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Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English, 97-03-17Macedonian 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, March 17, 1997TITLES
NEWS IN DETAIL[01] TIRANA IS CALM, POLICE PRESENCE IS STRONG, BUT PEOPLE ARE HUNGRYTirana, March 17 (MPA)The situation in Tirana is calm, with a strong police presence patroling the city's central square, but the hunger felt by the city's residents is quite evident.Prime Minister Bashkim Fino has ordered that the capital's public offices be re-opened today, while efforts are underway to re-operate the Tirana airport. Nevertheless, diplomatic circles in Tirana told the Macedonian Press Agency that the food shortage is the biggest thorn faced by Mr. Fino's government. With the relentless looting of the recent weeks, the state's food reserves have literally dwindled down to zero, a situation exacerbated by the closure of the borders since no aid could be accessed to the capital. The only expection was Greece's humanitarian aid mission which was conducted by sea. Nevertheless, tension in the country's southern region continues while a number of Albanian former army officers and seamen attempted to cross over to Italy. Representatives from OSCE and the EU are to travel to Tirana today in order to pave the way for a European peacekeeping mission in Albania. This mission will be limited to sending military and defense advisers who will meet with the caretaker government. A.F. [02] ALBANIA'S SOCIALIST LEADER FATOS NANO SUPPORTS BASHKIM FINOTirana, March 17 (MPA)Albania's Socialist leader Fatos Nano, who was recently freed after having been incarcerated for four years, expressed his support to his country's new premier Bashkim Fino and stressed that if President Sali Berisha would resign, then the crisis tearing his country apart will be alleviated.Meanwhile, in spite of the mounting pressures, Berisha refuses to leave his post and says that he would do so only if his Democratic Party would lose in early elections. Mr. Nano, who was officially pardoned by President Berisha yesterday, stated that all efforts must aim at maintaining peace. "We all support the ecumenical government. We are ready to cooperate with it," the Socialist leader said. A.F. [03] GREEK DEFENSE MINISTER FEARS THAT CRISIS MAY SPILL OVER TO OTHER REGIONSAthens, March 17 (MPA)Greece's Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos stated that the current crisis in Albania may spread over to other regions and expressed his concern that a wider crisis will erupt in the Balkans if the necessary measures are not drawn timely enough by the international community.Mr. Tsochatzopoulos also pointed out the significant role that Greece must carry out in the region. A.F. [04] HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS RETURN TO CLASSROOMS AFTER 55-DAY STRIKEAthens, March 17 (MPA)Greece's high school teachers returned to the classrooms today, after 55 days of a consecutive strike they held in protest to the state's economic policy.The teachers are now to find ways to recover the lost teaching hours. Their national union OLME plans to hold a three-hour work stoppage on Wednesday and asks that Easter break will not be shortened and the school year will not be extended. OLME filed an appeal with an Athens court today, contesting the recent judicial ruling that found the teachers' strike as being extortionate and illegal. The lawsuit had been filed by the parents of four high school students. A.F. [05] PREMIER TO RECEIVE 40 JOURNALISTS OF GREEK ORIGIN FROM 12 COUNTRIESAthens, March 17 (MPA)Forty journalists, all of whom have Greek origin, from 12 different countries and three continents are to meet with the Prime Minister Kostas Simitis today.The journalists' visits aim at strengthening their ties with the motherland, and at further solidifying the conviction that Greece is a factor of stability in the Balkan region. Moreover, another aim of their visit is to expand Greece's ability to strengthen its positions abroad. The journalists, men and women, are to be hosted in Greece by the Ministry of Press and Media until March 23. [06] MACEDONIA-THRACE MINISTER ON BUSINESS COOPERATION IN S.E. EUROPEThessaloniki, March 17 (MPA)The Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Philippos Petsalnikos stated today that the government tries to apply an overall policy for the Balkan region and the Black Sea countries, during his address at the Thessaloniki-held conference titled "Greece and the Balkans: Business Cooperation in Southeastern Europe".The conference will conclude tomorrow with an address to be given by Prime Minister Kostas Simitis. The session was opened by Thessaloniki's Mayor Konstantinos Kosmopoulos who stated that "our relations with the neighboring countries could develop from simple good neighborly ties to relations of equitable, progressive, European states. A.F. [07] OSCE WILL NOT ALLOW ALBANIA'S CONFLICT TO SPILL OVER TO FYROMSkopje, March 17 (MPA)The Council President of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Neils Helvek Petersen stated that his organization will not allow the Albanian conflict to spill over to FYROM.Speaking to Australian television, Mr. Petersen stated that if such conflict were to erupt into FYROM then there is a danger of an overall crisis in the Balkans were other countries of the region will become involved. [08] EURODEPUTY PAULINE GREEN WANTS CYPRUS' UNCONDITIONAL ACCESSION TO EUNicosia, March 17 (MPA)Britain's Labour Party eurodeputy Pauline Green arrived in Nicosia today where she reiterated that her party supports Cyprus' unconditional accession to the European Union.Ms. Green is to participate at the conference of the joint parliamentary committee of Cyprus-EU. The British Euro-parliamentarian characterized her country's imminent elections as critical and pointed out that their outcome will affect the course of her country's initiatives in regards to the Cyprus issue. A.F. [09] BULGARIA: FORMER PREMIER JEAN VIDENOV BLAMED FOR WHEAT SHORTAGESofia, March 17 (MPA)An interrogation process is currently under way in Bulgaria, where officials are trying to discover if the former socialist government is responsible for the vast shortages in their country's wheat reserves.Among those who are called to give a deposition is Bulgaria's former premier Jean Videnov, who has been forbidden to exit the country for as long as the interrogation period lasts. The government is accusing the socialists of allowing mass exports of wheat, resulting in today's severe food shortage. Minister of the Interior Boyomil Bonev accused Mr. Videnov of "criminal inertia". Mr. Videnov denied the blame and characterized it as "cheap sensationalism". A.F. [10] STUDENTS FROM UNIVERSITY OF SKOPJE CONTINUE HUNGER STRIKE FOR 14TH DAYSkopje, March 17 (MPA)The Slav students of the University of Skopje in FYROM continue their hunger strike for a 14th day today, protesting the law that allows for the teaching of the Albanian language in the Education Department of their university.Since last Friday, the striking students cut off all contact with the outside world and have even refused doctors visits, while other Slav students continue to rally in front of the Parliament without provoking episodes. The constitutionality of the law that allows for the use of the Albanian language is to be discussed next week in court, following a request filed by the Democratic Party, VMRO-DPMNE and FYROM's Student Association. 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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