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Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 98-02-17

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

Macedonian Press Agency: News in English Directory

MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH

Thessaloniki, 17 February 1998


NEWS IN ENGLISH

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS


TITLES

[A] NATIONAL NEWS

  • [01] RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER PRIMAKOV IN THESSALONIKI TODAY

  • [02] GREECE AND EGYPT WILL HOLD JOINT MILITARY EXERCISES IN NEAR FUTURE

  • [03] NATIONAL ECONOMY & FINANCE MINISTER MEETS WITH MANAGERS OF DEKOS

  • [04] ALBANIA’S FORMER PRESIDENT ALIA UNDERGOES OPEN-HEART SURGERY

  • [05] GREEK FARMERS CALL OFF STRIKE, LIFT ROADBLOCKS

  • [06] GREEK FARMERS TO DECIDE TODAY ON COURSE OF FURTHER MOBILIZATIONS

  • [07] PRIMAKOV VISITED THE MONASTERIES OF IVIRON AND ST. PANTELEIMON

  • [08] THE MOBILIZATIONS OF THE FARMERS IN THESSALY HAVE ENDED

  • [09] PAPANTONIOU STATEMENTS ON THE EMU

  • [10] MITSOTAKIS MET WITH THE TURKISH AMBASSADOR TO ATHENS

  • [11] THE VISIT OF THE GREEK MINISTER OF DEFENSE TO CAIRO WAS FRUITFUL


  • [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

  • [12] NATIONAL ECONOMY AND FINANCE MINSTER ON MAASTRICHT CRITERIA

  • [13] EU COMMISSIONER MARIO MONTI WILL BE IN ATHENS ON FEBRUARY 19- 20

  • [14] NEW POLICY CONFERENCE BY THE WOMEN OF THE SOCIALIST INTERNATIONAL

  • [15] LEFKADIOS HERN: THE GREEK NATIONAL AUTHOR OF JAPAN

  • [16] THE BYPASS OPERATION ON RAMIZ ALIA WAS SUCCESSFUL


  • NEWS IN DETAIL

    [A] NATIONAL NEWS

    [01] RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTER PRIMAKOV IN THESSALONIKI TODAY

    Russia’s Foreign Minster Gevgeni Primakov is to visit the monastic community of Mount Athos today, accompanied by his Greek counterpart Theodoros Pangalos.

    The two men will visit the monasteries of Vatopedi and Panteleimon. The two officials will return to Thessaloniki in the evening, where Mr. Primakov will be received by the Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Philippos Petsalnikos.

    [02] GREECE AND EGYPT WILL HOLD JOINT MILITARY EXERCISES IN NEAR FUTURE

    Greece’s National Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos, currently on a three-day official visit to Egypt, held talks with his Egyptian counterpart Hussein Tadawi in Cairo yesterday where the two men agreed on joint naval and air force exercises to take place in the next few months between the two countries.

    The talks between Mgrs. Tsochatzopoulos and Tadawi focused on bilateral relations and developments in the wider region.

    The Greek Defense Minister said that the holding of joint aeronautical exercises between Greece and Egypt "constitutes a reply to all who think that they can exploit instability in the region for their own expediencies."

    The two officials also exchanged views on a possible military intervention by the United States in Iraq and they agreed that such a development will create serious problems since it will cause general instability in Arab countries with unforeseen consequences.

    Mr. Tsochatzopoulos will be received by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak today and also have talks with the Egyptian Foreign Minister Amir Mousa.

    Tomorrow he is to meet representatives of Egypt's ethnic Greek community, as well as the Orthodox Patriarch of Alexandria and All Africa Petros.

    [03] NATIONAL ECONOMY & FINANCE MINISTER MEETS WITH MANAGERS OF DEKOS

    The Minister of National Economy and Finance Yiannos Papantoniou is to illustrate the government programme to revitalise the public utilities (DEKOS) companies, during his meeting with the managers of DEKOS to be held today.

    The revitalisation plan is to start off with Olympic Airways, whose cancellation of flights is to continue today as well.

    [04] ALBANIA’S FORMER PRESIDENT ALIA UNDERGOES OPEN-HEART SURGERY

    Albania’s former president Ramiz Alia, the last communist leader of his country, is currently undergoing undergo open-heart surgery at Thessaloniki’s George Papanikolaou hospital.

    Mr. Alia, 73 years old, is being operated on by the well- known Greek heart surgeon Panayotis Spyrou, who has performed similar operations on several Greek politicians.

    The Albanian politician was granted a medical visa by the Greek Consulate in Tirana.

    Dr. Spyrou, who saw Mr. Alia a few days ago in Tirana, said that "because of the seriousness of his condition, he should be operated on in Thessaloniki".

    [05] GREEK FARMERS CALL OFF STRIKE, LIFT ROADBLOCKS

    The Pan-Thessaly farmers’ co-ordinating committee have decided to call off their mobilizations, until a later date, after the meeting they held this morning at Tempi.

    Meanwhile tomorrow, the secretary-general of Greece’s Communist Party Aleka Paparega is to grant a press interview in Athens wherein she will address the issues faced by the farmers.

    [06] GREEK FARMERS TO DECIDE TODAY ON COURSE OF FURTHER MOBILIZATIONS

    Transportation at Greece’s national highway may or may not return to normal as of this afternoon, when the farmers of central Greece are to decide on the course of their mobilisations.

    Transportation at Greece’s national highway is obstructed at the Tempi junction as the protesting farmers have opened access to only one lane for the moving vehicles.

    Meanwhile, the government stated yesterday that it will not cave in to blackmail.

    [07] PRIMAKOV VISITED THE MONASTERIES OF IVIRON AND ST. PANTELEIMON

    Russian foreign minister Gevgeni Primakov visisted the monasteries of Iviron and St. Panteleimon in the monastic community of Mount Athos in Chalkidiki northern Greece, accompanied by his Greek counterpart Theodoros Pangalos.

    The two ministers arrived in Karies on board a military helicopter. This afternoon, Mr. Primakov is scheduled to visit Thessaloniki’s Byzantine Museum where the “Treasures of Mount Athos” are exhibited and later in the evening he will meet with minister of Macedonia-Thrace Philippos Petsalnikos.

    [08] THE MOBILIZATIONS OF THE FARMERS IN THESSALY HAVE ENDED

    The farmers in Thessaly, central Greece, lifted their roadblocks in the Thessaloniki-Athens national highway at Tempi after a decision by their coordinating committee.

    The farmers decided to end their mobilizations but they accused the government of intransigence. The mobilizations of the farmers in northern Greece had ended yesterday afternoon.

    [09] PAPANTONIOU STATEMENTS ON THE EMU

    Greece will meet the economic criteria that are necessary for it to participate in the European economic and monetary union and the single currency by the end of the current year, stated minister of national economy and finance Yiannos Papantoniou.

    The minister explained that in 1997 Greece met with consistency all the commitments it had undertaken within the framework of the convergence program.

    [10] MITSOTAKIS MET WITH THE TURKISH AMBASSADOR TO ATHENS

    Right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy honorary president Konstantinos Mitsotakis met today with the Turkish ambassador to Athens.

    In statements he made after the meeting, Mr. Mitsotakis pointed out that the efforts of the government on the issues of national importance should focus on the solution of the Cyprus problem.

    [11] THE VISIT OF THE GREEK MINISTER OF DEFENSE TO CAIRO WAS FRUITFUL

    Greek minister of defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos, who is in Cairo on a three-day formal visit at the invitation of his Egyptian counterpart general Mohammed Hussein Kartaoglu, met this morning with Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak.

    Speaking to reporters in a press conference, Mr. Tsochatzopoulos stated that in the meetings he had with Egyptian government officials were discussed international issues as well as, bilateral issues. The Greek minister briefed the Egyptian president on the developments in the region giving a special emphasis on the crisis in Iraq, while he reiterated Greece’s position that Iraq should respect the UN Security Council decisions. He also stressed that the diplomatic efforts for the solution of the problem should continue to avert a military intervention.

    Mr. Tsochatzopoulos also stated that he briefed the Egyptian president on the destabilization problems in the region and referred to the Cyprus problem and the developments in the Greek- Turkish relations. Mr. Tsochatzopoulos also stressed that he briefed president Mubarak on Turkey’s destabilizing behavior.

    Both the Greek minister of defense and his Egyptian counterpart confirmed the history of friendship between the two peoples and it was stressed that the Egyptian president fully agreed with the coordination of the armed forces of the two countries, through the military agreement that has already been signed, in order to act as forces of peace, security and stability in the region.

    The Egyptian minister of defense stressed that the issues mentioned by Mr. Tsochatzopoulos will be discussed extensively and during Greek foreign minister Theodoros Pangalos’ visit to Cairo at the end of the week.

    Mr. Tsochatzopoulos also met briefly with Egyptian foreign minister Amer Musa and stated that they discussed issues concerning the situation in the Middle East and the peace process between the Palestinians and Israel. Mr. Musa stressed in his statements the importance of Greece and Egypt as factors of peace and stability in the region.


    [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

    [12] NATIONAL ECONOMY AND FINANCE MINSTER ON MAASTRICHT CRITERIA

    Greece’s National Economy and Finance Minster Yiannos Papantoniou, addressing the European Union's Council of Economic and Monetary Affairs meeting in Brussels yesterday, stated that the country’s economy will be in a position to fulfil fiscal criteria set by the Maastricht Treaty, that is, to have a budget deficit of less than 3 per cent of GDP in 1998.

    In his address, Mr. Papantoniou outlined the basic principles of Greek economic policy which the government is applying consistently, emphasising structural measures taken in the direction of restructuring public enterprises and organisations, state -run banks, the insurance system, etc.

    Moreover, he stated that in 1998 the permanent downward trend of the Greek public debt will be consolidated to enable the prospect of the drachma's accession to European Monetary Union (EMU) to become clearer since, as he said, it is the common position of the "15 " that all countries will be handled on the basis of the same criteria regardless of whether they will accede to the EMU from the beginning or at a later stage.

    [13] EU COMMISSIONER MARIO MONTI WILL BE IN ATHENS ON FEBRUARY 19- 20

    EU Commissioner Mario Monti will arrive in Athens on Thursday, February 19 for meetings with minister of national economy and finance Yiannos Papantoniou and Bank of Greece governor Loukas Papadimos.

    According to a statement issued by the EU Commission delegation in Greece, Mr. Monti, who is responsible for internal market issues, finance agencies, customs and tax affairs, will stay in Athens until Friday.

    During his two-day visit to Athens, Mr. Monti will speak in a one-day conference and will express his views on autonomy and self- management for the subsidiary insurance funds.

    Mr. Monti’s visit to Greece will be completed with a press conference during which he will present to the press the Greek translation of his book “The common internal market and the Europe of tomorrow”.

    [14] NEW POLICY CONFERENCE BY THE WOMEN OF THE SOCIALIST INTERNATIONAL

    The Women of the Socialist International and the women’s sector of the governing socialist party of PASOK have co-organized the south-eastern Europe regional conference “Women for a new policy”.

    The goal of the conference, that will be held in Zappion Megaron in Athens on Saturday, is to create a permanent network of women in south-eastern Europe for their positive contribution to the political developments in the region based on the decisions reached in the Inter-Balkan Summit meeting in Crete. Also, the conference aims at the development of dialogue and the greater participation of women in the decision making centers in order to create a policy of viable development, equality, solidarity, cooperation and peaceful co-existence.

    In the conference will participate delegations from Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Greece, Cyprus, FYROM, Georgia, Moldavia, Montenegro and Turkey.

    [15] LEFKADIOS HERN: THE GREEK NATIONAL AUTHOR OF JAPAN

    Manuscripts and personal effects of Lefkadios Hern or Yakumo Kolzumi, the national author of Japan, are being exhibited in the Zappion Megaron in Athens since last Saturday. The exhibition will last until February 19.

    Lefkadios Hern was born in 1850 in the Ionian Sea island of Lefkada. He was the second-born son of a local woman, Rosa Kassimatis and Irish major Charles Hern. He was raised by an elderly aunt in Ireland who had adopted him. At the age of 18 he left for London and later he went to America where he published his first literary work. He also lived for a while in Martinique and the French Antilles where he continued to write novels and translate French literature.

    At the age of 40 he arrived in Japan where he lived for the rest of his life and for 14 years he studied the Japanese culture which he tried to make widely known all over the world. He married a Japanese woman named Setsuko Kolhumi, who was a descendant of the Samurais and together they had 4 children. His life shows that he was not the typical Greek, a fact that is underlined by his decision to take his wife’s last name and to change his first name into Yakumo. He learned the Japanese language but he continued to write in English and teach English literature. He died in 1904 and was buried, according to his wish, at a Buddhish monastery close to his house.

    Lefkadios Hern has been honored in Japan repeatedly and many associations are named after him. His descendants live in Matsue and his personal effects exhibited in Athens come from the city’s museum. In the region of Sintzuku in Tokyo, a park has been named after him, while Lefkada has honored him with a marble monument that was founded in 1933.

    [16] THE BYPASS OPERATION ON RAMIZ ALIA WAS SUCCESSFUL

    Former Albanian president Ramiz Alia underwent a successful heart bypass surgery in the Cardiology Center of Papanikolaou Hospital in Thessaloniki.

    The operation was performed today by heart surgery clinic director Panagiotis Spyrou.


    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/

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