Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 02-05-20

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

CONTENTS

[01] GREEK PLAN FOR THE BALKANS TO THE EU

[02] THESSALONIKI 9TH ANNUAL FORUM

[03] COMMENTS BY PROTOPAPAS ON THE OPINION POLLS

[04] YIANNITSIS ON THE GREEK-TURKISH RELATIONS

[05] GAINS IN THE ASE

[06] THE SKOPJE-THESSALONIKI PIPELINE INAUGURATION IN JUNE

[07] MILLER: GREECE PLAYS A BIG ECONOMIC ROLE IN THE BALKANS

[08] BALKAN REPRESENTATIVES IN THE 9TH THESSALONIKI FORUM

[09] ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CAUGHT

[10] PEACE MARCH AGAINST NATO HQ

[11] HEAD OF ITALIAN GENERAL ARMY STAFF IN GREECE

[01] GREEK PLAN FOR THE BALKANS TO THE EU

The Greek government has committed to carry out a Complete Development Plan for Southeastern Europe, which will be brought to the relevant EU bodies and the Stability Pact. The Plan, as Minister of Finance and National Economy Nikos Christodoulakis stated at the 9th THESSALONIKI FORUM, organized today and tomorrow at the Hyatt Regency hotel by the Federation of Industries of Northern Greece and the Hellenic-American Chamber of Commerce, is expected to be discussed during the Summit Meeting in the framework of the Zagreb Proceedings.

This Plan, aiming at a faster approach of the region's countries to the EU, will, for the first time, be a jointly thought out common perception, which will support and utilize the developmental policies of each country, with multiplying effects on Southeastern Europe as a whole, pointed out Mr. Christodoulakis.

The goal of this initiative, according to Mr. Christodoulakis, is the submitting to international organizations of a specific proposal, with a clearly hierarchical and cost accounting action plan, which will assist in moving interest to developmental issues.

The materialization of the plan in question, which must have an aggressive character, is only one of the 8 axes on which Greek Balkan financial policy moves. The rest, which include significant individual proposals, are in the order that Mr. Christodoulakis presented them the following:

- Supporting the incorporation of region states, into the procedures and structures of European Financial unification. The Greek Presidency of 2003, adds further potential in this direction.

- Supporting a final accession of region states into international financial organizations and euro-atlantic structures.

- Promoting regional cooperation, with the further transformation of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) into a permanent organization.

- Promoting regional financial completion, with the transformation of bilateral agreements into a unified Balkan Commerce Zone.

- Immediate materialization of the Greek Reconstruction Plan.

- Improving chances of access to the country's educational system.

- Attracting international and community capital, for the funding of common infrastructure networks, in coordination with the region's more powerful economies.

In all cases, the number one issue for the region's countries is to move swiftly and daringly to the creation of a large market between them, with as few procedures and as few bureaucratic obstacles, tariffs, and restrictions as possible.

Probably the greatest challenge for Balkan governments, is the development of economic and political relations to neighboring countries. One of the factors holding development back, is its fragmentation as far as small economies, which do not effectively cooperate with each other, are concerned. That is why a large market must be created, ended Mr. Christodoulakis, while he added that in order for this plan to take on form, there must be conditions of peace and justice, improvement in interborder substructures and development in regional networks in the energy and communications sectors, as well as a customs unification between countries of Southeastern Europe, which may later change into a Customs Unification with the EU.

[02] THESSALONIKI 9TH ANNUAL FORUM

Losing interest in the reconstruction of the Balkans would be an unforgivable mistake according to Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Giorgos Paschalidis, speaking at the 9th annual FORUM of Thessaloniki organized by the Federation of Industries of Northern Greece and the Hellenic-American Chamber of Commerce. As Mr. Paschlidis pointed out, stability in the Balkan region is a non-reversible reality, and although the reconstruction has already begun, it still has a long way to go in order to change its present image.

At the same time, the Minister of Macedonia-Thrace pointed out in his speech that for a Balkan reconstruction to take place, greater generosity and equal distribution of funds is required, so that the margin between the countries is not great. In ending, he pointed out that the incorporation of neighboring countries to European standards must be sped up.

Meanwhile, next week, Mr. Paschlidis and Minister of Culture, Mr. Venizelos, will travel to Paris, in order to settle some final details concerning the holding of the 2008 EXPO in Thessaloniki.

Speaking at the Forum, Mr. Venizelos stated that Athens will hold the 2004 Olympics without calling on historical titles, but in a professional, technical and formal manner. At the same time, it will promote the organizing as an affair of all Balkan states, through the creation of a network of pre-Olympic preparation centers in the region's countries.

He also added that the authentic Athens Olympics, as he called them, will renew the Olympic ideal, at a time when the Olympic movement is going through a crisis due to its commercialization.

He pointed out that the 4,400,000,000 euro investment for 2004 (50% of which concerns areas outside Athens, and 217,000,000 is for Thessaloniki), will continue to yield a profit for Greece, for a long time even after the end of the Olympics.

The 25% increase in our GDP comes from the Olympic preparations. The increase of the GDP is at 0.8% in these first years of preparation, with prospects of rising to 1.5% in 2004. At the same time, the games will produce an increase of 0.5% to the GDP for several years following 2004, mentioned the Minister, who added that the Olympics will also increase tourism and employment.

Prefect of Thessaloniki Kostas Papadopoulos, mentioned the important role of Thessaloniki, stressing that with the completion of infrastructure projects, the city's role will be significantly upgraded.

As he characteristically mentioned, the city's position is a comparative advantage as far as Developmental Axes and Inter-European Networks are concerned, which will reinforce its broader international importance and extroversion. In reference to Egnatia Odos and its vertical direct connections to Balkan countries, he stressed that they render the Thessaloniki prefecture a point of reference for the broader region.

As far as other infrastructures are concerned, Mr. Papadopoulos stated that the Thessaloniki harbor is a natural gateway of the Balkan peninsula and its main transport center, while he pointed out that in 2010 Macedonia airport is estimated to welcome 5-6 million passengers and 130,000 tons of merchandise.

[03] COMMENTS BY PROTOPAPAS ON THE OPINION POLLS

It is too early to have opinion polls on the outcome of the municipal elections, stated Greek government spokesman Christos Protopapas, pointing out that there are still candidates to by nominated and the people have not reached a decision regarding their vote.

He also stated that the voting criteria are not the same for the municipal and parliamentary elections.

When asked to comment on the likelihood of a cabinet reshuffle, Mr. Protopapas stated that there is no such issue for the government which is interested only in the promotion of its work. Finally, he characterized as nonsense the scenarios on early elections.

[04] YIANNITSIS ON THE GREEK-TURKISH RELATIONS

The Greek government gradually enters the phase of collecting the fruit of its bold moves in its relations with Turkey, stated Deputy Foreign Minister Tasos Yiannitsis.

Speaking in the 9th Thessaloniki Forum, he said that the Greek government expressed its intention to open a new fertile period in the relations with Turkey, stressing that a continuing climate of tension could only be against the prospects and interests of the two countries and the region in general.

Meanwhile, Greece will continue to promote to the 15 the crucial issues for the Balkans on the occasion of its EU Presidency in the first half of 2003. The Greek Plan for the Reconstruction of the Balkans is expected to play an important role in the process given the fact that Greece is committed to materialize a significant investment program of 550 million Euro to fund infrastructures of regional importance.

Outlining the situation in southeastern Europe, Mr. Yiannitsis expressed the belief that the most difficult and dangerous problems now belong to the past stressing, however, that this past has left us with many uncertainties, fragile equilibrium, periodical instabilities and hotbeds of concern.

[05] GAINS IN THE ASE

Gains were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today. The general index rose to +0.53% at 2.402,07 points, while the volume of transactions was at 126.7 million Euro.

Of the stocks trading today, 198 recorded gains and 117 had losses, while the value of 58 stocks remained unchanged.

[06] THE SKOPJE-THESSALONIKI PIPELINE INAUGURATION IN JUNE

The inauguration of the US$100 million pipeline, linking the OKTA oil refineries with Thessaloniki, will take place in Thessaloniki in June in the presence of Greek Prime Minister Kostas Simitis and his FYROM counterpart Ljupco Georgievski.

The announcement was made today by Hellenic Petroleum President and Managing Director Giorgos Moraitis, who also revealed that Hellenic Petroleum examines the likelihood to proceed with the construction of other two pipelines that will carry different oil products.

Speaking on the sidelines of the 9th Thessaloniki Forum, Mr. Moraitis stated that the first pipeline will be 50-60 kilometers long and will link the OKTA refineries with Kosovo. The second pipeline will link the OKTA refinery with southeastern Serbia and it will be 15 kilometers long. Mr. Moraitis stated that Hellenic Petroleum is still interested in the Serb oil company BEOPETROL, while it is also interested in the Pancevo Refineries that are going to be privatized.

[07] MILLER: GREECE PLAYS A BIG ECONOMIC ROLE IN THE BALKANS

The belief that Greece is the economic machine that moves the Balkans, was expressed by US ambassador to Athens Thomas Miller.

Addressing the 9th Thessaloniki Forum, Mr. Miller stated that the key for the development of the wider Balkan region is peace and prosperity that will allow the positive points of every Balkan country to emerge.

Mr. Miller underlined that Greece should be seen by the Balkan countries as a model and underlined the speed with which the Greek state and Turkey were able to deal with terrorism and corruption. He also referred to the Stability Pact, and the SECI initiative for regional cooperation and stability in the wider southeastern European region.

FYROM Deputy Prime Minister Zoran Krstevski, referring to the Greek Plan for the Balkan Reconstruction, stated that Greece's support is a great help for his country.

On his country's GDP, he pointed out that it was increased to 4.6%, inflation dropped to 6%, and exports increased to 10%, while investment capital has increased considerably.

[08] BALKAN REPRESENTATIVES IN THE 9TH THESSALONIKI FORUM

Bulgaria's participation in the European unification is the main goal of its government and an effective program of political and economic stability is being implemented toward this direction, stated Bulgarian Undersecretary of Finance Milen Keremedciev.

Last year, Bulgaria achieved a GDP growth of 4% which is expected to be maintained in 2002 as well. Mr. Keremedciev, addressing the 9th Thessaloniki Forum, stated that his government's goal is to achieve a growth rate of 5-7% in the period 2002-2005. Regarding inflation, he said that it was at 4.8% in 2001 and this year is expected to drop to 3.5%, while the 2002 budget deficit will be at 0.8%.

FYROM ambassador to Athens Ljupco Arsovski, speaking in the panel on Potential and Prospects for the southeastern European countries, expressed the belief that the sun will rise for the Balkan economies. He underlined that the common goal of the Balkan countries is their accession into the European Union and stressed that without stability and peace in the wider region of southeastern Europe the goals for economic development and EU membership cannot be met.

Romanian ambassador Caius Traian Dragomir, underlining Greece's role in the Balkan-EU rapprochement, stated that a dynamic part of Europe lives and breathes in Athens and Thessaloniki.

He stated that in 2002 the Romanian government expects, among others, a growth rate of 5%, investment increase of 9.7%, direct foreign investments of US$1.8 billion, industrial production increase by 5.8% and a farm production increase of 4.5%.

[09] ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS CAUGHT

The 41 Curd illegal immigrants arrested by the Patra customs authorities, who hidden in a truck transporting bottled water about to sail for Italy, were taken to the court of first instance today.

[10] PEACE MARCH AGAINST NATO HQ

A march beginning from the Labrakis memorial heading to the 3rd Army Corps has been organized by International Avtion for Wednesday March 22, at 7pm in Thessaloniki.

In an announcement it made, the Coalition of the Left called citizens to come out and honor the memory of the murdered Gr. Labrakis, demand that the NATO Headquarters is not based in the 3rd Army Corps facilities, to stop the crime being committed against the Palestinian people and for there to be peace in the Balkans.

[11] HEAD OF ITALIAN GENERAL ARMY STAFF IN GREECE

The Chief of the Italian General Army Staff, Lieutenant General Jianfranco Otogali, will begin his two-day visit to Greece tomorrow, after the invitation of the Chief of the Greek General Army Staff, Lieutenant Panagiotis Charvalas.

Mr. Otogali will meet with the Chief of the General Staff for National Defense, General Giorgos Antonakopoulos, tomorrow, and will then have discussions with the Staff leadership on issues of mutual military interest.

On Wednesday, the Italian Chief of Staff will visit the Engineers Corps School in Loutraki where he will be briefed on their mission and activities. He will also visit the Acropolis, the Epidavros Theater and Nafplio.

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