Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2000-03-31
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, March 31, 2000
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] LEADERS HOLD CIVILIZED DIALOGUE WITH COGENT REPLIES
[02] PASOK, ND SATISFIED WITH DEBATE, BOTH CLAIM VICTORY
[03] LAND ALLOCATED FOR RUSSIA'S REPATRIATED GREEKS
[04] SMUGGLERS TRY TO BRING 142 KILOS OF HASH IN GREECE
[05] 10% OF DEATHS AMONG YOUNG CHILDREN DUE TO CANCER
[06] GREECE TO FUND ALBANIA'S PUBLIC RADIO
[07] LOCAL BUSINESS DELEGATION TO TRAVEL TO BRUSA
[08] NEW JERSEY FIRMS TO VISIT THESSALONIKI NEXT MONTH
[09] THESSALONIKI HOSTS BALKAN AGRICULTURE CONFERENCE
[10] A NEW DEMOCRACY CANDIDATE WAS RUSHED TO A HOSPITAL
[11] GREEK-TURKISH BUSINESS MEETING IN WASHINGTON
[12] OVER 250.000 ACCESSED THE MPA SITE ON THE INTERNET TO WATCH
THE DEBATE
[13] GAINS OF 0.24% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
[14] ETE: GREECE'S GNP WILL BE AT 3.8% THIS YEAR
[15] THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE WILL HAVE A GROWTH RATE OF 20-30%
[16] "MORGAN STANLEY" SUGGESTS ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE SHARES
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[17] CoE PLANS TO REMIND TURKEY OF LOIZIDOU CASE
[18] FOURTH AMERICAN THESSALONIKI FESTIVAL IN NEW YORK
[19] THE GREEK AMBASSADOR TOURED AN ALBANIAN PREFECTURE
[20] COUNCIL OF EUROPE MEMBERS VISITED LEILA ZANA IN PRISON
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] LEADERS HOLD CIVILIZED DIALOGUE WITH COGENT REPLIES
A nationally-televised, indirect debate held between Premier
Costas Simitis and main opposition leader (New Democracy) Costas
Karamanlis last night was widely viewed as "civilized" with both
men providing cogent replies to the -at times- pressing questions
posed by a panel of three journalists.
Broadcast live on the Macedonian Press Agency's Internet
server at www.mpa.gr , the dialogue between the two leaders
spanned all issues of national concern, ranging from the course of
the stock exchange to the country's foreign policy.
Messrs. Simitis and Karamanlis, the two main contenders in
the parliamentary elections of April 9, took turns at responding
to 12 questions posed by journalists Elli Stai, Manolis Kapsis and
Thodoris Rousopoulos, while the event was moderated by journalist
Nikos Hatzinikolaou. With the Premier answering first, Messrs.
Simitis and Karamanlis directed their answers to the
representatives of the media instead of each other.
As the first question concerned the course of the stock
market, the Premier responded that the success of an economy was
not measured by short-term fluctuations in share prices, but by
its growth rates, potential, investment and exports, which also
provided good prospects for stocks in the longer term.
Responding on the same issue, Mr. Karamanlis stated that the
stock market is a significant institution and stressed that his
party supports a market economy. He added that interjections and
efforts at political exploitation through the bourse should be
avoided, accusing the ruling PASOK party of having encouraged the
public to invest in the ASE prior to the European Parliament
elections, with later political input leading the stock market
into a crisis.
In regards to the burning issue of unemployment, the Premier
disputed the claim that Greece was the only EU country where
unemployment and income inequalities were on the rise and said the
government's policy would lead to the creation of 300,000 new
jobs.
In turn, the main opposition leader challenged the
government's credibility, stating that the country's unemployment
rate had increased by 200,000 during PASOK's term.
Concerning pensions, Mr. Karamanlis said an increase in the
minimum pensions to 150,000 drachmas monthly was both imperative
and feasible, citing an additional cost of 180 billion drachmas to
the budget. However, the Premier responded that the true figure
surpassed the 600-billion-drachma mark.
The Premier underlined that PASOK's record and program were
the best guarantees for further upgrading the country's position
in Europe, pointing to the country's falling inflation and higher
than EU-average growth rates as indicators of real convergence.
In response, Mr. Karamanlis recognized that Greece's entry to
the Economic and Monetary Union in 2001 was one of a number of
positive achievements, but stressed that a change of guard, with
fresh ideas and initiatives, is now required.
As for foreign policy, Mr. Karamanlis said that while he was
in agreement with closer ties between Turkey and Europe, he
stressed that PASOK had sent the wrong message to the neighboring
country by its stance at the EU summit in Helsinki where it had
not ensured Ankara's future respect for international law and
treaties, and noted that Turkish intransigence was increasing.
The Premier disagreed, pointing out that Turkey was required
to adjust to the acquis communautaire and resolve differences with
its neighbors according to EU treaties, and was expected to make
gestures of goodwill.
Messrs. Simitis and Karamanlis had two minutes to provide an
answer to each question. A warning signal was given ten seconds
before time ran out.
Following the one-hour, ten-minute long debate, both Mr.
Simitis and Mr. Karamanlis thanked one another and expressed
satisfaction that their differences remained of a political nature
devoid of any personal animosity.
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.
[02] PASOK, ND SATISFIED WITH DEBATE, BOTH CLAIM VICTORY
Both the ruling PASOK party and the main opposition of New
Democracy cadres are satisfied with the course of last night's
debate between their respective leaders, each claiming the event
as their "piece de resistance".
The overall consensus is that both leaders were low key in
their replies and outlined their parties' policies in an effort to
sway in their favor the high percentage of undecided voters.
Needless to say, minor opposition parties are not too happy
the debate was limited to the leaders of PASOK and ND, without the
participation of the other parties.
[03] LAND ALLOCATED FOR RUSSIA'S REPATRIATED GREEKS
An expanse of 150 stremmata (about 600 acres) is to be
allocated by the National Defense Fund to repatriated Greeks from
the former Soviet Union.
The land, part of the Thessaloniki prefecture, was formerly
used as military camps in Xiloupoli, Lagadikia and Laina, and can
house at least 500 individuals.
According to the Minister of National Defense Akis
Tsochatzopoulos, who met with the leaders of the Association of
Repatriated Greeks from the former Soviet Union, the relevant
resolution have already been drawn, with the last details to be
smoothed out within the next two months.
Following a proposal submitted by the National Defense
Ministry, a collaboration will be entered into with the Labor
Housing Organization for the granting of the necessary housing
loans.
[04] SMUGGLERS TRY TO BRING 142 KILOS OF HASH IN GREECE
Greece's anti-drug squad seized 142 kilos of hashish and
apprehended one of the three individuals who attempted to smuggle
the drugs into the country from the Greek-Albanian border.
The Greek force detected the 10 sacks containing drugs at the
Callithea region of Konica. Two of the three culprits managed to
escaped, while the one person arrested is a 16-year-old Albanian.
[05] 10% OF DEATHS AMONG YOUNG CHILDREN DUE TO CANCER
Lancer is among the leading causes of death among young
children, with ten percent attributed to the disease, in spite of
the vast advances made in the field.
According to Aristotle University of Thessaloniki pediatric
medicine professor Dora Katriou, who addressed an oncology
conference held in the city, cancer among children amounts to one
percent of the overall cases, and constitutes the second cause of
death among two-year-olds and over, led by traffic accidents.
Frequency of the disease is diverse throughout the world,
with notable differences among the variables of age, sex, race and
geographical position.
[06] GREECE TO FUND ALBANIA'S PUBLIC RADIO
Undersecretary of National Economy Rodoula Zisi has approved
a proposal submitted by the Greek Radio for the funding of an
"Albanian Public Radio Modernization Program", whose monies are to
be derived from the Committee for Development Aid.
The program will aim at the provision of training, technical
assistance, bilateral support in broadcasts, mutual activities and
productions.
The two-year program, which gets underway immediately, is in
line with the formal protocols signed between Greece and Albania
which call for Greece's assistance in the fundamental changes
taking place in the neighboring country's economy and social
state.
[07] LOCAL BUSINESS DELEGATION TO TRAVEL TO BRUSA
A business delegation organized by Thessaloniki's Trade and
Industry Chamber (EVETH) is to be in Brusa, Turkey, between May
28 - June 6, for contacts with Turkish businessmen from various
sectors.
The delegates are to examine investment opportunities in the
neighboring country's market.
Those interested in participating should contact EVETH's
public relations office by April 10.
[08] NEW JERSEY FIRMS TO VISIT THESSALONIKI NEXT MONTH
A business delegation from New Jersey, comprising
representatives from various U.S. firms, is to visit
Thessaloniki's Trade and Industry Chamber (EVETH) on April 20
Among the firms to be represented are "Cemmaron International
Corporation", "Energy Photo- Voctaics" and "NLM Environmental
Group".
Those wishing to meet with the representatives of the
aforementioned firms should contact EVETH's public relations
department by April 7.
[09] THESSALONIKI HOSTS BALKAN AGRICULTURE CONFERENCE
A Balkan conference on agricultural research and development
is to be held tomorrow and Sunday 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] A NEW DEMOCRACY CANDIDATE WAS RUSHED TO A HOSPITAL
Well-known lawyer and right-wing main opposition party of New
Democracy candidate in the April 9 parliamentary elections,
Alexandros Likourezos, was rushed to a hospital when he was
suddenly overcome by dizziness during a pre-election campaign
speech he delivered in Kesariani, Athens this morning.
As it was made known Mr. Likourezos is undergoing a number of
medical tests and according to his doctors he will be released
soon.
[11] GREEK-TURKISH BUSINESS MEETING IN WASHINGTON
Greek businessmen accompanying Athens mayor Dimitris
Avramopoulos in the United States met in Washington last night
with their Turkish colleagues attending the proceedings of the US-
Turkish Council.
According to sources cited by the Turkish news agency
Anadolu, 6 Turkish and 4 Greek businessmen attended a dinner
organized by the Western Policy Center.
In statements to the Turkish news agency, Turkish
Industrialists and Businessmen Association president Erkut
Yatzaoglu said that the Greek and Turkish businessmen discussed
ways in which they could contribute to the further improvement of
the Greek-Turkish relations.
According to information, the Greek and Turkish businessmen
discussed the sectors on which they could develop bilateral
cooperation as well as, the prospects for the construction of an
energy production plant in a region near the borders of Greece
with Turkey.
Mr. Yatzaolgu stated that it is the duty of every businessman
to contribute to the improvement of the Greek-Turkish relations.
[12] OVER 250.000 ACCESSED THE MPA SITE ON THE INTERNET TO WATCH
THE DEBATE
The Macedonian Press Agency site on the Internet broke all
records with the live broadcast of the televised debate between
prime minister and governing socialist party leader Kostas Simitis
and right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy leader
Kostas Karamanlis, as from 9pm on Thursday evening, when the
debate started, until 9 am on Friday it received over 250.000
calls which is an unprecedented record in Greece.
It should be noted that the debate continues to be broadcast
taped on the popular address www.mpa.gr, which also includes a big
presentation of all the party candidates, their resumes and
photographs, the election law, the Constitution articles on the
elections, the history of the 3rd Hellenic Republic and mainly the
current political scene.
The Macedonian Press Agency will broadcast live on the
cyberspace the main pre-election campaign rallies of the main
political parties as well as the election results of the April 9
elections.
[13] GAINS OF 0.24% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
The week closed for the Athens Stock Exchange with gains of
0.24% in spite of the losses recorded in the beginning of the
session today. The general index closed at 4.793,47 points, while
the volume of transactions was at 133 billion drachmas.
The market circles appear optimistic as the stabilizing
tendencies of the past two days show that the Athens Stock
Exchange will make a dynamic opening on Monday.
[14] ETE: GREECE'S GNP WILL BE AT 3.8% THIS YEAR
Greece's GNP is expected to reach 3.8% this year mainly due
to the increase in the overall investments which are estimated to
be 8% of the GNP in 2000 compared to 2.6% in 1999. Furthermore,
the positive prospects for the Greek economy are being reinforced
by the improvement of the economic indexes in the Euro-zone.
The above are expressed in the March issue of the economic
and credit journal "Economic and Financial Bulletin", which is
issued by the National Bank of Greece in the English language and
is directed mainly to foreign customers. The bulletin refers to
the developments in the Greek economy and the money market.
[15] THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE WILL HAVE A GROWTH RATE OF 20-30%
The Athens Stock Exchange will have an annual growth rate of
20-30% in the following years and the foreign institutional
investors will put their money on select companies of European
level. The companies that will be preferred will be large
businesses that will be the result of mergers and buyouts.
The above were stated by the Greek president of the
international investment bank Laidlaw, Mr. Tasos Karayiannis which
made investments of over US$300 million on Greek companies trading
in the Athens Stock Exchange and in the following months is
expected to further increase its investments.
[16] "MORGAN STANLEY" SUGGESTS ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE SHARES
The stocks of 32 companies trading in the Athens Stock
Exchange are included in the Greek index of "Morgan Stanley"
(MSCI) which will be updated possibly next November, according to
a front-page article on the newspaper "Naftemporiki".
The stocks come from most sectors represented in the Athens
Stock Exchange with an emphasis on banks, constructions, metal and
cement industries, the Greek Telecommunications Organization
(OTE), food industry, chemicals, tobacco companies and textiles.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[17] CoE PLANS TO REMIND TURKEY OF LOIZIDOU CASE
The Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CoE),
responsible for the execution of judgments of the European Court
of Human Rights, intends to send a second letter to Turkey calling
on the government to comply with a ruling relating to human rights
violations in Cyprus.
The Titina Loizidou case is set to be re-examined by the
Committee at its next regular meeting in May, when Italy will hold
the chair.
[18] FOURTH AMERICAN THESSALONIKI FESTIVAL IN NEW YORK
The Institute of Greek Culture in New York, in cooperation
with the Greek Studies Center Spyros Vryonis, have organized an
eight-day Film Festival in Manhattan, titled "Fourth American
Thessaloniki Festival", from April 14 to 21.
The event will include a selection of the best Greek movies
as well as films of Balkan production.
[19] THE GREEK AMBASSADOR TOURED AN ALBANIAN PREFECTURE
The Albanian press referred extensively to Greek ambassador
to Tirana, Alexandros Mallias' tour of the prefecture of Fieri,
underlining that he announced that an agreement was reached
between Greece and Albania on seasonal employment, while he also
made an appeal to the Albanian immigrants working in Greece to
invest their money in their country in order to contribute to its
economic recovery.
According to the newspaper "Gazeta Skiptare", Mr. Mallias
stressed that the Greek economic assistance to Albania was US$116
million in 1997-1998, while for the balance of payments in 1999
were allocated US$1,5 million. He also said that it must be
realized that the future can not be based on economic assistance
but on investments which will create new job positions.
[20] COUNCIL OF EUROPE MEMBERS VISITED LEILA ZANA IN PRISON
The Turkish government allowed yesterday two members of the
Council of Europe parliamentary assembly to visit jailed Turkish
former parliament deputy of the banned Democratic Party (DEP),
Leila Zana, who is held in a high security prison in Ankara, while
a month ago the Turkish government had rejected a similar request
made by other two European deputies.
After the meeting they had with Leila Zana and other inmates,
who were former deputies of the same party, the two members of the
Council of Europe parliamentary assembly stated that she
complained over certain health problems she has for the past six
months but she did not want to use them as an excuse for her
release.
The European deputies will prepare a report on the visit
which they will present to the Turkish government.
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