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Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 97-07-13Macedonian 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: 19:12 GMT+2SECTIONS
NEWS HEADLINES[A] GREECE[B] BALKANS[C] EUROPE[D] WORLDNEWS IN DETAIL[A] GREECE[01] GREECE'S DEPUTY FM YIANNOS KRANIDIOTIS TO TOUR MIDDLE EAST THIS WEEKWeb Posted: 19:01 GMT+2Athens, July 13 (MPA)Greece's under-secretary of Foreign Affairs Yiannos Kranidiotis is to embark on a tour of Middle East capitals between July 15-20, according to a Ministry announcement.Mr. Kranidiotis will visit Cairo, Alexandria., Beirut, Damascus and Amman, where he will hold talks with government officials. According to the Greek Ministry, Mr. Kranidiotis' visit falls within the framework of Greece's desire to be engaged more actively in the Middle East process, both within the framework of European Union initiatives, as well as on a bilateral basis. The deputy minister will also meet with church leaders and representatives of the Greek communities of those cities. A.F. [02] PASOK C.C. SECRETARY: SIMITIS-DEMIREL COMMUNIQUE A SIGNIFICANT STEP AHEADWeb Posted: 19:01 GMT+2Athens, July 13 (MPA)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 hailed as a "significant step ahead by the Greek ruling party's (PASOK) Secretary-General Kostas Skandalides.In an attempt to silence the critics of the communique, Mr.Skandalides also added that this "is not a historic step, but neither is it catastrophe." Moreover, Mr. Skandalides stressed that Kostas Simitis is a successful premier, a fact illustrated by the country's presence in the international scene. "The brevity with which he addresses the era's problems, his insistence on cohesive and democratic procedures, his honesty and directness of character" all illustrate that he is a man right for the job, according to Mr. Skandalides, who also strongly denied all rumours that speak of early elections in the horizon. A.F. [03] GREECE'S DEPUTY FM: COMMUNIQUE IS OF VALUE ONLY IF TURKEY OBSERVES ITWeb Posted: 19:01 GMT+2Thessaloniki, July 13 (MPA)Greece's deputy Foreign Minster Yiannos Kranidiotis has told a Greek daily that the communique recently signed between Greek Prime Minister Kostas Simitis and Turkish President Suleiman Demirel during the Madrid-held NATO Summit will be valuable only if Turkey abides by the rules of International law and proves that it respects international accords,According to Mr. Kranidiotis "that which was aimed through this communique was to lift the threat of war and the threat of the use of forces, and to ensure that the international law and accord will be upheld. As to how much this communiqué will affect Greek-Turkish relations. this is something that we will see in action. While the deputy Foreign Minister is not optimistic that Turkey will shift its stance given that "the Greek-Turkish relations have a lengthy negative past", he does express his optimism that the rapprochement between the two countries will aid in the efforts to discover a solution for the Cyprus problem. A.F. [04] CRISTINA HOYOS, TITO PUENTE, BARYSHNIKOV TO STRUT THEIR STUFF IN TOWNWeb Posted: 19:01 GMT+2Thessaloniki, July 13 (MPA)"Bravo" and "encore" are two words sure to echo loudly throughout Thessaloniki the following days, when the three legends, each in his and her own right, will perform in town before aficionados of flamenco, salsa and modern dance.Ms. Cristina Hoyos, the incomparable flamenco dancer will surely enchant the audience during this evening's performance at the open air "Forest Theatre" in Thessaloniki, where she will present the "Arsa y Toma" production which comprises four parts, all mostly choreographed by the famous soloist of Lorca's "Blood Wedding", Ms. Hoyos herself. The King of salsa, Tito Puente, will blow his horn and pump swinging and swaying rhythm into the veins of the lucky vacationers who are near the Halkidiki resort of Sarti where his concert will be held tonight. Thessaloniki's modern dance lovers will also have their fill of glee, as Michail Baryshnikov is to also give an unforgettable performance at the city's Forest Theatre on July 23, accompanied by his entourage, the White Oak Dance Project. A.F. [B] BALKANS[05] TURKEY: YILMAZ RECEIVES VOTE OF CONFIDENCE FROM PARLIAMENTWeb Posted: 19:01 GMT+2Ankara, July 13 (MPA)The government of Mesut Yilmaz received the vote of confidence from the Turkish Parliament today, with 281 votes in favour and 256 against, albeit in a memorable session of the Assembly which was interrupted for 15 minutes when deputies of the Islamist party literally turned against their colleagues.Meanwhile, two more deputies from Tansu Ciller's True Path party resigned, on Friday, thereby reducing the number of her parliamentarians to 99, a paling figure when compared to the 135 deputies she featured in the elections of December 1995. A.F. [06] CLERIDES-DENKTASH TALKS WERE A GOOD START, SAYS US STATE DEPARTMENTWeb Posted: 19:01 GMT+2Washington, July 13 (MPA)The United States believe that the direct talks held between the President bof Cyprus Glafkos Clerides and the leader of the Turkish-Cypriots Rauf Denktash in New York constitute a "good start".State Department official Carry Cavanaugh, did not comment on the content of the talks and merely stated that "it is important that the peacekeeping process be continued." A.F. [07] CLERIDES-DENKTASH MAY MEET IN NICOSIAWeb Posted: 19:01 GMT+2New York, July 13 (MPA)The President of Cyprus Glafkos Clerides and the leader of the Turkish- Cypriots Rauf Denktash are to meet in Nicosia during the interim period that will lapse until the next direct talks at Geneva in August, in order to discuss matters of human rights interest.The Geneva talks may be continued beyond the course of the Presidential elections that will be held in Cyprus in 1998, given the United Nations' wish to complete the process within that year. According to reports, the two leaders did not discuss the matter of the S- 300 anti-missile systems, nor did they speak on the issue of Cyprus's accession to the European Union. A.F. [C] EUROPE[08] EU REPORT SAYS TURKEY IS NOT READY FOR EU ACCESSION TALKSWeb Posted: 19:01 GMT+2Brussels, July 13 (MPA)The European Union's "Agenda 2000" report, to be published on Wednesday, states that Turkey's present political and economic state doesn't allow it for embarking on negotiations for accession to the EU.According to the report, Turkey may satisfy the standards features of democracy, such as an elected government and a Parliament, but the Turkish administration cannot guarantee its adaptation to EU acquis, at least not yet. In regards to Greek-Turkish relations, the report states that the tension in the Aegean can be overcome on the basis of international law and by seeking recourse to arbitration bodies, such as the International Court at The Hague. A.F. [09] BRITISH PREMIER TO MEET WITH CYPRIOT PRESIDENT ON TUESDAYWeb Posted: 19:01 GMT+2Nicosia, July 13 (MPAThe President of Cyprus Glafkos Clerides and the British Prime Minster Toni Blair are to meet in London on Tuesday in order to discuss the results of the direct talks held in New York between President Clerides and the leader of the Turkish-Cypriots Rauf Denktash.According to the British High Commissioner to Nicosia David Madden, Tuesday's meeting will take place in order for the British government to be informed on the direct talks and assess the developments of the Cyprus issue." This will be the first meeting between Mgrs. Clerides and Blair. A.F. [D] WORLD[10] GREEK INSTITUTE WILL OPEN IN TBILISIWeb Posted: 19:01 GMT+2Athens, July 13 (MPA)An institute for Ancient Greek, Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies is to open after this summer in Tbilisi, according to press reports.The Institute, to be housed in the centre of Georgia's capital, will be established in co-operation with the Greek authorities and Georgia's scientific community. 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 |