Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 99-02-15
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, February 15, 1999
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] REPPAS: NO APPLICATION HAS BEEN FILED REQUESTING ASYLUM FOR
OCALAN
[02] SIMITIS: INFLATION WILL BE AT 2.5% BY THE END OF 1999
[03] MR. SIMITIS VISITED THE PAPANIKOLAOU HOSPITAL AND THE UNDER
CONTRUCTION MUSIC HALL BUILDING
[04] THE DOCTORS CONTINUE THEIR MOBILIZATIONS
[05] PRESIDENT STEPHANOPOULOS IS ON A THREE-DAY VISIT TO VIENNA
[06] ARCHBISHOP SPIRIDON OF AMERICA: CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS ARE
ANNOYED BY THE CHANGES AND RESORT TO MUD-SLINGING
[07] BURNS: ARCHBISHOP SPIRIDON PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE
UNITY OF THE GREEK-AMERICANS
[08] THE MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY WILL NOT BE AFFECTED BY THE SO-
CALLED "MILLENNIUM BUG"
[Â] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[09] THE AUSTRIAN PRESIDENT SUGGESTS POLITICAL DIALOGUE BETWEEN
GREECE AND TURKEY
[10] RUSSIA IS IN FAVOR OF A POLITICAL SOLUTION FOR KOSOVO
[11] PAPANDREOU: A SOLUTION IN KOSOVO SHOULD BE FOUND WITHIN THE
FRAMEWORK OF YUGOSLAVIA
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] REPPAS: NO APPLICATION HAS BEEN FILED REQUESTING ASYLUM FOR
OCALAN
Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas stated today that
no application has been filed requesting asylum for the Kurdish
leader and the Greek government does not wish for this to happen.
He added that the granting of asylum by Greece to Kurdish leader
Abdullah Ocalan will not contribute positively to the struggle of
the Kurdish people and it would add tension to the already tense
climate between Greece and Turkey.
Mr. Reppas also stated that the presence of the Kurdish
leader in Greece is not advisable and useful and reiterated that
the Greek government is close to the struggle of the Kurds.
Commending on the operation to move the Kurds from the
Koumoundourou Square at the center of Athens to the Western Attica
Prefecture Hospital, Mr. Reppas characterized it as imperative.
[02] SIMITIS: INFLATION WILL BE AT 2.5% BY THE END OF 1999
Inflation will drop to 2.5% by the end of 1999 underlined
prime minister Kostas Simitis saying that in order for this goal
to be achieved an effort should be made by all those involved in
the process because it is possible that the increased demand for
cash will create inflationary pressures.
Speaking before representatives of the production sector and
parliament deputies elected in Thessaloniki, the prime minister
referred to the positive growth of the economic indexes and said
that there will be a new improvement, while he emphasized the
development of programs for the creation of new job positions.
Referring to Thessaloniki he said that the discussions made
on the alleged abandonment of the city by the government have
nothing to do with reality and stressed that the government's
intention is to make Thessaloniki a center of great potential for
the Balkans and south-eastern Europe.
[03] MR. SIMITIS VISITED THE PAPANIKOLAOU HOSPITAL AND THE UNDER
CONTRUCTION MUSIC HALL BUILDING
The national health system has proven itself and contributes
to the upgrading of the health services offered to the people,
stressed prime minister Kostas Simitis during the inauguration of
the hematology department in the Papanikolaou Hospital in
Thessaloniki which will operate with the donations of the
association of cancer suffering children "Storgi". The prime
minister stated that the national health system will be improved
to include the family doctor institution.
Speaking in the inauguration ceremony, minister of health
Lambros Papadimas underlined that Thessaloniki is the most
important health center for the Balkans and south-eastern Europe.
Later at noon, the prime minister went to the under
construction Music Hall building and was informed by culture
minister Evangelos Venizelos on the progress made in the
construction work. Mr. Venizelos said that the time schedule for
the completion of the project is followed closely and the Music
Hall of Thessaloniki will open its doors to the public on the new
year's day of 2000.
The prime minister attended a working lunch with government
ministers, parliament deputies and representatives of the local
authorities.
[04] THE DOCTORS CONTINUE THEIR MOBILIZATIONS
The hospital doctors continue their mobilizations. In
Thessaloniki, their strike action will last for a week.
In Athens and Pireaus, the hospital doctors will hold 6-hour
work stoppages today, tomorrow and on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the doctors of the Social Security Organization,
IKA, are on a 5-day strike across the country demanding the
permanent appointment of all the temporarily hired IKA doctors,
they also want back certain of their benefits that had been cut
but they continue to be received by the doctors who belong to the
National Health System.
[05] PRESIDENT STEPHANOPOULOS IS ON A THREE-DAY VISIT TO VIENNA
Greek president Kostis Stephanopoulos is on a three-day visit
to Vienna where he will meet with his Austrian counterpart Thomas
Klestil, chancellor Victor Klima, the parliament president and the
mayor of Vienna. Mr. Stephanopoulos will also visit the city of
Gratz for contacts with members of the Greek community.
President Stephanopoulos will visit the Greek Christian
Orthodox church in Vienna and the National Library of Austria,
while tomorrow he will deliver a message speaking in the country's
Federal Chamber, where the Greek-Austrian economic forum will be
held.
[06] ARCHBISHOP SPIRIDON OF AMERICA: CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS ARE
ANNOYED BY THE CHANGES AND RESORT TO MUD-SLINGING
Archbishop Spiridon of America, in a press conference he gave
in Athens today just before his departure for the United States,
stated that he is satisfied with the results of his first formal
visit to Greece that was made at the invitation of the Greek
government.
Responding to a question concerning those who want the
independence of the Church of America, the Archbishop stated that
the activities of certain circles do not have any effect on the
Greek-American Orthodox communities and therefore, a movement
backed by an insignificant minority that would have had as a
consequence the Church of America to become autocephalous can not
materialize.
Archbishop Spiridon referred to the use of the English
language in the Christian Orthodox churches of America since 1970,
stressing that the faithful should pray and hear the Holy Liturgy
in the language they understand. On the problem of the mixed
marriages, he said that 95% of the marriages in America are mixed
and this fact creates a big problem.
Speaking about the internal problems of the Church of America
and the reactions to his policy, he said that certain situations
are blown out of proportion and reality is being altered, adding
that it is natural for certain individuals to be annoyed by the
changes and resort to mud-slinging. He said that those individuals
act alone and have no influence on the Church of America. The
Archbishop also said that they have access to certain mass media
but they can not be characterized as a problem of the Church,
adding that he will do his duty and resolve the problems
peacefully and through dialogue.
Archbishop Spiridon of America made a special reference to
Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All of Greece thanking him
for the warm welcome and stressed that it was agreed that
relations should become even closer at many different levels as
there are common problems and goals.
[07] BURNS: ARCHBISHOP SPIRIDON PLAYS AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE
UNITY OF THE GREEK-AMERICANS
US ambassador to Athens Nicholas Burns received Archbishop
Spiridon of America yesterday saying characteristically that he
respects deeply the Archbishop of America and the role he plays
for years now in maintaining the unity of the Greek-Americans as
well as the unity of the Church by creating a bridge between the
two great countries, Greece and the United States.
The US diplomat characterized as important the Archbishop's
mission and stressed that he will offer him his support.
Responding Archbishop Spiridon referred among others to the
contribution of the Greek-American community to the development of
the American society, adding that its members have made
significant achievements in every sector, political, business,
scientific and academic.
[08] THE MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY WILL NOT BE AFFECTED BY THE SO-
CALLED "MILLENNIUM BUG"
In a period when public agencies, organizations, universities
and private businesses around the world spend great sums of money
to deal with the computer virus, called the "millennium bug",
Macedonian Press Agency is among the few institutions that will
face no problem as it took all the necessary precautions.
The Macedonian Press Agency uses a four-digit date
presentation as the data base on which the MPA computer system is
based is the Oracle 7.0 which can accept a four-digit date.
[Â] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[09] THE AUSTRIAN PRESIDENT SUGGESTS POLITICAL DIALOGUE BETWEEN
GREECE AND TURKEY
Greek president Kostis Stephanopoulos met with his Austrian
counterpart Thomas Klestil within the framework of his three-day
formal visit to the country.
In a join press conference they gave after their meeting,
they pointed out that relations between Greece and Austria are
excellent. The Austrian president responding to a question by MPA
regarding the Greek-Turkish relations and Austria's intentions, he
stated that he suggests the holding of a political dialogue
between Greece and Turkey for the solution of the problems.
On Cyprus, the Austrian president stated that when his
country had the EU presidency it backed the opening of
negotiations with Cyprus in order to become an EU member, adding
that those negotiations are now underway and they must lead to a
political solution of the Cyprus problem.
[10] RUSSIA IS IN FAVOR OF A POLITICAL SOLUTION FOR KOSOVO
Russian foreign minister Igor Ivanov stated from Rambouillet,
France that the international community must ask for Belgrade's
approval before sending a NATO peace-keeping force to Kosovo.
Mr. Ivanov stated that the issue must be discussed with the
leadership of Belgrade and added that Russia and the Contact group
want the political solution of the problem and not the use of
military force.
[11] PAPANDREOU: A SOLUTION IN KOSOVO SHOULD BE FOUND WITHIN THE
FRAMEWORK OF YUGOSLAVIA
The informal EU foreign ministers meeting that was held in
Paris during the weekend to examine the course of the peace
negotiations on Kosovo, confirmed the basic principles for the
solution of the problem in the Serb province which are backed by
Greece.
Deputy foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou, who represented
Greece in the meeting, stated that it backed a solution within the
framework of Yugoslavia with a great degree of autonomy but at the
same it did not back any change in the existing borders.
Mr. Papandreou said that in case of a peace agreement, Greece
will support the lifting of the sanctions against Serbia and the
end of the embargo which is still in effect while it will back
Yugoslavia's participation in the international organizations.
He stressed that the international community rejects the
proposal made by the Kosovo ethnic Albanians for a referendum
which would mean a 99% secession after 3 years and added that the
international attention is on the disarmament of the Kosovo
Liberation Army (KLA) and the Serbs and on the monitoring of the
cease fire by a peace-keeping force.
|
