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Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 99-09-21

Macedonian Press Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

From: The Macedonian Press Agency at http://www.mpa.gr and http://www.hri.org/MPA.


MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, September 21, 1999

SECTIONS

  • [A] NATIONAL NEWS
  • [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

  • NEWS HEADLINES

    [A] NATIONAL NEWS

  • [01] MACEDONIA-THRACE MINISTER RECEIVES SAE-EUROPE MEMBERS
  • [02] SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE MEETS WITH CYPRIOT DEFENSE MINISTER
  • [03] TWO COMMITTEES TO REVIEW MEASURES FOR QUAKE SURVIVORS
  • [04] NEW ALTERNATE FM ROKOFYLLOS TO BE SWORN IN TODAY
  • [05] ATHENS PROSECUTOR APPOINTS EXPERT ON FALCON INVESTIGATION
  • [06] MOODY'S UPGRADES CREDIT RATING OF THREE GREEK BANKS
  • [07] JAPANESE BUSINESS DELEGATION TO VISIT THRACE NEXT MONTH
  • [08] TURKEY'S QUAKE VICTIMS RECEIVE GREEK HUMANITARIAN AID
  • [09] TURKEY'S NEW QUAKE IS RESULT OF ACTIVITY IN ANATOLIA FAULT
  • [10] EXPERT OPINION: ASIAN QUAKES ARE NOT RELATED TO EUROPE'S
  • [11] THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE PLUNGED TODAY
  • [12] ROKOFILLOS WAS SWORN-IN TODAY
  • [13] A 40YEAROLD MURDERED THREE OF HIS FOUR CHILDREN
  • [14] THE GREEK EXPORTS TO YUGOSLAVIA DROPPED BY 50% IN THE FIRST HALF OF 1999
  • [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

  • [15] UCK TRANSFORMS INTO "KOSOVO DEFENSE CORPS"
  • [16] HUNDREDS KILLED DURING EARTHQUAKE IN TAIWAN
  • [17] GREEK, BULGARIAN, FYROM PREMIERS TO HOLD TELECONFERENCE
  • [18] MONTENEGRO PRESSES CHARGES AGAINST YUGOSLAV PREMIER
  • [19] SIX DEAD IN ISTANBUL PRISON GUN BATTLE
  • [20] NEWS AGENCIES OF BULGARIA, FYROM SIGN COOPERATION ACCORD
  • [21] QUAKE VICTIMS AND YIANNOS KRANIDIOTIS HONORED BY C OF E
  • [22] YESTERDAY'S EARTHQUAKE IN TAIWAN CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGES
  • [23] EUROPEAN UNION: INFLATION INCREASED IN AUGUST
  • [24] THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE HONORED THE EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS
  • [25] MOTOROLA SIGNED AN AGREEMENT ON THE MOBILE PHONE NETWORK IN ALBANIA
  • [26] PAPANDREOU: A NEW HISTORIC OPENING IN THE GREEK-TURKISH RELATIONS

  • NEWS IN DETAIL

    [A] NATIONAL NEWS

    [01] MACEDONIA-THRACE MINISTER RECEIVES SAE-EUROPE MEMBERS

    The Minister of Macedonia and Thrace Yiannis Magriotis met with representatives of the European Region of the Council of Greeks Abroad (SAE) and the expatriate youth of Europe yesterday, to whom he expressed his ministry's support for their initiatives and efforts.

    The president of SAE's European youth, Dimitris Pechlivanidis, presented the Minister with the Council's activities program concerning the provision of hospitality for 6,000 young expatriate people from Europe at Skotina, Pieria prefecture.

    Referring to the program, which has already gotten underway, he said that it can be expanded as of next year and reach 50,000 guests from abroad.

    [02] SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE MEETS WITH CYPRIOT DEFENSE MINISTER

    The President of the Hellenic Parliament Apostolos Kaklamanis received Cypriot Defense Minister Socrates Hasikos for talks in Athens yesterday, where the two officials described defense cooperation between the two countries as "harmonious".

    Speaking to the press after the talks, Mr. Kaklamanis said that "Cyprus' defense is a factor that can contribute to and promote a political settlement of the Cyprus problem."

    [03] TWO COMMITTEES TO REVIEW MEASURES FOR QUAKE SURVIVORS

    An inter-ministerial committee on handling the problems that have arisen from the September 7 devastating earthquake in Athens has recommended the established of two committees that will review the course and application of relief measures for the earthquake survivors.

    The first committee, supervised by the Minister of the Interior Vaso Papandreou, will handle issues that concern those who have sought shelter in tents, while the second committee will concern the reconstruction of the collapsed buildings and will be supervised by the Minister of Environment, Planning and Public Works Costas Laliotis.

    [04] NEW ALTERNATE FM ROKOFYLLOS TO BE SWORN IN TODAY

    Christos Rokofyllos, PASOK MP for Aetoloakarnania, will be sworn in this afternoon as Greece's new alternate foreign minister, replacing Yiannos Kranidiotis who was killed last week in an air accident.

    Mr. Rokofyllos was first appointed to government in 1994, when he took over as alternate industry minister, a post he held until 1995. In 1997, he was appointed head of the Greek parliamentary representation at NATO and, in April 1999, secretary of the party's foreign affairs and defense department.

    [05] ATHENS PROSECUTOR APPOINTS EXPERT ON FALCON INVESTIGATION

    An expert who will represent the justice department in the investigation of the ill-fated Falcon jet, where seven people were killed when it encountered severe air turbulence, has been appointed by the Athens prosecutor Isidore Doyakos.

    Within 20 days, the former air force officer Alexandros Fisher will provide to the prosecutor his findings which, along with the data to be derived from the jet's flight recorders, will determine whether charges will be filed or not.

    The country's main opposition party New Democracy has requested that a review committee be established to examine if there are political responsibilities over the air tragedy.

    [06] MOODY'S UPGRADES CREDIT RATING OF THREE GREEK BANKS

    Moody's has upgraded the credit rating of Greece's National Bank, Eurobank and Labor Bank.

    The move concerns the long-term deposits and the banks' fiscal operation.

    [07] JAPANESE BUSINESS DELEGATION TO VISIT THRACE NEXT MONTH

    A delegation of Japanese businessmen is to visit Thrace, in Northern Greece, next month, in order to look into the opportunities for economic and trade liaisons with local ventures.

    The Japanese guests, comprising officials from the embassy of Japan and their country's Foreign Trade Organization, are to visit Thrace on October 4-5 upon the invitation of the Rodopi-Evros local administration, the Bureaus of Industrial Change and the European Information Center.

    During their two-day stay, the visitors will become acquainted with the region's economic profile and the investment opportunities.

    The event will also feature the participation of officials from the Northern Greece Industries Association and the "Hermes" European program for strengthening ties between the European Union and Japan.

    [08] TURKEY'S QUAKE VICTIMS RECEIVE GREEK HUMANITARIAN AID

    Upon receiving the Greek humanitarian aid, the Prefect of Izmit -the Turkish city that was flattened by the devastating earthquake of August 17- stated that "we live under the same sky, on two sides of the same sea, and, as such, it is imperative that we co-exist peacefully."

    The Prefect of Xanthi, George Pavlides escorted a motorcade transporting humanitarian aid provided by Greeks to the Turks who survived the earthquake, which includes tents, beds and bedcovers purchased with the proceeds of the joint Greek-Turkish concert given on August 30.

    Mr. Pavlides and a delegation of local officials were warmly greeted by the Mayor of Ipsala and, after the distribution of the aid, traveled to Istanbul where they were received by the Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos.

    Welcoming the delegation, Mr. Vartholomeos congratulated the event's organizers for their initiative and noted that there has been a shift in relations between the two peoples.

    "This shift," he added, "is reflected in the relations of the city's Greek Orthodox minority with the Turkish state."

    [09] TURKEY'S NEW QUAKE IS RESULT OF ACTIVITY IN ANATOLIA FAULT

    The quake that occurred shortly after midnight on Monday in the Sea of Marmara, measuring 5.2 on the Richter scale, is a result of the activity noted in the Anatolia fault, according to the seismologists of the Aristotle University's geophysics laboratory.

    Speaking to the Macedonian Press Agency, the University seismologist Manolis Skordilis stated that this morning's tremor is not an aftershock since its epicenter is quite distanced from the earthquake-stricken region of Izmir.

    [10] EXPERT OPINION: ASIAN QUAKES ARE NOT RELATED TO EUROPE'S

    The aftershocks noted in the Arttica region after the devastating earthquake of September 7 are a normal, expected phenomenon, according to the director of the Geodynamic Institute George Stavrakakis, who also added that slight, abated tremors measuring up to 4 on the Richter scale will be felt throughout the following weeks.

    Mr. Stavrakakis stressed that the Asian seismic activity is in no way related to Europe's.

    The deadly earthquake that devasted Taiwan last night was also recorded at 9 p.m. local time by a seismologic telemetric network in the geophysics laboratory of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.

    [11] THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE PLUNGED TODAY

    A strong downward trend prevailed in today's session of the Athens Stock Exchange. The massive liquidation at the opening of the transactions led the general index to a downward course. A few minutes before the conclusion of the session the losses had reached -6.75% at 5.945. A limited recovery was later recorded and finally the general index closed at 6.020,87 with a decline of 4.91%.

    The value of transactions reached 400 billion drachmas and it should be noted that the strongest pressure was exerted on constructions and the parallel market.

    Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas suggested calm and cool-headedness to investors stressing that the government wants to shield the stock exchange and for this reason takes measures constantly in order to safeguard its healthy operation and protect the small investors.

    Stockbrokers' chairman Lambros Papakonstantinou characterized the stock exchange plunge as unexpected.

    [12] ROKOFILLOS WAS SWORN-IN TODAY

    New deputy foreign minister Christos Rokofillos was sworn-in today in the presence of president Kostis Stephanopoulos and prime minister Kostas Simitis. The prime minister wished him success and had a short meeting with the president of the republic.

    Mr. Rokofillos had served as deputy industry minister in the period 1994-1995 and is elected in parliament with the governing socialist party of PASOK since 1989, as well as in the period 1977-1981.

    [13] A 40YEAROLD MURDERED THREE OF HIS FOUR CHILDREN

    A 40yearold from Iraklion in Crete murdered three of his four children. Giorgos Metaxakis, who was separated with his wife, decided to kill his children in revenge for the fact that she did not want him back.

    Metaxakis took his children, a 12yearod girl and three boys aged 2, 3 and 10 years old, for a ride and this morning his daughter was found bound in his car. The girl told the police that her father was going to poison her three brothers. The police searched the area and later found the three boys dead in a nearby river. The police have launched a manhunt for his arrest.

    [14] THE GREEK EXPORTS TO YUGOSLAVIA DROPPED BY 50% IN THE FIRST HALF OF 1999

    The Greek exports to Yugoslavia decreased by 50% in the first half of 1999 following the overall downward trend due to the armed conflict in the region and reached 76.6 million dollars.

    Greece exported to Yugoslavia mainly petroleum and its by-products, textile, fruits and vegetables, electricity, tobacco and tobacco by-products. The Yugoslav exports to Greece reached 55 million dollars and were made up of metals, rubber products, plastics, leather products and timber.

    The above figures were made public by Federal Republic of Yugoslavia economic and trade affairs adviser Christos Farmakis, who met with Greek businessmen today within the framework of a business forum in Thessaloniki's Trade and Industry Chamber.

    [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

    [15] UCK TRANSFORMS INTO "KOSOVO DEFENSE CORPS"

    The Kosovo Liberation Army (UCK) signed an agreement to transform themselves into a Kosovo Defense Corps, in Prishtina last night.

    The political part of the agreement was signed by United Nations special representative Bernard Kouchner while the military part by KFOR commander Lieutenant General Mike Jackson.

    The deadline for the signing of an agreement expired on Sunday midnight but was postponed by 48 hours to find accord as the parties differed on the corps' strength, armament and objectives.

    Intense negotiations were led by NATO Supreme Commander General Wesley Clark.

    [16] HUNDREDS KILLED DURING EARTHQUAKE IN TAIWAN

    Over 1,000 people were killed and thousands more were injured when Taiwan's strongest quake since 1916 jolted the island late last night. The earthquake measured 7.6 on the Richter scale and its epicenter was located 90 miles southwest of Taipei.

    More than 1,200 persons remain trapped inside collapsed buildings and the number of victims is expected to increase as most residents were at home when the earthquake occurred.

    [17] GREEK, BULGARIAN, FYROM PREMIERS TO HOLD TELECONFERENCE

    The Prime Ministers of Greece, Costas Simitis, Bulgaria, Ivan Kostov and FYROM Liuptco Georgievski will hold a teleconference on October 1, when they will inaugurate the optical fiber link from Sofia to Petrici and the Greek-Bulgarian borders.

    The project has been placed in part by Greece's Intracom which is also the undertaker.

    According to Sofia daily "Sega", the three premiers will hold a brief conversation.

    [18] MONTENEGRO PRESSES CHARGES AGAINST YUGOSLAV PREMIER

    Yugoslav premier Momir Bulatovic was charged yesterday with plotting to take over the media in Montenegro in April as part of a crackdown on the Yugoslav republic, the French news agency AFP reported, quoting a local radio.

    State Prosecutor Bozidar Vukcevic accused Mr. Bulatovic of planning a "forced occupation of the state media in April" based on a claim brought forward by Serbian opposition leader Vuk Draskovic, radio Antenna M said.

    Mr. Draskovic said Belgrade planned to pass a decree providing for the "military occupation of the Montenegrin media" during NATO's campaign in Yugoslavia, Mr. Vukcevic told the radio station.

    If confirmed, the attempt would amount to "a criminal act" against the "constitutional structure and the country's security," Mr. Vukcevic said, adding that he had passed on the charges to the Belgrade district prosecutor.

    [19] SIX DEAD IN ISTANBUL PRISON GUN BATTLE

    At least six people were killed when a gun battle erupted between convicts from two rival gangs at the Bayrampasa prison in Istanbul yesterday, the French news agency AFP reported.

    Large numbers of paramilitary units were sent in as reinforcements to the prison located on the European side of Istanbul, while six bodies were removed from the scene of the rioting.

    According to Turkey's Anatolia news agency, the fighting began when a convict linked to underworld boss Alaettin Cakici, currently in jail in France and seeking extradition to Turkey, was shot by a member of a rival gang.

    [20] NEWS AGENCIES OF BULGARIA, FYROM SIGN COOPERATION ACCORD

    A cooperation and information exchange accord has been signed between Bulgaria's and FYROM's news agencies.

    The news agency of FYROM already receives all of BTA's news reports, including the English-language bulletins.

    The director of FYROM's news agency Zivko Georgievski told the Bulgarian state radio that "we find especially valuable the reports that concern the wider Balkan region.".

    [21] QUAKE VICTIMS AND YIANNOS KRANIDIOTIS HONORED BY C OF E

    The Council of Europe observed a minute of silence, to honor the memory of Greece's and Turkey's earthquake victims and the loss of the Greek Alternate Foreign Minister Yiannos Kranidiotis.

    The British president of the parliamentary assembly, Lord Russell Johnston, saluted the Greek-Turkish rapprochement which was prompted by the earthquakes and stressed that "the solidarity displayed by the two peoples under these tragic circumstances constitutes an unprecedented opportunity for the further improvement of ties."

    Turkish deputy of the Democratic Left Party Uluc Gurkan expressed his gratitude for the aid the Greek people rushed to offer to their neighbors, while a deputy of Greece's main opposition party, New Democracy's Byron Polydoras, stated that "in a strange turn of history, the two peoples were given the opportunity to express sentiments of solidarity and respect before the human pain."

    Mr. Polydoras added that Greece did everything in its power to assist the ailing Turkish people and, in turn, accepted its own offer of aid.

    "In this example, all of the Council of Europe's principles which pertain to the solidarity that should be displayed by its members were applied," he said.

    [22] YESTERDAY'S EARTHQUAKE IN TAIWAN CAUSED EXTENSIVE DAMAGES

    The rescue crews in Taiwan make superhuman efforts for the location of survivors under the collapsed buildings that were left behind by the devastating earthquake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale that hit the region of Taipei last night.

    According to the latest information, over 1.450 people have been killed, while 3.500 were injured and hundreds are still buried under the rubble. The state authorities express the fear that the number of the victims will increase as at the time of the earthquake most of the people were in their beds.

    The Colorado Geology Center has already warned of tidal waves in Taiwan, the Philippines and Japan.

    [23] EUROPEAN UNION: INFLATION INCREASED IN AUGUST

    Inflation reached 1.2% in the month of August with an increase of 0.1% compared to July, according to the European Union Statistics Agency Eurostat.

    The inflation percentage in the Euro-zone countries showed an increase for a second month in a row as in July had increased by 0.2% reaching 1.1% compared to 0.9% in June.

    Inflation in all the 15 EU countries showed an overall increase of 0.1% compared to July and was at 1.2% compared to 1% in June.

    The biggest inflation rates in August were recorded in Holland with 2.5%, Denmark and Ireland 2.4% and in Spain with 2.3%. The lowest inflation rates were recorded in France and Austria with 0.5%, Germany 0.7% and Sweden 0.8%. This development makes Greece's participation in the EMU more likely.

    [24] THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE HONORED THE EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS

    The Council of Europe parliamentary assembly honored the victims of the earthquakes in Greece and Turkey as well as Yiannos Kranidiotis, who was killed in an air accident, with a moment of silence at the proposal of its chairman Lord Rassel Jonston.

    The British parliamentary assembly chairman in his speech praised the Greek-Turkish rapprochement as a result of the recent earthquakes that hit the two countries and stressed that the solidarity displayed by the two peoples in those tragic circumstances constitute an unprecedented opportunity for the further improvement of relations.

    [25] MOTOROLA SIGNED AN AGREEMENT ON THE MOBILE PHONE NETWORK IN ALBANIA

    The American Motorola Inc signed an agreement with the joint Albanian-American limited liability company that was formed by the US New World Telecom and the Albanian telephone company. The 50 million dollar deal provides for the establishment of a mobile phone network in Albania.

    The New World will invest at total of 325 million dollars in Albania in the next 10 years and its activation in the country will have as a result the lowering of the Albanian telecommunications rates which are currently very high.

    [26] PAPANDREOU: A NEW HISTORIC OPENING IN THE GREEK-TURKISH RELATIONS

    A new historic opening has been created in the relations between Greece and Turkey, stated foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou underlining that the main future goals are the solution of the Cyprus problem and Cyprus' accession into the European Union.

    Speaking in a reception that was given in his honor at the Greek permanent mission in the United Nations, Mr. Papandreou referred to the recent tragic loss of deputy foreign minister Yiannos Kranidiotis, who was killed in an air accident that happened at a very crucial moment leaving behind a big void.


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