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Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English, 98-05-26Macedonian 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, May 26, 1998TITLES
NEWS IN DETAIL[01] GOVERNMENT, WORKERS DON’T SEE EYE TO EYE OVER BANKSThessaloniki, May 26 (MPA)The juxtaposition between the government and the bank sector’s worker is growing. Workers at all of Greece’s banks were on a 24-hour strike yesterday, in a sign of protest to Sunday’s raid conducted by SWAT teams at Ionian Bank’s computer headquarters in Piraeus. Meanwhile, Ionian’s management last week decided to initiate legal proceedings against the bank’s unions in an attempt to put an end to the strike. The court is to issue its ruling today.[02] TURKEY WON’T BE IN THE EU ANY TIME SOON, SAYS KINKELBonn, May 26 (MPA)German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel has stated that Turkey won’t be able to accede to the European Union in the foreseeable future, referring to that country’s pressing issues, such as violation of human rights, the Kurdish issues and the Greek-Turkish disputes.Meanwhile, the European Court of Human Rights has ruled against Turkey, ordering it to pay compensatory damages in the cases of individual and political rights violations. [03] IBRAHIM RUGOVA TRAVELS TO THE UNITED STATES TODAYWashington, May 26 (MPA)The leader of Kossovo’s ethnic Albanians Ibrahim Rugova is to travel to the United States today where he will meet with US President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Madleine Albright.Mr. Rugova’s spokesperson stated that his visit aims at granting more publicity to the escalating tension in Kossovo. [04] SPAIN’S ROYALS ARRIVE IN GREECE WITH POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCEAthens, May 26 (MPA)Spain’s King Juan Carlos and Queen Sophia, the sister of Greece’s former king Konstantine, arrived in Athens yesterday afternoon for a five-day, official visit. The President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos officially welcomed the royal couple outside the Presidential Mansion where the Spanish King and Queen received the full honors accorded to heads of state. Parliament President Apostolos Kaklamanis, Prime Minister Kostas Simitis, his wife Daphne, Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos, Athens Mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos and main opposition party leader Kostas Karamanlis were among the dignitaries present at the official reception for the couple at the presidential mansion. In the evening, President Stephanopoulos hosted a dinner at the Presidential Mansion for the Spanish monarch. The royal couple will be received by the Prime Minister today and will inaugurate the "Classic Greece in Spain" exhibition in Athens. Spanish Foreign Minister Abel Matutes, who is accompanying the royal couple, met yesterday with his Greek counterpart Theodoros Pangalos. On Thursday the royal couple will visit Thessaloniki where they will be received by the Minister of Macedonia- Thrace Philippos Petsalnikos and on Friday they will visit the archaeological sites and museum of Vergina.[05] SPANISH FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS WITH GREECE’S PANGALOSAthens, May 26 (MPA)Spain’s Foreign Minister Abel Matutes, accompanying his country’s royal couple on their official visit to Greece, was received by his Greek counterpart Theodoros Pangalos in Athens yesterday.The two men discussed issues concerning the European Union, as well as other matters of bilateral interest, such economic and cultural cooperation. Mr. Matutes, who referred to Mr. Pangalos as “a good friend”, stated that relations between the two countries are excellent and multifaceted in the framework of European institutions and NATO. The two ministers also discussed matters related to the preparation of the Olympic Games. [06] CYPRIOT GOVERNMENT REJECTS US REPORT ON MISSING PERSONSNicosia, May 26 (MPA)The United States report, issued last week by US President Bill Clinton, on the fate of five US Greek Cypriots listed as missing persons has been met with skepticism by the Cypriot government. According to Cypriot press reports, Cypriot President Glafkos Clerides is to turn over the report to the island’s attorney-general’s office for an opinion. Although refusing to comment on the report, which declares the five to be dead, Cypriot government spokesperson Christos Stylianides made it clear the government would accept only physical proof that any of the 1,619 are dead. The US on Friday released a 37-page report on the fate of the five Greek Cypriots with US citizenship, one of whom, Andreas Kassapis, has been proved dead through DNA testing on remains found by an American team in the occupied areas. The US report, prepared by ambassador Robert Dillon, concludes that Kassapis, then 16, was killed shortly after his capture on August 20, 1974, "very likely by Turkish Cypriot militia men and buried in a field in northern Cyprus near his home town of Asha." His partial remains were found there in December 1997 by a UN team of forensic experts and will be returned to his family in the US. Of the remaining four, the report said, one probably died from physical hardship stemming from captivity in the northern mountain range above Karavas on August 8, 1974 The other two "very likely" died in separate killings carried out by Turkish Cypriot fighters in the Mesaoria region between August 15 and August 21, 1974. The fifth person was last seen in the company of several unidentified Turkish or Turkish Cypriot persons "who may very well have robbed and killed him," the report said. Commenting on reports of these people being taken prisoner, it added that the team found "no evidence" bearing out these allegations, which it described as "unfounded". "Although the US government believes that all five missing Americans are dead, it will continue to pursue any additional leads it receives on their fate," the report concludes. The US State Department said that, had the four survived, one would be 84 years old and the other three over 90."It would be unrealistic to hold out any hope of them still being alive," the State Department said. Mr. Stylianides said the Cypriot government was studying the report, which has been sent for state legal advice. "The position of the government is clear," he said. "We do not accept to consider any missing person dead unless scientific convincing evidence is provided about his identity." He added that the government was pleased that the remains of one of the five missing had been positively identified. [07] THOMAS MILLER IN CYPRUS, TO MEET WITH PRESIDENT CLERIDESNicosia, May 26 (MPA)The United States special coordinator for the Cyprus issue Thomas Miller arrived at the island yesterday evening and will meet with Cypriot President Glafkos Clerides today.Mr. Miller is expected to exert pressure on the Cypriot government to cancel the order of the Russian- made S-300 anti-aircraft missiles. [08] INTERNATIONAL MEDIA CONFERENCE HELD IN ATHENSAthens, May 26 (MPA)A five-day conference, featuring the participation of journalists, scholars and activists from Europe, the Middle East Africa and America is currently being held in Athens, in order to review the role of corporate and government control of news and information.The event, organized by the Andreas Papandreou Foundation in collaboration with the Institute of Strategic and Development Studies -Andreas Papandreou (ISTAME) is titled "A 21st century dialogue: A media-run world". Among those scheduled to speak are Jean-Bertrand Aristide, the former president of Haiti, who will speak on "What the Media doesn't print: Neoliberalism and structural adjustment policies"; Ramsey Clark, the former U.S. attorney general, who will speak on "Media Manipulation of Foreign Policy"; and renowned Egyptian writer and novelist Nawal El-Sadawi, who will speak on "Western Cultural Imperialism reflected in the Media and International News". Addressing the conference, Press Minister Dimitris Reppas spoke of the risks lurking in the domination of the mass communication media and new technologies, stressing the need for formulating policies on a European Union level, with the criteria being the maintenance of human qualities and collective goods. In turn, Alternate Foreign Minister and president of ISTAME, George Papandreou, said that those controlling technology, along with those producing, interpreting and transmitting information were all crucial to the future of democracy. Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Christodoulos attended the opening of the conference. [09] GOVERNMENT’S POPULARITY IS FLAGGING, ACCORDING TO POLLAthens, May 26 (MPA)The government’s popularity is flagging, according to a recent poll conducted by an Athens daily, while the main opposition party’s is on the rise, although both the Premier and the main opposition’s leader are not as liked by the public as they used to be.According to the poll, published in today’s issue of “Ta Nea”, the ruling PASOK party’s popularity fell to 15% in May 1998, as opposed to the 17.7% it marked in March of 1998. Main opposition New Democracy saw a sizable increase in its popularity, which rose to 15.4% in May, as opposed to 10.5% in March. The same is not true for either party’s leaders. Specifically, Prime Minister, and PASOK President, Kostas Simitis gathered markedly fewer positive remarks in May of this year in comparison to March, as they dropped to 31.2% from 40.7%. Positive views for New Democracy’s leader Kostas Karamanlis dropped to 41.9% from 49% during the same two-month period. Ranking first - and most popular - among the political leaders is the President of the Coalition of Left and Progress (Synaspismos) Nikos Konstantopoulos with 56.2%, followed by the President of the Democratic Social Movement (DIKKI) Dimitris Tsovolas (49.6%). Ranking third and fourth respectively are New Democracy’s leader and the Prime Minister, followed by the secretary-general of the Communist Party of Greece Aleka Paparega with 23.9% and the President of Political Spring Antonis Samaras 15.9%. At the same time, 65% of those polled believe that, yes, Greece will gain accession to the European Monetary Union. 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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