Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2000-01-11
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, January 11, 2000
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
TITLES
[01] DEFENSE MINISTER TRAVELS TO KOSOVO TOMORROW
[02] INNER CABINET MEETS TODAY OVER DU AMMUNITION
[03] STABILITY PACT IS ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS
[04] ASE ON THE REBOUND, IMPRESSIVE GAINS OF 2.59%
[05] CULTURE MINISTRY DECLARES 2001 "EMPIRIKOS YEAR"
[06] STATE LOOKS TO OFFER RELIEF TO INDIGENT PERSONS
[07] BOG URGES STATE TO COMBAT UNEMPLOYMENT
[08] IMPRESSIVE GAINS IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
[09] THE 8TH THESSALONIKI FORUM WILL BE HELD IN THE PRESENCE OF
PRIME MINISTER SIMITIS
[10] THE 3RD CONFERENCE OF MEDITERRANEAN JOURNALISTS WILL OPEN
TOMORROW
[11] KOSTUNICA WILL BE IN ATHENS ON TUESDAY
[12] SIMITIS: THE USE OF DEPLETED URANIUM WEAPONS WILL BE
SUSPENDED
[13] THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS INSTITUTE IN
SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE WILL BE FORMED TOMORROW
[14] GREEK FOREIGN MINISTRY INITIATIVES AIMED AT DEALING WITH THE
EFFECTS OF THE WAR
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[15] EUROPEAN COMMISSION TO SET UP DU EXPERT TEAM
[16] 200% RISE OF INCURABLE ILLNESSES AT KOSOVO TOWN
[17] WWF REACTS TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF A CANOEING AND ROWING
CENTER IN THE REGION OF SCHINIAS
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] DEFENSE MINISTER TRAVELS TO KOSOVO TOMORROW
Minister of National Defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos is to
travel to Kosovo tomorrow, where he will hold talks with KFOR
staff and the military officials leading Greek forces stationed in
the area concerning the mounting concerns over the use of depleted
uranium ammunition.
Greek nuclear scientists who conducted radiation checks in
the vicinity of the Kosovo Polie township have not detected higher-
than normal levels. The scientific team, led by Prof.
Kamarinopoulos, and doctors from the army health service tested
air and earth samples and men serving in Greek units in the area,
all of which had been negative. Levels of pollution in the areas
where Greek troops were stationed were also within normal levels.
According to government spokesman Dimitris Reppas, results
taken from air and ground samples as well as tests performed on
military personnel were negative, as far as radioactivity was
concerned.
However, Mr. Reppas added that these tests are only
preliminary, as final results will be unveiled when the samples
are tested in a specialised laboratory in Athens.
[02] INNER CABINET MEETS TODAY OVER DU AMMUNITION
Prime Minister Costas Simitis will chair an inner cabinet
meeting today in order to discuss NATO's use of depleted uranium
ammunition during the raids against Yugoslavia.
According to government spokesperson Dimitris Reppas, the
inner cabinet will also discuss other issues during today's
meeting, such as the royal properties and the state's media
policies.
Meanwhile, Greece intends to seek the European Union's
intervention in dealing with DU issue, while it plans to make
specific proposals and ask for an independent fact-finding
committee comprising experts from all 15 EU member-states to carry
out on-the-spot research.
In addition, Greece plans to ask that the EU's financial
protocol for the Western Balkans (CARDS) provide for a special
environmental mechanism and that EU 6th environmental program be
used to fund actions to protect the health of the public in the
area.
Foreign Minister George Papandreou has proposed that the
issue be discussed at the next EU General Affairs Council on
January 22.
[03] STABILITY PACT IS ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS
Inaugurating the Thessaloniki offices of the Stability Pact
last night, Minister of Macedonia-Thrace George Paschalides called
for a calm and systematic approach to the issue concerning NATO's
use of depleted uranium ammunition, stressing that the state's
foremost concern is the health of its citizens, soldiers and
students.
According to Mr. Paschalides, the reconstruction of the
Balkans bears an environmental dimension which should become more
apparent in light of the latest developments. Also, the Minister
added that the cost of reconstruction should be determined with a
greater degree of magnanimity.
"Following the recent developments in Serbia, the Stability
Pact features the participation of all the countries of
Southeastern Europe, all of which form a Balkan landscape by
promoting the strengthening of democratic institutions, economic
development and the peaceful resolution of differences.
"The conditions for long-term stability in the region, and
the embodiment of S.E. European countries in the European Union,
are gradually formed. The restoration of damages resulting from
the recent military raids in the Balkans is a significant facet of
the Stability Pact's environmental program," he stressed.
The Minister also stated that the said program enjoys the
expressed support of the Environment Ministers of Albania, Bosnia,
Bulgaria, Croatia, FYROM and Romania.
[04] ASE ON THE REBOUND, IMPRESSIVE GAINS OF 2.59%
A mere fifteen minutes after the opening of today's trading,
the Athens Stock Exchange showed an impressive gain of 2.59%, with
the general index springing to 3,157.54 points, a marked recovery
from yesterday's 3,100 points.
With turnover approaching the 13-billion-drachma mark, the
recovery attempt is expected to be facilitated by rumors of margin
accounts and the imminent enforcement of other substantive
measures.
[05] CULTURE MINISTRY DECLARES 2001 "EMPIRIKOS YEAR"
Greece's Ministry of Culture has declared 2001 "Empirikos
Year", in honor of the centennial anniversary since the birth of
the late poet Andreas Empirikos, who introduced surrealism in
Greek poetry in the 1930s.
A series of events will be held during the year, starting with a
showcase of the poet's work at the island of Andros from June 29-
31. The event will be entitled "Today as Tomorrow and as
Yesterday".
Works by Empirikos will be published in English and French
and will be available in the United States and England.
[06] STATE LOOKS TO OFFER RELIEF TO INDIGENT PERSONS
The Ministry of National Economy and Finance is reportedly
reviewing the prospect of providing economic relief to those
citizens whose income falls below the poverty line, with the
qualifications and standards for such assistance to be determined
within the year.
Other matters discussed during yesterday's session of the
state's economic staff included the course of planned
privatizations by summer's end - with the fate of national air
carrier Olympic Airways topping the list -, expediting the
absorption rate of Third Community Support Framework funds,
reforms in the insurance sector and the overhaul of the country's
taxation system.
[07] BOG URGES STATE TO COMBAT UNEMPLOYMENT
In view of Greece's high unemployment rate - 11.7% percent
of the registered workforce, against 9.4 percent in Europe - the
Bank of Greece (BoG) urges the state to reduce taxation and lower
insurance withholdings, in an effort to boost enterprising
initiatives that will facilitate job growth.
In a recently-published report, BoG recommends that measures
to combat unemployment include the radical reform of the education
system, by associating academic studies with the job market, and
the transformation of the state's Organization for the Development
of Human Resources (OAED) into a job-finding agency. The report
does note that conditions in the job market are not responsible
for the high rate of joblessness, as a great degree of
flexibility already exists.
According to BoG, Greeks work more hours than all their
counterparts in the 15-member European Union, with a weekly
average of 43.3 hours (with the EU average being 37.9).
Moreover, Greece's rate of part-time workers (6.1%) pales in
comparison to the EU average of 17.7 percent, while the rate of
unemployment is highest among the younger members of the
workforce (25 and under). As BoG reports, another factor
augmenting the country's joblessness rate is the high number of
immigrants who entered Greece in recent years.
Another BoG report also calls for macroeconomic measures for
boosting employment and reducing unemployment, coupled with
provided that a high pace of economic and social growth is
achieved and maintained.
[08] IMPRESSIVE GAINS IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
The gains recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today were
impressive. The general index had a 6.98% rise and reached
3.311,87 points, while the volume of transactions was increased at
270.5 million Euro or 92.176 billion drachmas.
Of the stocks trading today, 347 recorded gains, while 11 had
losses and the value of 15 stocks remained unchanged.
[09] THE 8TH THESSALONIKI FORUM WILL BE HELD IN THE PRESENCE OF
PRIME MINISTER SIMITIS
The 8th Thessaloniki Forum will be held on April 2 and 3 in
the presence of prime minister Kostas Simitis and probably
Yugoslav president Voislav Kostunica.
The forum will take place at Thessaloniki's Hyatt Regency
Hotel organized by the Association of Industries in Northern
Greece in cooperation with the Hellenic-American Chamber of
Commerce, the Stability Pact and the European Organization for the
Reconstruction of Southeastern Europe.
[10] THE 3RD CONFERENCE OF MEDITERRANEAN JOURNALISTS WILL OPEN
TOMORROW
The 3rd Conference of Mediterranean Journalists on
"Solidarity among journalists in the era of globalization" will
take place in Athens on January 12-13 organized by the Athens
Daily Newspapers Journalists' Association.
The conference will be attended by journalists from 16
countries as well as representatives of all the Greek journalists'
associations. Among the issues that will be discussed in the
conference will be the new technologies in the service of
journalism and the freedom of press.
[11] KOSTUNICA WILL BE IN ATHENS ON TUESDAY
Yugoslav president Voislav Kostunica will be on his first
formal visit to Athens on January 16 for talks with the Greek
state and political leadership.
Mr. Kostunica will meet with president Kostis Stephanopoulos
and prime minister Kostas Simitis. He will lay a wreath at the
Monument for the Unknown Soldier and later he will visit the
Acropolis and have a meeting with Athens mayor Dimitris
Avramopoulos.
The Yugoslav president will also meet with parliament
president Apostolos Kaklamanis, main opposition party of New
Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis, Coalition of the Left
president Nikos Konstantopoulos and Communist Party general
secretary Ms. Aleka Papariga.
A formal dinner will be given in his honor at the
Presidential Building on January 13 and later on that evening he
will depart for Belgrade.
[12] SIMITIS: THE USE OF DEPLETED URANIUM WEAPONS WILL BE
SUSPENDED
Greek prime minister Kostas Simitis announced that the use of
depleted uranium weapons in military exercises will be suspended
until the scientific investigation procedure is completed. The
prime minister made the announcement after the governmental
committee meeting today that dealt with the issue of the so-called
"Balkans Syndrome".
Mr. Simitis referred to the initiatives undertaken by the
government, pointing out that radiation counts are being made in
25 stations across Greece on a 24hour basis. According to the
prime minister, there is no negative data and the environment has
not been affected. The government has authorized the Greek Atomic
Energy Committee to observe all the land and sea military exercise
areas, while Greece has called on NATO to give to publicity all
available data in cooperation with international organizations
concerning the possible side-effects as a result of the use of
depleted uranium shells.
However, the Greek government has decided that the Greek
forces will remain in Kosovo as their presence there is necessary
and protecting the Greek national interests and peace in the
region. In addition, every soldier, non governmental organization
personnel and Greek student in Yugoslavia and Kosovo will be
examined to determine if they are in any risk.
The prime minister added that Greece is the first country
that called on NATO and the European Union to take measures and
conduct radiation counts in the region of Kosovo.
[13] THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS INSTITUTE IN
SOUTHEASTERN EUROPE WILL BE FORMED TOMORROW
The board of directors of the Thessaloniki based
Telecommunications Institute in southeastern Europe will be formed
tomorrow and hold its first meeting. The institute will undertake
specific activities within the framework of the SECI initiative.
The first event organized by the institute will be held by
the end of February and it will be aimed at harmonizing the
telecommunications legislation in the countries of southeastern
Europe. The goal of the institute is to create a scientific
nucleus that will study the developments in southeastern Europe
approaching them from a scientific point of view, while at the
same time it will promote the work of those involved coming from
the state and private sector.
[14] GREEK FOREIGN MINISTRY INITIATIVES AIMED AT DEALING WITH THE
EFFECTS OF THE WAR
The issue of the "Balkans Syndrome" will be the main topic of
the telephone communication Greek foreign minister Giorgos
Papandreou will have next week with his Balkan counterparts. This
move is aimed at dealing with the depleted uranium ammunition
issue and its effects on the environment as the environment is
directly linked with the reconstruction of the Balkans.
Deputy foreign minister Elisavet Papazoi, in cooperation with
special scientists has already undertaken to prepare a series of
proposals on the issue which will be presented for discussion in
the General Affairs Council that will meet on January 22.
The Greek foreign ministry reiterated that there was no
information from the NATO military committee on the kind of the
weapons systems that were used in the bombing of Yugoslavia, while
the environmental pollution problem had been noted with the
bombings of the petrochemical plants.
Meanwhile, in the meeting of the NATO permanent
representatives, Greece and Italy jointly called for a moratorium
in the use of depleted uranium weapons until the scientific
investigation in Yugoslavia is completed. The proposal was backed
by Spain, Portugal, Belgium and Germany, while there was strong
reaction by the United States and Britain, which pointed out that
the relation between uranium and the soldiers' diseases has not
been established scientifically.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[15] EUROPEAN COMMISSION TO SET UP DU EXPERT TEAM
The European Commission intends to set up a scientific
committee which will investigate the dangers to public health and
the environment from the use of depleted-uranium weapons in Bosnia
and Kosovo.
According to a European Commission spokesman, the committee
will comprise independent experts from the European Union's 15
member-states Union and the results of their investigation will be
announced at the beginning of February.
The said experts are members of the special team "Group 31"
that was created by the European service for atomic energy,
Euratom.
The spokesman said that "all available information" would be
used during the course of the investigation, while he did not rule
out a trip by committee members to the area in question, if
necessary.
[16] 200% RISE OF INCURABLE ILLNESSES AT KOSOVO TOWN
The Kosovo city of Kosovska Mitrovica, a town often referred
to as the "Belfast of the Balkans", has been witness to a 200
percent rise in the rate of incurable illnesses since 1998, with
the vast majority of patients being residents of the northern part
of this Yugoslav province.
According to official data provided by the city's hospital,
160 individuals -aged between 30 and 50- were treated last year
for various cancers, especially leukemia, prostate, lung and
cervical.
Moreover, according to a hospital spokesperson, the rate of
miscarriages rose by 100 percent during the course of 2000, with a
marked increase in the occurrence of premature labor and birth
defects.
[17] WWF REACTS TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF A CANOEING AND ROWING
CENTER IN THE REGION OF SCHINIAS
The WWF representatives expressed their opposition to the
construction of the Canoeing and Rowing Olympic Center in
Schinias, pointing out that if the specific plans proceed Greece
is possible to be accused of violating the European Union
environment protection legislation.
In a press conference in Brussels it was stressed that the
Schinias region hosts many kinds of flora and fauna as well as eco-
systems protected by a European Commission directive.
In a statement WWF calls on the European Commission to make
sure that the European funds will be allocated only for the
construction of Olympic projects that will not violate the EU
environmental legislation and that the Greek government will
proceed with the protection of the Schinias region implementing
the eco-systems directive.
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