Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 99-09-13
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, September 13, 1999
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] DEATH TOLL RISES TO 122, BUT 23 MORE REMAIN UNDER THE
RUBBLE
[02] DEATH TOLL FROM ATHENS EARTHQUAKE RISES TO 118 PERSONS
[03] INSPECTIONS CONTINUE, HUNDREDS OF HOMES TO BE
DEMOLISHED
[04] GREEK FM: GREECE WANTS TO HELP TURKEY BECOME AN EU
MEMBER
[05] TAX PLAN TO BE TABLED IN PARLIAMENT TODAY
[06] MPA COLLECTS FUNDS ON ITS INTERNET SITE FOR QUAKE
VICTIMS
[07] MICHAEL DUKAKIS GUEST OF HONOR IN THESSALONIKI TODAY
[08] THESSALONIKI MUNICIPALITY HONORS MICHAEL DUKAKIS
[09] BULGARIAN ENTREPRENEURS DELEGATION ARRIVES IN
THESSALONIKI
[10] FYROM'S PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE LINKS EU ACCESSION TO
GREECE
[11] SIMITIS-KARAMANLIS MEETING
[12] THE HOMELESS WILL STAY IN TENTS ONLY FOR A FEW WEEKS
[13] THE IPEKCI PRIZE TO EMAK, AKUT AND THE HUMANITARIAN
ORGANIZATION DOCTORS OF THE WORLD
[14] 18 BULGARIAN BUSINESSMEN VISIT THESSALONIKI
[15] NEW POWERFUL EARTHQUAKE IN TURKEY - AT LEAST 2 DEAD AND
MANY INJURED
[16] THE PRIME MINISTER AND THE PRESIDENT THANKED THE
MEMBERS OF THE RESCUE TEAMS
[17] ATHENS OBSERVATORY SEISMOLOGISTS APPEAL FOR CALM
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[18] GREEK DEFENSE MINISTER MEETS WITH TURKISH COUNTERPART
[19] GREEK ALTERNATE FM SPEAKS TO TURKISH PAPER ON G/T
RELATIONS
[20] AT LEAST 30 DIE FROM MASSIVE EXPLOSION IN A MOSCOW
BUILDING
[21] EU FOREIGN MINISTERS DISCUSS QUAKE RELIEF FOR GREECE,
TURKEY
[22] EU FOREIGN MINISTERS' MEETING
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] DEATH TOLL RISES TO 122, BUT 23 MORE REMAIN UNDER THE
RUBBLE
The death toll from last Tuesday's devastating
earthquake that shook Athens has risen to 122, with 23 more
persons still remaining under the rubble.
One out of every two buildings inspected by state
engineers has been deemed as temporarily unfit for housing
or in need of demolition.
Meanwhile, the earthquake' survivors who have now
remained homeless are reporting problems in the tent
distribution while there have also been complains that the
8,000-man police force is insufficient as instances of
looting are increasing.
[02] DEATH TOLL FROM ATHENS EARTHQUAKE RISES TO 118 PERSONS
The death toll from the earthquake that rattled Athens
on Tuesday has risen to 118 persons, as rescue workers
pulled four more bodies from the rubble of the collapsed
"Ricomex" building last night. Another 18 persons remain
trapped in the same factory.
Rescue teams from France and Turkey have left the area
where prefabricated houses and containers are expected to be
set up this week, as the Minster of Development Vaso
Papandreou announced.
[03] INSPECTIONS CONTINUE, HUNDREDS OF HOMES TO BE
DEMOLISHED
Delegations of civil engineers from the Ministry of of
Environment, Town Planning and Public Works are continuing
the inspections of homes and buildings in the earthquake-
stricken region of Attica, where about 11 percent of the
homes checked so far will have to be demolished.
Of 37,155 inspections to date, 11 percent of the homes
will have to be demolished, 50 percent (18,401) of homes
have been deemed suitable for habitation and 39 percent
(14,628) are in need of repair.
Mr. Laliotis said he hoped those left homeless by the
quake would be able to move out of their tents and into more
permanent accommodations in about six to eight weeks and
called on mayors in the areas to find space to create
settlements.
[04] GREEK FM: GREECE WANTS TO HELP TURKEY BECOME AN EU
MEMBER
Greece's Foreign Minister George Papandreou expressed
Greece's intention to help Turkey in becoming a member of
the European Union, while he also stressed the positive
climate in bilateral ties, given the recent devastating
earthquakes that struck both countries and the profound
sense of solidarity that ensued.
"It broke the myth of the age-old animosity between the
two countries, that neither Greeks nor Turks can live
together," Mr. Papandreou stated during an interview with
the British daily "Guardian".
Mr. Papandreou also referred to Turkey's candidacy for
accession to the EU, stating that "it is in Greece's
interest to see Turkey, at some point, in the EU",
reiterating Greece's intention to advance the common
European dream of all its
neighbors.
"It's to our benefit that our neighbors across the
Balkans not only become EU members but advanced and
prosperous countries," he stated, adding that the
improvement of ties with Turkey goes hand-in-hand with the
stability of the Balkans.
"The people in their wisdom were sending a message to
the political elites of both countries, that we should not
only help each other but be friends," Mr. Papandreou said.
Referring to opinion polls in Greece, the Guardian
reported that Mr. Papandreou is the country's most popular
politician.
In regards to Greek-Turkish relation and the new
climate emerging, professor Theodoros Couloumbis, a
specialist in Greek-Turkish affairs at the Athens University
stated that "in the past, dialogue was always avoided
because our differences were perceived to be so big that
there was nothing to discuss. Now, reconciliation is in the
horizon.
"Our model of behavior should be France and Germany
after the Second World War," Professor Couloumbis said.
"They were two deadly enemies who today have become two
highly inter-dependent friends."
[05] TAX PLAN TO BE TABLED IN PARLIAMENT TODAY
The new tax plan, which includes the abolishment of
objective criteria and an increase in the tax-exempt ceiling
to GRD1,900,000.00 for salaried workers and pensioners, will
be tabled in parliament today.
The new tax measures also allow for the wider
reductions in tuition center fees and insurance costs,
additional tax cuts for families with children and reduction
of additional taxes on property incomes, dropping to 1.5%
from the present three percent.
[06] MPA COLLECTS FUNDS ON ITS INTERNET SITE FOR QUAKE
VICTIMS
In its effort to collect funds for Athens' earthquake
victims, the Macedonian Press Agency has created a home
page on its Internet server solely for this purpose, which
can be found at www.mpa.gr
The MPA, wishing to contribute to the offered
assistance, established the home page in order to
facilitate those who wish to provide economic aid by using
their credit cards.
A bank account has been set up at Egnatia Bank and the
collected sum will be sent to the appropriate state
authorities who in turn will distribute the funds as needed.
Those wishing to provide economic relief to the
earthquake's victims can contact MPA's site on the Internet
and then transfer to the relevant homepage.
[07] MICHAEL DUKAKIS GUEST OF HONOR IN THESSALONIKI TODAY
The Democratic Party candidate in the U.S. presidential
elections of 1988, Michael S. Dukakis, will be received by
Thessaloniki's Mayor Vasilis Papageorgopoulos who will
bestow upon the former governor of Massachusetts the city's
golden medal, in a ceremony to be attended by US Ambassador
to Greece Nicholas Burns.
This evening, Mr. Dukakis will be the guest of honor at
Thessaloniki's Anatolia College (ACT) today where he will
accept the school's Michael S. Dukakis Chair in Public
Policy and Service.
Mr. Dukakis will give a speech at the
inauguration ceremony, along with Greek Development Minister
Evangelos Venizelos and the chairman of the Anatolia College
board of trustees, George Bissell.
Mr. Dukakis has had a distinguished career as the
governor of Massachusetts serving two non-consecutive terms
- and was voted "Best Governor in the Nation" by the
National Governors' Association in 1986. After the
presidential elections, he completed his third term as
governor and then entered the academic world. He has since
held several appointments at US universities, most recently
as a visiting professor at the department of policy studies
at UCLA.
[08] THESSALONIKI MUNICIPALITY HONORS MICHAEL DUKAKIS
In his address before the city council of
Thessaloniki's Municipality, the former governor of
Massachusetts Michael Dukakis startled his audience by
stating "sorry that I didn't win the presidency of the
United States", only to add that "I am very proud to be
Greek-American and a distinguished citizen of Thessaloniki".
Thessaloniki's Mayor Vasilis Papageorgopoulos bestowed
upon Mr. Dukakis the city's golden medal, in a ceremony held
at the city council, while Mr. Dukakis, in his reply speech,
referred to Greek-Turkish and Greek-American relations.
Referring to the recent quakes that devastated both
Greece and Turkey, Mr. Dukakis said that perhaps these
events will give both countries the opportunity to work
together.
He also recognized the efforts exerted by Greece in
order to improve Greek-Turkish relations while, referring to
the relations between Greece and te US, he noted that "we
can work together, after all, even spouses quarrel."
Mr. Papageorgopoulos characterized his guest as "A
Hellene of the World", an outstanding Greek who succeeded in
the United States, thereby illuminating Hellenism throughout
the world.
The Mayor also thanked the Greek community in the
States for the services it provides to the country.
[09] BULGARIAN ENTREPRENEURS DELEGATION ARRIVES IN
THESSALONIKI
A delegation of 18 Bulgarian entrepreneurs is presently
in Thessaloniki, in search of Greek trade partners within
the framework of a meeting held under the auspices of the
Inter-Balkan and Black Sea Center (DIPEK) and the
International Trade Fair of Thessaloniki (ITF).
The delegation is to hold a series of meetings today,
the closing day of this year's ITF, at Pavilion 8, and will
look into joint ventures in the sectors of attire, dental
supplies, jewelry, agricultural products, metallurgy, wood
and decoration products and detergents.
[10] FYROM'S PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE LINKS EU ACCESSION TO
GREECE
FYROM's presidential candidate and leader of the
"Democratic Alternative Solution" party Vasil Topurkovski
stated that his country's course to the European Union
passes through Greece, while pointing out that the
achievement of excellent ties between the two countries will
assist FYROM in gaining entry to NATO since Greece is also a
member of the Alliance.
"Greece constitutes our sole neighbor who is a member
of the European Union," Mr. Topurkovski told Thessaloniki's
daily "Thessaloniki", adding that "as such, we cannot count
on any type of European orientation if we do not enjoy
excellent ties with this country."
Concerning the name issue pending between the two
countries, he said he believes that this matter is
increasingly being shelved in the sidelines.
Since a certain level of quality relations has recently
been attained in the relations between the two countries, he
stated that "it is no longer possible to backtrack."
Moreover, he added that no political force is evident
in neither of the countries which could bring forth the name
issue and thereby jeopardizing the good ties between Greece
and FYROM.
Mr. Topurkovski stated that the issue's final solution
needs to be based on the economic and trade relations and,
overall, on the elements of cooperation that bring the two
countries closer.
Commenting on Thessaloniki's selection - as opposed to
Skopje - as the headquarters of the Balkan reconstruction
organization, Mr. Topurkovski stated that while it would
have been fortunate to have had it established in his
country, he added that the headquarters is not far, neither
in a hostile environment.
"I am certain that this case will produce new,
additional opportunities for cooperation which will enrich
our cooperation."
[11] SIMITIS-KARAMANLIS MEETING
The prime minister, who completed his meetings with the
political party leaders, undertook the commitment that all
the cases of exploitation targeting the earthquake victims
will be countered.
Prime minister Kostas Simitis announced that a bank
account is open in the Bank of Greece to collect money for
the relief of those hit by the earthquake and stated that
"this is a challenge calling us to show that we are a
society of solidarity". He also maintained that the state
mechanism responded quicker than ever before in a case of an
earthquake, while he said that the earthquake is a challenge
for the state to be able to organize even better in order to
deal with such natural disasters calmly and well-prepared.
Right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy
leader Kostas Karamanlis, after the meeting he had with the
prime minister, stated that there are serious political and
criminal responsibilities for the omissions and the
irregularities recorded. He also pointed out that there are
significant delays in the distribution of tents for the
homeless.
[12] THE HOMELESS WILL STAY IN TENTS ONLY FOR A FEW WEEKS
The homeless will stay in tents only for a few weeks,
while the prefabricated houses will be ready during the
week, according to minister of interior Ms. Vaso Papandreou.
She estimated that the homeless are 100.000 but their real
number is much smaller as many people are staying away from
their houses out of fear and not because they are unsafe to
live in.
Minister of environment, land planning and public works
Kostas Laliotis stated that the government wants the camps,
that will offer a more permanent shelter to the homeless, to
be ready in 8 weeks and added that the initial inspections
of the buildings in the earthquake stricken region will be
completed by Thursday.
[13] THE IPEKCI PRIZE TO EMAK, AKUT AND THE HUMANITARIAN
ORGANIZATION DOCTORS OF THE WORLD
The Turkish volunteer rescue team AKUT that worked for
the recovery of survivors trapped under the collapsed
buildings in Athens as well as the Greek rescue team EMAK
and the humanitarian organization "Doctors of the World",
which worked for the same purpose in Turkey will be honored
with the Ipekci Prize for the Greek-Turkish Friendship.
The Athens Committee of the Ipekci Prize held a special
meeting on the occasion of the presence of the Turkish
volunteer rescue team in Athens and decided unanimously to
honor those teams in a show of gratitude. The prizes will be
awarded in Athens in November.
[14] 18 BULGARIAN BUSINESSMEN VISIT THESSALONIKI
Eighteen Bulgarian businessmen, who are in Thessaloniki
within the framework of a meeting held under the auspices of
the Inter-Balkan and Black Sea Business Center, are looking
for Greek business partners.
Specifically, the Bulgarian delegation will have
meetings with potential business partners within the
framework of Thessaloniki's 64th International Trade Fair.
The 18 Bulgarian companies, represented in the
delegation, are active in the sectors of clothing, dentistry
materials, constructions, jewelry, farm products, metal
industry, timber, interior design and detergents.
[15] NEW POWERFUL EARTHQUAKE IN TURKEY - AT LEAST 2 DEAD AND
MANY INJURED
A powerful tremor measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale,
according to Thessaloniki's Aristotle University Geophysics
Laboratory, shook the wider region if Izmit in north-western
Turkey at 14:55pm today. Today's earthquake, which came from
the same epicenter with the devastating earthquake of August
17 that measured 7.4 on the Richter scale, was also felt in
Istanbul and in Ankara.
At least 2 people were killed and many were injured,
according to the Turkish news agency Anadolu. The news
agency reported that one person was killed in Izmit and
another died in Adapazari from a heart attack, while many
people were injured as they were trying to avoid being
trapped under the rubble by jumping out of windows. Efforts
are underway to save civil engineers and other officials,
who were assessing the damage caused by the previous
earthquake in a building in the city of Golcuk and were
buried under the rubble when it collapsed as a result of
today's tremor.
According to the seismological center in Kantili the
earthquake measured between 5.8 and 5.9 on the Richter
scale, while according to the French Seismological Institute
in Strasbourg the earthquake measured around 6 on the
Richter scale.
The Turkish seismologists stated that the earthquake
was 5.8 on the Richter scale but Thessaloniki's Aristotle
University seismology professor Manolis Skordilis stated
that it measured 6.8. He said that the new tremor is placed
within the seismic activity recorded in the Anatolia Fault
that gave the monster earthquake last month.
[16] THE PRIME MINISTER AND THE PRESIDENT THANKED THE
MEMBERS OF THE RESCUE TEAMS
Prime minister Kostas Simitis received in his office in
Athens the members of the Greek and foreign rescue teams,
who participated in the efforts made for the location of
survivors trapped under the collapsed buildings. In the
meeting were also present minister of interior Vaso
Papandreou and minister of public order Michalis
Chrisochoidis.
"Compassion has no borders", stated the prime minister
who honored the members of the rescue teams and
characterized as unprecedented their achievement to pull
alive from the rubble a total of 85 people, adding that the
cooperation among the peoples is necessary. The members of
the Turkish rescue team offered to the prime minister a
uniform like those they wear in rescue operations.
Earlier, president of the republic Kostis
Stephanopoulos had thanked the rescue teams for their work.
Referring to the members of the Turkish rescue team, Mr.
Stephanopoulos stated that they have strengthened the
friendship between the two peoples in the best possible way.
Mr. Stephanopoulos also thanked the rescue teams from
Israel, France, Cyprus and Russia.
[17] ATHENS OBSERVATORY SEISMOLOGISTS APPEAL FOR CALM
An appeal for calm was issued to the people by Athens
Observatory seismologist Mr. Stavrakakis immediately after
the earthquake that hit Turkey a few minutes before 3pm
today.
Mr. Stavrakakis stated that there is no cause for
concern in Greece as the seismic activity develops in a
normal fashion as opposed to Turkey where the earthquakes
are much stronger and this fact creates a different reality.
He called on the people to pay attention only to the formal
announcements issued by the state and the responsible
scientific institutions.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[18] GREEK DEFENSE MINISTER MEETS WITH TURKISH COUNTERPART
Greece's Defense Minster Akis Tsochatzopoulos and his
Turkish counterpart Sebahetin Cakmacoglu confirmed their
optimism over the course of G/T relations following the
earthquakes that devastated both countries, during the
course of their talks held on the sidelines of the
inauguration of the Balkan Brigade's headquarters in
Bulgaria's Plovdiv.
The two ministers stated that the quakes brought the
Greek and Turkish peoples closer.
"We lived this common pain as an experience that bonded
the two peoples and confirmed that the neighbors need to
have cooperation, common support in dealing with any danger
from wherever it may arise," Mr. Tsochatzopoulos stated.
In turn, Mr. Cakmakoglu stressed that the Greek-Turkish
dialogue that had gotten underway prior to the earthquakes
will have to begin now for resolving the differences and
stabilizing peace in the region.
[19] GREEK ALTERNATE FM SPEAKS TO TURKISH PAPER ON G/T
RELATIONS
Greece's alternate Foreign Minister Yiannos Kranidiotis
said that positive developments in the Cyprus issue would
facilitate the acceptance of Turkey's candidacy for
accession to the European Union.
In an interview with the Turkish daily "Sabah", Mr.
Kranidiotis also said that the postive climate that has
emerged on the aftermath of the earthquakes that struck both
countries will affect unresolved issues and it has to be
maintained.
Mr. Kranidiotis also stated that the solution to the
Cyprus issue lies in a bi-zonal and bi-communal federation
and that it is imperative that Cyprus becomes a European
Union member.
"I am certain that such a development would be to the
benefit of both communities, as well as to the benefit of
Turkey," he stated.
The Greek alternate FM said Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf
Denktash was an "anachronistic" personality, who has already
said that he does not want a continuation of inter-communal
dialogue in Cyprus.
"I am thinking of the future instead of searching for
responsibilities. I can see the possibilities which could be
created by friendship and cooperation," Mr. Kranidiotis said
and added that the people "are ready for a new beginning."
[20] AT LEAST 30 DIE FROM MASSIVE EXPLOSION IN A MOSCOW
BUILDING
At least 30 people died early today when a massive
explosion destroyed a Moscow apartment building and
officials said there was little hope of finding survivors
from a "new act of terrorism."
It was the second blast to target a Moscow apartment
block in five days.
Rescue workers dug through the rubble with their hands in a
desperate hunt for tenants who were sleeping in their beds
when the bomb went off at 5:00 a.m.
The block of flats on Kashirskoye Shosse in southern
Moscow was destroyed by the force of the explosion.
120 people were officially registered as living at the
flats, which were flattened by the force of the explosion.
According to the Russian news agency Itar-Tass, Prime
Minister Vladimir
Putin stated that if information on connection between the
terrorist acts in Dagestan and Moscow is confirmed, the
federal government will assess this as an act of aggression
and will have the right in this case to rebuff it with all
available means.
Today has been declared a day of national mourning for
the victims in the recent blasts.
[21] EU FOREIGN MINISTERS DISCUSS QUAKE RELIEF FOR GREECE,
TURKEY
The Foreign Ministers of the European Union's member-
states are to convene in Brussels today in order to review
earthquake relief for Greece and Turkey, while they are
also expected to discuss the Greek-Turkish relations and the
recent improvement thereof.
According to the BBC radio, which quotes diplomatic
sources in Brussels, economic relief for Greece is both
legally and practically feasible since, as these sources
elaborated, the aid can be derived from the coffers of
regional funds, specifically the Fund for Regional
Development of European Union countries since it cannot draw
economic assistance from the funds aimed at providing
humanitarian aid to third, non-EU countries.
The ministers attending today's session are to also
meet with Turkey's Foreign Minister Ismael Cem who held
talks with Greece's FM George Papandreou yesterday in
Brussels, on the latter's initiative.
Following their talks, Messrs. Papandreou and Cem
stated that they had the occasion to discuss common efforts
to face the consequences of the earthquakes that hit the two
countries and to ascertain the solidarity between the two
nations that led to an improvement of climate in Greek-
Turkish relations.
[22] EU FOREIGN MINISTERS' MEETING
The economic assistance to Greece and Turkey in order
to help them deal with the damages caused by the
catastrophic earthquakes that hit the region is the issue
for discussion in the EU foreign ministers' meeting held in
Brussels today.
It is certain that among the issues that will be
discussed will be the Greek-Turkish relations, the recent
improvement of which has satisfied the European Union.
According to information, the economic assistance of Greece
in order to deal with the damages caused by the earthquake
is legally and practically feasible as considerable economic
aid can be received from the regional funds and specifically
from the EU countries' regional development fund.
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