Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 99-02-09
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, February 9, 1999
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] ARCHBISHOP OF AMERICA SPYRIDON IN ATHENS TODAY
[02] GREEK FARMERS TAKE TRACTORS TO THE STREETS
[03] GREEK GOVERNMENT CONDEMNS BLAST AT KOMOTENE
[04] "HAWKS OF THRACE" CLAIMS BLAST AT TURKISH EMBASSY
[05] GREECE, UNITED STATES SIGN SPORTS COOPERATION PROTOCOL
[06] US ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE IN ATHENS TOMORROW
[07] O.A. MANAGING DIRECTOR SUBMITS RESIGNATION, STATE ACCEPTS
[08] INTERPRISE BRINGS TOGETHER 65 BUSINESSMEN FROM 4 COUNTRIES
[09] ARCHBISHOP SPIRIDON OF AMERICA HAS ARRIVED IN ATHENS
[10] REPPAS: THE S-300 MISSILES WILL BE INSTALLED IN EASTERN CRETE
[11] NEW PRIVATIZATION OF THE STATE-RUN TELECOMMUNICATIONS
ORGANIZATION
[12] TRAFFIC IN THE NATIONAL ROAD NETWORK MOVES WITHOUT PROBLEMS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[13] GREEK FM TRAVELS TO ZAGREB TODAY
[14] KOSOVO PEACE TALKS CONTINE IN RAMBOUILLET
[15] GREECE TO PROVIDE YUGOSLAVIA WITH $100 MILLION IN LOANS
[16] MR. BAKARTZIEV WILL BE IN ATHENS TOMORROW
[17] THE PANGALOS-JOVANOVIC MEETING WILL BE HELD LATER TODAY
[18] THE GREEK-CROATIAN RELATIONS SHOW A POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT
[19] MR. LOMAS PRESSURES THE BLAIR GOVERNMENT FOR THE RETURN OF
THE PARTHENON MARBLES TO GREECE
[20] THE PEACE-TALKS ON KOSOVO CONTINUE
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] ARCHBISHOP OF AMERICA SPYRIDON IN ATHENS TODAY
The Archbishop of America Spyridon is to arrive in Athens
today, where he will stay until February 15, embarking on a series
of contacts with church, state and political leaders.
This afternoon, Mr. Spyridon will meet with the Archbishop of
Athens and All of Greece Christodoulos, while this evening he will
address the orthodoxy committee in the old Parliament.
According to a statement he made to the Archdiocese's radio
program prior to his arrival, Mr. Spyridon's visit aims at
developing cooperation and stable relations between Athens and
expatriate Hellenism.
Specifically, talks between Mr. Spyridon and members of the
government will focus on cooperation with Greece for the
improvement of education in the US to secure the viability of the
Greek language and the facilitation of more frequent contact
between the new Greek generation with the motherland, as well as
the exchange of visits between young people in the US and Greece.
Tomorrow, the Archbishop will lay a wreath at the Unknown
Soldier Monument and will meet with the President of the Hellenic
Parliament Apostolos Kaklamanis, President of the Hellenic
Republic Costis Stephanopoulos, Alternate Foreign Minister George
Papandreou, Education Minster Gerasimos Arsenis Defense Minister
Akis Tsochatzopoulos and the leader of the main opposition party,
New Democracy's Kostas Karamanlis.
On Thursday, he will meet with other opposition party
leaders, the mayor of Athens Dimitris Avramopoulos, and Foreign
Minister Theodoros Pangalos.
[02] GREEK FARMERS TAKE TRACTORS TO THE STREETS
The country's farmers are blocking the Athens-Thessaloniki
national highway junction at Biokarpet, with their tractors, while
the government is determined not to allow them to halt traffic .
According to reports, the state's crisis management
committee, which convened last night, has already prepared an
action plan which it will enforce in case traffic is impeded.
The Farmers' Coordinating Committee of Thessaloniki has
announced that its members will line their tractors up at the
central squares of surrounding villages.
Most of the farmers are demanding lower debt repayment
rates.
[03] GREEK GOVERNMENT CONDEMNS BLAST AT KOMOTENE
The Greek government has unequivocally condemned last night's
blast across the street from the Turkish General Consulate
building in the city of Komotene.
The Foreign Ministry issued a statement wherein it stressed
that there is no doubt that the culprits of this criminal act ,
who sought to undermine Greek-Turkish relations, are motivated by
base grounds and are members of rings which aim to create
disturbances.
The police authorities have taken the necessary steps in
order to arrest the outlaws and bring them before justice.
Furthermore, the Greek government expresses its sympathy
towards the Greek police force's pyrotechnist who was wounded
during his effort to defuse the explosive device.
[04] "HAWKS OF THRACE" CLAIMS BLAST AT TURKISH EMBASSY
A never-heard-of-before organization, "Hawks of Thrace", has
claimed responsibility for the bast that occurred last night at a
newly-constructed building located near the Turkish consulate in
Komotene.
The explosion occurred shortly before midnight, although
earlier calls had been placed to the police and radio stations by
individuals who claimed to have placed the bomb, but not citing a
reason.
Aside from minor material damages, there were no victims in
the blast.
A delegation of anti-terrorism experts has traveled to Komotene
in order to collect evidence.
[05] GREECE, UNITED STATES SIGN SPORTS COOPERATION PROTOCOL
Greece's Undersecretary for Sports Andreas Fouras and United
States Ambassador to Greece Nicholas Burns will sign a protocol on
bilateral sports cooperation in Athens today.
The protocol will be signed during a special ceremony to be
held at the Greek Olympic Games Committee building.
[06] US ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE IN ATHENS TOMORROW
The United States Assistant Secretary of Defense for
International Security Affairs Frank Kramer will arrive in Athens
tomorrow for a two day meeting during which he will have high-
level consultations with Greek officials.
According to the U.S. Embassy, the talks will focus on
defense issues of mutual interest.
[07] O.A. MANAGING DIRECTOR SUBMITS RESIGNATION, STATE ACCEPTS
The state has accepted the resignation of the managing
director of Olympic Airways Theodoros Tsakiridis, who said that he
is vacating the post in order to facilitate the Transportation
Ministry's efforts to find a new manager for the airline.
The deadline for the expression of interest in taking over
the airline's management ends on Friday.
According to reports, British Airways, Lufthansa and a US
operator have already expressed interest in taking over the
management.
[08] INTERPRISE BRINGS TOGETHER 65 BUSINESSMEN FROM 4 COUNTRIES
An opportunity to embark on a series of contacts among 65
businessmen from Greece, France, Spain and Italy is provided by
the INTERPRISE of Marmaro and Petra, which will begin this
Thursday in Thessaloniki.
The event will be inaugurated by the representative of the
European Commission's 23rd Directorate Nasos Christoyiannopoulos.
The event is co-organized by the Business Confederation of
Saragosa (Spain), the Regional Chamber of Pyrenees Toulouse
(France) and the Trade and Industry chamber of Udine (Italy).
[09] ARCHBISHOP SPIRIDON OF AMERICA HAS ARRIVED IN ATHENS
Archbishop Spiridon of America arrived in Athens at noon
today and already met with Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and
All of Greece, while later this afternoon he will speak before the
Orthodoxy Committee in the Old Parliament.
This is the first visit of Archbishop Spiridon to Athens and
during his stay in Greece he will meet with the state and
political leadership as well as, with members of the government
and parliament.
[10] REPPAS: THE S-300 MISSILES WILL BE INSTALLED IN EASTERN CRETE
The Russian-made S-300 anti-aircraft missiles will be
installed in eastern Crete stated Greek government spokesman
Dimitris Reppas, while a delegation will go to Moscow next week to
discuss the details of the timetable for their deployment.
Mr. Reppas said that the missiles will belong to Cyprus,
while Greece will have the control and the responsibility for
their operation expenses.
[11] NEW PRIVATIZATION OF THE STATE-RUN TELECOMMUNICATIONS
ORGANIZATION
Prime minister Kostas Simitis announced the forth
privatization of the state-run Telecommunications Organization,
OTE, that will be held in May. Mr. Simitis said that the forth
privatization will be done based on the same principles with the
previous three and the majority of the shares will not be given to
private investors. The prime minister also mentioned that the
change of the law on the appointment of new OTE employees is being
considered.
Mr. Simitis, who visited the central offices of the
organization today, characterized it as one of the most successful
companies. He said that Greece is a country that moves ahead and
proves that it can meet the challenges in the new environment that
is being created. Mr. Simitis also said that OTE has displayed the
ability of the Greek economy, the Greek technology and Greek
workers who can deal successfully with the new challenges.
Mr. Simitis stated that the goal is for OTE to become a
competitive limited liability
company, stressing that the majority of its shares will belong to
the Greek state.
[12] TRAFFIC IN THE NATIONAL ROAD NETWORK MOVES WITHOUT PROBLEMS
Special police forces and police cranes have arrived in the
city of Larisa, central Greece. On the national road network
linking Athens with Thessaloniki at the Viokarpet junction have
already gathered 450 tractors which however, do not block the
movement of traffic.
Meanwhile, the farmers' coordinating committee in the
prefecture of Thessaloniki decided that tractors should block
village squares and renewed the call for new blockades to take
place in Malgara, Derveni and the airport junction on Thursday.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[13] GREEK FM TRAVELS TO ZAGREB TODAY
Greece's Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos is presently in
Zagreb where he will be received by his Croat counterpart Mate
Granic and the country's president Franjo Tudjman.
This afternoon, Mr. Pangalos will travel to Belgrade where
he will have contacts with his Yugoslav counterpart Zivadin
Jovanovic and the President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
Slobodan Milosevic.
The main topics dominating Mr. Pangalos' talks with Balkan
officials are the promotion of bilateral cooperation and the
developments in the Kosovo issue.
[14] KOSOVO PEACE TALKS CONTINE IN RAMBOUILLET
The Foreign Ministers of France and Great Britain are to
participate in today's session of the Kosovo peace talks, held in
Rambouillet, France.
According to the international mediators who are attending
the talks between the Serbs and the ethnic Albanians, some
progress has been noted, although they declined to provide further
information.
[15] GREECE TO PROVIDE YUGOSLAVIA WITH $100 MILLION IN LOANS
Greece will provide Yugoslavia with medium-term loans
amounting to $100 million, as part of a bilateral protocol to be
signed this week between the two countries.
Greece's National Bank, Piraeus Bank and Commercial Bank are
participating in the loan process, with Yugoslavia's Yugobanka and
Beogradca Banka, according to the trade attache of the Yugoslav
Embassy in Athens.
. According to reliable sources, the negotiations with Bank of
Piraeus, which is participating with a capital of $10 million,
have advanced significantly.
The director of Beogradca Banka stated that "under the
present conditions, the given loans are the most favorable that
have been approved in Yugoslavia."
The length of repayment ranges from five to ten years,
depending on the projects to be funded.
[16] MR. BAKARTZIEV WILL BE IN ATHENS TOMORROW
Bulgarian government vice-president and regional development
and public works minister Evgeni Balarziev will be in Athens
tomorrow to attend the 19th meeting of the joint Greek-Bulgarian
committee on economic and scientific-technical cooperation.
The committee will be co-chaired by Mr. Bakartziev and Greek
minister of national economy and finance Yiannos Papantoniou.
The meeting that will be held on February 11-12 will focus on
bilateral investment programs including the modernization of
Dupnica-Kulata railway line, the construction of the Kavala-
Haskovo fiber optics, the maintenance of road axes and the
construction of the new road bridge linking the border stations of
Promahonas and Kulata.
[17] THE PANGALOS-JOVANOVIC MEETING WILL BE HELD LATER TODAY
Greek foreign minister Theodoros Pangalos, who is in Belgrade
coming from Zagreb where he met with Croatian president Franjo
Tudzman this morning, is scheduled to meet tomorrow morning with
Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic.
Early this afternoon, he will meet with his Yugoslav
counterpart Zivadin Jovanovic and after their meeting the two
government ministers will make statements to reporters. Mr.
Pangalos will also meet with Serb president Milan Miludinovic
later on.
The Yugoslav press mentions today that Mr. Pangalos will
discuss with Mr. Jovanovic the further development of the friendly
relations between the two countries, the cooperation at a
bilateral level and other issues of mutual interest including the
multilateral cooperation among the countries of south-eastern
Europe.
[18] THE GREEK-CROATIAN RELATIONS SHOW A POSITIVE DEVELOPMENT
The development of the Greek-Croatian relations was
characterized as positive by Greek foreign minister Theodoros
Pangalos and his Croat counterpart Mate Granic, according to the
state-run news agency Hina.
After their talks in Zagreb, the two ministers reached the
conclusion that Greece as a member of the European Union is ready
to back Croatia's request to be included in the PHARE program and
participate in the World Trade Organization, WTO.
Mr. Pangalos said that Greece thinks that there should be a
European strategy on Croatia and added that Athens will request a
new discussion on Croatia and the PHARE program as Croatia has not
received yet the green light to use it.
Mr. Granic stated that Greece backs Croatia's WTO
participation and added that the Athens government points out that
Croatia should be invited to Washington next April for the NATO
summit. Mr. Pangalos stated that regardless of how the NATO
enlargement will proceed there will be 44 countries attending the
April summit meeting and therefore, there is room for one more.
Mr. Granic stressed that Greece and Croatia are friendly
countries and that Mr. Tudzman's visit to Greece gave a new boost
to bilateral relations adding that the main role is played by the
economic relations, followed by cultural and tourist. He also said
that Greece and Croatia back the Italian initiative (also called
Adriatic) in the sectors of shipping safety, the war against drugs
and the region's tourist development.
On Kosovo and Bosnia, Mr. Granic stated that he discussed
those issues with Mr. Pangalos and added that Greece and Croatia
back strongly the positions of the Contact Group for a solution in
Kosovo.
On the Dayton peace accord, Mr. Granic said that the final
phase of the drawing up of borders will take place this year based
on the agreements reached and referred to the signing of a trade
agreement by Croatia and Bosnia as well as, to the signing of an
agreement on the special relations issue.
Mr. Pangalos stressed that Greece backs the return of the
refugees to their homes and added that according to his opinion,
the international community can help to overcome the economic
obstacles in this sector.
[19] MR. LOMAS PRESSURES THE BLAIR GOVERNMENT FOR THE RETURN OF
THE PARTHENON MARBLES TO GREECE
British Labor party Euro-deputy Alfred Lomas will present to
British culture minister Chris Smith the arguments on which
Greece's demand for the return of the Parthenon marbles is being
based.
Mr. Lomas, who has drawn up the resolution that has been
adopted by the European Parliament calling for the return of the
Parthenon marbles, stated among others during an interview with
the BBC radio that the European Parliament resolution calls on the
British government to see positively Greece's demand for the
return of the marbles
He characterized Greece's demand as very reasonable and
stressed that the British government must be persuaded to return
the marbles, adding that based on the public opinion polls
conducted such a decision will have the approval of the majority
of the British people.
[20] THE PEACE-TALKS ON KOSOVO CONTINUE
The foreign ministers of Britain and France will participate
today in the peace-talks on Kosovo that are being held in
Rambouillet, France.
According to the international mediators in the talks between
the representatives of the Serbs and the ethnic Albanians, there
has been some progress but they did not give more details.
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