Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2000-06-12
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, June 12, 2000
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] GREEK GOVERNMENT SENDS CONDOLENCES TO SYRIA
[02] PM TO MEET WITH POLITICAL LEADERS THIS FRIDAY
[03] BREMER CONTINUES WITH HIS ANTI-GREEK TIRADE
[04] POSING AS COPS, FOUR FOREIGNERS DEFRAUD TOURISTS
[05] COMMERCIAL, CREDIT AGRICOLE DEAL TO BE RATIFIED
[06] THESSALONIKI'S INTERBALKAN MEDICAL CENTER OPENS
[07] BRIG. SAUNDERS' KILLER BELIEVED TO BE LEFT HANDED
[08] STATE CONSIDERS 10 NEW ANTI-TERRORISM MEASURES
[09] PM: ACCESSION TO EMU IS NOT ARRIVAL AT ITHACA
[10] FM PROPOSES EU'S INPUT IN COMBATING TERRORISM
[11] STATEMENTS BY TSOCHATZOPOULOS ON TERRORISM
[12] GREEK-TURKISH COOPERATION IN THE BANKING SECTOR
[13] LOSSES OF 1.29% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
[14] DE-ESCALATION OF THE PRESSURES EXERTED ON THE DRACHMA
[15] THE GOLD AND IVORY THRONE OF ZEUS IN CRETE
[16] PAPANTONIOU: PRIVATIZATION WILL BE COMPLETED BY THE SUMMER OF
2001
[17] REPPAS' STATEMENTS ON TERRORISM
[18] THE FUNERAL OF GIORGOS TZITZIKOSTAS WAS HELD TODAY
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[19] GREEK INITIATIVE TO COMBAT TERRORISM AT A EUROPEAN LEVEL
[20] LETTER OF PROTEST BY THE PAN-MACEDONIAN ASSOCIATION OF
MELBOURNE AND VICTORIA
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] GREEK GOVERNMENT SENDS CONDOLENCES TO SYRIA
Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas extended the Greek
government's condolences on the death of Syrian President Hafez Al-
Assad.
"We express our sorrow on the death of Syrian President Hafez
Al-Assad. We extend our condolences to the Syrian people on the
loss of their leader, which comes at a very crucial moment for
developments in the region", Mr. Reppas stated.
Hafez Assad, the Syrian president who dreamt of a united Arab
front, died Saturday at the age of 69 after a long illness.
"The Lion of Damascus" - his family name means lion in Arabic -
was one of the Middle East's longest-serving leaders. He was
credited with bringing political stability to a country of 9
million that saw repeated coups after independence from France in
1946.
[02] PM TO MEET WITH POLITICAL LEADERS THIS FRIDAY
Prime Minister Costas Simitis is expected to bring up the
issue of terrorism during this Friday's meeting with political
party leaders to discuss Greece's entry into the EU's Economic and
Monetary Union next year.
According to numerous reports, the government plans to
intensify its battle against terrorism through the introduction of
legal changes, such as allowing terrorist crimes to be judged
initially by a three-member appeals court and then, in the second
instance, by a five-member court of appeals, in order to rule out
the use of jurors, who are believed to be more vulnerable to fears
of retribution.
Also, the changes call for a re-organization of the police
force, while additional measures are to be taken that will
facilitate the task of the anti-terrorism squad.
The Premier is expected to undertake initiatives that will
achieve consensus with other political parties with regard both to
the measures themselves and their means of implementation.
Especially in light of the Olympic Games that will be held in
Athens in 2004, the government is expected to make security the
central axis of its policy.
[03] BREMER CONTINUES WITH HIS ANTI-GREEK TIRADE
The Chairman of the Republican National Committee,
former ambassador Paul Bremer, pressed on with his anti-Greek
tirade during yesterday's segment of "Meet the Press", where not
only did he stress that sanctions should be imposed upon Greece,
asking Secretary of State Madeleine Albright to reconsider her
refusal to do so, but also repeated his proposal that all foreign
students in the United States be monitored through a computerized
program.
At the same time, "TIME"'s U.N. correspondent William Dowell
writes that "Greece has been very lax on terrorist groups, and for
a long time was a jumping off point for a number of Palestinian
terror attacks.
"Unless they're seen to be taking effective steps in response
to this attack, that may raise questions about plans to hold the
Olympics there."
Moreover, the correspondent noted that "the Olympic Games
have long been a favorite target of terrorists, from Munich in
1972 to Atlanta in 1996. And Thursday's assassination of a British
diplomat in Athens is a reminder that the city's 2004 Olympiad may
be an explosion waiting to happen."
[04] POSING AS COPS, FOUR FOREIGNERS DEFRAUD TOURISTS
Posing as policemen in downtown Athens, four "clever"
foreigners scammed unsuspecting tourists with the pretense of
wanting to review their travel documents and, in the process,
withhold some of their money too.
Greek police arrested two Romanian nationals, a Slovak and a
Frenchman who had staked out at an archaeological site in central
Athens's Syntagma Square. The suspects were found to be carrying
600,000 drachmas, 5,500 dollars and 400 German marks.
[05] COMMERCIAL, CREDIT AGRICOLE DEAL TO BE RATIFIED
Commercial Bank, Greece's second largest state-owned
financial institution, and France's Credit Agricole are expected
tomorrow to ratify their agreement, where the latter acquires a
6.7 percent stake in the Greek bank for a 100 billion drachmas.
Share ownership will be transferred by the end of the month
and Credit Agricole will have two representatives on Commercial's
board.
The five-year agreement between Commercial and Credit
Agricole can be extended should the two parties agree to the move
at the end of the period.
Credit Agricole is the largest bank in France in terms of
stockholder equity. Its network of 8,000 branches services some
15.5 million customers.
[06] THESSALONIKI'S INTERBALKAN MEDICAL CENTER OPENS
Michael Gorbachev, the last leader of the former Soviet
Union, will be in Thessaloniki on June 17 to inaugurate the city's
"George Apostolopoulos" Inter-Balkan Medical Center.
In addition to Mr. Gorbachev, the event will attended by
dignitaries from around the world, including the Premier of
Montenegro Filip Vujanovic, Cypriot Health Minister Frixos
Savvides, Albanian Health Minister Leonard Solis, Armenia's
Minister of Health and Social Security Artak Zeynalyan, the mayors
of Athens and Thessaloniki, Dimitris Avramopoulos and Vasilis
Papageorgopoulos, respectively, as well as and the deans from the
following universities: Thessaloniki's Aristotle University
Michalis Papadopoulos; Istanbul University Kemal Halendaroglu,
Damascus U. Medical School Hani Mourtada and Sofia U. Medical
School Vladimir Ovtscharoff.
The Inter-Balkan Medical Center has a 450-bed capacity and
has an intensive care unit, cardiology department and a pediatric
clinic.
[07] BRIG. SAUNDERS' KILLER BELIEVED TO BE LEFT HANDED
The November 17 hitman who killed the British embassy's
defense attache Brigadier Stephen Saunders on Thursday is believed
to be a left handed individual who is behind only a handful of the
notorious terrorist organization's attacks.
According to reports published in the Athens daily "Ta Nea",
this suspect made his first "hit" 16 years ago, on April 3, 1984,
when US Sergeant Robert Chad was shot by the same gun that killed
Brig. Saunders on June 8, 2000.
The article refers to members of Greece's anti-terrorism
squad who are said to have come to this finding following crime
scene analysis and eyewitness reports.
[08] STATE CONSIDERS 10 NEW ANTI-TERRORISM MEASURES
The government plans to intensify its battle against
terrorism through the introduction of legal changes, such as
creation of a "special" court, without a jury, to try terrorist
cases, where the magistrates would be exclusively engaged to
preside over such cases.
The measures also include rewards for witnesses who turn in
terrorists and the creation of a witness protection program.
Also, the changes call for a re-organization of the police
force, while additional measures are to be taken that will lead to
improved public awareness.
While these measures are to include cooperation with the
U.K's Scotland Yard, they are not to include the State
Department's proposal for team work at an operational level.
The Premier is expected to undertake initiatives that will
achieve consensus with other political parties with regard both to
the anti-terrorism measures themselves and their means of
implementation.
[09] PM: ACCESSION TO EMU IS NOT ARRIVAL AT ITHACA
In an article he penned for an Athens daily, Prime Minister
Costas Simitis referred extensively to the new challenges faced by
Greece, stressing that the country's accession to the eurozone is
not an arrival at Ithaca, but, rather, it is the start of an
optimistic and hopeful course for the country, the society and its
people.
Writing for "Ta Nea", Mr. Simitis stressed that the adoption
of the common currency holds a high political significance as
Greece now is part of the European Union's tough nucleus, as a
strong, democratic country, with a robust economy and
international recognition, as well as a strong role in
Southeastern Europe.
"Europe is presently at a critical crossroads. While
noteworthy recovery has been noted in the sector of development in
recent years, the rate of unemployment continues to remain at high
levels. As a result, in spite of the high standard of living
enjoyed by the average European, Europe is experiencing phenomena
of social isolation. The challenge for the European Union and each
of its member-states is the achievement of dynamic development
with concurrent social cohesion."
The Premier outlined the government's macro-economic program,
emphasizing that it will remain committed to ensuring economic
stability, a prerequisite of development.
"In the future, fiscal and income policy will have to be
consistent with achieving the target of containing inflation. The
policy of expenses will have to contribute more to fiscal
adjustment. Income policy will have to follow the development of
productivity.
Real income increases will not adversely affect the
businesses' competitiveness, as long as productivity is similarly
increased."
In combating unemployment, the Premier calls for
simplifications in the job market, albeit without sidestepping the
employees.
Specifically, he called for incentives that will lead to the
development of initiatives in the sector of small-to-medium-sized
enterprises; allowing for on the job training; strengthening the
sectors of basic and applied research.
Lastly, the Premier stressed the state's regulating role in
propelling competitiveness among firms, safeguarding the fiscal
and monetary system's stability, promoting transparency and
meritocracy and servicing the citizen.
[10] FM PROPOSES EU'S INPUT IN COMBATING TERRORISM
Greece's Foreign Ministry is to undertake an initiative to
discuss anti-terrorism measures within the framework of the
European Union, to be tabled during the General Affairs Council in
Luxembourg.
Either Foreign Minister George Papandreou or alternate FM
Elizabeth Papazoi will attend the Council meeting. If Mr.
Papandreou attends, he is expected to meet with his British
counterpart Robin Cook.
Greece is reportedly oriented towards the development of
closer cooperation with both the United Kingdom, and the other
European countries.
[11] STATEMENTS BY TSOCHATZOPOULOS ON TERRORISM
The book of condolences opened by the British embassy for its
military attache Stephen Saunders, who was assassinated in Athens
last Thursday by "17 November" terrorists, was signed this morning
by Greek minister of defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos.
In his statements the minister stressed the need for
international cooperation in the effort to combat terrorism and
said that Greece has an obligation to promote the necessary
measures toward this goal.
The body of Stephen Saunders will be taken to his country
tomorrow after a special ceremony at the Athens airport.
[12] GREEK-TURKISH COOPERATION IN THE BANKING SECTOR
The Turkish Finansbank will launch a cooperation with
Greece's Alpha Credit Bank and National Bank. According to its
president, Husnu Ozgegin the cooperation with the two banks will
have the form of personnel exchange and its goal will be to
transfer know-how in the banking system.
In the contacts Mr. Ozgegin had with representatives of the
Alpha Credit Bank and the National Bank of Greece was also
discussed the issue of cooperation with third countries. The
Finansbank president pointed out that in countries like Romania,
Bulgaria and Albania the presence of Greek banks is notable, while
there are Turkish banks as well, adding that instead of
antagonizing each other the Greek and Turkish banks can cooperate
and increase their share.
[13] LOSSES OF 1.29% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
Significant losses of 1.29% were recorded in the Athens Stock
Exchange today and the general index was at 4.379,32 points, while
the volume of transactions was at 92 billion drachmas, the lowest
recorded in the past few weeks.
Of the stocks trading today, 57 had gains and 281 recorded
losses.
[14] DE-ESCALATION OF THE PRESSURES EXERTED ON THE DRACHMA
The improvement of the drachma compared to the rest of the
currencies was the most important issue that prevailed in the
foreign currency markets' sessions last week, while since last
Monday the Greek national currency has been strengthened by 0.11%
toward the Euro.
Economic analysts believe that the positive climate will
continue for a considerable time and the de-escalation of the
pressures exerted on the drachma will become more notable as the
EU summit meeting in Portugal will approach in which Greece's
accession into the EMU will be be made official.
[15] THE GOLD AND IVORY THRONE OF ZEUS IN CRETE
Among the findings of the archaeological excavations, both
old and new, conducted at mount Psiloritis in the southern Aegean
island of Crete a big secret has been hiding namely, Zeus's throne
that was made from gold and ivory and was built in the 8th century
BC.
The small ivory pieces found at the archaeological site of
Ideon Andron by archeology professor Yiannis Sakelarakis, as well
as those found in earlier excavations, led him to look for their
origin and their use.
According to the Athens newspaper "TO ETHNOS", prof.
Sakelarakis reached the conclusion that many of the ivory pieces
belonged to a glorious throne made of gold and ivory that was
inside the cave-temple. It is a significant archaeological finding
that reveals another aspect of the worship in ancient Crete.
[16] PAPANTONIOU: PRIVATIZATION WILL BE COMPLETED BY THE SUMMER OF
2001
The privatization process of 17 companies, except from the
Bank of Commerce, is expected to be completed by the summer of
2001, stated Greek minister of national economy Yiannos
Papantoniou.
The head of the Greek government's economic staff in a press
conference he gave in Athens today responded to press publications
speaking of a 6month delay in the privatization program
reiterating that the statement he had made on May 3 referred to a
12month timetable.
On the cooperation agreement between the Greek Bank of
Commerce and the French Credit Agricole the minister of national
economy characterized the terms of the agreement as favorable,
adding that they form a model that can be followed by the
Telecommunications Organization, OTE, and every Greek company that
choose to have a strategic ally in the future.
Mr. Papantoniou underlined that Credit Agricole, the biggest
bank in Europe in terms of assets, accounts and number of
customers, has a lot to give to the Bank of Commerce at a know-how
level, competitiveness and openings to new markets. He also said
that the benefits of the Bank of Commerce will be many as the
French bank has purchased 6.7% of the share capital of the Greek
bank for the sum of 94.1 billion drachmas.
[17] REPPAS' STATEMENTS ON TERRORISM
Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas, responding to the
US allegations that Greece has received a list with names of
terrorist suspects, stated that the Greek government is not aware
of such a list.
Mr. Reppas stated that anyone who has such evidence must
place them at the disposal of the Greek authorities and added that
the court assistance request procedure aimed at inviting the
former CIA chief to testify on everything he knows on terrorism in
Greece is in progress.
Regarding the statements made by former public order minister
Stelios Papathemelis, Mr. Reppas underlined that Mr. Papathemelis
probably refers to his own term at the public order ministry when
he received certain evidence on suspects by his predecessor and he
forwarded them to the responsible state authorities. He said that
the Supreme Court prosecutor has taken the necessary court action
but there was no further developments and no results.
The Greek government spokesman did not avoid to point out
that the ineffectiveness on the issue of terrorism is a negative
fact but it has no relation whatsoever with the firm and strong
will of the government to wipe out the plague of terrorism.
When called to comment on British press publications
according to which, Athens is one of the most dangerous cities in
the world the Greek government spokesman stressed that the
government does not feel the need to respond to such publications.
Mr. Reppas said that the government feels, as all the Greeks do,
that there is security in Greece and isolated incidents should not
lead to generalized conclusions.
[18] THE FUNERAL OF GIORGOS TZITZIKOSTAS WAS HELD TODAY
The political world, friends and colleagues, family members,
relatives and simple people, said their last goodbye to former
parliament deputy and government minister of the right-wing main
opposition party of New Democracy Giorgos Tzitzikostas in
Thessaloniki .
In spite of the rumors that circulated in the past few days,
deposed King of Greece Konstantinos did not attend the funeral but
he sent a wreath, while his representative in Greece retired
admiral Giorgos Karamitsos read a condolences message on his
behalf. According to press information, the deposed King had
expressed the wish to attend the funeral and an agreement had been
reached with the Greek government to allow him to stay for 4 hours
on Greek territory. However, according to his supporters, no such
issue was ever raised.
Giorgos Tzitzikostas had been elected in parliament for 25
consecutive years and had served as undersecretary in the
ministries of agriculture and coordination and as minister of
Macedonia-Thrace. He died last Wednesday of cancer at the age of
59. He was married and had three sons.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[19] GREEK INITIATIVE TO COMBAT TERRORISM AT A EUROPEAN LEVEL
Greece will raise the issue of the fight against terrorism at
a European level today at the general affairs council meeting in
Luxembourg, expressing the view that there are mechanisms that can
be exploited in a joint cooperation.
The Greek side's intention is to undertake a joint initiative
with the British to combat terrorism at a European level.
For this purpose, either foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou
or deputy foreign minister Elesavet Papazoi, will represent Greece
in Luxembourg and will have a meeting with British foreign
minister Robin Cook depending on who will attend the funeral of
Syrian president Hafez al-Assad in Damascus.
According to diplomatic circles there is already a European
Union convention framework on terrorism which is at its initial
stage but there is always ground for the strengthening of state
agreements.
[20] LETTER OF PROTEST BY THE PAN-MACEDONIAN ASSOCIATION OF
MELBOURNE AND VICTORIA
A letter of protest addressed to Australian minister of
immigration and cultural affairs Philip Rudock was sent by Pan-
Macedonian Association of Melbourne and Victoria president
Dimitris Minas on the occasion of the funding by the Australian
state of a Slav-Macedonian publication under the title "The
Macedonians in Victoria: The profile of the Community".
The Pan-Macedonian Association president underlined in his
letter that a group maintaining that it is the Macedonian Social
Workers Network in cooperation with the Diversita e Sapienza
Consultants have co-written the publication in question which has
been rejected by the Greek community in Melbourne as "provocative
propaganda material" and its goal is to disturb the peace and
harmony between the ethnic communities.
Mr. Minas pointed out that the book refers to the people from
FYROM as "Macedonians" instead of Slav-Macedonians in violation of
the decisions and directives issued by the federal government on
February 15 and March 14, 1994 and constitutes propaganda against
Greece's sovereignty as even on the book's cover there is a map of
"Greater Macedonia" with territorial aspirations against Greece.
The specific book according to Mr. Minas, also violates the
UN decisions regarding the name issue as it uses the term
"Macedonia" instead of FYROM as well as national symbols from the
Greek history and heritage.
Mr. Minas called on the Australian immigration and cultural
affairs minister to withdraw the publication and confiscate and
destroy all the copies because of inflammatory and provocative
propaganda, while at the same time he called for an end to the
funding of the publication and its renunciation as an act of
violence against the Greek community.
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