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Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English, 97-04-23Macedonian 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, April 23, 1997TITLES
NEWS IN DETAIL[01] GREEK PREMIER TO MEET WITH CHANCELLOR KOHL IN BONNBonn, April 23 (MPA)Greece's Prime Minister Kostas Simitis is to meet with German chancellor Helmut Kohl in Bonn today, where the two men will discuss European issues as well as Greece's relations with Turkey.In statements he made yesterday, Mr. Simitis said that Greece will not lift its veto over Turkey's funding from the European Union for as long as Ankara does not proceed to offering specific statements to Greece. A.F. [02] EU-TURKEY ASSOCIATION COUNCIL ON APRIL 29Brussels, April 23 (MPA)The European Union has issued its common position for the EU- Turkey Association Council, set for April 29, wherein it states that the further strengthening of relations between the Community and Turkey depends on a number of factors.Specifically, the EU's common position states that one of these factors is "the improvement of relations between an EU member-state and Turkey through the settlement of issues between them in acordance with international law, including means such as the International Court of Justice, as well as through good neighborly relations and the rejection of the threat of use of force in accordance with the UN Charter." Moreover, the common position states that Turkey must improve its human rights record, bringing its standards to internationally- accepted levels. Regarding Cyprus, the EU refers to its Council's decision to start accession negotiations with Cyprus six months after the Intergovernmental Conference. According to the statement, the Council is said to attach the highest importance to the efforts to bring the leaders of the island's two communities in direct talks. "It (the EU) is convinced that a solution to the Cyprus problem on this basis is urgently needed to remove the cause of lasting tension in Cyprus and the region," the statement reads, adding that "lack of progress would be to the detriment of Turkey, the EU and EU-Turkish relations." Meanwhile, Greece's Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos is to meet with his Turkish counterpart Tansu Ciller in Istanbul on April 30, the day after the Association Council. Mr. Pangalos has stated that Greece's firm position is that Ankara must withdraw any threat of war and abandon its claims in the Aegean Sea, for which it can resort to the International Court of Justice at The Hague. A.F. [03] EASTER HOLIDAY AHEAD, ALL OF GREECE'S ORTHODOX READY TO CELEBRATEAthens, April 23 (MPA)Greeks are preparing to celebrate Easter Sunday and the cities are expected to be emptied by Friday as thousands will flock to the countryside where they will celebrate the Resurrection of Christ with roasted lamb, dance and festivities.Meanwhile, Undersecretary of Agriculture Vassilis Geranides, in his attempt to maintain lamb prices at a reasonable level, faced the wrath of Greece's butchers whom he accused of pumping up the prices of meat they had purchased at low wholesale prices. A.F. [04] TURKEY: ERBAKAN GOVERNMENT MAY COLLAPSE WITHIN A FEW DAYSAnkara, April 23 (MPA)There are serious indications that the Erbakan-led government in Turkey will collapse within a few days, acording to the statements made by deputies of the Welfare Party.Leading the dissenting deputies is Idin Mederes who stated that "the President of the True Path Party Tansu Ciller could proceed to making spectacular moves that will lead to the collapse of the government." A.F. [05] ALBANIA: INCREASING DIFFERENCES BETWEEN DEMOCRATIC PARTY & OPPOSITIONTirana, April 23 (MPA)The distance continues to grow between Albania's ruling Democratic Party and the country's main opposition the Socialist Party, fueling worries that the agreement reached on March 9 to hold parliamentary elections this summer may not materialize.Although OSCE's special envoy Franz Vranitski has announced that the parliamentary elections will be held on June 29, President Sali Berisha says that a basic condition for holding elections is to disarm the rioting civilians. Meanwhile, Italian Minister of Defense Mr. Andreata has issued stern statements, which were published in an Albanian daily, and said that "Italy, which provides the greatest amount of aid in the attempts to resolve the crisis, does not intend to endanger the lives of its soldiers in order to allow for the games played by certain Albanian politicians." A.F. [06] BULGARIA'S SERB MINORITY IS A THORN IN TIES WITH F.R.Y.Belgrade, April 23 (MPA)Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry issued a strong demarche to the Ambassador of the Federal Yugoslav Republic in Sofia concerning two documents that concern Bulgaria's Serb minority which were published by the UN's Yugoslav delegation in Geneva.The Bulgarian side said that this move was a diversionary act and accused Yugoslavia of trying to distract the international community's attention from the human rights violations which, as it said, Yugoslavia's Bulgarian minority is subjected to. "Bulgaria wishes for an objective approach to the issue, free of emotionalism," the Bulgarian demarche emphasizes. 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 |