Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 00-09-28

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

CONTENTS

[01] MINISTERIAL COUNCIL MEETING TO BE HELD TODAY FOR SHIPWRECK

[02] SIMITIS: NO SUCH TRAGEDY EVER AGAIN

[03] PAPANDREOU-CEM MEETINGS IN MARMARIS AND RHODES ON OCTOBER 15

[04] THE GREEK FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN ON THE DEVELOPMENTS IN YUGOSLAVIA

[05] LOSSES OF 0.25% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

[06] SHOCKING TESTIMONIES WERE GIVEN BY THE "SAMINA" CREW MEMBERS

[07] THE SEARCH FOR SURVIVORS CONTINUES

[08] PAPANDREOU PASSES ON CONDOLENCES TO VICTIMS FAMILIES

[09] 8 NOW MISSING IN PAROS SHIPWRECK

[10] SHIPWRECK SURVIVORS RECOUNT HORRIFIC TALES

[11] UNCERTAINTY SURROUNDS CAUSES OF TRAGIC SHIPWRECK

[12] FARM DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR GREECE ADOPTED BY THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION

[13] PAPANDREOU'S INTERVIEW ON THE OLYMPIC TRUCE

[14] KENTERIS: I WISH THAT THE MEDALS WILL EASE THE PAIN OF THE GREEKS

[15] KENTERIS CLAIMS ANOTHER GOLD MEDAL FOR GREECE

[16] GREEK COACH LEAVES OLYMPICS AFTER LOSING RELATIVE IN SHIPWRECK

[17] KENTERIS THROUGH TO FINALS IN MENS 200M RACE

[01] MINISTERIAL COUNCIL MEETING TO BE HELD TODAY FOR SHIPWRECK

Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis is due to hold a meeting at 10 am today with the Greek ministerial council, to discuss the tragic shipwreck that took place off the island of Paros yesterday.

Mr Simitis is confident that light will be cast on the causes of the accident, while Greek Commercial Shipping minister Christos Papoutsis maintains that those responsible for causing the tragedy will be identified.

The leader of the Greek opposition party, Costas Karamanlis, asked that responsibility be attributed, as did other political leaders within Parliament. The shipwreck will be on the agenda of the plenary session due to be held by the European Parliament next week.

[02] SIMITIS: NO SUCH TRAGEDY EVER AGAIN

It is an obligation and a pledge to shed light on this incomprehensible tragedy and all those responsible will be brought to justice regardless of how high they stand. This is an obligation to the victims of the shipwreck and to their families, stated prime minister Kostas Simitis in the cabinet meeting today referring to the tragic accident.

He also said that the investigation will go to the bottom of things regardless of whether we will have to overturn behaviors and points of view that have been followed for years. No such tragedy will happen ever again, stated the prime minister.

Acting government spokesman, Tilemachos Hitiris reiterated that charges will be brought against anyone responsible for the tragedy. He stated characteristically that the ferryboat did not hit the rock because it was not in a state to make regular trips but because it was off course.

He said that there was no delay in the response of the state rescue mechanism and the contribution of every responsible state agency was such that resulted to the rescue of hundreds of people. He also thanked on behalf of the government the fishermen from the islands of Paros and Antiparos for their rescue efforts, stressing that in such moments the greatness of the human soul and contribution can be seen clearly. Mr. Hitiris also stated that the government will compensate those whose boats were damaged during the rescue efforts.

When asked to respond to the question if the issue of the Greek passenger ships' old age was discussed in today's cabinet meeting, Mr. Hitiris stated that there is no age limit set by the European Union and that the only country setting an age limit is Greece, based on a government decision, even though many shipowners want no age limit for their ships like in the rest of the European Union countries. However, he announced that there will be a cabinet meeting next week to discuss issues concerning exclusively the Greek shipping sector and decisions will be reached.

[03] PAPANDREOU-CEM MEETINGS IN MARMARIS AND RHODES ON OCTOBER 15

Foreign ministers of Greece and Turkey Giorgos Papandreou and Ismail Cem will meet in Marmaris and Rhodes on October 15.

The political directors of the two foreign ministries will meet in Athens tomorrow to discuss issues concerning the confidence-building-measures in the Aegean.

According to diplomatic sources, the Greek side will table a text with ideas and proposals concerning the confidence-building-measures in the military sector.

[04] THE GREEK FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN ON THE DEVELOPMENTS IN YUGOSLAVIA

Greek foreign ministry spokesman Panos Beglitis stated that with the election results the Yugoslav people showed that they want democratic changes that are important for the future developments in the country.

He stated that there was consent by all political powers and reason prevailed, while responding to a question concerning the trial of Slobodan Milosevic in The Hague he stated that it will block the democratic developments in Yugoslavia.

Mr. Beglitis pointed out that the visit of foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou to Yugoslavia was a right move and showed that Greece can undertake such initiatives. The Greek foreign minister is now in constant communication with his French counterpart who is presiding over the European Council and other European foreign ministers regarding the developments in Yugoslavia.

[05] LOSSES OF 0.25% IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

Small losses of 0.25% were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange and the general index was at 4.142,82 points, while the volume of transactions remained disappointing at 79.1 billion drachmas.

The short-term course of the Athens Stock Exchange is associated with the daily turnover according to most of the analysts and if the trading interest is not boosted soon it will be difficult for the general index to be over the 4.250 points mark.

[06] SHOCKING TESTIMONIES WERE GIVEN BY THE "SAMINA" CREW MEMBERS

The first information coming from the testimonies of the "Samina" crew members regarding the conditions under which the tragic accident took place has shocked the public opinion in Greece. Based on them, the course followed by the ship was not the right one and the sailor at the helm had informed the ship's mate over this fact a while before the ship crashed on the rocky islet just about 2 nautical miles from the port of the Aegean island of Paros on Tuesday night.

In his testimony ship's mate Antonis Psychogios has reportedly stated "It's my fault, kill me". The same information mentions that he was not at his post at the time of the crash but in the ship's dining-room watching the football game between Panathinaikos and Hamburg on television. When Panathinaikos scored everyone cheered and it was then that captain Vasilis Yiannakis also appeared in the dinning-room. As soon as the crash from the impact was heard the captain went to the bridge deck but he did not assess the situation correctly and did not give an order to radio operator Tsoumas to send out a distress signal.

The captain in his testimony stated that as soon as he arrived at the bridge deck he called the ship's crew and gave them the order to alarm the passengers in the cabins. However, according to the responsible authorities, an SOS had to be sent from the start and the life-boats had to be ready regardless of whether they would have been needed in the end.

As it was made known, the captain had disagreed with the presence of ship's mate Antonis Psychogios because he regarded him as inexperienced and had requested from the company owning the ship to replace him.

[07] THE SEARCH FOR SURVIVORS CONTINUES

The rescue crews continue the search for survivors in the "Samina" tragedy under adverse weather conditions.

Divers will enter the sunk ship to look for the bodies of those who were trapped inside "Samina" and followed it to the bottom of the sea.

Aegean minister Nikos Sifounakis stated to the Athens radio station "Flash" that the clause allowing ships built over 27 years ago to make regular trips should be revised, while steps should be made toward the training of sailors in the use of rescue means.

[08] PAPANDREOU PASSES ON CONDOLENCES TO VICTIMS FAMILIES

Greek minister of Foreign Affairs, George Papandreou, expressed his deep remorse for the tragic shipwreck which has rocked Greece.

Speaking from Sydney, where he is attending the Olympic Games, Mr Papandreou passed on his condolences to victims families. "All of us here in Sydney who are away from home, the Greek delegation and athletes, are devastated by the news and our thoughts are with the victims families in Greece, despite our great successes here", he said.

Mr Papandreou has ordered all Greek state events and ceremonies planned for today to be cancelled, out of respect for the victims of the accident.

[09] 8 NOW MISSING IN PAROS SHIPWRECK

The number of those missing in the shipwreck near Paros has reached eight, according to a statement made by the head of the island's port authorities, Andreas Sirigos and representatives of the ship's company.

However, information is still being investigated over four Australians and two Greeks who boarded the ferry at the last minute.

According to Mr Sirigos, the search will continue while there are still hopes that more survivors will be found. He rejected accusations that there was a problem with the machine-works, as two inspections had been carried out by port authorities at Piraeus and by commercial ship inspectors.

[10] SHIPWRECK SURVIVORS RECOUNT HORRIFIC TALES

Survivors of the tragic shipwreck off the island of Paros recounted shocking reports to port authorities investigating the causes of the accident. The reports lead to accusations being brought against certain members of the crew who proved to be negligent in their duties onboard the ship. Most survivors recall that crew members "disappeared" when the ship crashed into rocks of the island, whilst others shouted "it's nothing serious, please remain in your seats". The shipwreck's survivors provided horiffic accounts of the shipwreck, after having swum in the turbulent Aegean for over two hours.

"We heard a frightening noise and started to panic. Some crew members told us to remain seated, but we started running for the lifeboats instinctively", said Zoe Kolida, speaking from the Health Centre of Paros. "Ten minutes later we were in the sea. Some people jumped from the third deck and other slid in when the ferry tipped over. I could see people who had drowned and tried to keep calm", she went on to say.

Olga Tsamoudinou stressed the lack of help from crew members and said "we were not informed in any way of what happened. They didn't tell us where to go, what to do. Only a cabin steward came at one point, once the ship started to tip and told us to remain seated and that nothing serious had happened. A few minutes later, the ship started to sink".

Another survivor, George Sariklis, maintained that it was a miracle he survived and spoke harshly of the ship's crew: "The crew did not help in any way, they didn't inform any of the passengers about anything and simply repeated that nothing serious had happened and that we should calm down. I was forced to jump off the deck and swim for two hours until fishermen saved me".

Survivor George Papageorgiou also voiced his dissatisfaction with those responsible for the ship: "Noone helped at all. The ship tipped over in 20 minutes and in that time, noone explained what had really happened and what we should do. Everything was disorganised. I swam for over two and a half hours, wearing a life-jacket".

The expression painted on the faces of the seven survivors of the shipwreck betrayed the nightmare and horror that they had gone through. Meanwhile, friends and relatives gathered at the "Evangelismos" hospital to see their loved ones and comfort them after their tragic experience.

[11] UNCERTAINTY SURROUNDS CAUSES OF TRAGIC SHIPWRECK

The tragic shipwreck that took place off the Greek island of Paros has raised a multitude of unanswered questions. The crew's negligence, together with accusations that crew members were not in their allocated posts at the time of the accident and the fact that shipping company's inadequate maintenance of emergency facilities failed to operate, are all pieces of the puzzle that authorities are trying to put together to identify what caused the tragedy.

Question marks also surround the naval documents issued by supervisors who carry out control checks on old vessels.

[12] FARM DEVELOPMENT PLAN FOR GREECE ADOPTED BY THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION

Four support measures for the development of the farming sector were proposed by the Greek plan adopted by the European Commission. The plan provides for the early retirement of farmers, interventions in disadvantageous regions, measures for the protection of the farming environment and reforestation of farm regions.

The overall cost of the program will be 2.686,4 million Euros and European Union will cover the sum of 993,4 million.

[13] PAPANDREOU'S INTERVIEW ON THE OLYMPIC TRUCE

The idea of the Olympic Truce and the prospects that are being opened by this initiative in dealing with crises and solving international problems peacefully, were presented by foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou to the representatives of the mass media covering the Olympic Games in an interview at the Olympic press center in Sydney.

Mr. Papandreou stated that the truce has been accepted and is backed by the International Olympic Committee and the United Nations, while he went on to analyze the three action axes for the materialization of the Olympic Truce namely, education, the information through the Internet and the peaceful interventions in the war-torn regions.

Mr. Papandreou stated that the Olympic Truce Institute is a motivation for a better world and not a panacea. Responding to questions concerning the organizing of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens and the Olympic Flame's visit to the continents, Mr. Papandreou stated that this is a matter of planning, adding that the idea is to visit war-torn regions if there will be effective guarantees that the Olympic Truce will be respected. He said that the Olympic Flame will tour all the neighboring countries with Greece because Greece wishes to bring a message of peace to all its neighbors.

On the concerns that have been expressed from time to time regarding security in the Olympic Games, Mr. Papandreou pointed out that this is a high priority issue for Greece and stressed that there is cooperation with security authorities from other countries with relevant experience and knowledge.

Responding to a question concerning the sports events between Greece and Turkey, Mr. Papandreou stated that they will include other similar activities as well and will be held under the auspices of the International Olympic Committee and the Olympic Truce Institute.

[14] KENTERIS: I WISH THAT THE MEDALS WILL EASE THE PAIN OF THE GREEKS

Emotional moments took place in Sydney's Olympic Stadium after the extraordinary victory by Kostas Kenteris of Greece in the men's 200m finals.

The Greek champion expressed the wish that his success will somehow ease the pain of the Greeks, who are mourning the victims of the "Samina" shipwreck. He said that his victory was a surprise for him and that it was his first Olympic medal. He also said that he was very happy and very calm and thanked his family, his coach and Katerina Thanou for their support. Kenteris also said that he dedicates this medal to all those who suffer in Greece, adding that if this victory can ease their pain it will be a great joy for him.

Kostas Kenteris, who comes from the Aegean island of Lesvos, maintained that the gold medal is a vindication for him and a response to all those who believed that he would be unable to win a place among the first.

The whole world heard the Greek national anthem for the fourth time in the Sydney Olympics when the Greek champion received the gold medal. His victory is huge given the fact that the American athletes in the 200 meters were undefeated since 1928 and only in 1960 in the Rome Olympics the gold medal was won by the Italian Peruzzi.

Kostas Kenteris was the only white athlete in the 200m race and no one of the three Americans competing managed to occupy one of the three first places.

When the Greek national anthem was over and the thousands of the spectators were cheering for him he whispered with tears in his eyes "Thank you, God, thank you".

As soon as the 200m race was over all the foreign athletes, coaches and escorts were asking who is Kostas Kenteris who left everyone speechless with his unbelievable performance.

[15] KENTERIS CLAIMS ANOTHER GOLD MEDAL FOR GREECE

Kostas Kenteris ran towards victory in the mens 200m final race, living up to Greek expectations and shocking his competitors, when he claimed a fourth gold medal for Greece.

The Greek athlete managed to beat favourites for the race, completing it in 20.09 seconds and setting a new record for the second time in 24 hours.

It is the first time in years that the United States have lost in this race and even longer since they lost to Greece. Shortly behind Kenteris came English athlete Campell (20.14), followed by Bolton from Trinidad and Tobago (20.14).

Few people expected Kenteris to win gold in the 200m final, where he was the only Caucasian athlete. His unbelievable victory in Sydney shocked both his competitors and his audience, touching Greeks all over the world.

[16] GREEK COACH LEAVES OLYMPICS AFTER LOSING RELATIVE IN SHIPWRECK

The effects of the shipwrecked "Samina" ferry reached as far as Sydney, as Greek national weightlifting coach, Christos Iakovou returned hastily to Greece after hearing that one of his relatives was amongst those who lost their lives in the tragic accident.

The athlete's brother-in-law was sadly on the ship at the time of the shipwreck, as was his sister, who fortunately survived the harrowing experience.

Meanwhile, the Greek flag is flying at half-mast at the Olympic Village in Sydney, out of respect for those who lost loved ones in the accident. Despite gaining two medals, gold for Michalis Mouroutsou and silver for Anastasia Kelesidou, the atmosphere at the Olympic Village is heavy and a minute's silence was observed by Greeks during a ceremony held in Sydney. Flags are also flying at half-mast at the Olympic Village in Athens, where ceremonies welcoming Greek athletes back from Sydney have been cancelled.

[17] KENTERIS THROUGH TO FINALS IN MENS 200M RACE

Greek athlete Kostas Kenteris achieved a true feat today when he finished first in the second semi-final round of the mens 200 metres race, thus going through to the finals.

"I have been well-prepared for a while now. I run at my own pace and not at the pace of others. I am not afraid of any athlete. I am completely satisfied with my run and look forward to competing in the final race", Kenteris said after completing the second semi-final round in 20:20 seconds.

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