Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 97-10-20

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

Macedonian Press Agency: News in English Directory

MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Thessaloniki, 20 October1997

NEWS IN ENGLISH

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

TITLES

[A] NATIONAL NEWS .

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

NEWS IN DETAIL

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[01] CABINET CONFERS OVER GREEK-TURKISH RELATIONS

Greece’s Prime Minister Kostas Simitis headed a Cabinet conference today over the Greek-Turkish relations, featuring the participation of Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos, Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos and Alternate Foreign Minister George Papandreou.

The Greek government is set to embark on an international information campaign over the Turkish provocation, both at a diplomatic level as well as on informing the European public.

Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos stated that he will make available to all of his counterparts at the NATO Summit the evidence that Greece has amassed over the Turkish provocative actions in the Aegean. A.F.

[02] GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON:TURKEY MAINTAINS TENSION IN AEGEAN

The Greek government spokesperson Dimitris Reppas referred to Turkey’s intention to maintain tension in the Aegean, during today’s press briefing. Mr., Reppas added that there are many possibilities within the framework of this tension, s8ch as causing a kind of episode.

Referring tot he government conference held today, Mr. Reppas stated that the ministers discussed issues concerning the European Union’s enlargement and, referring to Turkey., he stated that the development in relations between the EU and Ankara need to depend on the respect the neighboring country is to show to international accords, the Cyprus issue, as well as issues of human rights. A.F.

[03] GREECE’S FOREIGN MINISTER TO TRAVEL TO ALGIERS TOMORROW

Greece’s Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos is to travel to Algiers tomorrow, for a one-day official working visit.

Mr. Pangalos will be accompanied by the undersecretary of national economy Alexandros Baltas and will be received by the President of Algiers and the Foreign Minister.

Bilateral relations in the economic and trade sectors will be at the center of the talks. A.F.

[04] MAIN OPPOSITION LEADER OPPOSES MANDATORY MERGER OF COMMUNITIES

The President of Greece’s main opposition party, New Democracy’s Kostas Karamanlis expressed today his opposition of the government’s I. Kapodistrias bill, which concerns the mandatory merger of the country’s various small communities,.

Mr. Karamanlis asked that any form of reaction and protest to the bill be addressed to the government and not to other citizens.

The government spokesperson Dimitris Reppas retorted that the New Democracy party does not have a better proposal to make. Meanwhile, protests continued throughout the country for the bill. A.F.

[05] PARLIAMENT PRESIDENT MEETS WITH NEW AMBASSADORS OF CHILE, CROATIA

The President of the Hellenic Parliament Apostolos Kaklamanis held successive meetings with the new ambassadors of Chile and Croatia, Marcia Gouarrubias and George Pribicevic, respectively, in Athens.

Mr. Kaklamanis assured Chile’s new ambassador to Athens Ms. Guarrubias that the Greek parliament is to ratify the Chile- European Union association accord, given Athens’ support to her country. In turn, the Chilean diplomat briefed Mr. Kaklamanis on the current political situation of her country.

Meeting with Mr. Pribicevic, Mr. Kaklamanis referred to the conference of the Parliament Presidents of Southeastern Europe’s countries and stressed that Croatia is welcome to participate in multilateral cooperation in the region.

Mr. Pribicevic outlined his country’s positions in relation with SE Europe and relayed the Croat government’s wish to contribute to the development of cooperation, within the framework of the Greek initiative in the region. A.F.

[06] GOVERNMENT MEETING ON GREEK NATIONAL ISSUES

National issues, mainly those concerning the Greek-Turkish relations, dominated in today’s meeting that was held under Prime Minister Kostas Simitis with the participation of Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos, Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos and alternate Foreign Minister Giorgos Papandreou .

Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas stressed after the meeting that Greece has a strong defense and deterrent force and will not be taken by surprise in case of a Turkish attack.

Mr.Reppas also pointed out that in the meeting was raised the issue of the EU expansion in view of the EU Ministers’ Council meeting that will be held in Luxembourg. Greece’s position will be for the EU to go ahead with the enlargement while regarding Turkey, mr.Reppas said that the developments in the EU relations with Ankara should depend on Turkey’s respect to international treaties, the efforts for the solution of the Cyprus problem and the issue of human rights.

Also, the Greek side will persist in its position regarding the EU funds for Ankara for as long as, Turkey refuses to appeal to the International Court of Justice in The Hague on the issue of the Imia islets in the Aegean.

[07] THE BRITISH UNDERSECRETARY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS IS IN ATHENS

The British Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs met this morning with Greek Minister of Defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos in Athens.

The British government official expressed his country’s interest in defusing of the situation in Cyprus and supported the lifting of armaments in the region.

[08] GERMAN PARLIAMENT DELEGATION VISITED THESSALONIKI

The problems in the education of the children of Greek immigrants in Germany were discussed in a meeting the visiting German Parliament delegation had in Thessaloniki with Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Philippos Petsalnikos.

Mr.Petsalnikos stated after the meeting, that there was agreement on the systematic cooperation between the governments and the teaching staffs of both countries. Also, it was agreed that the operation of bilingual schools can begin on a pilot basis offering high level education because, according to mr.Petsalnikos, if the current situation continues the children of immigrants will face more and more difficulties in the job market.

[09] G.STEPHANOPOULOS: PRO-TURKISH TENDENCIES IN THE US STATE DEPARTMENT AND THE PENTAGON

Former US President adviser George Stephanopoulos admitted in an interview to the Greek-American daily “Ethnikos Kirikas” that both in the US State Department and the Pentagon there are elements that tend to favor Turkey to Greece’s disadvantage.

Mr.Stephanopoulos maintained that this tendency is being balanced to a great extent by the influence exerted by the elected members of the US House of Representatives and Senate. Nevertheless, he maintained that there is a strong political position in the US State Department and the Department of Defense based on which, the US should be careful not to “push” Turkey outside the NATO alliance and also, that the US should “lean” slightly toward Turkey’s side regarding its relations with Greece.

Mr.Stephanopoulos, who is a Greek-American and is currently teaching at the University of Columbia while he is also a political analyst in the TV station ABC, did not hesitate to put a blame on the Greek-American community for the existing situation, stressing that the Greek-Americans have not made a good effort to influence the wider structure of the US government.

[10] PARLIAMENT PRESIDENT MEETS WITH NEW AMBASSADORS OF CHILE, CROATIA

The President of the Hellenic Parliament Apostolos Kaklamanis held successive meetings with the new ambassadors of Chile and Croatia, Marcia Gouarrubias and George Pribicevic, respectively, in Athens.

Mr. Kaklamanis assured Chile’s new ambassador to Athens Ms. Guarrubias that the Greek parliament is to ratify the Chile- European Union association accord, given Athens’ support to her country. In turn, the Chilean diplomat briefed Mr. Kaklamanis on the current political situation of her country.

Meeting with Mr. Pribicevic, Mr. Kaklamanis referred to the conference of the Parliament Presidents of Southeastern Europe’s countries and stressed that Croatia is welcome to participate in multilateral cooperation in the region.

Mr. Pribicevic outlined his country’s positions in relation with SE Europe and relayed the Croat government’s wish to contribute to the development of cooperation, within the framework of the Greek initiative in the region. A.F.

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

[11] ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH VARTHOLOMEOS TO MEET WITH US PRESIDENT

The Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos is to be received by the United States President Bill Clinton on Wednesday in Washington. The Ecumenical Patriarch arrived at the United States yesterday where he was received with chief-of-state honors.

Tomorrow, State Department Secretary Madeleine Albright is to host a luncheon in the Ecumenical Patriarch’s honor. Mr. Vartholomeos is to meet with the US vice-president Al Gore, the Speaker of the House and leading members of Congress. The center of talks that Mr. Vartholomeos is to hold will be the re-operation of the Theological School of Chalke. A.F.

[12] ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH’S VISIT TO U.S. GRANTED WIDE PRESS COVERAGE

The Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos’ visit to the United States has been granted extensive coverage in the American press, which illustrate the significance of the almost-month-long visit, the first ever since the Ecumenical Patriarch took his present post.

“The New York Times” point out the significance of the meeting to be held between the President of the United States Bill Clinton and his All Holiness, and make extensive reference to the Patriarch’s interest for environmental protection. A.F.

[13] OPERATION OF REFLOATING LAST MARCH’S ALBANIAN SHIPWRECK UNDERWAY

Attempts are currently underway to refloat the Albanian ship that sunk last March in the straits of Otranto, taking the lives of 80 Albanian illegal immigrants.

Once the ship is surfaced, a thorough investigation will be conducted since a score of survivors and victims’ relatives claim that the shipwreck, caused by a collision with an Italian navy ship, was not an accident but instead was the result of a premeditated act by the Italian Navy.

The ship, currently standing at a depth of over 800 meters, will be hauled near the Printezi port where Italian authorities, along with officials from the Albanian Embassy and relatives of the victims, will await the results. A.F.

[14] GREEK AND BULGARIAN DEPUTIES GIVE REPORT ON BALKAN COOPERATION

Two parliamentarians, a Greek and a Bulgarian, have undertaken the preparation of a report for economic cooperation and development in the Balkans, to be submitted to the Council of Europe in April, shortly before the Cof E’s presidency is taken by Greece.

Speaking to the Macedonian Press Agency, the Cof E’s President of the economic committee of the parliamentary assembly and vice-president of the plenary session, leader of the British delegation Teri Davis, saluted the significance of developing cooperation and achieving progress in the Balkans, for the establishment of peace and stability in Europe.

The following week, the Cof E’s parliamentary assembly is to organize a congress that will examine the socio-economic views of Central-Eastern Europe’s fiscal policy. A.F.

[15] MONTENEGRO: JUGANOVIC WINS PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS

Montenegro’s Premier Milo Jucanovic will be the country’s president for the following five years, having won the second round of the Presidential elections held yesterday.

The central electorate committee, with 93% of the votes counted, announced that Mr.Jucanovic amassed 165,330 votes, against the incumbent President Momir Bulatovic who gathered 158,634.

The final results are to be announced this evening. A.F.

[16] SERB CIVILIANS THREATEN NATO TROOPS IN BOSNIA

A group of Bosnian-Serb civilians encircled a team of NATO troops who were inspecting a building that used to house a police precinct in the past.

The soldiers arrived at the building, which is located in a mountain near Pale, with eight armored vehicles. As they were preparing to leave, they were confronted by about 50 Serb villagers who shouted “shame on you!” this is our country, not yours!”.

Most of the troops, all of them Italian, managed to leave, abandoning two of the vehicles. A.F.

[17] TURKISH-CYPRIOT LEADER RAUF DENKTASH DEPARTS FOR U.S. ON THURSDAY

The leader of the Turkish-Cypriots Rauf Denktash is to depart for the United States on Thursday, where he will hold a series of contacts over the Cyprus issue, according to Turkish-Cypriots press reports.

Mr. Denktash is to meet with the Presidential envoy for the Cypriot issue Richard Holbrooke in Washington, as well as with State Department and White House officials. In turn, he will travel to New York where he will meet with the United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan.

Meanwhile, Turkish -Cypriot press reports in London have written that the Turkish Foreign Ministry has advised Mr. Denktash to refrain from making claims of unifying the island’s occupied part with Turkey and threats of war. A.F.

[18] FOREIGN MINISTERS OF GREECE, BULGARIA, ROMANIA TO MEET

Bulgaria’s Kostov government summarized its positions as they will be presented in the imminent trilateral meeting to be held among the Foreign Ministers of Bulgaria, Greece and Romania on October 23 in Sinia, Romania.

Mgrs. Theodoros Pangalos, Nanjezda Michailova and Adrian Severin will examine issues concerning the European Union’s and NATO’s expansion, structure programs for the region, the trade and economic relations between the three countries, ways to counter organized crime and modernization of border stations. A.F.

[19] TWO MPs FROM GREECE AND BULGARIA WILL PREPARE AN ECONOMIC COOPERATION REPORT

Two Parliament deputies, Greek Michalis Liapis and Bulgarian Yevgeni Kirilov have undertaken to prepare a report on the economic cooperation and development in the Balkans.

The report will be presented in the plenary session of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly in April of 1998 just before Greece takes over the Council’s presidency early next month.

Meanwhile, the social-economic views on the fiscal policy in Central and Eastern Europe will be discussed within the framework of a conference organized by the Parliamentary Assembly to take place in Strasbourg next week.

[20] THE GREEK PRESIDENT TO INAUGURATE AN EXHIBITION ON CYPRUS

President Kostis Stephanopoulos will inaugurate the exhibition on the Byzantine and Medieval Cyprus that will open in Thessaloniki on October 26 in the Museum of Byzantine Civilization.

The exhibits outline “the face and character of Cyprus” during the medieval times and stress the fact that Cyprus had played the role of Europe’s border outpost in Eastern Mediterranean.

The exhibition is co-organized by the Museum of Byzantine Civilization and the Cultural Institute of the Bank of Cyprus.

[21] CONFERENCE ON THE TRADITIONAL BALKAN ARCHITECTURE

International Conference on the “Traditional Balkan Architecture” will be held in Thessaloniki on November 7-10 aimed at presenting the overall picture of the region’s architecture, as it was formed in the Balkans in the post-Byzantine period during the Ottoman occupation.

Among the conference participants will be scientists from Greece, Turkey, Bulgaria, Romania, former Yugoslavia, Albania and FYROM, while Italy and Switzerland will send observers.

[22] CLEAR MESSAGE TO THE CANDIDATE STATES FOR EU MEMBERSHIP

In an interview to MPA, the German alternate assistant NATO Secretary-General sent a clear message to the future members of the alliance, stressing that there are no specific criteria for the admittance of new member-states because this is a political decision that will be made on the basis of unanimity.

The NATO high-ranking official also distanced himself from the views concerning the holding of a military operation for the arrest of former Bosnian-Serb leader Radovan Karadjic. He persisted in the position that those wanted for war crimes should be arrested only if they are located by a unit of the international force, while he did not rule out the likelihood of a new intervention by the international community in case of unfavorable developments.

[23] CYPRUS’ EU ACCESSION NEGOTIATIONS WILL START IN APRIL

Cypriot Minister of Finance Christodoulos Christodoulou stated that Cyprus’ EU accession negotiations will start in April.

Mr.Christodoulou stated in an investment conference on Russia that is being held in Nicosia that Cyprus constitutes a significant incentive both for domestic and overseas companies.

The Cypriot government Minister stated that the EU countries are aware of the fact that the Cypriot Republic meets the Maastricht criteria, something that has been achieved only by a few European economies.

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