Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English, 97-12-19

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From: The Macedonian Press Agency at http://www.mpa.gr and http://www.hri.org/MPA.

BRIEF GREEK NEWS BULLETIN BY THE MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY

Thessaloniki, December 19, 1997

TITLES

[01] UKRAINIAN PLANE STILL MISSING, INTENSE SEARCHES ARE UNDERWAY

[02] TRANSPORTATION MINISTER’S DETAILED ACCOUNT OF UP TO DISAPPEARANCE

[03] PILOT’S LAST CONVERSATION WITH CONTROL TOWER RECORDED

[04] UKRAINIAN MINISTER OF EMERGENCIES ARRIVES IN THESSALONIKI

[05] THE GOVERNMENT WILL ENFORCE ITS ECONOMIC POLICY, SAYS PAPANTONIOU

[06] TURKEY’S PREMIER MEETS WITH US PRESIDENT CLINTON IN WASHINGTON

[07] GREEK PRESIDENT OF PARLIAMENT MEETS WITH RUSSIA’S NEW AMBASSADOR

[08] GREECE’S CULTURE MINISTER MEETS WITH ALBANIAN COUNTERPART

[09] SIX MILLENNIA OF HELLENIC JEWELLERY TO BE EXHIBITED IN THESSALONIKI

NEWS IN DETAIL

[01] UKRAINIAN PLANE STILL MISSING, INTENSE SEARCHES ARE UNDERWAY

Thessaloniki, December 18 (MPA)

Working against time and under extremely adverse weather conditions, a C-130 Hercules military transport plane and Chinook helicopters are taking part in the search, along with thousands of soldiers, officers from disaster, army alpine and commando units, as well as civilians. The search is being focused in the inaccessible areas of Pieria, near Mt. Olympus, but is hindered by the dense fog and the low temperatures.

Meanwhile, the manufacturing company of the missing Yak-42 plane attributed blame to Thessaloniki’s air traffic control tower which is not equipped with a radar. Ukrainian experts arrived at the city yesterday in order to assist in the discovery of the aircraft.

The relatives of the missing passengers are quite distraught and demand that the Greek authorities provide them with official updates.

The Minister of Transportation Tasos Mantelis is to meet with the prosecutor of the Supreme Court to whom he will hand over the tape of the conversation between the pilot of the YAK-42 and the “Macedonia” airport’s control tower, held shortly before the disappearance of the aircraft. This procedure is in accordance to International Civil Aviation Organization regulations.

The plane, conducting the charter flight from Kiev, via Odessa, was supposed to land in Thessaloniki shortly after 2130 GMT on Wednesday. It disappeared from the radar of Thessaloniki’s air traffic control tower at 9:13 p.m. when it approached the landing corridor without embarking on landing maneuvers. According to the “Macedonia” airport officials, the tower personnel guided the Ukrainian pilot to delay landing, by making a turn above the city and re-attempt the landing process. The pilot turned westward, above the Thermaicos Bay, and in turn flew southwest of the airport. The last time it was located on the radar it was flying at an altitude of 1,000 meters, 15 kilometers away the city of Veria. A.F.

[02] TRANSPORTATION MINISTER’S DETAILED ACCOUNT OF UP TO DISAPPEARANCE

Thessaloniki, December 19 (MPA)

Mr. Mantelis said that the aircraft entered Greek airspace at 8:40p.m. on Wednesday and its pilot received permission from the control tower of Thessaloniki’s airport to land using the ILS system .

At 8:55 p.m. the aircraft flew over the landing runway but at a higher altitude than usual and did not land. The pilot again requested and was given permission to attempt a new landing.

At 8:59 p.m., Mr. Mantelis continued, the pilot reported that he was flying 10 nautical miles northwest of the airport at an altitude of 3,500 feet. The control tower then instructed him to climb to 6,000 feet and report his position.

The pilot reported his position at 9:09 p.m., at an altitude of 6,000 feet. He said he was beginning the landing procedure using the ILS system which helps aircraft descend to within 300 meters of the runway.

During the landing procedure, the pilot requested assistance from the control tower which, however, did not have "electronic” contact with the aircraft since the airport is not equipped with a radar.

At 9:13 p.m. the air traffic controllers lost radio contact with the pilot and the airport went on alert five minutes later.

The Transportation Minister speculated that perhaps the Ukrainian pilot became confused and from some point on was reporting his position incorrectly. A.F.

[03] PILOT’S LAST CONVERSATION WITH CONTROL TOWER RECORDED

Thessaloniki, December 19 (MPA)

The conversation occurred at 9.10 p.m. while the aircraft's direction (west, east, south or north) was not clarified. The pilot replied that he is at 3,500 feet and the control tower called on the aircraft to proceed to the point of starting the descent process and the pilot responded "Okay".

Two minutes later, at 9.12 p.m., the pilot told the control tower: "I will report to you when I reach the point of starting the descent."

These were the pilot's last words before the aircraft lost contact with the control tower. A.F.

[04] UKRAINIAN MINISTER OF EMERGENCIES ARRIVES IN THESSALONIKI

Thessaloniki, December 19 (MPA)

Accompanied by a large delegation of Ukrainian officials, Mgrs. Kpcenko and Cerip met with the Greek ministers of Transportation and Macedonia-Thrace, Mgrs. Mantelis and Petsalnikos respectively, who informed them on the course of the search currently conducted by the Greek forces.

Mr. Kpcenko stated that his country’s government has formed an emergency committee, which comprises high-ranking officials, among them two ministers and the assistant of the Ukrainian premier.

When asked if he holds the Greek civil aviation authorities responsible for the craft’s disorientation, Mr. Kpcenko stated that “there are certain international regulations that do not allow for views to be expressed before the investigation process is completed.”

Moreover, he stressed that the specific plane was as safe as the others of the same type (YAK-42). He conveyed his government’s condolences to the families of the aircraft’s passengers, while members of his delegation met with the distraught relatives. A.F.

[05] THE GOVERNMENT WILL ENFORCE ITS ECONOMIC POLICY, SAYS PAPANTONIOU

Athens, December 19 (MPA)

In his speech, the Minister stressed that Greece closed 1993 with an inflation rate of 12.3% which has now been contained at 4.8%, while the GNP deficit has dropped to 4.2%.

The National Economy Minister outlined the budget’s contents, stressing that the priority target is to reduce the GNP deficit to below the 2.5% mark, so that by the year 2000 the country will be ready for accession to the Economic and Monetary Union.

Mr. Papantoniou said that the rate of privatization is to proceed at a quicker pace and also vowed that tax indicators are to be reduced in two to three years. He did stress that the government is determined to enforce the fiscal policy it has drawn. A.F.

[06] TURKEY’S PREMIER MEETS WITH US PRESIDENT CLINTON IN WASHINGTON

Washington, December 19 (MPA)

Mr. Yilmaz stated that the division of Cyprus could become permanent if the European Union does not review its decision to freeze Turkey’s candidacy as one of its members.

During their meeting, President Clinton is expected to bring up the issue of human rights, while also setting forth as priority matters both the Cyprus issue and the situation in the Aegean Sea. Moreover, according to reports, the US President is to bring up the issue of the re-operation of the Theological School of Chalke.

The American President is to ask the Turkish Premier to bridge his country’s differences with the European Union, by emphasizing that at least some of the terms set forth by the Community need to be accepted by Ankara so that Turkey may proceed with accession to the EU.

President Clinton is also expected to request from Mr. Yilmaz that he accept recourse for the Imia islets with the International Court of Justice at The Hague and to achieve progress on the Cyprus issue.

Following his visit with President Clinton, Mr. Yilmaz Mr.Yilmaz will meet with Vice-President Al Gore, five Secretaries and with the chiefs of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

Mgrs. Yilmaz and Gore will proceed to the signing of an $850 million agreement concerning the purchase of 49 Boeing aircraft. A.F.

[07] GREEK PRESIDENT OF PARLIAMENT MEETS WITH RUSSIA’S NEW AMBASSADOR

Athens, December 19 (MPA)

The Russian diplomat saluted the exemplary status of bilateral relations enjoyed between the two countries and the support provided by the Greek “parliament to the Russian House through international organizations.

Ms. Matvienko also relayed to Mr. Kaklamanis an invitation to visit Moscow, issued by the Speaker of the Russian Parliament. A.F.

[08] GREECE’S CULTURE MINISTER MEETS WITH ALBANIAN COUNTERPART

Athens, December 19 (MPA)

According to a communique issued after the two officials’ meeting, the two sides are to also collaborate on archaeological researches conducted in the neighboring country, while Greece is to also assist Albania with technical support and educational training in the sector of archaeology.

Moreover, Albania is to host a series of events titled “Greek Days”, while similar festivities titled “Albanian Days” will be held in Greece, both taking place during 1998. A.F.

[09] SIX MILLENNIA OF HELLENIC JEWELLERY TO BE EXHIBITED IN THESSALONIKI

Thessaloniki, December 19 (MPA)

The exhibition is part of the events held by the organization “Cultural Capital of Europe - Thessaloniki’97” and organized by the Ministry of Culture.

The event is hailed as the most thorough of its kind since it encompasses six millennia of jewelry-crafting and features pieces from the National Archaeological Museum, the archaeological museums of Thessaloniki, Philippi, Volos, Vravrona, Paros, Heraklion, Komotene, and the Byzantine museums of Athens, Thessaloniki and elsewhere.

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/

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