Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2000-11-16
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, November 16, 2000
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
TITLES
[01] CABINET TO HOLD "MAD COW" MEETING ON MONDAY
[02] GREEK POLICE ON GUARD FOR POLYTECHNIC UPRISING ANNIVERSARY
[03] NEW METRO LINE UP AND RUNNING
[04] EU FINES OF 43 BILLION DRACHMAS FOR GREECE
[05] BALKAN MEETING OF COMMUNIST PARTIES AND ORGANIZATIONS IN
THESSALONIKI
[06] THE ARTISTIC DIRECTORS OF THE BALKAN STATE THEATERS WILL MEET
IN THESSALONIKI ON SATURDAY
[07] MARGINAL GAINS IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
[08] TSOCHATZOPOULOS: TURKEY TURNED CYPRUS INTO "BOSNIA AND
KOSOVO"
[09] BEGLITIS: GREECE IS READY FOR DIALOGUE ON THE CONFIDENCE-
BUILDING-MEASURES
[10] THE "GREEN LIGHT" WAS GIVEN FOR THE PRIVATIZATION OF THE
SKARAMANGA SHIPYARDS
[11] SIMITIS' MESSAGE TO META ON THE HUMAN RIGHTS IN ALBANIA
[12] DRAFT BILL ON THE LEGALIZATION CRITERIA FOR THE IMMIGRANTS
[13] ANGELOPOULOU: THE CLIMATE IS POSITIVE IN VIEW OF THE IOC
DELEGATION VISIT
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[14] THE GREEK PRESIDENT WRAPS UP HIS VISIT TO THE CZECH REPUBLIC
[15] KOSTUNICA WILL VISIT MOUNT ATHOS
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] CABINET TO HOLD "MAD COW" MEETING ON MONDAY
Agriculture cabinet ministers will hold a meeting on Monday
to discuss the "mad cow" issue, following the failure of the
European Union Veterinary Committee to make the necessary
decisions.
The EU Veterinary Committee did decide however, that the
number of animals considered to be "high risk" should be
increased. The Greek members of the committee maintained that the
protection of public health should be the main priority, while the
French delegates expressed support for bringing an end to strict
measures.
As for Greek consumers, they are concerned about the quality
of meat available in the country due to the unsatisfactory control
checks carried out within the food chain.
[02] GREEK POLICE ON GUARD FOR POLYTECHNIC UPRISING ANNIVERSARY
Greek police units are taking precautionary measures and the
country's students are on standby, in view of the three day
Polytechnic celebrations which started yesterday and are due to
finish tomorrow with the usual march towards the American embassy
in Athens.
The ministry of Civil Order has ordered around 3.000
policemen to stand on guard in areas surrounding the university,
to avoid any serious clashes and have taken security measures in
all university buildings located in the city centre.
In Thessaloniki, the gathering marking the anniversary of the
Polytechnic uprising will take place tomorrow at 6pm at the
Polytechnic building of the Aristotle University and will be
followed by a march to the American embassy.
[03] NEW METRO LINE UP AND RUNNING
Public transport in the Greek capital has improved
significantly, with the introduction of another Metro line going
from the city's centre, Syntagma, to Dafni, which was inaugurated
yesterday by Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis, in a ceremony
held at the new Acropolis station-museum, thus marking the
completion of the initial Metro plans.
During his speech, Mr Simitis stressed that "the aims which
once seemed unattainable are today becoming reality", referring to
the Metro as a vehicle which will carry the country to a new era
and outlining its importance for the success of the 2004 Olympic
Games.
Greek Environment minister, Costas Laliotis looked back on
the first ten months of the Metro's operation, used by around 60
million citizens and pointed out that the new line will service
around 150.000 passengers a day. Mr Laliotis also added that
before the Metro was introduced, only 15% of the city's citizens
used public transport, a figure which has now increased to 40%.
[04] EU FINES OF 43 BILLION DRACHMAS FOR GREECE
The European Union imposed fines totaling around 43 billion
drachmas on Greece during the last year, according to a report
drawn up by the European Controlling conference, which was
submitted to all 15 EU country-members.
Of this sum, around 35 billion drachmas were imposed due to
the country's delay in realising a rounded system for the handling
and controlling of agrarian expenses, whilst the remaining 8
billion drachmas fine was incurred following the delay in creating
an olive-producers union register.
The report describes in detail the fines imposed on all
European Union countries.
[05] BALKAN MEETING OF COMMUNIST PARTIES AND ORGANIZATIONS IN
THESSALONIKI
A Balkan meeting of Communist parties and organizations will
be held in Thessaloniki this weekend organized by the Greek
Communist Party.
The meeting will be attended by 45 representatives of 25
organizations, movements and parties from Greece, Albania,
Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Romania and Turkey.
In a press conference, the secretary of Greek Communist Party
organization in Thessaloniki stated today, that the meeting aims
at the exchange of experience and the coordination of action. The
delegates will examine the situation in the Balkans and the
consequences from the presence of NATO forces. Also, the meeting
will focus on the need to intensify the efforts for the
inviolability of the borders, the respect of minority rights and
the rights of foreign workers and the development of equal and
mutually beneficial relations. Thessaloniki was selected to host
the meeting because of the anti-NATO mobilizations that were held
during the bombing of Yugoslavia.
[06] THE ARTISTIC DIRECTORS OF THE BALKAN STATE THEATERS WILL MEET
IN THESSALONIKI ON SATURDAY
The artistic directors of the Balkan state theaters will meet
in Thessaloniki on Saturday at the initiative of the State Theater
in Northern Greece. The meeting aims at the establishment of a
Balkan Theater Association and its goal will be to promote
exchange programs and co-productions.
The meeting will be attended by representatives from 7
theatrical organizations from Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Croatia,
FYROM, Romania, Slovenia and Turkey.
[07] MARGINAL GAINS IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
Marginal gains of 0.13% were recorded in the Athens Stock
Exchange today and the general index was at 3.476,94 points, while
the volume of transactions was small at 54.71 billion drachmas.
Of the stocks trading today 197 recorded gains, 137 had
losses and 47 remained unchanged.
[08] TSOCHATZOPOULOS: TURKEY TURNED CYPRUS INTO "BOSNIA AND
KOSOVO"
Turkey turned Cyprus into "Bosnia and Kosovo" when it invaded
the island, stated minister of defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos when
he was called to comment on the statements made by Turkish prime
minister Bulent Ecevit and foreign minister Ismail Cem according
to which, Cyprus will become a new "Bosnia or Kosovo" if the
solution reached will not be the one Ankara wants.
Mr. Tsochatzopoulos made those statements after the meeting
he had in Athens yesterday with Cypriot parliament president
Spiros Kiprianou, who pointed out that Cyprus' goal regarding the
dialogue and the proximity talks is the total restoration of the
basis of the dialogue namely, the UN decisions, the international
law and the European ideals.
[09] BEGLITIS: GREECE IS READY FOR DIALOGUE ON THE CONFIDENCE-
BUILDING-MEASURES
Greek foreign ministry spokesman Panos Beglitis, commenting
on the statements made by Turkish staff general secretary Aslan
Gunel over Greece's alleged inability to enter a dialogue on the
confidence-building-measures, said that those statements are
totally untrue. He referred to the meetings of foreign ministers
of Greece and Turkey Giorgos Papandreou and Ismail Cem in New York
and Budapest and to the meetings of the political directors of the
two ministries in which an agreement was reached in principal on
the issues that are being discussed within the framework of NATO
and at bilateral level.
He also referred to the meeting the permanent representatives
of the two countries in NATO had with general secretary Mr.
Robertson.
Mr. Beglitis stated that Greece is always ready for dialogue
on the confidence-building-measures and will continue its efforts
in the same constructive way.
[10] THE "GREEN LIGHT" WAS GIVEN FOR THE PRIVATIZATION OF THE
SKARAMANGA SHIPYARDS
The privatization of the Skaramanga Shipyards got the "green
light" today, when minister of national economy Yiannos
Papantoniou tabled an amendment to be included in the tax draft
bill under discussion.
The amendment provides that the state's right to have 51% of
the shares will be abolished but the 49% of the stocks owned by
the workers will not be affected. This development in effect opens
the way for an international tender concerning the majority of the
shipyard's shares.
[11] SIMITIS' MESSAGE TO META ON THE HUMAN RIGHTS IN ALBANIA
Greek prime minister Kostas Simitis sent a verbal message to
his Albanian counterpart Ilir Meta that was conveyed to him by the
Greek foreign ministry general secretary in view of the opening of
the talks for the upgrading of Albania's relations with the
European Union.
The message mentions the deviation of the Albanian government
from the commitments it has undertaken regarding the respect of
human rights and especially, the respect of the rights of the
Greek minority in Albania.
A letter of a similar content was sent by foreign minister
Giorgos Papandreou to the European Commissioner responsible for
the European Union foreign relations in Brussels. Mr. Papandreou
spoke of a democracy deficit in Albania and pointed out the
violations of basic Greek minority rights.
With these moves the Greek government underlines its interest
in the Greek minority in Albania and stresses that it will accept
the upgrading of the Euro-Albanian relations only if the Greek
minority rights are safeguarded.
[12] DRAFT BILL ON THE LEGALIZATION CRITERIA FOR THE IMMIGRANTS
The draft bill prepared by the Greek interior ministry
concerning the legalization criteria for the immigrants, was
discussed in today's cabinet meeting held under prime minister
Kostas Simitis. In a press conference that was given after the
cabinet meeting, interior minister Ms. Vaso Papandreou stated that
with this draft bill the flow of illegal immigrants to Greece will
end.
Ms. Papandreou stated that after this bill is passed anyone
who comes to Greece will come following specific procedures and
they will be legal. She also said that now there are legal
immigrants in Greece but also there are several thousands of
others who live or work in Greece illegally.
Regarding the economic immigrants, who are in the country
illegally, it is provided that those who will have at least 2
years of residence in Greece by November 15, 2000 will be able to
ask for a residence permit as soon as the bill is voted through in
parliament.
For this to happen, they will have to submit to the
municipality or the community where they live a copy of their
passport and a formal proof that for the past two years are
legally or illegally in Greece. Then they will be able to get a
6month residence permit and in that period they will have to
submit their criminal record and a certification that they have
found a job in Greece. Those who will submit those documents will
receive a work and residence permit and they will become legal
based on the draft bill. All those who will be unable to submit
the requested documents to the Greek authorities will be illegal
and they will have to leave Greece.
[13] ANGELOPOULOU: THE CLIMATE IS POSITIVE IN VIEW OF THE IOC
DELEGATION VISIT
"Athens 2004" Organization president Ms. Yianna Angelopoulou-
Daskalakis in statements she made to reporters today stressed that
the climate is positive in view of the International Olympic
Committee, IOC, delegation visit to Greece next week.
Ms. Angelopoulou-Daskalakis stated that the priority of the
"Athens 2004" Organization is to pass the critical test next week
and stressed that both the Olympic Games Organizing Committee and
the Greek government are ready for this visit.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[14] THE GREEK PRESIDENT WRAPS UP HIS VISIT TO THE CZECH REPUBLIC
Greek president Kostis Stephanopoulos wraps up his visit to
the Czech Republic today. Mr. Stephanopoulos was scheduled to meet
with the country's prime minister and this was the last meeting in
his three-day formal visit to Prague.
Also, the cooperation agreement in the sector of agriculture
was expected to be signed today by Greek minister of agriculture
Mr. Anomeritis and his Czech counterpart.
The Greek president will return to Greece this afternoon.
[15] KOSTUNICA WILL VISIT MOUNT ATHOS
Yugoslav president Voislav Kostunica will visit Mount Athos
in northern Greece on December 3, according to the Serb news
agency BETA.
Based on the news agency sources, Kostunica will visit the
monastery of Hilandariou and will attend the Virgin Mary doxology.
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