Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2001-01-31
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, January 31, 2001
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
TITLES
[01] INTERIOR MINISTER IN ROME, MEETS WITH ITALIAN PM
[02] DOCTORS STILL STRIKE, ONLY KEY STAFF IN HOSPITALS
[03] AGROTICA 2001 OPENS DOORS IN THESSALONIKI TODAY
[04] FM URGES EU'S RETURN TO HUMANITARIAN VALUES
[05] GREEK PM TO VISIT INDIA, STATE DISPATCHES AID
[06] POLICE DRAW N17 CHART BY STATE-OF-THE-ART GEAR
[07] NATIONAL ECONOMY MINISTER FACES CENSURE VOTE
[08] GREEK POLICE SEARCH FOR YOUNG AMERICAN GIRL
[09] CAB, PHONE RATES TO INCREASE AS OF TOMORROW
[10] US PRESIDENT-ELECT EXPRESSES INTEREST FOR CYPRUS
[11] RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL WAS FOUND NEAR THESSALONIKI
[12] FBI COOPERATION WITH THE GREEK AUTHORITIES IN MISSING
AMERICAN GIRL'S CASE
[13] MESSAGE OF HOPE IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
[14] GOVERNMENT ASSURANCES ON THE PLUTONIUM CASE
[15] FAILURE IN AN ELECTRICITY COMPANY SUB-STATION CAUSED
YESTERDAY'S "BLACK OUT"
[16] HITIRIS ON THE CENSURE MOTION TABLED BY THE OPPOSITION
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[17] GREEK COMPANIES IN AN EXHIBITION IN SKOPJE
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] INTERIOR MINISTER IN ROME, MEETS WITH ITALIAN PM
Greece's Minister of the Interior, Public Administration and
Decentralization Vaso Papandreou was received by Italian Premier
Juliano Amato in Rome yesterday.
Ms. Papandreou and Mr. Amato discussed bilateral relations in
the sector of public administration, Euro-Mediterranean dialogue,
European defense, illegal immigration and the Thessaloniki-based
International Watch for the Balkans.
According to the Greek Minister, the discussions also
examined bilateral cooperation in combating illegal immigration
not only through police means, but also via Euro-Mediterranean
dialogue with Arab countries.
[02] DOCTORS STILL STRIKE, ONLY KEY STAFF IN HOSPITALS
Public hospitals will work with key personnel today, due to
the on-going strike of hospital doctors who react to the plans for
reforms in the National Health System-ESY.
The Federation of Hospital Doctors of Greece (OENGE) has
declared 48-hour strike which will conclude today, while a march
to parliament was organized yesterday.
[03] AGROTICA 2001 OPENS DOORS IN THESSALONIKI TODAY
Agrotica 2001, an international farm equipment and machinery
trade fair, officially opens its doors to the public today at the
Thessaloniki International Trade Fair Center, with Agriculture
Minister George Anomeritis declaring its inauguration.
The 17th annual farm fair organized by Helexpo, Agrotica is
one of the three biggest farm trade fairs in Europe, and the
biggest in southeastern Europe, attracting thousands of exhibitors
and visitors from Greece and abroad. This year's fair, to close on
Sunday, February 4, will coincided with the announcement by the
Agriculture Ministry of the government's agricultural policy and
its plans of distributing funds from a Third Community Support
Framework to the farm sector.
A total of 1,135 exhibitors from Greece and abroad and five
countries (Albania, Bulgaria, Italy, Poland and Spain) participate
in this year's fair. A series of events are to coincide with the
fair, such as Internet applications in farming, bio-agriculture
and agro-tourism.
[04] FM URGES EU'S RETURN TO HUMANITARIAN VALUES
Foreign Minister George Papandreou, representing Greece at a
Stockholm-held international forum against racism and
intolerance, urged Europe to return to its humanitarian values and
build its future on its multicultural nature.
In an address titled "Legislative Tools and Policies against
Xenophobia and Racism in Greece", Mr. Papandreou provided his
audience with a first-hand account of his experiences with
intolerance as a political refugee.
Mr. Papandreou stressed that all should become citizens
respecting each other as people, peoples and complex persons,
adding that they should unite round these values and the
principles of democracy and human rights to protect the holy
individuality of each.
"A policy for refugees is necessary. We should coordinate our
efforts towards developing countries where poverty and gaps,
technological, ecological, racial or between men and women,
continue to appear. We have a mandate to cultivate the critical
conscience of citizens, not only on the issue of racism,
intolerance and authoritarianism, to enable them to have a deeper
understanding of the wealth of being different as well," he
stated.
On the Forum's sidelines, the Greek Foreign Minister also met
with Turkish deputy Premier Mesut Yilmaz who briefed the former on
Ankara's National Plan, aimed at his country's convergence with
the European Union.
Mr. Papandreou also met with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan
with whom he discussed the Cyprus issue. Mr. Annan reportedly
reiterated his determination to press on with his efforts on the
premise of the Security Council's relevant resolutions.
[05] GREEK PM TO VISIT INDIA, STATE DISPATCHES AID
Prime Minister Costas Simitis will conduct an official five-
day visit to India between February 4-9, while the Greek state
will send financial aid and humanitarian assistance to the
earthquake-devastated country.
Mr. Simitis, who will be heading a delegation of businessmen,
is slated to sign a series of economic agreements related to
avoidance of double taxation, diplomatic passport usage,
protection of investments and cooperation in the field of
agriculture.
Meanwhile, according to government spokesperson Dimtirs
Reppas, Greece will send two C-130 military aircraft transporting
medical supplies, blankets and food for the earthquake victims, as
well as 100 million drachmas in economic aid taken from the
foreign ministry's budget.
Foreign ministry spokesman Panos Beglitis stated that 100
million drachmas in financial aid will be "dispatched immediately
in the next few days", noting that the aid would come from the
foreign ministry's international developmental cooperation
department.
[06] POLICE DRAW N17 CHART BY STATE-OF-THE-ART GEAR
Greece's counter-terrorism force has reportedly drawn an
organizational chart of the notorious "November 17" terrorist
group, the result of the computer surveillance system "I-2"
provided by the Scotland Yard.
According to the Athens daily "To Vima", the chart, which is
said to contain profiles of individuals suspected of being N17's
masterminds and hitmen, was compiled through systematic phone
tapping, available criminal data, monitoring and electronic
reenactments of the attacks.
As the article reported, the said system's main function in
drawing the chart is to monitor phone calls made by a key suspect
and to follow up the calls serially made by the suspect's callers.
The ensuing information on the callers is then filed and compared
to existing information within the agency.
The "I-2" is believed to be a state-of-the-art surveillance
device, used by the Scotland Yard and the FBI, as well as the
DEA.
[07] NATIONAL ECONOMY MINISTER FACES CENSURE VOTE
The main opposition party of New Democracy has tabled a
censure motion against the Minister of National Economy and
Finance Yiannos Papantoniou whom it holds responsible for the poor
performance of the Athens Stock Exchange.
According to parliamentary regulations, 50 signatures are
required for such a motion, and the debate must be carried out
within 48 hours at the latest. A roll-call vote on the motion will
take place tomorrow, while a minimum of 151 votes are required to
pass the motion.
In a heated debate last night, Mr. Papantoniou accused ND
of having a profoundly undermining policy against the government.
He also stressed that the government's economic policy will carry
on its course by backing firmly the stock exchange.
The conservative party has attributed ASE's ongoing downward
trend mainly to the lack of a legislative framework, the non-
independence of the Capital Market Committee, the government's
failure to promote structural changes and its alleged intervention
in the Stock Exchange.
[08] GREEK POLICE SEARCH FOR YOUNG AMERICAN GIRL
The Greek police are presently investigating the case of a
missing American girl, focusing their search in major Greek
cities, according to reports.
Fifteen-year-old Lindsey Shamrock, who went missing from her
home in Florida five months ago, is believed to have been lured to
Greece by a German man (resident of Thessaloniki) whom she met on
the Internet.
The man, 35-year-old Frantz Konstantin Baehring, reportedly
served time in Thessaloniki's prison for fraud and afterwards took
up permanent residence in Greece.
[09] CAB, PHONE RATES TO INCREASE AS OF TOMORROW
Taxi rates will increase as of tomorrow, February 1, with
the rate per kilometer rising to 80 drachmas from the current 76,
while the surcharge for transport to and from airports will rise
to 400 dr. from the present 300 dr.
In addition, the surcharge for transport to and from ports,
railroad stations and KTEL inter-city bus terminals will increase
to 200 dr. from the current 150 dr. The surcharge for each piece
of luggage will also rise from the present 50 dr. to 100 dr. The
last rate hike was introduced on January 1 this year, when
overnight taxi fares and inter-city bus ticket prices were
increased to enable taxi and KTEL bus owners to meet rising fuel
costs, in fulfillment of an earlier promise by the Finance
Ministry. On January 1, the taxi overnight rate, in effect from
midnight to 5:00 a.m., rose by 20 dr. per kilometer from 130 to
150 dr. per kilometer, the cost of the flag was raised to 250 dr.
the rate per kilometer to 76 dr., and the non-driving services
(when taxis are stopped in traffic or waiting for a customer) rose
to 2,400 dr. per hour, while the prices of KTEL tickets rose by
five percent.
The ministry at the time had also announced that a further
increase in daytime taxi rates from 76 to 80 dr. per kilometer
would enter into effect on February 1.
Telephone calls will also be more expensive as of tomorrow,
with local calls increasing from nine drachmas to 10.5 and the
fixed charges from 2.400 drachmas to 2,800.
Long distance calls will be cheaper by about 30 percent with
charges down to 28 drachmas per minute around the clock.
International calls will be reduced by an average of 10 percent.
Call charges to Internet providers will remain unchanged.
[10] US PRESIDENT-ELECT EXPRESSES INTEREST FOR CYPRUS
United States President-elect George W. Bush is confident
that ties between Greece and the US will grow stronger, while he
also expresses his interest in resolving the Cyprus issue.
In a thank you letter forwarded to the honorary president of
Greece's main opposition party of New Democracy Constantine
Mitsotakis, who had offered his congratulatory wishes, President
Bush responded that he shares the latter's interest over the
developments in Cyprus and the Middle East.
The newly-elected president also stated that "the future
provides us with immense opportunities...we shall utilize these
opportunities to promote peace, liberty and prosperity in
southeastern Europe and the world over."
[11] RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL WAS FOUND NEAR THESSALONIKI
The Economic Police Department continues the search aimed at
tracing the members of a radioactive material trafficking ring,
while the head of the agency briefed Macedonia-Thrace ministry
representatives on the case concerning quantities of plutonium and
americium that were found at a forest near Thessaloniki.
Thessaloniki's police authorities avoid to make any
statements on the case, saying that further information can be
given only by the Greek Atomic Energy Committee. However,
according to information, the investigation has focused on
Bulgarians who are systematically involved in the illegal trade of
radioactive material.
Meanwhile, the mayor of Asvestochori, where the radioactive
material was found, has stated that he had no formal briefing on
the case, while he does not even know which is the exact spot
where the 500 plutonium and americium tables, which are
characterized by scientists as extremely dangerous for humans and
the environment, were found.
According to the economic police, the investigation continues
toward every direction and it was made known that the region,
where the radioactive material was found, is guarded on a 24hour
hour basis and the people are not allowed to approach.
[12] FBI COOPERATION WITH THE GREEK AUTHORITIES IN MISSING
AMERICAN GIRL'S CASE
The case of the missing 14yearold girl from Florida, US, who
is in Greece according to information by the local authorities, is
still covered with mystery.
Polk County sheriff John Martin stated to the Greek-American
newspaper "Proini" in New York that the girl was lured to Greece
by a 35yearold man whom she had met on the Internet.
The police director in the town of Weallow Oak from where the
girl disappeared last August, stated that there is a close
cooperation with the FBI and the Greek police aimed at locating
the couple.
The girl's parents were informed by her friends that she is
well and in the e-mail messages she sent them a month ago she
stressed that she has a wonderful time and does not wish to come
back.
In the case is involved a 41yearold man who is accused with
308 counts of sexual harassment of minors, prostitution of minors
and pedophilia. He is Robert Arder, who is already in the hands of
the FBI. According to information, he has revealed that he
intervened for the girl to come to Greece and he has received
money from the 35yearold man.
[13] MESSAGE OF HOPE IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
Impressive gains were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange
today. The general index increased to 3.98% at 3.264,76 points,
while the volume of transactions was very satisfactory at 64.23
billion drachmas or 188.51 million Euro.
Of the stocks trading today, 287 recorded gains and 52 had
losses, while the value of 36 stocks remained unchanged.
[14] GOVERNMENT ASSURANCES ON THE PLUTONIUM CASE
All necessary measures have been taken so that the region
will not be at any risk, stated Greek acting government spokesman
Tilemachos Hitiris when asked to comment on the issue that was
created after the discovery of plutonium tablets in the region of
Asvestochori in Thessaloniki yesterday.
The radioactive material has been moved to a safe place and
the region has been cordoned off, said Mr. Hitiris, adding that an
investigation is underway and all facts will be made public.
[15] FAILURE IN AN ELECTRICITY COMPANY SUB-STATION CAUSED
YESTERDAY'S "BLACK OUT"
A failure in a high voltage State Electricity Company sub-
station near Thessaloniki yesterday caused the repeated power cuts
in the biggest part of northern Greece, according to the State
Electricity Company management.
Based on a statement issued by the company, a lightening
struck a high voltage center in the region of Oreokastro during a
heavy thunderstorm. The "black out" lasted about three hours and
power was restored gradually.
[16] HITIRIS ON THE CENSURE MOTION TABLED BY THE OPPOSITION
A strong attack was launched by Greek acting government
spokesman Tilemachos Hitiris against main opposition party of New
Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis in response to the censure
motion tabled by the opposition against national economy minister
Yiannos Papantoniou.
Mr. Hitiris accused Mr. Karamanlis that in essence he hurts
the economy, the stock market and the investors, while he accused
the main opposition party of using economic issues for small-
politics purposes underlining that this is irresponsible.
The acting government spokesman stated that New Democracy has
turned against the government's economic policy and stressed that
Mr. Papantoniou has linked his name with the success of the Greek
economy, while he also mentioned that the course of the economy is
good and the stock market will find its way, suggesting that
everybody must show calm and a sense of responsibility.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[17] GREEK COMPANIES IN AN EXHIBITION IN SKOPJE
Thessaloniki's Small Industries Chamber will participate for
the fourth year in a row in the 4th Exhibition of Greek Companies
in Skopje on February 22-25.
It must be noted that the trade fair will take place in
Skopje's Exhibition Center and all the Greek companies that want
to present their products or services to the FYROM public can
participate.
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