Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 97-07-11

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

Macedonian Press Agency: News in English Directory

MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Thessaloniki, July 11, 1997

NEWS IN ENGLISH

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

TITLES

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[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

NEWS IN DETAIL

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[01] SIMITIS-DEMIREL COMMUNIQUE DISCUSSED TODAY IN MINISTERIAL COUNCIL

The non-aggression communique recently signed between Greek Prime Minister Kostas Simitis and Turkish President Suleiman Demirel is to be discussed today during the Greek government's ministerial council.

Greece's Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos expressed his satisfaction over the progress made in bilateral relations with Turkey, while Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem announced that there will be further developments achieved in the rapproachment attempts made by the two countries.

[02] GREEK PREMIER COMMENTS ON MADRID-SIGNED COMMUNIQUE WITH TURKEY

The non-aggression communique recently signed between Greek Prime Minister Kostas Simitis and Turkish President Suleiman Demirel during the Madrid-held NATO Summit, has been afforded the unanimous approval of the country's Cabinet.

Following a Cabinet session today, the Premier stated that he is quite satisfied since "all the members of the Ministerial Council actively participated in the discussion that examined how we will continue this long path for which the first step was taken in Madrid.

"it will be long way, but the way to peace, for a strong Greece, is always difficult," he added.

[03] GOVERNMENT CABINET ENJOYS MEETING OF MINDS ON MADRID'S COMMUNIQUE

There is an apparent meeting of minds in the Greek government concerning the recently-signed non-aggression pact between Greek Premier Kostas Simitis and Turkish President Suleiman Demirel, as today's ministerial council illustrated.

According to the Premier, the Ministers discussed the communique and focused on the country's future tactics.

"We are all in agreement," Mr. Simitis added.

While the Minister of Foreign Affairs Theodoros Pangalos stressed that there was a thorough exchange of points of view, the former Defense Minister, and current Minister of Education Gerasimos Arsenis, requested that he be given further clarification on the details of the agreement.

[04] GREECE'S REGION OF KASTORIA IS AT THE MERCY OF ALBANIAN GANGS

Greece's prefecture of Kastoria, in western Macedonia, has fallen to the mercy of Albanian gangs which continue on a daily basis their attacks and lootings against unsuspecting individuals and have stolen hundreds of herds of sheep from the countryside.

Thousands of residents in the area have sought help from the local authorities and threaten that if the state does not draw security measures quickly, then they will themselves form armed groups in order to defend their own.

[05] THESSALONIKI TO GAIN TEN "INFOKIOSKS", AS PART OF "POLIS" PROGRAMME

Thessaloniki's Local Administration Prefecture has opened ten electronic information kiosks throughout the city, an operation within the framework of a pioneering European programme-network called "POLIS".

The kiosks, already a routine sight in four other European cities, Hanover Stockholm, Brescia and Leeds, will provide the city's residents and visitors with access to information that will minimize their trips to public agencies and services.

Some of the topics the public will have access to in these "infokiosks" will be matters concerning the economy, market activity and local development.

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

[06] CLERIDES-DENKTASH TALKS CONTINUE IN NEW YORK, SECOND MEETING TODAY

The direct talks between the President of Cyprus Glafkos Clerides and the leader of the Turkish-Cypriots Rauf Denktash are being continued in New York today, under the auspice of United Nations chief Kofi Annan.

Today, the UN Secretary General's special envoy Diego Cordovez is to hold separate meetings with Mr. Clerides and Mr. Denktash to whom he submitted a document concerning procedural matters.

According to President Clerides, this document could cover certain aspects, but not all, of the Cyprus issue.

According to reports from the Cypriot News Agency KYPE, this document mainly concerns constitutional issues.

[07] BRITISH ENVOY TO CYPRUS SIR DAVID HANNAY TO ARRIVE IN N.Y. TODAY

The British government's special envoy for the Cyprus issue Sir David Hannay is to arrive in New York today in order to attend the direct talks held between the President of Cyprus Glafkos Clerides and the leader of the Turkish-Cypriots Rauf Denktash.

According to reports, Sir Hannay is to aid in resolving certain procedural issues.

Diplomatic observers at the United Nations headquarters assess that today's round of direct talks is especially critical.

[08] GREEK-AMERICAN GEORGE TENNET IS A LIKELY CANDIDATE TO LEAD CIA

The US Senatorial Committee on Information Services has approved the appointment of Greek-American George Tennet as CIA Chief.

The 19 senators' unanimous decision paves the road for Mr. Tennet's appointment, which still has to gain the approval of the Senate's plenary session.

[09] TWO PERSONS KILLED IN BOSNIA DURING NATO'S OPERATION

Two Bosnian-Serbs were killed in Bosnia yesterday, during episodes that erupted when NATO's SFOR force assigned to Bosnia attempted to arrest the former police chief of the city of Priedore, Simo Triliaca, who is said to have tortured a score of Muslims and Croats between April and December of 1992.

Following an exchange of fire, Triliaca and his guard were killed while an SFOR troop was wounded.

Meanwhile, the president of the Serb Republic of Bosnia Biliana Plavsic reacted strongly to the operation and said that this incident is going to have an affect on the country's relations with NATO.

[10] US PRESIDENT EXPECTED IN ROMANIA TODAY

United States President Bill Clinton is expected in Romania today, where he will conduct an offical visit.

This is to be the first visit conducted to Romania by a US President in the last twenty years.

President Clinton's visit to Bucharest is held mere days after Romania's unsuccessful attempt to enter NATO and it is expected that Mr. Clinton will be confronted by disgruntled Romanian politicians who are embittered over the fact that the US did not second their country's accession to the Alliance, at least during the first phase of the latter's expansion.

[11] TURKISH PM REQUESTS HIS COUNTRY'S FULL ACCESSION TO EU FROM SANTER

Turkish Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz has forwarded a letter to the European Union's leaders and to the President of the European Commission Jacques Santer wherein he requests that his country enter the Community as a full member.

The Turkish Premier noted that the report and comments issued by the EC in regards to the accession of new members, which is to be published by July 16 the latest, should not exclude Turkey "now that a new government has come to power and the country's relations with the West are becoming more substantive."

[12] ITALY'S PM ROMANO PRODI TO VISIT ALBANIA ONCE NEW CABINET IS APPOINTED

Italy's Prime Minister Romano Prodi is to visit Tirana next week, right after Albania's new government is formed.

Mr. Prodi's imminent visit was announced by Albanian Premier Bashkim Fino, upon the latter's return from the Madrid-held NATO Summit.

According to Mr. Fino, Mr. Prodi expressed the desire to visit Albania, "and I gladly accepted."

[13] SERB POLITICAL PARTIES CONDEMN YESTERDAY'S OPERATION WHERE SFOR KILLED 2

Serbia political parties have condemned in unisom yesterday's NATO operation in Bosnia where SFOR troops killed wanted man Simo Triliaca and his guard.

Triliaca was wanted on charges of having tortured a score of Muslims and Croats between April and December of 1992.

During yesterday's operation, the troops also arrested Mila Kovacevic who was transported to the Hague so that he may be arraigned on charges of participating in national cleansing operations against Muslims and Croats in 1993 at the city of Priedor.

The press officer of Serbia's Socialist Party Ivica Dacic, stated that such operations on behalf of NATO could actually ignite the situation in Bosnia and endanger the existance of the Serb Republic.

[14] BOSTON GLOBE REPORTS: 78 JOURNALISTS WERE INCARCERATED IN TURKEY LATELY

Seventy-eight journalists and publishers have been sentenced to lengthy terms in prison during the recent months in Turkey, according to the US daily Boston Globe, which published an article on the 185 journalists incarcerated currently all over the world.

According to the report, there was an effort to halt the criminalization of the freedom of press in Turkey. The Committee of Journalists' Protection issued an appeal to Ankara and forwarded a series of letters to former Premier Necmettin Erbakan who had intensified his manhunt against journalists.

These letters were to no avail since in 1996, under the Erbakan regime, 27 more journalists were arrested and thrown in jail.

[15] GLIGOROV COMMENTS ON VIOLENCE OVER FLAGS IN GOSTIVAR AND TETOVO

In light of the escalating violence noted in the cities of Gotivar and Tetovo in FYROM yesterday, where two persons were killed and another 26 were left in serious condition, FYROM's president Kiro Gligorov has issued a formal statement wherein he extends his condolences to the families of the killed.

According to FYROM's press reports, the President believes that the events represent "a serious attack on the national relations.

"It has, however, its positive and negative sides. Positive, since we must learn from it that all citizens should equally respect the state and the state symbols, such as the flags, the coat of arms and the anthem. On the other hand," the President of FYROM adds, "the negative side shows that citizens should not continue with this very unreasonable resistance trying to establish parallel powers or disregard the state symbol and the political sovereignty of the country."

Mr. Gligorov advised that all should "let by-gones be by- gones. Let's put this behind us, try to keep it a part of history and let us go on with peaceful co-habitation."

The episodes, where 8,000 persons had gathered according to FYROM's official reports, erupted when the authorities of FYROM took down the flags of Albania and Turkey which were hoisted on the masts before the Tetovo and Gostivar Assemblies, as per a high court ruling.

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