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Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English, 97-02-11Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Macedonian Press Agency at http://www.mpa.gr and http://www.hri.org/MPA.BRIEF GREEK NEWS BULLETIN BY MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCYThessaloniki, February 11, 1997TITLES
NEWS IN DETAIL[01] TEACHERS TO DECIDE TODAY WHETHER OR NOT THEY'LL CONTINUE STRIKESAthens, February 11 (MPA)Greece's striking teachers will decide today whether or not they'll continue their strikes for a fifth consecutive week.Education Minister Gerasimos Arsenis reiterated yesterday that all opportunities for dialogue with the strikers have been exhausted and implied that the strike is perhaps fueled by political reasons. Meanwhile, primary school teachers and kindergarten staff will strike until tomorrow when they are due to decide if they'll continue their protests as well. A.F. [02] DEFENSE MINISTER AKIS TSOCHATZOPOULOS TO VISIT GERMANY NEXT WEEKAthens, February 11 (MPA)Greece's Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos will conduct a two-day formal visit to Germany next Monday.During his stay in Bonn, Mr. Tsochatzopoulos will meet with his German counterpart Faulker Rye and will attend working luncheons with German Defense Ministry officials. The Greek Minister will have talks over issues concerning bilateral relations, the Greek-Turkish issues, the Cyprus issue, the developments in the Balkan region and the Alliance's eastward expansion. Also, Mr. Tsochatzopoulos will meet with members of the German-Hellenic Parliamentary Group and leading members of Germany's Greek community. A.F. [03] CULTURE MINISTRY STAFF EMBARK ON 48-HOUR STRIKE, MUSEUMS TO BE CLOSEDAthens, February 11 (MPA)Greec's Culture Ministry employees have embarked on a 48-hour strike, demanding improved salaries and wage benefits.As a result, the country's museums will remain closed during the work stoppage. A.F. [04] ENVIRONMENT MINISTER: EGNATIA ROAD WILL BE COMPLETED BY YEAR 2000Athens, February 11 (MPA)The Minister of Environment, Public Works and City Planning Kostas Laliotis announced in Parliament yesterday that the mammoth project Egnatia Road will be completed by the year 2000.Mr. Laliotis stated that 420 of the project's 680 kilometers will be completed within this year, at a cost of 430 billion GRD. The Minister also gave special emphasis to Thessaloniki's "Macedonia" airport which, he said, is developing into a modern, international hangar. A.F. [05] BRITISH FOREIGN MINISTER FEARS GREEK-TURKISH CONFLICT ERUPTINGLondon, February 11 (MPA)Britain's Foreign Minister Malcolm Rifkind and the United States former Undersecretary of State Richard Holbrook warned this morning in a BBC radio broadcast that there is a serious possibility of Greek-Turkish war over Cyprus.Both officials emphasized that the Cyprus issue should be resolved before the accession talks begin between Cyprus and the European Union. The British Foreign Minister expressed his concern over the worsening turn taken lately in Greek-Turkish relations, and blames both countries for lacking political will in the efforts to resolve their differences. Moreover, Mr. Rifkind stated that the tension in the eastern Mediterranean is of concern to NATO. "One would expect that Greece and Turkey would exert every effort to avoid a conflict. But the intense verbal juxtaposition that stems from both countries renders a peaceful resolution of these problems pretty difficult," he stated, adding that when the relations are good between the two countries, then, even if there are differences, they can be resolved quickly and peacefully. But when the relations are already bad and tense and difficult, then both sides appear to be looking for an excuse to make them worse and that is pretty grim." When asked if there might be conflict between Greece and Turkey in the Aegean, Mr. Rifkind stated "it has to be a serious possibility." Similar assessments were made by Mr. Holbrook who stated that such conflict could erupt if a solution to the Cyprus issue is not reached soon. Mr. Holbrook characterized Cyprus and southeastern Europe as "the warmest spot in the planet" and warned that if a Greek- Turkish war were to erupt, then the consequences will be catastrophic for the whole region." A.F. [06] US: CYPRUS ISSUE SHOULD BE RESOLVED BEFORE ISLAND'S ACCESSION TO EUWashington, February 11 (MPA)The Director of the Office of Southeastern European Affairs at the U.S. State Department, Carey Cavanaugh, stated today that the recent visit to the US by British special envoy for Cyprus Sir David Hannay was performed for mutual briefing purposes.Mr. Cavanaugh stated that Sir Hannay, who met with the US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, made it clear to the American officials that London supports that all parties involved should participate in the talks over the Cyprus issue and emphasized the significance of the peaceful process in regards to Cyprus' accession to the European Union. Moreover, the US official stated that Britain maintains that the Cyprus issue should be resolved prior to the island's accession to the EU and considers as very significant the orchestrated efforts to achieve a peaceful resolution. Mr. Cavanaugh added that Washington, too, believes that achieving a solution to the island's problem is not possible without the participation of all interested parties, whom he called on to take measures so that the tension can be reduced. "We realize," Mr. Cavanaugh stated, "that resolving the Cyprus issue prior to its accession to the EU is the most logical step for peace and welfare in the region." A.F. [07] ALBANIA: VIOLENT CLASHES BETWEEN POLICE-CIVILIANS CONTINUETirana, February 11 (MPA)The Albanian government is looking into the possibility of declaring "emergency status" to the city of Avlona, following yesteday's violent clashes between police and protesting civilians, where three demonstrators died and over 100 persons were injured. The strong police forces lined up outside the city's police station are encircled by an angry crowd of people who demand that the government return to them their money lost in the get-rich-quick schemes known as the "pyramid". A.F.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/Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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