Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2001-04-12
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, April 12, 2001
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
TITLES
[Á] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] CITY DWELLERS FLOCK TO THE COUNTRY FOR EASTER
[02] GREEK BUSINESS DELEGATION IN CHILE, ARGENTINA
[03] BALKAN FMs MEET AT SKOPJE, POWELL ATTENDING
[04] EU GIVES THUMBS UP TO GREEK-UK POLICE INITIATIVE
[05] STATE ANNOUNCES WATER CONSERVATION MEASURES
[06] PASOK MOOD "REMINISCENT OF KRAMER VS KRAMER"
[07] COUNCIL OF STATE UPHOLDS PROTESTS TO TVX GOLD
[08] FM BRIEFS PREMIER ON LATEST CONTACTS IN TURKEY
[09] PAPANDREOU ON TURKEY'S DECISION TO SUSPEND ITS ARMAMENTS
PROGRAMS
[10] PAPANTONIOU: THE GREEK ECONOMY IS RESISTING SUCCESSFULLY
[11] GAINS WERE RECORDED IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
[12] THE DOCTORS OF THE WORLD GAVE A NEW LEASE ON LIFE TO A ONE-
YEAR-OLD FROM MONTENEGRO
[13] TSOCHATZOPOULOS IS CONCERNED OVER THE CRISIS IN TURKEY
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[14] MILOSEVIC IN PRISON HOSPITAL FOR HEART EPISODE
[15] US SENATORS CALLED FOR THE REOPENING OF THE THEOLOGY SCHOOL
IN CHALKI
[16] PIONEER MOTORCYCLE DESIGN BY A GREEK-AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITY
STUDENT
[17 MILOSEVIC UNDERGOES MEDICAL TESTS
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] CITY DWELLERS FLOCK TO THE COUNTRY FOR EASTER
Traffic police are taking escalated measures to prepare for
the mass exodus of urban dwellers flocking to the countryside for
their Easter holidays.
The measures will be in force to facilitate the flow of traffic,
while main roads will be patrolled for dangerous driving.
Undaunted by forecasts for inclement weather, travelers have
already booked to capacity most of the itineraries to the islands.
At the same time, the state's Railway Organization (OSE) is
planning to use additional trains to cover increased demand.
The police have also intensified its campaign in limiting the sale
of fireworks, which are set off after midnight on Easter Sunday,
to celebrate the news of Christ's resurrection.
According to police data, eight people have died in Easter
fireworks accidents over the past 11 years, while 130 have been
severely injured.
[02] GREEK BUSINESS DELEGATION IN CHILE, ARGENTINA
A Greek business delegation from Thessaloniki is presently on
a visit to Chile and Argentina, in a bid to increase trade and
investment ties with the two countries.
The visit, which ends on April 22, has been organized by the
Association of Northern Greek Industries, in cooperation with the
Chilean Consulate in Thessaloniki.
[03] BALKAN FMs MEET AT SKOPJE, POWELL ATTENDING
US Secretary of State Colin Powell will meet with his Balkan
counterparts in FYROM today, in order to discuss the developments
in the country and review the prospects of close cooperation among
the region's countries for resolving the situation effectively.
Greece's FM George Papandreou will take part in the talks,
while he also expected to meet with his Turkish counterpart Ismael
Cem on the meeting's sidelines.
Commenting on the Skopje informal "summit", Mr. Papandreou
said the meeting between foreign ministers from the countries in
the region with their US counterpart will be very useful, adding
that the meeting shows close cooperation between the countries of
southeastern Europe in tackling the region's problems.
According to State Department spokesman Richard Boucher, the
meeting is held at FYROM's initiative and will provide the
participants with the opportunity to express their support for the
FYROM government's policy of easing tension and embarking on a
dialogue with the country's Albanian minority.
Discussions will also include the issue of the arrest of
former Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic and the referral
thereof to the International Court of Justice at The Hague.
[04] EU GIVES THUMBS UP TO GREEK-UK POLICE INITIATIVE
The European Union's Political Committee has approved a
document recommending Best Practice for police forces and other
professionals dealing with terrorist shootings and bombings, which
in essence sets the EU standards for police response to terrorist
activity.
According to Greek foreign ministry spokesman Panos Beglitis,
the document is the result of a Greek-British initiative prompted
by the terrorist assassination of British diplomat Stephen
Saunders last year. The new recommendations will be disseminated
widely both within the EU and to non-EU countries for use by
police forces throughout the world.
The Best Practice guidelines stress the need to preserve
evidence in a professional manner, restricting access to the scene
by establishing proper cordons, full documentation, and rapid
deployment of specialist expertise.
The document also stresses the need to ensure proper handling
of the international dimension through close liaison with other
countries involved, and includes suggestions for dealing with
victims and their families, and liaison with the media.
Brig. Stephen Saunders was gunned down on June 8, 2000 by two
masked motorcyclists as he was driving alone on a central avenue
in Athens.
The elusive 17 November 17 terrorist organization claimed
responsibility for the attack.
[05] STATE ANNOUNCES WATER CONSERVATION MEASURES
The Agriculture Ministry is expected today to announce a set
of measures aimed at restricting water consumption, in light of
the threat of drought that looms ahead this summer.
Prime Minister Costas Simitis recently chaired a meeting with
the ministers of agriculture, Aegean, development, interior and
public works, in an effort to assess the extent of the problem and
forge a national water policy.
The ministers agreed on the need to form a single agency that
would handle water resources, although it has not been specified
when this body will begin operating.
The lack of rainfall, coupled with a dwindling water supply,
has rendered 2001 as the century's driest year and forecasters
warn of prospective water shortages as early as this summer.
Last summer brought Greece its worst fire season in decades.
Successive heatwaves and strong winds contributed to blazes which
razed up to 370,500 acres of forest - more than 10 times the
amount of damage recorded in 1999. At the height of the
destruction, the fires killed seven people and destroyed dozens of
homes in one week.
Scrambling to avoid a repeat of the damage, the interior
ministry has earmarked 10.3 billion drachmas for fire prevention
measures at the local government level.
According to a United Nations world climate report released
in January, the 1990s were the world's hottest decade in 1,000
years, with the Mediterranean countries being on the front line of
global warming.
Italy, Portugal, Spain and southern France are also losing
farmland because of dry soil, while Turkey is at odds with
neighbors Iraq and Syria over water rights from the Tigris and
Euphrates rivers. Drought is a major cause of migration from North
Africa, and one of the reasons European countries are assisting
with environmental aid programs.
[06] PASOK MOOD "REMINISCENT OF KRAMER VS KRAMER"
The mood permeating ruling PASOK party circles these days is
reminiscent of the 1979 movie drama "Kramer vs Kramer", whose
underlying theme is that of self involvement, according to Greece'
s European Union Commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou.
In an interview with the Athens daily "Eleftherotypia", Ms.
Dimantopouou, responsible for Employment and Social Affairs,
underlined the need for forming a "new era" agenda which would
serve as the basis for the party's expansion at its next congress.
Concurrently, she noted a "fragmentation of proposals, ideas,
monologues, personal targets and strategic groups", all of which
give the party an image of being "thoroughly confused".
"I think that self-involvement is the most dangerous thing we
are experiencing presently in PASOK and in other parties as well,"
she said.
[07] COUNCIL OF STATE UPHOLDS PROTESTS TO TVX GOLD
The Council of State, Greece's highest court, has ruled in
favor of local residents in northern Greece's Halkidiki peninsula
who are opposed to the operation of a gold mine and mill owned by
TVX Hellas SA, a subsidiary of the Canadian mining company, TVX
Gold Incorporated.
With 20 votes to 7, the Council of State upheld the
residents' challenges to the Olympias project, which is not
currently in operation, and voted to overturn all acts of
government, inter alia presidential decrees establishing the
mining unit, approving environmental specifications and selecting
a site for the project.
The Council of State found that the mill's use of cyanide and
arsenic for processing gold ore would endanger the environment and
the health of residents. Specifically, the court found that the
state had not taken sufficiently into account the impact that the
processing method would have on the environment.
The court's ruling, which is to be published in May, could
have a significant effect on the project, which has been held up
since 1996.
The $248-million project aims to develop 254,000 ounces of
gold on an annual basis, along with 2.3 million ounces of silver,
21,500 tons of zinc and 22,500 tons of lead over the first five
years of production.
[08] FM BRIEFS PREMIER ON LATEST CONTACTS IN TURKEY
Foreign Minister Georoge Papandreou had a lengthy meeting
with Prime Mimister Costas Simitis yesterday, whom he briefed on
the latest developments in Turkey, his talks within the European
Union and today's Balkan FMs meeting in Skopje.
Following the meeting, Mr. Papandreou briefed journalists on
his talks with the Premier while, he also referred to the
announcement by Turkey's General Staff on the postponement of
certain armaments programs worth six trillion drachmas, saying it
contributes "to a further detente in bilateral relations as well
as to development and stability in the region in general."
Mr. Papandreou stated that Turkey's decision is an "important
event" for the Turkish people at a time of great economic hardship
and considerable social problems facing the neighboring country.
He expressed the hope that it "presages further detente",
adding that "maybe later there will be a mutual decrease (in
armaments) when conditions will permit this." "I hope that our
decision to cut back on armaments expenditures contributed to
Turkey's recent decision on its own armaments programs," he said.
Messrs. Papandreou and Simitis also discussed Cyprus's
accession course to the European Union and the recent signing of
the Association and Stabilization Agreement between FYROM and the
EU, as well as developments in the Balkans.
[09] PAPANDREOU ON TURKEY'S DECISION TO SUSPEND ITS ARMAMENTS
PROGRAMS
Greek foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou referred to
Turkey's decision to cut its defense spending by almost 7 trillion
drachmas, in an interview with the Athens newspaper "TA NEA". Mr.
Papandreou stated that the decision does not have a unilateral
character but it comes as a follow-up to a similar decision that
was taken by Greece two weeks ago.
Mr. Papandreou stated that Greece's decision to cut its
defense spending made it easier for the Turkish government to take
a similar decision. He also said that during his visit to Turkey
he referred to the Greek decision presenting it as a contribution
to peace and stability in the region.
However, Mr. Papandreou stated that Greece should know more
on the aspects and content of the Turkish government decision to
suspend the country's 32 armaments programs.
The Greek foreign minister denied once again that during his
contacts in Turkey, Athens undertook to play a mediating role in
the solution of Turkey's economic problems.
[10] PAPANTONIOU: THE GREEK ECONOMY IS RESISTING SUCCESSFULLY
The government's economic staff maintains its optimism on the
course of the Greek economy and states that the GDP rate will be
at 5% even if the growth rate in Europe is under 3% (2.7%
according to the OECD).
Greek minister of national economy Yiannos Papantoniou stated
yesterday that the Greek economy resists more successfully
compared to the economies of other European countries and any
consequence from the negative international developments will be
limited.
[11] GAINS WERE RECORDED IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
Gains were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today. The
general index rose to +2.35% at 3.159,47 points, while the volume
of transactions was small at 149.5 million Euro or 50.9 billion
drachmas.
Of the stocks trading today, 238 recorded gains and 80 had
losses, while the value of 53 stocks remained stable.
[12] THE DOCTORS OF THE WORLD GAVE A NEW LEASE ON LIFE TO A ONE-
YEAR-OLD FROM MONTENEGRO
The Doctors of the World in cooperation with the Onasion
Cardiology Center in Athens and the Greek foreign ministry gave a
new lease on life to one-year-old Bodin Markovic from Montenegro
by helping him to overcome a heart problem he had since birth.
It should be noted that the Doctors of the World have brought
to Greece over 10 children from foreign countries in the past
decade, within the framework of the Hope Chain program, in order
to undergo surgery and offered them an opportunity to live a
normal life.
[13] TSOCHATZOPOULOS IS CONCERNED OVER THE CRISIS IN TURKEY
Greek minister of defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos expressed
concern regarding the crisis in Turkey one day after the
announcement by Ankara that it suspends many of its armaments
programs.
He stated that such crises put security and stability in the
region at risk and expressed the wish that the crisis in Turkey
will be overcome with the help of the international community.
Mr. Tsochatzopoulos also pointed out that Greece became a
power of security and stability in the region and this was
achieved through its effective economic policy, the successful
foreign policy and the deterrent role of its armed forces.
The Greek minister of defense stated that for the past year
and a half an effort is being made for the reconstruction of the
Greek armed forces aimed at cutting down the number of its troops,
limiting operational cost and advancing them technologically.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[14] MILOSEVIC IN PRISON HOSPITAL FOR HEART EPISODE
Former president of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
Slobodan Milosevic has suffered a minor heart episode in prison,
according to the French news agency AFP.
Quoting unidentified sources from the prison where Mr.
Milosevic is incarcerated, AFP reported that the former president
is being treated at the prison hospital and was not rushed to
Belgrade's military hospital as earlier reports had claimed.
"We could say that he underwent a minor cardiac episode….He
is being treated in a separate room and is being observed by
outside physicians," the source told AFP.
[15] US SENATORS CALLED FOR THE REOPENING OF THE THEOLOGY SCHOOL
IN CHALKI
US Senators issued an appeal to the Turkish authorities
calling for the reopening of the Theology School in Chalki after
meeting with Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos.
Republican Senator Jimmy Duncan stated that he and his
colleagues gave an order to the US ambassador to Ankara to make
the reopening of the Theology School in Chalki an issue of
immediate priority.
The eight US Senators met with the Ecumenical Patriarch in
the Fanar accompanied by the US consul general in Istanbul.
[16] PIONEER MOTORCYCLE DESIGN BY A GREEK-AUSTRALIAN UNIVERSITY
STUDENT
The Dyson Product Award for industrial design, that was
accompanied by a big money prize, was won by a motorcycle designed
by Dimitris Skoutas, a Greek-Australian student from Melbourne.
The motorcycle named "Skipee", which means kangaroo, has two
wheels in the front and one in the back for more safety. It is
environmentally friendly as it is made of recyclable material and
it is powered by a 48-volt electric engine.
The young student said that he designed a motorcycle that
offers safety like the car and at the same time, gives a sense of
freedom.
[17 MILOSEVIC UNDERGOES MEDICAL TESTS
Former Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic, who was taken
to hospital yesterday suffering from chest pains, undergoes
medical tests since this morning. It is not known for how long he
will be under medical supervision.
A Serb government representative said that the former
Yugoslav president was not taken to hospital because of some
serious medical problem. Mr. Milosevic is held in a Belgrade
prison for the past two weeks.
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