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Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English, 98-05-20
BRIEF GREEK NEWS BULLETIN BY THE MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY
Thessaloniki, May 20, 1998
TITLES
[01] STRIKE FEVER CONTINUES AT BANKS, SPILLS OVER AT
TRANSPORTATION
[02] EC PLEASED WITH COURSE OF GREECE"S ECONOMY
[03] NATO"s DEFENSE UNDERSECRETARIES TO MEET AT TIRANA
[04] PRESIDENT, PM TO OPEN GREEK INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION
ASSEMBLY
[05] GREEK FOREIGN MINISTER: WE ACCEPT NO PACKAGE FROM
ANYONE
[06] US STATE DEPARTMENT: NO NEW POLICY ON G/T ISSUES
[07] ECONOMY AND LABOR MINISTERS TO MEET WITH STRIKING
STAFF
[08] OLYMPIC AIRWAYS TO INTRODUCE FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM
[09] SPANISH ROYALS TO VISIT THESSALONIKI, VERGINA
[10] INTERBALKAN COOPERATION FOR RAILWAYS DEVELOPMENT
[11] BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY ROBIN COOK VISITS TURKEY
[12] KOSSOVO"S ALBANIANS MIGHT BOYCOTT FRIDAY"S TALKS
WITH SERBS
NEWS IN DETAIL
[01] STRIKE FEVER CONTINUES AT BANKS, SPILLS OVER AT
TRANSPORTATION
In protest to the state's privatization plans for the
Ionian Bank, employees at Commercial Bank are continuing
their strike for a second consecutive day today, while
employees at Ionian have been on an indefinite strike for
a week. Rolling strikes by bank staff are scheduled to
continue until June 12 when the shareholders of
Commercial Bank vote on whether they will approve the
sale of subsidiary Ionian. Today employees at the state-
owned enterprises (DEKOS) and banks will hold
a four-hour work stoppage, a decision issued by the
General Confederation of Greek Laborers (GSEE). In
Thessaloniki city buses will not operate until 3 o'clock
in the afternoon.
[02] EC PLEASED WITH COURSE OF GREECE"S ECONOMY
The European Commission has expressed its satisfaction
over the course of Greece"s economy. During yesterday
session of the European Union"s Finance and National
Economy Ministers, extensive reference was made at the
significant improvement of the basic indexes of the Greek
economy, fully adopting the country"s target to join the
Economic and Monetary Union in the year 2001.
[03] NATO"s DEFENSE UNDERSECRETARIES TO MEET AT TIRANA
The defense undersecretaries of the states-members of
NATO are to meet at the Albanian capital, Tirana, on
Friday. The undersecretaries of defense from Greece,
Albania, Italy, FYROM, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovenia,
Turkey and the Unites States will attend the session,
along with officials from the alliance and the
Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
[04] PRESIDENT, PM TO OPEN GREEK INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION
ASSEMBLY
Athens, May 20 (MPA)
Prime Minister Kostas Simitis is to salute the open
session of the annual assembly of the Greek Industries
Association (SEV) which will be held today in Athens and
will also be attended by the President of the Hellenic
Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos.
The Minister of Finance and National Economy Yiannos
Papantoniou will be among the speakers at the event,
along with SEV"s Chairman Jason Stratos and the chairman
of the German Industries Association Hans-Olaf Henkel.
[05] GREEK FOREIGN MINISTER: WE ACCEPT NO PACKAGE FROM
ANYONE
Athens, 20/05/1998 (MPA)
US President Bill Clinton and Britain's prime minister
Tony Blair support the concept of a comprehensive
"package" solution to the multiple outstanding issues
between Greece and Turkey, but Greek Foreign Affairs
Minister Theodoros Pangalos has responded that Greece
does not agree with this concept, which in any case is
far too vague and even self-contradictory.
"We will not accept "packages" from
anyone," Mr. Pangalos characteristically said.
The Cyprus problem, tension in the Aegean, jurisdiction
on disputes and the position of Turkey vis-a-vis the
European union cannot be solved in isolation from one
another, according to Mr. Clinton, while Mr. Blair
stressed the need for closer ties between Turkey and the
European Union.
There never was and there could never be a package deal
for these two major issues (the Cyprus problem and Greek-
Turkish relations)", Mr. Pangalos stressed and also said
that Mr. Clinton's statements linking the Cyprus issue
and Greek- Turkish problems in the Aegean contained
certain contradictions.
By their very nature, Mr. Pangalos said, the Cyprus
problem and Greek-Turkish relations were different.
"The Cyprus issue is an international problem of invasion
and occupation which concerns the world community. It is
not a Greek-Turkish issue."
[06] US STATE DEPARTMENT: NO NEW POLICY ON G/T ISSUES
Washington, May 20 (MPA)
US State Department spokesperson James Rubin
stressed yesterday that the Clinton Administration has no
new policy in regards to Greek-Turkish issues and the
Cyprus matter, referring to questions that arose after US
President Bill Clinton"s statement that calls for a
"comprehensive solution to these matters.
. "The President's statement speaks for itself in
reaffirming long-standing US policy," Mr. Rubin said.
adding that "we want to help Greece and Turkey resolve
their problems peacefully; we want to help resolve the
Cyprus problem; and we strongly support Turkey's EU
aspirations."
Moreover, the US diplomat said that the US is not
proposing a new set of negotiations or any other approach
that would link these issues in some sort of package
deal.
"We do, however, believe, as the President indicated,
that progress in one area can improve the climate and the
atmosphere for progress in another. But they are still
separate issues being dealt with separately through
diplomatic channels," he added.
When asked if US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright
is planning to travel to Turkey and Greece very soon, Mr.
Rubin responded "I don't think any decision has been made
on that."
[07] ECONOMY AND LABOR MINISTERS TO MEET WITH STRIKING
STAFF
Athens, May 20 (MPA)
The Minister of National Economy and Finance Yiannos
Papantoniou, along with the Minister of Labor Miltiades
Papaioannou are to meet with representatives from the
General Confederation of Greek Workers (GSEE) and the
General Confederation of Bank Employees (OTOE) today, in
order to attempt to ease the crisis that has erupted in
the banking sector where striking employees are opposed
to privatization plans.
GSEE has called a nationwide strike for May 27, while,
today, workers at all banks, Thessaloniki"s Public
Transportation Organization, the Public Power Corporation
(DEH), the Hellenic Telecommunications Organization
(OTE), Hellenic Post Offices (ELTA) and Olympic Airways
are due to undertake a work stoppage between 12pm and 4pm
today.
[08] OLYMPIC AIRWAYS TO INTRODUCE FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAM
Athens, May 20 (MPA)
The national air carrier Olympic Airways is to introduce
a Frequent Flyer Program as of June 15, in an effort to
attract passengers and offset the losses recently
suffered by the economic upheaval brought on by the
strikes, flight cancellations and delays. .
The frequent flyer program is to be modeled after the
packages currently offered by other international air
carriers and is expected to be announced later this week.
Olympic Airways will have to cut costs by 250 billion
drachmas over the next five years, or face closure, by
minimum or no salary increase, reductions in overtime
pay, longer working hours for flying crews, and reduced
seasonal employment during the busy summer season.
[09] SPANISH ROYALS TO VISIT THESSALONIKI, VERGINA
Thessaloniki, May 20 ?(MPA)
King of Spain Juan Carlos and his wife Sophia are to
arrive in Athens on Monday for a four-day official visit
at the invitation of the President of the Hellenic
Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos.
President Stephanopoulos will host a dinner in honor of
the Spanish royals on Monday night, while the couple will
also inaugurate the "Classic Greece in Spain" exhibition.
On May 28 King Carlos and Queen Sofia will visit
Thessaloniki where they will be received by the Minister
of Macedonia-Thrace Philippos Petsalnikos and on May 29
the royal couple will visit the archaeological sites and
museum of Vergina.
[10] INTERBALKAN COOPERATION FOR RAILWAYS DEVELOPMENT
Belgrade, May 20 (MPA)
A new age is dawning on the Balkan railway systems,
after the cooperation protocol signed yesterday in
Belgrade among the chiefs of Southeast European railway
organizations.
The group comprises Greece, Bulgaria., Romania, Turkey,
Yugoslavia, FYROM and Albania (whose representative did
not attend the meeting). The representatives of the
aforementioned countries met to lay the ground rules of
expanding the itineraries of intercity and eurocity
trains in order to improve the provided services.
Moreover, the contacts aimed at reducing the waiting
period at the borders through amending the customs and
police controls in accordance to international standards.
[11] BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY ROBIN COOK VISITS TURKEY
Ankara, May 20 (MPA)
The British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook conducted a four-
hour visit to Ankara yesterday, in preparation of
Monday"s Association Council between the European Union
and Turkey.
Mr Cook arrived with a draft proposal from the EU
Commission that was supposed to tempt
the Turks back into discussions with promises of a
"strategy" which would offer a path towards EU
membership. However, Turkey's Foreign Minister, Ismail
Cem, stated yesterday "there is discrimination against us
on the part of the EU, and unless it is removed, the
limits on our political dialogue will remain."
[12] KOSSOVO"S ALBANIANS MIGHT BOYCOTT FRIDAY"S TALKS
WITH SERBS
Prishtina, May 20 (MPA)
Kossovo"s Albanians who have agreed to holding talks
with the Serbian government over the future of Kossovo
stated yesterday that they could boycott the first
session on Friday in Pristina.
``We have not decided to attend or not to attend,'' said
a member of the negotiating team assembled by Ibrahim
Rugova, leader of Kossovo"s ethnic Albanians.
``This is not a division between one group of advisers
who think we should go and another who think we should
not. We all see the pro's and con's. We all have a good
list of reasons why we shouldn't attend and yet we still
see a reason to attend.''
Political observers say they may be the last chance to
avoid a war in Kossovo that could spread to ther parts
of the Balkans.
Mr. Rugova and Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic met
for the first time in Belgrade last Friday and the first
substantive session between their representatives is
supposed to take place this Friday in Kosovo's capital,
Pristina.
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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