Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2000-08-31
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, August 31, 2000
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] GREEK PM TO MEET WITH CYPRIOT PRESIDENT IN NY
[02] SAE INAUGURATES NEW OFFICES IN THESSALONIKI
[03] ARSONISTS HIT POLISH EMBASSY'S VEHICLE IN ATHENS
[04] OA TO BE SPLIT IN 2 FIRMS: ONE PAYS, OTHER MANAGES
[05] PRIME MINISTER SIMITIS WILL BE IN NEW YORK ON SEPTEMBER 5
[06] TWO FRENCH TOURISTS WERE KILLED IN A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT IN
PATRAS
[07] BLOODY CLASH BETWEEN COAST GUARD OFFICERS AND KURDS IN PATRAS
[08] ITALIAN BANK PARTICIPATION IN ALPHA BANK ROMANIA
[09] IMPRESSIVE GAINS OF 3.72% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
[10] ASSISTANCE TO THE BELGRADE ZOO
[11] GREEK SOLDIERS DEPART FOR UROSEVAC
[12] COUNTERFEITERS' RINGS ACROSS GREECE
[13] THREATS AGAINST MACEDONIA UNIVERSITY THROUGH THE INTERNET
[14] GREEK EC REP TO HOLD MEETING AT CEDEFOP
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[15] SAMARANCH EXPRESSED SATISFACTION OVER THE PROGRESS IN THE
PREPARATIONS FOR THE 2004 OLYMPIC GAMES
[16] THE GREEK AMBASSADOR TO TIRANA MET WITH THE HUMAN RIGHTS
UNION PARTY LEADER
[17] KAKLAMANIS VISITS US ARCHDIOCESE
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] GREEK PM TO MEET WITH CYPRIOT PRESIDENT IN NY
Prime Minister Costas Simitis will meet with the President of
the Republic of Cyprus Glafcos Clerides on September 8, on the
sidelines of the upcoming United Nations General Assembly
Millennium Summit in New York.
Mr. Simitis will also participate in the "Progressive
Government" leaders meeting, at the invitation of U.S. President
Bill Clinton.
Mr. Simitis will depart Greece on September 5, following the
inauguration of Thessaloniki's International Fair.
The Greek Premier will be accompanied by Foreign Minister
George Papandreou who will be meeting with his Turkish counterpart
Ismael Cem between September 10-17.
The two ministers had agreed in July to meet in New York
during this period, on the occasion of their presence there for
the General Assembly.
Messrs. Papandreou and Cem will have the opportunity to
discuss the course of Greek-Turkish relations over the past year,
while Mr. Papandreou is also expected to raise the Cyprus issue.
On the sidelines of the United Nations' General Assembly, the
foreign minister will have contacts with all his Balkan
counterparts. Along with his 14 European counterparts, he will
also meet U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and Russian
Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov.
[02] SAE INAUGURATES NEW OFFICES IN THESSALONIKI
The presidium of the Council of Greeks Abroad (SAE) will
convene in Thessaloniki today, until September 3, while SAE will
inaugurate its new and spacious facilities in Thessaloniki on
September 2.
The inauguration ceremony will be attended by the Minister of
Macedonia-Thrace George Paschalides and other dignitaries and
officials, with distinguished guests being the Undersecretary of
Foreign Affairs Aggeliki Laiou and Thessaloniki Mayor Vasilis
Papageorgopoulos.
SAE President Andrew Athens will present the Council's
Medical Relief Program in the newly independent states of the
Former Soviet Union, Albania and Africa. The said program has been
recommended for the American Medical Association's "Outstanding
World Initiative for Health".
The Medical Relief Program is a $100 million, three-year
project to establish medical clinics in the Independent States.
Three such clinics have been opened and are operating in Tbilisi,
Tsalka and Tsitsihisvari in the Republic of Georgia. Plans for a
major clinic have been approved for Mariupole, in Ukraine and
similar programs will be established in Southern Russia, Armenia,
Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
When completed, the SAE Primary Medical Care network will service
750,000 Greeks and a similar number of their neighbors.
As for tomorrow's program, the presidium will discuss
issues related to women, culture, entrepreneurs, academics and
scientists, and the Youth Council.
Saturday's and Sunday's session will result in an action plan
pertaining to all of the above issues, as well as matters
pertaining to repatriates and to the expatriates' right to vote in
Greece.
Saturday's formal reception will honor benefactor Thomas
Makrides for having donated the office premises to SAE. Covering
an area of approximately 500 sq. m., the new offices are located
near the city's Music Mansion and take up two levels of the
building formerly housing the Makrides Cultural Center. In
addition to offices, SAE's brand new premises feature a vast
exhibition center and a conference hall.
[03] ARSONISTS HIT POLISH EMBASSY'S VEHICLE IN ATHENS
Arsonists targeted a Polish Embassy vehicle in the Athens
suburb of Agia Paraskevi early this morning, causing extensive
material damages.
A group self-dubbed "Black Star" claimed responsibility for
the attack, albeit not giving a reason.
The latest incident was third such attack this month; a group
calling itself "Anarchist Struggle" torched the vehicle of the
Yugoslav embassy's military attache in Athens on August 25, while
another group, "Anarchist Group for Subversion", set fire to a
parked vehicle belonging to the Egyptian Embassy in Athens on
August 23.
[04] OA TO BE SPLIT IN 2 FIRMS: ONE PAYS, OTHER MANAGES
Greece's beleaguered air carrier Olympic Airways is to be
split into two separate companies, one of which will undertake all
of OA's debt and the other will operate the company, according to
a plan presented by the Minister of Transportation and
Communications Christos Verelis during his meeting with the Prime
Minister Costas Simitis yesterday.
According to the said plan, the economically sound company is
to collaborate with financial advisor Price Waterhouse Coopers
which is promoting the air carrier's privatization process.
The profits to arise from the privatization are to be
funneled into the second company, the financially-ailing one,
while a portion of the profits will be allocated to increasing the
company's share capital.
Olympic Airways, which has over the past twenty years
accumulated debt worth 40 billion drachmas, has been seeking an
international airline partner since last June, when British
Airways abandoned plans to purchase a stake in the Greek carrier.
The state now intends to sell up to 65% of Olympic.
As for the privatization of the state-owned Hellenic
Telecommunications Organization (OTE), the Premier reviewed two
submitted proposals, one by the Ministry of Transportation and the
other by the Ministry of National Economy, and opted for the
first which calls for a strategic partner who will acquire a 15-
20% stake, but refrain from management. The National Economy
Ministry's plan envisioned OTE's management in the strategic
partner's hands as well.
According to OTE's financial advisors, Credit Suisse First
Boston and UBS Warbourg, strongest among the firms vying for OTE's
acquisition are Spain's Telefonica, Germany's Deutsche Telecom,
Italy's Telecom Italia, Dutch KPN and the French France Telecom.
[05] PRIME MINISTER SIMITIS WILL BE IN NEW YORK ON SEPTEMBER 5
Prime minister Kostas Simitis will depart for New York on
September 5 at the invitation of US president Bill Clinton who
honors the 14 center-left leaders in last year's Berlin summit
meeting.
The prime minister will address the UN General Assembly,
while he will meet with Archbishop Dimitrios of America and
Cypriot Republic president Glafkos Clerides. He will also attend
the formal reception that will be given by the Greek ambassador in
the United States.
Also, Mr. Simitis is scheduled to meet on the sidelines of
the UN General Assembly with Jordan's King Abdullah and the
presidents of FYROM, Iran and Albania.
[06] TWO FRENCH TOURISTS WERE KILLED IN A TRAFFIC ACCIDENT IN
PATRAS
Two French tourists were killed and two others were injured
in a traffic accident in Patras when their jeep fell off a 40meter
high cliff in Santameri, Achaia in the Peloponnese southern
Greece.
The four were on vacation in Greece and they were returning
to their hotel after a visit to the St. Maritsa monastery.
[07] BLOODY CLASH BETWEEN COAST GUARD OFFICERS AND KURDS IN PATRAS
A bloody clash between Coast Guard officers and Kurdish
illegal immigrants took place in the city of Patras in the
Peloponnese southern Greece at dawn today. According to the Coast
Guard, a group of Kurds attacked them with stones and knives
defending a fellow Kurd, who had been arrested, accused of a
robbery attempt.
During the clash, the Coast Guard officers opened fire and a
bullet wounded the young Kurd, in the arm.
[08] ITALIAN BANK PARTICIPATION IN ALPHA BANK ROMANIA
Italian bank Banca Monte Dei Paschi di Siena will participate
with a 5% share in the share capital of the Greek Alpha Credit
Bank affiliate in Romania.
The deal is expected to benefit significantly both parties.
Especially, the Italian bank participation in the Alpha Bank
Romania is expected to widen the Greek Alpha Credit Bank field of
action as the Italian group has strong ties with distinguished
members of the Italian business community.
From its side, the Italian bank will use its participation in
the Alpha Bank Romania in order to strengthen its presence in the
developing market of Romania. It should be noted that the Banca
Monte dei Paschi di Siena was founded in 1472 and is the oldest
bank in the world as well as, one of the strongest players in the
Italian banking sector.
[09] IMPRESSIVE GAINS OF 3.72% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
Impressive gains of 3.72% were recorded in the Athens Stock
Exchange today. The general index was at 3.557,15 points, while
the volume of transactions was at 101.8 billion drachmas.
The overwhelming majority of the stocks trading today namely,
341, had gains and only 12 had losses, while 17 remained
unchanged.
[10] ASSISTANCE TO THE BELGRADE ZOO
A truck carrying animal feed, medicine and an electricity
power generator left for Belgrade yesterday within the framework
of the municipality of Thessaloniki assistance to the Belgrade
Zoo.
In a letter to Belgrade Zoo director Mr. Bojovic,
Thessaloniki's mayor Vasilis Papageorgopoulos pledged the city's
full support to the Yugoslav capital zoo that suffered serious
damages during last year's bombings.
[11] GREEK SOLDIERS DEPART FOR UROSEVAC
New Greek forces will depart for Kosovo and the ceremony will
be attended by minister of defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos.
The Greek battalion will be based in the new installations of
the Rigas Fereos army camp near Urosevac and it will replace army
units that have completed their mission in the region.
[12] COUNTERFEITERS' RINGS ACROSS GREECE
Based on a news report published on the Athens daily "TO
VIMA", a report drawn up by the ministry of public order reveals
that the issuing of counterfeit documents of all kinds like,
identity cards, passports, university diplomas etc, is a
widespread phenomenon in Greece.
According to the data provided by the report, in a 3year
period there have been recorded 79.535 cases of counterfeit
invoices that correspond to tax revenue losses of hundreds of
billion drachmas for the Greek state.
Based on figures provided by the ministry of transportation,
there are 2.000 taxi cabs and at least 1.000 trucks with
counterfeit papers in the region of Athens alone, while in the
past 5 years there has been a 700% increase in the issuing of
counterfeit residence permits, passports and "white" and "green"
cards for foreigners.
[13] THREATS AGAINST MACEDONIA UNIVERSITY THROUGH THE INTERNET
An e-mail that arrived at Macedonia University in
Thessaloniki this morning was a clear threat. It wrote "We are
from the terrorist organization "Makedonsko Sonce" (Macedonian
Sun) and we inform you that very soon we will undertake bomb
attacks aimed at destroying the university building as you have no
right to use the name Macedonia".
The University of Macedonia Computer Network Management
Center that received the e-mail threat informed deputy dean Mr.
Michalis Xatziprokopiou and the police.
The university computer department found out that the e-mail
had been sent through the "Macedonia On-Line" FYROM site, which is
an Internet provider and it is based at 16 Vasil Glavinov St. in
Skopje.
The Macedonia University authorities contacted the company's
general director Mr. Alexander Popovski, who condemned the fact
and stated that his site has nothing to do with the threat.
However, he revealed that the e-mail had been sent from an
Internet Cafe in the city of Ochrid but the individual who sent it
can not be located.
It should be noted that a Slavmacedonian-speaking weekly
newspaper was being published for many years in Australia under
the name "Macedonsko Sonce" expressing the views of extreme ultra-
nationalist circles which were promoting a "United Macedonia" with
its borders in Mount Olympus and the city of Kavala in Greece. A
newspaper under the same name has appeared lately in the city of
Skopje expressing similar positions.
[14] GREEK EC REP TO HOLD MEETING AT CEDEFOP
European Commission representative Anna Diamandopoulou will
discuss the aims of the European Centre for the Development of
Vocational Training (CEDEFOP) and ways in which it can contribute
to prosperity and social understanding in Greece, during her
meeting with the Centre's executives on Monday.
The Greek representative is responsible for employment and
social matters and is participating in the formation of the EU's
new agenda for social policy, as was decided in Lisbon.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[15] SAMARANCH EXPRESSED SATISFACTION OVER THE PROGRESS IN THE
PREPARATIONS FOR THE 2004 OLYMPIC GAMES
International Olympic Committee, IOC, president Juan Antonio
Samaranch expressed satisfaction over the progress made in the
preparations for the 2004 Olympic Games during his visit to the
Athens 2004 pavilion in the International Exhibition EXPO 2000 in
Hanover, Germany.
Mr. Samaranch stated that the IOC has read its coordinating
committee president report drawn up after his recent visit to
Athens and it is satisfied with it. He also stressed the need to
meet the timetables set in order for the organizing committee of
the games to have the time to check the functioning of the
projects.
The IOC president expressed his satisfaction over the Greek
prime minister's contribution to the whole undertaking and
stressed that the IOC backs and trusts totally the group that
manages the "Athens 2004" Organization.
[16] THE GREEK AMBASSADOR TO TIRANA MET WITH THE HUMAN RIGHTS
UNION PARTY LEADER
Greek ambassador to Tirana Alexandros Mallias met with the
Greek minority Human Rights Union Party leader Basili Melo.
The Greek ambassador expressed interest over the pre-election
situation in Albania as well as over the party's preparations for
the elections, according to the newspaper "Demokracia". Mr.
Mallias expressed satisfaction for the agreement reached by the
Human Rights Union Party and OMONIA which will allow them to
present common candidates in the elections especially in southern
Albania.
In the meeting were also discussed issues concerning the
Greek-Albanian relations and the two men stressed that they are at
a very high level. However, both agreed that relations must be
promoted because this will be to the interest of the two peoples.
[17] KAKLAMANIS VISITS US ARCHDIOCESE
Greek President of the Republic, Apostolos Kaklamanis, today
visited the archdiocese of North and South America, where he met
with Archibishop Demetrios. The work carried out by the
archdiocese amongst Greeks living abroad was discussed during the
meeting, as was the role played by the Ecumenical Patriarchate.
Archibishop Demetrius and the Mr Kaklamanis stressed the
importance of using verbal communication based on honesty, in
dealing with any and all issues.
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