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Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English, 99-01-14Macedonian 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 14, 1999TITLES
NEWS IN DETAIL[01] STUDENTS IGNORE PLEAS TO BEGIN CLASS, DEFY THREATS OF FLUNKINGThessaloniki, January 14 (MPA)Tension continues to ferment in the education sector as high schools students are preparing statewide rallies tomorrow, ignoring pleas to return to the classrooms and defying threats of flunking.Education Minister Gerasimos Arsenis stated yesterday that those students who have missed many classroom hours due to the sit ins will not be able to participate in June's examinations. Speaking from Spain, where he is presently conducting an official visit, Prime Minister Kostas Simitis defended Mr. Arsenis, by stating that nothing can be rectified by closing the schools and stressing that the reforms will go through. The Teachers Federation denounced Mr. Arsenis threat and said that it is incomprehensible that a Minister would threaten to flunk the students. A.F. [02] GREEK PREMIER MEETS WITH PRESIDENT OF IOC SAMARANCHMadrid, January 14 (MPA)Prime Minister Kostas Simitis, who is concluding an official visit to Spain today, will meet with the President of the International Olympic Committee Juan Antonio Samaranch.Yesterday, the Premier attended a formal luncheon held in his honor by the King of Spain Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia. He also met with political party leaders and the former Premier Felipe Gonzales. A.F. [03] GREEK FOREIGN MINISTER TO VISIT SOFIA ON JANUARY 19Sofia January 14 (MPA)Greek foreign minister Theodoros Pangalos will conduct an official visit to Bulgaria on January 19, at the invitation of his Bulgarian counterpart Nadejda Michailova.The announcement was made by Bulgarian foreign ministry spokesman Patko Vlajko who added that the Greek foreign minister will also be received by Bulgarian Prime Minister Ivan Kostov and parliament president Jordan Sokolov. A.F. [04] FINNISH PREMIER TO OFFICIALLY VISIT GREECE ON SUNDAYAthens, January 14 (MPA)The Prime Minister of Finland Paavo Liponen is to conduct an official visit to Greece between January 17-19, in order to discuss matters related to his country's undertaking of the European Union's rotating presidency as of July 1, 1999.Mr. Liponen will be received by the President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos, his Greek counterpart Kostas Simitis and the President of the Hellenic Parliament Apostolos Kaklamanis. According to reports, the talks will center on Cyprus's accession to the EU. A.F. [05] BELGRADE TO FREE NINE KLA REBELSLondon, January 14 (MPA)Nine members of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) are to be freed by the Yugoslav authorities within the following days, in exchange to the release of the eight Serb soldiers held captive by KLA rebels, according to Reuters.Quoting diplomatic sources, the wire service stated that the KLA members to be freed are those who were arrested in December during their attempt to enter Albania from Kosovo. Meanwhile, the KLA is to announce today the terms it set forth to Belgrade for releasing the eight Serb hostages. A.F. [06] NEOLITHIC HUMAN REMAINS DISCOVERED IN CYPRUSNicosia, January 14 (MPA)Excavations conducted by French archaeologists in Cyprus have unearthed what is believed to be the oldest human remains ever found on the island at a Neolithic settlement occupied between 8200 and 7000 BC, the Parekklisha-Shillourokambos, near the coastal city of Limassol .The remains were discovered in a trench which is believed to have been used as a communal burial place, containing human skull remains. A.F. [07] MISSOURI GOVERNOR IN GREECE TO PITCH MILITARY AIRCRAFT SALEAthens, January 14 (MPA)The governor of Missouri Mel Carnahan arrived in Athens yesterday where he met with Defense Ministry officials in order to discuss a multi-billion-dollar military contract which Greece is considering with Boeing Co.According to reports, Gov. Carnahan also planned to discuss potential bids by two Missouri companies -- HOK Sports Facility Group of St. Louis and Black & Veatch of Kansas City -- for $10 billion in construction projects for the 2004 Olympic Games, to be held in Athens. ``The mission to Greece will serve to strengthen the existing foundation of economic prosperity we currently enjoy between the state of Missouri and the Republic of Greece,'' the US governor said in a statement. Boeing's Military Aircraft and Missile Systems division is based in St. Louis, Mo. In addition to Boeing, several European aircraft manufacturers and Texas-based Lockheed Martin are also competing for the contract. A.F. [08] MACEDONIA-THRACE MINISTER MEETS WITH DEVELOPMENT SECRETARYThessaloniki, January 14 (MPA)The Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Yiannis Magriotis met with the Secretary of Development Vaso Papandreou in Athens this morning.Speaking to the Macedonian Press Agency,. Mr. Magriotis stated that the meeting was held in a positive climate and the two decided to embark on closer cooperation in the sectors of mutual interest. Specifically, the Mr. Magriotis and Ms. Papandreou discussed the Macedonia-Thrace Ministry's border zone development program, which will feature the participation of the Development Ministry, as well as the sectors of tourism, energy and the natural gas network in Thessaloniki. A.F. [09] OECD REPORT ON GREECE: EXPEDITE STRUCTURAL CHANGESThessaloniki, January 14 (MPA)A report issued by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) contains a positive assessment of the course of Greece's economy, while also citing that the state's rate of implementing structural changes should be maintained, or, even expedited.Moreover, the report recommends that the state upgrade its social security and public service sectors while it also warns of a retreat in international investors confidence if the government retracts from its restructuring pace. A.F. [10] ALBANIA: NEW LAW TO CLAMP DOWN ON ILLEGAL EMIGRATIONTirana, January 14 (MPA)The Albanian Parliament has passed a law to clamp down on the smuggling of illegal emigrants to Italy through the Adriatic Sea, according to state television reports.The new measure bans any boat equipped with an engine of more than 70 horsepower from sailing more than 20 nautical miles from the coast without permission from the authorities and requires the owners of such boats to advise the police of their itinerary each time they set sail. Albania's former minister of Public Order Neritan Ceka, who now heads a parliamentary commission for public order, said the government believes that "this law will save many lives". Smugglers board 100 persons onto their boats at night time, at a hefty fee per person, in order to transport them to nearby Italy. Once they arrive at the port, they dump them and leave them to fend for themselves as they race back to Albania. About 250 people have drowned and over 50,000 have been arrested since 1991, according to Italian authorities, but many Albanians, Kurds and Albanians from Kosovo have managed to evade Italian patrols. A.F. Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |