Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 02-10-15

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

CONTENTS

[01] ELECTIONS: ROUND II

[02] "FETA" CHEESE FINALLY GREEK

[03] GREEK-FRENCH COOPERATION DURING EU PRESIDENCY

[04] THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH VISITS QATAR

[05] ND CONDEMNED THE TERRORIST ATTACK ON BALI

[06] PROTEST BY FOREIGN INMATES IN KORYDALLOS PRISON

[07] EUROPEAN BOOST TO THE ASE

[08] PROTOPAPAS: THE CHURCH AND THE STATE HAVE DISTINCT ROLES

[09] PROKOPIS PAVLOPOULOS: THE CHURCH SHOULD BE LEFT ALONE TO FULFIL ITS

[10] GREEK DELEGATION IN ANKARA

[11] K. SIMITIS PRESENTS HIS BOOK TOMORROW

[12] ARCHBISHOP AGAINST ULTRA RIGHT SUPPORT ALLEGATIONS

[13] JAQCUES CHIRAC TO RECEIVE "ATHENS 2004" PRESIDENT

[14] MEETING OF SE EUROPEAN UNDERSECRETARIES OF DEFENSE

[15] THE CYPRIOT PRESIDENT WILL BE IN ATHENS ON THURSDAY

[01] ELECTIONS: ROUND II

The battleground for the second round of the local government elections has been set in the Prefecture of Athens-Piraeus and the Municipality of Athens. The candidates preparing for battle in the prefecture are Fofi Gennimata and Giannis Tzannetakos, and for the Mayoralty Dora Bakoyanni and Christos Papoutsis. The two party staffs are taking down profits and losses, looking into all the messages of the first round, while at the same time looking for alliances to help the win round II. Government Spokesperson Christos Protopapas referred to many messages, which are being evaluated.

In the second round, PASOK will continue its strategy of a progressive vote this second Sunday, making even greater openings to the Left and assuring that wherever there is no PASOK candidate, he will unequivocally support the candidates of the Left.

What is imperative for the governing party right now, is that there is no anti-government front in the second round, a direction to which New Democracy will contribute if it continues its send a message campaign.

In any case, the Prime Minister himself stated that in no case could the electoral result overturn the continuation, development and stability of the governing the country, since it is parliamentary elections that judge governments and policies. There is no such issue in Mr. Karamanlis' message-answer.

ND Spokesperson Thodoris Roussopoulos made mention of the government having been defeated all over the country. ND Candidates for the Municipality of Athens, Dora Bakoyanni, and the Athens-Piraeus Prefecture Giannis Tzannetakos, are very optimistic on the results of the second election round.

The candidate Athens Mayor expressed her optimism on the second Sunday during visits to her campaign center, while ND's candidate Prefect stated that 60% of the Greek people disapproved of government policy.

As far as the Greek Communist Party's position on the second round is concerned, it asked civilians not to support the candidates of the two major parties.

On its side, the Coalition of the Left avoided giving clear political directions and stated that in certain regions they will decide whether to vote for certain ballots or not, based on administrative and political criteria.

[02] "FETA" CHEESE FINALLY GREEK

The final protection of the name of feta cheese was decided on yesterday in Brussels by the European Commission. Specifically, as was announced, the European Commission adopted a community regulation that protects the name of feta cheese with finality, as a Protected Designation of Origin product.

According to the regulation, feta can only be produced in certain parts of Greece, according to strict specifications concerning its production. Other EU member state producers or producers who do not follow the specifications have been given a five year deadline to either change its name or stop producing.

[03] GREEK-FRENCH COOPERATION DURING EU PRESIDENCY

The future of Europe, the EU enlargement in view of the European Summit Meeting, and the Greek Presidency, were the issues discussed yesterday by French Alternate minister of European Affairs Noel Lenuar during her meetings with the leadership of the Greek foreign Ministry.

The priorities of the Greek Presidency on the issue of the enlargement and a common foreign defense and security policy for the EU, were the issues discussed by the French official and Greek Alternate Foreign Minister Tassos Giannitsis yesterday, after a meeting Mrs. Lenuar had with Foreign Minister Giorgos Papandreou.

The French Minister stressed that in view of the Greek Presidency of the EU, the French government wishes to jointly promote a number of issues. To this aim, she said, there will be cooperation both on a personal level and in the formation of work groups and specialist committees, which will deal with the issues to rise until the end of the year and until the end of December 2003, among which are the EU enlargement and the works of the assembly on the future of Europe.

Greece and France have similar views on the course for Cyprus' accession to the EU, as was discovered during the discussions. Mrs. Lenuar expressed her hopes that efforts to resolve the Cyprus issue will be intensified, supporting that this period is favorable for such efforts. Concerning Turkey, Mrs. Lenuar noted that the EU report expresses France's positions and she expressed her hopes that Ankara will continue its course towards Europe.

[04] THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH VISITS QATAR

Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos will be in Qatar today at the invitation of the emirate's government. The visit is being held within the framework of the efforts to promote the inter-religious dialogue with Islam.

The Ecumenical Patriarch will meet with the Emir of Qatar Sheik Haban Bin Qalifa al Tani, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Religion, the religious leader of Qatar and other officials.

The Ecumenical Patriarch will deliver a speech on the dialogue between Christians and Muslims in the emirate's university, while on Thursday he will give a press conference at the television station "al Jazeera".

[05] ND CONDEMNED THE TERRORIST ATTACK ON BALI

Right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy through its spokesman Thodoris Rousopoulos condemned the terrorist attack on Bali that resulted to the deaths of tens of innocent people and expressed sympathy to the family of the missing Greek.

Mr. Rousopoulos stated that New Democracy stresses that international terrorism, in spite of the severe blow it received it has not ceased to be a major threat for humanity as a whole. He also stressed that the front that was formed against international terrorism after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on New York should remain unbroken.

[06] PROTEST BY FOREIGN INMATES IN KORYDALLOS PRISON

The situation is tense in Korydallos Prison in Athens, as about 15 foreign inmates have staged a protest demanding that the process for their deportation be halted.

Their demand has been partially accepted as they have received a promise for the temporary suspension of the decision for their deportation. However, the inmates continue their protest.

Police forces have rushed to the scene and have been positioned along the prison wall.

Prison officials have entered negotiations with the protesting inmates, while the Prison Warden has also spoken with them.

[07] EUROPEAN BOOST TO THE ASE

The Athens Stock Exchange followed the upward course of the European stock markets.

The general index rose to +1.27% at 1.828,87 points, while the volume of transactions was at 95.6 million Euro.

Of the stocks trading today, 298 recorded gains and 33 had losses, while the value of 44 stocks remained unchanged.

[08] PROTOPAPAS: THE CHURCH AND THE STATE HAVE DISTINCT ROLES

Greek government spokesman Christos Protopapas stated to reporters that the Church and the State have distinct roles. The statement was made when he was asked to comment on statements made by Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All of Greece regarding the voters of Giorgos Karatzaferis, leader of the People's Orthodox Alarm Party (LAOS) and their stance against Yiannis Tzannetakos, who is backed by the right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy.

Mr. Protopapas refused to make any comments and stated that the Archbishop has expressed discontent on the way his statements were interpreted.

[09] PROKOPIS PAVLOPOULOS: THE CHURCH SHOULD BE LEFT ALONE TO FULFIL ITS FUNCTION

Right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy parliamentary spokesman Prokopis Pavlopoulos responded to a question made by reporters on the comments by Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All of Greece according to which, those who voted for Giorgos Karatzaferis are not supporters of the extreme right but simply good Christians.

Mr. Pavlopoulos stated that the best service we can offer to the Church and the Country is to leave the Church alone to fulfil its function away from any political confrontation. This is our duty toward the Church and the State, stated Mr. Pavlopoulos.

[10] GREEK DELEGATION IN ANKARA

A Greek delegation of high officials of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs, the Interior, Public Administration and Decentralization, Public Order and the Merchant Marine, will travel to Ankara tomorrow, for the meeting foreseen by the Greek-Turkish Protocol for Illegal Immigration, with the relevant Turkish officials.

The goal of the two-day meeting is the review of the Protocol's function so far and ensuring its substantive and effective functioning as far as dealing with illegal immigration is concerned.

[11] K. SIMITIS PRESENTS HIS BOOK TOMORROW

Prime Minister Kostas Simitis will present his book, titled For a Powerful Greece in Europe and the World, tomorrow at the Zappion.

[12] ARCHBISHOP AGAINST ULTRA RIGHT SUPPORT ALLEGATIONS

Archbishop Christodoulos referred to the press publications, which presented him as defending G. Karatzaferis, yesterday, during his speech before an audience of 100 people at the Petraki Convent. The publications presented Mr. Christodoulos as having said that G. Karatzaferis is not a Right wing extremist, and that those who voted for him are good Christians who were reacting against G. Tzannetakos for his war on the Church.

The Church does not interfere with Greece's political life. Never, and especially not now, during an election period, and all those who seek to involve it have no respect for it. Nothing more, stated Archbishop Christodoulos characteristically.

When asked if he expressed an opinion in favor of Mr. Karatzaferis, he answered that he made no such statement and pointed out that he only interprets what he says, and never the statements of another person.

[13] JAQCUES CHIRAC TO RECEIVE "ATHENS 2004" PRESIDENT

French President Jacques Chirac will receive President of the Athens 2004 Olympic Organizing Committee, Gianna Aggelopoulou-Daskalaki.

Mrs. Aggelopoulou will have the opportunity to inform Mr. Chriac of the progress in the preparations and Olympic projects taking place in Athens, while at the same time she will refer to the return of the Olympics to their place of birth.

Mrs. Aggelopoulou will also meet with French Sports Minister Jean Francois Lamour.

[14] MEETING OF SE EUROPEAN UNDERSECRETARIES OF DEFENSE

The Undersecretaries of Defense from Albania, Bulgaria, Croatia, FYROM, Greece, Italy, Slovenia, Turkey and Romania will meet in Bucharest on Friday to discuss issues concerning cooperation in southeastern Europe and the materialization of joint military programs.

The participants are expected to consider the creation of a multinational brigade in southeastern Europe within the framework of NATO, stated the Romanian Ministry of Defense secretary.

[15] THE CYPRIOT PRESIDENT WILL BE IN ATHENS ON THURSDAY

Cypriot President Glafkos Clerides will brief Greek Prime Minister Kostas Simitis on the contacts he had in New York in the meeting they will have in Athens on Friday, according to Cypriot government spokesman Michalis Papapetrou.

President Clerides will depart for Athens on Thursday afternoon and on Friday he will meet with the Greek Prime Minister. During his three-day visit to Greece, Mr. Clerides will meet with President Kostis Stephanopoulos and political party leaders.

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