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Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 99-05-08Macedonian Press Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Macedonian Press Agency at http://www.mpa.gr and http://www.hri.org/MPA.Last Update: 23:27 GMT+2SECTIONS
NEWS HEADLINES[A] GREECE[B] BALKANS[C] EUROPE[D] WORLDNEWS IN DETAIL[A] GREECE[01] A TWO-MONTH BABY IS EXPECTED IN ATHENS FROM YUGOSLAVIA TO UNDERGO HEART SURGERYWeb Posted: 17:27 GMT+2Athens, 08/05/1999 (MPA) A two-month baby from Yugoslavia is expected in Athens today to undergo heart surgery at the Onasion Cardiology Center.The baby boy will arrive in Athens with the assistance of the Doctors Without Borders organization. [02] TERRORIST ATTACK TARGETING THE DUTCH EMBASSY IN ATHENSWeb Posted: 17:27 GMT+2Athens, 08/05/1999 (MPA) Another terrorist attack hit the center of Athens last night when a time bomb exploded very close to the presidential building and almost next door to the houses of politicians and other high profile individuals.The attack occurred 45 minutes before midnight and according to police, the time bomb was placed under the Dutch embassy's wrought iron gate. The blast caused only material damage to parked cars and neighboring buildings. There was no telephone warning of the attack and it is believed that it was made in protest to the NATO bombings of Yugoslavia. Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas stated that it is the work of those who want to block the course of Greece and stop the progress of the Greek people. [03] SIMITIS WILL BE ON A THREE-DAY VISIT TO THESSALONIKIWeb Posted: 17:27 GMT+2Thessaloniki, 08/05/1999 (MPA) Prime minister Kostas Simitis, heading a government delegation, is expected to arrive in Thessaloniki this afternoon for a visit that will last until Tuesday. During his stay in the city the prime minister will meet with his Portuguese counterpart Antonio Gutieres who is scheduled to arrive in Thessaloniki on Sunday afternoon. The two leaders will visit the monastic community of Mount Athos on Monday.Mr. Simitis will speak in the 6th Balkan Business Forum that will be held in Thessaloniki on Tuesday after meeting with FYROM prime minister Ljupco Georgiefski and his Albanian counterpart Panteli Majko who will be in Thessaloniki to attend the forum. [04] THE GREEK OPPOSITION PARTIES REACTED TO THE BOMBING OF THE CHINESE EMBASSY IN BELGRADEWeb Posted: 17:27 GMT+2Athens, 08/05/1999 (MPA) Right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy stated that the Greek government has to express its positions and arguments in a persuasive and clear way.ND spokesman Aris Spiliotopoulos stated, on the occasion of the NATO bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade and the university hospital in the town of Nis, that the bombings of Yugoslavia should stop immediately as it was proven from the beginning that they only complicate things and do not promote the peace process. Coalition of the Left leader Nikos Konstantopoulos, who will take part in a peace march in London today, stated that the United States and NATO bomb and destroy optimism and hope for a political solution in the Yugoslav crisis. The Greek Communist Party Central Committee press office in a statement it has issued it mentions that the bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade is an act of war escalation and not some mistake. [B] BALKANS[05] THE FYROM GOVERNMENT DECIDED TO ABOLISH THE VISA REQUIREMENT FOR THE GREEKSWeb Posted: 17:27 GMT+2Skopje, 08/05/1999 (MPA) The FYROM government decided to abolish the visa requirement for the Greek citizens. The decision was made in the cabinet meeting yesterday and the news was announced on the state television.The statement does not mention when the unilateral abolition of the visa requirement will be in effect. The decision is aimed at facilitating the activities of the Greek businessmen in FYROM as every time they visit the country they have to apply to the FYROM diplomatic mission in Athens. [06] KLA KILLED AGANI ACCORDING TO THE SERB POLICEWeb Posted: 17:27 GMT+2Belgrade, 08/05/1999 (MPA) The Serb police announced that ethnic Albanian separatists of the Kossovo Liberation Army have murdered Fehmi Agani, a close associate of ethnic Albanian leader Ibrahim Rugova, according to the Yugoslav news agency Beta.According to a statement issued by the police, Agani's body was found near Liplan yesterday, about 30 kilometers south of Pristina. The statement maintains that the KLA rebels were holding Fehmi Agani hostage to stop him from participating in the talks Ibrahim Rugova would hold with the Serb and the Yugoslav authorities. [07] CHINA WILL REACT STRONGLY TO THE BOMBING OF ITS EMBASSY IN BELGRADEWeb Posted: 17:27 GMT+2Belgrade, 08/05/1999 (MPA) Ambassador of China to Belgrade Pan Zan Lien, in statements he made after the bombing of the embassy building in the Yugoslav capital, underlined that the reaction of China to the attack will be strong.He added that NATO is solely responsible for all the possible consequences that could follow. [08] TWO PEOPLE WERE KILLED IN THE NATO BOMBING OF THE CHINESE EMBASSY IN BELGRADEWeb Posted: 17:27 GMT+2Belgrade, 08/05/1999 (MPA) NATO aircraft bombed the Chinese embassy in Belgrade in the early morning hours today killing at least two people while two more are missing. Thirty embassy employees were in the building at the time of the attack. The Chinese government condemned the attack as barbaric action violating all UN Charter principles.Meanwhile, the UN Security Council is in session to discuss the issue. From its side, NATO is investigating the incident and expressed regret for the victims. The alliance maintains that its target was the army headquarters building in Belgrade where Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic is staying temporarily and a hotel hosting Arkan's followers. Both targets, according to NATO, are very close to the Chinese embassy. The army and police headquarters were also bombed as well as electricity power plants plunging the biggest part of Belgrade into darkness. [09] NATO: THE BOMBING OF THE CHINESE EMBASSY WAS A TERRIBLE MISTAKEWeb Posted: 17:27 GMT+2Belgrade , 08/05/1999 (MPA) NATO admitted that it made a terrible mistake as according to its spokesman Jammie Shea, the NATO pilots took the Chinese embassy building for a military target.Mr. Shea stressed that he is deeply sorry for the development and reiterated that the operations of the alliance in Yugoslavia will not be affected. [C] EUROPE[10] THE NATO BOMBINGS OF THE PAST TWO DAYS UNDERMINE THE PEACE EFFORTSWeb Posted: 17:27 GMT+2Stockholm, 08/05/1999 (MPA) Greek foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou stated from Stockholm that the NATO bombings of the past few days undermine the peace efforts for Yugoslavia that started with the Bonn peace plan.From his side, the socialist governing party of PASOK central committee secretary Kostas Skandalidis has stated that the latest developments in Yugoslavia are beyond logic. [11] RUSSIA: THE ATTACK ON THE CHINESE EMBASSY MAKES THE NEGOTIATIONS MORE DIFFICULTWeb Posted: 17:27 GMT+2Moscow, 08/05/1999 (MPA) Russian presidential envoy to Yugoslavia, Victor Chernomyrdin, stated upon his departure for Bonn that yesterday's attack on the Chinese embassy in Belgrade makes more difficult the negotiating process.Mr. Chernomyrdin stated that he discussed the issue with foreign minister Igor Ivanov and with Russian ambassador to Yugoslavia Yuri Kotov. He stressed that everybody has been disheartened and underlined the firm stance of Russia for a political solution to the Yugoslav crisis, adding that Moscow insists in a united and undivided Yugoslavia with a wide autonomy for Kossovo and a safe return of the refugees to their homes. He also stated that this can be possible only if the bombings of Yugoslavia stop. [D] WORLD[12] THE UNITED STATES APOLOGIZED FOR THE BOMBING OF THE CHINESE EMBASSYWeb Posted: 17:27 GMT+2New York , 08/05/1999 (MPA) The US government apologized to the Chinese government for the "unfortunate" bombing of the Chinese embassy building in Belgrade, stated the US ambassador to the United Nations today.He said that US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright has already telephoned her Chinese counterpart in order to apologize for the attack. The US ambassador to the United Nations stressed however that the NATO attacks are a response to the "horrible policy" of the Yugoslav president in Kossovo and pointed out that the Chinese embassy accident is being investigated. [13] THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL EXPRESSED SHOCK OVER THE BOMBING OF THE CHINESE EMBASSYWeb Posted: 17:27 GMT+2New York, 08/05/1999 (MPA) The members of the UN Security Council, who met for four hours behind closed doors at the request of China, expressed shock and concern over the bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade.The UN Security Council has sent condolences to the relatives of the victims of the attack, took under consideration the expression of regret by the American delegation in the UN and recognized the fact that NATO is holding an investigation on the incident. Russia and China have called for the end of the bombing of Yugoslavia. Complete archives of the Macedonian Press Agency bulletins are available on the MPA Home Page at http://www.mpa.gr/ and on the U.S. mirror at http://www.hri.org/MPA/Macedonian Press Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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