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Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 98-11-30
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, November 30, 1998
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] CUSTOMS WORKERS GO ON STRIKE, SERIES OF PROBLEMS EXPECTED
[02] 400 BILLION DRACHMAS TO BE MADE AVAILABLE FOR CREATING JOBS
FOR YOUTH
[03] GREEK FOREIGN MINISTER TRAVELS TO OSLO, COPENHAGEN TOMORROW
[04] ALTERNATE FOREIGN MINISTER TRAVELS TO GERMANY TOMORROW
[05] ATHENS HOSTS CONFERENCE ON RENEWABLE SOURCES OF ENERGY
[06] NORTHERN GREECE'S PHYSICIANS TO CONDUCT ANOTHER ROUND OF
STRIKES
[07] RAILWAY WORKERS EMBARK ON FIVE-DAY STRIKE TODAY
[08] PRIME MINISTER SIMITIS TRAVELS TO GERMANY THIS WEEK
[09] ORPHANS FROM BOSNIA TO SPEND CHRISTMAS IN KALAMARIA
[10] STUDENTS PERSIST WITH RALLYING AGAINST EDUCATIONAL REFORMS
[11] THE GREEK GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN COMMENTED ON THE OPINION POLLS
[12] THE MAJORITY OF THE GREEKS WANT SIMITIS FOR PRIME MINISTER
[13] SIMITIS: THE FUTURE OF THE COUNTRY DEPENDS ON THE NEW
GENERATION
[14] THE GREEK GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN COMMENTED ON THE SANTER
STATEMENTS
[15] PROBLEMS AT THE BORDERS DUE TO THE CUSTOMS EMPLOYEES STRIKE
[16] KAKLAMANIS IS IN VIENNA FOR THE EU PARLIAMENT PRESIDENTS'
CONFERENCE
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[17] ITALY LOOKS AT INTERNATIONAL COURT FOR OCALAN CASE
[18] EU PRESIDENT VICTOR KLIMA IN ATHENS ON DECEMBER 2
[19] GEORGE SOROS WARNS OF GLOBAL RECESSION RISK
[20] THEODOROS PANGALOS WILL VISIT SKOPJE
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] CUSTOMS WORKERS GO ON STRIKE, SERIES OF PROBLEMS EXPECTED
A score of problems are expected to arise from the customs
workers' rotating five-day strikes which begin today.
To begin with, imports and exports of fuel, fresh and frozen
produce and meat products are to come to a halt thereby creating
potential shortages in the market.
Meanwhile, the Athens First Circuit Court is to determine the
strike's legality in a hearing set for tomorrow, as the Ministry
of Economy has sought legal recourse by asking that the customs
workers' action be declared illegal and abusive.
[02] 400 BILLION DRACHMAS TO BE MADE AVAILABLE FOR CREATING JOBS
FOR YOUTH
Over 400 billion drachmas are to be made available by the end
of the year 2000 for the creation of jobs for young people up to
30 years old.
The relevant plan is to be presented today by the Prime
Minster Kostas Simitis. It includes the funding of 65 sectors of
employment and its primary phase will begin the following month.
[03] GREEK FOREIGN MINISTER TRAVELS TO OSLO, COPENHAGEN TOMORROW
Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos will embark on a four-day
visit to Denmark tomorrow, where he is scheduled to meet with his
Danish counterpart Niels Helveg Petersen and with the Danish
parliament's foreign affairs committee.
On Wednesday and Thursday, Mr. Pangalos will lead a Greek
delegation to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe ministerial summit in the Norwegian capital of Oslo, where
he will meet with Foreign Minister Knut Vollebaek and the
Norwegian parliament's foreign affairs committee.
Mr. Pangalos will also be received by Norway's King Harald
before returning to Athens on December 4.
[04] ALTERNATE FOREIGN MINISTER TRAVELS TO GERMANY TOMORROW
Alternate Foreign Minister George Papandreou will visit
Germany tomorrow, where he will meet with the German Foreign
Minister Joschka Fischer.
According to reports, the meeting will be in preparation for
Prime Minister Kostas Simitis's visit to Germany where he will be
received by the new German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder.
Mgrs. Simitis and Schroeder will hold talks in view of the EU
Vienna summit to be held on December 13, ahead of Germany taking
up the Union's presidency on January 1.
[05] ATHENS HOSTS CONFERENCE ON RENEWABLE SOURCES OF ENERGY
Greek government officials and EU Commissioner Christos
Papoutsis are to address the conference "Application of Renewable
Sources of Energy, National Priorities and European Strategy"
which will begins in Athens tomorrow.
Among the speakers at the three-day conference will be the
Minister of Development, Vaso Papandreou, Minster of Environment,
City Planning and Public Works Kostas Laliotis, the Minister of
the Aegean Elisabeth Papazoi and the Eurodeputy of the Coalition
for the Left and Progress Michael Papayiannakis.
[06] NORTHERN GREECE'S PHYSICIANS TO CONDUCT ANOTHER ROUND OF
STRIKES
Northern Greece's hospital physicians are to embark on
another 48-hour strike tomorrow, protesting the on-duty scheduling
programs proposed by the Ministry of Health.
The striking doctors are to conduct sit-ins in offices of the
hospitals' presidents and will gather in front of the Macedonia-
Thrace Ministry.
[07] RAILWAY WORKERS EMBARK ON FIVE-DAY STRIKE TODAY
Workers at the Greek Railways Organization, (OSE) are
embarking on a five-day strike starting today, protesting a
recent bill tabled in Parliament concerning their sector.
Specifically, the rail workers will conduct three-hour work
stoppages today and tomorrow, while from Wednesday until Friday
they will hold 24-hour rotating strikes.
The only trains that will operate will be those serving
social needs, one for each route.
[08] PRIME MINISTER SIMITIS TRAVELS TO GERMANY THIS WEEK
Prime Minister Kostas Simitis will be received by the new
German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder on December 7, during a visit
to Germany, according to government spokesman Dimitris Reppas.
Mr. Simitis will also meet with the German Foreign Minister
Joschka Fischer, on December 4.
[09] ORPHANS FROM BOSNIA TO SPEND CHRISTMAS IN KALAMARIA
The Municipality of Kalamaria is to host approximately sixty
children-survivors from the Bosnian war, during the Christmas
season.
The children, who are from the cities of Svornik, Banja Luka
and Brco, have been to Kalamaria numerous times since 1995, always
staying with the same Greek families.
[10] STUDENTS PERSIST WITH RALLYING AGAINST EDUCATIONAL REFORMS
High school and university students throughout the country
are persisting with their objections to the educational reforms
proposed by the Ministry and have decided to conduct two massive
rallies, one to Be held on December 3, and the other on the ninth
of the month.
Meanwhile, over 350 high schools throughout the country are
occupied by the students, a resort also taken by university
students in Athens.
[11] THE GREEK GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN COMMENTED ON THE OPINION POLLS
The government is judged by its real work whereas the
opposition by its theoretical work, stated Greek government
spokesman Dimitris Reppas when he was called to comment on the
opinion poll published by the newspaper "TA NEA" according to
which, 41.3% of those asked are not satisfied neither with Mr.
Simitis nor with Mr. Karamanlis.
Mr. Reppas added that the bells are ringing for the
opposition, while he stated that the people in the national
elections will judge in a positive way both the government and the
prime minister.
[12] THE MAJORITY OF THE GREEKS WANT SIMITIS FOR PRIME MINISTER
According to an opinion poll conducted on behalf of the
Athens newspaper "TA NEA", 26.8% of those asked want Kostas
Simitis for prime minister compared to 21.7% in favor of Kostas
Karamanlis.
Also, 45.8% responded that they are not satisfied with PASOK
and 52.6% that they are not satisfied with New Democracy, while
41.3% reject both parties. Most popular political party leader is
Coalition of the Left president Nikos Konstantopoulos.
[13] SIMITIS: THE FUTURE OF THE COUNTRY DEPENDS ON THE NEW
GENERATION
The future of the country depends on the future of the new
generation, stated prime minister Kostas Simitis presenting the
government program on the young. Referring to the reasons that led
to the planning of a policy for the young, the prime minister
underlined that the family structure has changed and stressed that
new conditions and problems have been created that make the
planning of a well-formed program necessary.
As it was announced, over 400 billion drachmas will be
earmarked for the employment of 1 million young people under the
age of 30 by the end of the year 2000.
[14] THE GREEK GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN COMMENTED ON THE SANTER
STATEMENTS
Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas when called to
comment on EU Commission president Jacques Santer's interview, who
mentioned that the likelihood of national elections will no affect
the course of Greece toward its participation in the EMU, said
that Mr. Santer confirms with his statements the right course
followed by the country.
Mr. Reppas clarified that Mr. Santer does not intervene in
the domestic affairs of Greece and made a simple political
observation as a third party.
The Greek government spokesman stated that the efforts of the
government give fruit, a fact that is recognized by the European
Commission president and added that the government will be judged
by the Greek people in the year 2000 when its work will be
completed.
[15] PROBLEMS AT THE BORDERS DUE TO THE CUSTOMS EMPLOYEES STRIKE
Serious problems in the supply of the market with fuel and
the distribution of imported goods are expected to be created as a
result of the customs employees' five-day rotating strikes that
started today. The fate of the strike will be judged tomorrow in
court as the ministry of finance has appealed to justice to
declare the strike action as illegal.
Minister of labor Miltiadis Papaioannou stated that there
should be no concern over any of the social security funds.
[16] KAKLAMANIS IS IN VIENNA FOR THE EU PARLIAMENT PRESIDENTS'
CONFERENCE
Greek parliament president Apostolos Kaklamanis is in Vienna
to participate in the informal conference of the EU parliament
presidents on the role of the state parliaments in the EU.
The president of the Greek parliament will stress in his
speech that the issue of the institutional reforms should be dealt
with within the framework of the overall EU strategy and not as an
isolated phenomenon. He will also welcome the opening of the EU
negotiations with 6 candidate-states, among which is Cyprus.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[17] ITALY LOOKS AT INTERNATIONAL COURT FOR OCALAN CASE
Abdullah Ocalan is willing to face trial by an international
court because he believes it will give him a chance to prove his
innocence, his lawyer said on Sunday.
"I am in favor of an international trial," Giuliano Pisapia
told reporters. "So is Ocalan himself because it could be the
place to face the charges made against him and of which he has no
doubts about his innocence."
Mr. Pisapia said an international court would offer the
possibility of deciding if "a situation of war" exists in Turkey
between the government and Kurds and if international law
regarding war should apply in his case.
Bonn and Rome have agreed to work together to bring Ocalan to
trial by an international court but Turkey has rejected the idea.
[18] EU PRESIDENT VICTOR KLIMA IN ATHENS ON DECEMBER 2
Austrian Chancellor and European Union President Viktor Klima
is to be in Athens on December 2 where he will be received by
Greek Prime Minster Kostas Simitis in order to discuss the
forthcoming Vienna European Council, to be held on December 11-12.
Following Athens, Mr. Klima will tour the remaining
capitals of the EU member-states for the same reason.
[19] GEORGE SOROS WARNS OF GLOBAL RECESSION RISK
Billionaire financier George Soros believes that despite the
recent upswing in world markets, the global economy could slip
into a recession in the next couple of years, according to
Newsweek.
Though U.S. stock markets have regained momentum and are now at
all-time highs, "we are still in a bear market, and the previous
lows will be retested, let's say, next year," Mr. Soros told the
US-based weekly periodical.
He added that the United States is in the midst of a "fairly
mature boom" and faces increasing cost pressures. Japan remains in
recession, and Brazil likely will follow suit, despite a recent
global aid package of $41.5 billion, he added.
As investment opportunities decrease, Mr. Soros said "the
global economy is liable to slip into a recession next year or the
year after."
[20] THEODOROS PANGALOS WILL VISIT SKOPJE
Greek foreign minister Theodoros Pangalos will visit FYROM
after the center-right VMRO-DPMNE and Democratic Alternative
party coalition comes to power.
According to all the newspapers in FYROM, the announcement
was made on Friday by Democratic Alternative chairman Vasil
Tupurkofski speaking in a party gathering.
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