Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 97-08-26

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

Macedonian Press Agency: News in English Directory

MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Thessaloniki, August 25, 1997

NEWS IN ENGLISH

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

TITLES

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

NEWS IN DETAIL

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[01] SIMITIS-PAPANTONIOU MEETING ON THE ECONOMY

Prime Minister Kostas Simitis will discuss the course of the economy today in a meeting with National Economy Minister Yiannos Papantoniou.

According to information, final decisions will be made on the drafting of next year’s budget on which the contents of the Prime Minister’s speech in the formal opening of Thessaloniki’s 62 nd International Trade Fair will be based.

[02] THE DENKTASH THREATS UNDERLINE THE LACK OF WILL FOR THE SOLUTION OF THE CYPRUS PROBLEM

The war threats made by Turkish-Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash in case Cyprus becomes a member of the European Union display the lack of will on behalf of the Turkish side for the solution of the Cyprus problem, stated Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas.

Mr.Reppas stressed that the Greek government condemns those statements which, as he said, reveal the strategy crisis in Turkey and the difference in the positions followed by the two sides regarding the solution of the Cyprus problem.

The word “war”, said the Greek government spokesman, should not be included in the vocabulary of a politician.

[03] CRUCIAL DECISIONS ON REFORMS IN THE SECTOR OF EDUCATION

The teachers’ main union meets today to discuss the draft law on education promoted by Minister Gerasimos Arsenis.

Both the employed teachers and those who are out of work have expressed their opposition in principle to the draft law which brings significant changes to the sectors of secondary and higher education, while it abolishes the system based on which the teachers were appointed to state schools. A protest rally is scheduled to take place in Athens tomorrow.

[04] THE GREEK NATIONAL DEFENSE GENERAL STAFF CHIEF IS ON A 5-DAY VISIT TO MOSCOW

Greek National Defense Chief of General Staff, wing-commander Athanasios Tzoganis is on a 5-day formal visit to Moscow at the invitation of his Russian counterpart general Anatoly Kbashnin.

Mr.Tzoganis is accompanied by officers representing the three fighting services.

[05] KARAMANLIS CONTINUES HIS VISIT TO CYPRUS

Main opposition party of New Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis continues his visit to Cyprus where he had meetings with political party leaders and Archbishop Chrysostomos.

Mr.Karamanlis met with the leadership of the Democratic Alarm party and they discussed the developments on the issue of Cyprus and the cooperation between the two political parties.

In his statements, mr.Karamanlis expressed his total support to the struggle for a fair solution to the Cyprus and to Cyprus’ accession into the European Union.

[06] ECONOMIC POLICY ASSESED POSITIVE

Greek Press and Media Minister Mr. Dimitris Reppas assessed today the results of the economic policy of the government as positive and added that the results of the co-operation between ministers are easily seen and proved by the course of the governmental work.

Mr. Reppas said that the governmental effort aims at the declimaxation of the inflation and stressed foresaw that it will be within the limits set in the beginning of 1997.

[07] THE GREEK EXPORTS TO RUSSIA HAVE DOUBLED

The exports of Greek products to Russia had a marked increase of 43,6% in 1996, while the EU countries as a whole achieved an increase of just 18,1%. Nevertheless, the share of the Greek products in the European Union exports to Russia remains small at just 1,48%.

According to data provided to MPA by the Export Research and Studies Institute of the Exporters Association of Northern Greece, the Greek exports almost doubled and reached 282,3 million ECU in 1996 compared to 196,5 million ECU in 1995.

[08] AUSTRIAN ARCHITECTURE EXHIBITION IN THESSALONIKI

The talent of Austrians in architecture is displayed through 100 works that will be presented in the Exhibition “Architecture as a passion” organized by the Cultural Capital of Europe Organization - Thessaloniki ’97 in cooperation with the Greek- Austrian Sociaty of Gratz. The exhibition in the Municipality of Thessaloniki Architecture Center, will open tomorrow, August 27 and will last until September 14.

About 40 architects, who have graduated from the Gratz School of Architecture at different times, will participate in the exhibition with samples of their work.

[09] THESSALONIKI WILL BE THE CENTER OF CULTURAL COOPERATION FOR WOMEN FROM THE MEDITERRANEAN AND THE BLACK SEA

The elevation of Thessaloniki to a cultural center and an axis of cultural activities in the Mediterranean, the Balkans and the Black Sea as well as, the decision for a meeting of women, who come from those regions to be held in the city every three years, are the targets of the International Meeting of Women.

The meeting will take place on August 28 to September 4 and is co-organized by the Cultural Capital Organization - Thessaloniki ’97, UNESCO’s Center for Women and Peace in the Balkans, and the Women’s Inter-Balkan Cooperation Society.

About 450 women involved in different forms of art will participate in the three-day meeting, while many cultural events are scheduled to take place. In the programme of the international meeting are included round table discussions to examine the role of women in the secondary sectors of social activities and the multi-cultural world that is being formed.

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

[10] CYPRUS IS INDIVISIBLE PART PF HELLENISM

President of the main opposition party of New Democracy Mr. Constantinos Karamanlis expressed today his support for the joint defense doctrine between Greece and Cyprus but he added that he would prefer it in a different form.

Mr. Karamanlis who is on an official visit in Cyprus after he had met with the leaderships of the political; parties and Archbishop Chrysostomos who briefed him, stated that Cyrpus is indivisible part of Hellenism and Greece should be ready to defend it as any other part of its body.

[11] REACTIONS TO STATEMENT BY DENKTAS ON WAR

President Clerides of Cyprus, commenting on the threat by Turkish-Cypriot leader Mr. Raouf Denktas of a war in case Cyprus joins the European Union wondered who the war would be against, Cyrpus or the EU.

Cypriot Foreign Minister Mr. Yannakis Kasoulides and the Greek political parties reacted strongly to the threats.

[12] THE NEW US COORDINATOR FOR CYPRUS IS EXPECTED TO VISIT THE ISLAND SOON

The new US State Department special coordinator for Cyprus, Thomas Miller is expected to visit the island soon.

According to US State Department spokesman James Rubin, mr.Miller will visit the region before US presidential envoy Richard Halbrooke, who will try to contribute to the solution of the Cyprus problem.

The US State Department spokesman did not announce the exact date of either visit.

Regarding Cyprus’ accession into the EU, mr.Rubin said that the final decision will be made by the European Union.

[13] A GREEK-CYPRIOT HOTEL IN FAMAGUSTA IS RENTED TO AN INSTANBUL AIRLINE

The “Salamis Bay Hotel”, which is a Greek-Cypriot property and is located in the Turkish occupied Famagusta in Cyprus, will be rented to the Turkish airlines in Istanbul for the next 49 years.

According to the Turkish-Cypriot press, the annual rent will be 613 thousand dollars and based on the newspaper “Halkin Sesi”, the decision was made in the recent meeting of the so-called cabinet of the Turkish-Cypriot regime.

[14] ALBRIGHT BACKS PLAVSIC

US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright has openly backed Serb Republic President Biljana Plavsic.

In a telephone communication ms.Albright called on Federal Republic of Yugoslavia President Slobodan Milosevic to offer every possible assistance to ms.Plavsic and isolate former Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadjic’s supporters. The developments in the Serb Republic in Bosnia have caused the great concern of the United States and the western European countries.

[15] SIX OPPOSITION PARTIES IN MONTENEGRO WILL BOYCOTT THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

Six opposition parties in Montenegro announced that they will boycott the presidential elections which will be held on October 5 and will be overseen by the OSCE.

In a joint communique issued by the “Popular Party”, the “Alliance of the Liberals”, the “Democratic Action Party”, the “Democratic Alliance”, the “Democratic Union of Albanians” and the “Social-democratic Party” is maintained that the rigid electoral law and the existing climate do not create the necessary conditions for free and democratic elections and therefore, the opposition has no other choice than to withdraw and leave the field open to the rival blocks of the governing Democrat Socialist party.

[16] PROTEST RALLY BY THE “MUSA ANTER TRAIN OF PEACE” ORGANIZERS

A protest rally will be held in Brussels by the organizers of the “Musa Anter Train of Peace” that was scheduled to leave the Belgian capital with destination Diyarbakir in south-eastern Turkey having as a goal to promote the Kurdish problem and sensitize the international public opinion on the way the problem is handled by the Turkish government.

Both the organizers of the “Train of Peace” and the international organizations for the protection of human rights, which have reacted strongly to Bonn’s decision to block the train from entering the German territory, stated that they are determined to proceed with the trip in spite of the obstacles raised by Ankara, while they maintain that Bonn’s decision was dictated by Turkey.

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