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Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2001-07-03
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, July 3, 2001
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] NEW GREEK INITIATIVES ON FYROM
[02] "MAD COW" DISEASE IN GREECE: NO REASON FOR CONCERN
[03] 8TH PAN-MACEDONIAN ASSOCIATIONS' WORLD CONFERENCE
PREPARATIONS
[04] A TURKISH CARGO SHIP SANK OFF THE COASTS OF LESVOS
[05] BALKAN CONFERENCE ON PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
[06] THE LOSSES CONTINUE IN THE ASE
[07] REPPAS: TURKEY IS LED TO A DEAD END
[08] PSAROUTHAKIS: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS NECESSARY FOR BALANCE
IN THE BALKANS
[09] 25.5% OF THE GREEKS KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THE EURO
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[10] THE POPE WISHES TO VISIT PATMOS
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] NEW GREEK INITIATIVES ON FYROM
The Greek foreign ministry is about to undertake new
initiatives for the solution of the crisis in FYROM, according to
diplomatic sources.
The foreign ministry spokesman stated that the initiative is
in progress and therefore he cannot give further details, while he
revealed that it concerns an international conference aimed at
settling the crisis in FYROM. In the conference, which according
to the Greek proposal will be held in Paris, will participate all
political forces in the FYROM parliament, the European Union, the
United States and Russia.
Experienced diplomats have pointed out that the Greek
government wants to avoid the scenario of an international
conference aimed at a comprehensive settlement in the Balkans,
because such a development could ignite new conflicts in other
sensible Balkan regions.
[02] "MAD COW" DISEASE IN GREECE: NO REASON FOR CONCERN
The Greek scientists appeared reassuring after the first "mad
cow" disease case traced in a farm in northern Greece.
According to statements made to the Athens newspaper
"Imerisia" by "mad cow" disease national committee president Mr.
Kostas Miras, it is an isolated incident that was detected in a
small farm and the spread of the disease in Greece is unlikely.
He also stressed that spongiform encephalopathies are rarely
diagnosed in humans and their frequency is one incident per one
million people. In Greece, there were 20 incidents of the disease
recorded in the past 4 years, and not 40 as it was expected.
[03] 8TH PAN-MACEDONIAN ASSOCIATIONS' WORLD CONFERENCE
PREPARATIONS
The 8th Pan-Macedonian Associations' World Conference and the
55th Conference of the US-Canada Pan-Macedonian Association are
expected with great interest as the delegates from every part of
the world are estimated to be over 1.500, according to a statement
made to MPA by World Council president Panagiotis Mitoulis.
The conference will take place at Litochoro, Pieria on July
12-16 with the participation of a Kalas delegation from Pakistan.
[04] A TURKISH CARGO SHIP SANK OFF THE COASTS OF LESVOS
An SOS was sent out in the early morning hours today by the
Turkish-flag cargo ship "Muzaffer Senkaya", while sailing 25
nautical miles west of Sigri in the island of Lesvos.
Ships sailing in the specific sea region rushed to the scene,
as well as, a C-130 transport plane. All 9 crew members were
rescued and are on route to Thessaloniki. The Turkish ship finally
sank at 6am this morning.
[05] BALKAN CONFERENCE ON PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
The modernization of public administration, peace,
cooperation and development in the Balkans will be discussed in
the conference that will be held in Thessaloniki on July 5-6. The
conference is organized by Thessaloniki's Association of Public
Servants' Organizations and similar workers' unions from Albania,
Bulgaria, and FYROM.
Representatives of workers' unions from Turkey and Romania
will attend the conference, while among the main speakers will be
minister of defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos, foreign minister Giorgos
Papandreou, national economy undersecretary Christos Pachtas,
right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy parliament
deputy Adam Regouzas and Coalition of the Left parliament deputy
Maria Damanaki.
[06] THE LOSSES CONTINUE IN THE ASE
New losses were recorded again today in the Athens Stock
Exchange. The general index dropped to -1.93% at 2.682,80 points,
while the volume of transactions was small at 94.87 million Euro
or 32.32 billion drachmas.
Of the stocks trading today, 76 recorded gains and 244 had
losses, while the value of 59 stocks remained stable.
[07] REPPAS: TURKEY IS LED TO A DEAD END
The stance followed by Turkey leads the country to a dead
end, stated Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas, when he
was asked to comment on the statements made by Turkish foreign
minister Ismail Cem, who spoke of a "Pyrrhic victory" referring to
Cyprus' accession into the European Union.
The government spokesman added that the Turkish officials use
double-talk, reiterating that the EU enlargement course is
irreversible. He said that this means that Cyprus' EU accession
course cannot be interrupted by anyone, pointing out that Greece,
among others, guarantees Cyprus' EU accession course.
[08] PSAROUTHAKIS: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS NECESSARY FOR BALANCE
IN THE BALKANS
Economic development and interdependence among the Balkan
countries is necessary for stability in the region, according to a
distinguished Greek of the Diaspora Dr. John Psarouthakis,
assistant professor at Michigan University School of Business
Management. Referring to the situation in FYROM, he stated that if
unrest continues it will be difficult for the country to exist.
In an interview with MPA, he characterized Milosevic's
surrender to the International Court of Justice in The Hague as
expected, adding that what is surprising, is probably the way in
which it happened.
Dr. Psarouthakis pointed out that there is a need for Greece
to adjust to the growth rate speeds of the West to avoid future
problems of competitiveness with the developing countries of
southeastern Europe and the former Soviet Union, and maintain its
leading role in the Balkan region.
Dr. Psarouthakis is the founder and former Chairman and CEO
of JP Industries, Inc. (NYSE: JPI), which became a Fortune 500
company in 1988, and of JPE, Inc. (NASDAQ: JPEI), control of which
was sold to ASCET, Inc., a privately owned company in early 1999.
These corporations were involved in the manufacture of durable
goods.
Prior to this, Dr. Psarouthakis was Vice President for
Planning and Engineering, and Group Vice President for
International Operations for MASCO Corp. Before joining MASCO he
was Director, Technology Center for Allis Chalmers, Corporation.
He has received many awards, notably he was named
Entrepreneur of the Year in Michigan on two separate occasions. He
received the Corporate Leadership award from MIT, and the
Distinguished Young Scientist award from the Maryland Academy of
Science. He has served in the Governor's Venture Capital Task
Force. He has also served on several boards of directors, advisory
boards or committees most noteworthy, the Mechanical Engineering
Department Visiting Committee at the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology (MIT), the Visiting Committee at the University of
Michigan School of Business, and the Advisory Council at the GSIA
Carnegie Mellon University, and the Manufacturers Association of
Michigan Board of Directors.
Dr. Psarouthakis was born in Crete and went to high school in
the city of Chania. He received his BS and MS Degrees in
Mechanical Engineering from MIT. Subsequently he received his
Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of
Maryland and later completed The Program for Executives at the
Graduate School of Industrial Administration (GSIA) at the
Carnegie-Mellon Institute.
He has written five books on business management and his
sixth book is expected to be out soon.
[09] 25.5% OF THE GREEKS KNOW NOTHING ABOUT THE EURO
Many Europeans are not informed regarding the single European
currency just a few months before its circulation, according to a
European Commission research, which has showed that the European
citizens do not know as much as they should have on Euro, the EU
enlargement and the future of Europe.
The research was conducted in March and April with the
participation of 16.000 European citizens, among them 1.000
Greeks.
Responding to the question "What do you know about the
Euro?", 17% of the Europeans said that they are not informed at
all, while in Greece this response was given by 25.5%.
The EU enlargement is seen in a positive way by 85% of the
Greeks, while at a European level the percentage is smaller (64%).
Unemployment, the protection of civil rights, food safety,
health and environment are the problems the European citizens are
most concerned with.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[10] THE POPE WISHES TO VISIT PATMOS
Pope John-Paul B' expressed the wish to visit Patmos, the
island of the Apocalypse, during a formal dinner he gave last
Friday in honor of an Ecumenical Patriarchate delegation on the
occasion of the Apostles Peter and Paul feast.
From their side, the Ecumenical Patriarchate representatives
expressed the wish for Patmos to become a meeting place for
Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos and the head of the Roman-
Catholic Church.
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