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Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English, 98-09-28
BRIEF GREEK NEWS BULLETIN BY THE MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY
Thessaloniki, September 28, 1998
TITLES
[01] SCHROEDER OUSTS KOHL IN GERMAN ELECTIONS
[02] AUTOPSY ON SORIN MATEI’S BODY REVEALS CAUSES OF DEATH
[03] GREECE WILL PLAY A LEADING ROLE IN THE BALKANS
[04] FUEL TANKER TRUCK DRIVERS ON STRIKE IN NORTHERN GREECE
[05] ECOFIN COMMUNIQUE HAILS DRACHMA’S ACCESSION TO SECOND ERM
[06] ECOFIN COUNCIL WRAPS UP MEETING, EUROPEAN ECONOMY OASIS OF
STABILITY
[07] MAIN OPPOSITION LEADER: GOVERNMENT IS IN A STATE OF
DISSOLUTION
[08] COUNCIL OF EUROPE’S POLITICAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE IN MEETS IN
SANTORINI
[09] POLAND’S ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF ARRIVES IN GREECE TODAY
[10] DEPUTY FM INAUGURATES BLACK SEA STUDIES CENTER TODAY
[11] GREEK RUNNER WINS SPARTATHLON 98, JAPANESE SECOND, BRITON
THIRD
[12] GREEK, BULGARIAN, ROMANIAN PREMIERS TO MEET IN DELPHI NEXT
WEEK
NEWS IN DETAIL
[01] SCHROEDER OUSTS KOHL IN GERMAN ELECTIONS
September 28 (MPA)
Gerhard Schroeder and his Social Democratic Party (SPD) soundly
defeated veteran Christian Democrat leader Helmut Kohl in what
has been dubbed as the closest race since World War II.
The SPD gathered 41.8% of the votes, while CDU 35%. The landmark
vote brings to an end 16 years of Kohl's conservative-oriented
government.
A Christian Democratic Union (CDU) spokesman conceded defeat
almost immediately following the first TV projections. Schroeder
has announced that his government will give priority to combating
unemployment, while Kohl said that he will not run again for the
leadership of CDU.
[02] AUTOPSY ON SORIN MATEI’S BODY REVEALS CAUSES OF DEATH
Athens September 28 (MPA)
An autopsy was carried out yesterday at an Athens morgue on the
body of Sorin Matei, the 26-year-old escaped convict who held a
family hostage last Wednesday and injured eight police officers
and one of the hostages after his hand grenade detonated.
According to the examinations performed by three coroners
appointed by the Minster of Justice, as well as a fourth one,
Marios Matsakis, a Cypriot coroner who has been hired by Matei’s
mother, the cause of death was attributed to regurgitation of
gastric juice in combination with the extended time period of
sedation.
Mr. Matsakis stated that had Matei not been under sedation and had
remained in the hospital he would be alive today.
Meanwhile, one of the hostages, Amalia Ginaki, 25 years old,
underwent surgery yesterday but continues to remain in a critical
condition.
[03] GREECE WILL PLAY A LEADING ROLE IN THE BALKANS
Skopje, September 28 (MPA)
Greek Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos, speaking at Skopje
during the S.E. European Defense Ministers Conference, stated that
Greece will carry out a leading role in the developments in the
Black Sea region and the Balkans.
Common Greek-Turkish initiatives on security issues concerning
Southeastern Europe will also be taken, Mr. Tsochatzopoulos
announced after meeting his Turkish counterpart Ismet Sezgin.
During their two-hour meeting, held on the sidelines of the two
officials did not discuss the “unilateral Turkish claims”
according to Mr. Tsochatzopoulos. In turn, Mr. Sezgin stressed
that the two countries should not be limited to the past and
should escape the past’s animosity and enter the future’s
alliances.
[04] FUEL TANKER TRUCK DRIVERS ON STRIKE IN NORTHERN GREECE
Thessaloniki, September 28 (MPA)
Drivers of fuel-carrying tanker trucks are to embark on a strike
today in northern Greece, protesting planned government changes
which would allow private companies to transport fuel.
Oil companies have called on the northern capital’s public
prosecutor to intervene and allow the use of private trucks during
the strike. The state fuel truck drivers are to meet with
transport ministry officials tomorrow.
[05] ECOFIN COMMUNIQUE HAILS DRACHMA’S ACCESSION TO SECOND ERM
Vienna, September 28 (MPA)
The European Union Finance and Economy Ministers (ECOFIN) have
issued a communique hailing the accession of the Greek national
currency, the drachma, to the second Exchange Rate Mechanism, as a
result of the positive development of the Greek economy.
The communique hails the joining of the drachma to the second
Exchange Rate
Mechanism which, as stressed, was agreed by all and is based on
the satisfactory functioning of the drachma in the framework of
the existing mechanism, as well as on the major progress achieved
in the Greek economy's convergence with those of EU member-states.
It was added that the fluctuation margin remains 15 per cent.
Referring to the communique, Greece’s National Economy and Finance
Minister Yiannos Papantoniou said that it constituted a very
positive formulation with regard to Greece.
He added that the second Exchange Rate Mechanism constitutes a
continuation of the existing one and of the existing fluctuation
margins.
[06] ECOFIN COUNCIL WRAPS UP MEETING, EUROPEAN ECONOMY OASIS OF
STABILITY
Vienna, September 28 (MPA)
The meeting held by the European Union Finance and Economy
Ministers (ECOFIN) concluded in Austria yesterday, on the
optimistic note that Europe's economy has turned into an "oasis of
stability and development" following the common currency’s
introduction.
Representing Greece a the three-day conference the National
Economy and Finance Minister Yiannos Papantoniou as well as the
governor of the Bank of Greece, Lukas Papademos.
Mr. Papantoniou said the result of this development is that over
the next few years the prospect will be shaped for the
continuation of the present recovery and of relatively high rates
of economic development noted in most European Union member-
states.
Furthermore, Mr. Papantoniou added that Greece is certainly
included in this respect, as its economy has an even higher
development rate, reaching 3.5-3.7 per cent in 1999.
[07] MAIN OPPOSITION LEADER: GOVERNMENT IS IN A STATE OF
DISSOLUTION
Athens, September 28 (MPA)
The leader of the main opposition party, New Democracy’s Kostas
Karamanlis yesterday accused the government of incompetence,
adding that the country currently projects an image of "sadness,
disappointment, stagnation and decline."
Addressing a rally at the held by the party’s youth group (ONNED),
Mr. Karamanlis said that the government lacks boldness and,
referring to the recent police fiasco where a family was taken
hostage by an escaped convict and the police were unable to rescue
them, he said that it was an “indescribable operation.”
[08] COUNCIL OF EUROPE’S POLITICAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE IN MEETS IN
SANTORINI
Athens, September 28 (MPA)
The Council of Europe's political affairs committee is to close
its three-day session at the island of Santorini today, with talks
focusing on the organization’s enlargement and the Kossovo crisis.
Taking part in the three-day event are parliamentarians and
permanent representatives from the C of E’s 40 member-states.
Greece will be represented by deputies D. Vrettos and V. Maginas.
The meeting, held at the initiative of the C of E’s Greek-held
presidency, was opened by Alternate Foreign Minister George
Papandreou who, referring to the Kossovo crisis, said that border
checks should be increased in neighboring countries in order to
isolate the region and prevent a spill of the tension.
Asked to comment on the possibility of NATO intervention, Mr.
Papandreou said that "the fear of an invasion may be useful in
order for the Serbian side to sit at the negotiating table."
[09] POLAND’S ARMY CHIEF OF STAFF ARRIVES IN GREECE TODAY
Athens, September 28 (MPA)
Polish Army General Staff Chief Lt.-General Zvignieu Zalewski is
embarking on an official three-day visit to Greece today at the
invitation of his Greek counterpart Lt.-Gen. Manousos
Paragioudakis.
During his stay, the Polish army's commander will visit Greece's
military headquarters, a training center, the Third Army Corps, as
well as archaeological sites in Athens and Thessaloniki.
[10] DEPUTY FM INAUGURATES BLACK SEA STUDIES CENTER TODAY
Thessaloniki, September 28 (MPA)
Deputy Foreign Minister Yiannos Kranidiotis will inaugurate the
Black Sea International Studies Center (DIKEMEP) today.
The center will prepare research and conduct studies concerning
the achievement of its parent organization, the Black Sea
Cooperation Pact, primarily in the economic, industrial and
technology sectors.
[11] GREEK RUNNER WINS SPARTATHLON 98, JAPANESE SECOND, BRITON
THIRD
Athens, September 28 (MPA)
A Greek runner, Kostas Reppos, won the 16th international ultra-
distance race "Spartathlon '98" on Saturday, covering the 246-
kilometer distance in 25 hours, 11 minutes, 41 seconds. He led the
race from start to finish.
Over 190 athletes representing 23 countries took part in the race,
considered to be one of the most grueling races in the world.
The athletes had 36 hours to run the distance to the city of
Sparta, in southeastern Peloponnese.
The Spartathlon was originated by John Foden, a British Royal Air
Force wing commander who ran the course in 1982 with four RAF
colleagues.
The 1st International Spartathlon was organized in 1983 with the
participation of 45 runners from 11 countries as well as Greece.
A Japanese and a Briton took second and third place, respectively.
[12] GREEK, BULGARIAN, ROMANIAN PREMIERS TO MEET IN DELPHI NEXT
WEEK
Athens, September 28 (MPA)
Greece’s Prime Minister Kostas Simitis will meet with the
Bulgarian President Petar Stoyanov and the Romanian President Emil
Constantinescu in Delphi on October 3-4, in order to discuss
bilateral and multilateral cooperation between the three
countries, as well as the situation in the Balkan region.
According to Bulgarian government press releases, the tripartite
meeting will contribute in balancing inter-state relations between
the Balkan countries for the promotion of economic cooperation and
for stability in the Balkans.
Other issues to be discussed by the three leaders will be the
combating of organized crime and plans for the enlargement of the
European Union and NATO.
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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