Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 99-10-07
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, October 7, 1999
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] SEARCH CONDUCTED FOR SUNKEN SHIP IN THE
AEGEAN
[02] GREEK ALTERNATE FOREIGN MINISTER TO VISIT
CYPRUS TOMORROW
[03] GERMAN NATIONAL MISSING AT MT. ATHOS HAS
BEEN DISCOVERED
[04] INFOSYSTEM '99' OPENS WITH VISITORS FROM
ALL OVER THE WORLD
[05] SE EUROPEAN, BLACK SEA COUNTRIES TO DISCUSS
TRANSPORT LINKS
[06] GREEK, FRENCH FMs AGREE ON COOPERATION IN
S.E. EUROPE
[07] INFORMATION COMPANIES MEET IN THESSALONIKI
TODAY
[08] EUROPEAN COMMISSION TO HOLD CONFERENCE IN
RHODES
[09] GREECE MEETS EMU CRITERIA FOR PUBLIC
DEFICIT
[10] SIMITIS: GREECE WILL PROMOTE MALTA'S BID
FOR EU MEMBERSHIP
[11] KARAMANLIS LAUNCHED AN ATTACK AGAINST THE
GOVERNMENT
[12] REPPAS CONDEMNED THE BOMB ATTACK IN
ISTANBUL
[13] THE GREEK COASTGUARD ARRESTED 18 IRAQI
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AND A TURKISH SLAVE-TRADER
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[14] C OF E THREATENS TURKEY WITH EXPULSION OVER
COURT RULING
[15] DEATH TOLL CLIMBS TO 70 FROM LONDON TRAIN
CRASH
[16] PUBLIC ORDER MINISTER CONDUCTS OFFICIAL
VISIT TO UNITED STATES
[17] SERB OPPOSITION LEADERS INVITED TO EU FM
MEETING
[18] BOMB CAUSES MATERIAL DAMAGE AT GREEK SCHOOL
IN ISTANBUL
[19] THE ALBANIAN IMMIGRANTS ACCUSE THE ALBANIAN
CONSULATE EMPLOYEES IN THESSALONIKI OF BAD
BEHAVIOR
[20] AUSTRIAN PRAISES FOR THE ATHENS STOCK
EXCHANGE
[21] THE EU COMMISSION CALLS FOR THE IMMEDIATE
SHUT DOWN OF THE KOZLODUI NUCLEAR PLANT
[22] THE EURO-PARLIAMENT SOCIALIST GROUP LEADER
STATED THAT GREECE'S STANCE TOWARD TURKEY IS A
SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] SEARCH CONDUCTED FOR SUNKEN SHIP IN THE
AEGEAN
Coast Guard crews are continuing their
efforts to locate a shipwreck in the Aegean Sea,
near Falconera.
In an SOS call transmitted last night, a
woman pled for help, saying that on the ship's
radio that the boat had caught on fife and it
was sinking. The Ministry of Merchant Marine has
yet to locate the boat named "Katerina", as
dozens of other boats listed on the shipping
register bear the same name.
[02] GREEK ALTERNATE FOREIGN MINISTER TO VISIT
CYPRUS TOMORROW
Greece's Alternate Foreign Minister
Christos Rokofyllos, who is handling issues
regarding Cyprus' EU accession course, will pay
an official visit to Cyprus tomorrow.
The agenda of the talks will include the
latest developments in the Cyprus issue and the
line the Greek side will adopt following the
meeting US President Bill Clinton had with
Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit at the
White House.
Mr. Rokofyllos will also discuss matters
concerning cooperation and coordination between
the two countries' foreign ministries.
[03] GERMAN NATIONAL MISSING AT MT. ATHOS HAS
BEEN DISCOVERED
A German tourist who was missing form two-
days on Mount Athos, the all-male monastic
community in northern Greece, has been located.
The German reportedly got lost in the
footpaths of the mountain-top community and
contacted relatives in Germany on his mobile
phone, who in turn alerted the Greek
authorities.
[04] INFOSYSTEM '99' OPENS WITH VISITORS FROM
ALL OVER THE WORLD
The 13th computer software exhibition
"Infosystem '99" opened its gates in
Thessaloniki today, with 629 exhibits from
various countries.
This year's event is touted as the largest
of its kind in Greece, occupying some 11,000
square metres of floor space.
The exhibition also includes a conference
entitled "Formulating Society of the Year 2000
".
Trade visitors have been invited from 62
countries, while professionals from the specific
branch have confirmed their interest, namely
from Cyprus, Bulgaria, Albania, FYROM, Romania,
Russia, Georgia, France, Sweden, Nigeria, Syria,
Egypt and India.
[05] SE EUROPEAN, BLACK SEA COUNTRIES TO DISCUSS
TRANSPORT LINKS
Two high-level meetings will be held in the
city of Alexandroupolis next week, to promote
multilateral cooperation in the transport
sector, with the participation of countries of
the Black Sea region and southeastern Europe.
Both meetings have been organised on the
initiative of Greece's Transport and
Communications Ministry.
On October 11, within the framework of
Greece's presidency of the Black Sea Economic
Cooperation (BSEC), the organisation's Transport
Group will meet to discuss infrastructure policy
and easing transport.
The meeting will focus on the prospects for
integrating the transport infrastructures of
Greece, Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan,
Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria and
Albania, particularly within the framework of
the inter-European networks.
It will also look at the possibilities of
funding viable investment programs.
Greece aims to project its strategic role
in formulating policy by making optimum use of a
Memorandum of Understanding on easing road
transport in southeastern Europe.
[06] GREEK, FRENCH FMs AGREE ON COOPERATION IN
S.E. EUROPE
The Foreign Ministers of Greece and France,
George Papandreou and Huber Vedrine
respectively, met in Thessaloniki yesterday and
addressed a seminar titled "southeastern Europe,
democratization, development, process of
fulfillment", which featured the participation
of task forces from both countries.
The two delegations agreed on specific
conclusions in regards to the present situation
in the region of Southeast Europe, with Greece's
role in the Balkan region lauded by the French
task force, the leader of which called Greece
"the European model in the Balkans".
Mr. Vedrine stated that Greek-French
relations constitute a fine example of
cooperation and proposed that the meeting be
expanded onto other topics, such as Turkey and
the Near East.
Mr. Papandreou agreed and in turn proposed
that the following meetings, which will be held
on a semi-annual basis, include the
participation of academics and officials from
non-governmental organizations.
Moreover, the Greek FM proposed the
founding of a Greek-French Business Council,
aiming at the promotion of Greek-French economic
cooperation in S.E. Europe within the framework
of the Stability Pact.
[07] INFORMATION COMPANIES MEET IN THESSALONIKI
TODAY
Representatives of 61 information companies
from Greece, the Balkans and throughout Europe
are meeting in Thessaloniki today and tomorrow
in order to review the opportunities for
cooperation.
The meeting, held within the framework of
the INFOSYSTEM '99 exhibition currently underway
in Thessaloniki features the participation of
companies form Greece, Cyprus, Romania,
Bulgaria, Germany and the United Kingdom.
The event is organized by the IRC Praxi
network, in cooperation with the FEMIRC offices
of Bulgaria and Romania.
[08] EUROPEAN COMMISSION TO HOLD CONFERENCE IN
RHODES
Access given to enterprises in support
services provided by the European Union will be
discussed during a conference to be held next
week at the island of Rhodes, organized by the
General Directorate of the European Commission.
The event, to take place October14-16, will
feature the participation of 600 delegates from
various European countries, who will attempt to
secure a wide- yet focused- action plan from
the Commission in supporting enterprises at a
local level.
[09] GREECE MEETS EMU CRITERIA FOR PUBLIC
DEFICIT
Greece fulfills the Economic and Monetary
Union's public deficit criteria, as the European
Union's Monetary Committee has lifted the
relevant order for excessive deficits and the
final resolution is expected to be drawn at the
EU economy ministers conference to be held on
November 8.
Meanwhile, in order to meet the new
criteria to be created by the country's
accession to the EMU, Greek entrepreneurs are
forging alliances through company mergers.
[10] SIMITIS: GREECE WILL PROMOTE MALTA'S BID
FOR EU MEMBERSHIP
Prime minister Kostas Simitis, in
statements he made after the meeting he had in
Athens with his Maltese counterpart, expressed
Greece's intention to promote Malta's bid for
European Union membership.
Mr. Simitis characterized the bilateral
relations as excellent and pointed out that the
two countries have many common interests. He
also announced that an agreement was signed
today on the air transportation sector, while
the prospects for closer cooperation in tourism
and other sectors are being considered.
The Greek prime minister pointed out that
Greece has already backed Malta's participation
in the procedures for EU accession and expressed
the wish that a decision will be reached in the
EU summit meeting in Helsinki. The prime
minister stated that Greece believes that the
European Union must have as many members as
possible and i the process include all the
European countries, adding that Greece promotes
the Euro-Mediterranean cooperation.
[11] KARAMANLIS LAUNCHED AN ATTACK AGAINST THE
GOVERNMENT
Right-wing main opposition party of New
Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis launched an
attack against the government both for the
stance adopted by its Euro-deputies and for the
handling of the Greek-Turkish relations.
He characterized as a monstrosity the
behavior of the governing socialist party of
PASOK Euro-deputies in yesterday's vote in the
Euro-parliament when Turkey was characterized as
a likely future EU candidate state. At the same
time, he strongly criticized the government
regarding its policy on the Greek-Turkish and
Euro-Turkish relations.
Mr. Karamanlis said that Greece makes
dangerous concessions on firm policy positions
and because those issues are crucial he asked
for the establishment of a Foreign Policy
National Council.
In response, government spokesman Dimitris
Reppas stressed that Mr. Karamanlis misinforms
the people in an irresponsible and damaging way
for the issues of national importance.
Mr. Reppas characterized the Euro-
parliament's resolution as positive because it
mentions that Turkey does not meet the necessary
pre-conditions and criteria for its accession
into the European Union, while it is also
mentioned that the Turkish authorities must
actively contribute to the effort for a
political solution to the Cyprus problem, adding
that there is a need to continue Cyprus' EU
accession course.
According to Mr. Reppas, the resolution
reiterates the core of the EU positions as they
have been expressed in the summit meetings in
Luxembourg and Cardiff and asks Turkey to
improve the good neighborly relations with
Greece. He said that the resolution safeguards
the Greek positions completely and added that
Greece backs Turkey's European orientation but
itself has to contribute toward this direction.
He said that there is no preferential treatment
and the resolution mentions what is self-
evident.
[12] REPPAS CONDEMNED THE BOMB ATTACK IN
ISTANBUL
Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas
condemned the bomb attack on the Zografion Greek
school in Istanbul and characterized it as an
isolated incident.
He said that an Islamic organization has
claimed responsibility for the attack and called
on the authorities in Turkey to take the
necessary measures and isolate those elements.
[13] THE GREEK COASTGUARD ARRESTED 18 IRAQI
ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS AND A TURKISH SLAVE-TRADER
A boat carrying Iraqi illegal immigrants,
who were having Greece as their destination, was
spotted by the Greek Coastguard in the region of
Psalidi in the south-eastern Aegean island of
Kos.
The Coastguard officers called on the
Turkish slave-trader to stop its boat but he
ignored the call and tried to escape. Warning
shots were fired in the air and the boat was
immobilized.
The 18 Iraqi illegal immigrants and the
Turkish slave-trader were arrested.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[14] C OF E THREATENS TURKEY WITH EXPULSION OVER
COURT RULING
The Council of Europe, which monitors the
implementation of rulings issued by the European
Court of Human Rights, has threatened Ankara
with expulsion if the latter fails to pay -
timely- the compensation due to Greek-Cypriot
refugee Titina Loizidou.
The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR)
ordered Turkey to pay 300,000 CYP pounds in
damages to Ms. Loizidou for the continued
violation of her right to peaceful enjoyment of
her property.
In what is described as a landmark case,
Turkey has also been ordered to pay a further
20,000 for non-pecuniary damages and 137,084 for
her costs and expenses.
[15] DEATH TOLL CLIMBS TO 70 FROM LONDON TRAIN
CRASH
Seventy people were killed and just as many
more remaining missing from the devastating
tragedy that hit London on Tuesday, when two
commuter trains collided during the height of
the morning rush hour.
The cause of the collision was not
immediately known, but health and safety
officials began an urgent investigation.
In what has been described as the all-time
worst transport accident in London, the number
of victims could climb to 100 as rescue efforts
continue.
[16] PUBLIC ORDER MINISTER CONDUCTS OFFICIAL
VISIT TO UNITED STATES
Public Order Minister Michalis
Chrysochoides has embarked on an official visit
to the United States, where he will have talks
on issues related to combating terrorism and
organized crime.
Mr. Chrysohoides is leading a delegation of
officials, comprising the head of the Greek
police, Lt.-Gen. Ioannis Georgakopoulos and
Public Prosecutor Ioannis
Diotis.
During their stay in Washington, the
members of the Greek delegation will meet with
Attorney General Janet Reno, FBI director Louis
Freeh, CIA director George Tenet and US Sen.
Paul Sarbanes.
[17] SERB OPPOSITION LEADERS INVITED TO EU FM
MEETING
Finland's Foreign Minister Tarja Halonen
has invited 30 Serb opposition leaders to
Monday's EU foreign ministers' meeting, where
they will discuss ways to bring down President
Slobodan Milosevic, the Finnish presidency
announced yesterday.
As the French news agency AFP reported,
members at an informal session of the
Saariselkae council in Finnish Lapland decided
to issue the invitation. Monday's meeting takes
place in Luxembourg.
EU foreign ministers will be asking how
they can help to remove the Yugoslav president
from power and build democracy in the country.
The EU will contribute financially to the
reconstruction of Serbia when those two
conditions have been fulfilled.
The two Serbian opposition leaders, Vuk
Draskovic and Zoran Djindjic, are among those
invited.
[18] BOMB CAUSES MATERIAL DAMAGE AT GREEK SCHOOL
IN ISTANBUL
A bomb exploded last night at the Greek all-
male school of Zografio, in the Taksim region of
Istanbul, causing minor material damages.
According to the Turkish television station
NTV, the bomb was placed at the Greek school's
cafeteria window.
Meanwhile, two more explosions rocked
Istanbul yesterday, with a bomb placed at the
headquarters of the Industrial Development
Foundation located in Sisli, causing significant
damage. Eight passers-by sustained minor
injuries from broken glass falling from
overhead.
A short while later, the local office of
the Housing ministry in the Besiktas district in
the city's European sector, was rocked by an
explosion.
There were no injuries, but the blast blew
out the windows of the building.
According to NTV, an ultra-leftist
organization claimed responsibility for the
explosions.
[19] THE ALBANIAN IMMIGRANTS ACCUSE THE ALBANIAN
CONSULATE EMPLOYEES IN THESSALONIKI OF BAD
BEHAVIOR
The Albanian immigrants in a letter, that
was published by the independent Albanian
newspaper "Koha Yone", launched serious
accusations against the employees of the
Albanian consulate in Thessaloniki.
In the letter, the Albanian consulate
personnel is accused of bad behavior and
indifference toward the big problems faced by
the Albanian immigrants in Greece.
Among others it is revealed in the letter
that for each certificate they request they have
to pay a 10.000 drachma fee to the consulate
when the sum mentioned on the receipt they are
asked to sign is 9.200 drachmas.
[20] AUSTRIAN PRAISES FOR THE ATHENS STOCK
EXCHANGE
The director of the Athens office of the
biggest Austrian investment bank Credit Anstalt
- Investment Bank praised the growth rate of the
Athens Stock Exchange.
According to Mr. Franz Kubik, the growth
rate of the Athens Stock Exchange is
breathtaking as in spite of the recent plunge of
the general index the gains offered by the
Athens Stock Exchange exceed notably those of
the rest western European stock markets.
In the 2 weeks since its opening the Credit
Anstalt - Investment Bank Athens office has
become the recipient of strong investment
interest by Austrian businesses, mainly in the
constructions sector.
[21] THE EU COMMISSION CALLS FOR THE IMMEDIATE
SHUT DOWN OF THE KOZLODUI NUCLEAR PLANT
If no decision is reached to shut down the
dangerous nuclear reactors in the nuclear plant
of Kozlodui in Bulgaria there can be no positive
decision on Bulgaria's accession into the
European Union, stated the new EU Commissioner
responsible for the EU enlargement in response
to a question tabled by Greek right-wing main
opposition party of New Democracy Euro-deputy
Antonis Trakatelis.
The European Commissioner also mentions
that specific decisions on this issue must be
made before the Helsinki summit meeting in
December when it will be discussed issues
concerning the opening of negotiations with the
"second wave" of the EU candidate states.
[22] THE EURO-PARLIAMENT SOCIALIST GROUP LEADER
STATED THAT GREECE'S STANCE TOWARD TURKEY IS A
SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT
The new stance of the Greek government is
the most significant development, stressed among
others the Spanish leader of the Socialist Group
in the Euro-parliament, responding to a question
by a reporter calling him to comment on the
greater rapprochement tendency observed between
the EU and Turkey at a time when there are no
big changes recorded inside the country, open
military interventions outside its borders have
resumed and the massacre in the Turkish prisons
continues.
However, he stated that certain shocking
situations still exist in Turkey and therefore,
the Socialist Group and the Euro-parliament as a
whole will follow closely the developments
concerning the Turkish government policy, adding
that a way should be found for reforms, mainly
political, to be implemented in the country.
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - -
|
