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Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English, 99-03-17Macedonian 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, March 17, 1999TITLES
NEWS IN DETAIL[01] GREEK PM: THE GOVERNMENT WILL BE JUDGED THE YEAR 2000Thessaloniki, March 17 (MPA)Greek Prime Minister Kostas Simitis stressed that the government will be judged during the national elections of the year 2000 and noted that any who attempts to set forth an issue of national elections during the period of the European Parliament elections will have to face the Greek people."The European elections are a political measure for European policy," Mr. Simitis told an Athens daily and added that "they are not national elections where the government is judged." When asked to comment on the view expressed by Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos, who had said that should the ruling PASOK party suffer a vast loss during the European elections, then a matter of leadership could arise, Mr. Simitis (who is also PASOK's president) responded: "It leaves me indifferent. "It is clear that the president of PASOK is elected for a three-year term. It is also very clear that the Greek people gave me a specific order in 1996, which I must fulfill." A.F. [02] JUSTICE MINISTER EVANGELOS YIANNOPOULOS HOSPITALIZEDAthens, March 17 (MPA)Justice Minister Evangelos Yiannopoulos was admitted to the Athens Medical Center yesterday evening where he is under medical observation.According to the clinic's medical announcement, the patient is showing symptoms of incomplete intestinal obstruction. Mr. Yiannopoulos is undergoing pharmaceutical therapy in order to avoid surgery, although his physicians are leaving this possibility open. A.F. [03] GREECE'S MAIN OPPOSITION LEADER MEETS WITH US SECRETARY OF DEFENSEWashington, March 17 (MPA)The leader of Greece's main opposition party, New Democracy's Kostas Karamanlis, met with the United States Secretary of Defense William Cohen in Washington yesterday evening, with whom he discussed matters ranging from the Kosovo crisis to Greek-Turkish relations.Mr. Karamanlis stated that Greece is a country which has a stabilizing role in the region. "We do not desire changes in borders. We want wider cooperation both at bilateral and multilateral level," he said. Referring to Greek-Turkish relations, Mr. Karamanlis stated that Athens desires Turkey's European orientation, although Ankara must first respect international law and abandon threats to use force. On his part, Mr. Cohen raised the issue of the "November 17" terrorist group's activities and conveyed Washington's concern. He said the elusive terrorist group has been active for many years in Greece, with repercussions on inter-state relations. A.F. [04] GERMAN CHANCELLOR G. SCHROEDER IN ATHENS TODAYAthens, March 17 (MPA)The President of the European Union and German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder will be in Athens today where he will be received by Prime Minister Kostas Simitis.Mr. Schroeder's visit to Greece is part of his series of contacts held in light of the EU Summit Conference. The two leaders are expected to discuss the latest developments in light of the Commission's resignation, as well as the upcoming Berlin Summit. A.F. [05] LATVIAN PRESIDENT ULMANIS IN GREECE ON OFFICIAL VISITAthens, March 17 (MPA)Latvian President Guntis Ulmanis has embarked on a three- day official visit to Athens, at the invitation of the President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos with whom he will meet today.Mr. Ulmanis will also be received by Prime Minister Kostas Simitis, Parliament President Apostolos Kaklamanis and opposition party leaders. During his stay, the Latvian President will address an event organized in his honor by the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry and will travel to Thessaloniki on Friday. He will depart for the all-male monastic community of Mt. Athos by helicopter on the same day. Later on Friday, he will meet with Thessaloniki Mayor Vassilis Papageorgopoulos, while Macedonia-Thrace Minister Yiannis Magriotis will host a dinner in his honor later in the evening. A.F. [06] SANTER'S REPLACEMENT TO BE ANNOUNCED NEXT WEEKBrussels, March 17 (MPA)The name of the person who will fill the void left after the abrupt resignation of European Commission President Jacques Santer, along with the full 20-member body of Commissioners, will be announced next week during the Berlin Summit.Meanwhile, Mr. Santer has rejected the findings of the report drawn by the "wisemen" committee claiming that it gives a distorted view of the European institutions. The investigation found no evidence of any commissioner having personally engaged in fraudulent activities per se, but said they failed to crack down on wrongdoing committed by their subordinates. At the same time, the en masse resignation of the commissioners has ignited intense concern over the future of the common currency, the euro. A.F. [07] TALKS CONTINUE FOR THIRD DAY IN PARIS OVER KOSOVOParis, March 17 (MPA)As the peacekeeping talks concerning Kosovo are continuing for the third consecutive day in Paris, United States officials have said that the Yugoslav authorities are preparing for armed conflict with NATO.A Pentagon official stated that Belgrade will continue to fortify its troops at the country's borders with FYROM where NATO forces are deployed, a move characterized by Western diplomats as an open challenge. A.F. [08] TIPPER GORE, STRESSES VIRTUES OF VOLUNTEERISM IN THESSALONIKIThessaloniki, March 17 (MPA)Tipper Gore, the wife of US Vice-President Al Gore, delivered a speech at the American College in Thessaloniki (Anatolia), focusing on the "Peace Corps" - the body of volunteers set up by John F. Kennedy in the early '60s and still active today around the world.The event, organized by Anatolia's Alumni Association, was attended by several ministers and the US ambassador to Greece Nicholas Burns Ms. Gore will visit Athens today where she will deliver an address at the American College in Athens, while later in the day she will be received by the President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos. Ms. Gore, a known advocate of volunteerism, is the Clinton Administration's mental health adviser. A.F [09] SWEDEN JOINS GERMANY, BRITAIN, WARNS OF TRAVEL TO TURKEYStockholm, March 17 (MPA)Following the PKK's threats that tourist resorts are now within their "field of war", Sweden has joined Germany and Britain by warning its nationals about traveling to Turkey.The Swedish Foreign Ministry has not issued a travel advisory, although it advises tourists to avoid excursions to southeast and eastern Turkey. A.F. [10] GREEK-AMERICAN EXECUTED IN ILLINOIS FOR 1982 MURDERChicago, March 17 (MPA)A Greek-American man accused of taking part in the kidnappings, rapes and mutilation murders of 18 women was executed by lethal injection in Illinois State penitentiary today.Andrew Kokoraleis, 35, was sentenced to death for one of the killings - the 1982 murder of a 21-year-old woman. His defense attorneys unsuccessfully argued that he was coerced into confessing, while also arguing that new information emerged casting doubt on the credibility of confessions by two co-defendants who accused Kokoraleis. The Archbishop of America Spyridon was one among other church leaders who requested a stay of the execution. A.F. [11] PEACEFUL ANTI-NATO RALLY HELD IN THESSALONIKI, NO EPISODESThessaloniki, March 17 (MPA)A rally protesting the passage of NATO's FYROM- bound peacekeeping forces through Thessaloniki was held in Thessaloniki last night, although no episodes occurred.The participants gathered in downtown Thessaloniki and marched towards the United States Consulate, chanting anti-American slogans. A.F. [12] FYROM PRESIDENT GLIGOROV RECEIVES GREEK LIAISON OFFICE HEADSkopje, March 17 (MPA)There has been a significant degree of progress in the FYROM-Greece relations, according to FYROM's President Kiro Gligorov, who yesterday received the new had of the Greek Liaison Office in Skopje George Kaklikis During their talks, the Greek diplomat assured the President of FYROM that Athens will support Skopje's target of joining the European Union and NATO, while also expressed the hope that the bilateral cooperation will expand to additional sectors. A.F.[13] IOC CONVENES IN LAUSANNE TODAY OVER BRIBERY SCANDALSLausanne, March 17 (MPA)The International Olympic Committee's (IOC) executive board is to hold a session in Lausanne today in order to conduct a vote on the series of reforms and expulsions that are to result from the recent revelations of bribery.IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch is already facing a confidence vote, although he has disavowed any personal responsibility in the scandal and stresses that he wanted to finish his term, which expires in the year 2001. A.F. [14] ARISTOTLE UNIVERSITY NETWORKS WITH VARNA MEDICAL SCHOOLThessaloniki, March 17 (MPA)Aristotle University's Medical School has created a network of academic cooperation with Varna's Medical School in Bulgaria, through the support of the National Economy Ministry's program of Greek development and cooperation.The network will allow for the exchange of updated know- how and an overall expanded sense of cooperation in the sector of health, especially through technological means. A.F. Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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