Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2001-06-19
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, June 19, 2001
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
TITLES
[Á] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] GREECE READY TO SEND TROOPS TO FYROM, DM SAYS
[02] BALKAN EDUCATIONAL MEETING SOON IN ISTANBUL
[03] "CYPRUS-AEGEAN-THRACE" NULLIFYING DISTANCES
[04] FOUR PROSPECTIVE BUYERS FOR OA SUBMIT OFFERS
[05] EUROPE'S SCREENWRITERS UNION FORMED IN ATHENS
[06] MORE THAN 6,000 REFUGEES RESIDE IN GREECE
[07] OA TECHNICAL STAFF STRIKE, ONE FLIGHT PER ROUTE
[08] PM RECEIVED BY PRESIDENT TO DISCUSS EU SUMMIT
[09] BELGIUM'S ROYAL COUPLE ON A VISIT TO GREECE
[10] AGGRESSIVE DRIVING THE CAUSE OF MOST ACCIDENTS
[11] UNEMPLOYMENT IN GREECE ROSE STEADILY IN 1988-99
[12] REGISTRATION OF OLYMPIC GAMES' VOLUNTEERS
[13] STEPHANOPOULOS-SIMITIS MEETING
[14] LOSSES IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
[15] CYPRUS' EU ACCESSION COURSE WILL NOT BE STOPPED
[16] THE IMD ON THE GREEK ECONOMY
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[17] MARINOS: PILOT EU ACCESSION OF TURKEY'S EUROPEAN PART
[18] STATEMENT BY THE GREEK EMBASSY IN TIRANA
[19] THE BAN ON MEAT-AND-BONE MEALS CONTINUES
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] GREECE READY TO SEND TROOPS TO FYROM, DM SAYS
Greece is ready to participate in NATO's projected
international peacekeeping force in FYROM, Defense Minister Akis
Tsochatzopoulos, in a role that will mostly monitor the disarming
of Albanians extremists in the region.
Furthermore, Mr. Tsochatzopoulos said that a relevant NATO
decision authorizing such a force is to be taken tomorrow.
According to reports, one Greek army mechanized battalion has been
placed on stand-by in case a peacekeeping force is sanctioned.
[02] BALKAN EDUCATIONAL MEETING SOON IN ISTANBUL
The second educational meeting of leading officials of the
Balkan countries on political and economic cooperation and
development will take place June 20-23 in Istanbul, organized by
the Kokkalis Program, in collaboration with Turkey's Sabaci
University.
The Istanbul meeting, which comprises the third and final
part of this year's educational program that was launched in March
at Harvard University in the US, will be attended by 25 prominent
officials holding key positions in the political and economic
sectors of their countries.
The delegates include the government spokesman of FYROM,
ministers from the Serb and Turkish governments, members of
Romania's senate, and advisors of the Bulgarian president and the
prime ministers of Albania and Greece.
[03] "CYPRUS-AEGEAN-THRACE" NULLIFYING DISTANCES
A meeting focusing on the theme "Cyprus-Aegean-Thrace:
Nullifying Distances-Culture-Local Administration-Communication"
is to begin today at Aigeiros, in the Rodopi prefecture.
The organizers of the meeting are the cultural communication
agencies "Poseidonio of Nicosia" and "Poseidonio of Thrace" and
the municipality of Aigeiros, while the event will be sponsored by
the enlarged Rodopi-Evros prefectural administration.
Foreign Minister George Papandreou, Culture Minister
Evangelos Venizelos and Macedonia-Thrace Minister George
Paschalidis have been invited to attend, while a concert will be
given at Aigeiros on June 21 by well-known Cypriot composer Marios
Tokas.
[04] FOUR PROSPECTIVE BUYERS FOR OA SUBMIT OFFERS
Four companies interested in buying a majority stake of
Olympic Airways (OA) submitted their binding offers last night,
thus edging closer towards the end of a months-long saga regarding
the fate of Greece's ailing national air carrier.
The four parties are the private airline company Axon (a
member of the Liakounakos group), Cyprus Airways (the only
international airline company to submit an offer), Golden Aviation
Services (belonging to shipowner Stamatis Restis) and the Texas-
based Integrated Airlines Solutions.
Credit Suisse First Boston, a consultant to the Greek
government on the sale of Olympic Airways, announced yesterday
evening that the four interested parties also submitted
operational and business plans.
The bid criteria set forth by the government are that OA
should operate mainly as an airline after its privatization and
retain its logo retain its logo for a specified period of time.
Also, the newly-built Athens airport Eleftherios Venizelos should
be used as the main base for OA's aircraft.
Moreover, the privatized firm should have the financial
strength and administrative capacity to post growth as a
financially viable company with long-term prospects, while state
and affiliate-firm risks and commitments should be minimized after
restructuring.
[05] EUROPE'S SCREENWRITERS UNION FORMED IN ATHENS
Screenplay writers from throughout Europe signed a pan-
European sector union agreement in Athens yesterday, aiming to
promote and safeguard their rights, uphold copyright laws, as well
as preserve the continent's cultural identity.
The newly-formed union comprises the national unions of
France, England, Italy, Spain, Holland, Sweden, Norway,
Switzerland, Portugal, Ireland, Iceland and Belgium.
The event was sponsored by the Audiovisual Media Institute,
as part of its activities for the scientific support and
coordinating activity for the Greek audiovisual media sector.
[06] MORE THAN 6,000 REFUGEES RESIDE IN GREECE
A total of 6,653 individuals recognized as refugees resided
in Greece as of December 31, 2000, according to data released
yesterday by the Greek Refugee Council.
In light of tomorrow's World Refugee Day, an open event is to
be held in downtown Athens tomorrow evening, aiming at sensitizing
the general public on refugee issues.
The event is being jointly organized by the United Nations'
Refugee High Commission (UNHCR), the Greek Refugee Council, the
Social Labor Foundation, the Greek Red Cross and the International
Social Service.
[07] OA TECHNICAL STAFF STRIKE, ONE FLIGHT PER ROUTE
Only one flight per destination, both domestic and
international, is to be carried out today by national carrier
Olympic Airways as its technical staff are holding a one-day
strike, held over institutional and financial demands.
The strike, which began at midnight, was ruled legal by an
Athens court.
Passengers wishing to travel with Olympic Airways today,
should first check with OA at 966-6666, a company announcement
said.
[08] PM RECEIVED BY PRESIDENT TO DISCUSS EU SUMMIT
Following a meeting held this morning at the Presidential
Mansion, both the President of the Hellenic Republic Costis
Stephanopoulos and Prime Minister Costas Simtiis expressed their
concern over the violent anti-globalization protests held in
Gotenborg, on the sidelines of the recently-held European Union
Summit.
According to Mr. Simitis, the Summit "showcased the EU's
dynamism, as well as the existing hurdles."
In response to President Stephanopoulos' lament over the
clashes noted outside the Summit's premises, Mr. Simitis stated
that "violence is unacceptable; the problem exists and we have to
address it.
"We want Europe to be closer to its citizens and meet their
needs," he stated.
[09] BELGIUM'S ROYAL COUPLE ON A VISIT TO GREECE
Belgium's King Albert II and Queen Paola arrived today on a
three-day visit to Greece, where they are to meet with the
President of the Hellenic Republic Costis Stephanopoulos this
afternoon.
In the evening the royal couple will be received by the
President of the Hellenic Parliament Apostolos Kaklamanis, while
in the evening they will be the honored guests at a dinner hosted
by President Stephanopoulos.
They will travel to Thessaloniki on Thursday where, upon
their arrival, they will be transported via helicopter to the
Vergina archaeological site.
Following an afternoon meeting with the Minister of Macedonia-
Thrace, King Albert and Queen Sofia will be given a tour through
Thessaloniki's landmark Aghia Sophia Church and will depart for
Brussels in the evening.
[10] AGGRESSIVE DRIVING THE CAUSE OF MOST ACCIDENTS
The number of fatalities resulting from traffic accidents
rose by 60 percent during the period 1980-97, while the resultant
social and economic annual toll amounts to 200 billion drachmas.
According to the Minister of Transportation Christos Verelis,
aggressive driving runs rampant in Greece, where rude gestures,
speeding, horn honking and driving while talking on a cell phone
are deemed as ordinary behaviors.
A strategic plan program concerted by six ministries (Public
Works, Transport, Health, Public Order, Interior and National
Finance) aims to reduce the country's high traffic fatality rate
by 20% within the next five-year period.
The Public Order Ministry will make improvements in traffic
policing services, the system of registering accidents,
supervision and firefighting services, while it will also focus on
preventing driving under the influence of alcohol and will enforce
the use of seat belts for drivers and helmets for motorcyclists.
The Health and Welfare Ministry is preparing a pilot project
for counting road fatalities in five municipalities,
epidemiological research on physical and mental harm caused by
accidents, and an innovative first-aid center for road accident
victims.
The Public Works Ministry will improve signposts and anti-
skid surfacing, and inspect road construction.
The Transport Ministry will be responsible for driver's
education and car maintenance.
[11] UNEMPLOYMENT IN GREECE ROSE STEADILY IN 1988-99
The rate of unemployment rose steadily throughout all of
Greece's regions during the 12-year period of 1988-99, according
to the European Commission, which based its findings on
comparative data provided by Eurostat, the European Union's
statistical service.
According to the data, Greece's unemployment rate rose from
7.7% in 1988 to 11.7 percent in 1999, with Western Macedonia
especially affected as the corresponding rates for this region
rose from six percent in 199 to 14.6 12 years later.
[12] REGISTRATION OF OLYMPIC GAMES' VOLUNTEERS
The importance of volunteerism for the success of the Athens
2004 Olympic Games is pointed out by the World Council of Hellenes
Abroad, SAE, North and South America Division and through its site
on the Internet (www.saeamerica.org) it offers specific
information and a registration form for those interested.
North and South America-SAE coordinator Christos Tomaras
underlined that the Olympic Games in Athens are a source of pride
for every Greek as, once again, they will show to the world the
Greek civilization's spirit and ideals.
[13] STEPHANOPOULOS-SIMITIS MEETING
Prime minister Kostas Simitis and president Kostis
Stephanopoulos in their meeting in Athens today expressed concern
regarding the protests against globalization and the violent
clashes between protesters and police in Gothenburg, Sweden.
Mr. Simitis stated that the Gothenburg Summit showed the
European Union potential and the existing difficulties. He said
that violence in unacceptable, adding that the problem is real and
it has to be faced, while he stressed that we need a Europe closer
to its people, a Europe that will meet the people's needs.
In statements he made to reporters after the meeting with
president Stephanopoulos, the prime minister stressed the need for
the government to continue with the policy it has followed in the
past years. He explained that this became clear during the
contacts he had in Brussels and Sweden and pointed out that what
is needed is a policy that will safeguard economic stability and
intense growth rates, while at the same time he pledged that
social policy will expand.
Regarding foreign relations, he said that the fruitful policy
of peace and cooperation will continue, because it has given a
special prestige to Greece and this is apparent based on the
latest developments in the Balkans and the discussion on what
should be done in FYROM in which Greece had a leading role. Mr.
Simitis added that Greece will have a presence and participation
in the procedures that will hopefully lead to a solution.
[14] LOSSES IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
Small losses were recorded again in the Athens Stock
Exchange. The general index dropped to -0.37% at 2.832,97 points,
while the volume of transactions was disappointing at 99.74
million Euro or 33.987 billion drachmas.
Of the stocks trading today, 142 recorded gains and 179 had
losses, while the value of 61 stocks remained stable.
[15] CYPRUS' EU ACCESSION COURSE WILL NOT BE STOPPED
Cyprus' EU accession course cannot be stopped stated
government spokesman Dimitris Reppas, stressing that Cyprus meets
the EU accession preconditions.
He also added that Cyprus' negotiations have made
considerable progress compared to other EU candidate states and
expressed the belief that it will be among the first that will
become European Union members.
[16] THE IMD ON THE GREEK ECONOMY
Greece ranks six places higher on this year's Institute of
Management Development (IMD) list compared to 1997. The list is
drawn up based on the overall economic performance of 49
countries.
Greece occupies the thirtieth place on the specific list that is
included in the annual IMD competitiveness report reflecting the
trends recorded in 49 countries in the last five years.
However, according to the report, Greece is two places lower
on the IMD list based on the macro-economic evaluation of the
domestic economy.
The main goal of the report is the comparative evaluation of
the participating countries based on their ability to offer an
environment where businesses can develop under the most favorable
terms.
According to the IMD report, among Greece's basic defects are
its weak exports, while a warning signal has been given concerning
unemployment and the direct stock investments abroad.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[17] MARINOS: PILOT EU ACCESSION OF TURKEY'S EUROPEAN PART
A proposal for a pilot EU accession of Turkey's part that
belongs to Europe provided that the necessary preconditions will
be met (among them, the withdrawal of the Turkish troops from
Cyprus) was expressed by right-wing main opposition party of New
Democracy Euro-deputy Yiannis Marinos in a question to the EU
Council of Ministers and the European Commission. Mr. Marinos made
the same proposal for Russia as well in case it requests to become
an EU member.
Mr. Marinos cites figures provided by a Turkish news agency
according to which, 97% of the Turkish territory belongs to Asia
and only 3% to Europe. The Greek Euro-deputy wonders if the EU
tendency to include in it countries that do not belong to the
European continent in their entirety means that it will expand to
the coasts of the Far East becoming neighbors with China or Japan.
[18] STATEMENT BY THE GREEK EMBASSY IN TIRANA
In a statement that was issued by the Greek embassy in Tirana
press adviser Efthimios Aravantinos and published by the Albanian
newspaper "Sekuli" it is stressed that the goal of Greek
ambassador Dimitris Iliopoulos' visit to south Albania was to see
for himself how the Greek assistance to Albania is being used,
adding that the visit was held within the framework of
undersecretary of national economy Yiannis Zafiropoulos' visit to
Albania.
It is stressed that during his visit to south Albania the
Greek ambassador had the opportunity to meet with local
authorities, parliament deputies and candidates and discussed with
them issues concerning the management of the assistance and the
progress made in the projects under construction.
In the same statement it is stressed that the Greek
ambassador, respecting the Albanian constitution, did not appear
in any political rally, neither backed any candidate.
[19] THE BAN ON MEAT-AND-BONE MEALS CONTINUES
The European Commission decided to extend the ban on the use
of meat-and-bone meals for cattle within the framework of the
measures against the "mad cow" disease.
The ban, which also concerns the imports and exports of meat-
and-bone meals, was imposed in early 2001 after the first "mad
cow" disease cases in Germany and Spain, and it was scheduled to
be lifted on July 1.
As it was announced, it will be extended indefinitely but it
will always be under revision.
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