Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 02-01-17

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

CONTENTS

[01] PHONE NUMBERS CHANGE ON SUNDAY

[02] HASIKOS-PAPANTONIOU MEETING

[03] 4TH PITCHING FORUM IN THESSALONIKI

[04] EURO UNDER 88 CENTS

[05] NEW MEAT MARKET FACILITIES

[06] THE PREFECTURAL COUNCIL HONORED ARCHBISHOP DIMITRIOS OF AMERICA

[07] THE GREEK-BULGARIAN INTER-BORDER PROGRAM HAS BEEN APPROVED

[08] KARATZAS: THE ETE INTERESTS WILL NOT BE HURT

[09] SIGNIFICANT GAINS IN THE ASE

[10] CEMIL IPEKCI: IF I BECOME A POLITICIAN I WILL WORK FOR THE PROMOTION OF

[11] THE 2ND MOBILE PHONE SERVICE OPERATOR PERMIT IN FYROM WILL GO TO OTE

[12] STAVRAKAKIS: THE ECONOMIC RECOVERY OF SE EUROPE IS THE KEY TO GREEK

[01] PHONE NUMBERS CHANGE ON SUNDAY

From Sunday, January 20, the new telephone call system comes into effect, and all domestic phone numbers will have 10 digits. For every call, we must dial the area code of the location we are calling and an extra zero after the area code.

For example, if someone was to call Thessaloniki, they would dial 031 0 and then the number, while for Athens, 01 0 and the number they would normally dial.

There will also be changes in the Internet dial up number for all of Greece. The number 0965 will change to 09625 and then followed by the usual number dialed.

[02] HASIKOS-PAPANTONIOU MEETING

Issues concerning a defensive cooperation between Greece and the Cypriot Republic, were discussed in a meeting in Athens yesterday, between Minister of National Defense Giannos Papantoniou and his Cypriot counterpart Socratis Hasikos.

In statements he made, Mr. Papantoniou stressed that Greece is going to support the Cypriot Republic in the framework of the Joint Defensive Dogma with everything it has at its disposal.

The Minister of National Defense stated he is in favor of Cyprus' participation in the Euroarmy, and he repeated that the text composed by Britain and Turkey, on Turkey's cooperation with the Euroarmy, is unacceptable and must be reexamined.

[03] 4TH PITCHING FORUM IN THESSALONIKI

The 2002 Pitching Forum, organized by the European Documentary Network, in cooperation with the Thessaloniki Documentary Festival, will be held from March 6-10 in the framework of the Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival - Images of the 21st Century (March 4-10), for the 4th consecutive year.

This "international rendezvous" will include participation from countries in South and Southeast Europe, and will give a chance to Greek professionals of the audiovisual field to present and promote the work they have done in television stations in Greece and abroad. At this year's Pitching Forum, Greek producers will have a chance to present their projects to representatives from European television stations, aiming at a sale.

[04] EURO UNDER 88 CENTS

The euro took a plunge under 88 cents in value towards the US dollar, after today's announcement that the German National Budget in 2001 was at 0.6%, and that during its 3rd quarter, the strongest economy in the Eurozone was in recession.

It should be noted that the European currency is under intense pressure since Tuesday, as many Spanish banks, as well as US funds, have moved to buying dollars, while selling euro, in a move to protect themselves from the crisis in Argentina.

[05] NEW MEAT MARKET FACILITIES

New meat market facilities will start operating in the second semester of 2002 in today's meat market of Piraeus, according to an announcement made by the Ministries of Agriculture and Development.

Approximately 50 businesses will be housed in the meat market facilities, while those in use today will be put out of use. The project is estimated to cost 12,619,222 euro.

Regarding criticisms on Greece after inspections performed by European Committee experts at the Central Meat market in Redi, Minister of Development Akis Tsohatzopoulos stated that there were some problems, which will be dealt with, and he added that the Ministry has planned its policy for the central meat markets of Athens and Thessaloniki (Varvakio, Redi, Modiano, Kapani), which concerns their transfer and reconstruction.

According to the Minister, both EFET and the Ministry of Agriculture must promote methods of effective daily intervention, something that will occur in the near future.

[06] THE PREFECTURAL COUNCIL HONORED ARCHBISHOP DIMITRIOS OF AMERICA

People are close because they are close at heart in spite of the distance that may keep them apart, stated Archbishop Dimitrios of America in the ceremony held today in his honor by the Prefectural Council of Thessaloniki.

The Archbishop thanked the members of the council for the ceremony and referred with great love and nostalgia to the city of Thessaloniki which is his hometown. He also referred to the successful struggle of the Greeks living in the United States and around the world to keep the Greek tradition and Orthodoxy alive. The Archbishop stressed that the Greek-Americans have offered a lot to Orthodoxy while living in a culturally powerful place, stressing that currently there are about 22.000 different religious groups in the United States.

In his speech prefect of Thessaloniki Mr. Papadopoulos expressed the respect of the prefectural council to the Archbishop as well as, its members' appreciation for his contribution to the peaceful coexistence of peoples, cultures and religions beyond fanaticism and religious fundamentalism. He also referred to the September 11 terrorist attack on the United States and expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and his solidarity to the Greek-American community.

[07] THE GREEK-BULGARIAN INTER-BORDER PROGRAM HAS BEEN APPROVED

The Greek-Bulgarian Interreg III A 2001-2007 inter-border program, concerning the Eastern Macedonia-Thrace and Central Macedonia prefectures, has been approved by the responsible European Union Committee.

The budget for the materialization of the projects that will be included in the four priority axes within the framework of the Interreg III A program is at 226 million Euro or 77 billion drachmas. In addition, there will be a funding cooperation with the Phare program which is being materialized by the Bulgarian side.

The Interreg III A program provides for the materialization of projects or actions that concern the inter-border infrastructures, the economic development, employment, the quality of life, the environment and culture as well as, technical assistance measures.

[08] KARATZAS: THE ETE INTERESTS WILL NOT BE HURT

National Bank of Greece, ETE, Governor Theodoros Karatzas had a meeting today with the bank's deputy governors and senior executives. According to information, Mr. Karatzas stressed in the meeting that, regardless of the developments, the bank's interests will not be hurt.

As far as the imminent meeting of ETE Governor Mr. Karatzas with Alpha Bank President Mr. Kostopoulos is concerned, there is no official information. However, the two will have to meet at some point, as they will have to discuss the merger of the two banks without any preconditions.

In statements he made to the Athens newspaper Kathimerini, Mr. Karatzas stated that he does everything he can for the merger agreement to materialize, stressing, however, that this should be the desire of both sides in order to happen. He also stressed that the National Bank of Greece will not abandon the idea of the creation of a powerful regional bank with a European orientation.

[09] SIGNIFICANT GAINS IN THE ASE

Significant gains were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today. The general index rose to +2.38% at 2.561,67 points, while the volume of transactions was visibly improved compared to previous sessions, at 189.5 million Euro or 64.6 billion drachmas.

Of the stocks trading today, 316 recorded gains and 32 had losses, while the value of 13 stocks remained unchanged.

[10] CEMIL IPEKCI: IF I BECOME A POLITICIAN I WILL WORK FOR THE PROMOTION OF THE GREEK MONUMENTS

World-known Turkish fashion designer Cemil Ipekci expressed his intention to leave the fashion world at some point and become a politician. Speaking to MPA, he said that if he becomes a politician he will contribute to the further improvement of the Greek-Turkish relations and he will make efforts for the restoration, maintenance and promotion of the Greek monuments that are on Turkish soil.

Cemil Ipekci is the nephew of journalist Abdi Ipekci and a relative of Turkish Foreign Minister Ismail Cem.

Speaking about the Greek-Turkish relations, he said that there was never hostility between the two peoples, only lack of trust.

Cemil Ipekci presented his collection A thousand and one nights 2002-2003 in Thessaloniki yesterday within the framework of the events held on the occasion of the 2nd Turkish Clothing-Leather Exhibition Turkish Fashion.

[11] THE 2ND MOBILE PHONE SERVICE OPERATOR PERMIT IN FYROM WILL GO TO OTE

FYROM Minister of Transportation and Telecommunications Ljupco Balkovski expressed the certainty that the Greek Telecommunications Organization, OTE, will get the 2nd mobile phone service operator permit, stressing that the FYROM government rejects the objections raised by the British UK MINT which also claims the permit in question.

In statements he made on the sidelines of the Regional Telecommunications Symposium organized in Skopje today by the Institute of Telecommunications Studies in southeastern Europe in cooperation with the Greek Ministry of Transportation, Mr. Balkovski stressed that in five to six months from today the second GSM operator in FYROM will be OTE because it meets all necessary preconditions.

The commercial operation of the OTE mobile phone company will be launched in FYROM before the summer, stated OTE International Investments President and OTE vice-president Giorgos Skarpelis.

[12] STAVRAKAKIS: THE ECONOMIC RECOVERY OF SE EUROPE IS THE KEY TO GREEK INVESTMENTS

The economic recovery of the Balkan states can create many investment opportunities for the Greek businesses and especially, for construction companies and manufacturers. At the same time, the reconstruction of the Balkan economies in combination with the establishment of new institutions and the reorganization of the state structures and the monetary-economic sector will encourage cooperation in the sector of services as well.

The above were stated by Ministry of Finance general secretary Minas Stavrakakis speaking in the Regional Symposium on Telecommunications organized in Skopje today by the Institute of Telecommunications Studies in southeastern Europe in cooperation with the Ministry of Transportation and Telecommunications.

He also stressed that the planned implementation of the Greek Plan for the Reconstruction of southeastern Europe that will benefit FYROM, Albania, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and Romania forms a solid ground for the development of economic cooperation.

He stated, however, that even though the local economies have made the first steps toward the free market economy by lifting the counterincentives for foreign investments, such investments are still limited. Referring to the telecommunications sector in southeastern Europe, Mr. Stavrakakis stressed that Slovenia, Romania, and Bulgaria will have to liberate their markets by 2004 based on the agreement for their accession into the EU.

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