Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 01-08-22

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

CONTENTS

[01] CONFRONTATIONS ON IDENTITY CARDS

[02] GENOA LAWSUITS

[03] GREEK-TURKISH CONCERT IN THESSALONIKI

[04] INSPECTIONS ON ALLA CLUB MED

[05] 14 SHARKS WERE CAUGHT IN RETHIMNO, CRETE

[06] SIMITIS-MITREVA MEETING IN ATHENS TOMORROW

[07] THE GERMANS PREFER CRETE FOR THEIR VACATIONS

[08] GAINS RECORDED IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

[09] 35 BILLION AGAINST UNEMPLOYMENT

[10] PAPANTONIOU: WE CAN SUPPORT THE LOW INCOMES

[11] THE HELLENIC OLYMPIC COMMITTEE RECEIVED 3 MILLION USD FROM "ATHENS

[12] FYROM FOREIGN SECRETARY IN ATHENS

[01] CONFRONTATIONS ON IDENTITY CARDS

Intense reactions on the government's side were caused by Archbishop Christodoulos' comments on the ID card issue. The governmental spokesperson Mr. Dimitris Reppas characteristically repeated yesterday, that the case of the ID cards is closed after the decision of State Council and that citizens elect governments, while the Church has a spiritual and not a political role.

Archbishop of Athens and all of Greece, Christodoulos, had asked why the government would not reevaluate its decision on the ID card issue, especially after three million votes had been gathered. The Archbishop compared the situation to the issue that had risen years before with compulsory civil marriage, which Andreas Papandreou, then Prime Minister, had supported, but made optional after the reaction of the church and people.

Mr. Christodoulos is also going to reveal the exact number of signatures collected on the 28th of August, something which caused more reactions, this time from the Archbishop of Zakynthos, Chrysostomos.

Archbishop Chrysostomos made mention of a communicational trick. "In a country where we can have the results in a day, we've been toying with this for a year. First we set one date, then another. What have we got to announce? What don't we know and is going to be announced? So why is all this happening, if not as a communicational trick", he said characteristically.

"We are pursuing something which no longer exists, after the decision of the State Council, where a law cannot be passed", he added.

[02] GENOA LAWSUITS

Charges have been pressed against any and all responsible Italian police officers for the incident that occurred in Angona on July 18 - when Greek protesters upon reaching the Italian harbor heading for Genoa, were stopped before they could disembark - by the District Attorney's Office.

Charges were pressed by 53-year-old pharmacist Theodoros Dritsas, who was among the protesters injured on the exit ramp of the "Bluestar 2" ferry.

District Attorney Panagiotis Aggelopoulos, pressed charges, the offenses being extended illegal detainment , extended and unprovoked physical damages, and were pressed against any and all Italian officers, as well as well as against the moral perpetrator of the physical damages.

The preliminary investigation will be taken over by the Patra Coast Guard.

[03] GREEK-TURKISH CONCERT IN THESSALONIKI

With the great Greek- Turkish folk concert of Farantouri, Livaneli, and Karadimitri, which will be framed by the Mikis Theodorakis Folk Orchestra, will on the night of the 26th officially kick off the events of the Balkan Plaza which is organized by the Municipality of Neapoli. This year's guest of honor is Mikis Theodorakis who has been invited to the concert. It should be noted that Mr. Theodorakis will be made honorary citizen of the Municipality of Neapoli by the Neapoli Municipality Council for his important cultural and social offer and his contribution to the approach and friendship of Balkan people.

The official commencement of the Balkan Plaza events on Greek ground will begin with torch-light procession of peace, which will proceed the concert, in which the Culture Minister of Albania and Bosnia-Herzegovina, the mayors of Kousantasi, Pancevo, Prijedor, spokespersons from the Culture Ministries of the Republic of Serbia, Consuls of all Balkan countries, the president of the Turkish news agency Andolu as well as young representatives of the countries who are taking part in the organization. Communications sponsors are the Macedonian Press Agency and the Turkish press agency Andolu.

The Balkan Square events are an amalgamation of artistic activities from he Balkans, with musical and dancing units of ethnic and modern music, dance and exhibitions and Balkan cuisine. The Balkan Square, this year, took the dimensions the municipality of Neapoli had envisioned, and spread further than Thessaloniki and Greece, since this year's events began last Sunday with a concert in the roman theater of the town of Ochrid in FYROM.

[04] INSPECTIONS ON ALLA CLUB MED

After the tragic drowning of a 7-year-old boy in the pool of a Club Mediteranee hotel in Greece, the French company's pool facilities worldwide are under general investigation.

"When all the results of this investigation are known, all measures that are appropriate will be taken", stated a company spokesperson.

[05] 14 SHARKS WERE CAUGHT IN RETHIMNO, CRETE

A fisherman and his son from Georgoupolis in Chania, Crete found themselves in a big surprise when they discovered that a total of 14 sharks of all sizes had been caught in their nets, while fishing off the coasts of Rethimno in the island of Crete in southern Aegean.

The largest of them was 120 kilos and 3 meters long, while the rest of the sharks were smaller ones.

Fisherman Yiannis Kokolakis stated that he is in the profession since 1974 and he had never caught so many and large fish before. However, he recalled that in 1986 he had caught one fish that was five meters long.

[06] SIMITIS-MITREVA MEETING IN ATHENS TOMORROW

FYROM's foreign minister Ilinka Mitreva will be in Athens this evening within the framework of her Balkan tour.

Tomorrow, she will meet with Greek foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou and later in the evening she will have a meeting with prime minister Kostas Simitis. Ms. Mitreva will also have talks with the leaders of the Greek opposition.

The goal of her tour is to brief the leaderships of the Balkan states on the peace agreement in Ochrid and the disarmament plan for the Albanian rebels.

According to the FYROM press agency MIA, it is likely that Ms. Mitreva will raise the issue of her country's name in the contacts she will have in Athens.

[07] THE GERMANS PREFER CRETE FOR THEIR VACATIONS

The Germans continue to be Crete's best customers followed by the British, Dutch, French and Italians.

According to information provided to the local newspaper "Patris" by the Iraklion Airport, a total of 354.789 German tourists, 219.764 British, 104.917 Dutch, 94.187 French and 41.997 Italians, came to the island of Crete in southern Aegean with chartered flights in the period between January and July 31, 2001.

[08] GAINS RECORDED IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

Gains of 0.13% were recorded today in the Athens Stock Exchange. The general index rose to 2.691,12 points, while the volume of transactions was at 104.8 million Euro or 35.6 billion drachmas.

Of the stocks trading today, 160 recorded gains and 153 had losses, while the value of 61 stocks remained stable.

[09] 35 BILLION AGAINST UNEMPLOYMENT

The labour ministry will allocate the sum of 35 billion drachmas in the next three years in the effort to counter unemployment, according to a decision signed by labour minister Tasos Yiannitsis today concerning the vocational training of the unemployed.

The European Social Fund will finance 75% of the program within the framework of its participation in the effort for the better exploitation of human resources.

[10] PAPANTONIOU: WE CAN SUPPORT THE LOW INCOMES

The government can give an emphasis to social policy through the support of low incomes thanks to the fact that there will be a surplus of 200 billion drachmas in the state budget.

The above were stated today by minister of national economy Yiannos Papantoniou after the meeting of the government's economic staff with prime minister Kostas Simitis.

Mr. Papantoniou stated that Greece should not return to the bad past it experienced before 1994 that was characterised by big deficits, high inflation and stagnant economy.

He further clarified that the government will decide on social policy within the framework of a three-year plan having an overall view of the economic situation.

Mr. Papantoniou stressed that the basic parameters of the stability program that will be in effect until 2004 will be presented by the prime minister in his speech in Thessaloniki's International Trade Fair opening on September 8.

According to information, there will be an annual increase of 10% in the special allowance for families with many children or single parent families, while an allowance will also be received by the poor families with under-aged children. The social package also includes the financing of new programs on health and education with 80 billion drachmas on an annual basis and the increase of the public servants' pensions.

[11] THE HELLENIC OLYMPIC COMMITTEE RECEIVED 3 MILLION USD FROM "ATHENS 2004"

The ATHENS 2004 Organising Committee for the Olympic Games paid the HELLENIC OLYMPIC COMMITTEE the sum of three million US Dollars (3,000,000 USD) yesterday deriving from the ATHENS 2004's sponsorship programme's revenues.

The total payment of ATHENS 2004 to the HELLENIC OLYMPIC COMMITTEE will exceed 10 million USD; this sum will contribute towards the Olympic preparation of Greek athletes.

[12] FYROM FOREIGN SECRETARY IN ATHENS

The Foreign Secretary of FYROM, Ilinka Mitreva, will have discussions with the government and parties of the opposition in Athens today, in the framework of her tour, having already visited Bucharest and Ankara.

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