Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 98-09-02
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, September 2, 1998
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] WORLD FINANCIAL CRISIS CONTINUES, GREECE'S EMU ACCESSION
NOT IN PERIL
[02] NATIONAL HIGHWAY CONNECTING KAKAVIA-GJIROCASTER BLOCKED BY
RESIDENTS
[03] PRIME MINISTER TO MEET WITH PRESIDENT OF REPUBLIC TODAY
[04] FINNISH PRESIDENT ON OFFICIAL VISIT TO GREECE SEPTEMBER14-17
[05] ISRAELI EMBASSY DENIES REPORTS OF JOINT MILITARY EXERCISES
WITH TURKEY
[06] MR. REPPAS COMMENTED ON THE DENKTASH - CEM PROPOSAL
[07] STEPHANOPOULOS - SIMITIS MEETING
[08] THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE GAVE SIGNS OF RECOVERY
[09] FIVE PARLIAMENTS PARTICIPATED IN A TELE-CONFERENCE
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[10] US PRESIDENT CLINTON MEETS WITH RUSSIAN POLITICIANS IN MOSCOW
[11] UNHCR CONCERNED OVER KOSSOVO'S REFUGEES AS WINTER APPROACHES
[12] GREEK DEFENSE MINISTER TO VISIT CYPRUS FOR INDEPENDENCE DAY
[13] GREEK DEFENSE MINISTER ENTERS TALKS WITH TUNISIAN OFFICIALS
[14] CYPRIOT PRESIDENT CLERIDES MEETS WITH ALGERIAN COUNTERPART
[15] THE TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTRY ON THE EUROPEAN COURT DECISION
IN FAVOUR OF TITINA LOIZIDOU
[16] YELTSIN: RUSSIA MUST CONTINUE THE REFORMS
[17] CLERIDES' ADDRESS IN THE 12TH SUMMIT MEETING OF THE NON-
ALIGNED COUNTRIES
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] WORLD FINANCIAL CRISIS CONTINUES, GREECE'S EMU ACCESSION
NOT IN PERIL
While the financial crisis is reverberating in markets
throughout the world, Greece's government spokesperson Dimitris
Reppas stated that these developments are not endangering Greece's
aim to gain accession to the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU),
nor do they threaten the state's plan to financially strengthen
the weaker classes.
After a marathon meeting with the Prime Minister Kostas
Simitis yesterday, Finance Minister Yiannos Papantoniou said there
will be fluctuations in Greek financial markets, but the
fluctuations will not upset the general tendency toward
stabilization.
Meanwhile, the New York Stock Exchange underway a 3.8%
recovery yesterday after having plummeted on Monday.
[02] NATIONAL HIGHWAY CONNECTING KAKAVIA-GJIROCASTER BLOCKED BY
RESIDENTS
A line of vehicles has been formed along the national highway
linking the cities of Kakavia and Gjirocaster as the residents of
the Albanian village Lazarati have blocked the road demanding the
replacement of the police chief.
The situation is tense, as the residents are believed to be
heavily armed. The region is being guarded by Albanian police
forces.
[03] PRIME MINISTER TO MEET WITH PRESIDENT OF REPUBLIC TODAY
Prime Minister Kostas Simitis will be received by the
President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos at noon
today with whom he will discuss the current political
developments.
According to government spokesman Dimitris Reppas, the
meeting is being held within the framework of the regular monthly
contacts between the premier and the president.
Also today, Mr. Simitis will receive International Olympic
Committee (IOC) president Juan Antonio Samaranch to discuss issues
related to the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.
[04] FINNISH PRESIDENT ON OFFICIAL VISIT TO GREECE SEPTEMBER14-17
Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari will conduct an official
visit to Greece from September 14 to 17, this being his first
visit to Athens .
Apart from issues of a bilateral nature, discussions are
expected to focus on recent
developments in Russia, the situation in Kosovo and the Balkans
and issues relating to the European Union in view of Finland
taking up the union's rotating presidency in the second half of
1999.
President Ahtisaari's visit is taking place in return of a
visit to Finland by the President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis
Stephanopoulos in November 1996.
[05] ISRAELI EMBASSY DENIES REPORTS OF JOINT MILITARY EXERCISES
WITH TURKEY
The Israeli Embassy in Athens yesterday denied press reports
that Israel was planning joint military exercises with Turkey.
"The Embassy of Israel would like to declare that reports in
certain of today's (Tuesday's) newspapers, which are based on
reports from Turkish newspaper Hurriyet, related to some imminent
joint Israeli-Turkish exercises have no basis in reality," the
statement said.
[06] MR. REPPAS COMMENTED ON THE DENKTASH - CEM PROPOSAL
Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas stated to
reporters that the United States are not justified to be annoyed
by the rejection of the Turkish proposal for the establishment of
a confederation in Cyprus and added that "we support the UN
resolutions".
Mr. Reppas indirectly called on the United States to make
known what they want, as on the one hand they maintain that they
undertake initiatives for the solution of the Cyprus problem and
on the other they do not respect the countries participating in
the procedures.
When asked to comment if the United States were aware of the
move by Rauf Denktash and Ismail Cem who suggested the
establishment of a confederation in Cyprus, he stated that there
is no such information and added that there are reactions to this
proposal from countries such as, France and China which are
permanent members of the UN Security Council.
Finally, Mr. Reppas stressed that the framework and the basis
on which the Cyprus problem must be resolved are given, namely the
UN resolutions.
[07] STEPHANOPOULOS - SIMITIS MEETING
Prime minister Kostas Simitis briefed Hellenic Republic
president Kostis Stephanopoulos on foreign and economic issues.
Mr. Simitis, referring to the international economic crisis,
stressed that its course is uncertain as it has taken up
international dimensions. He also added that based on the
information he got from yesterday's special meeting of the
Governors of the European Central Banks the problem can be
overcome.
Earlier, the prime minister had met with foreign minister
Theodoros Pangalos to discuss the developments in the Cyprus issue
after the Simitis - Clerides meeting and Denktash's provocative
proposal on Cyprus. The Simitis - Pangalos meeting was held in
view of the informal meeting of the EU foreign ministers that will
be held in Austria next weekend.
[08] THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE GAVE SIGNS OF RECOVERY
The general price index in the Athens Stock Exchange showed
an upward trend at noon today, while the volume of transactions
exceed the 62.4 billion drachmas mark.
Also positive is the climate in the main European stock
markets. In the money market was observed an influx of capital
targeting the Greek state treasury bills.
[09] FIVE PARLIAMENTS PARTICIPATED IN A TELE-CONFERENCE
Five Parliaments, including the Greek national assembly,
participated in a two-hour tele-conference. This pilot programme,
for the first one ever tele-conference of European Parliaments,
had certain technical difficulties in its implementation but
proved that things have changed radically in the sector of
communications and information.
In this first tele-conference of European Parliaments, that
was materialised at the initiative of Greek Parliament president
Apostolos Kaklamanis, participated the Parliaments of Greece,
Austria, Germany and Finland as well as members of the European
Parliament.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[10] US PRESIDENT CLINTON MEETS WITH RUSSIAN POLITICIANS IN MOSCOW
United States President Bill Clinton is continuing his
official visit to Moscow, having met with his Russian counterpart
Boris Yeltsin yesterday with whom he discussed Russia's economic
crisis.
President Clinton stressed that Russia must continue on the
road to reform. He said that "I do not believe [the solution for
Russia] is by reverting to the failed policies of the past. I do
not believe it is by stopping the reform process in midstream.
"I believe you will create the conditions of growth if - but
only if - you continue to move
decisively along the path of democratic, market-oriented
constructive revolution."
President Yeltsin promised to continue along the path of
reform, a policy he has followed for the past two years.
Meanwhile, the Russian parliament (Duma) has made clear its
overwhelming rejection of President Yeltsin's choice of prime
minister, Viktor Chernomyrdin. A new vote will be held on Monday.
[11] UNHCR CONCERNED OVER KOSSOVO'S REFUGEES AS WINTER APPROACHES
The United Nations refugee agency continues to be extremely
concerned about the plight of tens of thousands of displaced
persons as winter approaches in Kosovo.
The Spokesman for the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees (UNHCR), Kris Janowski, said yesterday that the people
were in the woods without shelters. Last Saturday, he added, UNHCR
saw a group of 47 people, mainly women and
children, shivering in the cold and rain under pieces of tarpaulin
thrown over carts in the Kula woods, 15 kilometres outside the
town of Pristina. According to Mr. Janowski, a woman gave birth
under those terrible conditions that day.
UNHCR said that the displaced persons had nowhere to go as
their houses had been burnt and they were afraid of police in the
area and the shootings they heard overnight.
UNHCR added that representatives of the village of Sediare,
west of Pristina, came to its office in Pristina to ask for help
on Monday. They needed food and regular visits from UNHCR as they
felt the agency's presence could protect them from attacks.
According to the agency, the representatives of the displaced
people said that they would rather die in their homes than in the
cold outside.
On Tuesday, 16 trucks set out from Pristina to deliver relief
supplies to more than 55,000 people in central and western Kosovo.
This was the largest relief convoy to date, according to UNHCR.
UNHCR Spokesman Kris Janowski reiterated the agency's appeal
for a cessation of hostilities followed by "some sort of a
political settlement" in Kosovo. He said that UNHCR did not want
the Kosovo humanitarian relief operation to "become a substitute
for other solutions" to the conflict.
[12] GREEK DEFENSE MINISTER TO VISIT CYPRUS FOR INDEPENDENCE DAY
Greece's National Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos is
scheduled to visit Cyprus to attend a military parade on October
1, marking the island's Independence Day. According to a report
aired by the Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation (RIK), Mr.
Tsochatzopoulos, together with Cypriot President Glafkos Clerides,
will receive the salute of the parade.
[13] GREEK DEFENSE MINISTER ENTERS TALKS WITH TUNISIAN OFFICIALS
Greece's Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos, currently on
an official visit to Tunisia, yesterday met with Tunisian
officials with whom he discussed the terms of a military
cooperation agreement, regarding the army, the navy and the air
force.
The talks, which will continue today, also include training
programs, armament procurements and the defense industry.
Mr. Tsochatzopoulos was received by his Tunisian counterpart
Ben Yahia yesterday and noted the need for cooperation between the
region's countries, who can decisively contribute toward the
maintenance of stability and security, as well as the confronting
of whichever problem.
Discussion included the possibility of joint military
exercises and the need for regional security.
[14] CYPRIOT PRESIDENT CLERIDES MEETS WITH ALGERIAN COUNTERPART
Cypriot President Glafkos Clerides met with Algerian
President Lemaine Zeroual, on the sidelines of the Summit
conference of the European NAM member states.
The two men discussed the Cyprus issue, bilateral relations,
issues of security and cooperation in the greater Mediterranean
region and the Cypriot Foreign Minister Yiannakis Kasoulides'
visit to Algeria.
President Zeroual conveyed his country's insistence and
support for Cyprus' territorial integrity and sovereignty.
[15] THE TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTRY ON THE EUROPEAN COURT DECISION
IN FAVOUR OF TITINA LOIZIDOU
Turkey will not comply with the European Court on Human
Rights ruling in favour of Greek Cypriot Titina Loizidou, from the
occupied Kerinia in Cyprus, based on which Ankara should pay
compensation to her. The above position was expressed by Turkish
foreign ministry officials who briefed on the issue of Ms.
Loizidou's compensation the Council of Europe member states
representatives serving in Ankara.
According to the Turkish Cypriot press, Turkish foreign
ministry officials maintained that Turkey will not comply with a
decision that can not be implemented and which, furthermore, is
not of its concern. They also expressed the belief that Turkey
will not be expelled from the Council of Europe stressing that
there is no precedent of a country being expelled on issues of
compensation.
[16] YELTSIN: RUSSIA MUST CONTINUE THE REFORMS
The presidents of the United States and Russia Bill Clinton
and Boris Yeltsin had a new meeting in Kremlin today. The two men
signed an agreement on nuclear armaments.
We are still friends and we had no disagreement whatsoever,
stated Boris Yeltsin adding that Russia should continue the
reforms. He stressed that Moscow needs the political support of
the United States to approach investors.
[17] CLERIDES' ADDRESS IN THE 12TH SUMMIT MEETING OF THE NON-
ALIGNED COUNTRIES
Cypriot president Glafkos Clerides, speaking in the opening
ceremony of the 12th Summit Meeting of the Non Aligned Countries
held in Durban, South Africa, referred to the significant role the
Movement can play in the new international scene that is being
formed.
Mr. Clerides stressed that the movement will be an active
partner in the effort against racial discrimination and will work
to limit poverty and social injustice. He congratulated the
president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela for taking over the
presidency of the movement and expressed certainty that under his
chairmanship it will continue to play its important role in the
international affairs promoting its high goals and objectives.
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