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Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 98-09-12

Macedonian Press Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Macedonian Press Agency at http://www.mpa.gr and http://www.hri.org/MPA.


MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, September 12, 1998

SECTIONS

  • [A] NATIONAL NEWS
  • [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

  • NEWS HEADLINES

    [A] NATIONAL NEWS

  • [01] THE MPA CONFERENCE ON RIGAS CONTINUES
  • [02] KARAMANLIS' TOUR OF THESSALONIKI
  • [03] THE BLACK SEA BANK BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING CONTINUES IN CHALKIDIKI
  • [04] MILO: MILOSEVIC CAN NOT BRING DEMOCRACY TO SERBIA AND THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA
  • [05] THE B' UNITY OF THE MPA CONFERENCE ON RIGAS HAS BEEN COMPLETED
  • [06] THE SERB MINISTER OF INFORMATION ACCUSED ALBANIA OF HARBOURING TERRORISTS
  • [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

  • [07] PRIMAKOV IS THE NEW PRIME MINISTER OF RUSSIA
  • [08] BULGARIA IS A MEMBER OF CEFTA

  • NEWS IN DETAIL

    [A] NATIONAL NEWS

    [01] THE MPA CONFERENCE ON RIGAS CONTINUES

    The proceedings of the MPA conference on "The effect of the ideas of Rigas Velestinlis on the countries of south-eastern Europe and the need for Inter-Balkan cooperation today" continue at the Sun Beach Hotel in Agia Triada near Thessaloniki.

    The main speakers today will be foreign minister of Albania Paskal Milo and FRY minister of information Alexander Vutsic, government undersecretaries, academicians and professors.

    Yesterday, first day of the Inter-Balkan conference, the speakers referred to the personality of Rigas Fereos and to the vision of the Balkan cooperation.

    [02] KARAMANLIS' TOUR OF THESSALONIKI

    Right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis met this morning with representatives of the production sectors of northern Greece at the offices of Thessaloniki's Commerce Association.

    Later, he visited the construction works for the water supply of Thessaloniki from the Aliakmon river. The leader of the main opposition party will speak this evening before representatives of the region's production sector's.

    [03] THE BLACK SEA BANK BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING CONTINUES IN CHALKIDIKI

    The Black Sea Bank Board of Directors meeting continues in Chalkidiki northern Greece in an effort to settle the details concerning its opening in 1999.

    The main issue for discussion is the headquarters of the institution and a decision on this will play a "key role" in determining the exact time of its official opening.

    The main goal is for the Greek Parliament to ratify the agreement in order to become a law of the state. Based on the existing plan, the permanent headquarters of the Black Sea Bank will be in Thessaloniki.

    [04] MILO: MILOSEVIC CAN NOT BRING DEMOCRACY TO SERBIA AND THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA

    Albanian foreign minister Paskal Milo characterized Slobodan Milosevic as "democratic dictator" saying that the Yugoslav leader can not bring democracy to Serbia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

    Mr. Milo speaking in the MPA conference on the Ideas of Rigas Velestinlis and the Inter-Balkan cooperation today, he stressed that the crisis in Kosovo is a problem concerning all the Balkan peoples and not just the Albanians and the Serbs. He said that it is a regional crisis and at the same time a European one and added that "The philosophy and practice of the Serb-Albanian cohabitation in Kosovo is so badly compromised that it is difficult to think that it will have a future. But the great challenges can be faced even when it seems that there is no way out".

    Mr. Milo maintained that there is no democracy in Serbia today. "Serbia", he said, "is nowadays lacking the visionary politicians, the ones who could promote the philosophy of freedom and self-determination within the framework of a democratic civil society. Democracy and nationalism are irreconcilable with one another and a lot of extreme nationalistic manifestations in certain countries of the region can be explained by their low- level democracy. A democratized Serbia will, undoubtedly, be less nationalistic and will have less problems in the peaceful cohabitation of Serbs and Albanians as well as in the understanding and cooperation in the Balkans. But Milosevic can not bring democracy in Serbia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia."

    Mr. Milo added that the national issues in the Balkan region are so delicate and fragile that look like a "time bomb that can explode and poison the atmosphere in the inter-Balkan relations." At the same time , he pointed out that all the Balkan populations, among them the Albanians, consider themselves as victims of history.

    "In Bosnia and Kosovo today", he continued in his speech, "two divergent processes prevail, that have badly compromised the principle of cohabitation upon which the civil society is based". Mr. Milo said that "It is very simple to say that those who do not want such a cohabitation in FRY are the Albanian separatists. But it is known that in the distant and in the recent future as well, the Albanians have lived in harmony with the Serbs, when there was a just equilibrium between them. For about 20 years, when Yugoslavia was ruled by Tito, such a fragile equilibrium had been established but Milosevic destroyed it at the end of the 80's provoking the aggressive Serb nationalism."

    Mr. Milo pointed out that a new political will is needed regarding the issue of Kosovo, mainly from abroad, in order to restore the lost balance or to establish a new one between the Serbs and the Albanians in FRY. Any breakthrough toward this direction will be a new historical chance not only for the Albanians and the Serbs but for the peaceful coexistence and the secure future of all the Balkan peoples as well.

    [05] THE B' UNITY OF THE MPA CONFERENCE ON RIGAS HAS BEEN COMPLETED

    The proceedings of the MPA conference on the "Ideas of Rigas and the Inter-Balkan cooperation today" continued with the unity on The Spread of the ideas of Rigas to the south-eastern European countries.

    Albanian foreign minister Paskal Milo stressed that Rigas Fereos is an idol for the Greek people and his reputation has gone beyond the Greek borders and due to this reputation different Balkan countries have claimed him as their own. Referring to the activities of Rigas, he stressed that he tried to bring the ideas of the French Revolution to the Balkans and draw up a new Constitution that could unite the Balkan peoples. Two centuries ago, said Mr. Milo, the vision of Rigas could have been regarded as a utopia but today, at a time of globalization, with the European unification underway, the countries converge to a common ideal.

    Bulgarian undersecretary of culture Svetlozar Zekov stated that the word "accession" has become fashionable since the start of the unification of Europe, adding that it would be best if the unification is not just economic and political but cultural as well. He referred to the activities of Bulgaria's National Book Center and to its cooperation with Greece's respective center and suggested that the countries of the region should undertake an initiative for a Balkan cultural agreement aimed at promoting literature as well as, for the publication of a multi-lingual Balkan literature magazine under the auspices of UNESCO.

    Croat professor of modern Greek language Vesna Kurelec referred to the ideas of Rigas and the Croat enlightenment and stressed that his premature death overshadowed his role as a linguistic reformist.

    Bulgarian ambassador to Athens, student of Rigas' ideas and literary man Kiril Topalov characterized Rigas as a Balkan typological phenomenon of his time. Romanian professor specializing in Balkan issues Alexandru Firescu referred to the Romanian translators and poets who had Rigas as a model. Dimokrition University of Thrace Ioannis Papadrianos stated that Rigas based on his descent belongs exclusively to Greece but his revolutionary work concerned all the Balkan peoples, adding that his tragic death had a deep effect to the Serb literary world and especially to Nobel prize winner Ivo Andric.

    [06] THE SERB MINISTER OF INFORMATION ACCUSED ALBANIA OF HARBOURING TERRORISTS

    A strong Yugoslav-Albanian dispute erupted during the proceedings of the MPA conference on "The effect of Riga's ideas to the countries of south-eastern Europe and the need for Inter- Balkan cooperation" that will be completed this evening at the Sun Beach Hotel of Agia Triada near Thessaloniki.

    Speaking in the conference Albanian foreign minister Paskal Milo characterized Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic as "democratic dictator" saying that he can not bring democracy to Serbia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

    Shortly afterwards, Serb minister of information Alexander Vucic responding to the accusations launched by Mr. Milo stressed that Albania tolerates on its territory -if not backing- terrorist training camps and does nothing to stop the illegal arms trade.

    Mr. Vucic expressed the hope that the Albanian side will sit at the negotiating table in the immediate future for the sake of true peace and unity in the Balkans.

    In his speech the Serb minister of information accused the foreign mass media of misinformation by creating news that present the Serbs as those who are mainly responsible for all bad and need to be punished. He said that part of the blame belongs to the Balkan reporters who are proven to be equally prone to spreading "false news".

    The bombardments in Miskina or Bosnia or at the Sarajevo market, said Mr. Vucic, were used as bombs by the mass media as well and worked as excuses for the imposition of sanctions on the former Yugoslav Republic and the Bosnian Serbs. Mr. Vucic concluded that the misinformation provided by the mass media was evident and in the presentation of the incidents in Kosovo and Metochi.

    [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

    [07] PRIMAKOV IS THE NEW PRIME MINISTER OF RUSSIA

    The international community welcomed with relief the Duma's approval of Gevgeni Primakov's candidacy for the post of the Russian prime minister.

    Brussels sent the message to Primakov that he can count on the political and financial support of the European Union under the pre-condition that Moscow will promote the implementation of economic reforms.

    [08] BULGARIA IS A MEMBER OF CEFTA

    Bulgaria yesterday became the seventh member of CEFTA, the Central European Free Trade Agreement, which will be put in effect on January 1st, 1999. Other members of CEFTA are the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia and Romania.

    Present in the signing ceremony of the agreement in Prague was Bulgarian prime minister Ivan Kostov who stated in an interview broadcast by the "Free Europe" radio station that the completion of the structural changes in the economy is the biggest problem for Bulgaria.


    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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