Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2000-01-20
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, January 20, 2000
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] LABOR MINISTERS FROM 11 COUNTRIES MEET IN THESSALONIKI
[02] THESSALONIKI TO HOST BALKAN INFO-TECH FORUM
[03] INTERBALKAN COOPERATION CENTER DISCUSSES S.E. EUROPE
[04] IOC TEAM TO VISIT ATHENS THIS MONTH
[05] LONG DISTANCE CALLS TO BE REDUCED
[06] RIO-ANTIRIO SUSPENSION BRIDGE TO BE WORLD'S LONGEST
[07] GREEK AND TURKISH MAYORS TO MEET
[08] PM, DEFENSE AND ECONOMY MINISTERS MEET TODAY
[09] REPPAS: THE PAPANDREOU VISIT WAS HELD IN A POSITIVE CLIMATE
[10] ALEXANDROUPOLIS-ISTANBUL RAILWAY LINE
[11] MR. SIMITIS' SPEECH ON HUMAN RIGHTS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[12] FM CONDUCTS VISIT TO ANKARA
[13] TURKISH PM INVITES GREEK COUNTERPART TO VISIT
[14] EU PROGRAM AIMS AT COMBATING DISCRIMINATION AT WORK
[15] AEGEAN PHOTOGRAPHS EXHIBITION OPENS IN WASHINGTON
[16] GREEK FM's VISIT TO ANKARA HAILED AS "HISTORIC"
[17] SECTION OF THESSALONIKI-SKOPJE OIL PIPELINE IS READY
[18] ALBANIAN PROPOSAL THROUGH MPA ON THE GUARDING OF BORDERS
[19] PAPANDREOU: THE DIPLOMACY OF THE PEOPLE GAVE A BOOST TO THE
GREEK-TURKISH RELATIONS
[20] ALBRIGHT: THE US GOAL IS TO SECURE PEACE IN THE AEGEAN AND
OTHER REGIONS
[21] PAPANDREOU-CEM JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE
[22] GREEK-ROMANIAN COOPERATION IN THE DEFENSE INDUSTRY
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] LABOR MINISTERS FROM 11 COUNTRIES MEET IN THESSALONIKI
The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and the
Royaumont process are co-organizing a two-day conference in
Thessaloniki on January 21-22, themed after democratization and
the application of the Stability Pact in Southeastern Europe.
The meeting, jointly funded by the European Commission and
Greece's Ministry of National Economy, will feature an exchange of
views among the representatives of the various economic and social
groups partaking in the Royaumont process.
Specifically, the conference will focus on three issues:
n Citizens society and social dialogue as the premise of
economic and social development.
n Process of modernizing the region's economic and social
structures.
n Means and process for the strengthening of economic and
social organizations in Southeast European countries.
The conference will be inaugurated on January 21 by the
president of EESC, Beatrice Rangoni Machiavelli, while the
president of EESC's Greek chapter, professor Andreas Kintis, will
also salute the delegates.
Greece's Minister of Labor and Social Security Miltiades
Papantoniou will declare the opening of the conference, while
Portuguese Ambassador F. Santiago, standing in for his country's
Foreign Minister Jaime Gama, will be the keynote speaker,
followed by Jos Chabert, the vice-president of the Committee of
the Regions.
The first session, presided over by Panayiotis Roumeliotis,
will concern social dialogue as the basis of economic and social
development.
The second session, presided over by Eurodeputy Christos
Folias, will address the economic and social reforms in the
region.
The theme of the third session will be the strengthening of
economic and social institutions in the countries-members of the
Royaumont process.
The first day's fourth - and final - session will review the
conclusions reached and will result in an action plan to be
presented,
On January 22, the conference's second day, the labor
ministers of the participating countries will convene privately in
order to review the resolutions and conclusions drawn during the
conference, while they are expected to adopt an action plan and
sign a declaration of principles.
The represented countries are: Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina,
Bulgaria, FYROM, Hungary, Russia, Slovenia, Turkey and the United
States.
Referring to the conference's aim, Mr. Kintis stated that it
is primarily political.
"The conference is unique in the sense that it features not
only the social institutions of the Royaumont process countries,
but political officials as well.
" As such, the conference will not stay at a political level,
it will feature a specific action plan, whose guidelines are to
approved during the course of the conference."
[02] THESSALONIKI TO HOST BALKAN INFO-TECH FORUM
The European Union's executive Commission has endorsed a
proposal submitted by the Association of Northern Greek
Information Technology Companies for holding a second Balkan
conference in Thessaloniki .
The EU-funded conference is set to take place in the second
quarter of 2000 in Thessaloniki.
The Association has stated that the decision to hold a
second Balkan info-tech conference in the northern port city, is
an advance in its plan to create a permanent agency in
Thessaloniki on information technology for the Balkans.
[03] INTERBALKAN COOPERATION CENTER DISCUSSES S.E. EUROPE
The Inter-Balkan Cooperation Center is to host a conference
titled "The New Order in the Region of Southeast Europe and the
Development Opportunities of the Kozani Prefecture", in the city
of Kozani today.
Among those taking part in the conference are the trade
attaches of Albania, FYROM, F.R. Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and Romania,
who will present addresses and meet with local businessmen.
[04] IOC TEAM TO VISIT ATHENS THIS MONTH
A delegation of officials from the International Olympic
Committee (IOC) are to arrive in Athens on January 26 in order to
review the preparations for the 2004 Olympics to be held in
Athens.
According to official reports, 75 percent of the sports
facilities for the Olympic Games have been completed, with the
Olympic Village, a media center and some sports venues remaining
to be built.
[05] LONG DISTANCE CALLS TO BE REDUCED
Long distance and international calls are to become cheaper
as of February 1, according to the Hellenic Telecommunications
Organization (ÏÔE).
The cost of long-distance and international calls will be
reduced by 10.6 percent and 11 percent respectively, while the
price of local calls will remain the same (seven drachmas per
minute).
Petrol prices have been reduced as well, with the price of
super petrol having been cut by 3.9 drachmas per liter, unleaded
by four drachmas, heating oil by 6.3 drachmas (for quantities of
more than 1,000 liters) and diesel by nine drachmas per liter.
[06] RIO-ANTIRIO SUSPENSION BRIDGE TO BE WORLD'S LONGEST
Once completed, the Rio-Antirio suspension bridge across the
Gulf of Corinth, which will link northwestern Greece with the
Peloponnese in the south, is to be the world's longest with a span
of 2,883 meters, including 2,252 meters over the water.
Work is well underway on the gigantic project, which has been
under construction since July 1998 by a French-Greek consortium.
The consortium, named Gefyra (Greek for ‘bridge'), brings
together French public works conglomerate Dumez and the Suez-
Lyonnaise des Eaux (GTM) group on the one hand, with six Greek
companies on the other.
The bridge, which was originally thought to be technically
impossible to build, is designed to be earthquake and hurricane-
proof and is expected to be copied by other earthquake-prone
countries, such as Japan, according to Gilles de Maublanc,
director of the consortium.
The project's technical director Panayotis Papanicolas, said
that the main
problems were instability of the seabed, a high risk of
earthquakes and the often very strong winds affecting the region.
"We first began consolidating the seabed, which consists of
clay, and, in
some parts, sand and mud," he said.
"We studied quake records back to the 19th century. Most of
the earthquakes
recorded more than six on the open-ended Richter scale. One of
them, on June 15, 1995, killed 26 people and registered 6.5 on
Richter," he added.
Another problem, according to Mr. Papanicolas, was that the
Rio shore moves 8 millimeters (0.32 inch) away from Antirion,
every year.
"We therefore designed a bridge capable of tolerating play of
about two meters (seven feet) between two pillars. It must also be
capable of withstanding winds of 265 kilometers an hour (150 mph),
or hurricane strength", he said albeit pointing out that such
winds had never been recorded in the region.
The bridge will be suspended from five huge pillars, 560
meters apart,
built on undersea platforms, each having a diameter of 90 meters.
The project has been budgeted at 750 million euros, 40
percent of which will be
financed by the Greek state, loans from the European Investment
Bank (50 percent) and cash provided by the consortium itself (10
percent.)
Public Works Minister Costas Laliotis has stated that the
bridge will be a new door into Europe.
"One will be able to go to Trieste and Europe through Albania
and Montenegro, once a new road has been built."
The bridge is expected to be commissioned in 2004 and Mr.
Laliotis is hoping that the runners carrying the Olympic flame
will be the first to cross the bridge in time for
the Athens Olympics in the summer of 2004.
[07] GREEK AND TURKISH MAYORS TO MEET
Greek and Turkish mayors of western and eastern Thrace are
to meet in the Turkish city of Marmara on January 24-25, a move
that constitutes a positive and hope-filled step in Greek-Turkish
relations.
According to the mayor of the Greek city Sapes, Dinos
Haritopoulos, the meeting is part of a series of initiatives that
stem from what Foreign Minister George Papandreou has called
"citizens diplomacy".
Mr. Haritopoulos stated that this form of diplomacy does not
replace the governments which handle state relations and safeguard
national interests, but, rather, promotes the opportunities
provided by the venue of understanding and friendship among two
neighboring peoples.
Moreover, Mr. Haritopoulos stated that this climate could
lead to collaboration in the economic, tourism, cultural and
sports sectors, which will bring on a climate of security in
Thrace and, hence, will form the criteria for attracting
investments.
[08] PM, DEFENSE AND ECONOMY MINISTERS MEET TODAY
Prime Minister Costas Simitis met with Defense Minister Akis
Tsochatzopoulos and National Economy and Finance Minister Yiannos
Papantoniou today, where they discussed the country's five-year
armaments program for the period of 2001-2005.
The Government Council on Foreign Affairs and Defense (KYSEA)
is to meet tomorrow in order to discuss Greece's participation in
the production of the Eurofighter, a final agreement for the
purchase of more US-made F-16 fighter planes, as well as an
agreement for the acquisition of French-made Mirage 2000-5
jetfighters and the upgrading of several of the air force's Mirage
2000s into Mirage 2000-5 fighters.
[09] REPPAS: THE PAPANDREOU VISIT WAS HELD IN A POSITIVE CLIMATE
The visit of foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou to Turkey
take place in a very positive climate, stated Greek government
spokesman Dimitris Reppas.
Mr. Reppas spoke of an impressive improvement in the climate
of the Greek-Turkish relations and at the same time he pointed out
that there should be no illusion that Turkey has changed its
policy.
The Greek government spokesman stated that Turkey must accept
that the framework decided in Helsinki must be the basis for the
development of the Greek-Turkish relations from now on and
expressed the belief that Turkey will respond to this invitation.
[10] ALEXANDROUPOLIS-ISTANBUL RAILWAY LINE
The Greek Railways will launch the Alexandroupolis-Istanbul
InterCity line tomorrow on the occasion of the visit of Greek
foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou to Ankara. On board the train
will be the Greek Railways management, businessmen and
journalists.
This move is in response to the visit of the Train of Peace
to Greece, while the Greek railways also want to contribute to the
development of Greek-Turkish economic cooperation.
[11] MR. SIMITIS' SPEECH ON HUMAN RIGHTS
The recognition of human rights as a non negotiable global
value was stressed by prime minister Kostas Simitis in his speech
before the National Committee on human rights delivered today.
Mr. Simitis stated that human rights that have to do with
freedom and personal autonomy must be carefully reconsidered,
stressing that now more than ever they have an essential political
significance as a result of the globalization of the economy, the
internationalization of markets, the progress in technology and
the many changes in the world.
He underlined that society must be mobilized for the support
of human rights while he stressed the significance of the non
governmental organizations.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[12] FM CONDUCTS VISIT TO ANKARA
Minister of Foreign Affairs George Papandreou has embarked on
two-day visit to Turkey as of today, the first Foreign Minister
who pays an official visit to Turkey since 1962.
The Foreign Minister is expected to meet with Turkish
President Suleyman Demirel, Parliament Speaker Yildirim Aktuna and
Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit.
Mr. Papandreou, who will be accompanied by a delegation of
businessmen, parliamentarians, and journalists, will sign four
bilateral agreements with his Turkish counterpart Ismail Cem. The
said agreements concern issues of environment, tourism, terrorism,
and protection of investments. Mesrs. Papandreou and Cem are also
expected to discuss the results of dialogue which started between
the two countries last July, as well as bilateral relations.
Moreover, the two FMs are to undertake a common initiative
concerning the Caucasus region, specifically pertaining to
respecting borders and minority rights in Caucasus, Armenia and
Azerbaijan.
According to press reports, Mr. Papandreou will also travel
to Istanbul where he will meet with Greek and Turkish businessmen.
[13] TURKISH PM INVITES GREEK COUNTERPART TO VISIT
Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit has extended a formal
invitation to his Greek counterpart Costas Simitis for a visit to
Turkey.
During a 30-minute meeting held this morning in Ankara
between Mr. Ecevit and the visiting Greek Foreign Minister George
Papandreou, the Turkish PM stated that solutions need to be found
in Greek-Turkish issues, as this would facilitate the resolution
of the Cyprus issue.
Conversely, Mr. Papandreou stated that a solution to the
Cyprus issue should first be discovered, as this would assist in
the handling of G/T issues.
[14] EU PROGRAM AIMS AT COMBATING DISCRIMINATION AT WORK
Following a proposal by Greek Commissioner Anna
Diamantopoulou, the European Commission is reportedly scheduling a
European Union initiative, known as "Equal", which concerns
cooperation among the 15 EU member-states on combating
discrimination in the workplace.
Funding for the said initiative is reportedly secured by the
European Social Fund with 2,847 million euros for the 2000-2006
period. The Commission will have the initiative finally ratified
in early 2000 to enable the first invitation for plans to be
submitted at the end of 2000.
[15] AEGEAN PHOTOGRAPHS EXHIBITION OPENS IN WASHINGTON
A photography exhibition titled "The Aegean: Images of
Greece" will be inaugurated in Washington tomorrow by the general
secretary of the Greek press ministry, Yannis Nikolaou.
Eleven of Greece's best photographers have joined forces in
displaying 160 photographs which depict the faces and landscapes
of the Aegean, the birthplace
of Greek civilization and a source of inspiration for writers and
artists over the centuries.
[16] GREEK FM's VISIT TO ANKARA HAILED AS "HISTORIC"
Greek Foreign Minister George Papandreou was warmly welcomed
in Ankara, in a visit that has been cited by the Turkish press as
"historic", the fist official visit by a Greek FM in 38 years.
Welcoming his Greek counterpart at Ankara's Esenboga airport,
Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem stated that "we hope, in fact
we are sure, that it will not be such a long time before the next
visit."
During his stay, Mr. Papandreou is expected to sign a series of
agreements for cooperation in fighting terrorism and organized
crime, as well as agreements with regard to tourism, the
environment and the protection of investments.
"We need to take cautious steps so that this newborn optimism
is established on solid ground," Mr. Papandreou said, adding that
he plans to propose the re-activation of the ''committee of
experts'', comprising officials from both countries, whose task
is to work out ways of resolving disputes over boundaries in the
Aegean.
[17] SECTION OF THESSALONIKI-SKOPJE OIL PIPELINE IS READY
A formal ceremony was held in Skopje today on the occasion of
the construction of the first 10 kilometers of the Skopje-
Thessaloniki oil pipeline.
The Prime Minister of FYROM Lupco Georgievski attended the
event, along with the Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Yiannis
Magriotis. The general director of FYROM's OKTA oil refinery, 54%
of which was recently acquired by Greece's oil refineries ELPE)
was also present.
The foundation of the oil pipeline was officially laid on
November 10. Its construction is budgeted at $90 million and
constitutes a part of ELPE's overall investment in Skopje,
amounting to $182 million.
The project, which is commissioned for completion in three
years, will have a length of 230 kilometers and an annual
transport capacity of 2.5 million metric tons of oil.
[18] ALBANIAN PROPOSAL THROUGH MPA ON THE GUARDING OF BORDERS
Albania's Christian-Democratic Party will request that the
law on the guarding of borders be reconsidered, according to a
statement made to MPA by its president Zef Busati.
Mr. Busati stated that the Christian-Democratic Party of
Albania will table a proposal in parliament suggesting that the
borders be guarded by the Albanian armed forces and not by the
forces of the ministry of public order.
The leader of the Christian-Democrats in Albania also added
that his party will call for a plenary session of the parliament
to discuss the issue of illegal immigration.
[19] PAPANDREOU: THE DIPLOMACY OF THE PEOPLE GAVE A BOOST TO THE
GREEK-TURKISH RELATIONS
The dynamics of the so-called "diplomacy of the people"
developed after the devastating earthquakes that hit both
countries last summer was underlined in Ankara by Greek foreign
minister Giorgos Papandreou in an interview with the English-
speaking program of the BBC "The world today".
Mr. Papandreou reiterated that Greece has only one difference
with Turkey in the Aegean namely, the issue of the continental
shelf, while he stated that he will seek in his talks with his
Turkish counterpart Ismail Cem to give a new boost to the idea of
holding meetings of specialists from both countries, the so-called
"committees of the wise", who could prepare the ground in order to
overcome any difference between Athens and Ankara in the future.
The Greek foreign minister gave a special emphasis to the
European prospect of Turkey after the decision to be a candidate
for EU membership.
[20] ALBRIGHT: THE US GOAL IS TO SECURE PEACE IN THE AEGEAN AND
OTHER REGIONS
The safeguarding of peace in the Aegean as well as in
Caucasus, Northern Ireland and central Africa is among the
immediate targets of the US foreign policy in the last year of
president Clinton's administration.
The above were stated by US secretary of state Madeleine
Albright in her speech delivered in Washington's John Hopkins
University in which she outlined the priorities of the US foreign
policy. Among those priorities are included a stronger and
enlarged NATO alliance ready to undertake new missions, the
consolidation of peace in Kosovo, the democratization of south-
eastern Europe and the effective control of weapons of mass
destruction.
Ms. Albright also stated that the United States will help
especially four developing republics namely, Colombia, Nigeria,
Indonesia and Ukraine which are capable of becoming major factors
for the stability in their regions.
[21] PAPANDREOU-CEM JOINT PRESS CONFERENCE
Foreign ministers of Greece and Turkey Giorgos Papandreou and
Ismail Cem signed four "low policy or common interest" agreements
as they were characterized by Mr. Papandreou speaking to MPA.
After the signing of the agreements the two ministers gave a
joint press conference and referred to them as well as to those
that will be signed early next month.
The Turkish foreign minister spoke of a new beginning and a
new era for the Greek-Turkish relations characterizing as
especially productive the talks he had with Mr. Papandreou. He
said that the different issues are being approached with
sensitivity and care, while he spoke of a successful start. He
praised Mr. Papandreou referring to his "personal wisdom" that
characterizes him, while he also praised his contribution to the
development of bilateral relations and stated that efforts will
continue within this framework for their further development. He
also said that everything achieved so far will contribute to the
development of a climate of trust and security in the region.
He also said that he suggested the establishment of a
"security committee" which will be made-up of politicians and
representatives of the military from both countries having as a
goal to maintain the climate of security in the region and limit
tensions.
Mr. Papandreou from his side, spoke of the warm hospitality
he was offered and referred to his Turkish counterpart on a first
name basis. He stressed that step-by-step a dialogue has been
built and more steps will be made within this framework. He said
that this experience made them wiser and characterized the visit
as a wonderful chance for the development of bilateral relations.
Responding to questions on the Cyprus issue, the two
ministers agreed that they disagree. They said that their views
are different but they back the talks held under the auspices of
the United Nations. Referring to the issue of the Aegean, Mr. Cem
stated that the military exercises must be limited and that there
should be an exchange of information. Mr. Papandreou stated that
he will convey the proposals made by Mr. Cem to the ministry of
defense and stressed that Cyprus can become a place of cooperation
rather than conflict.
[22] GREEK-ROMANIAN COOPERATION IN THE DEFENSE INDUSTRY
Issues of bilateral cooperation in the sector of the defense
industry were discussed in Bucharest by Greek undersecretary of
national defense Dimitris Apostolakis and his Romanian counterpart
Ion Mircea Plangu, while they also discussed issues of security in
the Balkans as well as the situation in Kosovo.
The two government officials expressed the joint intention of
both countries for cooperation, while joint committees will be
established in the sector of the defense industry to suggest the
undertaking of initiatives.
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