Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2000-10-24
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, October 24, 2000
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
TITLES
[01] ALBANIAN PM: TENSION WITH GREECE WILL ABATE
[02] SURPRISED MINISTER OKs CACOYANNIS' RESIGNATION
[03] SHIPOWNERS DECIDE AGAINST LOCKOUT PROTEST
[04] GREEK PRESIDENT HAILS COUNTRY'S TIES WITH RUSSIA
[05] ARTIST GIVEN JAIL TERM FOR INSULTING THE FLAG
[06] GREEK PM TO ATTEND S.E. EUROPE' SUMMIT IN FYROM
[07] MAD COW DISEASE RE-EMERGES, STATE STARTS REVIEW
[08] GREECE A LEADER IN FOREST FIRES AMONG EU STATES
[09] PANGALOS' INTERVIEW WITH THE CNN ON THE PARTHENON MARBLES
[10] LALIOTIS' RESPONSE TO THE AUSTRALIANS CONCERNING THE "ATHENS 2004"
PROJECTS
[11] GAINS OF 1.02% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
[12] ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH VARTHOLOMEOS WISHED FOR BEST SETTLEMENT BETWEEN
THE GOVERNMENT AND THE CHURCH
[13] THESSALONIKI BASED CULTURAL BIENNALE FOR THE SE EUROPEAN COUNTRIES
[14] GREECE REJECTS THE TURKISH POSITIONS CONCERNING AIR CORRIDORS AND THE
DEMILITARIZATION OF ISLANDS
[15] PROTOCOL OF COOPERATION BETWEEN THE CHAMBERS OF TRADES OF THESSALONIKI
AND ISTANBUL
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[16] THE A. ONASIS CULTURAL CENTER WILL BE INAUGURATED IN NEW YORK TODAY
[17] INCREASE OF 0.2% IN THE EURO-ZONE INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION
[18] SECOND MEDAL FOR GREECE IN SYDNEY'S PARALYMPIC GAMES
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] ALBANIAN PM: TENSION WITH GREECE WILL ABATE
Albanian Prime Minister Ilir Meta is confident that the
existing tension in his country's relations with Greece will soon
abate, as he attributes the recent upheaval in the area of Himara
to "fringe elements", unwanted by either country.
"Albania's relations with all of its neighbors are very good,
and there is no need to have different ties with Greece,
regardless of the tension noted recently over the elections in
Himara," Mr. Meta stated during an interview with the television
station TV Klan.
"Any effort to turn the election challenges into national
ones is a failed one, as it doesn't belong in a democratic country
such as Albania. If we adopt this line of thinking, than we would
have to admit that there is a Greek minority in the Vau i Dejes
municipality, where the Party of Unity for Human Rights won, and
that there is no Greek minority in the municipality of Dropoli,
where the Socialist Party won, something which is irrational," he
stressed.
Referring to Greco-Albanian relations following the runoff
elections in Himara which were marked by widespread claims of vote-
rigging and other irregularities, Mr. Meta attributed the ensuing
tension to emotional highs that often accompany an election
campaign.
"Things are calm today and they will get even calmer. I am
confident that these events will not affect our ties with Greece
since I believe that the Greek government and the Greek premier
Costas Simitis provide an example to the other countries on as to
how to build relations among neighboring countries and on the way
problems should be resolved, especially manufactured problems."
Commenting on rumors that the Greek government is preparing
"sweep" operations against Albanian nationals living Greece, Mr.
Meta stated that "I don't believe that such rushed and irrational
acts will actually take place, since they would not contribute to
the improvement of bilateral ties."
The Albanian Premier also noted that a large portion of the
Greek press covered the Himara story calmly and fairly.
[02] SURPRISED MINISTER OKs CACOYANNIS' RESIGNATION
Culture Minister Theodoros Pangalos has accepted the
resignation of film director Michalis Cacoyannis from the chair of
the Cultural Olympics, after the latter cited creative differences
with the state.
The resignation caught Mr. Pangalos by surprise, as it was
made public a few hours before he was to meet with Mr. Cacoyannis
in New York where both men are presently visiting.
Mr. Cacoyanis stated yesterday that he was not told he would
be heading an enterprise when he was offered the position.
However, citing Greek law relevant to the formation of a cultural
heritage promotion enterprise, Mr. Pangalos responded that this
form of a legal entity is a prerequisite for the management of
state funds, absent of impunity and individual partnership.
In his letter of resignation, Mr. Cacoyannis wrote that
"unfortunately, I have realized that I cannot operate creatively
within a bureaucratic ringer of a disparate and cumbersome
organization."
[03] SHIPOWNERS DECIDE AGAINST LOCKOUT PROTEST
The Union of Coastal Shipowners (EEA) has decided against the
lockout of their passenger ferries on October 27, during a meeting
held in Athens yesterday.
Their planned protest was in response to the sector's
unfavorable coverage by the media after the catastrophic sinking
of the Samina Express ferry on September 26, where 80 persons lost
their lives.
The Ministry of Merchant Marine had also warned the
shipowners that, in case of a mobilization during the upcoming
long holiday weekend, the state would not hesitate to even
commandeer their ships in order to serve the public.
Meanwhile, the state's advisability license review committee
is expected to rule if three passenger ferries, owned by various
shipping companies, meet a European Union directive pertaining to
safety and operation.
[04] GREEK PRESIDENT HAILS COUNTRY'S TIES WITH RUSSIA
The President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos
expressed his deep satisfaction over the level of Greek-Russian
relations - which he ascertained during his recent visit to Moscow-
, in a meeting he had yesterday with a delegation of Russian
journalists in Athens.
President Stephanopoulos stressed that both countries can carry
out a leading role in the Balkan region, while he also referred to
the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, for which, he said, Greece is
striving to combine technical and professional excellence with the
Olympic ideal.
[05] ARTIST GIVEN JAIL TERM FOR INSULTING THE FLAG
An Athens court sentenced well-known artist and singer Jimmy
Panousis to a four-month jail term yesterday, after finding him
guilty of "insulting a national symbol".
Mr. Panousis had created a poster depicting a hammer and
sickle on the Greek flag, which he posted in public view to
advertise his latest show.
Actor Antonis Kafetzopoulos, who testified for the defense,
stressed that artistic expression and satire should not be
criminalized.
[06] GREEK PM TO ATTEND S.E. EUROPE' SUMMIT IN FYROM
Prime Minister Costas Simitis is to depart for FYROM
tomorrow, where he will take part in the summit conference of of
Southeastern Europe's state and government leaders.
The summit will feature the participation of Greece,
Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey, Albania and FYROM.
According to reports, Mr. Simitis is expected to promote a
climate of investment that will facilitate relevant initiatives,
while he will also stress that Greece is interested in FYROM's
stability and regional security and that the country is opposed to
any whatsoever effort to change the region's existing borders.
The conference is taking place three days prior to the local
elections in Kosovo, which Yugoslavia's president-elect Voijslav
Kostunica has already termed as "untimely and wrong" as, he said,
LDK party leader Ibrahim Rugova is seeking national elections that
will lead to Kosovo's independence.
[07] MAD COW DISEASE RE-EMERGES, STATE STARTS REVIEW
The scare of the "mad cow" disease, aka bovine spongiform
encephalopathy, has re-emerged in Greece, after reports that over
a ton of contaminated beef was pulled from the shelves of a
supermarket in France and parts of the infected meat may have made
it to the French seller's stores in Greece.
Greece's Agriculture Ministry has already ordered the
temporary confiscation of dozens of tons imported from France for
distribution by the Carrefour, DIA and Marinopoulos supermarkets.
According to the ministry, The confiscated meat is to remain
under seizure until the French government and the European Union
assure the Greek agriculture ministry that the said beef is not
part of the lot withdrawn in France for further health reviews.
[08] GREECE A LEADER IN FOREST FIRES AMONG EU STATES
Forest fires have occurred as long as forests have existed,
but the phenomenon has been an accelerating and escalating problem
for most of the European Union's member-states since the 60s, with
Greece leading the list of burning land.
According to the European Commission, a total of 331,743
hectares of wooded land burned in Greece during the summer of 2000
alone, a rate of biblical proportions when compared to ‘99's
18,954 hectares of burned forest land. Paling by a grim
comparison, France suffered the loss of 11,069 hectares of wooded
land this year, while over 67,000 hectares were burned in Spain
last year.
The European Commission has embarked on a series of pilot
projects for the development of forest fire prevention and
fighting programs, which, as it announced yesterday, have already
produced specific proposals.
[09] PANGALOS' INTERVIEW WITH THE CNN ON THE PARTHENON MARBLES
The mutilation of the Parthenon sculptures was characterized
as moral offense and an aesthetic crime by Greek culture minister
Theodoros Pangalos in an interview with the US television station
CNN in which he presented the Greek position on the issue of the
return of the works of art to Greece.
Responding to the question if and when the Parthenon Marbles
will return to Greece, Mr. Pangalos clarified that Greece is not
interested in the return of every Greek antiquity that is abroad
because this would be difficult as they are many. However, he said
that the Parthenon was mutilated illegally by Lord Elgin and this
action constitutes moral offense and an aesthetic crime. He said
that in the Greek ancient times sculptures and architecture were
one and for this reason those specific works of art must be
returned and placed near the ancient temple for the visitor to
have the opportunity to see the whole of Parthenon as it was and
not as it is today, with basic pieces of it being at the British
Museum in London.
Responding to the question if the Greek demand is difficult
to be satisfied because of the fact that the British Museum has 6
million visitors annually, he said that the same number of
tourists visit Acropolis in Athens in a period of one year.
Mr. Pangalos also said that based on polls conducted on the
Internet in the United States and Britain the majority of the
people believe that the Parthenon marbles must be returned to
Greece. Also, half of the British parliament members are in favor
of the return of the marbles and therefore, this is not a Greek
caprice but a position with a moral and an aesthetic basis.
He said that when the marbles will be returned they will be
placed in a new museum that is under construction and will be
ready by 2004 when Athens will host the Olympic Games. He said
that this will be a wonderful act of justice that will show the
world that the British people and the British authorities can give
a lesson of moral justice. Mr. Pangalos concluded by saying that
he can not impose solutions and the only thing he can do is to
express the wish and promote the views of the Greek people.
[10] LALIOTIS' RESPONSE TO THE AUSTRALIANS CONCERNING THE "ATHENS
2004" PROJECTS
The response that was given by minister of environment, land
planning and public works Kostas Laliotis to the verbal attack
launched by the Australians against Greece was direct. The
Australians protested against their "banning" from participating
in the bids for the construction of Greek Olympic projects
threatening even to appeal to the responsible EU institutions.
Mr. Laliotis clarified that Australia does not belong to the
group of 23 countries that have signed an agreement with the
European Union on the world trade and therefore, it can not
participate in the bids.
[11] GAINS OF 1.02% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
Gains of 1.02% were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange
today and the general index was at 3.754,90 points, while the
volume of transactions was small at 56.4 billion drachmas.
Of the stocks trading today 155 recorded gains, 191 had
losses and 35 remained unchanged.
[12] ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH VARTHOLOMEOS WISHED FOR BEST SETTLEMENT
BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE CHURCH
Greek prime minister Kostas Simitis met with Ecumenical
Patriarch Vartholomeos at noon today and later he gave a luncheon
in his honor which was attended by Archbishop Christodoulos of
Athens and All of Greece.
Addressing the Ecumenical Patriarch, Mr. Simitis referred
indirectly to the issue of the state-issued identity cards,
pointing out that the globalization of trade and technology does
not lead to a world cultural model.
From his side, the Ecumenical Patriarch expressed the wish
that there will be a "best settlement" reached between the
government and the Church.
[13] THESSALONIKI BASED CULTURAL BIENNALE FOR THE SE EUROPEAN
COUNTRIES
Thessaloniki will be the seat of another cultural
institution. It is the Cultural Biennale for South-Eastern
European Countries, CuBes, that was adopted today in the Inter-
Balkan Cultural Meeting organized by the Cybele Institute, the
Balkan Music Forum and ArtHellas under the auspices of the Greek
foreign ministry.
According to the approved resolution, the Cultural Biennale
will host multi-national artistic and cultural events, while the
governments of the states participating in the meeting as well as,
non governmental organizations and the private sector are called
to offer moral and material support to the effort. The delegates
also expressed their full support to the European programs for the
stability and the reconstruction of the Balkans.
[14] GREECE REJECTS THE TURKISH POSITIONS CONCERNING AIR CORRIDORS
AND THE DEMILITARIZATION OF ISLANDS
The military exercise "Nikiforos-Toxotis" that is being held
in Cyprus is placed within the joint defense doctrine and its goal
is to safeguard Cyprus' defense, stated Greek government spokesman
Dimitris Reppas, who rejected the Turkish positions concerning the
use of air corridors and the demilitarization of islands.
Specifically, Mr. Reppas stated that Greece will continue to
draw and use the air corridors over the islands of Limnos and
Ikaria clarifying that the Treaty of Montreau (1936) has lifted
the treaties concerning the demilitarization of islands. He also
denied the Turkish foreign ministry allegations that NATO blocked
or canceled Greek flights in the specific air corridors, pointing
out that the Greek commander in the Larisa Headquarters had
complete freedom regarding the planning of the Greek aircraft
participation in the exercise. The problem in the exercise was
created because of the stance adopted by Turkey, underlined the
Greek government spokesman.
Mr. Reppas also accused Turkey of selective memory and
sensitivity and stressed that Greece will continue to exercise its
sovereign rights.
Referring to NATO and its stance, he pointed out that it must
be able to force Turkey to comply with the initial planning.
Regarding the Greek-Turkish relations, he reiterated that Greece
will be firm in its step-by-step strategy for the rapprochement of
the two countries and called on Turkey to comply with the
international rules and the European standards.
Called to comment on the statements made by Turkish Cypriot
leader Rauf Denktash on radar operation in Cyprus, he responded
that Mr. Denktash is already exposed to the international
community and it is to the interest of Cyprus not to make such
statements.
[15] PROTOCOL OF COOPERATION BETWEEN THE CHAMBERS OF TRADES OF
THESSALONIKI AND ISTANBUL
A protocol of cooperation and twinning was signed by the
Chambers of Trades of Thessaloniki and Istanbul within the
framework of the visit of a 68-member delegation of Turkish
businessmen to Thessaloniki's Chamber of Trades.
The proposal for the signing of the protocol had been
submitted by a Thessaloniki Chamber of Trades delegation during
its visit to Istanbul last summer.
Istanbul Chambers' Association president and Turkish
Federation of Tradesmen and Craftsmen vice-president Mr. Suat
Yalkin stated to reporters that the Turks and the Greeks share the
two coasts of the same sea. He said that the two peoples want to
be friends but the politicians are slightly using them. Responding
to the question if the recent problem in the NATO exercise will
affect the future relations between the two peoples, he said that
the members of the military are tough by nature, adding that he
thinks that there will be an understanding very soon.
Turkish vice-consul in Thessaloniki, Niyazi Evren Akyol
responding to the question if the business contacts can help when
there are still problems in bilateral relations, stated that what
is important in the rapprochement of the two peoples is the
development of cultural and economic relations, adding that this
way mutual trust will be promoted.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[16] THE A. ONASIS CULTURAL CENTER WILL BE INAUGURATED IN NEW YORK
TODAY
The A. Onasis Institute branch will be inaugurated in New
York today in the presence of Greek culture minister Theodoros
Pangalos and foreign affairs undersecretary Angeliki Laiou,
responsible for issues concerning the Greeks living abroad. The
institute will be based at the Olympic Tower in the heart of
Manhattan and its founding act has been signed by A. Onasis
Institute president Stelios Papadimitriou and US ambassador to
Athens Nicholas Burns.
The A. Onasis Institute branch aims at the promotion of the
Greek culture in its ecumenical sense and will be active both in
the education and the cultural sector. It will fund academic
programs with the participation of professors from Greek and
European universities, the creation of a Greek library, prizes for
English books on Greece, etc.
[17] INCREASE OF 0.2% IN THE EURO-ZONE INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION
An increase of 0.2% in the adjusted industrial production was
recorded in the Euro-zone in August compared to the previous
month, according to figures provided by the European Union
statistics agency, Eurostat.
In the EU-15 August production gained 13.6% in Finland, 8.2%
in Denmark, 7.9% in Italy, 7.2% in Germany and 6.3% in Spain. The
smallest industrial production increase percentage was recorded in
Britain with 0.9%, while in Luxembourg the drop was 1.8%.
It should be noted that compared to the same period last
year, industrial production in the Euro-zone presents an increase
of 6.3%, while in all "15" EU states the increase was 5.5%.
[18] SECOND MEDAL FOR GREECE IN SYDNEY'S PARALYMPIC GAMES
Another big success for Greece in Sydney's Paralympic Games.
Vangelis Bakolas won the silver medal in the men's shotput F33
category with 7.89m.
The gold was won by Czech Roman Musil with 9.67m, which is a
new world record and the bronze went to Kuwait's Ahmad Makhseed
with 7.54m.
It is the second silver medal for Greece. The first was won
yesterday by Eleni Samaritaki in the women's 400m race on a
wheelchair.
|
