Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 98-09-03
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, September 3, 1998
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] STATE AND POLITICAL LEADERS SALUTE THESSALONIKI'S 63RD TRADE
FAIR
[02] THESSALONIKI'S 63RD INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR SALUTED BY
LEADERS
[03] SIX GREEKS ARE AMONG THE PASSENGERS OF THE SWISSAIR PLANE
[04] NEW DROP IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
[05] GREEK PARTICIPATION IN THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE OF THE YOUNG
[06] THE UNIVERSITY OF MACEDONIA TRAINS BELGIAN PROFESSORS IN
BRUSSELS
[07] THE 1999 BUDGET WILL BE A REALISTIC ONE
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[08] RUSSIA'S DUMA TO CONVENE TOMORROW OVER CERNOMYRDIN'S
APPOINTMENT
[09] US MEDIATOR HILL: SERBS AND ALBANIANS HAVE TO REACH AN
AGREEMENT
[10] GREECE AND ITALY SIGN NATURAL GAS PIPELINE AGREEMENT
[11] PASSENGER PLANE CRASH IN THE ATLANTIC
[12] GREEK AND GERMAN ARMY OFFICERS WILL STUDY IN THE MILITARY
ACADEMY OF SOFIA
[13] KRANIDIOTIS - CLERIDES MEETING IN DURBAN
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] STATE AND POLITICAL LEADERS SALUTE THESSALONIKI'S 63RD TRADE
FAIR
Thessaloniki is to be the city at the heart of Europe for a
course of ten days, thanks to the 63rd International Trade Fair
that is to be inaugurated tomorrow evening by the Prime Minister
Kostas Simitis.
The President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos
has forwarded a message wherein he stressed the Fair's
significance for Greece and the wider Balkan region's economic
vitality.
The Prime Minister and the leaders of opposition parties have
also forwarded their warmest salutes and wishes for the Fair's
success. Mr. Simitis expressed the certainty that this years'
organization of the Fair will be crowned with complete success.
[02] THESSALONIKI'S 63RD INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR SALUTED BY
LEADERS
In his saluting message in light of Thessaloniki's 63rd
International Trade Fair (ITF), set to be inaugurated tomorrow,
the President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos
referred to the contribution this annual event offers to the
state's economy and also stressed its significance for economic
developments in the wider Balkan region.
The Prime Minister, Kostas Simitis, characterized ITF as a
significant institution for the promotion of the country's
production and economic activities adding that "it would not be an
exaggeration to say that this year's organization will foremostly
reflect the national economy's successful course and the
optimistic opportunities for the country's development and
welfare."
The leader of the main opposition party, New Democracy's
Kostas Karamanlis, said that the outcome of the economic
development's "bet" will be deemed at the ITF which contribute,
even slightly, to the slow approach and mutual information,
thereby paving the grounds for a unified global economy and
market.
The secretary-general of the Communist Party of Greece Aleka
Paparega stressed the ITF's role and capabilities in the economic
development and mutually beneficial ties among peoples and
countries.
The leader of the Coalition of the Left and Progress, Nikos
Konstantopoulos stated that he ITF's activities allow the
organization to creatively face the developments and to
substantially expand its presence and role in Greece and the
Balkans.
The president of the Democratic and Social Movement Dimitris
Tsovolas stated that the ITF must be the starting point for
promoting Thessaloniki's target of becoming the economic and
cultural center of the Balkans.
The Minister of National Economy and Finance Yiannos
Papantoniou expressed his conviction that Thessaloniki has the
capability of becoming a strong regional center of the Euro zone.
The Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Philippos Petsalnikos
pointed to the ITF's lengthy past which, he stated, grandly
illustrates that it represents a recognized institution.
This year's honorary country at the fair will be China and
its Ambassador to Athens
Yang Guangsheng stressed that the economic relations between the
two countries mark an upward course every year. During 1997, the
Greece-China trade volume amounted to $314 million.
[03] SIX GREEKS ARE AMONG THE PASSENGERS OF THE SWISSAIR PLANE
Six Greeks are among the 19 passengers, with Athens as their
final destination, who are included in the list with the names of
the 229 people on board the Swissair plane that crashed off the
coasts of Canada. The Swissair flight 111 from New York to Geneva
crashed in the Atlantic off the coasts of Nova Scotia in Canada.
The airline's head of public relations in Athens stressed
that in the list of the 19 people, who had the Greek capital as
their final destination, are six Greek names but it is possible
that more Greeks were on board the plane.
[04] NEW DROP IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
The governmental committee and the political secretariat of
the Socialist governing party of PASOK met today to discuss the
course of the Greek economy presided over by prime minister Kostas
Simitis.
Meanwhile, the Athens Stock Exchange general index is on a
negative course today and dropped by 3.09%. The volume of
transactions reached 36 billion drachmas. The situation is similar
to all main European stock markets.
[05] GREEK PARTICIPATION IN THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE OF THE YOUNG
The seven teenagers, four girls and three boys, who will
represent Greece in the Council of Europe of the Young within the
framework of the 50th anniversary since the establishment of the
Council of Europe, will be selected among the 300 students who
participated in the 3rd session of the Parliament of the Young.
The Council of Europe of the Young is a pioneer pan-European
institution having as a goal to express the concerns of the young
people over human rights issues, democracy, peace, education,
social isolation, health etc. In the Council of Europe of the
Young will participate a total of 286 young men and women aged 16-
18 years old.
[06] THE UNIVERSITY OF MACEDONIA TRAINS BELGIAN PROFESSORS IN
BRUSSELS
Twenty Belgian professors will go back to school in October
within the framework of the intensive program for the learning of
the modern Greek language organized by Thessaloniki's University
of Macedonia in Brussels.
After the completion of the language seminars the
participants will be invited to a 10day visit to Greece.
[07] THE 1999 BUDGET WILL BE A REALISTIC ONE
The international economic crisis and the speech of the prime
minister in the opening of Thessaloniki's 63rd International Trade
Fair were discussed in the joint meeting of the governmental
committee and Political Secretariat of PASOK that was held today.
On the 1999 budget it was agreed to be a realistic one and
follow the same course that has been set having as an objective to
join the EMU, while the implementation of structural changes will
continue.
On the international money market crisis, Greek government
spokesman Dimitris Reppas stated that the situation is still
unstable but the crisis is under control.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[08] RUSSIA'S DUMA TO CONVENE TOMORROW OVER CERNOMYRDIN'S
APPOINTMENT
The Russian parliament (Duma) has made clear its overwhelming
rejection of President Yeltsin's choice of prime minister, Viktor
Chernomyrdin and will convene in Moscow tomorrow in order to cast
a new vote.
Communist party leader Genadi Zuganov met with US President
Bill Clinton yesterday and warned him that if President Yeltsin
insists on his choice of Premier, then the country runs the risk
of a civil war erupting.
[09] US MEDIATOR HILL: SERBS AND ALBANIANS HAVE TO REACH AN
AGREEMENT
The government of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the
leaders of Kossovo's Albanians are reportedly approaching a
solution to the conflict that has torn apart the province.
According to United States mediator Christopher Hill, who has
had contacts with both sides, there appears to be an agreement on
principle on a series of realistic proposals.
Meanwhile, in Moscow yesterday, the Kossovo crisis was one of
the topic discussed among US President Bill Clinton and his
Russian counterpart Boris Yeltsin.
[10] GREECE AND ITALY SIGN NATURAL GAS PIPELINE AGREEMENT
The Greek and Italian governments have signed an agreement
for the joint construction of an undersea pipeline which will
carry natural gas from Italy to Greece.
The agreement was signed in Rome yesterday between Greece's
Public Gas Company (DEPA) and ENI of Italy.
Also yesterday, a joint statement issued by the two
countries on cooperation in natural gas projects was signed by
Greece's Development Minister Vasso Papandreou and Italy's
Industry and Energy Minister Pier Luigi Persanti.
Prime Minister Kostas Simitis described the DEPA-ENI
agreement as an especially positive one, both for the country
overall and the national economy.
Specifically, he stated that the Rome agreement made Italy
Greece's second supplier of natural gas after Russia, which meant
that the country now secured a sufficient quantity of gas in
competitive rates.
The materialization of the Greek-Italian agreement, according
to the Premier, will additionally make Greece a natural gas
junction in the wider region of the Balkans, with the pipeline
network having the potential to be further extended to connect
Turkey and Central Asian countries.
The pipeline, to be part of the Inter-European natural gas
networks, will be financially aided by the European Union.
Ms. Papandreou said that the country's energy program with
Italy will be finalized by the end of the year.
[11] PASSENGER PLANE CRASH IN THE ATLANTIC
The chances to find survivors of the Swissair passenger plane
crash in the Atlantic Ocean, are getting smaller. The airplane
crashed near the Canadian coasts at dawn today while flying from
New York to Geneva.
The airline gave to publicity the names of the 215 passengers
and the 14member crew. Only 18 bodies have been recovered so far
and the causes of the crash are still unknown.
[12] GREEK AND GERMAN ARMY OFFICERS WILL STUDY IN THE MILITARY
ACADEMY OF SOFIA
Five Greek and two German military officers will attend
classes in the Bulgarian Rakowski Military Academy during the new
academic year that opened yesterday.
The new academic year was declared open by Bulgarian Chief of
Staff general Miho Mihov, who stressed that the new education
program includes courses that are also being taught in the
military education institutions of the NATO member-states.
The newspaper "Standart" publishes an extensive report on the
issue with a special emphasis to the presence of Greek and German
army officers observed "for the first time ever in the Bulgarian
military academy", as he characteristically mentioned. In the
Sofia military academy are enrolled 237 Bulgarian students.
[13] KRANIDIOTIS - CLERIDES MEETING IN DURBAN
Cypriot Republic president Glafkos Clerides and foreign
minister Yiannakis Kasoulides met with Greek undersecretary of
foreign affairs Yiannos Kranidiotis in Durban, South Africa. The
meeting was held in the presence of Greece's permanent
representative in the United Nations Christos Zacharakis.
The Greek delegation is in Durban for contacts, on the
sidelines of the 12th Summit meeting of the Movement of the Non
Aligned Countries, which are aimed at promoting Greece's efforts
to become one of the ten non permanent members of the UN Security
Council.
Meanwhile, Mr. Clerides met yesterday with Iranian president
Mohamed Katami and briefed him on the latest developments in the
Cyprus issue.
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/
|
