Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2000-03-30
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, March 30, 2000
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] PARTIES CONTINUE TELEVISED AD WAR
[02] MORGAN STANLEY TO UPGRADE GREECE'S ECONOMY
[03] MPA BROADCASTS DEBATE LIVE ON THE INTERNET
[04] PM STRESSES IMPORTANCE OF WELFARE STATE POLICY
[05] PREMIER OUTLINES GREECE'S POLICY IN BALKANS
[06] 26 PARTIES TO VIE FOR A PLACE ON THE BALLOT
[07] MAIN OPPOSITION LEADER CERTAIN OF VICTORY
[08] WIDOW OF GREECE'S NOBEL LAUREATE SEFERIS DIES
[09] THESSALONIKI HOSTS BALKAN AGRICULTURE CONFERENCE
[10] MARGINAL GAINS ON ASE GENERAL PRICE INDEX
[11] TURKISH MAYORS TO VISIT THESSALONIKI
[12] PAPANTONIOU: THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE WILL RETURN TO AN
UPWARD COURSE AFTER THE ELECTIONS
[13] THE GERMAN PRESIDENT WILL VISIT THESSALONIKI
[14] THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE RECORDED GAINS OF 0.58%
[15] GREECE WILL ATTEND THE CAIRO SUMMIT MEETING
[16] GREEK FUND FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE BALKANS
[17] THE OLDEST CANDIDATE IN THE GREEK PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IS
92 YEARS OLD
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[18] ANDREAS TO TRAVEL TO U.S. FOR CHEMOTHERAPY
[19] ALBANIAN DEFENSE MINISTER SPEAKS TO MPA
[20] BELGRADE'S GREEK EMBASSY SCRAPS GALA, OFFERS AID
[21] FRIENDSHIP "ATTACK" AGAINST GREECE BY THE MAYOR OF ISTANBUL
[22] TSATSEV: THE GOTSE DELTSEV-DRAMAS BORDER CROSSING WILL BE
OPEN IN 2002
[23] THE EU MADE A DEMARCHE TO TURKEY ON THE PERSONAE NON GRATAE
LIST
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] PARTIES CONTINUE TELEVISED AD WAR
The main opposition party of New Democracy has taken offense
to an advertisement ran by ruling PASOK party which shows N.D.'s
leader Costas Karamanlis in past speeches attacking the Greek
economy as a "transvestite" and saying that Greece would not meet
its target of joining the Economic and Monetary Union by 2001 -
which Greece now seems almost certain of doing.
After ND spokesperson Aris Spiliotopoulos accused PASOK of
having resorted montage techniques and image-sound distortion,
the ruling party's Costas Laliotis replied that "they (ND) can't
stand the sound of their own voice, the sight of their own face."
Mr. Laliotis added that PASOK felt a political and moral duty
to remind the Greek people what Mr. Karamanlis had been saying
about the Greek economy and the country's accession to the EMU.
Furthermore, he denied that his party distorted the ND
leader's image in the ad.
[02] MORGAN STANLEY TO UPGRADE GREECE'S ECONOMY
International investment house Morgan Stanley is set to
embark on the process of re-examining the Greek economy in view of
upgrading the status of the Greek market to that of a developed
market by November 2000, news that bore positive impact on today's
trading at the Athens Stock Exchange.
Salomon Smith Barney analyst Miranda Xafa characterized the
move as a positive development, while press reports in Greece
welcomed the news, since the upgrade will result in significant
capital inflow from abroad.
[03] MPA BROADCASTS DEBATE LIVE ON THE INTERNET
Tonight's debate between Premier Costas Simitis and main
opposition leader (New Democracy) Costas Karamanlis is to be
broadcast live at 9.p.m. on the Macedonian Press Agency's Internet
server at www.mpa.gr .
The debate, whose rules of order are to be consistent with
those of 1996, will be moderated by journalist Nikos
Hatzinikolaou, while 12 questions are to be submitted in all by
journalists Elli Stai, Manolis Kapsis and Thodoris Rousopoulos.
With the Premier answering first, Messrs. Simitis and
Karamanlis will direct their answers to the representatives of the
media instead of each other.
The journalists will have a maximum of 30 seconds in which to
ask a question, and the two leaders will have to provide an answer
within two minutes. A warning signal will be given ten seconds
before time runs out, and if either of the speakers exceeds his
time limit, the moderator is expected to interrupt him.
The MPA, which was the first Greek medium to enter
cyberspace in 1993, will also have a minute-by-minute account on
April 9's election day, featuring newscasts and ballot percentages
in each district and nationwide.
[04] PM STRESSES IMPORTANCE OF WELFARE STATE POLICY
In an election campaign rally held in the city of Halkida
(Euboia) yesterday, Prime Minister and ruling PASOK party leader
Costas Simitis stressed that the next four years will be a
"welfare state" period, with the main drive being on drastically
cutting unemployment.
Referring to pensions, the Premier reiterated his pledge for
a minimum base of GRD150,000 at the end of the next four-year
term.
Attacking New Democracy's vow to increase pensions to the
aforementioned amount the day after the elections, should it win
the race, Mr. Simitis stated that once the main opposition
realized that its plan will cost an exorbitant amount of money, it
retracted the promise.
Lastly, the Premier made extensive reference to
infrastructure projects in the region.
[05] PREMIER OUTLINES GREECE'S POLICY IN BALKANS
Prime Minister Costas Simitis outlined Greece's active role
in the Balkan region, during a press interview on foreign policy
given in Athens yesterday, where he fielded questions from
reporters.
Reiterating that Greece desires free and democratic elections
in Yugoslavia, the Premier said he doesn't expect a
"confrontation" between Montenegro's leadership and the Milosevic
regime or a worsening of the tense situation in Kosovo, noting
that both issues were discussed at the recently-held European
Union summit in Lisbon.
Mr. Simitis also said Greece doesn't expect to increase its
forces in the strife-torn Yugoslav province of Kosovo.
Responding to a question on the name issue pending between
Greece and FYROM, Mr. Simitis said it is obvious that ongoing
talks under the auspices of the United Nations have yet to bear
results, although Athens has told FYROM's leadership that it is
time for a solution.
[06] 26 PARTIES TO VIE FOR A PLACE ON THE BALLOT
A total of 26 political parties and coalitions will race
during next week's general elections, out of 34 parties that
initially submitted applications, according to the Supreme Court
(Areios Pagos).
The High Court announced that 26 of the 34 applicant parties
have fulfilled the criteria for running in the April 9 elections,
as eight parties had either submitted their applications past the
deadline, or had failed to provide candidate lists.
[07] MAIN OPPOSITION LEADER CERTAIN OF VICTORY
Main opposition leader, New Democracy's Costas Karamanlis,
expressed his certainty that his party will win the parliamentary
elections, while at the same time he blasted the ruling PASOK
party for its negative advertisement tactics, during a rally in
Athens yesterday.
Mr. Karamanlis stated that his party vows to invest in the
human factor, the new generation, to establish the infrastructure
necessary for the future.
In all, the main opposition leader underlined that his
party's main focus is curbing unemployment, bridging he gap
between the rich and the poor and put an end to the nightmarish
prospect of a two-thirds society.
Mr. Karamanlis stressed that all ND's commitments were valid
to the last word and that his party does not divide Greeks into
political groups.
[08] WIDOW OF GREECE'S NOBEL LAUREATE SEFERIS DIES
Maro Seferis, the widow of Greece's first Nobel Prize-winning
poet, George Seferis, died yesterday at the age of 102. She will
be buried at the Athens First Cemetery tomorrow afternoon.
Mrs. Seferis died at the home that she had shared with the
poet in Athens, with her husband having passed away in 1971. The
couple met in 1935 and married in 1941. This year marks the
centennial anniversary since the Nobel laureate's birth in Smyrna.
[09] THESSALONIKI HOSTS BALKAN AGRICULTURE CONFERENCE
A Balkan conference on agricultural research and development
is to be held this weekend in Thessaloniki, on the initiative of
the National Institute of Agricultural Research and under the
auspices of the Ministry of Agriculture.
The conference will feature the participation of Balkan
undersecretaries and high-ranking officials from various sector-
related organizations.
Among the issues to be discussed will be: market
globalization, competitiveness in terms of the main and
traditional agricultural products of the Balkan region,
environmental protection in cultivated lands, development of
mountainous mass and the reformation of the overall Balkan
countryside, coordination and promotion of agricultural research
and bio-technological methods, etc.
As a continuance of the Agrotica 2000 exhibition, held in
Thessaloniki last January and which featured the participation of
agriculture ministers from the Balkan countries, the National
Institute decided to extend the established climate of
cooperation, believing that coordinated agricultural research in
the Balkans can be vital to the economic and social development of
the wider region.
[10] MARGINAL GAINS ON ASE GENERAL PRICE INDEX
The Athens Stock Exchange general price index recorded
marginal gains of .05% at noon today, showing signs of
stabilization after yesterday's closing of +1.94 percent.
Specifically, the general price recorded 4,756.79 points,
while the transactions volume remained at a low GRD 66 billion.
[11] TURKISH MAYORS TO VISIT THESSALONIKI
Turkey's consul general in Thessaloniki Setzik Seckidsecineli
met with the city's mayor Vasilis Papageorgopoulos yesterday in
order to brief him on the arrival of the prefect and mayor of
Izmir, and other mayors, in Thessaloniki on Saturday evening.
The visit is to take place within the framework of an
exhibition held in Athens by the Izmir Commerce and Industry
Chamber.
[12] PAPANTONIOU: THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE WILL RETURN TO AN
UPWARD COURSE AFTER THE ELECTIONS
Minister of national economy Yiannos Papantoniou, speaking in
the Athens radio station "Flash", stated that the Athens Stock
Exchange will return to an upward course after the elections. Mr.
Papantoniou expressed the belief that the Athens Stock Exchange
will resume reflecting the positive course of the economy after
the April 9 parliamentary elections.
On the business capital increases that continue to limit the
market's fluidity, Mr. Papantoniou clarified that the law does not
allow for an investigation to take place before a year passes and
therefore, this month an investigation is being held on the
increases that took place in March 1999.
[13] THE GERMAN PRESIDENT WILL VISIT THESSALONIKI
German president Johanes Rau will be in Greece on Monday for
a three-day visit. He is scheduled to meet in Athens with his
Greek counterpart Kostis Stephanopoulos, prime minister Kostas
Simitis, parliament speaker Apostolos Kaklamanis, right-wing main
opposition party of New Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis and the
rest political party leaders.
The German president will visit the Acropolis in Athens and
the Spata Airport which is under construction, while he will be
honored with the gold medal of the city of Athens by Athens mayor
Dimitris Avramopoulos. On Tuesday, he will visit Kalavrita in the
Peloponesse, southern Greece to lay a wreath at the place of
martyrdom for almost the whole population of the town executed by
the Nazis on December 13, 1943.
On Wednesday, the German president will be in Thessaloniki
and will visit the German School where he will meet with its
students. He will also meet with minister of Macedonia-Thrace
Yiannis Magriotis, while he will visit Thessaloniki's
Archaeological Museum and the Protestant Church Community Center.
[14] THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE RECORDED GAINS OF 0.58%
Stabilizing tendencies prevailed in the Athens Stock Exchange
today and the main index closed at 4.782,04 points with gains of
0.58%, while the volume of transactions increased by 23 billion
drachmas and reached 162 billion drachmas.
According to the analysts, if the general index continues its
upward course tomorrow then the necessary preconditions will be
present for a dynamic opening of the Athens Stock Exchange next
week.
[15] GREECE WILL ATTEND THE CAIRO SUMMIT MEETING
The summit meeting of the European Union member-states and
the African countries will be held in Cairo on April 3 and 4.
It is the first time that such a meeting will be held and its
goal is to establish regular meetings of state leaders and the EU
strategy on large geographic entities. A similar move was made by
the EU with regard the Latin American states.
The basic issues in the summit meeting will be the political
and economic developments in the African continent, the mechanisms
for the prevention of conflicts, human rights, the incorporation
of the African continent into the globalized economy and the EU
relations with the African states.
Greece will be represented by deputy foreign minister
Christos Rokofillos and foreign ministry general secretary
responsible on European issues, Stelios Perrakis. The Greek
government will seek the next summit meeting to be held in Greece.
[16] GREEK FUND FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION OF THE BALKANS
A sum of US$150.8 million will be allocated by Greece in the
period 2000-2001 for the reconstruction of the Balkans.
Specifically, US$115 million will represent the bilateral aid
to Albania, Kosovo, Romania and Bulgaria within the framework of a
five-year action plan for the reconstruction of the Balkans.
Based on the Stability Pact, Greece's contribution for the
period 2000-2001 will be US$25.8 million of which, US$10.8 million
will be allocated for infrastructure projects of immediate
priority and the rest US$15 million will be allocated for the
construction of medium term infrastructure projects in the Balkan
region.
Meanwhile, Greek caretaker minister of press Argiris Fatouros
stated that Greece, as a member of the Donor Countries Committee,
has insisted in the need for increased funding during the
Stability Pact Donor Countries Conference that was held in
Brussels yesterday.
[17] THE OLDEST CANDIDATE IN THE GREEK PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IS
92 YEARS OLD
The oldest candidate in the April 9 parliamentary elections
is Vasilis Kouzelis, who is 92 years old and is included in the
ballot paper of the Communist Party (Marxists-Leninists) and runs
in the 1st constituency in Athens.
He fought in the Greek resistance during WWII and in the
Greek civil war and spent 20 years of his life in exile. He was
engaged to his wife in the island of Makronisos where he was
imprisoned and got married in the island of Agios Efstratios.
His state of health is good, except from the diabetes he is
suffering from and in spite of his very old age his mind and
thought are still fresh. He says that nothing can stop him from
fighting for what he believes in until the end of his life.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[18] ANDREAS TO TRAVEL TO U.S. FOR CHEMOTHERAPY
Six-year-old Greek Cypriot Andreas Vasiliou, who is suffering
from leukemia, is to travel to the United States where he will
undergo chemotherapy treatment, although the search continues for
a bone marrow donor.
The public's response to providing assistance to little
Andreas has been enormous, with thousands of Greek-Cypriots
having given blood to be tested for compatibility, as have
hundreds of Turkish-Cypriots in the Turkish-occupied northern
sector of the island.
Thousands of people have also provided blood samples in
Greece.
[19] ALBANIAN DEFENSE MINISTER SPEAKS TO MPA
In exclusive statements to the Macedonian Press Agency,
Albania's Defense Minister Luan Hidaraga confirmed yesterday's
Albanian press reports of shots having been fired from a Greek
ship against his country's authorities.
Aside from the confirmation, the Minister declined requests
for additional information, stating that details over the incident
remain unknown and adding that an investigation is underway.
[20] BELGRADE'S GREEK EMBASSY SCRAPS GALA, OFFERS AID
In an act of solidarity to the Serb people, Greece's embassy
in Belgrade opted not to hold its annual reception for the March
25 national holiday, offering instead the money it would have
spent to the city council of Kursumlia.
Greece's Ambassador Panayiotis Vlassopoulos provided the
mayor of Kursumlia Borije Urosevic with a check in the amount of
eighty thousand dollars, stating that the war inflicted great
damages to the city and adding that additional aid will be given
to the area.
The monies will be allocated to the needs of the local
residents, including Kosovo refufees.
Mr. Urosevic thanked the Greek Ambassador and briefed him on
the consequences suffered by his city from the bomb raids. He also
made extensive reference to the humanitarian aid forwarded by the
Greek Church.
[21] FRIENDSHIP "ATTACK" AGAINST GREECE BY THE MAYOR OF ISTANBUL
Mayor of Istanbul Mufit Gurtuna stated to the Turkish Cypriot
newspaper "Hurriyet" that bridges of friendship and love have been
built between Athens and Istanbul and that a cooperation protocol
has been signed.
He also stated that the improvement of relations is to the
benefit of both sides and added that maybe a day will come when we
will speak of an abolition of the borders dividing the two sides,
while he stressed that everybody must back this bridge of
friendship.
[22] TSATSEV: THE GOTSE DELTSEV-DRAMAS BORDER CROSSING WILL BE
OPEN IN 2002
The Gotse Deltsev-Dramas border crossing at the Greek-
Bulgarian borders will be open in 2002, according to statements
made by Bulgarian regional development and public works minister
Evgeni Tsatsev after the cabinet meeting in which the December
decisions reached by the joint Bulgarian-Greek Committee on the
PHARE and INTERREG programs were approved.
The plan for the construction of a tunnel in the area where
the new border crossing will be built is in the drawing up phase
and by September 2000 it must be approved by Sofia and Athens. The
construction work will start by 2001 and the company that will
undertake the project will be determined under the supervision of
the European Reconstruction and Development Bank.
[23] THE EU MADE A DEMARCHE TO TURKEY ON THE PERSONAE NON GRATAE
LIST
The Portuguese ambassador to Ankara, as a representative of
the European Union presidency, made a demarche to Turkey on the
"black list" that includes names of individuals who are not wanted
in Turkey, according to a statement made by Greek caretaker
minister of press Argiris Fatouros.
Turkey recognized that it is an old list and stressed that it
is its sovereign right to close its borders to those who are not
wanted in the country. The Portuguese ambassador stated that such
a practice is in opposition with the democratic obligations
accepted by the European Union.
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