Compact version |
|
Sunday, 22 December 2024 | ||
|
Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English, 98-02-27Macedonian 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, February 27, 1998TITLES
NEWS IN DETAIL[01] PREMIER PRESENTS FOREIGN POLICY IN PARLIAMENT SPEECHAthens, February 27 (MPA)Prime Minister Kostas Simitis, addressing the Hellenic Parliament last night, reiterated Greece's firm position on a step-by-step approach in Greek-Turkish relations, and stated that "the problems between the two countries stem from Ankara's unacceptable demands and pressures."The Premier also emphasized that "Greece does not discuss, in any manner, its sovereign rights" and rejected the idea of an overall political negotiation. He further stressed the Greek proposal, that is "recourse to the International Court of Justice at The Hague for the delineation of the (Aegean) continental shelf", which, he said, "is the only issue between the two countries that requires settlement, and would decisively contribute to normalisation of the situation". Mr. Simitis referred to the European Union decisions at the Luxembourg summit where, he stated, "it was deemed, at the present stage, that it was not feasible for Turkey to be considered as being able to be included on an equal status with the other candidates". [02] GREEK FOREIGN MINISTER TO VISIT BELGRADE NEXT WEEKAthens, February 27 (MPA)Greece’s Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos is to pay an official visit to Belgrade on March 6, a statement by the foreign ministry said yesterday.Mr. Pangalos is scheduled to hold talks with his Yugoslav counterpart Zivadin Jovanovic on bilateral relations and on international issues of common interest. [03] INTERIOR MINISTER PROPOSES CHANGES IN ELECTION LAWSAthens, February 27 (MPA)The ministerial committee and political secretariat of the ruling PASOK party is to convene today where it will examine, among other things, the changes proposed by the Minister of the Interior on election laws. The basic premise of Mr. Alekos Papadopoulos’ proposal is that those who live away from their precinct vote on Saturday, while all the others can vote on Sunday as normally.[04] MAIN OPPOSITION’S HONORARY PRESIDENT: I DON’T CARE FOR LISTSAthens, February 27 (MPA)The honorary president of Greece’s main opposition party, New Democracy’s Konstantinos Mitsotakis, has upped the ante in the on- going juxtaposition between himself and the party’s president Kostas Karamanlis, after the latter stated yesterday that he plans to take advantage of the “national capital” called Mitsotakis, either by including him in lists or propose him for the seat of President of the Republic.In response, Mr. Mitsotakis said that he is interested in neither lists, nor the presidency. “ I would be interested for the post of president only if the people were to elect me. But, what does interest me now is the party’s fate and future,” he stated. [05] HIGHWAY PATROL TO TAKE EXTRA MEASURES FOR HOLIDAY WEEKENDThessaloniki, February 27 (MPA)The Greek highway patrol is to enforce added measures as of this afternoon in light of the three-day weekend, celebrating Lent.Meanwhile, the State Railway Organisation and the national airline Olympic Airways are to add more routes and flights in order to serve the hundreds of thousands who will take advantage of the long weekend. Moreover, market police are beefing up on the checks conducted in the food markets, especially in the sector of meat products. [06] PRO-JUNTA POLICEMEN SUBJECT TO DISCIPLINARY ACTIONAthens, February 27 (MPA)Thirteen enlisted policemen, who were captured in video footage dating back to 1993 celebrating the junta regime, are to appear before the police department’s disciplinary committee.The head of the committee has suggested that the highest penalty, that of expulsion from the force, be enforced for only one of the thirteen, Police chief S. Koutroumanis. [07] UN’s CORDOVEZ TO VISIT CYPRUS ON MARCH 16New York, February 27 (MPA)The United Nations Secretary General’s special adviser Diego Cordovez is to visit Cyprus on March 16 in order to continue his efforts for reaching a solution to the Cyprus issue.Mr. Cordovez is to also visit Athens and Ankara, while his tour will last one week. The UN’s efforts to resolve the Cyprus issue were temporarily shelved in November, given the island’s presidential elections. Meanwhile, the leader of the Turkish-Cypriot regime occupying the island’s northern part Rauf Denktash has stated that he will not participate in the new talks, after the European Council’s decision to not include Turkey into accession negotiations. Moreover, Mr. Denktash has refused to meet with the British envoy for the Cyprus issue Sir David Hannay, after the British government’s decisions to review the travel documents of the Turkish-Cypriots. [08] SIR DAVID HANNAY EMBARKS ON CONTACTS FOR CYPRUS ISSUE TODAYNicosia, February 27 (MPA)The British envoy for the Cyprus issue Sir David Hannay, currently in Nicosia, is to embark today on a series of contacts for the Cyprus issue and the island’s European course.Sir Hannay will be received by the president of the Republic of Cyprus Glaflkos Clerides, while he will also have meetings with the Minister of Foreign Affairs Yiannakis Kasoulides and Greece’s under-secretary of Foreign Affairs Yiannos Kranidiotis who is currently on a three-day official visit to the island. The British diplomat will also visit the occupied territory where he will not be received by the leader of the Turkish- Cypriots Rauf Denktash who refuses to meet with him. [09] GREEK-BULGARIAN COOPERATION FOR THE PROTECTION OF EVROS RIVERAlexandroupolis, February 27 (MPA)The municipalities of Greece’s Orestiada and Bulgaria’s Plovalin have signed a cooperation agreement for environmental protection, and especially the Evros River, with the participation of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki’s TEI and Plovalin’s Agricultural University.The agreement concerns joint studies of air, ground and water pollution levels, and a joint proposal is to be submitted to the European Union for funding from the INCO-COPERNICUS programme. Agreeing the pollution control is of viable significance for both regions, the participants vowed to apply the necessary measures, with the input of the International Organisation for the protection of the Mediterranean. [10] YUGOSLAV-GREEK COOPERATION IN MILITARY SECTORBelgrade, February 27 (MPA)The opportunities for military co-operation between Greece and Yugoslavia were reviewed during a meeting held in Belgrade between the vice-president of the Yugoslav Federal Republic Zoran Lilic and a delegation from Greece’s Ministry of Defense, headed by Mr. Sbokos.Yugoslav Lieutenant-General Jovan Cekovic, who is also the director of "Jugoimport-SDPR", attended the meeting where both sides expresses the desire for increased military and economic cooperation between the two countries, especially in the sector of the arms industry. Mr. Lilic stated that he views Greece and its people as historically true allies and expressed his gratitude for Greece’s support during Yugoslavia’s and Serbia’s difficult times. Mr. Lilic stressed that the common economic interests can strengthen the traditional friendship between the two peoples and emphasized the opportunities for Greek and Yugoslav co-operation in mutual research, production and investments. 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 |