Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 99-02-04
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, February 4, 1999
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] GREEK PREMIER TO MEET WITH NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL TODAY
[02] STUDENTS TO CONDUCT PROTEST RALLIES TOMORROW
[03] CYPRIOT FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS WITH PANGALOS IN ATHENS
[04] PREMIER EXPRESSES SUPPORT FOR PRESIDENT, BACKS A SECOND TERM
[05] PM DENIES THAT OCALAN HAS ASKED FOR POLITICAL ASYLUM IN
GREECE
[06] THESSALONIKI METRO IN OPERATION FIVE YEARS FROM NOW
[07] GREEK FM FORWARDS LETTERS TO COUNTERPARTS OVER KOSOVO
[08] PRIME MINISTER SIMITIS MET WITH THE NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL
[09] THE GREEK GOVERNMENT SUPPORTS THE PROPOSAL FOR THE
DEMILITARIZATION OF CYPRUS
[10] G. PAPANDREOU ON THE VETO RIGHT IN THE EUROPEAN UNION
[11] THE CONTRACT FOR THESSALONIKI'S METRO WILL BE SIGNED TOMORROW
[12] STUDENT REACTIONS LED TO THE CANCELLATION OF THE US
AMBASSADOR'S VISIT TO MACEDONIA UNIVERSITY
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[13] SERB PARLIAMENT CONVENES TODAY
[14] THE SERB PARLIAMENT SESSION IS UNDERWAY
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] GREEK PREMIER TO MEET WITH NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL TODAY
NATO's Secretary-General Javier Solana is presently in Athens
where he will be received by the Prime Minister Kostas Simitis, as
well as the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Theodoros Pangalos and
Defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos.
Among the topics of discussion will be the latest
developments in Kosovo, the Alliance's new structure and the
course of Greek-Turkish relations.
Mr. Solana is presently touring the capital cities of the
Alliance's member-states, in light of the Summit conference to be
held at Washington in April.
[02] STUDENTS TO CONDUCT PROTEST RALLIES TOMORROW
A new round of rallies, expected to be the last one, is to be
held tomorrow throughout the country by students who are opposed
to the academic reforms introduced by the state.
Members of the student co-ordinating committees have
announced that the future course of their mobilizations will be
determined tomorrow.
Meanwhile the Teachers Federation (OLME) has accused the
Education Minister Gerasimos Arsenis of intransigence and will
embark on two three-hour work stoppages tomorrow in order to
enable teachers who wish to take part in the students' protests.
[03] CYPRIOT FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS WITH PANGALOS IN ATHENS
Cyprus' Foreign Minister Yiannakis Kasoulides, who arrived in
Athens yesterday, met with his Greek counterpart Theodoros
Pangalos with whom he discussed 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.
The two officials examined the coordinated efforts to be
taken by the two countries in regards to the Cyprus issue.
Mr. Kasoulides stressed that the basic aim is the enforcement
of the United Nations Security Council resolutions Nos. 1217 and
1218.
[04] PREMIER EXPRESSES SUPPORT FOR PRESIDENT, BACKS A SECOND TERM
Prime Minister Kostas Simitis has expressed his support for
the President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos and
did not hesitate to advocate him for another term in office.
"He is a very able and competent president. He has correctly
kept the dictates of the Constitution and I believe he should be
president of the Republic for the next four-year term ," Mr.
Simitis stated during an in-depth interview broadcast last night
by a Greek private television channel.
Mr. Simitis further reiterated that double elections for
Greece and the European Parliament would not take place in June,
while he stressed that the main issue at hand was for the
government to carry out its task.
Responding to questions submitted to the program by the
viewers in advance, Mr. Simitis touched all of the present issues
pressing the country, while among the most popular topics were
education, unemployment, social welfare and the economic and
monetary union (EMU).
According to "Mega" channel officials, the program was
inundated with over 2,000 calls and e-mails. One e-mail wanted to
know what the Prime Minister was going to do about the neighbor's
fence.
[05] PM DENIES THAT OCALAN HAS ASKED FOR POLITICAL ASYLUM IN
GREECE
Prime Minister Kostas Simitis has categorically reiterated
that Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan has not asked for political
asylum in Greece, and that if he came this would prove Turkish
claims that Greece was fuelling the Kurdish uprising.
"This would also be detrimental to the Kurds themselves, and
Turkey would be granted the additional argument that Greece was
provoking tension and exhibiting aggressive tendencies," he said
during a televised interview yesterday evening.
During the same interview, Mr. Simitis referred to the
Cypriot government's cancelled order of the Russian-made S-300
anti- aircraft missiles.
He stated that the decision to purchase the missiles had not
been made during his term in office, and that its cancellation,
over which Greece concurred, was ultimately the best course.
He added that "the US, Britain and the European Union have
undertaken, through statements, the obligation to move the Cyprus
issue again," and that Greece had to keep spurring the interest of
the international community.
"The Cyprus issue makes progress because of the alertness of
the international community. When this alertness subsides, we have
the obligation to remind of the issue again, and this we
achieved," he said.
[06] THESSALONIKI METRO IN OPERATION FIVE YEARS FROM NOW
The Thessaloniki metro, whose construction was approved
yesterday by the appropriate state committee, will start operating
in the fall of 2004, according to the Minister of Environment,
Town Planning and Public Works Minister Kostas Laliotis.
The project amounts to 220 billion drachmas and has been
undertaken by the Thessaloniki Metro consortium, led by Bouygues
of France.
Bouygues, the major shareholder, will operate the subway for
20 years before ownership reverts to the state.
Mr. Laliotis said that construction will begin immediately
once Parliament ratifies the agreement and will take five years.
The subway will have a length of nine kilometres and 789
meters, with 14 stations. It will have a capacity of 18, 500
passengers in each direction during rush hours.
The Greek state will participate with approximately 67
billion drachmas and an annual ticket subsidy of GRD 50 billion.
[07] GREEK FM FORWARDS LETTERS TO COUNTERPARTS OVER KOSOVO
Greece's Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos has forwarded a
letter to his Yugoslav and Albanian counterparts concerning the
participation of their respective government in Saturday's talks
over Kosovo, to be held in France.
Stressing the significance of their participation, Mr.
Pangalos also called on them to display constructive intent for
the sake of ending the crisis.
In his letter to the Yugoslav Foreign Minister, Mr. Pangalos
underlined that the exacerbation of the Kosovo crisis has raised
serious concerns among the international community and jeopardises
stability in Yugoslavia and the overall region.
Mr. Pangalos is to embark on a tour to Montenegro, Bosnia and
Croatia this Sunday, February 7.
[08] PRIME MINISTER SIMITIS MET WITH THE NATO SECRETARY-GENERAL
Prime minister Kostas Simitis met with NATO secretary-general
Javier Solana in Athens today. Their talks focused on the
developments in Kosovo, the new structure of NATO, the
preparations for the next NATO summit meeting in Washington in
April, the Greek-Turkish relations and the Cyprus issue.
The prime minister after the meeting reiterated to Mr. Solana
the firm Greek positions on the issue of Kosovo namely, that
Greece believes that the solution in the region should be a
political one. Mr. Simitis said that a non political solution will
not lead to peace in the region and added that the existing
borders should be maintained, stressing that the Greek government
is opposed to the ideas for the creation of a new state or to
Kosovo's independence. However, Mr. Simitis underlined that the
autonomy that existed within the framework of former Yugoslavia
should continue.
On the next NATO summit meeting, the prime minister stated
that it will seek the finalizing of the new military structure of
the alliance within the framework of the common effort for peace,
security and stability in the Balkan region. Referring to the
confidence-building-measures in the Aegean, an issue that was
raised in the meeting with Mr. Solana, the prime minister pointed
out that the talks on the issue continue. Mr. Simitis concluded
that based on the meeting with Mr. Solana it was established that
solutions can always be found even in difficult problems if there
is good information and discussion.
From his side, Mr. Solana thanked Mr. Simitis and the Greek
government for the talks that were held in a very positive way. He
pointed out that the issue of Kosovo was discussed in detail as
well as the preparations for the next NATO summit meeting. On the
preparations for the talks between Belgrade and ethnic Albanian
officials in France, Mr. Solana said that the international
community promotes this initiative in order to find a peaceful
solution in Kosovo through diplomacy.
[09] THE GREEK GOVERNMENT SUPPORTS THE PROPOSAL FOR THE
DEMILITARIZATION OF CYPRUS
The Greek government has repeatedly expressed its support to
the proposal made by Cyprus for the complete demilitarization of
the island, stated Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas.
The proposal provides for the withdrawal of the occupation
forces and if this is accepted by the other side it will be a
positive development, said Mr. Reppas.
[10] G. PAPANDREOU ON THE VETO RIGHT IN THE EUROPEAN UNION
Greece, just like every other EU member-state, reserves the
right to exercise its veto power on issues concerning the common
foreign policy and political security in case its national
interests are being affected. The statement was made by deputy
foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou speaking in the special
parliamentary committee that completed the discussion on the
treaty of Amsterdam.
The treaty of Amsterdam will be ratified by the parliament's
plenary session next Tuesday.
[11] THE CONTRACT FOR THESSALONIKI'S METRO WILL BE SIGNED TOMORROW
The contract for the construction of Thessaloniki's metro
will be signed tomorrow. The project will be completed in autumn
of 2004 and will cost 220 billion drachmas of which 65 billion
will be the state's participation.
The metro will cover a distance of 10 kilometers starting
from the Railway Station and ending up in the region of Depo and
it will be able to carry 18.500 passengers each way. The
preliminary work on the project will start immediately after the
signing of the contract and will last 6 months.
[12] STUDENT REACTIONS LED TO THE CANCELLATION OF THE US
AMBASSADOR'S VISIT TO MACEDONIA UNIVERSITY
US ambassador to Athens Nicholas Burns canceled his visit to
Macedonia University when he was informed that the students
planned to hold a protest. Mr. Burns was scheduled to visit the
university this morning to meet with its dean Mr. Michalis
Hatziprokopiou. The students reacted to this prospect and
yesterday the Macedonia University student union presiding board
decided to hold protests aimed at the cancellation of the US
ambassador's visit.
Early this morning, tens of students gathered outside the
university administration building holding placards with anti-
American slogans among them many Cypriot students who were
protesting against the US stance in the Cyprus issue. As a result
of the situation, a US consulate spokesman informed the university
authorities that Mr. Burns will not visit the campus because
"something came up".
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[13] SERB PARLIAMENT CONVENES TODAY
The Serb Parliament is to hold a session today in order to
decide whether or not Belgrade will participate in the Saturday's
negotiations which are to be held in Paris.
The leader of Kosovo's Albanians Ibrahim Rugova and a
delegation of representatives from the Kosovo Liberation Army
(UCK) are to take part in the talks.
Meanwhile, the United States have announced that they are
willing to dispatch troops under the auspices of a NATO
peacekeeping force, but only if an agreement emerges from the
talks.
[14] THE SERB PARLIAMENT SESSION IS UNDERWAY
The Serb parliament meets since noon today to decide on
whether Belgrade will participate in the peace talks that will be
held in France during the weekend.
Government officials insinuated, based on statements they
made, that the Serb side will take part in the talks. Ethnic
Albanian leader Ibrahim Rugova and the Kosovo Liberation Army have
already said "Yes" to the talks.
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