Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 99-01-21
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, January 21, 1999
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] STUDENTS CONTINUE WITH PROTESTS AND ROADBLOCKS TODAY
[02] ESP CONFERENCE TO BEGIN IN THESSALONIKI TOMORROW
[03] BOMB EXPLODES AT OFFICE OF GREEK PARLIAMENT PRESIDENT
[04] GREEK DEFENSE MINISTER INAUGURATES BALKAN PEACEKEEPING CAMP
[05] EUROPEAN POLL: GREECE ARE PESSIMISTIC ABOUT THE FUTURE
[06] GREEK DEFENSE MINISTER ON SECURITY OF GREECE AND CYPRUS
[07] BLACK SEA FIBER OPTICS AGREEMENT TO POUR IN THE MONEY
[08] ERT BEGINS ITS RE-BROADCAST IN THE UNITED STATES
[09] NEW INCIDENTS IN THE STUDENT PROTEST RALLIES
[10] THE EUROPEAN SOCIALIST PARTY CONFERENCE OPENS IN THESSALONIKI
TOMORROW
[11] OVER 9.000 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WERE ARRESTED IN NE GREECE
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[12] US REITERATE WARNING TO MILOSEVIC
[13] GREECE IS FAVORITE DESTINATION OF AUSTRIAN TOURISTS
[14] GREEK AND ALBANIAN BANKS SIGN COOPERATION ACCORD
[15] MONTENEGRO'S PRESS SECRETARY TO VISIT ATHENS THIS MONTH
[16] CYPRIOT FM TO MEET WITH US SECRETARY OF STATE NEXT MONTH
[17] NEW ROUND OF CONFLICTS ERUPT IN KOSOVO
[18] ALLIED FORCES DISPATCH FIGHTER AIRCRAFT TO ITALY
[19] FINNISH FORENSIC SURGEONS IN KOSOVO
[20] QUESTIONS RAISED IN THE EUROPEAN PRESS REGARDING THE KOSOVO
MASSACRE
[21] 35% OF THE BULGARIAN PEOPLE LIVE IN POVERTY
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] STUDENTS CONTINUE WITH PROTESTS AND ROADBLOCKS TODAY
Students throughout Greece are continuing their mobilizations
in protest to the education reforms, by holding another round of
rallies today in Thessaloniki, Athens and other cities throughout
the country. Teachers have joined the protests as their unions
have given them the go-ahead to hold a three-hour work stoppage
today and a 24-hour strike on Monday. The Teachers Federation has
rejected the Education Minster's (Gerasimos Arsenis) offer to hold
another round of talks.
Meanwhile, the secretary of the ruling PASOK party's
prefectural committee in Rhodes, who injured a student during an
incident at the road blocks, has been sentenced to 26 months
imprisonment for bodily harm and perjury.
[02] ESP CONFERENCE TO BEGIN IN THESSALONIKI TOMORROW
The "European Socialist Party" is to hold a three-day
conference concerning southeastern Europe tomorrow in
Thessaloniki, featuring the participation of the Party's leader
and German Defense Minister Rudolph Scharping, the President of
the European Parliament's Socialists Pauline Green and other
Socialist leaders from European and Balkan countries.
The delegates are expected to address the fermenting crisis
in Kosovo.
Greece's Defense and Foreign Ministers, Akis Tsochatzopoulos
and Theodoros Pangalos respectively, will also be present, as well
as the ruling PASOK party's central committee secretary Kostas
Skandalides, the undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Yiannos
Kranidiotis and EU Commissioner Christos Papoutsis.
[03] BOMB EXPLODES AT OFFICE OF GREEK PARLIAMENT PRESIDENT
A home-made bomb exploded at the political office of the
President of the Hellenic Parliament Apostolos Kaklamanis
yesterday evening in Athens.
No one was injured, although individuals in near by offices -
among them a young child- were in the building at the time.
Extensive material damages were caused by the powerful blast.
The covert group "Children of November" claimed responsibility for
the attack.
[04] GREEK DEFENSE MINISTER INAUGURATES BALKAN PEACEKEEPING CAMP
The Balkan Peacekeeping Force's training camp, with
headquarters in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, was inaugurated yesterday near
northern Greece's city of Kilkis, by Greece's Defense Minister
Akis Tsochatzopoulos.
The ceremony was attended by defense ministers,
undersecretaries and chiefs of staffs from Balkan countries and
the former Soviet bloc.
The camp will be used to train officers and soldiers from
NATO member-states and Partnership for Peace member-countries on
organizing and participating in peace missions in crisis areas.
In his address, Mr. Tsochatzopoulos stressed Greece's wish
for a peaceful settlement to the Kosovo crisis.
"It is neither clever nor responsible to attempt to give a
solution to the problem of Kosovo with military force," he stated
and condemned what he called "phenomena of military force" which
have reappeared in Kosovo.
Moreover, the Greek Defense Minister said that a political
solution must be found "within the borders of Yugoslavia" through
the course of a dialogue, as the international community has
requested.
Mr. Tsochatzopoulos called on Yugoslavia to facilitate "step-
by-step and in cooperation with international organizations" a
consolidation of peace in the region, stressing: "Kosovo has
developed into an international issue concerning international
security."
[05] EUROPEAN POLL: GREECE ARE PESSIMISTIC ABOUT THE FUTURE
The inauguration of the euro, has failed to shake the "blues"
from most Greeks who, when compared to their European
counterparts, don't seem to look forward to a bright future.
According to a poll conducted by "Gallop International" in 55
countries, 74% of the Greeks expect the rate of unemployment to
increase during 1999, while 47% of them believe that social
conflict will also escalate.
Overall, 41% of those polled believe that this year will be
worse than last, while a mere 21% is optimistic about the future.
[06] GREEK DEFENSE MINISTER ON SECURITY OF GREECE AND CYPRUS
Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos stressed that that the
security of Cyprus and Greece is a common affair of both
countries, responding to a question tabled during last night's
parliamentary session on the S-300 missiles issue.
Mr. Tsochatzopoulos stated that he will meet with his Cypriot
counterpart during the following days in Athens in order to review
all discussions held with Cypriot President Glafcos Clerides.
[07] BLACK SEA FIBER OPTICS AGREEMENT TO POUR IN THE MONEY
An agreement for the establishment of a fiber optics
telecommunications system that will link seven countries in the
Black Sea region, signed yesterday in Athens, is expected to
breath new air to Greek investments in the region, as well as pour
more money into the coffers of the Hellenic Telecommunications
Organization (OTE).
The undersea system is to cost USD51 million and will link
Varna, Odessa, Novorosisk, Tblisi and Georgia.
The signing ceremony was attended Greece's Transportation and
Communications Minister Tasos Mantelis and OTE's managing
consultant George Symeonides.
In addition to OTE, the agreement was signed by Armenia's
Armentel, Bulgaria's BTC, Cyprus' CYTA, Slovenia's TELECOM,
Ukraine's URKTELEKOM and Russia's WESTELCOM.
Mr. Mantelis stated that the Greek government remains firm in
its commitment to contribute at the fullest in increasing its
"alliances" with the Black Sea region's countries.
OTE's participation in the program amounts to 35%, a rate
that corresponds to USD18 million. The Greek Organization will
also chair the project's committee. The program is expected to be
set into effect during the second quarter of the year 2000.
[08] ERT BEGINS ITS RE-BROADCAST IN THE UNITED STATES
Following numerous efforts spanning a period of months,
Greece's state-owned television station (ERT-NET) has embarked on
its program's broadcast in the United States, a target coveted by
the Council of Greeks Abroad (SAE) since its founding.
According to SAE reports, ERT's program will be rebroadcast
in the US through the EABC company and it will be on a 24-hour
cable basis, at a monthly rate of $14.99.
ERT, in association with the SAE of the United States, will
also make the program available free of charge to Greek-American
organizations, provided that they meet certain requirements.
"This move constitutes a vindication of SAE's efforts... a
target we had announced during the first days of the institution‘s
founding," stated the SAE-US chairman Christos Tomaras.
[09] NEW INCIDENTS IN THE STUDENT PROTEST RALLIES
New violent incidents were recorded in the student protest
rallies that were held in Thessaloniki, Athens, Patras, Volos and
other big cities today.
In Athens, the protesters threw firebombs and stones at the
Ionian Bank branch at the center of the city and police used tear-
gas in the clashes that followed during which an elderly man was
slightly injured and 5 people were arrested. In the southern city
of Kalamata, two students were injured by a car in the effort of
its driver to brake their street blockade. In the city of Patras,
also in southern Greece, protesters attacked television crews and
caused damages to the buildings housing the prefecture offices and
the branch of the National Bank of Greece.
[10] THE EUROPEAN SOCIALIST PARTY CONFERENCE OPENS IN THESSALONIKI
TOMORROW
The proceedings of the second European Socialist Party
conference on south-eastern Europe will open in Thessaloniki
tomorrow afternoon.
The main speaker in the conference will be European Socialist
Party president Rudolf Scharping, while among the speakers will be
minister of defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos, foreign minister
Theodoros Pangalos, undersecretary of foreign affairs Yiannos
Kranidiotis, EU Commissioner Christos Papoutsis and Greek
governing socialist party of PASOK central committee secretary
Kostas Skandalidis.
[11] OVER 9.000 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS WERE ARRESTED IN NE GREECE
Over 9.200 illegal immigrants were arrested in 1998 in the
prefecture of Evros in north-eastern Greece.
Based on official data provided by the local police
department, in 1998 were arrested 2.676 illegal immigrants more
compared to 1997 as well as 40 Greek and foreign slave-traders
compared to 14 in 1997.
Referring to drug-trafficking, the incidents recorded were 33
and there were 57 arrests made compared to 16 and 27 respectively
in 1997. Also, significant quantities of heroin and cannabis were
confiscated.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[12] US REITERATE WARNING TO MILOSEVIC
The United States have reiterated their warning to the
President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Slobodan
Milosevic, who, they say, is making a huge mistake in not
considering the international community's will in regards to
Kosovo.
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright is to meet with her
counterparts from Russia, Great Britain and France in order to
decide upon the next course of action to be taken in regards to
Kosovo.
[13] GREECE IS FAVORITE DESTINATION OF AUSTRIAN TOURISTS
Greece is a favorite vacation spot for Austrian tourists,
with over half a million having visited the country in 1998,
according to data provided by representatives of Austrian tourist
organizations.
According to the director of Vienna's branch of the Greek
National Tourist Organization (EOT), the number of Austrian
tourists that visited Greece last year approached a record 600,000
while an upward trend is also anticipated this year.
EOT is presently participating with a large pavilion at this
year's International Tourist Fair in Vienna, which will be held
until Sunday.
[14] GREEK AND ALBANIAN BANKS SIGN COOPERATION ACCORD
As a confirmation of a three-year course of economic ties,
the governor of the Bank of Greece Lukas Papademos and his
Albanian counterpart Skelkim Cani signed a bank agreement in
Tirana yesterday, calling for cooperation in the monetary sector,
statistical studies and bank supervision.
Mr. Papademos, who yesterday concluded a three-day visit to
Albania, met with the country's President Rexhep Mejdani, Prime
Minister Pandeli Majko and also Finance Minister Anastas Angel.
Following the signing ceremony, Mr. Papademos termed the
agreement "the first typical step in prolonged bilateral
cooperation which will strengthen interbank relations. Greece is
closely watching the Albanian economy's progress and its positive
steps towards decreasing inflation and the budget deficit in
particular."
He further added that the results of his contacts in Albania
were very encouraging because the overall upgrading of relations
between Greek and Albanian banks is expected through the upgraded
form of cooperation.
[15] MONTENEGRO'S PRESS SECRETARY TO VISIT ATHENS THIS MONTH
The Press Secretary of Montenegro Bozidar Jaredic is to visit
Athens between 23-28 of January, following an invitation issued by
the Greek Press and Media Ministry's secretary General Yiannis
Nikolaou.
During his stay, Mr. Jaredic will hold a series of meetings
with other press ministry officials, as well as representatives
from Greece's National Radio-Television Council, the state-owned
ERT radio and television stations and other media officials.
On January 25, he will address an event organized by the
ministry's International Relations Department. Held at the Foreign
Correspondents' Association, the discussion will concern media-
related issued in Montenegro, Yugoslavia and the wider region.
[16] CYPRIOT FM TO MEET WITH US SECRETARY OF STATE NEXT MONTH
Cyprus' Foreign Minster Yiannakis Kasoulides is to meet with
the US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright in Washington on
February 17.
According to State Department reports, Ms. Albright accepted
Mr. Kasoulides' request for a meeting, given the present
conditions in the Cyprus issue and the decision not to deploy the
S-300 missiles on the island.
During his visit to the US, Mr. Kasoulides will also travel
to New York where he will meet with United Nations secretary-
general Kofi Annan.
[17] NEW ROUND OF CONFLICTS ERUPT IN KOSOVO
Two Albanian rebels were killed and another two were injured
during conflict that erupted yesterday evening in the village of
Vaganica, during a Serb police raid.
According to Kosovo's Serb press center, gunfire was heard
throughout the day around the village, as a group of Armed
Albanians, who on Monday attacked a Serb police car and wounded
five officers, had entrenched themselves in a house and refused
to surrender.
Armed conflict also broke out at the Sipolie village while,
in the town of Vucitern, a three-member Serb family was wounded
when a bombshell erupted near their home.
[18] ALLIED FORCES DISPATCH FIGHTER AIRCRAFT TO ITALY
The Danish government has dispatched six F-16 fighter
aircraft to Italy, in preparation for NATO's possible air strike
in Kosovo.
According to Belgrade's radio station B-92, 120 Danish
soldiers are expected in Italy today, 12 of whom are pilots.
The Netherlands is also dispatching eight F-16 to Italy,
where another eight are already stationed.
British Defense Secretary George Robertson also stated that
four RAF military aircraft will arrive in Italy by the end of this
week.
[19] FINNISH FORENSIC SURGEONS IN KOSOVO
A group of Finnish forensic surgeons has arrived in Kosovo to
hold an investigation on the ethnic Albanians massacre last week.
Meanwhile, new clashes were reported yesterday between Serb
forces and Albanian-speaking separatist rebels. In the clashes at
the village of Vaganica, two ethnic Albanians were killed and two
were injured.
[20] QUESTIONS RAISED IN THE EUROPEAN PRESS REGARDING THE KOSOVO
MASSACRE
The recent developments in Kosovo and the escalation of the
crisis in the region continue to be among the most important
topics for the French press.
According to the newspaper "Le Figaro", there are many
questions concerning the massacre of ethnic Albanians at the
village of Racak in Kosovo as the scenes that were video-taped are
in conflict with the version put forth by the ethnic Albanians and
the OSCE. The scenes, video-taped by the French press agency at
the invitation of the Serb police, make it obvious that there was
no cold-blooded execution.
Based on the newspaper report, it is possible that during the
night members of the Albanian Liberation Army of Kosovo had
gathered together the bodies of victims of armed clashes to give
the impression that it was a mass execution in an effort to turn
their defeat into political success.
[21] 35% OF THE BULGARIAN PEOPLE LIVE IN POVERTY
A Bulgarian needs at least 72.8 DM per month in order to
survive, according to a research conducted by the Social and
Workers' Union Studies Institute. This sum constitutes the poverty
level below which live about 35% of the Bulgarian population. With
35.1 DM a Bulgarian can buy only the most essential foodstuffs for
survival that correspond to 2.200 calories per day.
The Sofia newspaper "Trud" mentions that the average worker's
wage in most industries is under 73 DM while the minimum wage is
61 DM and many families in Bulgaria live on bread, pasta and
beans, which puts at risk their overall state of health.
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