Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English, 97-01-13

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From: The Macedonian Press Agency at http://www.mpa.gr and http://www.hri.org/MPA.

BRIEF GREEK NEWS BULLETIN BY MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY

Thessaloniki, January 13, 1997

TITLES

[01] HEAVY RAINFALL CAUSES FLOODING, FIVE PEOPLE DEAD

[02] PREMIER TO CHAIR CONFERENCE ON NATIONAL ISSUES

[03] PRIME MINISTER TO RECEIVE RUSSIAN MINISTER OF ENERGY

[04] GREEK FOREIGN MINISTER IN BELGRADE YESTERDAY

[05] GREEK SEAMEN TO STRIKE AGAIN TODAY, FARMERS TO DECIDE WHEN

[06] BULGARIAN OPPOSITION DEMANDS EARLY ELECTIONS

NEWS IN DETAIL

[01] HEAVY RAINFALL CAUSES FLOODING, FIVE PEOPLE DEAD

Corinthos, January 13 (MPA)

The city of Corinth has been transformed into a mudbath with cars and trucks floating in all directions as if they were cardboard boxes, while electricity and telecommunication lines have been cut-off by the severe storms.

Traffic has been halted at various parts of the Athens-Lamia national highway, while rivers have overflowed into the asphalt.

Railway transportation has also been interrupted from Athens to Lamia and to the Peloponnese where the heavy rain tore off many railway tracks from the ground.

Undersecretary of Welfare Theodoros Kotsonis has directed the Prefect of Corinth to avail the area's hotels for the temporary housing of the flood's victims.

The damage caused to roads, buildings, houses and cars is so far assessed at billions of drachmas. A delegation of government officials is visiting the stricken areas, headed by the Minister of Environment, Planning and Public Works, Kostas Laliotis.

[02] PREMIER TO CHAIR CONFERENCE ON NATIONAL ISSUES

Athens, January 13 (MPA)

Arriving in Athens this evening from Cyprus is the Director of the Office of Southeastern European Affairs at the U.S. State Department, Carey Cavanaugh, who will be received by Foreign Ministry officials.

Upon his arrival at Cyprus, Mr. Cavanaugh emphasized that his first task is to reduce the tension noted on the island and that he has arrived with specific ideas which, if are implemented by both sides, will achieve a reduction in tensions.

Secondly, Mr. Cavanaugh stated, his aim is to promote measures which will enable the solution process to the Cyprus issue.

"The Cyprus issue," he stated, is at a critical stage and any whatsoever military invasion on behalf of Turkey is not justified."

This morning, Mr. Cavanaugh was received by the President of the Republic of Cyprus Glafkos Clerides. Following their meeting, the US official stated that the Cypriot government promised that the Russian missiles will not be brought to the island until after 16 months.

"I believe that this development can reduce the tension on the island," Mr. Cavanaugh stated.

This Friday, January 17, Mr. Clerides is expected in Athens where he will meet with the Greek Premier.

When asked if the Cypriot Government has been informed on the matters discussed during the recent conference held in the Greek Foreign Ministry, the Cypriot government spokesperson Yiannakis Kasoulides replied that it has not and added that this will be the topic of the discussions to be held between Msgrs. Clerides and Simitis.

Meanwhile, Turkish Chief of the Army General Staff Hakki Karadayi arrives at the Turkish-occupied northern Cyprus today.

His visit is deemed as a reaction-move on behalf of Turkey over Cyprus' recent purchase of the Russian surface-to-air missiles S-300.

Also expected to visit the occupied territory within the following days is Turkish Foreign Minister and ex- Premier Tansu Ciller.

[03] PRIME MINISTER TO RECEIVE RUSSIAN MINISTER OF ENERGY

Athens, January 13 (MPA)

Upon his arrival in Athens yesterday, the Russian Minister relayed his country's wish to cooperate with Greece on all levels.

[04] GREEK FOREIGN MINISTER IN BELGRADE YESTERDAY

Belgrade, January 13 (MPA)

Mr. Pangalos' visit was not intended to have a mediatory character regarding the crisis that has emerged between the Serb government and the main opposition tri- partite coalition "Zajedno" since November 17's local elections.

Instead, Mr. Pangalos got a "first hand" report on the current political situation of the country, since it is widely believed that if the tension were to escalate it could have an impact on the wider region.

In all, Mr. Pangalos relayed to the Serb leaders that Greece wishes to see the tensions reduced in order to avoid potential destabilization in the area.

Also, Mr. Pangalos stated that the findings reached by the Organization of Scecurity and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) must be upheld.

OSCE had recently sent a delegation to Belgrade, headed by Spain's former Premier Felipe Gonzalez, to investigate the local election results and found that the opposition had prevailed in the majority of the country's municipalities.

[05] GREEK SEAMEN TO STRIKE AGAIN TODAY, FARMERS TO DECIDE WHEN

Athens, January 13 (MPA)

PNO has rejected the Government's offer to tax the seamen's income up to 10 percent for the following two- year period.

According to previous regulations, no income tax was imposed on lower-ranking marine staff, while the rest were taxed with approximately 5 percent of their total income. The new regulations would impose a 7.5% income tax on the lower-ranking staff, while the remaining ranks would be taxed with 10 percent.

Also, the Pan-Thessaly Coordinating Committee of Farmers will decide today when they will embark on their mobilizations and what method of rallies they will employ.

PASOK's Executive Bureau will address the farmers' issue tomorrow, while a delegation of government officials is currently touring the region of Thessaly, the country's hard-core agricultural center.

[06] BULGARIAN OPPOSITION DEMANDS EARLY ELECTIONS

Sofia, January 13 (MPA)

Diplomatic circles in Sofia openly fear the possibility of a military coup, following last Thursday's apparent division in Parliament and the exiting president Zelyu Zhelev's refusal to grant the Minister of Interior Nicolai Dobrev the order to form a cabinet.

During a rally held yesterday, the country's newly- elected President Peter Stoyanov issued an appeal for a dialogue with the political forces, while favoring early parliamentary elections.

Meanwhile, inflation in Bulgaria has reached the 410% mark, paralyzing the country's economy.

Complete archives of the Macedonian Press Agency bulletins are available on the MPA Home Page at http://www.mpa.gr/ and on the U.S. mirror at http://www.hri.org/MPA/

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