Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 01-06-21

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

CONTENTS

[01] PASOK LIES LOW OVER POLL, ND's REACTION LOW-KEY

[02] VAST MAJORITY OF IMMIGRANTS GLAD FOR NEW LAW

[03] BELGIUM'S ROYAL COUPLE IN THESSALONIKI

[04] PASOK'S PARTY CONGRESS WILL BE HELD EARLIER THAN SCHEDULED

[05] THE GREEK RAILWAYS IN TELECOMMUNICATIONS

[06] MPA-CENTRAL MACEDONIA REGION COOPERATION

[07] THE GREEK PARLIAMENT PRESIDENT IN STRASBOURG

[08] THE ASE LOSSES CONTINUE

[09] ALLEGED TERRORIST SENTENCED FOR FORGERY

[10] REPORT ADDS INSULT TO INJURY, SEES PASOK's DEMISE

[11] DEPUTY FM MEETS WITH RUSSIA'S ENVOY ON CYPRUS

[12] KING AND QUEEN OF BELGIUM VISIT THESSALONIKI

[13] EURO-PARLIAMENT DELEGATION IN TIRANA

[14] THE MILLENNIUM'S FIRST TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE SUN

[15] EU INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION DECLINE

[01] PASOK LIES LOW OVER POLL, ND's REACTION LOW-KEY

The climate anticipated at the ruling PASOK party's executive bureau session, to be held this afternoon, is expected to be gloomy, to say the least, in light of the latest opinion poll that gives the main opposition party of New Democracy quite a comfortable lead on nearly all counts.

Specifically, the MRB poll found that PASOK is trailing the conservative ND by 8. 9 percent in voter preference, while ND leader Costas Karamanlis for the first time edged Premier Costas Simitis on the question of who would be the best prime minister.

If elections were held today, the poll found, 34.9 percent would vote for ND, with PASOK trailing at 26 percent (dropping to levels that it held between July 1997 and March 1999 before coming back to win the April 2000 elections).

Furthermore, most of those polled (51.3 percent) believe that ND would win elections now, with 26.9 percent seeing a PASOK victory.

Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas stated that the results of the poll are worth studying, adding that PASOK and the government are part of Greek society and have to correctly assess the positions of that society.

Stressing that the government still has three years ahead in which to complete its work, Mr. Reppas said that the poll's results reflect public opinion at a given moment.

National Economy Minister Yiannos Papantoniou said that while the state's policy should be considerate of such polls, the conclusive opinion poll is the result of the nationwide ballot.

Transportation and Communications Minister Christos Verelis said that the present negative climate prevailing in PASOK's ranks is largely due to the governing party's back-benchers and their "harmful insinuations".

Minister of Macedonia-Thrace George Paschalidis, stated that opinion polls are merely tools for analysis and not election results.

Far from acting like the cat that ate the canary, ND's leader was subdued in his response to is party's triumph in the poll, stating that the party's only concern is its daily improvement.

A.F.

[02] VAST MAJORITY OF IMMIGRANTS GLAD FOR NEW LAW

In less than a month since the state implemented new legislation on immigrant legalization, a.k.a. second chance program, the vast majority of foreigners who are presently in Greece approved of the bill (90.2%), with a mere 8.2 percent viewing it as a negative development.

According to a telephone poll conducted by the Citizens Service Center, 80.6 percent of those who responded are optimistic that their life will improve, although 6.5 percent fear that it will worsen and 11.7 do not expect any change.

Out of the immigrants participating in the poll, 58.4 percent are from Albania, 10.3 percent from Russia, Ukraine and Georgia, 7 percent from Romania and 4.4 percent from Bulgaria. 

According to the report, half of the illegal immigrants presently in Greece have been here over four years, 63 percent live with their families, 72 percent wish to live in Greece over five years and 50 percent wish to settle permanently. 

According to the Interior Ministry's program, aliens eligible for acquiring a residence and temporary work permit must have completed at least one year of residency in Greece by June 2, when the new immigration legislation became enforceable. The program ends on August 2.

A.F.

[03] BELGIUM'S ROYAL COUPLE IN THESSALONIKI

Belgium's King Albert ÉÉ and Queen Paola, who completed their visit to Greece this afternoon and returned to their country, stated that they were enchanted by their tour of the archaeological site of Vergina and the sightseeing in Thessaloniki.

King Albert stated that he is deeply moved by the warm hospitality in Greece and referred to Thessaloniki's role in his speech during a formal luncheon that was given in his honor by minister of Macedonia-Thrace Giorgos Paschalidis.

The King of Belgium said that since antiquity Thessaloniki was a crossroads of commerce and a meeting point of Europe and Asia Minor. He referred to its impressive cultural heritage and stressed that the city continues to be a region of economic development.

Mr. Paschalidis referred to the ties linking Greece and Belgium, while he referred to Belgium's role in the European integration and to Thessaloniki's role and prospects. He said that Thessaloniki will host the EU summit meeting in 2003 and it also wants to be the host of the EXPO World Exhibition in 2007 or 2008. Mr. Paschalidis added that the city is the seat of the European agency for the Reconstruction of the Balkans, and CEDEFOP, while it is also the alternative seat of the Stability Pact.

[04] PASOK'S PARTY CONGRESS WILL BE HELD EARLIER THAN SCHEDULED

The governing socialist party of PASOK executive bureau decided in its long meeting today to hold the party congress earlier than scheduled, namely by mid October this year and not in March 2002.

The announcement was made by prime minister Kostas Simitis, who stressed that the proposal will be presented in PASOK's central committee meeting on July 13-14. He said that it will be a congress of unity and victory and added that the goal of the government is to complete its work and hold elections at the end of its four-year term.

The prime minister admitted that there are flaws and malfunctions in PASOK and attributed them to the way the social security system reform was handled and the different viewpoints inside the party.

He also spoke of an effort, by those who do not want modernization, to continuously question the government work. Within this framework, he said that there is talk of an alleged negative course by the Greek economy, while personal disagreements and conflicts, that have no relation with reality, are given excessive publicity, adding that an effort is being made to create the impression of a continuous policy crisis. Mr. Simitis stated that all the above are used as means to exert pressure on the government.

[05] THE GREEK RAILWAYS IN TELECOMMUNICATIONS

The Greek Railways Organization fiber optics cable along the Patras-Athens-Thessaloniki railway axis will be put in operation in early 2002. The specific 2.088 billion drachmas project is the first stage in the process for the creation of a Greek Railways fiber optics network through which the organization will enter the Greek telecommunications market.

The construction began on June 18 and it will be completed in 150 days.

Meanwhile, the Greek Railways TELEOSE telecommunications subsidiary is expected to be activated in the next few months.

As it was made known to MPA by the Greek Railways Organization infrastructure general director Konstantinos Yiannakos, the Bulgarian Railways Organization has tabled a proposal to link the fiber optics cable, operating along the Thessaloniki-Promachonas railway line, with the respective Bulgarian fiber optics cable. Already, talks are underway between the two sides and the proposal is being considered in a positive way.

[06] MPA-CENTRAL MACEDONIA REGION COOPERATION

A systematic cooperation for better access to information for the Greeks of the Diaspora concerning the loans for the Greeks abroad, and the naturalization of immigrants and repatriated Greeks will be launched between MPA and the office of the Central Macedonia Region (CMR).

Bilateral cooperation will also focus on the dissemination of local and regional news to the whole country and the Greek communities abroad.

Central Macedonia Region director Mr. Vasilis Valasopoulos stated in the meeting he had in Thessaloniki today with MPA president Mr. Paraskevas Paraskevopoulos and MPA general director Spiros Kouzinopoulos that the results of the cooperation will be positive for both sides.

[07] THE GREEK PARLIAMENT PRESIDENT IN STRASBOURG

Greek parliament president Apostolos Kaklamanis will be in Strasbourg today to attend the international conference of parliament presidents from Europe and other countries who will meet to discuss the abolition of the death penalty. The conference is organized by the European Parliament and the Council of Europe in cooperation with international non governmental organizations, like Amnesty International.

Mr. Kaklamanis will back the abolition of the death penalty based on humanitarian, and correctional reasons and as a show of respect to human life and dignity.

The International Conference of Parliament Presidents in Strasbourg will adopt a resolution calling on the countries (United States and Turkey) which continue to impose the death penalty, to abolish it.

[08] THE ASE LOSSES CONTINUE

Losses were recorded again today in the Athens Stock Exchange. The general index dropped to -0.25% at 2.799,76 points, while the volume of transactions was small at 149.14 million Euro or 50.821 billion drachmas.

Of the stocks trading today, 134 recorded gains and 175 had losses, while the value of 73 stocks remained stable.

[09] ALLEGED TERRORIST SENTENCED FOR FORGERY

Overturning an earlier sentence of 3.5 years, an Athens court of appeals has imposed a seven-month sentence on alleged terrorist Avraam Lesperoglou, on charges of using forged documents and possessing forged official stamps, while clearing him of a third charge concerning his illegal entry into Greece.

The charges concerned a false passport and forged stamps for state services found on him when he was arrested at Athens airport in December 1999, after 17 years on the run.

Testifying on his own behalf, Lesperoglou stated I declare that I am innocent. These documents ended up in my hands so that I can travel. He is now serving a jail sentence of three and half years imposed by a court martial for evading army service.

He is also facing charges over his alleged involvement in a terrorist group known as Anti-State Struggle, which has been blamed for the killings of a public prosecutor, three police officers and two security guards and a supermarket robbery that involved a murder. His trial for these cases has been set for October 10.

A.F.

[10] REPORT ADDS INSULT TO INJURY, SEES PASOK's DEMISE

As if seeing its popularity wane wasn't enough, the prospects of the ruling PASOK party winning in the next general elections aren't so good, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) which releases quarterly analysis and forecasts of the political, economic and business environment in more than 180 countries.

Forecasting an easy triumph for the main opposition party of New Democracy, the EIU attributes PASOK's future demise to intense bickering within the party ranks, while also foretelling that the next parliamentary elections will most likely be held in 2003.

Nevertheless, the report finds that Greece's accession to the Economic and Monetary Union, coupled with the noted rapprochement in its relations with Turkey, will greatly contribute to steadying a climate of political and economic stability, that is at least until 2003.

A.F.

[11] DEPUTY FM MEETS WITH RUSSIA'S ENVOY ON CYPRUS

Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Grigoris Niotis met with Russia's special envoy on Cyprus Vladimir Pigrine yesterday, with whom he discussed relevant developments on issues concerning the island republic.

The Russian envoy reiterated his country's position, which is in support of a bi-communal, bi-zonal federation, based on the resolutions of the United Nations and expressed the wish that proximity talks will resume soon.

Mr. Niotis expressed his satisfaction for the steadfast and decisive stance maintained by Russia on the Cyprus issue for many years now, which has been expressed repeatedly in the UN Security Council from its institutional position as a permanent member.

Furthermore, he expressed the great interest of the political and state leadership of Greece and the Greek people regarding the upcoming visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Greece. 

A.F.

[12] KING AND QUEEN OF BELGIUM VISIT THESSALONIKI

Visiting Belgian King Albert II and Queen Paola are to arrive in Thessaloniki today, the last stop of their official visit to Greece, the first by a Belgian monarch in the history of Greek-Belgian relations.

The Belgian royal couple will be transported via helicopter to the Vergina archaeological site, while later in the afternoon they will be received by the Minister of Macedonia-Thrace George Paschalidis.

Albert met with Prime Minister Costas Simitis yesterday, with whom he discussed Europe's future prospects.

A.F.

[13] EURO-PARLIAMENT DELEGATION IN TIRANA

Greek Euro-deputy of the governing socialist party of PASOK, Ms. Anna Karamanou will be in Tirana tomorrow participating in a four-member delegation of Euro-deputies who will monitor the July 24 parliamentary elections in Albania.

During their four-day stay in the country, the Euro-deputies will meet with the president of the central electoral committee, the Albanian parliament president, the foreign minister, political party leaders and mass media representatives.

Ms. Karamanou will monitor the election process in the city of Durres.

[14] THE MILLENNIUM'S FIRST TOTAL ECLIPSE OF THE SUN

The first total eclipse of the sun in the new millennium takes place today and it will be visible in the southern part of Africa.

The phenomenon will begin over the south Atlantic Ocean and then it will become visible in Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, and Madagascar.

Meanwhile, many specialists express concern because in those countries few people have the money to buy protective glasses and many are at risk to suffer irreversible eye damage if they attempt to look directly at the sun.

[15] EU INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION DECLINE

A new drop was recorded in the EU industrial production, according to figures provided by the European Statistics Agency, Eurostat.

In the Euro-zone the drop was 0.5% compared to March 2001, while in March industrial production was down by 0.3% compared to February.

Based on figures that were not given to publicity before, industrial production in Greece was down by 3.4% compared to February.

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