Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 98-11-03
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, November 3, 1998
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE OVER CONFIDENCE VOTE CONCLUDES AT
MIDNIGHT
[02] PREMIER TO MEET WITH PRESIDENT TOMORROW
[03] POST OFFICE WORKERS TO STRIKE ON THURSDAY
[04] CENTRAL GREECE'S FARMERS CONDUCT RALLY, WARN OF MORE TO COME
[05] MEDICINE PROFESSORS FROM BULGARIA TRAIN IN ALEXANDROUPOLIS
[06] FM BLASTS MINISTRY'S TRANSLATION DEPARTMENT, TOP OFFICIAL
RESIGNS
[07] ATHENS MEDICAL CENTER AMONG THE WORLD'S 300 MOST PRODUCTIVE
[08] SIMITIS-SKANDALIDIS MEETING
[09] PANGALOS: THEY CAN NOT IMPOSE ON US THE PLANS OF ANKARA
[10] GREEK POST-GRADUATE STUDIES IN ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT
[11] "OLYMPIC AIRWAYS" WANTS A FOREIGN STRATEGIC INVESTOR
[12] PHOTO EXHIBITION ON THE MONUMENTS OF THESSALONIKI
[13] NET-PIK SATELLITE COOPERATION FOR THE GREEKS LIVING ABROAD
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[14] GREEK TELECOM ORGANIZATION LISTED ON WALL STREET AS OF
YESTERDAY
[15] MILUDINOVIC MEETS WITH HILL
[16] CYPRUS TURNS TO GREEK WATER AS DROUGHT RELIEF MEASURE
[17] GREECE'S EDUCATION MINISTER TRAVELS TO ALBANIA
[18] UHAC TO HONOR A CONGRESSMAN, A BALL PLAYER AND A DIPLOMAT
[19] DEPUTY FM AT INAUGURATION OF NEW EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN
RIGHTS
[20] FYROM DENIES ACCESS TO BULGARIAN JOURNALISTS
[21] US INTERVENTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE ECUMENICAL
PATRIARCHATE
[22] MOBILIZATIONS AGAINST THE TURKISH NUCLEAR THREAT BY THE
CANADIAN NUCLEAR VIGILANCE PROGRAM
[23] THE ISRAELI PRESIDENT CONTINUES HIS VISIT TO CYPRUS
[24] STILIANIDES: THE VISIT OF THE ISRAELI PRESIDENT TO CYPRUS IS
IMPORTANT
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] PARLIAMENTARY DEBATE OVER CONFIDENCE VOTE CONCLUDES AT
MIDNIGHT
The Hellenic Parliament will conclude its discussions tonight
concerning granting a confidence vote to the government.
The discussion will continue until midnight when the
parliamentarians will vote in an open ballot. The government is
resolved to seek a Parliamentary absolute majority of at least 151
votes in the confidence vote.
Prime Minister Kostas Simitis, who sought the confidence
vote immediately after the government reshuffle on Thursday,
opened the discussion on Sunday night analyzing the government
policy in all sectors.
The leader of the main opposition party Kostas Karamanlis
accused the Premier of trying to resolve inner-party problems at
the expense of parliament.
[02] PREMIER TO MEET WITH PRESIDENT TOMORROW
Prime Minister Kostas Simitis is to be received by
the President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos
tomorrow.
The meeting, was scheduled for yesterday but was postponed
until after Parliament conducts a vote of confidence tonight.
The Premier will brief the President on the course of the
state's internal and foreign policies.
[03] POST OFFICE WORKERS TO STRIKE ON THURSDAY
Postal workers are to conduct a 24-hour strike on Thursday,
November 5, in protest to the postal market-related bill which
will be tabled in Parliament.
The post office employees maintain that the said bill needs
to be improved in order to prevent concessions in the management
agreement terms which, as they say, will essentially impede the
course and development of the Greek postal services.
[04] CENTRAL GREECE'S FARMERS CONDUCT RALLY, WARN OF MORE TO COME
Central Greece's farmers conducted a rally today, warning the
newly-appointed Minister of Agriculture George Anomeritis that
they are bend on turning up the heat in case their demands are not
met.
The rally, which was held under the aegis of the Federation
of Larissa's Farmers Associations, the participants aired their
demands and stated that they will not hesitate to take to the
streets on their tractors if the government does not satisfy them.
[05] MEDICINE PROFESSORS FROM BULGARIA TRAIN IN ALEXANDROUPOLIS
Professors from Bulgaria's five Schools of Medicine (in the
Universities of Sofia, Varna, Philipoupolis, Stara, Zgora and
Pleven) are to receive training in modern methods of addressing
sexually transmitted diseases, in seminars held at the city of
Alexandroupolis on November 11-14.
The training is being offered within the framework of the
Interreg II program
The unit of preventive medicine at the Foundation of Social
Insurance (IKA), Alexandroupolis branch, embarked on this
collaboration with the School of Medicine from the University of
Philipoupolis where it established an STD control center,
targeting Hepatitis C and AIDS.
[06] FM BLASTS MINISTRY'S TRANSLATION DEPARTMENT, TOP OFFICIAL
RESIGNS
Following a surprise visit to his Ministry's translation
department yesterday, Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos
characterized the existing situation as "unacceptable", referring
to the long lines of people waiting to be served.
According to the Ministry's information agency, certain
members of staff, who had not renewed their employment contracts
protesting changes in the work agreements, continued to hold on to
their job posts and were preventing their colleagues from working
and serving the public. They were demanding permanent status
employment and pay raises.
Mr. Pangalos reportedly requested police intervention to
force the protesting employees - eight in total - to leave the
building.
The Foreign Minister then demanded and received the
resignation of the ministry's secretary-general for administration
and organization, Konstantinos Zoras, holding him responsible for
serious problems in the operation of the department.
[07] ATHENS MEDICAL CENTER AMONG THE WORLD'S 300 MOST PRODUCTIVE
The Medical Center of Athens ranks among the world's 300 most
productive companies, according to Forbes magazine.
The list was compiled after studies conducted among 13,000
ventures around the world, all of which has annual revenues of
less than $500 million.
The Medical Center is also listed among the world's 1,000
fastest growing companies, according to reports provided by the
World Data Bank.
[08] SIMITIS-SKANDALIDIS MEETING
No issue has been raised concerning the change in the make up
of PASOK's executive bureau, stated the party's central committee
secretary Kostas Skandalidis after the meeting he had with prime
minister Kostas Simitis.
Mr. Skandalidis stated that the 5th party congress will take
place as planned and pointed out that he had a wide ranging
discussion with Mr. Simitis on the party congress, the latest
developments and other issues that have come up. He also stressed
that PASOK's political secretariat will meet on Thursday and later
on that day the executive bureau will approve the topic that will
be discussed in the two-day meeting of the central committee.
[09] PANGALOS: THEY CAN NOT IMPOSE ON US THE PLANS OF ANKARA
"Neither political nor military reasons can impose on us the
plans of Ankara", stressed minister of foreign affairs Theodoros
Pangalos in his speech in parliament.
"The disputes between Greece and Turkey are being caused by
Ankara", stated the minister and called on Turkey to appeal to the
International Court of Justice in The Hague, saying that this is
something that Ankara will have to do sooner or later as it is
included in the agenda 2000 and in its European prospect.
On the Greek-US relations, he said that they have been
promoted and the United States now acknowledge that Turkey's
behaviour is blocking the solution of the Cyprus problem. However,
he observed that they do nothing to impose their views and at this
point he accused the US government of following a policy of double
standards. He called on the United States to implement the US
legislation and to do in Cyprus what they did in Serbia namely, to
withdraw the heavy US weapons from the island.
On the Cyprus problem, Mr. Pangalos said that it is an
international problem and must be resolved within the framework of
the international community based on the UN resolutions.
[10] GREEK POST-GRADUATE STUDIES IN ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT
The "Alexander the Great Post-graduate Studies Center" will
soon be a reality in Alexandria, Egypt. The stance of the Egyptian
authorities is very positive and increases the expectations for
the quick opening of the center that will be housed in the old
school buildings of the Greek community in Alexandria. The
establishment of the center is being promoted in the past few
years within the framework of an inter-state agreement between
Greece and Egypt.
The above were stated to MPA by Greek-Egyptian Friendship
Association president Spyros Kamalakis.
[11] "OLYMPIC AIRWAYS" WANTS A FOREIGN STRATEGIC INVESTOR
Greek minister of transport Tasos Mandelis revealed yesterday
in parliament that "Olympic Airways" is in search of a foreign
strategic investor that will participate in the management of the
airline. In addition, the foreign strategic investor will
participate in the company's capital with a 15-20% share.
Meanwhile, an agreement of cooperation has been signed with
the Portuguese airline "TAP" within the framework of the alliances
sought after by the Greek airline. The cooperation concerns the
flights to and from Lisbon, via Rome, and it is the first
agreement of a number of others that will follow soon.
The flight to Lisbon is scheduled for three times weekly,
specifically every Monday, Friday and Sunday.
[12] PHOTO EXHIBITION ON THE MONUMENTS OF THESSALONIKI
"The monuments of Thessaloniki and the earthquakes of 1978"
is the theme of the photo exhibition that will be inaugurated on
November 8 in the city's trade mark, the White Tower.
In Thessaloniki, the Byzantine monuments coexist with modern
buildings having an enchanting effect on the visitors and the city
residents as well. The devastating earthquake of 1978 "wounded"
many of those monuments and the need for their restoration was
immediate.
The initial scientific research showed that the earthquakes
of 1978 alone were not responsible for the damage caused to the
monuments but they simply worsened their condition and brought to
light problems that had piled up in their centuries-long existence
caused by earlier earthquakes, time itself and interventions that
were made on them from time to time.
The restoration work made was characterized by respect to the
historical image of the monuments through time. The photographic
material exhibited presents step-by-step the restoration work made
in 28 monuments of Thessaloniki.
[13] NET-PIK SATELLITE COOPERATION FOR THE GREEKS LIVING ABROAD
The 6 o'clock television news bulletin of the Cypriot state-
run television network, PIK, will be broadcast to the United
States, Canada, Europe and South Africa via the satellite
programme of the Greek state-run television network, NET.
PIK is also at the stage of preparations concerning special
information TV shows to be included in NET's satellite programme
and according to the Cypriot television network, they will be
ready for broadcast in mid-November.
A cooperation agreement had been signed recently in Athens
between Cypriot minister of interior Dinos Michalides and Greek
minister of press Dimitris Reppas.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[14] GREEK TELECOM ORGANIZATION LISTED ON WALL STREET AS OF
YESTERDAY
Greece's Telecommunications Organization (OTE) is listed on
the New York Stock Exchange as of yesterday, when the general
counsel of OTE George Chrysolouris became the first Greek to
declare the opening of trading on the NYSE.
ΟΤΕ is Greece's largest company with a market capitalization
of $11 billion, equal to roughly 10 percent of Greece's GDP.
Meanwhile, the Transportation Minister Tasos Mantelis announced
last night that the government is looking for a strategic investor
who will undertake the management of the state-owned airline
Olympic Airways and thus control 15-20% of the company.
[15] MILUDINOVIC MEETS WITH HILL
United States mediator Christopher Hill met with Serb
President Milan Miludinovic, within the framework of a new effort
to embark on negotiations between the Serb government and the
Albanians of Kossovo.
Today Mr. Hill will meet in Prishtina with Albanian community
leaders.
[16] CYPRUS TURNS TO GREEK WATER AS DROUGHT RELIEF MEASURE
Greece is to supply Cyprus with 15 million cubic meters of
water on an annual basis, as a drought relief measure, according
to a pending agreement.
The chief advisor of Greece's water supply department (EYDAP)
Dionisios Xenos is to meet with Cypriot Agriculture Minister
Kostas Themistocleous in Cyprus today in order to discuss the
agreement which is hindering on the transportation cost as the
water would be supplied from Athens to Nicosia by tanker.
As Cyprus is facing diminishing dam supplies and a
protracted drought, the island's water reserves are set to run out
by the end of the year, the Cypriot government has also
considered establishing two mobile desalination plants.
According to Cypriot press reports, Nicosia had considered
importing water in 1991 from Crete but shelved the idea due to
costs. However, the extended drought and subsequent technological
advances have made water shipments an increasingly attractive
proposition. The island's occupied areas are already being
supplied with water from Turkey by balloon.
[17] GREECE'S EDUCATION MINISTER TRAVELS TO ALBANIA
Education Minister Gerasimos Arsenis has embarked on a two-
day official visit to Albania today.
During his stay in Tirana, Mr. Arsenis will meet with
Albania's president, parliament president and the Archbishop of
Tirana and All Albania Anastasios as well as with deputies and
government officials affiliated with the Human Rights Party.
He will also sign an educational agreement, visit the
Arsakeio Greek-Albanian College and meet with representatives of
Greek and minority students.
[18] UHAC TO HONOR A CONGRESSMAN, A BALL PLAYER AND A DIPLOMAT
The United Hellenic-American Congress is to honor three
diverse -yet prominent- figures in the Greek-American community
during its 23rd annual Gala which will be held on November 14th at
the Sheraton Chicago Hotel and Towers, 301 E. North Water St.
They are the Chairman of the US Congress's International
Affairs Committee Ben Gilman, the Greek-American professional
football player Frank Clopa and the outgoing Consul-General of
Greece in Chicago Nicholas Zafiropoulos.
[19] DEPUTY FM AT INAUGURATION OF NEW EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN
RIGHTS
Greece's deputy Foreign Minister Yiannos Kranidiotis is to
depart for Strasbourg today in order to represented Greece (which
presently holds the presidency of the Council of Europe) at the
inauguration of the new European Court of Human Rights.
The new Court is being established in order to meet the
increasing needs that have arisen the developments in Europe
during the last decade.
It will replace both the old court and the C of E's Human
Rights Committee.
Mr. Kranidiotis will also meet with the C of E's secretary-
general Daniel Tarchsys. He will also attend the C of E's summit
during which Greece will grant the presidium to Hungary.
[20] FYROM DENIES ACCESS TO BULGARIAN JOURNALISTS
Bulgarian Foreign Minister Nadejda Mihailova stated that it
was "fear" which propelled the FYROM authorities to detain
Bulgarian journalists at the border.
"The fact that FYROM does not allow Bulgarian journalists to
enter the country is an extremely worrisome event for us since
every country should be interested in having its parliamentary
elections covered by journalists and observers who can provide
warranties for the smooth operation of the elections," she stated.
[21] US INTERVENTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE ECUMENICAL
PATRIARCHATE
The US government, with a recent draft bill that has been
adopted by the US Congress and has been signed by US president
Bill Clinton, calls on Turkey to recognise the Ecumenical
Patriarchate and its non political, religious mission, offer the
appropriate protection and security and allow the re-opening of
the Halki Theology School.
In the new legislation it is mentioned characteristically
that the US Congress feels that the United States should use their
influence and suggest to the Turkish government to recognise the
Ecumenical Patriarchate and its non political, religious mission.
The new bill suggests to Turkey, among others, to offer the
necessary protection and security to the Patriarchate and its
personnel and calls on the Turkish government to guarantee that
the Patriarchate's security needs will be met in accordance with
the Turkish and the international community laws including the
Treaty of Lausanne in 1968, the Helsinki Treaty of 1975 and the
Charter of Paris.
[22] MOBILIZATIONS AGAINST THE TURKISH NUCLEAR THREAT BY THE
CANADIAN NUCLEAR VIGILANCE PROGRAM
Research director of Canadian Nuclear Vigilance Programme
professor David Martin will have contacts with leading members of
the Greek-Canadian community in an effort to coordinate the
activities for a mass and intense mobilization against the Turkish
nuclear threat and the Canadian government's participation in the
bid for the sale of CANDU nuclear reactors to Turkey through the
Canadian state organization Atomic Energy Company.
Professor Martin in an interview published by the Greek-
Canadian newspaper "Greek-Canadian Report" explained that the
Nuclear Vigilance Programme is opposed to the sale of CANDU
nuclear reactors to Turkey since December 1996, when the first
announcement was made on the Turkish nuclear programme, based on
reasons that have to do with the protection of environment, safety
and ethics.
Professor Martin pointed out that the construction of a
nuclear energy plant at Akkuyu Bay at the Mediterranean coasts
just north of Cyprus will have catastrophic results for Canada and
Turkey. He also stressed that the nuclear plant will be a serious
threat for the Mediterranean and the regions of central Europe in
the case of a serious nuclear accident that will cause a radiation
leak into the atmosphere.
[23] THE ISRAELI PRESIDENT CONTINUES HIS VISIT TO CYPRUS
The belief that Nicosia will stop being a divided city and
will be reunited again was expressed by Israeli president Ezer
Weisman during his visit today at a military outpost in the
Cypriot capital. Mr. Weisman stated that the wall dividing the
city reminds him of Jerusalem and underlined that as in the case
of Jerusalem there is a solution the same can happen in Cyprus
too.
Earlier, the Israeli president had a meeting with Nicosia
mayor Lelos Dimitriades.
[24] STILIANIDES: THE VISIT OF THE ISRAELI PRESIDENT TO CYPRUS IS
IMPORTANT
The Cypriot government has presented its concerns over the
military cooperation between Turkey and Israel and expresses the
wish for a further involvement of the leading factors in the
region to the efforts for the solution of the Cyprus problem,
stated Cypriot government spokesman Christos Stilianides.
The Cypriot government, stated Mr. Stilianides, characterizes
the visit of Israeli president Ezer Weisman as very important and
added that the firm position of the Cypriot government is to call
for more active involvement of the international factor to exert
the right pressure on the Turkish side and enter a dialogue aimed
at the settlement of the problem.
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