Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 02-03-19

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

CONTENTS

[01] SIMITIS-STEFANOPOULOS MEET ON SUMMIT RESULTS

[02] THESSALONIKI WILL SUCCESSFULLY ORGANIZE THE EU SUMMIT

[03] TSOHATZOPOULOS IN SOPHIA FOR PIPELINE

[04] EUROPEAN EXCELLENCE AWARD TO OTE

[05] TURKISH TRAFFICKES ARRESTED

[06] POETRY SYMPOSIUM IN THESSALONIKI

[07] TSOHATZOPOULOS IN ANKARA IN LATE MARCH

[08] INFLATION HIGH IN GREECE ACCORDING TO EUROSTAT

[01] SIMITIS-STEFANOPOULOS MEET ON SUMMIT RESULTS

The results of the Barcelona Summit Meeting were presented to the President of the Republic, Kostis Stefanopoulos, by Prime Minister Kostas Simitis, who visited the President at his residence at 12:30pm today. Mr. Simitis stressed that after the Barcelona meeting, and in view of the Greek Presidency, during the first semester of 2003, Greece is taking the torch for the financial and social policies of the European Union, and will direct discussions on those issues. For that reason, Mr. Simitis characterized the coming year as especially important.

In statements made after the meeting, Mr. Simitis said that the enlargement procedure of the EU will be completed in 2002, while relevant treaties are expected to be signed in 2003, during the Greek Presidency of the community.

Immediately following the next Summit Meeting of the European Union, to be held in spring 2003, in Seville, financial and social issues will be set before the European Union, along with business issues. Referring to Greece's role, the Prime Minister stated that the Greek side will most probably form the scenarios from which the governments will choose and make decisions.

[02] THESSALONIKI WILL SUCCESSFULLY ORGANIZE THE EU SUMMIT

His belief that Thessaloniki will successfully organize the EU Summit Meeting in June 2003, as well as his misgivings as far as the city's hotel infrastructure in view of the thousands of visitors of the Summit are concerned, were expressed in an interview to the Aggelioforos newspaper, deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Giannis Magriotis.

Mr. Magriotis, who was present at the Barcelona Meeting in order to among other things record the organizational demands of such a meeting, believes that fertile ground will be created in the political field and that at the same time the right atmosphere will be formed, so that no extreme actions take place, as is usual during the past few years, at EU Meetings.

[03] TSOHATZOPOULOS IN SOPHIA FOR PIPELINE

The Burgas-Alexandroupolis oil pipeline will be the focus of discussions to be held in Sofia today between Minister of Development Akis Tsohatzopoulos and the Vice President of the Bulgarian government and the Bulgarian Minister of Regional Development and Public Works, Constantin Paskalef.

The issue of constructing the pipeline has already hit several snags, but the deputy Minister of Regional Developments and Public Works, Hasan Hasan, Head of the Bulgarian delegation for the oil company, expressed in a meeting with the Minister of Macedonia-Thrace, Giorgos Paschalidis, last week his belief that during Mr. Tsohatzopoulos' meeting today, a final solution will be given, and an agreement will be signed.

[04] EUROPEAN EXCELLENCE AWARD TO OTE

The award for Commitment and Business Excellence, awarded to Greece for the first time by the Greek Company for Business Administration (EEDE), will be given to OTE today.

This certificate is awarded to businesses which successfully complete all criteria of the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM), represented in Greece by EEDE.

OTE participated in the large businesses division with the General District Direction. Three districts were selected in the first phase (Western Macedonia, Thessaly and Ipiros) and their effectiveness at all levels is measured.

It should be noted that during the evaluation, the company's performance is examined as a whole and along four axes, concerning financial results, customers, human resources and social whole.

This award, according to a relevant announcement of the Organization, underlines the continuous commitment of OTE for constant improvement of business results through substantiated procedures materialized systematically.

[05] TURKISH TRAFFICKES ARRESTED

4 Turkish traffickers, who transferred 19 Afghan illegal immigrants to Symi on Sunday, are to be taken to the Rhodes District Attorney. Among the illegal immigrants were 4 women and 5 children.

One of the 19 illegal immigrants will also be taken to the DA, in order to inform him of their illegal transfer to Greece.

The illegal immigrants traveled on a wooden bat which had started taking in water and were taken ashore safely by the Rhodes Coast Guard.

[06] POETRY SYMPOSIUM IN THESSALONIKI

Award-winning and distinguished poets from Greece, Albania, FYROM, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Croatia, Romania, Turkey, Luxembourg, Spain, France, Italy and the UK are coming to Thessaloniki to participate in the International Poetry Symposium on Poetry as a national and international language, to be held from tomorrow until March 22, in the Central Library and Warehouse D of the Thessaloniki Harbor Organization. The symposium, organized for the celebration of the World Poetry Day, will be the commencing event for the New Balkans programme of the Cultural Olympics.

Participants in the Symposium include poets Philippe Delaveau from France, who is also Alternate Minister of Culture for France, Nikos Katsalidas, former Cultural Minister of Albania, who, at the end of the Symposium, will receive the Emos Balkan Literary Award, Sean O' Brien from England, Domenico Morina from Luxembourg, Antonio Henrandez and Justo Jorgew Padron from Italy, and Andonella Anedda from Italy, Ataohl Behramoglu from turkey, Ivan Gadjanski from Yugoslavia, Zoran Antcevski from FYROM.

[07] TSOHATZOPOULOS IN ANKARA IN LATE MARCH

The government's interest in transferring natural gas from Iran, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan via Greece to the European Union, was expressed by Minister of Development Akis Tsohatzopoulos, during his visit to the International Tourism Exhibition in Berlin.

"We are programming the construction of a pipeline to connect Greece's, which so far like many other European countries receives natural gas exclusively from Russia. Russia supplies all countries, Finland, Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria", stated Mr. Tsohatzopoulos.

Meanwhile, as is mentioned in press publications, at the end of the month, the Minister of Development will visit Ankara, in order to discuss cooperation prospects between Greece and Turkey, for the expanding of the Iran-Ankara pipeline to Alexandroupoli, so that Greece can receive natural gas from both aforementioned countries and Iran.

Based on what Mr. Tsohatzopoulos stated, "the pipeline will start at the Greek-Turkish border and run along side Egnatia Odos, and then continue through an underwater pipe to Italy, and from there to other member-states. Greece will give an additional and alternative prospect of sufficiency to members of the European Union".

[08] INFLATION HIGH IN GREECE ACCORDING TO EUROSTAT

Structural inflation in the Eurozone has reached its highest level in the past five years this February increased by 0.1% and reaching 2.5% - according to data published by Eurostat. In this framework, any hopes for decreasing euro interest rates during the meeting of the European Central Bank on Thursday, are lost.

According to the data, Greece has the third highest inflation rate of the 15 from 4.8% in January, to 3.8% in February of 2002 while Ireland is in first place (4.9%) and the Netherlands are in second place (4.5%).

Among the 12 of the Eurozone, annual inflation decreased from 2.7% in January to 2.4% in February, while it should be noted that a year ago it was at 2.3%. For the 15, inflation was decreased from 2.5% in January to 2.3% in February, while last year it 2.1%.

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