Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 99-02-03
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, February 3, 1999
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] EDUCATION MINISTER WARNS UNRELENTLESS PROTESTERS
[02] THESSALONIKI METRO AGREEMENT TO BE SIGNED ON FRIDAY
[03] CYPRIOT FOREIGN MINISTER IN ATHENS TODAY
[04] GREECE IS ON RIGHT TRACK FOR EMU, ACCORDING TO EU OFFICIALS
[05] UNITED STATES AMBASSADOR TO ATHENS IN THESSALONIKI TODAY
[06] CAMPAIGN UNDERWAY TO RETURN NIKE OF SAMOTHRACE TO GREECE
[07] REPPAS: THE CRISIS OVER IMIA WAS HANDLED WITH RESPONSIBILITY
AND PRUDENCE
[08] REPPAS: GREECE AND CYPRUS DECIDED ON THE S-300 MISSILES BASED
ON NATIONAL INTEREST
[09] BURNS: THE GREEK GOVERNMENT DOES WHAT IT SHOULD DO IN THE
OCALAN CASE
[10] THE CONTRACT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THESSALONIKI'S METRO HAS
BEEN APPROVED
[11] BITTER COLD IN NORTHERN GREECE
[12] KARAMANLIS WILL ATTEND THE EUROPEAN POPULAR PARTY CONFERENCE
[13] GREEK SCIENTIST BREAK-THROUGH: HUMAN SPERM PRODUCED BY MICE
[14] INTER-BALKAN COOPERATION IN THE MANAGEMENT OF AIRSPACE
[15] BRITISH EURO-DEPUTY A. LOMAS WILL VISIT ATHENS
[16] GREECE IS IMPRINTED ON THE "EURO" WITHOUT THE AEGEAN ISLANDS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[17] KOSOVO'S UCK TO PARTICIPATE IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH BELGRADE
[18] GREEKS EARN 30% LESS THAN OTHER EUROPEANS, ON AVERAGE
[19] ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH ADDRESSES IN/TL FORUM AT DAVOS
[20] CYPRIOT DEFENSE MINISTER TO VISIT ATHENS NEXT WEEK
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] EDUCATION MINISTER WARNS UNRELENTLESS PROTESTERS
Students insistent on protesting the education reforms by
conducting school occupations, thus obstructing the schools'
operation for three months now, should be aware that the year's
curriculum will definitely be covered during the remaining
academic year, according to the education Minister Gerasimos
Arsenis, who added that those who fail to pass will have to give
examinations in September, which means a book-filled summer.
The Minister has called on school boards to submit their
suggestions as to how the voluminous curriculum will be covered.
He also announced that over 40 university departments will be
founded for the enrolment of 7,000 college students in the Fall.
At the same time, the Education Ministry stated that the
crisis in the sector is abating as fewer and fewer schools are
presently under an occupation status.
[02] THESSALONIKI METRO AGREEMENT TO BE SIGNED ON FRIDAY
The agreement for the construction of Thessaloniki's metro
subway, expected to be approved today by the appropriate state
committee, is to be signed on Friday. The project amounts to 220
billion drachmas and has been undertaken by a joint venture
headed by a French company.
The subway's length is be nine and a half kilometers and
will feature 14 stops.
The Greek state will participate with approximately 67 billion
drachmas and an annual ticket subsidy of GRD 50 billion.
[03] CYPRIOT FOREIGN MINISTER IN ATHENS TODAY
Cyprus' Foreign Minister Yiannakis Kasoulides is to arrive in
Athens today from Brussels, where he will meet with his Greek
counterpart Theodoros Pangalos.
The two officials will discuss the Cyprus issue, the island's
accession course to the European Union and the results of the
talks Mr. Kasoulides had with EU Commissioner Hans van den Broek.
[04] GREECE IS ON RIGHT TRACK FOR EMU, ACCORDING TO EU OFFICIALS
The European Commission has lauded the Greek government for
its draft-plan of the Third Community Support Framework, as well
as for its rapid funds absorption rate.
The director of the EU general directorate on regional
policy, E. Slavkov met with National Economy Undersecretary
Christos Pachtas and other officials, with whom she discussed
proposals on a Third Community Support Framework.
The Greek government hoped that EU funds, earmarked in the
Santer package, will be as significant as in the past, Mr. Pachtas
said.
He stated that the new Community Support Framework's
priorities were to fund programmes aimed at combating
unemployment, job training and education with the target of
reducing unemployment to 5.0 percent by the year 2006.
[05] UNITED STATES AMBASSADOR TO ATHENS IN THESSALONIKI TODAY
United States Ambassador to Athens Nicholas Burns arrived in
Thessaloniki today, where he was received by the city's mayor
Vasilis Papageorgopoulos this afternoon.
Mr. Burns congratulated the newly-elected Mayor and
told him that he is well known in the United States as an
outstanding track athlete. Furthermore, he stated that the US
intent to augment the existing trade between the two countries and
plan to further encourage US ventures to invest in Thessaloniki
and the wider region.
The US embassy, in cooperation with the Hellenic-American
Chamber of Commerce (HACC), is to hold a tourism conference in
Thessaloniki on April 26-27.
This evening, the Ambassador will address an event organized
by the HACC at the Macedonia Palace Hotel.
[06] CAMPAIGN UNDERWAY TO RETURN NIKE OF SAMOTHRACE TO GREECE
Residents of the Aegean island of Samothrace, the birthplace
of the renowned Greek sculpture Nike of Samothrace, aka the Winged
Victory, have embarked on a letter-writing campaign to have this
finest extant of Hellenistic sculpture returned to their homeland.
In a letter signed by the island's mayor, the locals urge
Greek politicians to intervene and request that the Louvre museum,
where the statue is kept, acknowledge that the sculpture belongs
in its natural environment.
Nike of Samothrace was created by a Rhodes sculptor between
220 and 190 BC. It was discovered on Samothrace in 1863 by
Champoiseau, the French consul.
The sculpture portrays the goddess of victory alighting on a
ship's prow, with her wings spread apart and her garments rippling
in the wind.
[07] REPPAS: THE CRISIS OVER IMIA WAS HANDLED WITH RESPONSIBILITY
AND PRUDENCE
The crisis over Imia was a national crisis and was handled
with responsibility and prudence stated Greek government spokesman
Dimitris Reppas when asked to comment on the statement made by
Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All of Greece who recently
spoke of a "national humiliation".
Mr. Reppas stated that he will not be the judge of the
statements made by the Archbishop and added that the Greek
government is always present, does its duty and defends the
national interest, adding that the Greek government has been
vindicated by its policy and did the best it could.
[08] REPPAS: GREECE AND CYPRUS DECIDED ON THE S-300 MISSILES BASED
ON NATIONAL INTEREST
Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas stated that there
are no differences in views and false impressions should not be
created, adding that foreign minister Theodoros Pangalos and
minister of defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos are leading government
members and are handling the issues with great responsibility.
The statement was made to reporters in response to questions
on whether there are differences in the views of the foreign
minister and the minister of defense regarding the decision to
purchase the S-300 anti-aircraft missiles.
Mr. Reppas said that Cyprus and Greece share a common stance
on issues of defense and the decisions are made taking under
consideration the national interest. He said that the Greek
government backs Cyprus completely for the strengthening and the
safeguarding of its defense.
[09] BURNS: THE GREEK GOVERNMENT DOES WHAT IT SHOULD DO IN THE
OCALAN CASE
The Greek government does what it should and the US
government does not know where Ocalan is, stated US ambassador to
Athens Nicholas Burns when he was asked to comment on Greece's
stance regarding the Ocalan case. He also added that he knows
nothing about the information that came to light according to
which, the Kurdish leader had come to Greece.
Mr. Burns stated that he believes that the Greek government
has the authority to speak about the issue, adding that he is a
visitor to this country and he can not make any statement.
[10] THE CONTRACT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THESSALONIKI'S METRO HAS
BEEN APPROVED
The governmental committee unanimously approved today the
contract for the construction of Thessaloniki's metro which is
expected to be signed on Friday.
The project which has a budget of 220 billion drachmas will
be undertaken by a joint venture headed by a French company that
will have the right to exploit it for 20 years. Thessaloniki's
metro will be 9.5 kilometers long and it will have 14 passenger
stations.
The state's participation will be 67 billion drachmas and its
annual subsidy to the tickets will be 50 billion drachmas.
[11] BITTER COLD IN NORTHERN GREECE
Cold weather continues in northern Greece continue and ten
mountainous villages in the north-east and north west are still
cut off by the snow in spite of the fact that weather conditions
have improved in the past few days.
In the biggest part of the provincial road network in
northern Greece cars move only with non-skid chains. Temperature
in the city of Kastoria is -15, in Florina -11, Kozani -7,
Alexandroupolis -6 and in Thessaloniki -2.
[12] KARAMANLIS WILL ATTEND THE EUROPEAN POPULAR PARTY CONFERENCE
Right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy leader
Kostas Karamanlis will attend the 12th conference of the European
Popular Party that will open in Brussels tomorrow and will last
until Saturday.
In the conference will be approved the European Parliament
action plan for the 1999-2004 term and the new presiding board of
the European Popular Party will be elected.
[13] GREEK SCIENTIST BREAK-THROUGH: HUMAN SPERM PRODUCED BY MICE
Nikolaos Sofikitis, a 37yearold Greek professor and
researcher at Japan's Tototi University Urology Department,
achieved the production of human sperm by rats and mice.
Last August, the Greek scientist managed to implant male
reproductive cells taken from 18 infertile men to the testicles of
rats and mice and last month he detected the presence of human
sperm in the guinea-pigs he had used.
Similar experiments in rats had been made in the United
States and Japan in the past but were unsuccessful because the
white blood cells were blocking the human implant to grow in the
testicles of the guinea-pigs. Mr. Sofikitis used cells from the
eye of the rats to protect the immature testicle cells. The
professor characterized the experiment as advanced stressing
however that more work is needed before any conclusions can be
reached.
[14] INTER-BALKAN COOPERATION IN THE MANAGEMENT OF AIRSPACE
A common front for the management of airspace at an altitude
of over 30.000 feet is possible to be formed in the future by the
Balkan states. Within this framework the Greek ministry of
transportation and communications promotes the establishment of a
Thessaloniki based center for the management of the above
mentioned airspace.
The statement was made by minister of transportation and
communications Tasos Mandelis, who is in Thessaloniki to present
the program for the modernization and development of Macedonia
Airport, adding that discussions on the issue have already started
in neighboring countries.
The Greek initiative for the establishment of the center
appears to have found willing supporters and already it has the
backing of international organizations such as "EUROCONTROL".
[15] BRITISH EURO-DEPUTY A. LOMAS WILL VISIT ATHENS
British Labor Party Euro-deputy Alfred Lomas will be in
Athens tomorrow and on Friday. Mr. Lomas' name is on the written
statement for the return of the Parthenon Marbles that was
submitted to the European Parliament.
Mr. Lomas will visit Athens at the invitation of Greek Euro-
deputies and he will meet with minister of culture Mr. Venizelos
and mayor of Athens Mr. Avramopoulos tomorrow, while on Friday he
will be received by president Stephanopoulos after visiting the
Acropolis where he will give a press conference.
[16] GREECE IS IMPRINTED ON THE "EURO" WITHOUT THE AEGEAN ISLANDS
Greece is imprinted on the "Euro" without the Aegean islands
while at the same time a large part of the Turkish territory is
being depicted, according to the protest made by Mr. Giorgos
Hanos, mayor of Samothraki in northern Greece.
The above are stressed in a protest letter addressed to the
Greek Euro-deputies. Mr. Hanos requests the intervention of the
Euro-deputies calling on them to ask for explanations by the EU
and demand the implementation of the necessary changes.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[17] KOSOVO'S UCK TO PARTICIPATE IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH BELGRADE
Shortly after the Kosovo Liberation Army (UCK) announced that
it will participate in the France-held negotiations with Belgrade
on February 6, the Serb authorities announced that they have
seized a container full of arms and uniforms amounting to half a
million dollars, destined for the region's Albanian rebels.
Meanwhile the Serb parliament is expected to decide tomorrow
on whether or not the Yugoslav government will participate in the
talks.
[18] GREEKS EARN 30% LESS THAN OTHER EUROPEANS, ON AVERAGE
Greek workers earn 30% less money than other Europeans on
average, according to the European Commission's latest bi-annual
report on the socioeconomic state of European regions.
Commenting on the figures, the EU's appropriate Commissioner
said that Greece's rapid rate of convergence to the EU average was
largely the result of activities supported by the funds.
The report also contains extensive references to socio-
economic problems, stressing that the Greek economy faces several
serious problems in competitiveness, and estimating that for the
EU average to be approached, productivity would have to increase
by 40 per cent in coming years and employment by 20 per cent.
[19] ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH ADDRESSES IN/TL FORUM AT DAVOS
Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos addressed the International
Forum held in Davos, Switzerland yesterday, where he stated that
globalization should not lead to the financial improvement of the
few against the many.
The Patriarch further stressed that globalization of the
international economy, information and knowledge are major
achievements of our era, but their worth depends on their ultimate
uses by the people.
[20] CYPRIOT DEFENSE MINISTER TO VISIT ATHENS NEXT WEEK
Cyprus's Defense Minister Yiannakis Chryssostomos will embark
on a four-day visit to Athens on February 8 where he will be
received by his Greek counterpart Akis Tsochatzopoulos.
Their talks are expected to focus on the transport and
installation of the Russian S-300 missiles on the island of Crete.
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