Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 01-04-29

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

CONTENTS

[01] EVENT ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE HELD IN ATHENS

[02] IMPROVED ANTI-TERROR BILL TO BE TABLED MONDAY

[03] HERMES EXPO: MILESTONE FOR GREEK BIZ ABROAD

[04] ECONOMY MINISTER IN U.S., MEETS WITH PAUL O'NEILL

[05] GREEK ZEALOTS PRAY ALL NIGHT POPE DOESN'T COME

[06] THASOS ISLAND CALLS ON WWF IN PROTEST TO RADAR

[07] GREECE'S CULTURE MINISTER VISITS ISTANBUL

[08] GOLDMAN PRIZE AWARDED TO GREEK BIOLOGISTS

[09] PRESIDENT OF CYPRUS TO VISIT GREECE THIS WEEK

[01] EVENT ON ARMENIAN GENOCIDE HELD IN ATHENS

Addressing an event honoring the 86th anniversary of the Armenian genocide, ruling PASOK deputy and former minister Theodoros Pangalos on Sunday cited documents proving the catastrophe had taken place, and said the present Turkish leadership was a "continuation" of the Kemal regime, since "Ecevit and Cem share the same ideas and aspirations" with the Kemal regime that carried out the genocide.

Addressing the same event, parliament president Apostolos Kaklamanis said that "we do not demand revenge, but an apology from present-day Turkey, that it clear up its accounts with history in the name of human dignity. The concession should concern not only the Armenian genocide, but also the presence of Attila (the Turkish occupation forces) in Cyprus".

The event was organized by the Armenian National Committee of Greece.

A.F.

[02] IMPROVED ANTI-TERROR BILL TO BE TABLED MONDAY

Justice Minister Michalis Stathopoulos is to table a bill in Parliament Monday that introduces measures to combat terrorism and organized crime.

According to Mr. Stathopoulos, the bill will contain "improvements" which will not, however, alter its substance.

These improvements will concern the use of DNA to identify suspected criminals, the abrogation of witnesses' anonymity and the surveillance of suspects.

The Minister has stated that only people against whom there were very serious indications of involvement - and not just suspicions - would have their DNA tested.

Also, they would have the option of refusing to provide a sample but this could be taken into consideration by a court.

If the suspect is found innocent, the sample and all information taken from it will be destroyed in front of the acquitted person, he said. He said witnesses' anonymity would be lifted if the accused demanded this, in effect nullifying the concept of anonymity.

The limits on electronic surveillance will be more specific, and will be determined in accordance with the constitution.

Mr. Stathopoulos did not rule out scrapping a clause allowing police to infiltrate criminal gangs.

A.F.

[03] HERMES EXPO: MILESTONE FOR GREEK BIZ ABROAD

Named after the ancient Greek god of commerce, this year's Hermes Expo International will promote products and services from Greece, Eastern European Countries and the Mediterranean, bringing together businesses and representatives from a wide range of industries to the U.S. market.

The ninth annual business development trade show and exhibition is presently being held in Chicago's Navy Pier Trade Center, having earned its mark as a milestone event in the annals of Greek American activities.

Held since 1992, the Hermes Expo will feature the participation of firms from the sectors of travel & tourism, banking & finance, ministries & government, prefectures & agencies, food and service industry, distribution, new technology, arts & crafts, media, imports, exports, etc.

As series of seminars will also be held, focusing on various topics such as Trade with Greece, Cyprus and Eastern Europe and Business Opportunities for the 2004 Olympics.

Since 1993, the Hermes Expo has grown tremendously, attracting Greek American business and industry from across the country and across the world. Now, in its ninth year, the exhibition expects to draw on its past successes and offer the best networking and product exposition event to date.

Hermes Expo 2001 is scheduled to bring together businesses, representatives and industries from all parts of the United States, Greece, Cyprus, Eastern Europe and the Mediterranean.

The two-day trade show will not only provide a forum for these businesses to present their products, but will also include networking opportunities as well as entertainment, special offers and awards.

Taking advantage of new market trends, Hermes Expo will focus its seminars on trade in the USA, Greece, Cyprus and Eastern Europe; the vast business opportunities leading up to the 2004 Olympic Games; and the explosive increase in the popularity of the Greek Cuisine across the United States.

Following the two-day event held in Chicago, the Hermes Expo will be moved to New York's Jacob Javitz Center for a repeat performance between May 5-6.

A.F.

[04] ECONOMY MINISTER IN U.S., MEETS WITH PAUL O'NEILL

The Minister of National Economy and Finance Yiannos Papantoniou is presently on an official visit to the United States, at the invitation of U.S. Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Mr. Papantoniou will be meeting O'Neill in Washington, as well as senators Olympia Snow and Paul Sarbani, and will attend a working dinner held in his honor on Capitol hill, during which he will talk about developments in and prospects for the economy in Greece, the Balkans and Europe.

At MIT in Boston, the Greek minister will deliver a lecture on "Globalization and the future of democracy: lessons from Greece."

Today, Mr. Papantoniou will attend an event at the Cretan House in Astoria, while tomorrow he is scheduled to have a series of meetings with international institutional investors, the management of the Wall Street stock exchange and the Greek-American Business Council, as well as attending an event at the Greek-American Chamber of Commerce. 

A.F.

[05] GREEK ZEALOTS PRAY ALL NIGHT POPE DOESN'T COME

A group of Greek monks and nuns held an all-night vigil at a Mount Olympus monastery last night, praying that the Pope's visit, planned for May 4, will be cancelled.

The vigil was also attended by members of the clergy and faithful, who wished to express their opposition to the Pope's visit - the first by a Catholic Pope in 1,291 years.

The group also announced that it plans to hold a protest rally against the visit, to be held in Athens on May 2, two days before the pontiff's arrival on May 4.

The state is to enforce draconian security measures during the Pope's stay in Athens, as his arrival is expected to unleash loud protests among Orthodox zealots.

In addition to heavy police escort, the 80-year-old Pontiff will be protected by sharpshooters during his address at Pnyx Hill, a location beneath the Acropolis where the Apostle Paul preached to the ancient Athenians. Security forces will also be on guard at the Vatican's embassy.

The Athens visit will fulfil the Pope's dream to retrace the steps of Pope Apostle Paul. He will be the first pontiff to visit Greece since the Great Schism of 1054, when Christianity was divided into Eastern and Western branches.

The Pope will meet with President Costis Stephanopoulos, who extended the invitation for the visit during his earlier talks at the Vatican, as well as with Prime Minister Costas Simitis.

According to the itinerary, the Pope will arrive in Athens at 11:30 on Friday, May 4, on board an Alitalia airliner, and a small welcoming reception will be held at the airport.

Later, he will be visiting the Presidential Mansion where the official welcoming will be taking place, as well as the Archdiocese, before arriving at the residence of his representative in Athens where he will be staying.

He will dine with Catholic clergymen there and rest before going to Agios Dionysios Catholic Cathedral for a meeting with clergymen and monks of the Catholic Church.

At 8 a.m. on May 5, the Pope will be visiting the indoor basketball stadium at the installations of the Athens Olympic stadium where a church service will be held in Greek and Latin. The Pope's address to the faithful is to be read in Greek.

Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Christodoulos will be present alongside the visiting pontiff on three occasions the first during John Paul's visit to the Athens Archbishopric, followed by their joint appearance at the foot of the Acropolis. Finally, Mr. Christodoulos will visit the pope at the residence of the Vatican's representative in Athens the same evening, May 4.

In their addresses before the faithful, the Pope and the Archbishop will refer to terrorism, pollution and the gradual loss of Europe's Christian identity.

The pope was invited Greece by President Kostis Stephanopoulos, and after the Vatican had publicly aired the pontiff's long-standing desire to visit Athens. John Paul II's two-day trip will be the first by a Roman Catholic leader to the modern Greek state. The Orthodox and Catholic churches split in 1056 after centuries of often contentious relations.

After his departure from Athens, the Pope will visit Damascus and Malta.

A.F.

[06] THASOS ISLAND CALLS ON WWF IN PROTEST TO RADAR

The municipality of Thasos has called on the Greek chapter of the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) to assist in its protest over the planned installation of a radar on Mt. Ypsario.

In a document sent to WWF Greece, the municipality explains that a study on environmental repercussions of the radar collated by the Civil Aviation Service (YPA) indicated that the State had been negligent with respect to measures for protection of the local ecosystem.

In a separate petition tabled with the environment, town planning and public works ministry's environmental management department, the municipality called for all the necessary measures to be taken to avert permanent and irreversible damage to the island's landscape and the balance of its ecosystems.

A.F.

[07] GREECE'S CULTURE MINISTER VISITS ISTANBUL

Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos, currently in Istanbul to attend the Third Conference of the Greek-Turkish Business Cooperation Council, met with the vice president of Turkey Mesut Yilmaz, with whom he discussed opportunities for bilateral collaboration in the sectors of culture and sports.

Mr. Yilmaz reportedly thanked the Greek government for its support to his country's efforts to secure a loan over its economic crisis, while Mr. Veniselos stated that Greece wishes to see Turkey become financially secure.

The Culture Minister was also received by Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos at the Phanar yesterday.

Presenting Mr. Vartholomeos with a copy of his latest book on relations between the Church and State, Mr. Venizelos said he was very glad to finally be able to visit the Ecumenical Patriarchate, after having been involved in ecclesiastical affairs for a long time and in various positions.

On his part, Vartholomeos commented on the fact that improving Greek-Turkish relations were also helping smooth relations between Turkish authorities and Phanar, so that it now required less effort for the Ecumenical Patriarchate to achieve its goals.

A.F.

[08] GOLDMAN PRIZE AWARDED TO GREEK BIOLOGISTS

The prestigious Goldman Environmental Prize, the world's largest prize program honoring grassroots environmentalists, has been awarded to two Greek biologists for their work in the Prespes lake region, a protected ecological area where the borders of Greece, Albania and FYROM meet.

Giorgos Catsadorakis, 42, and Myrsini Malakou, 40, worked for years in the area, conducting research into the wetland habitat and the traditional way of life in the area. They also organized and supported sustainable farming and other economic activities. In addition, they helped local bean farmers change over to organic methods, and restored traditional methods such as the use of water buffaloes to keep wetland weeds in check.

The wetlands of Préspa in northwestern Greece are one of the most biologically rich and diverse regions in Europe. Over 260 species of birds migrate, winter and breed there, including the world's largest colony of the rare Dalmatian pelican. In the mid-1960s, government projects introduced large irrigation systems, commercial fertilizers and mechanized farming, quickly endangering the intricate wetland's ecology.

Malakou and Catsadorakis used their research in the region to help the local communities seek alternatives. They taught organic farming and reintroduced traditional practices that sustained both the people and the wetlands. They founded the community-based Prespa Center for Man and Nature, and they continue to serve as scientific advisors for the Society for the Protection of Préspa.

According to an announcement issued by the Goldman Prize Committee, Thanks to their dedication and years of work, the destruction of the wetlands has been halted and restoration has begun.

Their singular groundbreaking achievement came on February 2, 2000, when, in response to their proposal, the prime ministers of Albania, FYROM and Greece signed an agreement establishing the first transboundary protected area in the Balkans.

At the signing ceremony, the three prime ministers declared that the Préspa Park would be a model of peaceful collaboration among their countries. Malakou and Catsadorakis are currently working on a management plan for the sustainable development of the new park.

The Goldman prize, established in 1989, is awarded annually in six geographical categories to people who have worked to protect their country from environmental destruction. It is the most important international prize for environmental activists.

Malakou is director of the Prespes Protection Association and Catsadorakis is its scientific adviser. They have prevented several development projects which would have led to the deterioration of the wetland and helped develop eco-tourism, considerably restoring the condition of the wetlands.

A.F.

[09] PRESIDENT OF CYPRUS TO VISIT GREECE THIS WEEK

The President of the Republic of Cyprus Glafcos Clerides is to conduct an official visit to Greece on May 2-4.

r. Clerides, who will be accompanied by his wife, is visiting Athens at the invitation of the President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos.

A.F.

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