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Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 97-06-27Macedonian Press Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Macedonian Press Agency at http://www.mpa.gr and http://www.hri.org/MPA.Last Update: 22:55 GMT+2SECTIONS
NEWS HEADLINES[A] GREECE[B] BALKANS[C] EUROPE[D] WORLDNEWS IN DETAIL[A] GREECE[01] GREEK DEFENSE MINISTER COMPLETES UNITED STATES VISITWeb Posted: 14:35 GMT+2Athens, June 27 (MPA)Greek Minister of Defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos completed his six-day visit to the United States, conducted within the framework of Greece's presidential term in the cross-Atlantic activities of the Western European Union.Mr. Tsochatzopoulos stated that Greece claims and demands that she be given understanding by her allies so that she will not be subject to behaviors that lead to destabilization in the area. "We ask that pressures be exerted on the Turkish expansionist behavior, which, in the final analysis, undermines stability and security which is needed not only by Greece, but by the whole region as well," he stated. A.F. [02] THREE DAY CONFERENCE HELD BY "MELINA - EDUCATION AND CULTURE"Web Posted: 14:35 GMT+2Thessaloniki, June 27 (MPA)A three-day conference is to begin in Thessaloniki today, an event held uner the auspices of the program "Melina - Education and Culture".The event will be addressed by the Minister of Education Gerasimos Arsenis who will speak on "the cultural upbringing in Europe. Opportunities for development in mandatory education." Participating in the conference will be the Ministries of Education and Culture, cooperators in the planning and application of the "Melina" program. A.F. [03] UNIVERSITY ENTRANCE EXAMINATIONS CONTINUE FOR HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATESWeb Posted: 14:35 GMT+2Thessaloniki, June 27 (MPA)The University entrance examinations continue in Greece today for those students who want to enter the science and literature departments of universities.They were examined in ancient Greek, mathematics and physics. Yesterday's composition exams are being graded today. A.F. [04] THE GREEK MINISTER OF DEFENSE IS ON A VISIT TO THE UNITED STATESWeb Posted: 19:21 GMT+2New York 27 June (MPA)Greek Minister of Defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos met in New York with George Stephanopoulos, former adviser to US President Bill Clinton and discussed the developments in the Greek-Turkish relations and the Cyprus problem, as well as ways for the promotion of the Greek-US cooperation. In statements he made after the meeting, mr.Stephanopoulos praised Greece's role in the Balkans, Southeastern Europe and NATO.Meanwhile, mr.Tsochatzopoulos speaking before leading members of the Greek- American community warned those who are promoting confidence-building- measures in the Aegean that Greece will protect its sovereign rights. [05] THE FRENCH ACADEMY HONOURED LITERATURE CRITIC LAKIS PROGIDESWeb Posted: 19:21 GMT+2Paris 27 June (MPA)The French Academy honoured literature critic Lakis Progides for his work awarding him the Mottart prize which is accompanied by the sum of 20.000 francs.Lakis Progides was born in the central Greek city of Volos in 1947 and is regarded as one of the most accomplished literature critics in France while he is recognized as one of the most distinguished novel theorists. He has worked with Czech author Milan Kuntera and in 1993 founded the literary magazine "L' atelier du roman". [06] TWO PRESIDENTIAL DECREES WILL DETERMINE THE STATUS OF FOREIGNERS WORKING IN GREECEWeb Posted: 19:21 GMT+2Athens 27 June (MPA)The status of foreigners working in Greece will be determined by two presidential decrees that were discussed today during the Greek cabinet meeting.The presidential decrees provide for the registration of all foreigners living and working in Greece, in the period from September 1 to December 31, 1997, the issuing of a renewable residence card, the safeguarding of equal rights in work and taxation, the enactment of incentives for the registration of foreign workers and the implementation of penalties on employers, who do not declare their foreign employees. The final process for those presidential decrees to become laws of the Greek state will begin next week. [07] THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH VARTHOLOMEOS WILL VISIT THESSALONIKI ON SEPTEMBER 28Web Posted: 19:21 GMT+2Thessaloniki 27 June (MPA)Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos will visit Thessaloniki on September 28 and it is the first time in 35 years that the head of the Christian Orthodox Church will visit the city.During his visit the Ecumenical Patriarch will become professor emeritus in the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He is expected to arrive in the city after the end of the International Symposium "Religion and Environment". [08] GREEK CUSTOMS POLICE SEIZES 264 KILOS OF HASHISH, LARGEST AMOUNT EVERWeb Posted: 22:55 GMT+2Thessaloniki, June 27 (MPA)Two hundred and sixty-four kilos of hashish from Albania, the largest amount ever that has been tried to get smuggled into Greece, was seized by Greek customs police at the border station of Krustallopigi in Florina, Northern Greece.The hashish was stashed in 84 plastic bags hidden inside a truck. According to the police report, the truck's driver fled the scene as soon as he realized that the customs officers were about to comb the vehicle. His whereabouts remain unknown. [09] GREEK POLICE AND INTERPOL BUST EUROPE'S LARGEST LUXURY CAR THEFT RINGWeb Posted: 22:55 GMT+2Thessaloniki, June 27 (MPA)One of Europe's most notorious rings of stolen luxury cars was busted today by Greek police in Thessaloniki, in cooperation with the Interpol.In an one-year period, according to the police, the hot car ring's members, among them 15 Hungarian and four Bulgarian nationals, managed to steal 73 vehicles whose total value amounted GRD 800 million, from the region of Thessaloniki alone, most of which were driven into Bulgaria where they have now become legitimate. The ring was apparently the brainchild of the 27-year-old Hungarian Andras Homola who is currently held in custody at Budapest, while two of his copatriots Laszlo Toth, 24, and Zsolt Kapitany, 23, are detained at Thessaloniki's jail of Diavata. Aside from Greece, the organized ring was busy "selling" cars in Bulgaria, Hungary as well as other European countries. The hot car operation was modeled after a pyramid style, expeptionally well- organized, featuring one leader and numerous middle-men, each of whom was assigned to different duties, starting from the car's theft to its transport at the Greek-Bulgarian borders, the forging of the car's registration documents and the promotion to the would-be buyers. Not surprisingly, their favorite targets were Mercedes-Benz and BMW. During one time period, Homola had set up his home at a villa in Panorama, Thessaloniki's priciest neighborhood. While the culprits have been arrested, one problem remains to be solved. According to Thessaloniki's Police Chief Kostas Economou, no one seems to know how the stolen cars will be returned to their rightful owners. According to Bulgarian law, once the pink slip has been signed, the car's ownership is deemed lawful and the new owner cannot be held responsible for the theft, nor is the vehicle's seizure allowed. Mr. Economou stated that the police forces of Greece, Bulgaria and Hungary will try to resolve the hitch through the courts. [B] BALKANS[10] PRE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN PERIOD WRAPS UP IN ALBANIA, BUT VIOLENCE MOUNTSWeb Posted: 14:35 GMT+2Tirana, June 27 (MPA)Violence is mounting throughout Albania, while the pre-election campain period for the country's political parties is officially coming to an end today.The Socialist and Democratic parties are to hold separate rallies today at Tirana's central square. In spite of its evident shortcomings in regards to preparing the way for Sunday's elections, the international community and especially the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe deems that the elections will salvage Albania from its deep crisis and will serve as a base for the country's restoration. Meanwhile, OSCE's special envoy Franz Vranitski has travelled to Tirana where he met with Albanian President Sali Berisha, Premier Bashkim Fino, Socialist Party leader Fatos Nano and the President of the Democratic Party Tritan Sehu. According to Mr. Vranitski, the key problem right now is securing the acceptance of the elections' outcome. In an interview to BBC, Mr. Vranitski characterized certain regions of Albania as being dangerous, but he did insist that the elections are the only opportunity to salvage the country from its crisis. Today, Mr. Vranitski is to travel to Italy where he will meet with the leaders of the multi-national force assigned to Albania. Last night, nine persons were injured during one of Sali Berisha's pre- election campaign rallies. A.F. [11] GREEK PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION TRAVELS TO TIRANA AS ELECTION OBSERVERSWeb Posted: 14:35 GMT+2Athens, June 27 (MPA)A seven-member parliamentary delegation is to depart for Tirana today in order to serve as observers during Albania's parliamentary elections on Sunday.Also, four Greek euro-deputies will travel to Tirana as observers and they are Yiannis Roubatis, K. Hatzidakis, I. Theonas and Katerina Daskalaki. Taking part in the Council of Europe's delegation is also a Greek deputy, El. Veryvakis. A.F. [12] "OMONIA" FORMER LEADER ABDUCTED IN ALBANIA, HIS BROTHER IN LAW TOOWeb Posted: 14:35 GMT+2Tirana, June 27 (MPA)The former leader of Albania's Greek minority group "Omonia" Theodoros Bezianis was abducted yesterday afternoon by four men near Gjirocaster who forced him into a yellow car without licence plates.A few hours later, his brother-in-law Sotiris Kyriazatis, he is the president of the Examilia community, was also abducted. Bezianis' family owns a soda-pop factory near Gjirocaster and also publishes a Greek newspaper in Albania. His daughter is a candidate during Sunday's parliamentary elections, running with the party of the Human Rights Union, in the region of Aghii Saranta. Mr. Bezianis was one among "Omonia"'s accused during the famous trial of the "five" that was held three years ago. A.F. [13] SIGNIFICANT PARTICIPATIONS FROM ALL THE BALKAN COUNTRIES IN MPA'S CONFERENCEWeb Posted: 19:21 GMT+2Thessaloniki 27 June (MPA)Directors and Chief Editors from 50 of the most significant mass media in the Balkans will begin arriving tomorrow in Thessaloniki to participate in the Inter-Balkan Journalist Conference that will take place in the sea resort of Agia Triada on June 30-July 1. The conference is organized by Macedonian Press Agency, while its co-organizer is the Cultural Capital of Europe Organization - Thessaloniki 1997.Especially significant will be the presence of mass media Directors from all the southeastern European states, while strong interest present the participations from Albania and Turkey due to the speedy political developments taking place in those countries. From Albania, will participate Chief Editor of the independent newspaper "Koha Jone" ms.Rudina Xhunga, the director of the pro-socialist newspaper "Zeri i Populi", mr.Alferd Dalipi, also ms.Margalina Sina deputy General Director of Albanian news agency ATA and the general secretary of the Institute for Free Information and Democracy in Albania mr.Illirian Hokha. From Turkey, which continues to be in a deep political crisis will arrive mr.Jusuf Ozkan Editor-in-chief on Balkan issues in the newspaper "Milliyet", mr.Metehan Demir political issues commentator in the newspaper "Turkish Daily News", mr.Hilmi Bengi deputy General Director of the Turkish news agency ANADOLU and mr.Fevzi Kahraman General Director of the private television news agency "IHA". Equally significant are the participations from Bulgaria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, FYROM and Romania. The largest delegation will be the Bulgarian which will include the Directors of the two state news agencies, BTA and BIP, the General Director of Bulgarian Radio and Television and the Directors and Chief Editors of the newspapers "24 Hours", "Trud", "Duma" and "Pari". It should be noted that the meeting of the Association of Balkan News Agencies, ABNA, will be held on Tuesday afternoon after the completion of the Conference proceedings. ABNA's rotating presidency will be taken over by MPA on July 1. [14] ALBANIAN IMMIGRANTS SHOULD VOTE IN THEIR COUNTRIES OF RESIDENCEWeb Posted: 19:21 GMT+2Athens 27 June (MPA)Greek Euro-deputy from the party Coalition of the Left mr.Alekos Alavanos requested the intervention of the European Union and the OSCE to take measures that will allow the Albanian immigrants to vote in their countries of residence, mainly in Greece and Italy. Mr.Alavanos also called on the Greek government to use all its influence toward this direction.According to mr.Alavanos, in spite of the accomodation offered, the Albanian immigrants are afraid to go to their country to vote and therefore, the election result can be disputed as non representative of the electorate due to the large number of Albanian immigrants abroad. [15] THREATS FOR CIVIL WAR IN ALBANIA IN CASE BERISHA IS RE-ELECTEDWeb Posted: 19:21 GMT+2Gjirokastra 27 June (MPA)The President of the Salvation Committee formed by the residents of the southern Albanian port city of Vlore, Luftar Bedosati, threatened with a civil war in case President Sali Berisha's Democratic party is the winner in the June 29 elections.In an interview published today in the newspaper "Koha Jone", the Salvation Committee President stresses that in case the Democratic party wins the people of Vlore will ask the multi-national protection force to leave and will take up arms. Responding to the question why they do not allow a rally of Berisha's supporters to be held in the city, the local Salvation Committee President stated that they have never stopped a Democratic party pre-election rally from taking place in Vlore but they can not allow Berisha and Meksi, who committed crimes against the people to set foot in the city. [16] YILMAZ IS CLOSER TO FORMING A COALITION GOVERNMENTWeb Posted: 19:21 GMT+2Ankara 27 June (MPA)The possibilities for Prime Minister designate Mesut Yilmaz to form a coalition government in Turkey have increased today after the resignation of Welfare party deputy Ferit Bora, who joined Husametin Cintoruk's party of Democratic Turkey. Cintoruk is destined to become vice-President in the new coalition government.Also, two deputies from Tansu Ciller's True Path party, Ismail Kiose and Kubilay Ugun, joined the Nationalist Action party which is not represented in Parliament. Yesterday, former Minister of Family Planning and True Path party deputy, Isilay Saigin, who resigned recently, joined Yilmaz's Motherland party, while two of Ciller's party deputies joined the Democratic Turkey party. [17] THE MINISTRY OF MACEDONIA-THRACE INTER-BALKAN COOPERATION COMMITTEE LEAVES FOR ROMANIA ON SUNDAYWeb Posted: 19:21 GMT+2Thessaloniki 27 June (MPA)The prospect of opening two offices one in Thessaloniki and one in Bucharest allowing a better cooperation between Greece and Romania will be among the main issues that will be discussed in the meetings Ministry of Macedonia-Thrace General Secretary ms.Chrysa Manolias will have with her Romanian counterparts in the Ministries of Reform, Industry and Energy, Culture and Tourism.The visit of the Greek delegation will take place on June 29 and its goal will be to promote new flexible policies and the creation of a firm framework for economic, business, commercial and cultural cooperation. [18] GREEKS ARE FYROM'S STRONGEST INVESTORS SAYS PREMIER CERVENKOVSKIWeb Posted: 22:55 GMT+2Skopje, June 27 (MPA)FYROM's Premier Branco Cervenkosvksi spoke today on the economic reforms that are currently taking place in his country, during an address given at a business forum organized by Grand Montana in Skopje.Premier Cervenkovski saluted Greece's interest in proceeding with investments in his country and noted that quite soon Greek businessmen will be his country's largest investors. Moreover, Mr. Cervenkovski referred to his country's banking system and pointed out that privately-owned capital has the lion's share in this sector, whereas, for example, among the largest investors in FYROM's Economic Bank is Greece's National Bank and an Austrian credit and loans financial institution. [C] EUROPE[19] FORMER EU COMMISSION PRESIDENT WILL VISIT ATHENSWeb Posted: 19:21 GMT+2Athens 27 June (MPA)Former EU Commission President Jacques Delors arrives in Athens today. His visit is held at the invitation of the Greek government.The European official will be accompanied by European Socialist Ministers of Finance. [D] WORLD[20] INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE OF THE UNION FOR DEMOCRACY IN THE BALKANSWeb Posted: 14:35 GMT+2Thessaloniki, June 27 (MPA)The international conference on "Culture and Reconciliation in South- Eastern Europe" is currently being held near Thessaloniki.The session was inaugurated yesterday by the President of the Union for Democracy in the Balkans, Nikos Evthimiades. Mr. Evthimiades outined the Union's activities since the last meeting held in March 1996. The three-day conference will examine all the parameters that form the cultural atmosphere of South-Eastern Europe. Among the issues that will be discussed are education, the Ottoman heritage, the significance of the economy, the motives of the big powers and their effect on South-Eastern Europe, religion, as well as, cultural and ethnic minorities. The Union for Democracy in the Balkans was founded in 1995. It is a non profit society that aims at helping in the development of democratic institutions and the society of citizens in the Balkan and the Black Sea countries. A.F. [21] PRESIDENT OF CYPRUS GLAFKOS CLERIDES IS IN AMSTERDAMWeb Posted: 14:35 GMT+2Nicosia, June 27 (MPA)The President of the Republic of Cyprus Glafkos Clerides is currently Amsterdam in order to be briefed on the results of the recently-held EU Summit concerning the revision of the Maastricht Treaty.Mr. Clerides has been invited by the Dutch-held EU Presidium, which has albeit clarified that this invitation does not signify the embarkation of any sort of negotiations regarding Cyprus' accession to the Community. The thee-hour briefing session will be headed by the European Council's President and Dutch Premier Wik Kok and Dutch Foreign Minister Hans Van Mierlo. A.F. Complete archives of the Macedonian Press Agency bulletins are available on the MPA Home Page at http://www.mpa.gr/ and on the U.S. mirror at http://www.hri.org/MPA/Macedonian Press Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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