-Turkey Association Council that will be held next Tuesday, the Greek Foreign Minister stated that the 15 EU member- states have agreed on a common stance to which Greece has also agreed, but Athens still insists in its position to continue to block the EU funds to Turkey.

If Ankara agrees with the EU position will first have to accept the three terms set by Greece in order to lift its veto. Those terms are the lifting of the threat of war in case Greece extends its territorial waters to 12 nautical miles, the clear statement of acceptance and respect of International Law and also that Ankara will appeal to The Hague for the settlement of any dispute.

[05] TWO GREEK NAVY TANK LANDING SHIPS ARRIVED IN THE PORT OF DURRES

The Greek Navy tank landing ships "Samos" and "Chios", carrying 420 soldiers and 92 army vehicles, arrived in the port of Durres at noon today within the framework of the multi-national force that is deployed in Albania.

The landing operation of the Greek force was secured by Greek, French and Italian forces already in Albania.

Yesterday, humanitarian aid arrived in Elbasan, while bloody incidents continue in central regions of the country.

A bomb blast in Tirana this morning destroyed a private car and a bus, while a man was killed in Fieri by armed groups when he refused to give them his money. In Gjirokastra, two people were injured outside the Greek Consulate when two armed men started firing in the air demanding to get a visa.

[06] EASTER HOLIDAY AHEAD, ALL OF GREECE'S ORTHODOX READY TO CELEBRATE

Greeks are preparing to celebrate Easter Sunday and the cities are expected to be emptied by Friday as thousands will flock to the countryside where they will celebrate the Resurrection of Christ with roasted lamb, dance and festivities.

Meanwhile, Undersecretary of Agriculture Vassilis Geranides, in his attempt to maintain lamb prices at a reasonable level, faced the wrath of Greece's butchers whom he accused of pumping up the prices of meat they had purchased at low wholesale prices. A.F.

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

[07] CYPRUS' NATIONAL COUNCIL EXAMINES THE LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

The developments of the past few weeks on the Cyprus problem are being examined in the meeting of Cyprus' National Council. The meeting is regarded as very crucial as according to information, references will be made on informal UN documents as well as on the decision of the governments of Greece and Cyprus concerning the suspension of flights of Greek fighter jets over Cyprus.

The opposition expressed reservations on the suspension of flights while Parliament President Spyros Kyprianou asked for a meeting of the National Council to be held with the Greek government.

[08] FRANCE AND CHINA WELCOME THE SUSPENSION OF GREEK FIGHTER JETS FLIGHTS OVER CYPRUS

The embassies of France and China welcomed the Cypriot government decision to suspend the Greek fighter jets flights over Cyprus during the military exercises code-named "Vergina" and "Toxotis".

The French Ambassador stated that any move aimed at creating a climate of trust between the two communities is welcomed, while the press spokesman of the Chinese Embassy stated that his country regards as positive any move that contributes to the efforts for a fair solution to the Cyprus problem.

[09] THE BRITISH LABOUR PARTY LEADER BACKS THE SAFEGUARDING OF CYPRUS' ACCESSION INTO THE EU

British Labour Party leader Tony Blair backed the safeguarding of Cyprus' accession into the EU as well as, the EU's expansion eastwards during an important lecture he gave in Manchester on Britain's role in the world scene.

Mr.Blair's speech was delivered a few days before the May 1st early Parliamentary elections in Britain. According to his statements, Britain will play a more active role in the European Union if a Labour government is formed.

Based on opinion polls, the Labour Party is leading by 16 percentage points and enjoys the support of 48% of the electorate, while the Conservatives have the support of 32% of the voters and the Liberals 15%.

[10] GOVERNMENT RESHUFFLE IS IMMINENT IN FYROM

FYROM's Prime Minister Branko Tservenkovski is seriously examining the likelihood of a government reshuffle. Land Planning, Urban Planning and Environment Minister, Giorgo Sudovski, who was accused of involvement in the TAT banking scandal has resigned, while yesterday resigned Health Minister Ilya Filiptce putting an end to rumours on his involvement in a scandal concerning the illegal imports of medicine unfit for use.

Yesterday, FYROM's Prime Minister officially confirmed his intentions for a government reshuffle to take place after the Christian Orthodox Easter, in statements he made to the state television channel.

[11] "NEW YORK TIMES": THE UNITED STATES IS THE BIGGEST ARMS DEALER IN THE WORLD

The biggest arms dealer in the world is the United States, stresses the US daily "The New York Times" in its main article in which it is underlined that most of the arms trade is taking place with non democratic states.

The newspaper stresses that the Clinton administration in an effort to promote the US trade interests abroad left the issue of arms sales to the judgement of the Pentagon and the weapons systems companies, which have a very strong lobby.

According to speculations, 85% of the weapons sold by Washington to developing countries end up to non democratic states. The "N.Y. Times" mentions that those sales increase the oppression and the corruption of the armed forces leadership, while they steal money from the poor that could be used for the improvement of healthcare and education. The article concludes that in countries like Turkey and Colombia, the US arms have been used against unarmed civilians.

[12] RUMOURS ON THE FALL OF THE ERBAKAN GOVERNMENT INCREASE, ACCORDING TO THE TURKISH PRESS

Rumours on the fall of Prime Minister Erbakan's coalition government in Turkey have increased, especially after the statements made by National Assembly deputy Aydin Menteres.

The Turkish newspaper "Sabah" writes that rumours have intensified, according to which National Assembly deputy Menteres and 6 of his colleagues will resign from the Welfare Party leading to the fall of the government.

The leader of the Popular Republican Party Deniz Baykal stated that the Welfare Party is the one creating the tension and that the situation can be overcomed only with Erbakan's resignation.

The newspaper "Milliyet" writes that two government ministers from the True Path Party namely, Gildirim Aktuna and Yalim Erez have stated that the Erbakan government will fall by the end of May and a new one will be formed.

Aktuna stated that the government must comply with the National Security Council decisions, while Industry Minister mr.Erez said that already 24 True Path Party members want the resignation of the coalition government.

[13] SCIENTIFIC BREAKTHROUGH BY CYPRIOT RESEARCHERS ON MUSCLE DISEASE

The mapping of a gene which is located on chromosome 17p and is involved in a form of muscle disease, was announced by Cypriot scientists from the Institute of Neurology and Genetics during a scientific conference organized by the American Academy of Neurology.

The Cypriot presentation was among the five, out of 1.200 scientific announcements, that were included in the latest issue of the "Scientific News" magazine.

[14] NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN NATO AND BULGARIA

The final negotiations between Bulgaria and NATO will be held in Brussels on April 25 within the framework of the intensified dialogue for the expansion of the alliance, as it was announced in Sofia today by Bulgarian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ratko Vlaikov.

Meanwhile, a solution is expected to be reached on the issue of the funding of Bulgaria's National Programme for its accession into NATO, according to Defence Minister Georgi Ananiev, who added that there will be changes on the defence and armed forces legislation, in view of the imminent operation of the Monetary Council in Bulgaria.

According to the Bulgarian Minister of Defence, the Ministry owes 6,6 billion lev (1 US dollar corresponds to 1.500 lev) to domestic suppliers and 11,5 million US dollars to foreign suppliers.

[15] EU-TURKEY ASSOCIATION COUNCIL ON APRIL 29

The European Union has issued its common position for the EU- Turkey Association Council, set for April 29, wherein it states that the further strengthening of relations between the Community and Turkey depends on a number of factors.

Specifically, the EU's common position states that one of these factors is "the improvement of relations between an EU member-state and Turkey through the settlement of issues between them in acordance with international law, including means such as the International Court of Justice, as well as through good neighborly relations and the rejection of the threat of use of force in accordance with the UN Charter."

Moreover, the common position states that Turkey must improve its human rights record, bringing its standards to internationally- accepted levels.

Regarding Cyprus, the EU refers to its Council's decision to start accession negotiations with Cyprus six months after the Intergovernmental Conference. According to the statement, the Council is said to attach the highest importance to the efforts to bring the leaders of the island's two communities in direct talks.

"It (the EU) is convinced that a solution to the Cyprus problem on this basis is urgently needed to remove the cause of lasting tension in Cyprus and the region," the statement reads, adding that "lack of progress would be to the detriment of Turkey, the EU and EU-Turkish relations."

Meanwhile, Greece's Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos is to meet with his Turkish counterpart Tansu Ciller in Istanbul on April 30, the day after the Association Council.

Mr. Pangalos has stated that Greece's firm position is that Ankara must withdraw any threat of war and abandon its claims in the Aegean Sea, for which it can resort to the International Court of Justice at The Hague. A.F.

[16] TURKEY: ERBAKAN GOVERNMENT MAY COLLAPSE WITHIN A FEW DAYS

There are serious indications that the Erbakan-led government in Turkey will collapse within a few days, acording to the statements made by deputies of the Welfare Party.

Leading the dissenting deputies is Idin Mederes who stated that "the President of the True Path Party Tansu Ciller could proceed to making spectacular moves that will lead to the collapse of the government." A.F.

[17] ALBANIA: INCREASING DIFFERENCES BETWEEN DEMOCRATIC PARTY & OPPOSITION

The distance continues to grow between Albania's ruling Democratic Party and the country's main opposition the Socialist Party, fueling worries that the agreement reached on March 9 to hold parliamentary elections this summer may not materialize.

Although OSCE's special envoy Franz Vranitski has announced that the parliamentary elections will be held on June 29, President Sali Berisha says that a basic condition for holding elections is to disarm the rioting civilians.

Meanwhile, Italian Minister of Defense Mr. Andreata has issued stern statements, which were published in an Albanian daily, and said that "Italy, which provides the greatest amount of aid in the attempts to resolve the crisis, does not intend to endanger the lives of its soldiers in order to allow for the games played by certain Albanian politicians." A.F.

[18] BULGARIA'S SERB MINORITY IS A THORN IN TIES WITH F.R.Y.

Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry issued a strong demarche to the Ambassador of the Federal Yugoslav Republic in Sofia concerning two documents that concern Bulgaria's Serb minority which were published by the UN's Yugoslav delegation in Geneva.

The Bulgarian side said that this move was a diversionary act and accused Yugoslavia of trying to distract the international community's attention from the human rights violations which, as it said, Yugoslavia's Bulgarian minority is subjected to.

"Bulgaria wishes for an objective approach to the issue, free of emotionalism," the Bulgarian demarche emphasizes. A.F.

[19] MONTENEGRO SATISFIED WITH CONTACTS IN GREECE

Montenegro is pleased with the contacts its Premier Milo Juganovic recently had in Athens, where he met with government officials and leaders from Greece's banking circles.

According to Montenegro's official announcement, Mr. Juganovic's meeting with Greece's Foreign Affairs Minister Theodoros Pangalos confirmed the good ties between the two countries and Greece's readiness to promote economic collaboration with Montenegro.

Also, Montenegro has requested from Greece's Foreign Ministry to expedite the process of establishing a Greek consulate in Podgorica, the capital of Montenegro. A.F.

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