Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 03-11-27

Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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

CONTENTS

[01] FANARI's RESPONCE TO THE CHURCH OF GREECE

[02] THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE WANTS TOTAL RESPECT TO THE 1928 ACT

[03] A FILM ON CYPRUS BY THE TURKISH PARTICIPATION IN THESSALONIKI'S FILM

[04] ARCHBISHOP CHRISTODOULOS MET WITH THE CYPRIOT PRESIDENT

[05] PROTOPAPAS ON THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE-CHURCH OF GREECE CRISIS

[06] THE GOV'T SPOKESMAN ON THE "KATHIMERINI" NEWSPAPER REPORT

[07] GAINS CONTINUE IN THE ASE

[08] SIMITIS: GREECE'S ECONOMY IS STRONG

[09] PRESIDENT PAPADOPOULOS RECEIVES GOLD MEDAL OF ATHENS

[01] FANARI's RESPONCE TO THE CHURCH OF GREECE

The final content of the response letter to the Church of Greece is expected to be approved today in the Fanari by the Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate. According to information, the Fanari, in this letter, will reject the positions of the Church of Greece regarding the resolving of this crisis, and will, at the same time, ask for full observation of the Act of 1928. It is also expected that it will call the attention of the Church of Greece so as not to move to isolated actions related to the election of new Metropolites of Thessaloniki and Elefthroupoli, because they will be irregular.

[02] THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE WANTS TOTAL RESPECT TO THE 1928 ACT

The Holy Synod of the Ecumenical Patriarchate approved Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew's response letter to Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All of Greece regarding the decision of the Church of Greece on the Metropolites in northern Greece.

The letter will be delivered to Archbishop Christodoulos within the next week by Metropolite Panteleimon of Tiroloi.

The contents of the letter will not be given to publicity and according to information, the Ecumenical Patriarchate insists in its position for total respect to the 1928 Act.

[03] A FILM ON CYPRUS BY THE TURKISH PARTICIPATION IN THESSALONIKI'S FILM FESTIVAL

Surrealistic elements in combination with realism are being used by Turkish film director Dervis Zaim, who participates in Thessaloniki's 44th Film Festival with the film Mud. Mr. Zaim had received the Silver Alexander award in the 38th Film Festival in Thessaloniki.

He uses the diseases, from which the main characters in the film are suffering, in a metaphorical way, as well as the mud inside and outside the Turkish army camp in the Turkish occupied territories in northern Cyprus, to present the problem created in the psyche of the people of the two communities and their desire to be cured namely, to find a solution to the problem.

Three are the main characters in the movie, soldier Ali, who has lost his voice, Temel, who wants to confess the war crimes he has committed and Halil, who is not interested in the war crimes.

Mr. Zaim stated in the press conference he gave that he tries to avoid autobiographic experiences given the fact that he is a Turkish Cypriot himself and has lived in the occupied territories.

He also expressed the wish that cinema will contribute to the de-escalation of the tension in the relations between Greece and Turkey and form a culture of peace.

[04] ARCHBISHOP CHRISTODOULOS MET WITH THE CYPRIOT PRESIDENT

Cypriot Republic President Tassos Papadopoulos, who is on a visit to Greece, met with Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All of Greece.

Mr. Papadopoulos briefed the Archbishop on the latest developments in the Cyprus issue in view of Cyprus' official EU membership and thanked him for the active support of the Church of Greece to this national affair.

On his part, the Archbishop underlined that the Greek people and the Church of Greece are standing by the Cypriot people for a united island without partitions and for a peaceful future of development and prosperity for the two communities on the island of Cyprus.

[05] PROTOPAPAS ON THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCHATE-CHURCH OF GREECE CRISIS

Legislative changes can take place only if they are proposed through a joint position, namely, if they are proposed unanimously by both sides, the Church of Greece and the Ecumenical Patriarchate, stated Greek government spokesman Christos Protopapas.

He made the statement when he was asked whether the government intends to change the law to avert a crisis in the relations between the Church of Greece and the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

[06] THE GOV'T SPOKESMAN ON THE "KATHIMERINI" NEWSPAPER REPORT

As non-existent scenarios and non-existent issues lacking seriousness was characterized by Greek government spokesman Christos Protopapas the news report on the Athens newspaper Kathimerini according to which, there is a crisis in the relations between Prime Minister Kostas Simitis and governing Socialist Party of PASOK Central Committee Secretary Michalis Chrisochoidis.

The newspaper mentions, among others, that the conditions of political deadlock formed lately for the government upset the relations between Mr. Simitis and Mr. Chrisochoidis, which are being tested.

[07] GAINS CONTINUE IN THE ASE

Gains were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today. The general index rose to +0.42% at 2.183,09 points, while the volume of transactions was at 164.4 million euros.

Of the stocks trading today, 212 had gains and 100 recorded losses, while the value of 71 stocks remained unchanged.

[08] SIMITIS: GREECE'S ECONOMY IS STRONG

The certainty that Greece's economy is strong and that its growth rate is the best in Europe based on present data, was expressed by Prime Minister Costas Simitis in the pre agenda discussion at the Parliament on the government's financial policy. Mr. Simitis pointed out that the above was ascertained by international organizations observing Greece's progress.

The Prime Minister also gave his assurance that Greece's economic development will not decelerated by the 2004 Olympic Games, and he mentioned the way growth is expressed through investments in salaries, pensions, education, health and other works. He also mentioned the drop in the GDP and made mention of an impressive fiscal reform in Greece over the past decade. During his speech the Prime Minister also mentioned the drop in inflation, pointing out that in 1991 it was 14% away from the EU average, while today it is 1.3%. In ending, he also referred to the issue of new jobs, stressing that unemployment dropped by 3%.

[09] PRESIDENT PAPADOPOULOS RECEIVES GOLD MEDAL OF ATHENS

President of the Cypriot Republic Tassos Papadopoulos stated in Athens that if the ruins of the destruction of Cyprus in 1974 were the prelude to the return of democracy to its Athenian cradle, then that cradle itself is the secure, stable and irreplaceable helping hand in the return of freedom to the suffering Cyprus.

In his speech at the ceremony awarding the Gold Medal of Honor of the City of Athens by Mayor of Athens Dora Bakoyanni, President Papadopoulos said that the accession of Cyprus to the EU is already a historical success of joint efforts, but a viable and functional solution to our major national issue, will be the greatest and most joyous pinnacle of our of our joint struggle.

Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article