Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 00-09-12

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

CONTENTS

[01] GREECE ONE OF FOUR MONITORS OF KOSOVO ELECTIONS

[02] FOREIGN MINISTER STANDS BY HIS VISIT TO BELGRADE

[03] THE EFFECTS OF THE REVALUATION OF THE US DOLLAR ON THE GREEK BUSINESSES

[04] OPENING TO THE CHINESE MARKET BY THE CITY OF KASTORIA

[05] TURKISH GENERAL KIVRIKOGLU WILL VISIT KEMAL ATATURK'S HOUSE IN

[06] QUESTION BY GREEK EURO-DEPUTIES ON THE THEOLOGY SCHOOL IN HALKI

[07] BIG LOSSES IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

[08] ONE DEAD AND THREE INJURED IN A FIRE AT A GAS STATION IN ATHENS

[09] THOUSANDS OF PILLS OF THE DRUG "ECSTASY" WERE GOING TO FLOOD

[10] DEUTSCHE BANK PREDICTS THAT THE OTE SHARES WILL BE AT 10.400 DRACHMAS

[11] THE GREEK PRESIDENT WILL VISIT LATVIA AND ESTONIA

[12] THE OIL PRICE INCREASE BROUGHT INDIGNATION AND MOBILIZATIONS

[13] PAPANDREOU: THE EU IS INTERESTED IN THE RESTORATION OF THE RELATIONS

[14] PROPOSAL FOR A "HELSINKI TYPE" BALKAN PACT

[15] GERMANY'S FORMER FOREIGN MINISTER CALLS ON THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

[16] FOURTH ROUND OF CYPRUS TALKS GETS UNDERWAY

[01] GREECE ONE OF FOUR MONITORS OF KOSOVO ELECTIONS

Greek forces will join their French, British and Italian counterparts in monitoring the October 28 elections in Kosovo, as it was decided during the annual rotating Convention of NATOs Military Committee, which opened yesterday at an Athens resort.

The chiefs of armed forces general staff of 19 NATO member-states opened yesterday's session and discussed the situation in the Balkans and a new structure for the Alliance.

They also discussed the deployment of the Alliance's forces in locations to be decided in 2001, following examination of conditions, capabilities and the local military forces of the selected locations-regions.

Turkey's National Defense General Staff Chief Hussein Kivrikoglou was also present at the Convention, although there was no meeting with his Greek counterpart Manousos Parayoudakis.

Following the session, the Chairman of the Military Committee Italian Admiral Guido Venturoni said that the good climate between Greece and Turkey was a reality, adding that the committee was applying efforts to aid its continuation.

Speaking on Yugoslavia, Adm. Venturoni said that the committees first and foremost concern was securing normalcy and peace especially during this time, as this country is scheduled to hold elections on September 24.

Following yesterday's session, the President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos hosted a formal dinner in honor of the military chiefs.

A.F.

[02] FOREIGN MINISTER STANDS BY HIS VISIT TO BELGRADE

Foreign Minister George Papandreou steadfastly defended his recent visit to Belgrade, which provoked criticism both from internal circles and abroad, by stressing that "if Greece doesn't take initiatives, then others might very well do so."

In an interview with the Athens daily "Imerisia", Mr. Papandreou said that, while "the flow of history didn't change, the status quo in the Balkans is not a pleasant one, therefore it cannot be maintained, it has to change.

"If we don't dare, we shall remain in a status of instability with unforeseeable consequences and developments in regions such as Montenegro," he stressed.

Moreover, the Foreign Minister added that "Greece has breathed oxygen into a process that can lead somewhere. Afterall, it's not a country that can sit idle and be asked for its view. It has a vested interest in being at the core of developments."

In all, Mr. Papandreou reiterated that his Balkan tour fared far better than was expected since "it contributed to overcoming certain mistaken views concerning both (Greece's) relations with Yugoslavia and the international community."

Mr. Papandreou dismissed accusations of Greek involvement in Yugoslavia's internal affairs, by pointing to the lengthy friendship that ties Serbs with Greeks, a bind that is independent of any leadership.

A.F.

[03] THE EFFECTS OF THE REVALUATION OF THE US DOLLAR ON THE GREEK BUSINESSES

Association of Exporters in northern Greece general director Babis Filadarlis in statements he made to MPA characterized the revaluation of the US dollar as positive for the exports sector.

However, Mr. Filadarlis pointed out that the issue of the revaluation of the dollar is considerably complex as it is not easy to pinpoint immediately the negative or positive effects it will have on a state economy.

He also expressed concern over the problem-infected relation between the US dollar and the Euro as the continuing decline of the Euro to the US dollar is a much wider problem that must be dealt with immediately by the EU.

Meanwhile, the record rise of the US dollar affects the computer sector and especially the hardware sales of the small-medium sized companies, according to Computer Companies Association in northern Greece president Anastasios Tzikas.

He stated that the more somebody is dependent on hardware the bigger problems he will face, while on the contrary the turnover in the sector of services and software is not affected by the revaluation of the US dollar.

[04] OPENING TO THE CHINESE MARKET BY THE CITY OF KASTORIA

The city of Kastoria, in north-western Greece is making an opening to the quickly developing market of China through the protocol of friendship and cooperation that was signed by the municipalities of Kastoria and Haining in China.

The protocol formally established the twining and cooperation between the two cities in the sectors of trade, tourism, culture and environment as well as on issues concerning the operation of local administration in general.

Recently, a municipality of Kastoria delegation visited the municipality of Haining, which is a leather and fur processing, production and trade center. During their stay in the Chinese city, the members of the delegation signed the protocol of friendship and cooperation, while they had meetings with their Chinese colleagues.

[05] TURKISH GENERAL KIVRIKOGLU WILL VISIT KEMAL ATATURK'S HOUSE IN THESSALONIKI TOMORROW

Turkish Army General Staff chief, general Hussein Kivrikoglu will visit the house of Kemal Ataturk in Thessaloniki tomorrow morning. General Kivrikoglu will not take part in the tour of the monastic community in Mount Athos organized for the NATO national defense general staff chiefs who participated in a summit meeting in Athens.

The house of Kemal Ataturk, who is the founder of modern Turkey, is on the grounds of the Turkish consulate in Thessaloniki and after the visit general Kivrikoglu will leave for Istanbul.

[06] QUESTION BY GREEK EURO-DEPUTIES ON THE THEOLOGY SCHOOL IN HALKI

Turkey violates the Treaty of Lauzanne regarding the rights of the Greek and the Armenian ethnic communities by refusing to allow the reopening of the Theology School in Halki, stressed EU Commissioner Ferhoigen in a response letter addressed to European Popular Party president Hans-Gert Petering.

Specifically, he mentions that Turkey has to meet its obligations stemming from the Treaty of Lauzanne as far as the rights of the Greek and the Armenian community members are concerned, while on the EU stance he pointed out that, within the framework of the dialogue with the Turkish authorities, it has to establish that the recognized religious minorities can exercise their rights. He also said that the EU will consider the issue in its regular report on Turkey that will be presented in November.

Based on the above, right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy Euro-deputies Christos Zacharakis and Antonis Trakatelis submitted a question calling for the immediate intervention of the EU Commission for the reopening of the Theology School in Halki and the adoption of measures for the protection of religious freedom in Turkey.

[07] BIG LOSSES IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

Today's session in the Athens Stock Exchange ended with big losses of 4.86%, while the general index was at 4.030,99 points and the volume of transactions was at satisfactory levels at 152.2 billion drachmas.

Of the stocks trading today only 19 recorded gains, while the overwhelming majority namely, 336 stocks, had losses and 20 remained unchanged.

[08] ONE DEAD AND THREE INJURED IN A FIRE AT A GAS STATION IN ATHENS

One person was killed and three were injured in a big fire that broke out in a gas station in Kato Patisia, Athens at noon today. The fire caused extensive damages to the gas station, while a fuel tank-truck that was in the car-wash and five private cars were destroyed.

The fire broke out in the car-wash of the "EuroOil" gas station and according to information, it was caused by a short-circuit. It spread quickly and there were a number of explosions that made the police to order the evacuation of neighboring buildings as a precaution.

[09] THOUSANDS OF PILLS OF THE DRUG "ECSTASY" WERE GOING TO FLOOD THESSALONIKI

Two Belgians were going to flood Thessaloniki with thousands of pills of the drug "ecstasy" brought to Greece hidden in a refrigerator truck full of flowers.

They are the driver of the truck Hobert van der Rinen, 24, and Johan Koge, 35, who were arrested while delivering a bag with 52.300 pills of the drug to a police officer posing as a buyer. According to the police, the two Belgians had also agreed to deliver 50 kilos of hashish together with the pills but they were not found in the police investigation that followed their arrest.

The Police Department in Thessaloniki announced that the pills had been made in Holland and Belgium and the truck arrived in Greece via Italy. The two Belgians delivered the flowers in Athens and then they traveled to Thessaloniki in order to sell the drugs.

[10] DEUTSCHE BANK PREDICTS THAT THE OTE SHARES WILL BE AT 10.400 DRACHMAS

The Deutsche Bank in a recent report sees three revitalizing factors for the Telecommunications Organization, OTE, shares.

The opening of a subscription for shares of Cosmote (the mobile phone branch of OTE), privatization and the opening of a program for the purchase of its own stocks after the failed BTC buyout effort, are the three developments which according to the Deutsche Bank analysts could give a boost to the OTE shares.

It is estimated that the current value of the OTE share is at low levels taking under consideration its true value and based on the report, it can increase by 30%. Deutsche Bank believes that the OTE shares are at attractive levels and they can reach the target of 10.640 drachmas.

[11] THE GREEK PRESIDENT WILL VISIT LATVIA AND ESTONIA

Greek president Kostis Stephanopoulos will be on a formal visit to Latvia and Estonia on October 8-13.

Mr. Stephanopoulos will have meetings with the state and political leadership of the two countries and with government officials.

[12] THE OIL PRICE INCREASE BROUGHT INDIGNATION AND MOBILIZATIONS

The oil refinery price increased by 270% since January 1999, while the retail price was increased by 60% in the same period of time, stated to MPA Gas Station Owners' Federation president Dimitris Makrivelios.

According to Mr. Makrivelios, the explosive price hikes are mainly the result of the continuous rise of the value of the US dollar and the increases in the crude oil prices.

Responding to a question on the mobilizations planned for this month by the truck drivers, he said that their indignation is justified, adding characteristically that the oil price has reached 70 drachmas per litre increasing the operational expenses of the truck drivers.

Mr. Makrivelios stated that Greece has already cut the special tax, adding that the problem can only be resolved if all the EU member-states cut the special tax and the 18% Value Added Tax (VAT) in order to bring about the drop of the retail prices.

He also pointed out that another way to deal with the problem is to adopt a free market system giving to the gas stations direct access to the oil refineries aimed at bringing about a price decrease of up to 25 drachmas.

From his side, International Transportation Truck Federation council Mr. Sotiris Koutoulis stated to MPA that since last year the oil price has increased by at least 100 drachmas, meaning that a trip from Greece to Germany costs 250.000 drachmas and therefore it is unprofitable.

[13] PAPANDREOU: THE EU IS INTERESTED IN THE RESTORATION OF THE RELATIONS WITH YUGOSLAVIA

Greek foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou stated in an exclusive interview with the Belgrade newspaper "Blic" that the message he conveyed to the Yugoslav leadership and the Yugoslav people was that it is possible to bring changes in the relations between Yugoslavia and the European Union.

In the interview, Mr. Papandreou points out among others that his counterparts in the European Union are interested in the restoration of the relations with Yugoslavia and wants the country to become an EU member, while he reminded that the EU has allocated for Yugoslavia the sum of 2.3 billion Euros which is enough for its reconstruction and development.

He also clarified that he did not visit Belgrade to tell the Yugoslav people who to vote for, stressing that he does not know what will be the election results but it is important how the electoral process will move ahead. He underlined that a democratic procedure will have a positive effect on the EU decisions while an undemocratic procedure will have negative consequences.

[14] PROPOSAL FOR A "HELSINKI TYPE" BALKAN PACT

Greek opposition Coalition of the Left party presented its proposal for a "Helsinki type" Balkan pact for the stability, security and development of all the countries in the region in the conference of the leftist and progressive parties in Europe that was held in Stockholm within the framework of the New European Left Forum.

In their presentation the Coalition of the Left representatives underlined that peace and stability can not be safeguarded with the presence of NATO soldiers but they must be based on the inviolability of the borders, the respect of human rights and the rights of the ethnic, religious and cultural minorities.

[15] GERMANY'S FORMER FOREIGN MINISTER CALLS ON THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO HELP IN THE SOLUTION OF THE CYPRUS PROBLEM

The solution of the Cyprus problem is necessary for the credibility of the international community, stated the so-called "Pope" of the German diplomacy Hans Diedrich Gensher in a meeting he had with foreign correspondents in Berlin yesterday, while he did not hide his concern over the fact that the problem continuous to exist.

Referring to the 4th round of the proximity talks on Cyprus in New York, he expressed the wish that the efforts made will bring results.

[16] FOURTH ROUND OF CYPRUS TALKS GETS UNDERWAY

The President of the Republic of Cyprus Glafcos Clerides and Turkish-Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash are embarking on the fourth round of UN-mediated, indirect talks in New York today, aimed at ending the island's division.

As in the previous rounds, the two men will not meet face to face.

According to the Cyprus News Agency, the UN Secretary- General's press spokesman Fred Eckhardt has said that if the international organization did not feel there was a chance for progress in the efforts to reach a settlement in Cyprus, then it would not keep "plucking away" at the proximity talks.

Replying to questions during his daily briefing yesterday, Mr. Eckhardt also said the that Greek-Cypriot and Turkish-Cypriot sides cannot be forced to discuss issues, pointing out that the peace effort that opened last December has so far aimed at bringing them to the point where they could go into the substance of the Cyprus question.

Meanwhile, President Clerides has described meetings he had in New York, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly Millennium Summit, as "constructive". President Clerides specifically referred to the talks between US President Bill Clinton and his Turkish counterpart Ahmed Necet Sezer, who discussed the Cyprus problem.

A.F.

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