Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 04-01-30

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

CONTENTS

[01] DIAMANTOPOULOU TO HEAD STATE BALLOT

[02] 17 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS MISSING IN EVIA

[03] VARVITSIOTIS WILL NOT RUN IN THE ELECTIONS

[04] THESSALONIKI-HAVANA FRATERNIZATION

[05] DEFINITE "NO" BY TSOVOLAS TO AN ALLIANCE WITH PAPATHEMELIS' PARTY

[06] DISPUTE BETWEEN TSOCHATZOPOULOS-KONSTANTOPOULOS ON THE TOURIST

[07] GAINS IN THE ASE

[08] THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LABOR AND SOCIAL SECURITY TO VISIT GERMANY AND

[09] PAPANDREOU SPEECH IN PTOLEMAIDA

[10] KKE WITH CHOURMOUZIADIS-TZEKIS

[01] DIAMANTOPOULOU TO HEAD STATE BALLOT

EU Commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou will head the state ballot for PASOK in the March 7 elections, according to journalistic sources, while official confirmation is expected from Foreign Minister and candidate for PASOK's presidency, Giorgos Papandreou. Mrs. Diamantopoulou's term as EU Commissioner will be over at the end of the year. In the 1996 elections, Anna Diamantopoulou was elected MP for Kozani. She has served as deputy Minister of Development in the C. Simitis governments and Secretary General of ministries in the An. Papandreou governments.

[02] 17 ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS MISSING IN EVIA

Searches have been underway since early this morning for the location of 17 illegal immigrants, who were lost at sea yesterday in the area between Rafina and Karystos, south of Evia. The sailboat transporting a total of 45 illegal immigrants, sunk due to unknown reasons near the rocky islands of Petalia, and operations for their rescue commenced immediately. A Super Puma helicopter and Coast Guard rescue boats are participating in the search and rescue operation.

[03] VARVITSIOTIS WILL NOT RUN IN THE ELECTIONS

Ioannis Varvitsiotis will not participate in the upcoming parliamentary elections, after accepting Mr. Karamanlis' proposal that he lead the party's Euro-ballot in the elections next June. Mr. Varvitsiotis, who has been elected MP at every election since 1961, was on the state ballot for his party in the 2000 elections. He is the second member on the state ballot, following Mr. Petros Molyviatis, to be leaving the upcoming battle, while another two candidates, Mr. Papathanasiou and Mr. Spiliotopoulos, will run in the II Athens electoral district.

[04] THESSALONIKI-HAVANA FRATERNIZATION

Thessaloniki and Havana are moving towards a fraternization, in the framework of the very positive atmosphere created and the conditions that ripened during the historic visit of Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos to the Cuban capital. The proposal was made on Sunday, immediately following the inauguration of the church of St. Nikolaos in Havana, it was accepted with great pleasure by Thessaloniki Mayor Vassilis Papageorgopoulos, who was accompanying the Head of the Orthodox Church on his five day visit.

Speaking to the Macedonian Press Agency, the Mayor of Thessaloniki noted: After the proposal of the Metropolite of Panama and the agreement of the Cuban official on Culture, Efsevios Leal, we are on our way towards the fraternization of Thessaloniki and Havana. It was a pleasant surprise to find out that our two cities could be fraternized so that there is cooperation in all sectors, cultural exchanges, etc.

My visit to Cuba with Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos was a sensational experience, a visit that went beyond all expectations. From the very first moment I agreed to the invitation and the Municipality of Thessaloniki participated with its traditional band and made a very good impression in its various shows.

What we found in Cuba and the way in which we were welcomed, Fidel Castro's initiatives and his daily presence at the side of the Ecumenical Patriarch, were indeed a very pleasant surprise. It was amazing. My warmest congratulations to Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos for his initiative, and my congratulations to the venerable Metropolite of Central America, Athinagoras, for moving this case intensely over the last 2-3 years. Warm congratulations are also in order for Cuban President Fidel Castro for making this extraordinary present to Orthodoxy and Hellenism.

It should be noted that during the reception held by Fidel Castro in honor of the Ecumenical Patriarch at the National hotel in Havana, the Mayor of Thessaloniki, V. Papageorgopoulos, gave the Cuban President a replica of the golden urn found in Vergina, explaining to him that the bones found therein were those of the father of Alexander the Great, Philippos.

President Castro received the present from the hands of the Mayor with great sentiment, saying that it is a very important gift, because he knows the history of ancient Macedonia well.

[05] DEFINITE "NO" BY TSOVOLAS TO AN ALLIANCE WITH PAPATHEMELIS' PARTY

Dimitris Tsovolas ruled out categorically a pre-election alliance between his Democratic Social Movement Party and Stelios Papathemelis' Democratic Rebirth Party citing differences on ideological and political issues. Both party leaders were governing Socialist Party of PASOK members, who left the party to form their own political parties.

In a press conference in Athens today, Mr. Tsovolas presented his party's agenda and reiterated that his party is in favor of the establishment of a third progressive-left axis of power.

[06] DISPUTE BETWEEN TSOCHATZOPOULOS-KONSTANTOPOULOS ON THE TOURIST EXPLOITATION OF LAKE KAIFA

A dispute over the tourist exploitation of the Lake Kaifa region in the Prefecture of Ilia, southern Greece took pace in Parliament between Minister of Development Akis Tsochatzopoulos and opposition party Coalition of the Left President Nikos Konstantopoulos.

Mr. Tsochatzopoulos maintained that the Greek Tourist Properties Ltd. never requested the change of the status of the lake, a protected region under the Natura 2000 program.

On his part, Mr. Konstantopoulos stated that Deputy Minister of Development Dimitris Georgakopoulos is an accessory to the crime committed against the country's development.

[07] GAINS IN THE ASE

Gains were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today. The general index rose to +1.71% at 2432.58 points, while the volume of transactions was at 190.9 million euros.

Of the stocks trading today, 238 had gains and 68 had losses, while the value of 77 stocks remained unchanged.

[08] THE DEPUTY MINISTER OF LABOR AND SOCIAL SECURITY TO VISIT GERMANY AND THE CZECH REPUBLIC

Greek Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Security Eleftherios Tziolas will visit Greek immigrants in Germany and the Czech Republic. The visit will be launched on January 31.

It will be the first time a Greek government minister visits the Czech city of Krnov. Mr. Tziolas is scheduled to meet with Greek immigrants as well as, with the city mayor and the Minister of Agriculture.

On February 1, he will visit the German cities of Munich and Nuremberg and will attend events organized by the Greek community.

[09] PAPANDREOU SPEECH IN PTOLEMAIDA

A proposal, for the funds provided by DEI (Public Power Corporation) to the Local Government, as a reciprocal fee for the burdening of the environment, to be used in the sectors of education and employment of the new generation, was expressed by Foreign Minister and candidate President of PASOK Giorgos Papandreou, in his speech to the employees at the lignite mine in Ptolemaida.

As he pointed out, through the decentralization of Universities (AEI) and Technical Professional Foundations (TEI) and with the utilization of private TEI and AEI in the framework of the Constitution, there should be cooperation in the area of Kozani between DEI, Local Government, the TEI and the AEI for the development of new departments in educational institutions, without bureaucratic difficulties.

At the same time, Mr. Papandreou gave his reassurance that in the government's power policy, lignite still has strategic importance and the public character of its production is secure.

[10] KKE WITH CHOURMOUZIADIS-TZEKIS

MPs in the I and II Thessaloniki electoral districts Giorgos Chourmouziadis and Aggelos Tzekis, who were first elected in 1996, will lead the ballots of the KKE presented in Thessaloniki, while then include a large number of co-working candidates. Mr. Chourmouziadis is an Emeritus Professor of prehistoric archeology at the Philosophical School of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki with a great scientific and literary work.

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