Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 00-08-22

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

CONTENTS

[01] ANDY WARHOL WORKS SHOWCASED IN THESSALONIKI

[02] REPPAS:GREEK-AMERICAN POLICE AGREEMENT READY

[03] ALBANIA ENDS GREEK INVESTMENTS, GREECE RESPONDS

[04] GREECES FIRST FLOATING FOOTBRIDGE OPENS TODAY

[05] ECONOMY MINISTRY TO HOLD MEETINGS OVER TAX BILL

[06] SVVE DELEGATION OUTLINES ITS POSITIONS TO PREMIER

[07] PUBLIC ORDER MINISTER ON OFFICIAL VISIT TO TIRANA

[08] GREECE AUCTIONS GRD230 BILLION OF THREE-YEAR BOND

[09] OLYMPIC PROJECTS TO BE COMPLETED BY MAY 2004

[10] CYPRUS PLEASED WITH GREEK POLITICAL COOPERATION

[11] PAPAPETROU:CYPRUS ISSUE SHOULD AFFECT TURKEY-EU RELATIONS

[01] ANDY WARHOL WORKS SHOWCASED IN THESSALONIKI

A retrospective exhibition featuring 74 works by Andy Warhol will be inaugurated today by the US Ambassador to Athens Nicholas Burns at Thessaloniki's Macedonian Museum of Modern Art.

As the United States will be the featured country at this year's Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF), which opens on September 2, a series of art exhibitions, musical concerts and lectures have been scheduled for the duration of TIF.

Another exhibition titled Modern Odysseys will feature works by Greek-American artists of the 20th century. The Carnegie Hall Jazz Band is to perform at Thessaloniki's new Concert Hall, while the Sixth Fleet's band will perform at TIF.

A.F.

[02] REPPAS:GREEK-AMERICAN POLICE AGREEMENT READY

Greek Government Representative Dimitris Reppas today announced that the agreement for police cooperation between Greece and the US is in the final stages and is now ready to be signed.

Mr Reppas added that the Greek government is now awaiting information from the US as to who will represent the country in Greece and when.

[03] ALBANIA ENDS GREEK INVESTMENTS, GREECE RESPONDS

Government spokesperson Dimitris Reppas was curt in his response to Albania's decision to order three Greek companies to cease their operations in Durres, by stating that Greece wishes to have good relations with Albania and, as such, is maintaining a positive stance.

Nevertheless, Mr. Reppas added, Albania, which often does not display the necessary understanding, should do the same as well.

Moreover, Mr. Reppas expressed the hope that additional obstacles will not be presented, as the activities of Greek firms in the neighboring country can bear mutual benefits.

According to the Athens daily Kathimerini, which quotes reliable sources, the Albanian government's move has put an end to a $50-million project of which the three Greek companies had already invested $10 million in the country's oil sector.

State-controlled Hellenic Petroleum, Mamidakis (another fuel firm) and the construction firm DIEKAT called on the Greek government for help and, two weeks ago, the Greek ambassador in Tirana hosted a meeting of the Albanian prime minister, government ministers involved in the issue and representative of the three companies. There was no result, the sources said. The companies' representatives are to meet with Foreign Minister George Papandreou within the next few days.

The three companies had signed a contract with the Albanian government last year to invest in the country's oil sector. They were granted a 20-year lease in an industrial park at the port of Durres to build fuel storage facilities. Hellenic Petroleum had even bought 75 percent of Albania's Global fuel company, which controls about 10 percent of the local market.

But, claiming that a master plan by the World Bank prohibits industrial investments in the Durres region because of a projected East-West highway, the Albanian government refused to allow operations to continue. Greece asked the World Bank to get involved, and the institution undertook to get the Albanian government to commit itself to moving the facilities and to paying compensation.

A.F.

[04] GREECES FIRST FLOATING FOOTBRIDGE OPENS TODAY

Greece's first floating footbridge will be inaugurated today at the small island Agios Achilleios in the lake Mikri Prespa by officials from the environment and town planning ministry and the western Macedonia prefecture.

The footbridge, which cost 700 million drachmas, will now give the island's few residents the ability to walk to the mainland, instead of taking a boat.

The three-meter-wide and 4,000-meter-long metal bridge weighs 300 tons and can carry 3,000 people at once.

A.F.

[05] ECONOMY MINISTRY TO HOLD MEETINGS OVER TAX BILL

The National Economy and Finance Ministry has reportedly finalized the drafting of next year's budget and fiscal policy for the next two-year period, at a cost of 250-300 billion drachmas.

The most important changes provided in the draft tax bills are:

- Reducing the top income tax rate on individuals from 45 percent to 42.5 percent for incomes earned in 2001 and 40 percent for 2002 incomes

- Index-linking of all income tax brackets to inflation.

- Exempting spending on new technology articles from taxation.

- Reducing corporate tax for firms not listed on the Athens Stock Exchange from 40 percent to 37.5 percent over a two-year period.

- Abolishing the Special Tax on Banking Transactions.

- Gradually abolishing all indirect criteria for corporate taxation.

- Increasing tax-exempted income for families with children by 20,000 drachmas per child.

- Increasing the tax-exempt space in homes from 20 to 30 square meters per child; this also affects families with three children or more.

Prime Minister Costas Simitis will announce the new package of tax breaks in his keynote speech on the economy at the opening of the annual trade fair in Thessaloniki in early September.

A.F.

[06] SVVE DELEGATION OUTLINES ITS POSITIONS TO PREMIER

In light of the imminent opening of the 65th Thessaloniki International Fair, a delegation of representatives from the Northern Greece Industries Association (SVVE) is to hold successive meetings with the Prime Minister Costas Simitis and the leader of the main opposition party of New Democracy Costas Karamanlis in Athens today.

The discussions are expected to center on issues pertaining to economic and industrial development - in light of Greece's accession to the Economic and Monetary Union -, the planning of the Third Community Support Framework (CSF III) and the latest developments in the Southeast European region.

Regarding industrial growth, the SVVE delegates are expected to ask that specific measures be taken which would lessen the gap presently noted in central and regional development.

Concerning CSF III, SVVE is to refer to the conclusions and resolutions derived from its recent study concerning the more efficient fund management.

As for the Balkan region, SVVE is to reiterate its firm position that advocates closer cooperation between the private and public sectors, for the sake of expediting the reconstruction of the Southeastern European economies.

A.F.

[07] PUBLIC ORDER MINISTER ON OFFICIAL VISIT TO TIRANA

Public Order Minister Michalis Chrysochoides embarked on an

is official visit to Tirana today, where he will be received by his Albanian counterpart Spartak Boci.

Messrs. Chrysochoides and Boci will discuss a series of issues related to security, border controls, illegal immigration and drug trafficking.

In addition to Mr. Boci, the Greek Public Order Minister will meet with Albanian President Reijep Meidani, while a meeting with Premier Ilir Meta is also expected.

A.F.

[08] GREECE AUCTIONS GRD230 BILLION OF THREE-YEAR BOND

Greece's Public Debt Management Agency (PDMA) has announced that it will auction 230 billion drachmas of the February 11, 2003 three-year bond today.

According to press reports, the settlement date will be next Friday with only primary dealers allowed to participate and no commission will be paid.

Non-competitive bids may be submitted by both primary dealers and non-primary dealers and the post office. The maximum amount to be accepted will be 20 percent of the auctioned amount, PDMA said.

A.F.

[09] OLYMPIC PROJECTS TO BE COMPLETED BY MAY 2004

All five Olympic projects organised by the Greek ministry of Environment, Land Planning and State Projects, will be completed by May 2004, according to minister Costas Laliotis. The research for these five projects are already in progress and will be put into action in 2001.

Mr Laliotis assured the Greek public that all projects will respect the environment and will be used for social purposes once the Games are over.

The International Olympic Committee, headed by vice-Predsident Jaques Rogge, will arrive in Athens on Thursday, to assess the progress being made in preparations for the Games.

The total cost for all five projects is estimated at 120 billion drachmas, whilst Mr Laliotis stated that this involves the refurbishment and upgrading of existing areas as well as the creation of new facilities. He went on to say that the Olympic Games are of national importance and require the contribution of everyone.

[10] CYPRUS PLEASED WITH GREEK POLITICAL COOPERATION

The Cypriot government today voiced its satisfaction through its representative, Michalis Papapetrou, with the cooperation and unity existing between the governments and political parties of Greece and Cyprus as far as the Cyprus issue is concerned.

Mr Papapetrou confirmed that Cypriot Foreign minister Ioannis Kasoulidis would visit Athens next Wednesday for talks with his Greek counterpart George Papandreou and mentioned that at this stage it was not considered necessary for the Cypriot President to hold talks with the Greek Prime Minister.

[11] PAPAPETROU:CYPRUS ISSUE SHOULD AFFECT TURKEY-EU RELATIONS

"The Cyprus issue should become part of Turkey's relations with the European Union and Turkey should commit itself to certain matters within the Cyprus issue". This was part of the statement made by the Cypriot Government Representative Michalis Papapetrou.

In response to various questions, Mr Papapetrou said that "this is the objective" and that this is "the general political direction taken by both Greece and Cyprus".

Mr Papapetrou avoided referring to the matter in further detail as relevant negotiations form part of the Cypriot government's upcoming political agenda.

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