Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 97-06-19

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

Macedonian Press Agency: News in English Directory

MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Thessaloniki, June 19 1997

NEWS IN ENGLISH

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

TITLES

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

NEWS IN DETAIL

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[01] GREECE TO STEP UP FORCES AT ALBANIAN BORDERS

The Greek government has decided to place a significant presence in the regions that border with Albania, according to government spokesperson Dimitris Reppas.

In Elbasan yesterday, a Greek sentry participating in the multinational peacekeeping force assigned to Albania was approached by two Albanian armed civilians who offered to sell him drugs. When the soldier declined and asked them to leave, they opened fire at another sentry near by. The Greek soldier returned the fire and killed one of the Albanians.

In Gjirocaster, Romanian soldiers freed 11 observers of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe who had been encircled by armed Albanians in a local restaurant. A.F.

[02] GREEK FOREIGN MINSTER MEETS WITH "OMONIA" REPRESENTATIVES

Greece's Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos received a delegation of leading members of the Albania-based Greek-minority organization "Omonia" in Athens today.

Among the "Omonia" representatives were its president George Labovitiades and its vice-president Andreas Martos. Also present were the Greek Consul-General to Albania Nikos Kanellos.

The "Omonia" representatives expressed their concern over the imminent general elections, to be held in Albania on June 29, and asked the Foreign Minister to secure the safe transportation to their motherland of Albanian citizens living in Greece.

The Greek consulate in Gjirocaster and the Greek Embassy in Tirana have stopped issuing visas since last Tuesday.

Mr. Pangalos assured his listeners that the persons who will travel to Albania to vote have nothing to fear and they will be able to return to Greece safely and legally, as long as they have a stamp by the Electorate Committee on an informal document.

"Our aim is to strengthen the efforts to restore democratic normalization in Albania, something that is of great significance to Greece," Mr. Pangalos stated.

Speaking to the Macedonian Press Agency, the deputy of Gjirocaster, who also participated in today's talks, stated that the meeting with Mr. Pangalos was held in a positive climate and noted the Greek government's vast support towards the Greek national minority living in Albania. A.F.

[03] GREEK FOREIGN MINISTER RECEIVES EGYPTIAN DEFENSE MINISTER

Greece's Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos met today with the Egyptian Defense Minister Hussein Tantawi, who is currently on an official visit to Greece.

Later. Mr. Tantawi met with his Greek counterpart Akis Tsochatzopoulos and the two men signed a cooperation agreement for matters of defense.

Mr. Tsochatzopoulos stated that Greece and Egypt are two stabilizing factors in regards to developments in the greater region.

Unlike Turkey, Mr.Tsochatzopoulos stated, "Egypt and Greece are interested in the behavior of countries which do not conduct themselves in a stabilizing manner, since stability, peace and cooperation is of interest to all of us."

In turn, the Egyptian Minister praised Greece's role in the Balkan region. He stated that the policy of Athens is the same as that implemented by Cairo in regards to problems in the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East. A.F.

[04] PASOK PARTY IS ORGANIZING EVENTS IN HONOR OF ANDREAS PAPANDREOU

Greece's ruling PASOK party is to hold a series of events in honor of its founder, the late Andreas Papandreou, who died last year on June 22.

A te deum service will be held at the Athens First Cemetery on Sunday, June 22, while a political and music event will be held at the Athens Music Hall.

Greek Prime Minister Kostas Simitis and France's former Culture Minister Jack Lang are to address the event. A.F.

[05] GREECE, EGYPT SIGN AGREEMENT ON DEFENSE, EDUCATION AND INFORMATION

Greece and Egypt signed an agreement of co-operation in the sectors of defence, education and information, during an Athens- held meeting today between Greece's Minister of National Defence Akis Tsochatzopoulos and his Egyptian counterpart.

The two ministers agreed to form collaboration between their respective countries' general staff, aiming at close co-operation in the sector of the arms industry, the exchange of military information and the planning of common nautical exercises,

Among other issues, the two Ministers discussed the situation in the Balkans and the Middle East. A.F.

[06] GREECE'S "PARLIAMENT OF YOUTH" STARTS SATURDAY, CYPRIOT TEENS PARTICIPATE

The annually-held "Parliament of Youth" will begin this Saturday at Greece's Parliament, this year featuring the participation of Cypriot teenagers.

All together, the participants are 350 teen "parliamentarians", of whom 300 are high-school students from Greece, 25 from Cyprus and 25 are Greek-origin students from high schools throughout the world.

The program will conclude on Tuesday morning when the students will submit their proposals to the Parliament's plenary session. A.F.

[07] CONFERENCE ON "SEA TECHNOLOGY" TO BE HELD IN THESSALONIKI

Thessaloniki is to host the Tenth Conference of the international Committee for the Rescue of the Industrial Heritage", to be held in Greece for the first time, within the framework of events hosted by the "Thessaloniki, Cultural Capital of Europe 197" events. The conference, themed "Sea Technologies and the Mineral Regions" will begin in Athens on Monday, June 22, and the participants will embark on field trips in mineral-rich areas of Attica. On Wednesday, June 24, the Conference will be brought to Thessaloniki where the delegates are to discuss the country's nautical heritage and the effects born by the industrial revolution. A.F.

[08] MOUNT ATHOS TREASURES CATALOGUE IS OUT, DISPLAYS MONUMENTAL RELICS

In light of Saturday's inauguration of the Mount Athos Treasures Exhibition at Thessaloniki's Byzantine Museum, the Organisation "Thessaloniki, cultural Capital of Europe 1997" has published a 671-page catalogue illustrating the relics to be displayed.

The Exhibition, to be inaugurated this Saturday by the President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos, is hailed as an unrivalled event of titanic dimensions.

Displayed in the Exhibit will be 589 relics and historical treasures, works that are indissolubly linked with the founding, history and daily life of the monasteries. It will be held in six auditoriums of the Museum of Byzantine Culture and will include four basic units: natural environment, architecture, daily life and worship, treasures.

The unit of the treasures will the one that will function as the main attraction for the public. The carefully selected treasures to be exhibited are analysed into 108 Byzantine and post- Byzantine icons, 120 manuscripts, 120 craft works, 30 needlepoints, 131 Byzantine, post-Byzantine, Slav, Romanian and Ottoman documents, 25 monastery stamps, seals and coins, 13 wood carvings, three sculptures, three Byzantine sculptures, 26 incunabula, six ceramic objects and four cartoons, 15 icons- matrices.

The manner of the presentation is based upon a thorough museum study, with special care taken to avoiding the method of simply lining up the objects to be exhibited. On the contrary, what will be attempted will be the creation of an environment familiar to the worshipper of the Holy Mountain, which will be simple, yet outfitted with all the necessary elements for the better display of the exhibition.

According to the Organisation's officials, the exhibition's aim is to "transport" a true image of this singular cultural environment to the thousands of visitors that are expected to visit the Exhibition and take advantage of this opportunity to communicate, substantially and in depth, with the invaluable wealth of Orthodoxy and Helens which is guarded at the "Garden of the Blessed Virgin". A.F.

[09] CONSUMER POLICE ORDERS PRICE TAGS ON ALL BOTTLED WATER AND SODA POP

As per a recently-issued order by the country's consumer police, all bottled water and soda pop is to bear a prize tag as of tomorrow, in order to curb the overcharging practices that abound during the summer months.

This measure, in addition to the consumer-complaint forms that will be featured in all restaurants and cafeterias for the reporting of any complaints concerning price, tax and health violations, fall within the ministry of Development's new policy to upgrade the quality if services provided in Greece. A.F.

[10] PAPANTONIOU: THE ECONOMIC POLICY WILL NOT BE RELAXED

The economic policy will not be relaxed next year, stated the Minister of National Economy. Mr.Papantoniou pointed out that the Greek economy moves steadily toward a speedier economic growth as well as, toward lower inflation and public finance deficits.

Mr.Papantoniou stressed that by the end of the year and within the framework of the 1998 budget, decisions will be made to adjust taxation to the cost-of-living index.

[11] THE MOUNT ATHOS CHARTER IN THESSALONIKI

Thessaloniki welcomed today the representatives of the Mount Athos monastic community, who accompanied the last of the holy relics that will be included in the exhibition that will open in the Museum of Byzantine Culture on Saturday. It is the Mount Athos Charter of 1045 issued by Emperor Konstantinos Monomachos.

The magnificent exhibition will be formally inaugurated by Greek President Kostis Stephanopoulos.

[12] KAKLAMANIS: TURKEY SHOULD RECOGNIZE ITS CRIMES OF GENOCIDE

Turkey should recognize the crimes of genocide it has committed to show respect to the principles accepted today by the civilized world, stated Greek Parliament President Apostolos Kaklamanis, commenting on the provocative statements made by Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman mr.Akbel, who accused Greece of aggressiveness on the occasion of the unveiling of a memorial in the city of Xanthi for the genocide in Pontos.

The President of the Greek Parliament also added that the muslim minority has no responsibility for the genocides committed by Turkey in the first part of the century. He said that the monument that was unveiled honours the memory of the 336.000 Greeks killed in Pontos and was built at the initiative of the thousands of Greeks from Pontos who live in the Prefecture of Xanthi.

[13] GREECE IS THE BEST ECONOMIC PARTNER OF ALBANIA

Greece is regarded as the best economic partner of Albania by 33,1% of the country's political elite, according to a research conducted by the Institute for Mediterranean Studies on a sample of 115 Parliament deputies and government officials. Second comes Turkey with 22,4%, followed by Bulgaria with 16,7% and Croatia with 9%.

Regarding the priorities of Albania in order to improve its economy, 33,5% of those asked believe that the country must become a member of the EU, while 33% stated that the speedier implementation of economic reforms is necessary.

[14] THE GREEK INDUSTRY OUTPUT INCREASED BY 1,4% IN THE FIRST THREE MONTHS OF 1997

The industry output in Greece has increased by 1,4% in the first 3 months of 1997, based on data provided by the National Statistics Agency. This small increase is attributed mainly to the rise observed in the production of construction materials.

The industry sector, which in the last few years is in a period characterized by intense profit-making and also by productivity increase, now is close to completing the phase of intense structural changes that began with Greece's accession into the EU.

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

[15] PRESIDENT OF PHILIPPINES ON OFFICIAL VISIT TO GREECE ON SUNDAY

The President of the Philippines Fidel Ramos is to arrive in Athens on Sunday, embarking on a three-day official visit at the invitation of his Greek counterpart Kostis Stephanopoulos.

Following a meeting between Messrs. Ramos and Stephanopoulos, the Philippine President wil be received by the Greek Prime Minister Kostas Simitis on Monday morning. A.F.

[16] TENSION IN ALBANIA CONTINUES TO MOUNT JUST DAYS BEFORE THE ELECTIONS

Tension continues to mount in Albania's southern region where armed gangs create a chaotic situation, ten days prior to the country's early elections.

Yesterday, a Greek soldier participating in the multinational peacekeeping force assigned to Albania was approached by two Albanian armed civilians who fired upon him. One of the two Albanians was shot dead.

In Gjirocaster, Romanian soldiers freed 11 observers of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe who had been encircled by armed Albanians in a local restaurant. A.F.

[17] CILLER CONTINUES THE CLAIMS OVER GREEK ISLANDS AND ISLETS

New provocations were made again by Tansu Ciller. She stated that there is not even the slightest presumption of the fact that all the islands and islets in the Aegean belong to Greece.

Greek Foreign Ministry spokesman Kostas Bikas responding to the Turkish provocations pointed out that Ankara must respect the international treaties and the legal status of the Aegean.

[18] THE UN WANTS THE CYPRUS PROBLEM TO BE RESOLVED BEFORE THE ISLAND'S ACCESSION INTO THE EU

The United Nations and all the parties interested in Cyprus want the Cyprus problem to be resolved before the island's accession into the European Union, stated UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Referring to the imminent talks in New York, mr.Annan stated that mr.Clerides and mr.Denktash will have a face-to-face discussion on the peace process, while commenting on the international efforts for the solution of the Cyprus problem, he stressed that there is a large group of countries that support those efforts.

[19] THE TURKISH PRESIDENT BEGAN CONSULTATIONS WITH POLITICAL PARTY LEADERS

Turkish President Suleiman Demirel began consultations today with the leaders of the country's political parties to decide to whom he will give the mandate to form a government after the resignation of islamist Prime Minister Necmetin Erbakan.

Mr.Demirel already met with Motherland Party leader Mesut Yilmaz and later he is expected to have contacts with Deniz Baykal and Bulent Etsevit.

Erbakan's resignation was the result of pressures exerted on him by the armed forces and was characterized by the country's mass media as a historic moment.

[20] THE US GOVERNMENT CALLED ON TURKEY TO AVOID THE PROVOCATIVE ACTIONS

The US government, through US State Department spokesman Nicolas Burns, callled on Turkey and the rest of the Eastern Meditteranean countries to avoid the provocative actions that undermine peace.

Mr.Burns also stated that the US has contacted the Turkish government on the recent provocative actions in the Turkish occupied ports of northern Cyprus and according to him, Turkey maintains that it was a routine Navy visit and not a military exercise in the ports of Cyprus.

Also, the US State Department spokesman said that he is not aware of the recent Turkish threats concerning the islets of Imia in the Aegean and stated characteristically that he has not been informed on possible statements by Turkish officials.

[21] TWO-DAY MEETING ON THE ENVIRONMENT BEGINS IN LUXEMBOURG

The two-day meeting of the EU Environment Ministers' Council opens in Luxembourg today.

The main topic of the meeting will be the issue of the abolition of the gasoline type, which is graded as "super". The decision will be of great importance as it will affect about 1 million old technology cars that continue to be in operation in Greece.

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