Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 01-03-08

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

CONTENTS

[01] THE BALKAN YOUTH FESTIVAL SUPPORTS THE CHILDREN OF YUGOSLAVIA

[02] SIMITIS-KOSTOV AGREEMENT AGAINST THE DEPLOYMENT OF TROOPS IN FYROM

[03] MEETING OF THE FOREIGN MINISTERS OF GREECE, IRAN AND ARMENIA

[04] PAPANDREOU: THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IS DETERMINED NOT TO ALLOW THE

[05] NIKOS KONSTANTOPOULOS WILL VISIT SKOPJE

[06] IMPRESSIVE GAINS IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

[07] THE COOPERATION OF BALKAN WATER SUPPLY AND SEWERAGE COMPANIES IS ON THE

[08] THE GREEK PARLIAMENT REJECTED THE LIFTING OF PARLIAMENTARY IMMUNITY FOR

[09] THE NEW YORK GOVERNOR DESCRIBED AS GENOCIDE THE PERSECUTION OF THE

[10] THE US AMBASSADOR TO THE UN IS OF GREEK ORIGIN

[01] THE BALKAN YOUTH FESTIVAL SUPPORTS THE CHILDREN OF YUGOSLAVIA

The Balkan Youth Festival expresses its solidarity to the people of Yugoslavia with a Greek rock music concert that will be held in the city of Katerini tomorrow and a tele-marathon on the state television channel ET-3 on March 13. The money that will be collected will be offered for the purchase of medicine that will be sent to children hospitals in the neighboring country.

In the solidarity tele-marathon for the children of Yugoslavia that will last about 12 hours will take part famous Greek actors and singers. The money that will be collected will be sent to two children hospitals, one in Belgrade and one in the Albanian-speaking Kosovo.

[02] SIMITIS-KOSTOV AGREEMENT AGAINST THE DEPLOYMENT OF TROOPS IN FYROM

Greek prime minister Kostas Simitis and his Bulgarian counterpart Ivan Kostov reached an agreement according to which, there should be no deployment of troops to FYROM coming from neighboring countries.

Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas announced that the two prime ministers had a telephone communication and discussed the crisis in south Serbia and the way in which it can be faced.

Specifically, it was agreed that the crisis can be faced exclusively through diplomatic and political means and not through the deployment of troops from neighboring countries. It was also agreed that the undertaking of any initiatives aimed at dealing with the crisis in the region must be based on the UN decisions.

[03] MEETING OF THE FOREIGN MINISTERS OF GREECE, IRAN AND ARMENIA

Greek foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou met in Athens today with his counterparts from Armenia, Mr. Oskanian and Iran Mr. Kharratsi.

Mr. Papandreou stressed the need to isolate the extremist groups that want the destabilization of southeastern Europe. He also expressed optimism that the message sent by the international community as a whole against the terrorist actions by extremist groups will have results.

The three foreign ministers signed a memorandum of tripartite cooperation in the sectors of economy, energy, technology and culture.

The foreign ministers of Armenia and Iran were also received by president Kostis Stephanopoulos.

[04] PAPANDREOU: THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IS DETERMINED NOT TO ALLOW THE DESTABILIZATION OF THE BALKAN REGION

Greek foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou stated that he is satisfied with the results of the contacts he had in FYROM, the EU, NATO and the Albanian government on the crisis that erupted in FYROM.

Mr. Papandreou expressed the belief that there is political will from all interested sides namely, the EU, OECD, NATO and the southeastern European states for the protection of the borders and the territorial integrity of FYROM.

The international community will not allow the destabilization of the region by terrorist extremist groups and violent acts and this answer is being given on the ground as well by the KFOR actions, stated characteristically Mr. Papandreou.

Meanwhile, the NATO permanent representatives council that met in Brussels today decided the partial deployment of the Yugoslav army at the Kosovo-FYROM borders. NATO general secretary George Robertson announced that the UN peacekeeping force (KFOR) was authorized to allow the controlled return of the Yugoslav military forces initially to a small sector at the borders of Kosovo with FYROM.

Mr. Robertson pointed out that this is a first step in a gradual and conditional reduction of the security zone. The NATO permanent representatives council will decide on a later date in what other sectors the Yugoslav forces will return always under the control of KFOR.

[05] NIKOS KONSTANTOPOULOS WILL VISIT SKOPJE

Coalition of the Left president Nikos Konstantopoulos will visit Skopje on March 13-14 within the framework of his tour of the Balkans on the occasion of the new crisis that erupted because of the armed clashes at the borders of FYROM with Kosovo.

In Skopje, Mr. Konstantopoulos will have meetings with the FYROM president, the prime minister, the foreign minister and the political party leaders.

[06] IMPRESSIVE GAINS IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

Gains were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today. The general index rose to 3.21% at 3.276,25 points, while the volume of transactions was 307.38 million Euro or 104.739 billion drachmas.

Of the stocks trading today, 350 recorded gains and 7 had losses, while the value of 13 stocks remained stable.

[07] THE COOPERATION OF BALKAN WATER SUPPLY AND SEWERAGE COMPANIES IS ON THE RIGHT PATH

The ambition of the Thessaloniki Water Supply and Sewerage Company to assist the Balkan states through resources coming from the European Union and the Greek government in order to achieve joint development and reach common solutions to the ecological problems, was expressed in a press conference by company president Christos Tsogas.

He stated that a second meeting was held in Thessaloniki today with the representatives of the founding members of the Balkan Water Supply and Sewerage Companies Association. Specifically, a meeting was held with managing director of Belgrade's company Vladimir Tausanovic and Skopje company representative Giorgi Gatsev.

Mr. Tsogas also stated that they signed the founding charter, while they approved the enlargement of the association with the participation of other Balkan cities.

[08] THE GREEK PARLIAMENT REJECTED THE LIFTING OF PARLIAMENTARY IMMUNITY FOR DEPUTY GALIP GALIP

The responsible parliament committee rejected the request concerning the lifting of the parliamentary immunity enjoyed by governing socialist party of PASOK deputy Galip Galip with 31 votes against, 6 in favor and 4 blank votes. In the summer of 1999, Mr. Galip Galip, who is elected in the northeastern prefecture of Rodopi, had signed the visitors book in the Kemal Ataturk Mausoleum and his statements, according to the request for the lifting of his parliamentary immunity, unveiled a wish for the borders to be changed.

Mr. Galip maintained that everything he had written in the visitors' book had been misinterpreted, while the newspaper on which they were published had removed words altering this way the meaning of the text.

[09] THE NEW YORK GOVERNOR DESCRIBED AS GENOCIDE THE PERSECUTION OF THE GREEKS FROM PONTOS

New York governor George Pataki spoke of a genocide that was suffered by the Greeks from Pontos in a statement he issued on the occasion of the "Award of Excellence" that will be received by 90yearold Sano (Themia) Halo who, as a 10yearold girl, lived the horror of the persecution by the Turks. Other five women will be honored with the same award in a ceremony that will be held today.

According to the New York based Greek-American newspaper "Ethnikos Kirix", Mr. Pataki stressed that the Turks, who were responsible for the genocide in Asia Minor, were extremely brutal when they implemented the displacement campaign on the Greeks, Armenians and Assyrians forcing them to abandon the land of their forefathers.

In the same statement it is mentioned that behind the persecutions was the Turkish government which is a necessary pre-condition in order to establish that a genocide was committed.

[10] THE US AMBASSADOR TO THE UN IS OF GREEK ORIGIN

The White House announced formally its intention to appoint as US ambassador to the UN former US diplomat John Negreponte, who is of Greek origin.

According to the newspaper Washington Post, Richard Halbrooke, who served with Mr. Negreponte in the US embassy in Saigon in the 70s, stated that even though Mr. Negreponte will not participate in the cabinet his appointment will benefit the US and the United Nations.

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