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Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English, 97-05-05Macedonian 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, May 5, 1997TITLES
NEWS IN DETAIL[01] TWO MONTHS AHEAD ARE DETERMINATIVE FOR GREEK-TURKISH RELATIONSAthens, May 5 (MPA)The next two months ahead are to determine the progress in Greek-Turkish relations, which will be examined by the committee of experts who will tackle procedural matters regarding the two countries, a proposal made by the EU's Dutch held presidency.The same issue will be discussed today by the ruling Pasok party's Executive Bureau as well as its Parliamentary Group which will convene on Wednesday. The Director of the Office of Southeastern European Affairs at the U.S. State Department Carey Cavanaugh has embarked on a tour through Athens and Ankara. Today he is expected to meet with Greece's Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Yiannos Kranidiotis. Also, contacts are expected to be made between Greek and Turkish officials during the NATO Summit, to be held at the end of this month, as well as during the July meeting between Greek Premier Kostas Simitis and his Turkish counterpart Necmettin Erbakan. A.F. [02] GREEK PREMIER FORWARDS CONGRATULATORY TELEGRAM TO BRITAIN'S TONI BLAIRAthens, May 5 (MPA)Greece's Prime Minister Kostas Simitis has forwarded a congratulatory telegram to Britain's newly-elected Premier Toni Blair."My sincere congratulations for your impressive victory which shall bring a historic turn to the course of Great Britain," Mr. Simitis wrote, adding that "I am certain of a close collaboration both for the European Union as well as for peace and stability in Europe." A.F. [03] GREEK DEFENSE MINISTER: THERE'S NOTHING TO NEGOTIATE OVER IN THE AEGEANAthens, May 5 (MPA)Greece's Minister of National Defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos has issued a message to all sides that there is nothing up for negotiation in the Aegean, whose status quo is inviolable.Mr. Tsochatzopoulos reiterated the terms set forth by the Greek side in order to alleviate the tension between Greece and Turkey. The leader of the country's main opposition party, New Democracy's Kostas Karamanlis, said that the will to improve Greek- Turkish relations is welcomed and desired. A.F. [04] IMF REPRESENTATIVES IN ATHENS, TO MEET WITH NATIONAL ECONOMY MINISTERAthens, May 5 (MPA)A delegation of officials from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has arrived in Athens where they will examine the restructures and reforms in Greece's economy, in light of the country's candidacy for participation to the Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), a matter to be determined by 1998.The IMF delegation will meet with officials from the Ministries of National Economy and Finance, the Bank of Greece, as well as leaders of the country's state-owned and private banking sectors. The Greek government is expected to illustrate the significant reforms currently in enforcement as well as its comprehensive macro-economic plan. Special emphasis is to be given to the increased-rate of privatization. A.F. [05] C OF E'S FOREIGN MINISTERS TO MEET IN STRASBURG TODAYStrasburg, May 5 (MPA)The Foreign Ministers of the Council of Europe's 40 members are to hold their 100th meeting today in Strasburg.Attending the Meeting will also be Austria's former chancellor and current envoy of the Organization of Security and Cooperation in Europe Franz Vranitski who will discuss the current situation in Albania. Heading the Greek delegation is Greece's alternate Foreign Minister George Papandreou who is expected to meet with Turkish Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Onur Oymen. Also, Greece's Undersecretary of Defense Dimitris Apostolakis is to meet with his American counterpart Jan Lodal and with the Director of the Office of Southeastern European Affairs at the U.S. State Department Carey Cavanaugh. A.F. [06] BULGARIA'S VICE-PRESIDENT IN THESSALONIKI TODAYThessaloniki, May 5 (MPA)The vice-president of Bulgaria Ivan Kovalciev is currently in Thessaloniki, heading a 12-member delegation who will visit Mountain Ahtos.Mr. Kovalciev will be received this afternoon by the Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Philippos Petsalnikos and the two men will discuss the opportunities for further developing economic ties between the two countries. Concurrently, the Bulgarian delegation will meet with leaders of Northern Greece's business and industry sectors. A.F. [07] PARTHENON MARBLES WILL STAY AT OUR MUSEUM, SAYS BRITISH MINISTERLondon, May 5 (MPA)Britain's new Culture Minister Chris Smith has openly stated that Greece's Parthenon marbles currently housed at the British Museum are to stay exactly where they are and said that his country's new government, headed by the newly-elected Premier Toni Blair, will not satisfy Greece's request to return the ancient monuments to Athens."The Parthenon marbles are an integral part of the British Museum's collection and we do not intend to return them," he stated. Greece's Minister of Culture Evangelos Venizelos stated that Greece will press on with its request for the return of the marbles which were secretly taken by Britain's Lord Elgin for his private collection during the previous century. A.F. [08] PRESIDIUM OF PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY OF BLACK SEA ECONOMIC COOPERATION TO MEET TOMORROW IN ATHENSAthens, May 5 (MPA)The 14th meeting of the Presidium of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation is to be chaired tomorrow in Athens by the President of the Greek Parliament Apostolos Kaklamanis who is also the Assembly's leader.The meeting will address procedural matters in regards to preparing the plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly, to be held in June. Also, the vice-president of the Ukranian Parliament Mr. Tkachenko will be received by Mr. Kaklamanis today. A.F. [09] CYPRIOT FOREIGN MINISTER TO MEET WITH FRANCE'S EUROPEAN AFFAIRS DIRECTORNicosia, May 5 (MPA)Cyprus' Foreign Minister Yiannakis Kasoulides is to be received by the French Foreign Minstry's Director of European Affairs Mr. Martens in Paris today.In turn, Mr. Kasoulides will travel to Strasburg where he will participate at the Foreign Ministers Meeting of the Council of Europe's member-states. Meanwhile, German envoy for the Cyprus issue Detlev Ransau is to meet with the Turkish-Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash today, and will give a press conference this evening. Mr. Ransau met with the Cypriot President Glafkos Clerides on Friday. 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 |