Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 99-12-02
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, December 2, 1999
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] SAE WORLD YOUTH CONFERENCE ENDS IN
THESSALONIKI TODAY
[02] GREEK PREMIER TO MEET WITH FINNISH
COUNTERPART IN ATHENS
[03] ROBBERY OCCURS ON KORITSA-BOUND GREEK BUS,
SUSPECT ESCAPES
[04] DEVELOPMENT MINISTER SALUTES INTERNATIONAL
TOURISM EVENT
[05] SAE TO HOLD THIRD CONFERENCE IN
THESSALONIKI THIS WEEK
[06] THESSALONIKI HOSTS EXPATRIATE ENTREPRENEURS
1ST CONGRESS
[07] MPA TO HOST INTER-BALKAN CONFERENCE ON
REGIONAL PEACE
[08] COMMITTEE REVIEWS THESSALONIKI - ISTANBUL
ROAD, RAIL LINKS
[09] THESSALONIKI HOSTS UNESCO HUMAN RIGHTS,
PEACE CONFERENCE
[10] THESSALONIKI MAYOR: EXPATRIATES ARE
HELLENISM'S PUREST PART
[11] PREPARATION MEETING ON THE POSITIONS GREECE
WILL ADOPT IN HELSINKI
[12] THE 1ST WORLD CONFERENCE OF THE YOUNG
GREEKS ABROAD CONTINUES IN THESSALONIKI
[13] NATIONAL SEA PARK IN ZAKYNTHOS FOR THE
PROTECTION OF CARETTA-CARETTA
[14] REPPAS: ENLARGEMENT WILL TAKE PLACE IN
ACCORDANCE WITH THE EU PRINCIPLES AND RULES
[15] NEW LOSSES OF 1.35% IN THE ATHENS STOCK
EXCHANGE
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[16] STATE OF EMERGENCY DECLARED IN SEATTLE OVER
WTO PROTESTS
[17] PRESIDENT OF HELLENIC REPUBLIC ON OFFICIAL
VISIT TO PORTUGAL
[18] CYPRIOT DEFENSE MINISTER TRAVELS TO RUSSIA
TODAY
[19] CYPRUS PROXIMITY TALKS BEGIN TOMORROW IN
NEW YORK
[20] EUROPEAN COMMISSION PROPOSES A "SINGLE
EUROPEAN SKY"
[21] OCALAN: MY EXECUTION IS A BARGAINING CHIP
FOR EU INCLUSION
[22] GREEK AND ROMANIAN STATE RADIOS TO
ESTABLISH COOPERATION
[23] THE INTER-BALKAN CONFERENCE OF MINISTERS IN
BUCHAREST
[24] GREEK-BULGARIAN COOPERATION AGAINST ILLEGAL
IMMIGRATION
[25] STEPHANOPOULOS: SAMPAIO UNDERSTANDS THE
GREEK POSITIONS ON THE EU ENLARGEMENT
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NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] SAE WORLD YOUTH CONFERENCE ENDS IN
THESSALONIKI TODAY
The first world youth conference of the
Council of Greeks Abroad (SAE), presently held
in Thessaloniki, will wrap up its second and
final session today.
The event features the participation of
approximately 200 delegates who were appointed
during the five regional conferences, one for
each continent. The forum of overseas Greek
entrepreneurs, scientists, artists and overseas
Greek women will be held in Thessaloniki
tomorrow and Saturday, while over one thousand
Greeks from all five continents will attend the
World Council of Hellenes (SAE) Third
International Assembly, also to be held in the
northern capital between December 5-8.
The event will be opened by Prime Minister
Costas Simitis and will be attended, among
others, by President Costis Stephanopoulos,
Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides and several
party leaders.
[02] GREEK PREMIER TO MEET WITH FINNISH
COUNTERPART IN ATHENS
Prime Minister Costas Simitis is to receive
his Finnish counterpart Paavo Lipponen in Athens
today, with whom he will discuss the forthcoming
European Union Summit to be held in Helsinki.
The Premier will also meet with Foreign
Minister George Papandreou with whom he will
also review the EU summit and Turkey's bid for
candidacy in the bloc. The leader of the main
opposition party of New Democracy Costas
Karamanlis maintained that the government should
not open the EU's door to Turkey with having
secured commitments from the latter.
[03] ROBBERY OCCURS ON KORITSA-BOUND GREEK BUS,
SUSPECT ESCAPES
A robbery took place early this morning
aboard a Greek bus bound for Koritsa, Albania,
when the culprit demanded that his fellow
passengers hand over their wallets, all together
containing abut six million drachmas in cash,
jewelry and mobile phones.
The gun-brandishing robber stopped the bus
and, after taking the loot, walked off and has
yet to be apprehended.
The bus transported 49 passengers, all of
whom, with the exception of one woman, are
Albanian nationals. According to the police
report, the male suspect is also Albanian.
[04] DEVELOPMENT MINISTER SALUTES INTERNATIONAL
TOURISM EVENT
Development Minister Evangelos Venizelos
saluted an international tourism conference
which opened in Athens yesterday, by stating
that the event, organized by the United States
embassy, in indicative of US interest in the
Greek tourism industry, while it also shows the
interest expressed by other countries in
selecting Greece as a destination for tourism
investments and holidays.
US Ambassador in Athens Nicholas Burns,
said that the country was fertile ground for
tourism investments ahead of its planned entry
into the euro zone on January 1, 2001.
The three-day conference, which features
the participation of delegates from 1 countries,
aims at bringing closer US companies and firms
from Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria,
France, Germany, Georgia, Greece, Estonia,
FYROM, Spain, Israel, Italy, Croatia, Cyprus,
Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Great Britain, the
Netherlands, Uzbekistan, Ukraine, Palestine,
Portugal, Romania, Russia, Sweden, Turkey and
Finland.
The US delegation includes representatives
from the Commerce and State Departments, Export-
Import Bank, the Multilateral Investment
Guarantee Agency (MIGA), the Overseas Private
Investment Corporation (OPIC) and US ambassadors
from around the world.
[05] SAE TO HOLD THIRD CONFERENCE IN
THESSALONIKI THIS WEEK
The two-day forum of overseas Greek
entrepreneurs, scientists, artists and overseas
Greek women will open in Thessaloniki tomorrow,
while over one thousand Greeks from all five
continents will attend the World Council of
Hellenes (SAE) Third International Assembly,
also to be held in the northern capital between
December 5-8.
The event will be opened by Prime Minister
Costas Simitis and will be attended, among
others, by President Costis Stephanopoulos,
Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides and several
party leaders.
The SAE's third council will elect an 11-
member presidium, while, according to reports,
SAE President Andrew Athens will seek his re-
election for the third time.
[06] THESSALONIKI HOSTS EXPATRIATE ENTREPRENEURS
1ST CONGRESS
The First World Congress of Expatriated
Entrepreneurs is expected to illustrate the
city's role as a Balkan reconstruction center.
The congress, which is taking place within
the framework of the World Council of Hellenes
(SAE) Third International Assembly, to be held
in Thessaloniki between December 5-8, will
review Greece's role as a starting point for the
development of economic cooperation with Balkan
and Black Sea countries.
Participants will have the opportunity to
discuss potential ventures in the sectors of
industry, exporting, trade, banking,
construction, energy, telecommunications,
transportation, high technology and tourism. The
event will be inaugurated by the Minister of
Macedonia-Thrace Yiannis Magriotis.
[07] MPA TO HOST INTER-BALKAN CONFERENCE ON
REGIONAL PEACE
The Macedonian Press Agency is to host a
journalism conference, titled "the Prospect of
Inter-Balkan cooperation after Kosovo: the Role
of the Media", which will be attended by senior
journalists from 60 of the Balkan region's
largest media organizations.
The event, to be held in Thessaloniki on
December 10-11, will feature the participation
of leading journalists from Albania, Bulgaria,
Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Czech Republic, FYROM,
Moldova, Romania, Slovenia, Turkey and
Yugoslavia, as well as directors and chief
editors from Greece's largest media.
The strife-torn region of Kosovo will also
be represented at the conference; the publisher
of the "Koha Ditore" daily Beton Suroi will
attend, as well as the director of the "Rilidia"
daily Plerim Reka, the journalist-historian
Skelcem Ratsa, and others.
Moreover, the event will feature the
participation of officials from the United
Nations and the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe, as well as FYROM's
alternate Minister of Press and Information
Dragi Arsov and Albania's Minister of Press Musa
Oulkini.
The conference is taking place under the
auspices of the Ministries of Press and Mass
Media, Development, and Macedonia-Thrace, as
well as with the assistance of the Thessaloniki
Trade and Industry Chamber and the Northern
Greece's Journalists Association.
[08] COMMITTEE REVIEWS THESSALONIKI - ISTANBUL
ROAD, RAIL LINKS
A joint transportation committee of Turkish
and Greek officials met in Athens yesterday in
order to discuss the planned road and railway
routes that will link Thessaloniki with
Istanbul.
The discussions also spanned issues
concerning the easing of border traffic through
the simplification of customs, health and police
controls.
Following the meeting, Greece's Minister of
Transportation and Communications Tasos Mantelis
stated that the Turkish side is corresponding
to the proposals set forth by Greece.
"The two countries will be linked via motor
ways and rail routes, a fact that will boost
their transport, illustrating Greece's role as
the overall region's junction," Mr. Mantelis
stated, adding that "if this first step is
successful, then cooperation can be expanded
into other sectors."
[09] THESSALONIKI HOSTS UNESCO HUMAN RIGHTS,
PEACE CONFERENCE
An international conference titled "Towards
a culture of human rights and peace. The role of
universities" is presently being hosted by
UNESCO in Thessaloniki and aims at the
establishment of a network that will develop
these ideas.
The said network, which is already in
informal operation, features the participation
of university schools, UNESCO chairs, research
institutes and non-governmental organizations
which are working on programs of education,
teaching, research related to the culture of
peace.
Psychology professor Dimitra Papadopoulou,
who is also the chairwoman of the conference's
organizing committee at the Aristotle University
of Thessaloniki stated that the UNESCO chairs in
universities aim at leading the way to the
construction of a culture of peace and non-
violence and are proceeding towards the
development of this network.
UNESCO's director of the Unit for the
International Year for the Culture of Peace
David Adams stated that "it is significant that
the universities be linked by a network of
information, mutual support and cooperation,
which would not only be at a departmental and
administrative levels, but also at the level of
students who should also have contact among
them."
The three-day conference features the
participation of UNESCO officials, university
deans and professors, as well as UNESCO
chairholders in Balkan and Mediterranean
universities.
[10] THESSALONIKI MAYOR: EXPATRIATES ARE
HELLENISM'S PUREST PART
Expatriated Greeks are the very best
ambassadors of the country's interests, culture
and history, stated the Mayor of Thessaloniki
Vasilis Papageorgopoulos during his address at
the First World Youth Congress of the Council of
Greeks Abroad, presently being held in
Thessaloniki.
The Mayor stressed that Thessaloniki, as
the capital of SAE, and its people are
particularly happy and proud to host Greeks from
abroad, while he urged the delegates not to
become discouraged by the government's
occasional bureaucracy and omissions.
Mr. Papageorgopoulos stated that the
government has to actively show its interest and
focus in the sectors of education and culture of
Greeks living abroad if it wishes to ensure the
expatriated Hellenism's continuance and
perseverance.
He particularly stressed the need to
maintain the Greek language and history alive
abroad, through the establishment of schools and
provision of teachers in remote areas which
have small Greek communities.
[11] PREPARATION MEETING ON THE POSITIONS GREECE
WILL ADOPT IN HELSINKI
The stance of the Greek government in the
European Union Summit meeting in Helsinki was
the main topic discussed in the meeting of prime
minister Kostas Simitis with the foreign
ministry leadership. The talks focused on the
issue of Turkey's EU candidature, Cyprus' EU
accession course and the development of the
Greek-Turkish relations.
After the meeting, foreign minister Giorgos
Papandreou stated to reporters that it was held
for the preparation of the Greek positions in
view of the EU Summit that will be held in
Helsinki on December 10. On the stance of Greece
regarding the issue of Turkey's EU candidature
it has been underlined that it will be
determined and decided based on how things will
develop.
[12] THE 1ST WORLD CONFERENCE OF THE YOUNG
GREEKS ABROAD CONTINUES IN THESSALONIKI
Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Yiannis
Magriotis in his address in the 1st World
Conference of the Young Greeks abroad, referred
to the development efforts underway in order to
promote Thessaloniki as the metropolitan center
of the wider region. Mr. Magriotis stated that
the city has become a meeting place for
scientific organizations, economic figures and
diplomatic representatives.
A message by Greek parliament president
Apostolos Kaklamanis was conveyed to the
delegates by B' vice-president of the Greek
parliament Panagiotis Sgouridis. The Greek
parliament vice-president stated that the Greek
civilization is the foundation of western
civilization while he stressed that democracy is
part of the heritage the Greeks bring with them
to every part of the world they choose to live
in.
Thessaloniki Prefecture Council president
and Black Sea Culture Study and Development
Center president Chrisa Arapoglou called on the
young Greeks living abroad to develop joint
activities and underlined that the people of
Thessaloniki regard as very important the fact
that the seat of the World Council of Hellenes
Abroad, SAE, is in their city. She also referred
to the activities of the Black Sea center and
specifically to the 14 programs that are in
progress.
Former general secretary of Greeks abroad
Stavros Lambrinidis speaking to the delegates
said that they should not stop communicating
with each other and that they should continue to
create opportunities for better contact and
understanding. He also said that it is the first
time that a special power is given to the young
Greeks abroad adding that this also means that
they will also have responsibilities.
[13] NATIONAL SEA PARK IN ZAKYNTHOS FOR THE
PROTECTION OF CARETTA-CARETTA
The Ionian Sea island of Zakynthos will
have a National Sea Park based on a presidential
decree that was signed after lengthy efforts by
environmental organizations. The establishment
of the National Sea Park aims at the protection
of one of the most important eco-systems in the
Mediterranean for the sea turtle Caretta-
Caretta. The WWF Hellas has also worked toward
this direction in the past few years through its
permanent presence in Zakynthos in cooperation
with other environmental organizations.
Within the framework of those efforts and
after realizing the need for the immediate
protection of the sea turtle, the WWF bought a
piece of land in 1994 that surrounds the region
of Sekania the most important egg-laying beach
for the Caretta-Caretta in the Mediterranean.
The purchase was made possible thanks to the
financial contribution of the European Union and
many Greek and foreign supporters of the
organization.
[14] REPPAS: ENLARGEMENT WILL TAKE PLACE IN
ACCORDANCE WITH THE EU PRINCIPLES AND RULES
Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas
responding to a question on the stance of the
Greek side in the EU Summit meeting in Helsinki
stated that the government works toward
enlargement in order for it to take place in
accordance with the European Union principles
and rules.
The issue of Turkey's EU candidature is
being seen positively in principle by the Greek
government and expresses the hope that the
decisions reached will be in harmony with the
principles and the rules of the European Union.
Turkey, said Mr. Reppas, has adopted a stance
which does not correspond to this framework and
added that Greece does not expect anything in
return from Turkey but it demands from its
partners to implement the principles and rules
of the European Union. Mr. Reppas stated that
the government is aware of that framework and
will make its moves in an absolutely open way.
Responding to the question if the
discussion on Turkey's EU candidature is
possible to be postponed, Mr. Reppas stated that
the Greek government has not considered such a
likelihood.
[15] NEW LOSSES OF 1.35% IN THE ATHENS STOCK
EXCHANGE
New losses of 1.35% were recorded in the
Athens Stock Exchange general index that closed
at 5.575,46 today.
Meanwhile, the stocks of small and medium
capitalization were the favorites among the
investors who withdrew their interest from the
bank shares and the blue chips which had
dominated in the Athens Stock Exchange in the
past few days.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[16] STATE OF EMERGENCY DECLARED IN SEATTLE OVER
WTO PROTESTS
Authorities have imposed a curfew in
Seattle, Washington, in an effort to contain
the violence that erupted in protest to the
World Trade Organization delegates meetings.
Police clashed with the protesters and threw
tear gas canisters at those who tried to block
access to the premises.
According to press reports, Seattle
officials have given the massive police force
broad powers to detain anyone who does not have
an acceptable reason to be in a restricted zone
extending for blocks around the convention
center where the WTO meetings are being held. At
least 400 protesters have been arrested so far.
[17] PRESIDENT OF HELLENIC REPUBLIC ON OFFICIAL
VISIT TO PORTUGAL
The President of the Republic Costis
Stephanopoulos is presently conducting a four-
day, state visit to Portugal, which takes over
the EU's rotating presidency on January 1, at
the invitation of his Portuguese counterpart
Jorge Sampaio with whom he will hold talks
today.
In addition to Mr. Sampaio, President
Stephanopoulos will also meet with Portuguese
Prime Minister Antonio Guterres. Mr.
Stephanopoulos will inaugurate the new Greek
embassy building in Lisbon and an exhibition of
Byzantine icons at the Dos Jeronimos Monastery.
Later in the afternoon, the President will
visit Portugal's parliament and meet with the
country's party parliamentary leadership.
The Greek president is accompanied by
deputy foreign minister Christos Rokofyllos and
a delegation of Greek businessmen.
[18] CYPRIOT DEFENSE MINISTER TRAVELS TO RUSSIA
TODAY
Cyprus' Defense Minister Socrates Chasikos
is embarking today on a five-day visit to
Moscow, at the invitation of his Russian
counterpart Igor Sergeyev, where he
will sign a protocol on Russian-Cypriot
cooperation on the defense field.
Mr. Chasikos will also hold talks with
Russian Trade Minister Mikhail Fradkov.
According to an official statement
published in Moscow, the Cypriot Defense
Minister's visit to Russia "will doubtless make
a contribution to the further development of
friendly relations between the two countries."
Moreover, the statement added that the
visit will allow Cyprus to demonstrate once
again that its key objective is to settle the
island's political problem with peaceful means,
and all efforts undertaken in the defense field
serve this task.
In this connection, the proposal of
demilitarization, which was put forward by
Cypriot President Glafcos Clerides, remain in
force, the statement said.
[19] CYPRUS PROXIMITY TALKS BEGIN TOMORROW IN
NEW YORK
The President of the Republic of Cyprus
Glafcos Clerides and the leader of the Turkish -
Cypriots Rauf Denktash are to start proximity
talks at the United Nations headquarters in New
York tomorrow.
Upon his arrival in New York yesterday,
President Clerides, stated that he and his
delegation arrived at the UN headquarters with a
sense of good will and with the aim to take
advantage of the international community's
interest in resolving the Cyprus issue.
UN officials have said there will be a news
blackout during the talks, which are scheduled
to last for between 10 and 12 days.
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan will chair
the initial rounds of the proximity talks and
which follow months of shuttle diplomacy in the
first half of the year to bring the two sides
together. The UN Security Council has called on
both sides "give their full support" to
comprehensive negotiations on the future of the
island.
[20] EUROPEAN COMMISSION PROPOSES A "SINGLE
EUROPEAN SKY"
The European Commission proposed yesterday
the creation of a "single European sky" that
would cut growing and vexing delays in civil air
travel in Europe, according to the French news
agency AFP.
"With more than one flight in three being
delayed by over 15 minutes in 1999, the
situation gives cause for serious concern,"
said a statement summarizing the official
proposal.
"And even if some of the delays are due to
airports operating at the limits of their
capacity or to the airlines themselves, more
than half (of the delays) are a direct result of
Europe's airspace reaching the saturation
point," it said.
Some flights, said Transport Commissioner
Loyola de Palacio, who presented the proposal,
"can be delayed several hours at peak times.
"Based on realistic (air) traffic
projections, we can expect continuing
deterioration of this situation over the next
five years," she said, adding, "the situation is
very serious, even catastrophic in certain
cases."
Referring to what it termed "shared
responsibility," her report said the problem was
"aggravated by the fact that Europe's airspace
is divided between 15 sovereign states who, for
various reasons--above all military--reject any
closer cooperation."
The commission figures the organization of
air space "suffers from the fragmentation
created by national frontiers," as well as
difficulties in optimizing the use of this
airspace by civil and military users."
"Airspace," said the report, "is a common
asset which shall be managed collectively as a
continuum, regardless of borders, with the view
to satisfy all its users, civil and military,
and to optimize air traffic management.
"To achieve that objective, a central
organization shall be empowered to decide on the
strategic and tactical phases of airspace
management," it said.
The war in Kosovo, noted the report, made
clear that the current European air traffic
control system--Eurocontrol--was incapable of
dealing with such crisis situations.
[21] OCALAN: MY EXECUTION IS A BARGAINING CHIP
FOR EU INCLUSION
Kurdish rebel leader Abdullah Ocalan, who
has been sentenced to death by Turkish Supreme
Court, has complained that his execution is
being used as a bargaining chip for Turkey's bid
to become a member of the European Union, one of
his lawyers stated today.
"Ocalan says that this does not conform to
political ethics," attorney Irfan Dundar told
the French news agency AFP.
Turkey's appeals court upheld last week the
death sentence imposed on the leader of the
Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in June for
treason and separatism charges.
The verdict sparked calls by EU-member
countries for Ankara to spare Mr.Ocalan's life
saying its long-standing bid to become a member
of the bloc could be harmed by the execution.
The European Court of Human Rights has
asked Turkey to suspend Mr. Ocalan's execution
until it rules on the main case regarding the
rebel leader's complaints against Ankara.
"(Ocalan) says his execution will also
determine whether the Kurdish question will be
resolved in a democratic way or by means of
oppression in the 21st century," Mr. Dundar
added.
[22] GREEK AND ROMANIAN STATE RADIOS TO
ESTABLISH COOPERATION
Greece's and Romania's state-owned radio
stations are to sign a cooperation protocol in
Bucharest tomorrow, which will call for the
establishment of an Emergency Action Radio
Network.
The said network, which Romania is to
support at a Balkan level, is aiming towards the
activation of the region's radio stations during
times of crisis or natural disaster.
Greece's National Radio had taken the
aforementioned initiative during the Second
Congress of National Radio-Television
Organizations of Southeast Europe.
[23] THE INTER-BALKAN CONFERENCE OF MINISTERS IN
BUCHAREST
The intention of the Greek government to
back the allocation of 600 million dollars to
be used in Balkan countries within the framework
of the Stability Pact for the promotion of joint
investment programs was reiterated by Greek
undersecretary of foreign affairs Grigoris
Niotis in the annual ministers' meeting on Inter-
Balkan Cooperation that was held in Bucharest
today.
Mr. Niotis also announced that a Stability
Pact coordinators' meeting will be held in
Athens in the second half of December to
examine ways in which the Stability Pact will
materialize in south-eastern Europe.
In the meeting held with the participation
of the foreign ministers of Romania, Bulgaria,
Turkey, FYROM and Albania were discussed among
others the implementation of the Stability Pact
in the Balkans and the developments in Kossovo.
The participants also adopted the Charter on
Good Neighborly Relations, Security and
Stability in south-eastern Europe.
Mr. Niotis emphasized the fact that the
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia did not
participate in the conference in spite of the
efforts made by the Romanian presidency,
stressing that Greece wants FRY to participate
in the meetings in order for normality to be
restored within the framework of the Inter-
Balkan Conference and cooperation to be underway
in south-eastern Europe as it has been decided
in the Crete and Antalya summit meetings.
[24] GREEK-BULGARIAN COOPERATION AGAINST ILLEGAL
IMMIGRATION
The programme signed in Sofia by
representatives of the Greek general army staff
and Bulgaria's national border police agency
provides for the cooperation between the two
countries aimed at tackling illegal immigration.
Within the framework of this programme that
will last until 2001 the two sides will jointly
undertake the implementation of measures aimed
at stopping illegal immigration.
[25] STEPHANOPOULOS: SAMPAIO UNDERSTANDS THE
GREEK POSITIONS ON THE EU ENLARGEMENT
Greek president Kostis Stephanopoulos, who
is on a formal visit to Portugal, stated in a
joint press conference with his Portuguese
counterpart that Mr. Sampaio understands fully
the Greek positions.
Both presidents characterized the visit as
very significant for the two countries and
specifically, the Portuguese president stressed
that Greece and Portugal share a common history
and cooperate in all the international and
European fora. Mr. Sampaio stated that it is a
great honor for him to welcome president
Stephanopoulos to his country, stating that he
is an exceptional personality at a European
level and a great democrat. Also, the Portuguese
president stressed that his country recognizes
the role of Greece in the events that took place
in the region of the Balkans in the past few
months.
Greek president Stephanopoulos spoke about
the close relations between Greece and Portugal
and praised the country's obvious achievements.
Mr. Stephanopoulos expressed the hope that there
will be a good outcome from the EU Summit
meeting in Helsinki on December 10-11.
Later this evening, Mr. Stephanopoulos will
visit the parliament building to meet with the
Portuguese parliament speaker and then he will
have talks with prime minister Antonio Guterres.
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