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Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2001-08-24
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, August 24, 2001
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] PRIME MINISTER'S SPEECH TO CABINET
[02] GOVERNMENTAL PRIORITIES
[03] AWARDS FOR GREEK TURKISH FRIENDSHIP FROM MPA AND ANADOLU
[04] FIRST GREEK FORCE HAS LEFT FOR FYROM
[05] 7 PRINCIPLES ON THE ISNURANCE ISSUE
[06] 11TH INTER-UNIVERSITY ONCOLOGY CONFERENCE IN THESSALONIKI
[07] GAINS IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
[08] SECOND DEATH IN GREECE LINKED TO A CHOLESTEROL DRUG
[09] ARCHBISHOP CHRISTODOULOS ON THE CHURCH AND STATE INSTITUTIONS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[10] PAPANDREOU WILL BE IN CYPRUS ON SEPTEMBER 4 AND 5
[11] THE GREEK UNDERSECRETARY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS IN CYPRUS
[12] VARTHOLOMEOS IN A CONFERENCE IN SOFIA
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] PRIME MINISTER'S SPEECH TO CABINET
A new political period, crucial to the further promotion of
the governmental project was what the Prime Minister told the
cabinet to be ready for, during his speech to the cabinet, which
convened to discuss and program actions of the Education Ministry
for the 2001-2004 period.
Specifically, the Prime Minister stated that the government
must show the maximum possible decisiveness and effectiveness,
must intensify its efforts and to work coordinately, to have
society and the citizens in the center of its activities, avoiding
the danger of becoming introvert and dealing with issues that do
not occupy public opinion. Also, he asked for the fulfillment of
the requirements for the final and irrevocable introduction of the
country into a development and prosperity orbit.
As priorities of this new period he mentioned the preparation
of the budget, characterizing "the excellent performance of the
Greek economy this year, which must be continued and preserved",
the promotion and materialization of the 3rd Communal Support
Framework, which is the main tool in the balanced peripheral
development of the country, the preparation of the 2004 Olympics,
the introduction of the Euro into the Greek economy, the
preparation of the Greek presidency in the EU, the promotion and
backing of occupational programs and the strengthening of social
cohesion, and the promotion of structural changes.
Continuing the Prime Minister mentioned the tax reform, in
health and insurance, where he spoke on the promotion of
discussions in the framework of the Central Committee's decisions
on education.
On Balkan developments and the Greek military force in FYROM,
he repeated our fixed position, that Greece must be present in the
Balkans and must assist in the solution of differences and the
securing of peace and cooperation in the area, while referring to
the criticisms the government has had from the main opposition
party, he commented that we must answer the various verbal
fireworks and schemes of New Democracy with our deeds and our
effectiveness. And he surmised: "We are strictly concentrated on
the mission the Greek people entrusted in us and we will
accomplish it."
[02] GOVERNMENTAL PRIORITIES
The governmental task, and not the congress discussions is
the main preoccupation of the government, as Prime Minister Kostas
Simitis pointed out after yesterday's Cabinet session.
As Mr. Simitis said the government's priorities in the
upcoming period of time are these:
The constitution of the government budget
The full utilization of the 3rd Communal Support Framework
The preparation for the 2004 Olympics
The adaptation of the Euro
The preparation of the Greek presidency in the Union
The constitution of a special plan of action for employment
The promotion of privatization
The National Health System reform
The tax reform
Special attention to Educational issues
The settlement of the Insurance issue, for which Mr. Simitis
stressed that the solution will be given through discussion with
social bodies, after the conference with the General Confederation
of Greek Workers in late September, noting that the government
will be present at the meeting with a spokesperson.
[03] AWARDS FOR GREEK TURKISH FRIENDSHIP FROM MPA AND ANADOLU
Awards to personalities who contribute to Greek-Turkish
approximation, and understanding of the two peoples have been
instituted by the Macedonian Press Agency and the Turkish Anadolu
Press Agency. The awards will be given every year, while the first
artists to receive them will be the great Turkish artist Zulfu
Livaneli, Maria Farantouri and Mikis Theodorakis. The awards will
be given on Sunday night, in the framework of the great Greek-
Turkish folk concert which will take place in Aristotelous
Square, and will be the commencement of the "Balkan Square"
events, organized by the Municipality of Neapoli. In the same
event Mikis Theodorakis will officially become an honorary citizen
of the municipality of Neapoli.
The commencement event of the "Balkan Square" will start with
a torchlight procession. All officials and artists will be present
and participate in the concert at 7:30 pm in front of Venizelos'
statue at the crossroads of Aristotelous and Egnatia streets, and
the torchlight procession will continue until Electra Palace where
the Minister of Culture, Evaggelos Venizelos, will have a
reception in their honor.
Before the beginning of the concert, the General Director of
the Macedonian Press Agency and the General Director of the
Anadolu Press Agency, will present Maria Farantouri and Zulfu
Livaneli correspondingly, with an honorary plaque each. Honorary
plaques for the two artists, for the mayor of Neapoli, Grigoris
Hatzisavvas, and for the General Director of the Macedonian Press
Agency will also be presented by Mayor Kousantasi Fouat Aktogan.
Concequently, Livaneli and Farantouri supported by the Mikis
Theodorakis Folk Band along with Panagiotis Karadimitris and
Giorgos Theodorakis, will perform famous compositions by Mikis
Theodorakis and Livaneli. It should be noted that the commencement
ceremony of the "Balkan Square"is being reaized with the support
of the Municipality of Kousantasi, the Macedonian Press Agency,
the Anadolu Press Agency and Radio Thessaloniki.
[04] FIRST GREEK FORCE HAS LEFT FOR FYROM
At 10 this morning 157 members of the Greek Force with 75
vehicles left for FYROM, while tomorrow the last section of the
525th Mechanized Infantry Battalion will depart from the "Alesta
Louka" camp in Polykastro of Kilkis.
Yesterday, the commanding officer of the battalion and a
small staff group made the necessary preparations for the military
force from Polykastro.
Krivolak is 80 kilometers from the Greek-FYROM border, on the
road axis that connects Gevgeli with Skopje, southwest of the
capital of FYROM. There is a camp of FYROM armed forces there and
exercise field that the US Force also uses.
The Greek forces will set up their base in the camp. One of
the buildings will be used and tents will also be set up by the
force. This is the area where the guerrillas' arms will be
concentrated from the various forces of the different countries
that will take part in the NATO operation "essential harvest".
These weapons will consequently be shipped to Greece and will be
destroyed in the installations of "Halyvourgiki".
[05] 7 PRINCIPLES ON THE ISNURANCE ISSUE
The moral and just demand that future and the existing
generations of working people aren't burdened with the heavy load
of supporting today's and future pensioners, is what the insurance
reform should be based on, as the Minister of Employment and
Social Securities, Tasos Giannitsis, stressed in an interview with
Kerdos economic newspaper.
Mr. Giannitsis made specific mention of the need for social
rationalism to dominate, in the relationship, "today's burden -
tomorrow's gain of the insured".
Setting the boundaries with 7 basic principles on which the
insurance reform will have to stand, after the social discussion
which will proceed it, Mr. Giannitsis estimates that the system
should be based on another 5 principles.
These principles must make sure that the insurance reform
does not end up as a sudden dead end to development and chopping
block of any other kind of social policy, so that in case of
insurance deficits and their covering, they will not have negative
consequences on employment and unemployment and to the need of
forming this insurance reform from the viewpoint of a policy
against poverty and exclusion.
In the insurance principles are incorporated, according to
Mr. Giannitsis, the need for solidarity between generations,
however, based on the facts that each generation has to deal with
and not based on facts that have been overcome and the huge change
in the demographic facts which has been known for years.
Answering the General Confederation of Greek Workers on the
unemployment reduction issue, the Minister of Employment and
Social Securities, stressed that the reduction of unemployment
will not solve the problem, since, even though most EU countries
have an unemployment rate of under 7%, they also have an insurance
problem and called all those involved to a meaningful discussion.
Mr. Giannitsis ended by repeating the government's commitment for
additional funding of the system.
[06] 11TH INTER-UNIVERSITY ONCOLOGY CONFERENCE IN THESSALONIKI
With the topic, "The Multilateral Approach to Oncology and
Therapy Designing", the "Aristotle" Institute is organizing the
11th Oncology Conference, from the 29th of August to the 1st of
September, in the European Inter-balkan Medical Center of
Thessaloniki.
The Conference is framed by three relevant seminars, "Nursing
Re-establishment", "Consequences of the usage of depleted uranium
in former Yugoslavia" and "Dosage, therapy design and radiation
therapy".
[07] GAINS IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
Gains of 1.74% were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange
today. The general index rose to 2.743,91 points, while the volume
of transactions was 150.4 million Euro or 51.26 billion drachmas.
Of the stocks trading today, 254 recorded gains and 65 had
losses, while the value of 56 stocks remained stable.
[08] SECOND DEATH IN GREECE LINKED TO A CHOLESTEROL DRUG
A second death linked to a cholesterol drug has been recorded
in Greece, according to the National Drug Organization.
The drug Lipidil, 200ml, which belongs to the same category
with the drug Lipobay that has already been withdrawn from the
market, is likely to be responsible for the death of a 75-year-old
man.
The first deadly case was the result of a combination of the
drugs Lopid and Lipobay.
The National Drug Organization accused the doctors in Greece
of inadequate vigilance, as the agency was not briefed for the
deaths by the attendant physicians treating the two patients.
[09] ARCHBISHOP CHRISTODOULOS ON THE CHURCH AND STATE INSTITUTIONS
Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All of Greece referred
today to the institutions of the Church and the State, citing
Saint Kosmas the Aetolian and his preaching. Specifically, he
pointed out that in the eyes of the faithful the Church is placed
higher than the state.
Citing Kosmas the Aetolian, the Archbishop stated that if a
person met a priest and a king on the street should greet the
priest first, as he ranks higher than the king. He added that an
emperor can relieve a person from the taxes he or she owes to the
state but the priest can forgive his or her sins before God.
Later, clarifying his statements Archbishop Christodoulos
stated that Saint Kosmas the Aetolian did not defy the
institutional principles and powers existing in his times. The
Archbishop stressed that himself should not be misinterpreted
because he is not questioning the institutional bodies of the
state. He said that he simply reiterates the words of the saints
and the saints are never wrong because they are saints.
Responding to those who attribute to him a political role,
the Archbishop pointed out that he feels internally content with
what he is and does not want to acquire an additional identity by
becoming a political leader.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[10] PAPANDREOU WILL BE IN CYPRUS ON SEPTEMBER 4 AND 5
Greek foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou will be on a two-
day formal visit to Cyprus on September 4 and 5.
According to a formal statement, Mr. Papandreou will make his
visit to Cyprus after consultations held between the foreign
ministries of Greece and Cyprus.
[11] THE GREEK UNDERSECRETARY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS IN CYPRUS
Greek undersecretary of foreign affairs Grigoris Niotis will
be in Cyprus on Sunday to attend the opening ceremony for the 12th
World Congress of Cypriots living abroad, according to a statement
issued by the Greek embassy in Cyprus.
During his visit, he will meet with Cypriot president Glafkos
Clerides, Archbishop Chrisostomos of Cyprus, parliament president
Dimitris Christofias, foreign minister Ioannis Kasoulides and
interior minister Christodoulos Christodoulou.
[12] VARTHOLOMEOS IN A CONFERENCE IN SOFIA
Representatives of the four main religions in southeastern
Europe, the Christian Orthodox, the Roman Catholic, Judaism, and
Islamism, will attend a meeting that will be held in Sofia on
September 8-10 under the auspices of Ecumenical Patriarch
Vartholomeos, aimed at changing the education policy in the
Balkans.
The announcement was made in the Bulgarian capital by author
and member of the conference's organizing committee, Victor
Paskov.
Bulgarian prime minister Simeon Saxe Coburg Gotha has been
invited to co-chair the conference that will be held with the
participation of NATO, European Commission, Euro-Parliament,
Organization for Security and Cooperation in the Balkans and
UNESCO officials.
The conference participants will exchange views on possible
policies and plans concerning southeastern Europe.
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