Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 00-08-30

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

CONTENTS

[01] KARAMANLIS VISITS GDANSK

[02] PM, TRANSPORT MINISTER DISCUSS FUTURE OF OA

[03] EOT FOUNDS TOURIST PROPERTY COMPANY

[04] THE OLYMPIC VILLAGE IN GREECE WILL BE READY BY FEBRUARY 2004

[05] THE CYPRUS PROBLEM IS AMONG THE TOP PRIORITIES OF THE GREEK GOVERNMENT

[06] PRESIDENT STEPHANOPOULOS ON THE GREEK-TURKISH RELATIONS

[07] REPPAS ON THE DOWNWARD COURSE OF THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

[08] REPPAS: 116.500 HECTARS OF LAND HAVE BEEN TURNED INTO ASHES

[09] LOSSES OF 2.68% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

[10] THE 28TH GREEK LANGUAGE INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM HAS BEEN COMPLETED

[11] INCREASED RISK OF FLOODS IN THE WINTER AS A RESULT OF THE SUMMER FIRES

[12] CYPRIOT FM MEETS WITH GREECES DEFENSE MINISTER

[13] ARCHBISHOP CHRISTODOULOS WRAPPED UP HIS VISIT TO ISRAEL

[14] A GREEK-AMERICAN HAS BEEN ARRESTED BY THE FBI

[15] SEMINAR ON PARTHENON HELD IN SYDNEY

[01] KARAMANLIS VISITS GDANSK

New Democracy leader Costas Karamanlis currently visiting Poland to take part in a summit held by the European People's Party, arrived in Gdansk for the ceremony held at the port's shipyard in celebration of 20 years since the Polish worker's revolt and the founding of the Independent Solidarity Syndicate.

During his visit to the historic Polish shipyard, Mr Karamanlis referred to the rebellion, which began 20 years ago and succeeded in dramatically changing the political map of Europe. The request for solidarity continues to be a current issue and concerns the completion of Europe, as there is a need for European common and protected borders.

The ND leader held talks with former Polish President, Leh Valesa and referred to the enlargement of the European Union and to the countries asking to enter the European "family", adding that Cyprus has met all the criteria required.

During his visit, Mr Karamanlis also held talks with the Prime Ministers of Poland, Yierzi Buzek, Spain, Jose Maria Aznar, Bulgaria, Ivan Kostov and Malta, Edouard Andami.

[02] PM, TRANSPORT MINISTER DISCUSS FUTURE OF OA

The dire economic situation of the country's national air carrier Olympic Airways, as well as the state's intention to sell up to 65% of Olympic, is the subject of talks held today between Transport and Telecommunications Minister Christos Verelis and Prime Minister Costas Simitis.

Olympic Airways, which has over the past twenty years accumulated debt worth 40 billion drachmas, has been seeking an international airline partner since last June, when British Airways abandoned plans to purchase a stake in the Greek carrier.

In his talks with the Premier, Mr. Verelis is expected to refer to the efforts exerted by O.A.'s management in "tidying up" the air carrier's finances, and bolstering its image to both passengers and the European Union.

Messrs. Simitis and Verelis are to also discuss other matters pertaining to Athens 2004 Olympic Games, and an imminent draft bill on telecommunications.

A.F.

[03] EOT FOUNDS TOURIST PROPERTY COMPANY

Greek development minister Nikos Christodoulakis today announced the founding of the "Greek Tourist Property" company, which will aim to mark and develop the assets owned by the Greek National Tourist Organisation (EOT) and to create new tourism products.

"The new company will aim to create new tourism products, modern, high quality tourist enterprises, to develop our country's tourist infrastructure and business progress", Mr Christodoulakis said.

One of the main aims will be the upgrading of marines in Greece, to the standard of modern European equivalents and the creation of ecology parks. Initial works will take place in Crete, Rhodes, Chalkidiki and Thrace and their total cost will exceed 150 billion drachmas. Over 6.500 job vacancies will be created by these new works.

[04] THE OLYMPIC VILLAGE IN GREECE WILL BE READY BY FEBRUARY 2004

The Olympic Village, where the athletes from all over the world will stay during the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens will be ready by February 2004. The announcement was made today by undersecretary of labor Christos Protopapas, who clarified that the projects will be completed within the timetable set in the contract signed by the Workers' Housing Organization and the Athens 2004 committee.

He also stated that two years after the 2004 Olympic Games, the 2.500 housing units that will be used to host the Olympic Games' athletes will be delivered to the Workers' Housing Organization.

Mr. Protopapas characterized as huge the Olympic Village construction project and stressed that it will be equal to those built in Atlanta and Sydney.

[05] THE CYPRUS PROBLEM IS AMONG THE TOP PRIORITIES OF THE GREEK GOVERNMENT

The Cyprus problem is among the top priorities of the Greek government, stressed Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas. Mr. Reppas also added that yesterday's meeting of Greek foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou with his Cypriot counterpart Yiannakis Kasoulides in Athens was fruitful and useful confirming the common stance shared by the two sides for the solution of the Cyprus problem.

Responding to a question on the issue, Mr. Reppas stated that Greece will exercise aggressive diplomacy within the framework of the UN decisions in order for the Cyprus problem to continue to attract the international interest. Regarding the UN stance on the issue of Strovilia in Cyprus, he reiterated that the UN leadership is expected to be effective in such issues.

Responding to the question if prime minister Kostas Simitis will meet with his Turkish counterpart Bulent Ecevit within the framework of the Millennium Summit in New York, he said that no such meeting is scheduled, adding that Mr. Simitis will have meetings with other state leaders on the sidelines of the summit but in the case of Turkey no one can make predictions.

[06] PRESIDENT STEPHANOPOULOS ON THE GREEK-TURKISH RELATIONS

Greek president Kostis Stephanopoulos, who is visiting the prefecture of Lakonia in the Peloponnese southern Greece, referred to the stance adopted by Greece in its relations with Turkey as well as to the situation created between the two countries.

In statements he made in the village of Geraki expressed concern over the course of the Greek-Turkish relations. He stressed that Greece's hopes have not materialized yet, stating that the Greek concessions were fruitless at least for the moment.

[07] REPPAS ON THE DOWNWARD COURSE OF THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas referred to the continuous downward course of the Athens Stock Exchange when asked to comment on whether this trend will have an effect on political developments, reminding that the government has a recent popular mandate and it will complete its work and its full four-year term.

He said that the government does not intervene in the operation of the Athens Stock Exchange and appealed to the politicians of the opposition to follow the government's example because in a different case they will offer bad services both to the stock exchange and the investors as well as to their own political party.

[08] REPPAS: 116.500 HECTARS OF LAND HAVE BEEN TURNED INTO ASHES

Based on figures provided by Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas, it is estimated that the recent fires have destroyed 116.500 hectars of forest and cultivated land.

Mr. Reppas stated that all the fire fronts are under control and added that in many cases there are serious indications that the fires were the work of arsonists.

[09] LOSSES OF 2.68% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

Losses of 2.68% were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today and the general index dropped to 3.429,64 points. The downward course of the general index was the result of the pressures exerted on the blue chips and especially the Greek Telecommunications Organization, OTE, the National Bank of Greece and the Commercial Bank stocks.

The volume of transactions was 111.3 billion drachmas and of the stocks trading today 53 recorded gains, while 287 had losses and 30 remained unchanged.

[10] THE 28TH GREEK LANGUAGE INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM HAS BEEN COMPLETED

The 28th Greek Language, History and Culture International Program organized in Thesaloniki by the Balkan Studies Center has been completed.

The program was attended by 157 scientists, diplomats, economists, academics, students, journalists and European Union employees from 37 countries.

The program's goal, which in the past 20 years has been attended by 7.000 foreign students and scientists, is the promotion of modern Greek studies at an international level.

[11] INCREASED RISK OF FLOODS IN THE WINTER AS A RESULT OF THE SUMMER FIRES

The destructive fires of the summer that devastated Greece will create a big problem in the winter and specialists warn that there is an increased risk of extensive floods.

Demokrition University of Thrace environment engineers department professor Mr. Rapsomanikis stressed that the risk of winter floods has doubled as hundreds of thousands of acres of forest land have been destroyed and the rain waters can not be absorbed easily.

[12] CYPRIOT FM MEETS WITH GREECES DEFENSE MINISTER

National Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos met with visiting Cypriot Foreign Minister in Athens yesterday evening, with whom he discussed the issue of missing persons in Cyprus's occupied territory and the coordination of efforts to recognize exhumed bodies through the DNA method.

"We back the efforts in locating the missing individuals," Mr. Tsochatzopoulos stated, adding that he and Mr. Kasoulides agree on a series of relevant measures, including the use of DNA-based identification method through which 60-70 persons have been identified.

Furthermore, the two ministers reconfirmed their lasting commitment to the Greece-Cyprus unified defense dogma.

A.F.

[13] ARCHBISHOP CHRISTODOULOS WRAPPED UP HIS VISIT TO ISRAEL

Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All of Greece wrapped up his visit to Israel today. He met with the Israeli president and thanked him for the fire-fighting aircraft sent to Greece in response to the country's request for assistance.

Archbishop Christodoulos stated that he got the assurance of the Israeli president that there will be no change in the status quo of Jerusalem without consulting first with the leaders of the three religions in the region.

The issue of the new state-issued identity cards in Greece that will not list the religion of the bearer was at the center of the contacts the Archbishop had in Israel. Yesterday, he met with the Israeli justice and religion minister who stated that no decision on religion can be made in his country without the consensus of the people.

Patriarch Diodoros of Jerusalem gave a formal dinner in Archbishop Christodoulos' honor in Bethlehem and expressed his support to the struggle of the Greek Church on the identity cards issue.

[14] A GREEK-AMERICAN HAS BEEN ARRESTED BY THE FBI

A Greek-American from Tarpon Springs in Florida, USA has been arrested by FBI agents accused of trying to extract the sum of US$ 1 million from a computer software company in Massachussets through e-mail.

Thirty nine year old Michalis Pitelis was sending the e-mail from the municipal library computer in the period of August 8-21.

[15] SEMINAR ON PARTHENON HELD IN SYDNEY

"The Acropolis, the Parthenon, Elgin and the Marbles" was the title of the special seminar held in the Sydney Powerhouse Museum, home to the famous exhibition "1000 years of Olympic Races, Treasures of Ancient Greece". The seminar aims to sensitise Australians and international public opinion in general to the importance of the return of the Marbles to Greece.

The seminar portrayed the history of the Parthenon Marbles, their removal from Athens by Lord Elgin in 1801 and their sale to the British government in 1816, as well as modern perceptions of museums and the return of cultural heritage to its rightful owner.

Important Australian figures attended the seminar, such as former Prime Minister G. Whitlam, who spoke about "Pericles and the Parthenon". David Hill, member of the Australian committee for the return of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece gave a talk on Lord Elgin and the story of the Marbles.

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