Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 02-05-31

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

CONTENTS

[01] VENIZELOS-YILMAZ MEETING

[02] SPANISH EU PRESIDENCY PROPOSALS ON THE EURO-ARMY

[03] THE SKARAMANGA SHIPYARDS HAVE BEEN SOLD

[04] GAINS IN THE ASE

[05] PROTOPAPAS ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

[06] PRIME MINISTER SIMITIS LEAVES FOR CHINA TOMORROW

[07] HOLY SYNOD IN SESSION ON SEX SCANDAL

[08] 4.4 RICHTER EARTHQUAKE IN ILIA

[09] CHRYSOCHOIDIS: ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION IS A SOCIOPOLITICAL ISSUE

[10] PAPANDREOU: GREECE IS THE EUROPEAN SPEARHEAD IN THE BALKANS

[11] SECURITIES SOLUTION?

[12] TURKEY WANTS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE CULTURAL OLYMPIAD

[13] VENIZELOS: COMMUNITY PRECEDENT IS THE CYPRUS SOLUTION

[14] ΟΙ ΙΣΟΤΙΜΙΕΣ ΣΥΝΑΛΛΑΓΜΑΤΟΣ ΣΤΗΝ ΠΓΔΜ

[15] INFLATION IN THE EURO-ZONE WAS AT 2% IN MAY

[01] VENIZELOS-YILMAZ MEETING

Greek Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos had a meeting in Istanbul today with Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Mesut Yilmaz, responsible for European issues. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the 5th Greek-Turkish Business Council.

In statements made after the meeting, Mr. Venizelos stated that they discussed the whole spectrum of bilateral relations and mainly the common European prospect of Greece and Turkey, stressing that a strong and prosperous Turkey can become an excellent partner for Greece.

Mr. Venizelos reminded that Cyprus' accession into the EU is a precondition for the EU enlargement and reiterated that Cyprus' accession can become a bridge that will bring Turkey to the European Union. He also stressed that Cyprus' accession into the EU is not an aggressive act against Turkey or Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash.

Responding to the question on the measures that were decided yesterday by the Turkish National Security Council regarding the Greek-Turkish relations and the Cyprus issue, Mr. Venizelos stated that Turkey will not take any measures because it does not want to create problems to its European course.

Mr. Venizelos stated that in his meeting with Mr. Yilmaz they discussed cooperation issues like the Olympic Games preparations and the Euro 2008 European Football Championship.

Speaking earlier in the business conference, Mr. Venizelos had stated that the political, cultural and sports cooperation can contribute to the creation of a good climate.

From his side, Mr. Yilmaz stated that Turkey's goal is to be compatible with the European standards, stressing that Turkey is trying to adjust calling on the businessmen to lead the effort.

He predicted that the opening of the EU accession negotiations will bring an inflow of foreign capital to Turkey and invited the Greek businessmen to take advantage of the situation. He stated characteristically that in the 30-year period of 1970-2000 no bilateral agreement was signed by Greece and Turkey, while in the past few years a total of nine agreements were signed and two more are pending.

[02] SPANISH EU PRESIDENCY PROPOSALS ON THE EURO-ARMY

Greek government spokesman Christos Protopapas confirmed today that the Spanish EU Presidency has submitted proposals on the Euro-army issue and wished that a solution will be found before the Seville Summit meeting or during the summit.

Mr. Protopapas said that the Spanish EU Presidency has undertaken initiatives and more are likely to be undertaken in the immediate future. He also said that there is a potential for a solution.

When asked to comment on the statement that was made by the US State Department spokesman, according to which Greece and Turkey are holding consultations aimed at settling the airspace issue, Mr. Protopapas responded that the US sources themselves corrected the misunderstanding.

Mr. Protopapas stressed that the misunderstanding was the result of a bad communication problem between US agencies.

[03] THE SKARAMANGA SHIPYARDS HAVE BEEN SOLD

The contract for the sale of the Skaramanga Shipyards was signed today. The buyer is the German joint venture HDW-Ferrostaal as it was announced earlier by Minister of Development Akis Tsochatzopoulos.

Mr. Tsochatzopoulos stated that a very favorable environment is being created for the next three years in view of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games and as a result the productivity of the Greek economy is recording an unprecedented increase with an annual growth rate of over 3.5%.

[04] GAINS IN THE ASE

Gains were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today. The general index rose to +1.52% at 2.297,56 points, while the volume of transactions was increased at 151.7 million Euro or 51.7 billion drachmas.

Of the stocks trading today, 297 recorded gains and only 41 had losses, while the value of 37 stocks remained unchanged.

[05] PROTOPAPAS ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

The decision of the EU Public Order Ministers Council on the way illegal immigration will be combated is on the right direction, stated Greek government spokesman Christos Protopapas. He pointed out that Greece agrees with the moves that are being made and are aimed at the establishment of a European border protection force.

The Greek government spokesman stated that there is concern regarding the integration of the existing illegal immigrants into the European states, while there is also concern regarding the contribution of the EU in the development of third countries aimed at limiting the causes that result to illegal immigration.

[06] PRIME MINISTER SIMITIS LEAVES FOR CHINA TOMORROW

Prime Minister Kostas Simitis leaves for China tomorrow accompanied by a business delegation.

Greek government spokesman Christos Protopapas stated that Mr. Simitis will have meetings on Monday with the President and the Prime Minister of China and within the framework of the meetings will be signed bilateral cooperation agreements. Also, they will discuss the potential for further cooperation in view of the Greek EU Presidency and the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.

On Tuesday, Mr. Simitis will address a forum of Greek and Chinese businessmen and afterwards he will meet with the National People's Congress President. He is also scheduled to visit the Beijing University. On Wednesday, he will visit the Province of Xian and on Thursday he will be in Shanghai where he will have a meeting with the Forum of Greek and Chinese Businessmen. Mr. Simitis will also visit the Shanghai's development zone and the Latsis Group marble plant.

[07] HOLY SYNOD IN SESSION ON SEX SCANDAL

A supposed sex scandal will be the main topic of discussion at today's meeting of the Standing Holy Synod. Accusations of former Metropolite of Attica, Nicodemos, against the present Metropolite of the Church of Greece, of being involved in a sex scandal of some sort.

The Metropolite of Matinia stressed that if the accused party is guilty he must face the consequences, but if he is innocent, his good name must be restored.

[08] 4.4 RICHTER EARTHQUAKE IN ILIA

The residents of the Ilia Prefecture were upset last night by an earthquake, recorded at 4.4 points on the Richter scale. The earthquake took place at 8.18pm, its epicenter in the Megalopoli region. The police reported no damages.

Seismologists appear reassuring and appreciate that there is no cause for alarm.

[09] CHRYSOCHOIDIS: ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION IS A SOCIOPOLITICAL ISSUE

Greece is the main country, following Italy, which is used in the trafficking of illegal immigrants to European countries, but also the one receiving the least immigrants. The problem of illegal immigration in our country is mainly faced on the sea, since on land we have limited it to a minimum, with the border police, which we instituted three years ago. The above was stated by Minister of Public Order Michalis Chrysochoidis to Flash radio, one day after the meeting of the 15 Ministers of Public Order in Rome.

Referring to the decision made in Rome on the forming of a joint unit for border control, the Minister pointed out that they are not operation units, rather a multinational staff corps, present in all junctions and centers where illegal immigrants are trafficked. It will greatly contribute to the image of moving illegal immigrants through the whole of Europe.

Our opinion is that illegal immigration is not simply a police issue. It is a sociopolitical issue and must be dealt with by Europe, as a whole. On the one hand there is the police matter, but on the other we must look at asylum, legal immigration, which must take on a more organized character. Then we must look to solve the problem of poverty in third countries, because if we do not combat the reasons that cause the movement of populations to the West, the phenomenon will continue. Finally, there is the issue of behavior of many third countries, which do not show an elementary response to their duties, to the agreements they have signed, stressed Mr. Chrysochoidis.

Also, Mr. Chrysochoidis characterized the reintroduction of fingerprints to ID cards an extreme measure, pointing out that this was only set by certain countries, and he expressed hope that it need not be applied.

Finally, he said that the deadline to apply what was discussed in Rome is the upcoming meeting in Seville.

[10] PAPANDREOU: GREECE IS THE EUROPEAN SPEARHEAD IN THE BALKANS

Greece is the spearhead of the European Union's values in the Balkan region, and everybody must comprehend that it is a country that offers security, stability and prosperity to the broader region of Southeastern Europe, stressed the Greek Foreign Minister, Giorgos Papandreou, in an interview to the Greek edition of the American Foreign Policy political magazine.

On the role of Greece in the European Union, the Greek Foreign Minister stressed that our country is included in the broader framework of EU foreign policy, with a part of that policy analyzed in political movements for enlargement.

On the FYROM name issue, Mr. Papandreou stressed that through a peaceful and friendly procedure, we can find a solution. Of course the name has an especially symbolic meaning for us The great notion is not a part of the future shaping of the Balkan Penninsula. We want a solution that will be mutually acceptable and which will imprint the new phase the Balkans are in, exactly.

On the issue of Greek-Turkish rapprochement, Giorgos Papandreou stressed: It is much easier to preserve enmity and maintain rivalry, instead of seeking common ground, where our interests concur.

On common ground and in common interests a new relationship can be formed and built, a relationship which will allow us to resolve long-standing problems with historical origins and reasons.

[11] SECURITIES SOLUTION?

The past week has seen many disputes between the government and Opposition on Greece's financial and economic policies. The securities issue was not kept out of the whirlwind of tension and many have been left wondering if the solution is close or not.

According to Minister of Labor Dimitris Reppas in his meeting with the GSEE last night, they agreed on some final adjustments to be included in the bill, which will improve pensions for IKA pensioners. The bill will quite probably be submitted to Parliament next week.

In his statements after the meeting, the Labor Minister pointed out that the dialogue was productive and that both sides were led to a result in the interest of the workforce.

It was proven that only through dialogue, the purest form of ethical cooperation that should characterize us all, can were reach a result in the best interest of the social whole, the pension holders, the workers, these cannot be separated, stressed Mr. Reppas.

We are at a positive point because a chapter of an effort is ending, and this effort seems to have born results, and has shown the path we must follow in order to deal with other problems of the Greek people in all fields, even outside social security or the workplace, he pointed out.

On the other hand, shadow minister of labor and social securities of New Democracy Gerasimos Giakoumatos expressed a very different opinion on the course of the securities issue and its results.

The securities reform that was completed today by the Minister of Labor and Social Securities and the President of the GSEE, had a provocatively strong party hue to it, stated Mr. Giakoumatos.

They agreed that they had to get the securities issue over with. And they did just that. With no dialogue, no consent. Without the national agreement the Minister of Finance has announced last week, which was proven to be nothing more than a firework that lasted but a few days, he stressed.

Thus, the government, with the support of only a portion of the GSEE union members, those of PASKE, made the decision and tried to give a national hue to a clear party understanding, which is what the discussion on the securities reform turned into, he underlined.

Mr. Giakoumatos accused the government of forcing the agreement of PASKE from the GSEE, with supposed improved benefits, for the sake of the electoral period, and trying to present it as if it occurred through national dialogue.

The meetings between the GSEE and party leaders will be completed today, with the meeting between the Secretary General of the Greek Communist Party, Aleka Papariga, and the GSEE Presidency.

Prior to that, the GSEE will hold a plenary session in order to determine its final position after the completion of the securities dialogue. The bill will be submitted to the Parliament in June.

Nonetheless, the President of the GSEE, Christos Polyzogopoulos, seems satisfied with the dialogue's results. Among the improvements the Minister of Labor brought about, is calculating the pension according to the best five years in the last decade of employment, and retirement for the elderly with 3,500 receipt-stamps, instead of 4,500.

[12] TURKEY WANTS TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE CULTURAL OLYMPIAD

Turkish Minister of Sports Fikret Unlu expressed Turkey's full support to Greece's efforts for successful Olympic Games in 2004. Mr. Unlu made the statement on the sidelines of the 5th Greek-Turkish Business Forum in the meeting he had with Greek Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos, who is on a visit to Istanbul.

Mr. Unlu wished success in the Cultural Olympiad, stressing that Turkey is ready to contribute to this effort.

Mr. Venizelos invited Mr. Unlu to visit Athens and the big projects that are in progress in order to be used if the joint Greek-Turkish candidature for the 2008 European Football Championship is approved.

Mr. Unlu stated that both sides are ready to cosign more such initiatives. Also, the Turkish Sports Minister suggested the adoption of three to five special prizes for the athletes who will be distinguished in fair play in the 2004 Olympic Games and Mr. Venizelos characterized the idea as excellent.

[13] VENIZELOS: COMMUNITY PRECEDENT IS THE CYPRUS SOLUTION

The adopting of community precedent may offer the framework which will provide solutions to the Cyprus issue, both on the Cyprus issue, as well as in nags bilateral problems create in Greek-Turkish relations, stressed Minister of Culture Evaggelos Venizelos, at the opening of the 5th Greek-Turkish Business Cooperation Conference being held in Istanbul. Addressing the businessmen, Mr. Venizelos assured them that Greece is unequivocally an active and fighting supporter of rapid Turkish incorporation to the EU. Addressing the Vice President of the Turkish Government, Mesut Gilmaz, Mr. Venizelos assured him that the prospect of Cyprus' accession is not an aggressive strategy at the expense of Turkey, and he characterized stressing issues such as Cyprus' constitution as out-of-date when discussions are taking place on the European Constitution. A little earlier, Mr. Gilmaz addressed the Conference and described a vision of Turkey which foresaw a powerful society, a competitive economy and respect to human rights.

As far as the Cyprus issue is concerned, Mr. Gilmaz was in favor of finding a peaceful solution to problems, and assured that Turkey wants a realistic viable solution, noting, however, that the past of the problem does not leave room for much optimism. Mr. Gilmaz said that what Turkey is seeking now, is a boost into the pre-accession procedure, while in closing the first round of speakers, the Co-Chairman of the Turkish-Hellenic Business Council, Sarik Tara, said that Turkish businessmen will be pleased by Cyprus' accession, and called Greece and Turkey to act as guardians of the two communities on the island. The Greek Co-Chairman of the conference, Panagiotis Koutsikos, read a message from Foreign Minister Giorgos Papandreou, who expressed his undivided support of the efforts being made.

[14] ΟΙ ΙΣΟΤΙΜΙΕΣ ΣΥΝΑΛΛΑΓΜΑΤΟΣ ΣΤΗΝ ΠΓΔΜ

Οι σημερινές ισοτιμίες συναλλάγματος, βάσει των στοιχείων της Κεντρικής Τράπεζας της ΠΓΔΜ, διαμορφώνονται ως εξής:

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Ε.Π.

[15] INFLATION IN THE EURO-ZONE WAS AT 2% IN MAY

Inflation in the Euro-zone dropped to 2% in the month of May compared to last April when it was at 2.4%, according to preliminary figures that were given to publicity by the European Union statistics agency Eurostat.

For the record, analysts had expressed the view that inflation in May would be close to 2.1%.

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