Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 00-04-14

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From: The Macedonian Press Agency at http://www.mpa.gr and http://www.hri.org/MPA.

CONTENTS

[01] SUPREME COURT ISSUES LANDMARK RULING ON DISTOMO

[02] REPPAS' COMMENTS ON THE STOCK MARKET

[03] "BLACK" FRIDAY FOR THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

[04] ANNA KARAMANOU WILL VISIT ISTANBUL

[05] GREEK LITERATURE SYLLABI TRANSLATED IN GEORGIAN

[06] SEMINAR AT THESSALONIKI S LANGUAGE SCHOOL

[07] ATHENS BOURSE PLUNGES 5.82%, GPI DROPS TO 4,450

[08] TIF CELEBRATES 75th YEAR WITH SERIES OF EVENTS

[09] GREEK BANK TO OPEN INSURANCE COMPANY IN ROMANIA

[10] PRESIDENT RECEIVES GREEK ACADEMICS FROM ABROAD

[11] TURKISH FM: WERE READY TO HOLD TALKS ON AEGEAN

[12] INTRALOT SIGNS CONTRACT WITH SERBIAS TELECOM

[13] THE ENVIRONMENT ALONG THE EGNATIA ODOS ROAD AXIS MUST BE RESTORED

[14] THE EU COMMISSION ON THE GREEK ECONOMY

[15] A GREEK-AUSTRALIAN POLITICIAN BACKS THEODORAKIS' CANDIDATURE FOR THE

[01] SUPREME COURT ISSUES LANDMARK RULING ON DISTOMO

In a landmark ruling, Greece's Supreme Court (Areios Pagos) has found in favor of those who fell victim to Nazi atrocities during the course of WWII, upholding the lower court's decision for war reparations amounting to nine billion drachmas ($30 million), to be paid to the relatives of 214 civilians executed by Nazis in 1944 in the village of Distomo in central Greece.

The Supreme Court adjudicated a recourse from the German state to reverse a 1997 ruling by the Livadia Court of First Instance which had granted to 218 inhabitants of Distomo the sum of 9.5 billion drachmas in compensation for the martyrs' death suffered by the plaintiffs' relatives during the German occupation of Greece in 1944.

The German state had sought recourse to reverse the lower court's ruling by claiming that it had the right not to stand trial in a foreign country for actions committed by its officials even if these ran counter to International Law. In challenging the 1997 ruling, Germany also maintained that all compensation was settled in postwar agreements between the two countries.

However, the Greek lawyers in the Distomo case argued that individual Greeks have the right to file private suits against Germany.

A.F.

[02] REPPAS' COMMENTS ON THE STOCK MARKET

The speculation that the successful economic policy of the government is a good omen for the course of the Athens Stock Exchange was expressed by government spokesman Dimitris Reppas after today's plunge of the general index by 5.29%.

Mr. Reppas stated that the Athens Stock Exchange follows its own rules but the successful economic policy of the government is the best basis and a favorable omen for the development of the Athens Stock Exchange itself.

[03] "BLACK" FRIDAY FOR THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

The Athens Stock Exchange lived a "black" Friday today as the general index recorded losses of 5.29% dropping to 5.475,44 points, while the volume of transactions was high at 195,7 billion drachmas mostly because of stock sales.

The psychological state of the investors, which suffered a blow yesterday when rumors circulated on the alleged downgrading of the Greek stock market, dropped to low levels today due to the imaginative scenarios that were speaking even about a likely resignation of national economy minister Yiannos Papantoniou. Given the fact that the Athens Stock Exchange moves mostly based on psychological criteria and not on economic ones, the prospects for the next sessions are not regarded as favorable.

[04] ANNA KARAMANOU WILL VISIT ISTANBUL

Greek Euro-deputy from the governing socialist party of PASOK and vice-president of the Women Socialist International Anna Karamanou leaves for Istanbul today to participate in a conference organized by the Turkish Republican Popular Party (CHP) on the role of women in the 21st century politics.

Among the main speakers in the conference will be Anna Karamanou, vice-president of the Socialist International Mr. Erdal Inonu, CHP vice-president Yasae Seyman, Women Socialist International president Ms. Renau and general secretary Ms. Haas.

[05] GREEK LITERATURE SYLLABI TRANSLATED IN GEORGIAN

Greek-language syllabi are to be translated in the Georgian language for tertiary-level studies of Greek literature, art and history,

to be followed by a Greek-Georgian language dictionary.

The decision to publish the Greek-language textbooks was drawn during a visit conducted by a delegation of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki's "Jason" program to three Georgian universities, namely the State U. of Tiblisi, the affiliate university of Ahalcihe and the University of Vatoum.

Moreover, the Greek delegation's visit resulted in the formation of a bilateral task force comprising academic historians who will document the local history of the diaspora's Greeks.

A.F.

[06] SEMINAR AT THESSALONIKI S LANGUAGE SCHOOL

The Greek Language School of Thessaloniki will hold a two-day seminar about teaching Greek as a second language.

The seminar will be held between May 27-28 and is open to all education professionals.

Applications to participate must be submitted by Wednesday, April 19. For more information call (031) 831001.

A.F.

[07] ATHENS BOURSE PLUNGES 5.82%, GPI DROPS TO 4,450

The General Price Index of the Athens Stock Exchange plunged to 4,450.02 points today, suffering a loss of approximately 5.82 percent by 11 am.

Even the banking sector, which so far had countered pressures on the GPI, dropped by 5.32 this morning, while trade volume remained at a low GRD 34 billion.

A.F.

[08] TIF CELEBRATES 75th YEAR WITH SERIES OF EVENTS

The Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF) will celebrate the 75th anniversary since its founding, although it is presently in its 63rd year of operation this year, since it was interrupted between 1940 and 1950 due to World War II and the Greek civil war.

To commemorate the anniversary, TIF's board announced a series of events from May to November, including a special exhibition titled "A Currency for Europe", which focuses on the historical development of currencies in the continent, to the institution of the euro.

A.F.

[09] GREEK BANK TO OPEN INSURANCE COMPANY IN ROMANIA

The Agricultural Bank of Greece has announced plans to establish an insurance company in Romania, under the name Agricultural Bank of Greece Insurance Company (A.B.G. Insurance Co.).

Agricultural Life will own 50 per cent of the new company's shares, while Agricultural Insurance will own 40 per cent, Agricultural Holding will own 5 per cent and ATE Finance will own the remaining 5 per cent, according to the bank's announcement.

The company will apply for the necessary license to operate in Romania over the next few days. The new firm's capital will rise to 500 million drachmas over the next three years.

A.F.

[10] PRESIDENT RECEIVES GREEK ACADEMICS FROM ABROAD

The President of the Hellenic Republic Costis Stephanopoulos received a 100-member delegation of Greek academics of the diaspora who arrived in Athens yesterday for a three-day conference on "Tertiary Education and

Greek Academics Who Live Abroad."

The conference is part of a program set up by the University of Athens to create a network of scientific, social, political and cultural ties between the university community in Greece and Greek academics who live and work abroad.

The aim is to strengthen cooperation and to facilitate an exchange of opinions on the aims of and trends in tertiary

education.

A.F.

[11] TURKISH FM: WERE READY TO HOLD TALKS ON AEGEAN

Turkey is ready to hold talks on issues pertaining to the Aegean Sea, the Turkish Foreign Minister Ismael Cem stated, according to the BBC.

In an interview with the Turkish television station NTV, Mr. Cem reiterated that his country wishes to resolve pending matters, such as the Aegan, and announced that Athens and Ankara are to soon embark on talks over this issue.

Mr. Cem also stated that, prior to last weekend's elections in Greece, he told his Greek counterpart, George Papandreou, that Ankara was prepared to start talks on the issue when Athens is ready, Cem added.

According to the Turkish FM, these informal talks could start between senior foreign ministry officials on each side.

However, Turkish Defense Minster Sabahatin Cakmakoglu has expressed his reservations over Greek-Turkish relations, having stated that the noted improvement in bilateral ties does not suffice for resolving the problems existing between the two neighbors.

A.F.

[12] INTRALOT SIGNS CONTRACT WITH SERBIAS TELECOM

Intralot has announced the signing of a contract with Telecom Serbia, which calls for the supply of the Yugoslav telecommunications

organization with telephone cards through its subsidiary Yugolot Ltd.

A company statement said that Yugolot's sales network and partners totals 4,000 sites in the country.

Yugolot was chosen because of its know-how and its experience in developing new telecommunications sales network. Telephone card sales are steadily increasing in Yugoslavia accounting for 90 percent of total sales.

A.F.

[13] THE ENVIRONMENT ALONG THE EGNATIA ODOS ROAD AXIS MUST BE RESTORED

The Egnatia Odos Ltd. is obligated to restore the environment along Aliakmon River that has disturbed because of the work made for the construction of the road axis, according to the European Commission which responded to a question by Coalition of the Left Euro-deputy Alekos Alavanos.

Mr. Alavanos conveyed the complaints made by local residents and environmentalists according to which, the excavation materials for the construction of the motorway are being left at the river banks destroying the natural environment.

The European Commission mentions characteristically that the company that has undertaken the construction of the Egnatia Odos motorway is obligated to implement the environmental effects study approved by the Greek authorities, while at the same time, it mentions that the Egnatia Odos Ltd., which is responsible for the construction of the project, must observe all the terms included in the existing contract.

[14] THE EU COMMISSION ON THE GREEK ECONOMY

The EU Commission through its responsible commissioner referred clearly to the prospects for Greece's accession into the EMU. The comments made by EU Commissioner Pedro Soibles actually announced that Greece will be the 12th member of the EMU on January 1, 2001.

The EU Commission calls on Greece to speed up the privatization program by freeing the telecommunications market, the electric energy and the natural gas markets. On the social security issue, the reform should be aimed at the viability of the social security funds, while among the measures that were proposed by Brussels is to extend the pension age limit.

On the job market, the EU Commission believes that it must become more flexible to deal with the high unemployment in the country, while among the suggested measures is the adoption of part-time employment.

[15] A GREEK-AUSTRALIAN POLITICIAN BACKS THEODORAKIS' CANDIDATURE FOR THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE

Greek-Australian "shadow" minister of environment Nikos Bolkas with a letter addressed to the International Academy backs the candidature of Greek music composer Mikis Theodorakis for the Nobel Peace Prize.

In his letter, Mr. Bolkas underlines among others that for decades Mikis Teodorakis fought at a world level for peace, justice and equality. His music, which is of extremely high quality, expresses the fair ambitions of the victims of injustice, oppression and looting on behalf of different leaderships, said Mr. Bolkas, adding that the biggest success of Mr. Theodorakis is that he used the power of his music in an attempt to achieve the rapprochement of many countries in the world.

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