Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2001-04-05
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, April 5, 2001
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
TITLES
[Á] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] NEW TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE BEGINS IN ATHENS
[02] ALBANIAN PM AGAINST "GREATER ALBANIA" IDEA
[03] PREMIER ANNOUNCES SOCIAL POLICY MEASURES
[04] BALKAN TRANSITION TO MARKET ECONOMY NOT EASY
[05] GREEK DM IN SKOPJE FOR MULTINATIONAL BRIGADE
[06] PALESTINE, ISRAEL TALKS IN ATHENS "RAY OF LIGHT"
[07] GREEK FM IN TURKEY TO FORTIFY RAPPROCHEMENT
[08] TIMEOR DANAE ET DONA FERENTES, SOME TURKS SAY
[09] ISADORA DUNCAN WANNABES PINCHED AT MYCAENAE
[10] CARGO SHIP RUNS AGROUND, NO ONE INJURED
[11] TALKS BETWEEN THE CHURCH OF GREECE AND THE ECUMENICAL
PATRIARCHATE
[12] DANISH PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION IN ATHENS
[13] BIG GAINS IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
[14] THE GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED MEASURES AGAINST POVERTY
[15] CRETA PLASTICS: BUYOUT IN POLAND
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[16] TSOCHATZOPOULOS: THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS SHOULD
SETTLE THE CRISIS IN FYROM
[17] THE SE EUROPEAN DEFENSE MINISTERS SUPPORT INTER-BORDER
COOPERATION
[18] THE EUROPEAN POPULAR PARTY SUMMIT OPENS IN SOFIA TODAY
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] NEW TECHNOLOGY CONFERENCE BEGINS IN ATHENS
The annual international conference of the European
Association for Technology Transfer, Innovation and Industrial
Information, is to get underway in Athens today, entitled
"Commercializing New Technology: Current Trends and Future
Perspectives".
The aim of the conference is help in the professional
orientation of consultants for technology transfer in Europe and
Greece and thus promote professionalism.
Currently, European Union countries are significantly behind
both Japan and the US in this sector, while Greece is even more
behind in relation to the EU.
[02] ALBANIAN PM AGAINST "GREATER ALBANIA" IDEA
Albanian Prime Minister Ilir Meta stressed that his country
is categorically against any changes in Balkan borders,
underlining that "we are not cultivating the idea of a ‘Greater
Albania' ".
In his address before the Athens-held "Economist" conference
yesterday, Mr. Meta also stated that Tirana would like to see all
of the Balkan region integrated into the European Union.
"We desire the integration of Albanians in the countries
where they live, and the comprehensive integration of all those
countries in Europe," he stated.
Similarly, Greece's Foreign Minister George Papandreou also
repeated Athens' standing position against a change in regional
borders, calling on Balkan countries to instead rely on what he
called a "European model" which over time diminishes the
significance of national borders amongst member-states.
Mr. Papandreou also called for the implementation of a "Euro-
centered" policy for the Balkans.
Mr. Meta participated in a discussion panel with the Prime
Ministers of Greece and Serbia, Costas Simitis and Zoran Djindjic,
respectively.
[03] PREMIER ANNOUNCES SOCIAL POLICY MEASURES
Prime Minister Costas Simitis is to announce a series
measures aimed to boost social policy, following today's cabinet
meeting.
The said measures, aimed at fortifying the low-income
classes, are reportedly budgeted at two hundred billion drachmas.
The measures, as well as projects concerning the 2004 Athens
Olympic Games, are to be funded through four trillion drachmas
derived from expenditure cutbacks, especially from the armed
forces' armaments program.
The measures include the granting of the family allowance to
both spouses, a rent allowance and, finally, an allowance to
mothers with a third child.
[04] BALKAN TRANSITION TO MARKET ECONOMY NOT EASY
The problems plaguing the Balkans are due to the region's
transition from interventionist states to market economies, Greek
Foreign Minister George Papandreou stated during his address
before the Athens-held "Economist" conference yesterday.
Mr. Papandreou added that the effort towards this transition
was met with the international community's ignorance and
opposition.
The Foreign Minister emphasized that there are no ethnically
pure states in the Balkans, nor could such entities rate as
solutions to any regional problem.
"A precondition for the region's security and stability is a
clear European orientation as offered by the Stability Pact," Mr.
Papandreou stressed.
[05] GREEK DM IN SKOPJE FOR MULTINATIONAL BRIGADE
Greek Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos is presently in
Skopje where he will attend a meeting of defense ministers from
the Southeast Europe Multinational Brigade countries.
The meeting will feature the participation of US Defense
Secretary, as well as the defense ministers from Sweden, FYROM,
Turkey, Albania, Italy, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia, Romania, Slovenia and Ukraine.
The talks will focus on the latest developments in FYROM,
Kosovo and southern Serbia.
[06] PALESTINE, ISRAEL TALKS IN ATHENS "RAY OF LIGHT"
Foreign Minister George Papandreou met with Israeli Deputy
Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres yesterday, to
whom he reiterated Greece's readiness to help the Middle East
peace process in any way possible.
Mr. Papandreou thanked Mr. Peres for the opportunity to have
an in-depth discussion on the situation with him and on prospects
of the Middle East issue and expressed the hope that peace will
return to the region.
Regarding Greek-Israeli relations, Mr. Papandreou said they
are very good and stressed that the strategic relationship between
Europe and the Middle East is very important.
In turn, Mr. Peres said that Mr. Papandreou is a friend both
at a personal and political level.
""We want to bring peace to the Middle East, starting
probably from Athens," Peres said and pointed out that the
situation in the Middle East is very difficult, as it is in the
Balkans, and that Europe can constitute a very important model for
overcoming crises in these regions.
"It can serve for the ‘Europeanization' of the Balkans
instead of the ‘Balkanization' of Europe," he stated.
Referring to his earlier meeting with the Palestinian
Authority's International Cooperation and Development Minister
Nabil Saath, Mr. Peres said that it was "a ray of light".
[07] GREEK FM IN TURKEY TO FORTIFY RAPPROCHEMENT
Greece's Foreign Minister George Papandreou is to depart this
evening for a working visit to Ankara, where he will be received
by his Turkish counterpart Ismael Cem and Premier Bulent Ecevit.
According to the Foreign Ministry's spokesperson Panos
Beglitis, Mr. Papandreou's visit to Ankara aims at strengthening
Greek-Turkish rapprochement and, potentially, provide for new
prospects in bilateral relations.
Mr. Papandreou, who will also meet with Turkish deputy
premiers Mesut Yilmaz and Devlet Bahceli, is to also discuss
Turkey's national plan for adjusting to European standards.
Talks are to center around the course of the nine "low
policy" agreements between Greece and Turkey -seven of which have
already been ratified by the Hellenic Parliament- as well as
confidence building measures, the transfer of technological know-
how to Ankara, the Cyprus issue, the European Union and the
Balkans.
The two agreements pending concern the avoidance of double
taxation and mutual guaranteeing of investment.
[08] TIMEOR DANAE ET DONA FERENTES, SOME TURKS SAY
Conservative circles in Turkey are mistrusting of Greece's
Foreign Minister George Papandreou, who is to arrive in Ankara
this evening for a working visit, viewing his support of Greek-
Turkish rapprochement as "a continuation of the Byzantine-devious
policy", according to BBC.
Nevertheless, Turkey's Foreign Ministry has not espoused such
"Beware the Greeks Bearing Gifts" skepticism, as it has
characterized the Greek FM's statements as "positive" and in the
"right direction".
As for Ankara's armaments procurement program, a spokesman of
the Turkish foreign ministry stated that the basic cause for that
spending is Turkey's geographic location, not Greece.
During his stay in Ankara, Mr. Papandreou will be received by
his Turkish counterpart Ismael Cem, Premier Bulent Ecevit and
deputy premiers Mesut Yilmaz and Devlet Bahceli.
Mr. Papandreou's visit to Ankara aims at strengthening Greek-
Turkish rapprochement and, potentially, provide for new prospects
in bilateral relations. Talks are to center around the course of
two "low policy" agreements pending between Greece and Turkey
concerning the avoidance of double taxation and mutual
guaranteeing of investment. Seven other agreements have already
been ratified.
Mr. Papandreou is to also discuss other matters with his
interlocutors, such as confidence building measures, the transfer
of technological know-how to Ankara, the Cyprus issue, the
European Union and the situation in the Balkans.
[09] ISADORA DUNCAN WANNABES PINCHED AT MYCAENAE
Two French tourists were arrested at the archaeological site
of Mycaenae yesterday, and are now facing indecent exposure
charges, after taking took off their clothes and parading among
the antiquities in their underwear, taking pictures of one
another.
According to the police report, the two, part of a 20-member
group of tourists, were arrested after being spotted by the site's
guard who alerted the police.
Released on verbal order by the prosecutor pending trial, the
two are being charged with "causing scandal through indecent
behavior".
[10] CARGO SHIP RUNS AGROUND, NO ONE INJURED
A cargo ship carrying 2,900 tons of pumice stone ran aground
yesterday evening off the coast of Yiali. No one among the eleven-
member crew was injured.
The impact caused a crack in the ship's fore watertight
compartment, causing the vessel to take in a small amount of
water. Fears of sea pollution have not been expressed.
[11] TALKS BETWEEN THE CHURCH OF GREECE AND THE ECUMENICAL
PATRIARCHATE
The relations of the Church of Greece and the Ecumenical
Patriachate will be discussed by their delegations in the talks
that open in Istanbul today.
The delegation of the Church of Greece will also meet with
Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos.
[12] DANISH PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION IN ATHENS
The members of the Greek parliament European Affairs
Committee met with the members of the Danish parliament European
Affairs Committee in Athens yesterday under the presidency of
Greek parliament 3rd vice-president Dinos Vrettos.
The meeting was held within the framework of the Danish
delegation tour to Turkey and Cyprus and its goal is to examine
the course of the two countries toward the European Union.
Mr. Vrettos pointed out that Greece regards the Nice Treaty
as a positive development as it will contribute to the EU
enlargement that will include Cyprus. He also referred to the
role the state parliaments can play in the EU in view of the 2004
inter-governmental conference which will deal with this issue.
Danish committee president Claus Larrsen Jensen presented the
goals of the visit referring to the importance of the EU
enlargement to include Cyprus and Turkey, the role of the state
parliaments in the EU and the common agriculture policy.
[13] BIG GAINS IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
Big gains were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today.
The general index rose to +3.11% at 3.059,73 points, while the
volume of transactions was 159.52 million Euro or 54.35 billion
drachmas.
Of the stocks trading today, 348 recorded gains and 10 had
losses, while the value of 16 stocks remained stable.
[14] THE GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED MEASURES AGAINST POVERTY
The adoption of measures against poverty was decided in
today's cabinet meeting. Specifically, it was decided to allocate
a total of 550-600 billion drachmas for the economic support of
the poor in the 2002-2004 three-year period.
Speaking in today's cabinet meeting, prime minister Kostas
Simitis stated that there is no crisis in the governing socialist
party of PASOK and there will be no government reshuffle.
Mr. Simitis stated that starting on January 1, 2002 the
households in mountainous, semi-mountainous and island regions
with an annual income of up to 750.000 drachmas will receive an
annual poor relief of 100.000-200.000 drachmas.
Also, the families with an annual income of up to 1 million
drachmas will receive a pre-school and a school grant of 100.000
drachmas for every child under the age of 16.
It was also decided that 432 new day nurseries will soon be
in operation, while 1.000 units offering assistance to the elderly
at home will soon be established.
The measures were presented in detail by ministers of health
and labor Alekos Papadopoulos and Tasos Yiannitsis. In addition,
they announced that economic assistance will also be receive by
the long-term unemployed over the age of 45 as well as the one-
parent families, people with special needs, the repatriated
Greeks, former drug addicts, immigrants, women and the elderly.
[15] CRETA PLASTICS: BUYOUT IN POLAND
The agreement for the buyout of the Poli-Chem masterbatches
production unit (raw material used in the coloring process and
improvement of the properties of plastic products) by Global
Colors Polska SA, the Creta Plastics subsidiary in Poland, has
been signed. The final transfer is expected to take place by the
end of April.
The firm's industry plant is at Kedzierzyn-Kozle, west of
Katovice, the largest urban complex in Poland.
Polic-Chem had 2.000 sales of masterbatches worth 660 million
drachmas and it is one of the two largest producers in Poland.
However, the needs of the domestic market are covered mostly by
imports.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[16] TSOCHATZOPOULOS: THE INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS SHOULD
SETTLE THE CRISIS IN FYROM
The international organizations must intensify their efforts
for the settlement of the crisis in FYROM and the consolidation of
peace and stability in the region, underlined Greek minister of
defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos speaking in the meeting of the
southeastern European defense ministers taking place in Skopje.
Mr. Tsochatzopoulos condemned the actions of the Albanian
extremists and pointed out that the meeting of the ministers today
sends out the message that such actions will not be tolerated.
He congratulated the FYROM government because it dealt with
the situation calmly and referred to the democratic changes that
take place in Yugoslavia and the cooperation that was developed
with NATO in the region of south Serbia. He also backed the
accession of the Balkan states into the Euro-Atlantic structures
and the regional security institutions and structures.
The Greek minister of defense suggested that specific
proposals must be submitted in the next defense ministers meeting
on June 15 aimed at undertaking joint initiatives toward peace and
security in the region.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Mr. Tsochatzopoulos had
talks with Turkish defense minister Sabahadin Cakmacoglu and FYROM
defense minister Ljuben Paunovski.
In his opening speech, FYROM president Boris Trajkovski
stated that there will be no negotiations with the extremists,
stressing that talks will be held only with the legal political
parties of the Albanians. He also underlined that the government
will promote changes concerning the rights of the minorities.
FYROM defense minister Mr. Ljuben Paunovski accused the
Albanian extremists that they do not have as a goal the promotion
of their rights, stating that they use this pretext to promote the
illegal trade of weapons, drug-trafficking and women. He also
pointed out that there is a big risk for the existing crisis to
spread to the wider region and get religious characteristics.
[17] THE SE EUROPEAN DEFENSE MINISTERS SUPPORT INTER-BORDER
COOPERATION
The southeastern European defense ministers, who met in
Skopje today, condemned the actions of terrorist groups in FYROM
and south Serbia. In a joint statement they have issued,
underlined that they offer their full support to the efforts made
by the FYROM government for the easing of the tension.
The defense ministers also decided to maintain a continuous
cooperation between the border authorities of their countries in
order to tackle the illegal trafficking of weapons and drugs
through the establishment of a rapid information exchange system
using advanced technical equipment.
They agreed that the countries in the region will intensify
their efforts aimed at collecting the weapons in the possession of
civilians, while they will adopt measures for the removal of
landmines. At the same time, they will promote mutual relations
among the southeastern European countries aimed at creating good
neighborly relations.
Also, the defense ministers declared that they support the
inviolability of the borders and back the FYROM government efforts
aimed at the country's accession into the European structures.
[18] THE EUROPEAN POPULAR PARTY SUMMIT OPENS IN SOFIA TODAY
The European Popular Party summit meeting opens in Sofia,
Bulgaria this afternoon with the participation of the prime
ministers of Hungary, Poland, Spain, Slovakia and Austria.
Bulgarian president Petar Stoyanov will address the summit
and later he will have talks with his FYROM counterpart Boris
Trajkovski.
A few hours before the opening of the summit, Bulgarian prime
minister Ivan Kostov had a meeting with his Polish counterpart.
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