Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 98-09-21
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, September 21, 1998
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON ON THESSALONIKI'S ROLE
[02] 2 OUT OF 10 GREEK STUDENTS HAVE EXPERIMENTED WITH HASHISH,
SAYS REPORT
[03] GREECE'S MURDER RATE HAS SHARPLY RISEN OVER PAST 7 YEARS
[04] AN ALBANIAN NATIONAL WAS MURDERED IN BROAD DAYLIGHT IN
THESSALONIKI
[05] PM TO SPEAK AT PASOK RALLY MARKING 2ND ANNIVERSARY OF PARTY
VICTORY
[06] ALTERNATE FM CALLS FOR SUPPORT OF OLYMPIC TRUCE
[07] "ARTISTS WITHOUT BORDERS" TO EMBARK ON 3-MONTH TRAIN TOUR OF
BALKANS
[08] NEW LOSSES IN THE INTERNATIONAL STOCK MARKETS
[09] THE INTERNATIONAL MUSICOLOGY CONFERENCE IN ANCIENT DION HAS
ENDED
[10] BUCHAREST WANTS THE GREEK PARTICIPATION IN THE ROMANIAN
PRIVATIZATIONS
[11] REPPAS: MITSOTAKIS HAD A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH SIMITIS
BEFORE HIS MEETING WITH YILMAZ
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[12] SALI BERISHA CUTS OFF ALL CONTACT WITH THE GOVERNMENT
[13] CYPRIOT PRESIDENT CLERIDES IN NEW YORK, TO MEET WITH
HOLBROOKE
[14] CLINTON'S VIDEOTAPED TESTIMONY ON LEWINSKY TO BE AIRED THIS
EVENING
[15] "GREECE IN PRINT", LARGEST EXHIBITION OF GREEK BOOKS IN NEW
YORK, BOSTON
[16] THE ARCHBISHOP OF ALBANIA APPEALED FOR SELF-RESTRAINT
[17] GIORGOS PAPANDREOU IS IN STRASBOURG
[18] INTERNATIONAL MEETING OF POETS IN LISBON
[19] PANGALOS COMMENTED ON THE SITUATION IN ALBANIA
[20] THE HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN TURKEY IS HOPELESS
[21] SAVVAS STAFILIDIS IS THE NEW GREEK DEPUTY IN SWEDEN - THE
SWEDISH DAUGHTER OF ANDREAS PAPANDREOU WAS ELECTED CITY COUNCILOR
[22] GREECE'S BANK OF COMMERCE OWNS 85% OF THE BULGARIAN BANK OF
INVESTMENTS
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] GOVERNMENT SPOKESPERSON ON THESSALONIKI'S ROLE
Government spokesperson Dimitris Reppas, in an interview with
the local daily "Thessaloniki", commented that the sister capital
city's role should not be a mirror image of Athens' "bankrupt
model".
"As long as (the city of ) Thessaloniki, itself, limits its
ambitions within the Greek borders it will asphyxiate," Mr. Reppas
said.
He stated that following the developments in the recent
years, Thessaloniki should not rest on the fact that it is the
country's second largest center.
"It should become the first center of the Balkans. It should
seek its future in qualitative terms, not quantitative," Mr.
Reppas said, adding that the city's human resources should be more
daring, emerge into the social limelight and contribute to the
city's emancipation.
[02] 2 OUT OF 10 GREEK STUDENTS HAVE EXPERIMENTED WITH HASHISH,
SAYS REPORT
Two out of ten Greek students have experimented with hashish,
while over half has dabbled with alcohol, according to statistics
presented at the First National Conference of Forensic Scientists
and Toxicologists, which began Friday in Thessaloniki.
Specifically, in a poll involving 317 juniors and seniors
from three different high schools in Thessaloniki, 17.9% of them
have tried hashish, while 62.46% have consumed alcohol.
According to the researchers, there isn't sufficient
information provided to the students on which substances are
addictive, while their study also reveals that the factors leading
the young persons to drug use are peer pressure, curiosity and fad
following.
[03] GREECE'S MURDER RATE HAS SHARPLY RISEN OVER PAST 7 YEARS
The murder rate in Greece has increased dramatically over the
past seven years with the majority of victims and perpetrators
being non-Greeks.
The figures were presented at the First National Conference
of Forensic Scientists and Toxicologists, which began Friday in
Thessaloniki.
According to research conducted for the Athens forensic
service, there were 406 murders in the 12- year period 1978-1990,
of which 55 involved foreigners; in the seven-year period 1991-
1997, there were 499 murders, of which 153 involved foreigners -
69 Albanians and 25 of undetermined origin.
1996 was a bleakest year for homicide, with 83 murders
recorded in Athens alone. Of that number, 63 of the victims were
foreign nationals. By comparison, in 1978, Athens recorded 21
murders, with only two foreigners as victims. The conference is
being held with the participation of more than 150 Greek and
foreign experts.
[04] AN ALBANIAN NATIONAL WAS MURDERED IN BROAD DAYLIGHT IN
THESSALONIKI
One Albanian national was murdered and another was wounded
during a scuffle that occurred yesterday afternoon at
Thessaloniki's Aristotle University.
According to police reports, the two men, whose names are
unknown, were likely the victims of their compatriots, many of
whom have set up camp at the university's campus.
The injured man underwent surgery yesterday at the city's
Ippocration hospital.
Yesterday's murder sparked off the question of whether or not the
campus should enjoy asylum status and, if so, to what degree does
it serve the university community or the illicit activities that
take place on its grounds.
[05] PM TO SPEAK AT PASOK RALLY MARKING 2ND ANNIVERSARY OF PARTY
VICTORY
Prime Minister Kostas Simitis is scheduled to speak at a
rally of ruling PASOK supporters tomorrow evening in the Athens
district of Kallithea to mark the second anniversary of his
party's 1996 general election victory.
Mr. Simitis is expected to outline the government's progress
to date and stress its commitment to achieving inclusion in
Economic and Monetary Union.
[06] ALTERNATE FM CALLS FOR SUPPORT OF OLYMPIC TRUCE
Alternate Foreign Minister George Papandreou called on
Olympic Games medalists meeting in Greece to support and become
the symbols of the idea of an Olympic Truce.
Speaking on the first day of the international conference of
Olympic
medal winners at the International Olympic Academy in Olympia,
yesterday, Mr. Papandreou said the support of past Olympic Games
medalists was "exceptionally important" as they could inspire and
guide the young, and particularly those coming from strife-torn
regions, to help in consolidating peace.
Organized by the Association of Greek Olympics medal winners,
SEO, the conference has drawn the participation of 35 Greek and
120 foreign athletes who have won a total of 300 Olympic medals.
[07] "ARTISTS WITHOUT BORDERS" TO EMBARK ON 3-MONTH TRAIN TOUR OF
BALKANS
"Artists Without Borders", a Greek non-profit group, is to
embark on a three-month train tour of 11 Balkan and European
cities, outlining the origins of culture and the development of
Western civilization.
The train consists of six white wagons representing various
stages of Western culture:
democracy, theater, commerce and industry, technology, the Olympic
idea and human rights. The train will spend at least two days in
each city and hold theatrical shows with local groups. It is
funded by the Greek culture ministry and parliament.
The train will first visit Sofia, Bulgaria, on September 23,
and then travel to Bucharest, Romania; Leipzig, Germany; Brussels,
Belgium; Strasbourg, France; Milan, Italy; Ljubljana, Slovenia;
Zagreb, Croatia; Banja Luka and Sarajevo, Bosnia; Belgrade,
Yugoslavia and end in Skopje, capital of FYROM.
[08] NEW LOSSES IN THE INTERNATIONAL STOCK MARKETS
New losses were recorded in the European and Asian stock
markets. The Nikkei index had a record loss, while the stock
market prices were the lowest recorded compared to past years.
The general price index in the Athens Stock Exchange showed a
decline of 3.30% dropping to 2.101.30 units.
[09] THE INTERNATIONAL MUSICOLOGY CONFERENCE IN ANCIENT DION HAS
ENDED
The International Musicology Conference was held with great
success in Thessaloniki and the archaeological site of Dion under
the title "Musical iconography 300BC - 300AD". The conference was
organized by Thessaloniki's Friends of Music Association and
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
Within the framework of the conference was also organized a
music concert dedicated to the memory of Maria Callas on the
occasion of the 21st anniversary of her death. In the event
participated the Prague string orchestra with works inspired from
the myth of Orpheus under the direction of Nikos Tsouchlos.
[10] BUCHAREST WANTS THE GREEK PARTICIPATION IN THE ROMANIAN
PRIVATIZATIONS
Romanian Trade and Industry Chamber president George Cojocaru
requested the Greek participation in the privatization process of
the Romanian industry within the framework of the meeting he had
in Thessaloniki today with ministry of Macedonia-Thrace general
secretary Giorgos Lissaridis.
Mr. Cojocaru visited the ministry accompanied by a four-
member delegation and outlined to Mr. Lissaridis the state of the
Romanian economy giving an emphasis to the slow progress of
privatizations in the sector of industry, while he called on the
Greek businessmen to contribute to the speeding-up of the effort
by increasing their capital investments.
Mr. Lissaridis stated to MPA that there is a lot of room for
further cooperation in the business sector based on the talks he
had with the Romanian delegation. He also announced that the new
round of visits to the south-eastern European countries by the
Inter-Balkan cooperation committee members will follow the one
that is already in progress. The new round will be inaugurated in
the period between February and April 1999.
[11] REPPAS: MITSOTAKIS HAD A TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH SIMITIS
BEFORE HIS MEETING WITH YILMAZ
Right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy honorary
president Konstantinos Mitsotakis had a telephone conversation
with prime minister Kostas Simitis before his meeting with Turkish
prime minister Mesut Yilmaz, stated Greek government spokesman
Dimitris Reppas.
Mr. Reppas added that there was no new telephone
communication after the meeting and that he is not aware if this
will happen later.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[12] SALI BERISHA CUTS OFF ALL CONTACT WITH THE GOVERNMENT
Sali Berisha, leader of Albania's Democratic Party, will
apparently not bow to the international community's suggestions to
respect the democratic process until order is restored in his
country and has provocatively stated that he will "continue to
fight until the government is overthrown." The DP‘s national
council announced that it will no longer engage in negotiations or
cooperate with the Albanian government. The council also approved
Mr. Berisha's proposal for the formation of a "national front of
resistance" whose aim is to overthrow the "dictatorial government
of Fatos Nano."
"The Democratic Party will only hold a dialogue with the
people," it said in an announcement. The party's national council
also approved Mr. Berisha's proposal for the formation of a
"national front of resistance" whose aim is to overthrow the
"dictatorial government of Fatos Nano." Speaking to the
Macedonian Press Agency, the DP's secretary-general Ritvan Bonte,
stressed that his party is "determined to continue our struggle
until the final victory."
Meanwhile, socialist party officials have confirmed that a
cabinet reshuffle is imminent.
Moreover, the government has placed a 200,000-dollar bounty on
Azem Hajdari's assassins.
[13] CYPRIOT PRESIDENT CLERIDES IN NEW YORK, TO MEET WITH
HOLBROOKE
The President of Cyprus Glafkos Clerides is expected to
discuss the Cyprus problem with US Presidential Emissary for
Cyprus, Richard Holbrooke in New York today, on the sidelines of
the UN's general assembly.
At his meeting with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on
Friday, President Clerides said that overcoming the intransigence
displayed by the Turkish side in efforts to solve the Cyprus
problem, does not only depend on Ankara but also on other factors
that can affect Turkey.
President Clerides refrained from expressing optimism for the
resumption of negotiations between the two sides in October adding
that this depends on how the situation will develop.
Referring to the US role in the Cyprus peace efforts,
President Clerides underlined that despite any problems President
Clinton and Holbrooke may face, the US administration continues to
deal "not only with the Cyprus question but also with many other
serious problems".
[14] CLINTON'S VIDEOTAPED TESTIMONY ON LEWINSKY TO BE AIRED THIS
EVENING
The videotaped testimony of United States President Bill
Clinton, wherein he denies ever having had sexual relations of any
kind with Monica Lewinsky, is to be aired this evening through
satellite.
Also, the public will have a chance to hear the telephone
conversations held between the US President and Ms. Lewinsky
during their steamy dalliance.
[15] "GREECE IN PRINT", LARGEST EXHIBITION OF GREEK BOOKS IN NEW
YORK, BOSTON
Over one thousand books concerning Greece are to be displayed
at the Greek book exhibition titled "Greece in Print", to be held
on September 26-27 in New York and October 2-4 in Boston.
The exhibition is to be accompanied by a series of event
centered around Greek literature and culture and will feature the
participation of 40 academicians and authors throughout the world,
among them the Russian poet and human rights crusader Yevgeni
Yevtushenko and author of "The Elgin Marbles" and "Hostage to
History", Christopher Hitchens.
Mr. Hitchens will also speak on Greek-Turkish relations, the
Aegean and Cyprus.
[16] THE ARCHBISHOP OF ALBANIA APPEALED FOR SELF-RESTRAINT
Archbishop Anastasios of Albania has sent a message to all
directions. He issued an appeal for calm, self-restraint and
respect to all the democratic procedures in order to overcome the
new crisis in Albania and called all on sides not to rekindle old
passions to avoid further bloodshed.
Meanwhile in Tirana, the first law suits against members of
the opposition supporting Sali Berisha, who are accused of an
attempt to overthrow the government of prime minister Fatos Nano,
have been filed.
[17] GIORGOS PAPANDREOU IS IN STRASBOURG
Deputy foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou is in Strasbourg
today to brief the members of the Council of Europe over the
contacts he had with the Albanian state and political leadership.
According to information, Mr. Papandreou will convey a joint
proposal by the European organizations and the United States for
the speeding-up of the completion of the democratic changes in
Albania implemented by the Nano government.
[18] INTERNATIONAL MEETING OF POETS IN LISBON
An international meeting of poets will take place in Lisbon
on October 6-12 at the initiative of the Portuguese Fernando Pesoa
Institute in cooperation with the Pen Club.
In the meeting will participate 11 distinguished poets from
12 countries, who will read certain of their poems and will talk
about poetry.
At the same time, a bilingual anthology of their work will be
distributed and Greece will be represented in this international
meeting by renown poet Takis Varvitsiotis.
[19] PANGALOS COMMENTED ON THE SITUATION IN ALBANIA
In a meeting with leaders of the Greek-American community in
New York foreign minister Theodoros Pangalos made comments
directed against Democratic party leader and former Albanian
president Sali Berisha.
In response to Mr. Berisha's statements over a Greek
involvement and influence on Albania's domestic issues, Mr.
Pangalos clarified that the Greek government has no opinion on who
should govern Albania neither wants to interfere with its internal
problems. He also underlined that the Greek policy is based on the
principle that Albania should be governed in a democratic way that
safeguards the respect of human rights and the creation of a
climate of political stability.
Mr. Pangalos also referred to the support offered by Greece
to Albania in spite of the great financial cost.
The foreign minister also said that the Greeks living abroad
promote the issues of national importance in such an effective way
for the United States to be in line with the ideas and principles
ruling society.
[20] THE HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN TURKEY IS HOPELESS
The human rights situation in Turkey continues to be hopeless
as it is mentioned in a report issued by Turkey's Human Rights
Association for the month of August.
According to the report, 1.649 people were kept in police
custody among the 993 men, 587 women and 69 children, while 72
people have reported that they were tortured among them, 58 men,
10 women and 4 children.
Three people lost their lives when they were attacked by
unidentified individuals, 4 were injured during attacks by right-
wing extremists, 27 were injured during protest demonstrations and
245 were fired from their jobs.
One reporter was arrested, a radio and television station was
attacked, 3 radio-television networks were closed after a decision
by the Supreme Radio-Television Council, the issues of 29
newspapers and magazines and 5 books were seized, 5 reporters,
writers, intellectuals and artists were arrested, while the
penalty of a total of 181 days off the air was imposed to many
radio and television networks.
[21] SAVVAS STAFILIDIS IS THE NEW GREEK DEPUTY IN SWEDEN - THE
SWEDISH DAUGHTER OF ANDREAS PAPANDREOU WAS ELECTED CITY COUNCILOR
Nikos Papadopoulos lost his seat in the Swedish Parliament
but based on the results of yesterday's elections, the Greeks
living in Sweden will not be left without a deputy as Savvas
Stafilidis is elected in Helsingborg with the Party of the Left.
City Councilors are elected Nikos Paltakidis in Upsala with
the moderate Union Party and in Lintinie the Swedish daughter of
Andreas Papandreou Emilia Niblum with the Party of the
Environmentalists.
Nikos Papadopoulos, who was 9th in the list of the Social-
democratic party candidates, is possible to regain his lost seat
in Parliament in case two of his party's elected deputies become
government ministers.
[22] GREECE'S BANK OF COMMERCE OWNS 85% OF THE BULGARIAN BANK OF
INVESTMENTS
Greece's Bank of Commerce owns 85% of Bulgaria's Bank of
Investments (BTE).
According to the Sofia newspaper "Pari", in a special meeting
of BTE's shareholders a decision was made to increase the bank's
share-capital and as a result the share owned by the Greek Bank of
Commerce in BTE rose to 84.98%.
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