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Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English, 97-10-10Macedonian 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, October 10, 1997TITLES
NEWS IN DETAIL[01] PRESIDENT OF GREECE ADDRESSES COUNCIL OF EUROPE AT SUMMIT CONFERENCEStrasbourg, October 10 (MPA)Greece’s vision for the respect of human rights was illustrated through a speech presented by the President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos to the Council of Europe’s Summit conference, which began today in Strasbourg.President Stephanopoulos, having praised all those who have labored for the past forty years in the name of the Council and its principles, referred to the need of realigning the institution’s role and readjusting it to the recent European reality. The Greek President stressed the country’s efforts to promote the aims of the State Council, emphasizing the impact of the European agreement of human rights on Greece’s legislation. “Greece, thoroughly committed to respecting the European Agreement for human rights, cannot but contribute decisively to the strengthening of democratic principles, throughout Europe,” President Stephanopoulos stated, adding that “Greece is trying with every means to best adjust to the spirit and principles of the Council of Europe.” Moreover, the President referred to the C of E’s expansion towards eastern Europe, as well as to the recent agreement concerning bio-medicine and the banning of cloning, as well as to the plague of narcotics and organized crime. Referring to illegal immigration, the Greek President stressed Greece’s understanding and tolerance, due to its comprehension of the situation noted in certain neighboring countries, and asked the Council to aid in the repatriation and re-adjustment of these people to their homelands. A.F. [02] COUNCIL OF EUROPE SUMMIT CONFERENCE BEGINS TODAY IN STRASBOURGStrasbourg, October 10 (MPA)The Council of Europe embarked on a summit conference today in Strasbourg, featuring the participation of state leaders from the organization’s forty member-countries.The two-day conference, the second in line since the founding of the C of E, will aim at establishing and strengthening democratic principles and human rights in Europe. The state leaders are expected to present the political force for renewing the C of E’s role in and contribution to the establishment of democratic stability. The summit will conclude with the adoption of a final declaration and an action plan that the C of E is to follow. This final declaration is to reaffirm the C of E member-states’ commitment to democracy, justice, respect for human rights and a common cultural heritage. Of heightened interest is the Council’s action plan that foresees the establishment of a permanent court of human rights which, if approved by the state leaders, is expected to be set into operation by November of 1998. Should this court be established, 700 million Europeans will have direct and immediate access to the court which will adjudicate both personal claims and cross-state disputes. Also, the C of E is to submit to the state leaders for approval the protocol-addendum to the Agreement of Human Rights and Bio-medicine which will ban the cloning of humans and will bind the C of E’s member-states into drawing additional measures for combating xenophobia and racism, terrorism, corruption, organized crime and narcotics. A.F. [03] U.S. WILL SELL AIR-TO-AIR MISSILE SYSTEMS TO GREECE AND TURKEYWashington, October 10 (MPA)The United States Pentagon has announced its intention to sell air-to-air missile systems to both Greece and Turkey. According to the announcement, this sale is not to affect the U.S. government’s efforts to resolve Greek-Turkish differences and the Cyprus issue.Moreover, the U.S. Department of Defense has also announced that the proposed sale, which must first be approved by Congress, is to serve the aims of the Clinton Administration’s foreign and defense policies. Greece is to purchase 20 “Harpoon” type missiles, used for attacks against ships, at a price tag of 35 million dollars. Both Greece and Turkey are to purchase “Amraam” type anti-air missiles. The missiles to be sold to Ankara are to cost 62 million dollars, while Athens will pay $42 million. A.F. [04] PRESIDENT OF CYPRUS IS FIRM, S-300 MISSILES WILL BE DELIVERED AS SCHEDULEDStrasbourg, October 10 (MPA)The President of the Republic of Cyprus Glafkos Clerides stated today that the issue of the purchase of S- 300 anti-aircraft missiles from Russia need not be discussed at this time with Russian President Boris Yeltsin or Russia’s Foreign Minister Evgeni Primakov since, as he stressed, there is an agreement concerning the delivery date of the missiles which will be upheld.Speaking at a press conference in Strasbourg, Mr. Clerides also stated that he favors the participation of Turkish-Cypriot representatives into the delegation of the Cypriot Republic that is to attend the accession negotiations with the European Union, albeit he added that he disagrees with the proposal that there should be two separate representations. Mr. Clerides stressed that the Cypriot government has displayed its good will by proposing the participation of the Turkish-Cypriots into its delegation and added that the island’s contribution to the European completion could be of vast significance given Cyprus’ geopolitical position. A.F. [05] MURATOV: AN ATTACK ON S-300 MISSILES CARRIER IS CAUSUS BELLI FOR RUSSIANicosia, October 10 (MPA)Russia will view as a causus belli any attack by Turkey against the ship that is to carry the S-300 anti- aircraft missiles to Cyprus through the straits of Dardanelles, according to Russian ambassador to Nicosia Georgi MuratovMr. Muratov, speaking to Cyprus’s RIK, reiterated that the missiles sale to Cyprus will go through, unless the island is demilitarized and progress is achieved on the Cyprus issue. Meanwhile, Greece’s Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Mr. Yiannos Kranidiotis stated that Cyprus, too, has a right to defense, just like all countries do. A.F. [06] SIR HANNAY: THE NEXT PHASE OF CYPRUS ISSUE SHOULD FOCUS ON LEGAL DETAILSNicosia, October 10 (MPA)The British special envoy for the Cyprus issue Sir David Hannay has stated that he is in agreement with the United Nations’ intentions to focus the next phase of negotiations over the Cyprus issue on legal details.“It is clear that the focus will be the constitution of a bi-communal, bi-zonal federated Cyprus and issues concerning sovereignty and political equality should be resolved through this document,” Sir Hannay stated. Moreover, the British diplomat stated that issues concerning territorial differences, refugees and security are equally important as that of the constitution. Concerning land allocation on the island, Sir Hannay reminded that the UN had submitted a 72% versus 28% land allocation proposal in 1992 and added that the final adjustment is not to differ by much from the aforementioned proposal. Concerning security on the island, the British official proposed that the presence of an international police force be looked into, which could carry out a significant role, at least for the first years following the achievement of an agreement. A.F. [07] DRAFT BILL “KAPODISTRIAS” TABLED IN PARLIAMENT TODAYAthens, October 10 (MPA)The draft bill “Kapodistrias” concerning the merger of the country’s various municipalities and communities is to be tabled in Parliament today.The Minister of the Interior is to make a formal presentation of the plan to the members of the central association of Greece’s Municipalities and Communities. Mr. Papadopoulos said that the plan is to breath new air into Greece’s countryside. A.F. [08] ANOTHER MASS GRAVE DISCOVERED IN BOSNIA, CONTAINS BODIES OF 13 MUSLIMSSarajevo, October 10 (MPA)Another mass grave was discovered yesterday near the city of Svornik, east of Bosnia-Herzegovina, containing the bodies of 13 Muslims, the French news agency AFP reported.According to a survivor’s account, the victims were killed at an ambush set up by Bosnian-Serbs on May 10, 1992, during their efforts to flee their villages near Zvornik and head towards Tuzla. Among the bodies are those of three women and a ten-year-old child. Twenty thousand persons remain missing today, two years following the end of the war, according to data provided by the United Nations. A.F. [09] ALBANIAN COLLEGE STUDENTS RALLY IN TETOVO, FYROMTetovo, October 10 (MPA)In an act of solidarity towards the Albanian college students of Kossovo, the Albanian students of Tetovo’s unrecognized university in FYROM are to conduct a rally today.The rally is being supported by the young members of all of FYROM’s political parties and the participants are to ask that the University of Tetovo be officially recognized by the state. 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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