Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 02-05-23

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

CONTENTS

[01] 5.4 BN EURO FOR BALKAN DEVELOPMENT

[02] G.PAPANDREOU AGAINST K.KARAMANLIS

[03] US AMBASSADOR TO SUPPORT GREECE ON EXPO

[04] PROTOPAPAS: PASOK HAS NOTHING TO FEAR OR HIDE

[05] BEGLITIS: NO SPECIFIC DEVELOPMENTS ON THE FYROM NAME ISSUE

[06] MITSOTAKIS TO THE US FOR HEALTH REASONS

[07] THE ASE CONTINUES ITS DOWNWARD COURSE

[08] PAPAZACHOS: EARTHQUAKE PREDICTION IS NOT FEASIBLE

[09] ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR THE GREEK-BULGARIAN INTER-BORDER COOPERATION

[10] TURKISH BUSINESSMEN IN RHODES

[11] CLERIDIS MEETINGS WITH POLITICAL LEADERS

[12] D.A. WANTS 50 ACCOUNTS OPENED ON THE "MAYO" CASE

[13] G. PAPANTONIOU IN SKOPJE

[14] EXHIBITION ON THE PARTHENON MARBLES IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

[01] 5.4 BN EURO FOR BALKAN DEVELOPMENT

The amount of 5.4 billion euro will be provided for the development of infrastructure in Balkan countries, underlined Special Coordinator for the Stability Pact Erhard Busek, during his speech at the convention on Assymetrical Threats and Stability in Southeastern Europe.

He said there was a lack of regional control in the Stability Pact, and that the Thessaloniki Office is not being utilized to the degree it could be. He was in favor of developing regional cooperation and asked for special attention to be paid to culture and education, because if we do not change anything in the new generations, we will achieve nothing.

He noted that the road the Balkans have to walk is long, and what the Stability Pact has achieved is to give a European perspective to countries of Southeastern Europe.

[02] G.PAPANDREOU AGAINST K.KARAMANLIS

The Head of the Opposition, attending an international forum in the presence of delegates from Balkan countries, openly undermined Greece's efforts, which are supported by the money of the Greek taxpayers, and which aim at consolidating peace, stability, development and prosperity in the region, pointed out the Foreign Ministry in an announcement it made yesterday. The announcement came in response to the speech made yesterday by ND President Kostas Karamanlis in Thessaloniki, in the framework of the 9th Thessaloniki Forum.

The announcement stressed that the facts refute what Mr. Karamanlis said yesterday, regarding the agreements on the Greek Plan for Balkan Reconstruction not being signed by June, since the Foreign Ministry has already submitted the plan drafts to the Parliament.

At the same time it was pointed out that in June and July bilateral agreements will be signed with Balkan countries, while the programme of private productive investments from Greece towards the Balkans will commence on July 1 2002.

We thus expect New Democracy to repeat its views 'correctly', ended the Foreign Ministry.

[03] US AMBASSADOR TO SUPPORT GREECE ON EXPO

US Ambassador Thomas Miller had a one-hour meeting with Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Giorgos Paschalidis yesterday, in the margin of the convention on assymetrical threats and stability in Southeastern Europe.

The US Ambassador gave a positive answer to the Minister's request of support in contending to hold the 2007-8 World EXPO Fair in Thessaloniki.

[04] PROTOPAPAS: PASOK HAS NOTHING TO FEAR OR HIDE

Greek government spokesman Christos Protopapas referred to the investigation on the activities of the Mayo offshore company and stated that a prosecutor has taken over the case, adding that the servants of the Greek Justice should be left alone to do their job and determine who is responsible.

On the proposal made by right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy honorary president Konstantinos Mitsotakis, who called for the governing Socialist Party of PASOK bank accounts to be opened, Mr. Protopapas stated that PASOK has nothing to fear or hide. He also called on anyone who might have evidence at their possession to bring them to Justice.

[05] BEGLITIS: NO SPECIFIC DEVELOPMENTS ON THE FYROM NAME ISSUE

Greek Foreign Ministry spokesman Panos Beglitis categorically denied the statements made to the BBC by FYROM Foreign Minister Slobodan Casule. According to the statements made by Mr. Casule, the two countries are very close to a solution regarding the issue of the FYROM name, stressing that if they fail to reach an agreement Greece's position will be very hard.

Mr. Beglitis stated that the Greek side would like a mutually acceptable solution but for the moment there are no specific developments on the issue, adding that Athens cannot agree with the unilateral positions expressed by Skopje.

Meanwhile, Greek Defense Minister Yiannos Papantoniou, who is on a one-day visit to Skopje, also referred to the FYROM name, stressing that Greece believes that if the issue is faced as soon as possible it will contribute to the consolidation of stability in the region.

[06] MITSOTAKIS TO THE US FOR HEALTH REASONS

Right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy honorary President Konstantinos Mitsotakis will visit the United States for health reasons.

According to a statement issued by his office, Mr. Mitsotakis will depart for Phoenix, Arizona on Saturday, May 25. He will undergo an operation to treat a ventricular aorta aneurism.

[07] THE ASE CONTINUES ITS DOWNWARD COURSE

New losses were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today. The general index dropped to -0.88% at 2.346,20 points, while the volume of transactions was at 97 million Euro or 33 billion drachmas.

Of the stocks trading today, just 48 recorded gains and the overwhelming majority of 285 had losses, while the value of 40 stocks remained unchanged.

[08] PAPAZACHOS: EARTHQUAKE PREDICTION IS NOT FEASIBLE

The leak of information to the press on imminent strong earthquakes in four regions in the next two years, was characterized by Thessaloniki Aristotle University Geophysics professor emeritus Vasilis Papazachos as an antisocial act of irresponsible and conscienceless individuals.

Mr. Papazachos stated that a precise earthquake prediction is not feasible for now and therefore, the people should not take such press reports seriously. However, Mr. Papazachos did not deny that he had forwarded the document to the responsible authorities.

According to a newspaper report, Mr. Papazachos in a confidential document he forwarded to the responsible authorities calls on the state to take urgent measures for the protection of the people from imminent strong earthquakes. According to the report, Mr. Papazachos pinpoints the four regions where earthquakes measuring 7 on the Richter scale are expected to hit in the next 2 years.

Those regions are the Peloponese in southern Greece, the region that includes the island of Crete and the Dodecanese Islands in southeastern Aegean, the region between Albania and FYROM and northwestern Turkey.

[09] ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR THE GREEK-BULGARIAN INTER-BORDER COOPERATION

The inter-border cooperation between Greece and Bulgaria will receive the highest additional funding (18.1%) on an initial sum of 30 million Euro, based on a decision by the responsible European Committee. The committee also decided to include the specific inter-border cooperation in the European Union program INTERREG III.

The funding is placed within the framework of the special support for the regions that border EU candidate states and will be given to 14 programs which are already in effect.

[10] TURKISH BUSINESSMEN IN RHODES

Businessmen from Turkey are on a visit to the southeastern Aegean island of Rhodes to examine with their local colleagues the cooperation potential between them.

A reception in honor of the Turkish businessmen will be given by the Turkish Consul in Rhodes today.

[11] CLERIDIS MEETINGS WITH POLITICAL LEADERS

Cypriot President Glafkos Cleridis met with political leaders today. He informed them on developments on the Cyprus issue and regarding his meeting with the Secretary General of the UN, Kofi Annan.

Following his meeting with the Cypriot President, honorary President of New Democracy Konstantinos Mitsotakis stated that the course of Cyprus' accession is guaranteed, Europe will not back down and Turkey will need to show some common sense on the issue.

Following their meeting, the President of New Democracy Kostas Karamanlis stressed that Cyprus can and must be incorporated to the European Union during the Greek Presidency of the EU, and that resolving the Cyprus issue cannot be a prerequisite for accession.

The Coalition's position on Cyprus' accession to the EU, is that it must be unhindered, stated the President of the Coalition of the Left, Nikos Konstantopoulos, after his meeting with Mr. Cleridis.

[12] D.A. WANTS 50 ACCOUNTS OPENED ON THE "MAYO" CASE

District Attorney Dimitris Papaggelopoulos, asked for the emergency opening of 50 accounts in branches of Greek and foreign banks, in an urgent document published by the Pontiki and Ta Nea newspapers concerning Greek businessmen moving money through the Liberian MAYO company to New Democracy.

The request is urgent, since according to the development of the preliminary investigation it is possible, as the District Attorney's document states, that these accounts are related to the legalization of profits from criminal activities, and the request wants the information transferred to judicial authorities within 5 days.

In fact, according to the publications of the two newspapers, the preliminary investigation has led to the tracking of $1 million being moved, and the total amount of money transferred from the Liberian company to New Democracy since 1987, is estimated at $2.5 million.

[13] G. PAPANTONIOU IN SKOPJE

Minister of National Defense Giannos Papantoniou and a delegation of the General National Defense Staff are in Skopje today, where they will sign a programme of military cooperation with FYROM's General National Defense Staff, for the year 2002.

Mr. Papantoniou will have discussions with his FYROM counterpart, Vlado Popovsky, and immediately after that, the two Ministers will hold a press conference. He will then meet with Prime Minister Ljupco Georgievski, President of the Parliament Stoyan Antof, and the President of the Republic, Boris Trajkovski as well as leaders of political parties. He will also meet with a three-member delegation of Greek officers serving in the unified NATO Headquarters in Skopje. He will return to Athens late that evening.

[14] EXHIBITION ON THE PARTHENON MARBLES IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

Minister of Culture Evangelos Venizelos and European Commissioner Viviane Rending, responsible for Education and Culture issues, will inaugurate the exhibition Marbles in Exile. The exhibition will open in the European Parliament on May 29 and it is organized by the Greek Ministry of Culture in cooperation with the Melina Mercuri Institute and Euro-deputies.

The exhibition is organized within the framework of a one-day conference on the return of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece.

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