Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 98-06-18
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, June 18, 1998
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] STEPHANOPOULOS - SIMITIS MEETING
[02] UNIVERSITY ADMISSION EXAMS START TOMORROW
[03] NEW DEMOCRACY HAS A LEAD OVER PASOK, ACCORDING TO AN OPINION
POLL
[04] A RUSSIAN WANTED FOR ILLEGAL JEWELRY TRADE WAS EXTRADITED BY
THE GREEK AUTHORITIES
[05] GREECE-CYPRUS CONDEMN TURKISH PROVOCATIONS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[06] A GREEK CYPRIOT WAS ARRESTED IN THE TURKISH OCCUPIED NORTHERN
CYPRUS
[07] ETHNIC ALBANIANS REJECT THE DIALOGUE WITH BELGRADE
[08] REPORT ON CYPRUS BY THE UN SECRETARY-GENERAL
[09] THE ACTS OF VANDALISM TARGETING THE GREEK ORTHODOX CEMETERY
IN ISTANBUL WERE DISCUSSED IN EURO-PARLIAMENT
[10] HOBROOKE APPOINTED US AMBASSADOR TO THE UN
[11] BLOODY CLASHES IN KOSOVO
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] STEPHANOPOULOS - SIMITIS MEETING
Prime minister Kostas Simitis met with president Kostis
Stephanopoulos today and briefed him on the outcome of the EU
Summit meeting in Cardiff as well as, on domestic and foreign
policy issues.
The prime minister stated that the developments in the
Cardiff Summit were expected but there were certain surprise
events. He characterized the outcome of the Summit as positive and
the climate during its proceedings as friendly. He also added that
positive is the outcome of the government's economic policy as
well.
Mr. Simitis stated to reporters after the meeting that the
government will continue its efforts aimed at promoting the
program of structural reforms.
Prime minister Simitis is also scheduled to meet with Serb
Republic of Bosnia president Ms. Biljana Plavsic, who is on a
visit to Athens and with the leadership of the Greek ministry of
the interior, while he will also have a meeting with the 13
regional governors.
[02] UNIVERSITY ADMISSION EXAMS START TOMORROW
The university admission exams will start tomorrow and
students will be tested in the subject of composition.
According to ministry of education figures, the students
taking part in the exams are 141.803 namely, 3.000 less than last
year. The examination will be completed on June 27 and the
ministry of education has announced that it is fully prepared.
[03] NEW DEMOCRACY HAS A LEAD OVER PASOK, ACCORDING TO AN OPINION
POLL
Right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy has a lead
over governing Socialist party of PASOK in the preferences of the
voters. According to an opinion poll conducted by the polling
company MRB, New Democracy has 29.1% compared to PASOK's 23.7%.
Most popular public figure is Archbishop Christodoulos of
Athens and All of Greece with 73.5%, followed by mayor of Athens
Dimitris Avramopoulos with 71.1%. A popularity decline is observed
for prime minister Kostas Simitis (28.4%), while a similar trend
is observed and in the case of ND leader Kostas Karamanlis
(35.8%).
Based on the opinion poll, the Communist Party got 5.7%,
Coalition of the Left 4.8%, the Democratic Social Movement 6% and
Political Spring 1.5%. The undecided were 4.1%.
Responding to the question, who will be the right option for
prime minister after the year 2000, 19.8% chose Dimitris
Avramopoulos, 11.8% Kostas Karamanlis and 11.6% Kostas Simitis.
[04] A RUSSIAN WANTED FOR ILLEGAL JEWELRY TRADE WAS EXTRADITED BY
THE GREEK AUTHORITIES
The Greek authorities decided to extradite Russian Andrei
Kozlonok wanted for illegal jewelry trade of millions of dollars.
The announcement was made by the Greek ministry of justice.
The Russian had been arrested by the Greek authorities in
January and Moscow requested for his immediate extradition based
on the accusations that he was involved in illegal jewelry trade
which was made through the company "Golden Ada" and is estimated
at 180 million dollars. Minister of justice Evangelos
Yiannopoulos signed the extradition two days ago and all the
procedures were completed yesterday.
When he appeared before the court in February, Kozlonok
maintained that he is wanted by Moscow for political reasons and
expressed fears that his life is in danger.
[05] GREECE-CYPRUS CONDEMN TURKISH PROVOCATIONS
Greek Foreign minister Theodoros Pangalos described the
dispatch of Turkish F-16 fighter jets to northern Cyprus as
"completely illegal".
Mr Pangalos stressed that Turkey already has a plethora of
illegal arms on the Cypriot territory and that the deployment of
these planes on the island does not change the current situation.
The Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas underlined
that Turkey's attitude did not help at all in reaching a solution
for the Cyprus problem.
The Cypriot government, also, condemned the violation of the
Cypriot airspace, by the turkish fighter jets, as "illegal" while
the Cypriot government spokesman Christos Stilianidis claimed that
a protest would be filed with the appropriate international
institutions.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[06] A GREEK CYPRIOT WAS ARRESTED IN THE TURKISH OCCUPIED NORTHERN
CYPRUS
The occupation forces in northern Cyprus arrested a Greek
Cypriot today, who lost his way at the old road linking Nicosia
with Larnaca near Geri and entered the occupied territories.
As it was made known, the arrested individual was identified
to be 50yearold Andreas Kiriakou.
The information on the arrest of the Greek Cypriot was
forwarded by the UN peace-keeping forces to the Cypriot police and
efforts are being made for his release.
[07] ETHNIC ALBANIANS REJECT THE DIALOGUE WITH BELGRADE
Russia has announced that it will continue the diplomatic
efforts for the solution of the crisis in Kossovo by sending two
deputy foreign ministers to the Serb province, Albania and FYROM.
Meanwhile, Kossovo's leaders have rejected Belgrade's
proposals for talks if the Serb armed forces are not withdrawn
from the region.
[08] REPORT ON CYPRUS BY THE UN SECRETARY-GENERAL
UN secretary-general Kofi Annan characterized as sad the fact
that his efforts were not proven adequate to lead to the
resumption of the talks for the solution of the Cyprus problem.
In his report to the UN Security Council on his good services
in Cyprus, which was given to publicity today, the UN secretary-
general calls on all the interested parties to refrain from any
action that will raise the tension in the region.
[09] THE ACTS OF VANDALISM TARGETING THE GREEK ORTHODOX CEMETERY
IN ISTANBUL WERE DISCUSSED IN EURO-PARLIAMENT
European Council president Mr. Henderson, responding to a
question made by PASOK's Euro-deputy Nikos Papakiriazis, issued an
appeal to the Turkish authorities to make the necessary moves for
the arrest and prosecution of those responsible for the acts of
vandalism that targeted the Greek Orthodox cemetery of Agios
Eleftherios in Istanbul last April.
Mr. Papakiriazis requested to be briefed on the measures and
the guarantees the EU Council of Ministers will ask from Ankara in
order to secure the protection of the Greek Orthodox population
and the respect of its rights.
[10] HOBROOKE APPOINTED US AMBASSADOR TO THE UN
US president Bill Klinton appointed Richard Holbrooke as
permanent ambassador of his state to the United Nations, without
releasing him of the duties of the presidential envoy for Cyprus.
Mr Holbrooke, accompanied by the US State Department's
special coordinator for Cyprus Thomas Miller, is expected to pay
an unofficial visit to Athens, on Monday, where he will hold talks
with senior officials of the Foreign ministry.
According to the Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas,
the American diplomat will not have a meeting with prime minister
Kostas Simitis.
[11] BLOODY CLASHES IN KOSOVO
The clashes between Serbian security forces and ethnic
Albanians continue in Kosovo. During the last 24 hours, 12 people
were killed, while the Yugoslav Foreign minister Zivadin
Jovanovic, stated, today, that serbian military forces would not
be withdrawn from Kosovo.
The statement by mr Jovanovic came during a meeting he had
with his Belgian counterpart Eric Derike. However, after the
meeting between the Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic and the
Russian president Boris Yeltsin, which aimed at the settlement of
the crisis, the international community continues to exert
pressure on Belgrade for the withdrawal of his security forces
from the Serbian province.
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