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Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English, 98-01-13Macedonian 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 THE MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCYThessaloniki, January 13, 1998TITLES
NEWS IN DETAIL[01] PRESIDENT OF GREECE ON OFFICAL VISIT TO INDIA, IN NEW DELHI TODAYAthens, January 13 (MPA)The President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos is currently in India, the first official visit by a Greek head of state to that country.Aiming at strengthening political and economic ties between the two countries, Mr. Stephanopoulos is accompanied by Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos, Finance Undersecretary Alekos Baltas and a delegation of leading Greek businessmen. representatives. In New Delhi today, Mr. Stephanopoulos will meet with his Indian counterpart Mr. Narayanan, and India's prime minister and parliament president. On Thursday, President Stephanopoulos is scheduled to visit the Taj Mahal. He will travel to Bombay on Friday and Calcutta on Saturday, departing for Athens on Sunday. According to reports, business leaders accompanying the President are expected to propose that Greek engineering contractors could undertake design and construction of several projects in India. A.F. [02] GREECE’S DEFENSE MINISTER VISITS ISLANDS IN THE AEGEANAthens, January 13 (MPA)Greek Minister of National Defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos has embarked on a tour through the Aegean Sea islands of Lesvos, Chios, Psara and the islet Panagia. Meanwhile, in the open seas of northern Aegean, the Turkish air and sea military exercise is currently underway.Today, the leader of Greece’s main opposition party, New Democracy’s Kostas Karamanlis is to meet with the U.S. Ambassador Nicholas Burns. A.F. [03] NEW TURKISH PROVOCATION IN THE AEGEAN, VIOLATIONS OF ATHENS’ FIRAthens, January 13 (MPA)Turkish military planes proceeded in new violations of Athens’s FIR and Greece’s national air space today, when 14 fighter jets flew into the air space between the islands of Rhodes and Carpathos, flying close to the shore at a distance less than six miles.Greece’s Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos stated that Ankara continuously violates Greece’s national air space and Athens’ FIR in vain since Greek pilots and Greek aircraft are always in a state of readiness. Moreover, Mr. Tsochatzopoulos added that Turkey is also acting illegally before the international community since it challenges the national air space, risks the flight security of Athens’ FIR and violates the rules of international law. A.F. [04] FOREIGN UNDERSECRETARY BRIEFS TURKISH AMBASSADOR TO ATHENSAthens, January 13 (MPA)Greece’s Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Yiannos Kranidiotis met with Turkey’s Ambassador in Athens Ali Tinaz Tuygan yesterday, whom he briefed on Greece's position regarding recent developments in relations between the European Union and Turkey.According to reports, Mr. Kranidiotis told the ambassador that Greece is not in principle against Turkey’s European orientation and that the Greek government desired and supported such a development in so far as Turkey decided to recognize and uphold the same principles and rules as all EU member-states and candidate countries. Mr. Kranidiotis also strongly condemned the recent violations of Greek air space by Turkish air force planes during the course of the latter’s military exercise in the Aegean Sea. The meeting was held at the Turkish ambassador’s request. A.F. [05] US AMBASSADOR TO ATHENS: WE RESPECT GREEK SOVEREIGNTY IN AEGEANAthens, January 13 (MPA)The United States Ambassador in Athens Nicholas Burns met today with the President of Greece’s main opposition party, New Democracy’s Kostas Karamanlis in Athens.Mr. Burns stated that Greece has established the 10 nautical miles since 1931, is a US and NATO ally, has a really good relationship with the United States and there is no issue of disagreement. Moreover, the American diplomat said that “we respect Greek sovereignty in the Aegean and we do not associate this with other issues.” When asked if the US would be willing to undertake a new initiative in the Aegean Sea, Mr. Burns stated that this could happen if it were requested by Athens and Ankara. He added that Greece and Turkey need to work together in order to reduce the existing tension, albeit he added that sovereignty must be respected, “which is why we thought it was important we state that Kalogiri (the islets) are Greek.” In turn, the spokesperson of New Democracy said that stability in the region is strengthened when all sides respect sovereign rights. A.F. [06] GOVERNMNENT REMAINS FIRM ON ITS POLICY OF HARD CURRENCYAthens, January 13 (MPA)Mobility in the country’s banking institutions will have a determining effect on the course of interest rates, according to the government.The Ministry of National Economy insists on its hard drachma policy by exerting pressure on the banks not to up the interest rates. According to reports, four banks are expected to re-adjust their interest rates within the following days. A.F. [07] ATHEN’S WORLD ARMISTICE PROPOSAL DURING 2004 OLYMPICS ACCEPTEDLausanne, January 13 (MPA)Greece’s proposal for an international armistice during the 2004 Olympics in Athens, was accepted yesterday during a Lausanne- held meeting between Greece’s alternate Foreign Minister George Papandreou and the President of International Olympic Committee (IOC) Juan Antonio Samaranch.During their meeting, the two officials decided that the Greek proposal for more cease-fire of hostilities during the period of Olympic Games be adopted and that a center for the further promotion of this idea be established at the site of ancient Olympia. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister Kostas Simitis is expected to announce tomorrow the group of persons who will compose the Executive and Organizing Committee for the Organization of the 2004 Olympic Games. A.F. [08] FRENCH PRESIDENT CHIRAC COMMENTS ON GREEK-TURKISH RELATIONSLondon, January 13 (MPA)French President Jacques Chirac has expressed the wish that Greek-Turkish differences be bridged, while he also stated that he is sorry that the European Union’s Luxembourg summit decided to exclude Turkey from the list of candidates for accession.Speaking to the BBC radio, Mr. Chirac said that "I'm sorry for the tension which exists between Greece and Turkey. A better solution can and must be found." He added that “I did as much as possible for Turkey and the role it can play in Europe," and said that Turkey’s relations with France and Europe are very important and that there is a place for Turkey in Europe. The French President also announced that the has invited his Turkish counterpart Suleiman Demirel on an official visit to Paris on February 18, hoping to “find a solution that could be accepted by Greece.” A.F. [09] TURKISH-CYPRIOTS GIVE UN INFORMATION ON GRAVES OF MISSING GREEK-CYPRIOTSNicosia, January 13 (MPA)The Turkish-Cypriots have given the United Nations information on the graves of Greek-Cypriots who are missing, according to the alternate special representative of the UN’s secretary-general Gustav Feishel and the commissioner for Humanitarian Issues Takis Christopoulos.Mr. Christopoulos referred to reports that concern 400 cases of Greek-Cypriots who have missing since Cyprus’ invasion by Turkey in 1974 and characterized the reports as “satisfactory” and the work performed by the Turkish-Cypriots s “important.” The exchange of information is expected to take place at the beginning of next week when the Turkish-Cypriots representative in the investigation committee for the missing returns from abroad. 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 |