Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 04-05-12

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

CONTENTS

[01] THE IOC IS OPTIMISTIC FOR THE OLYMPIC GAMES' PREPARATIONS

[02] FOUR ABSENCES IN THE HOLY SYNOD MEETING

[03] WARNING TO THE FOUR METROPOLITES WHO DID NOT ATTEND THE HOLY SYNOD

[04] VOTE OF CONFIDENCE BY IOC'S DENNIS OSWALD

[05] CYPRIOT PRESIDENT PAPADOPOULOS IN HOSPITAL

[06] SIGNIFICANT GAINS IN THE ASE

[07] KONSTANTOPOULOS-CHRISTOFIAS MEETING

[08] ROUSOPOULOS ON THE TORTURE OF IRAQI PRISONERS

[09] NEW REVELATIONS ON THE CASE OF THE CHILDREN'S ORGANS TRADE

[10] VALINAKIS IN THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE MINISTERS' MEETING

[01] THE IOC IS OPTIMISTIC FOR THE OLYMPIC GAMES' PREPARATIONS

There is optimism and confidence on behalf of Mr. Oswald and the International Olympic Committee, IOC, that the Athens Olympic Games will be exceptional and safe while on behalf of Greece there is self-confidence that this will be the case, stated Deputy Minister of Culture Mrs. Fani Palli-Petralia after the meeting of Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis with IOC Coordinating Committee President Mr. Oswald.

The responsible ministers assured Mr. Oswald that all Olympic Games' projects will be ready by the end of June.

The sliding of the Calatrava Roof over the main Olympic Games' Stadium in Athens proceeds smoothly, while Minister of Public Order Giorgos Voulgarakis appeared satisfied with the course of the Olympic Games' preparations.

[02] FOUR ABSENCES IN THE HOLY SYNOD MEETING

The Holy Synod of the Church of Greece meets today in the presence of only two of the six Metropolites of the new countries. Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All of Greece will brief the members of the Holy Synod on the proposals Minister of Education Marietta Giannakou has made aimed at settling the crisis in the relations of the Church of Greece with the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

The four absent Metropolites believe that they are bound by the Patriarchate's Holy Synod decision concerning the Archbishop.

In the Holy Synod of the Church of Greece participate six Metropolites from the old Greece and 6 from the new countries.

[03] WARNING TO THE FOUR METROPOLITES WHO DID NOT ATTEND THE HOLY SYNOD MEETING

The Holy Synod of the Church of Greece issued a strong warning targeting the four Metropolites who did not attend its meeting today leaving open the likelihood for them to be replaced.

The Metropolites of Didimoticho, Mitilini, Goumenisa and Veria, the so-called new countries, were absent from the proceedings of the Holy Synod after the recent Ecumenical Patriarchate decision concerning Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All of Greece.

Patriarch Alexius of Moscow as well as Metropolite Cyril of Smolensk have offered their indirect support to the Archbishop.

[04] VOTE OF CONFIDENCE BY IOC'S DENNIS OSWALD

International Olympic Committee, IOC, Coordinating Committee President Dennis Oswald gave a vote of confidence to the Olympic Games preparations expressing certainty that Athens will host safe and impeccable Olympic Games. In a press conference he gave in Athens today, he appeared impressed with the progress made in all Olympic projects where there had been delays. Referring to the security measures, he said that no other country has done more.

Athens 2004 Organizing Committee President Yianna Angelopoulou-Daskalaki pointed out that Greece managed in 4 years to do work that needed 7 years. She stressed that this is a reality and a proof of what Greeks can achieve when they work with dedication and professionalism. Mrs. Angelopoulou-Daskalaki also stated that Greece has spent more than any other country on security and has adopted measures for the safety of athletes, visitors and citizens.

Mr. Oswald expressed surprise and disappointment for the travel warning issued by the Australian government to its nationals who intend to visit Greece. The Greek government also has reacted strongly to the travel advice, which warns of allegedly high crime rate in Greece, robberies and thefts targeting tourists as well as sexual harassment in the islands. The Australian mass media gave noticeable publicity to the Greek reaction.

Athens mayor Mrs. Dora Bakoyianni after a meeting she had today with Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis she stated that she prepares an international campaign to stop the anti-Greek publications related with the organizing of the Olympic Games.

Greek ambassador to Australia Fotis Xidas expressed strong discontent for the travel warning issued by the Australian government by saying that the Greeks and Greece expected a better attitude from a friendly country like Australia.

[05] CYPRIOT PRESIDENT PAPADOPOULOS IN HOSPITAL

The results of the tests Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos underwent when he was rushed to a Nicosia hospital after collapsing while attending a hot, crowded funeral, showed nothing alarming, according to government sources. However, he will remain under medical supervision for a few more hours for precautionary reasons.

President Papadopoulos fainted during a funeral service. He regained conscience and managed to walk to his car before being taken to a hospital.

[06] SIGNIFICANT GAINS IN THE ASE

Significant gains were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today. The general index rose to + 0.97% at 2473.83 points, while the volume of transactions was at 162.3 million euros.

Of the stocks trading today, 125 had gains and 162 had losses, while the value of 101 stocks remained unchanged.

[07] KONSTANTOPOULOS-CHRISTOFIAS MEETING

The efforts of the Cypriot political leadership, with the help of the political forces in Greece, focus on ways to handle the effects stemming from the no of the Greek Cypriots in the referendum on the Annan Plan, stated Cypriot Parliament President and AKEL President Dimitris Christofias after the meeting he had in Athens today with Coalition of the Left President Nikos Konstantopoulos.

Mr. Christofias pointed out that the redefinition of the goals set by the Cypriot side is imperative and thanked the Coalition of the Left party for its support to Cyprus.

On his part, Mr. Konstantopoulos reiterated the position of his party for a functional solution within the framework of the bi-zonal, bi-communal federation having as a basis the reunification of the island. He also stressed that there must be security guarantees for the implementation of any solution.

[08] ROUSOPOULOS ON THE TORTURE OF IRAQI PRISONERS

The Greek government shares the repugnance of the world public opinion over the photographs with Iraqi prisoners being tortured, stressed Greek government spokesman Thodoris Rousopoulos.

He added that the Greek government condemns the violence no matter where it comes from. Violence brings more violence, he concluded.

[09] NEW REVELATIONS ON THE CASE OF THE CHILDREN'S ORGANS TRADE

The prosecutor's offices in Thessaloniki and Giannitsa in cooperation with the relevant Italian and Albanian authorities will open an investigation on the shocking report issued by the Greek embassy in Tirana concerning the criminal network trading children's organs. The children came from Albania and had mental problems or lived in orphanages.

According to the Athens newspaper TA NEA, the next step for the coordination of the inter-state investigation is going to be made by the Greek judicial authorities, as all unilateral efforts to approach the main witnesses in the case have been proven fruitless.

An Interpol document refers to likely underground links between the recently unveiled criminal network trading children's organs and terrorist organizations such as, 17 November and MABH. According to the Thessaloniki newspaper Angelioforos, the network has gained billions of euros from the infant trade it had developed both in Greece and Italy.

The international gang had links both in Albania and Italy and Interpol is investigating it for the past four years. It mentions in a formal report dated January 30, 2004 that it is considering the likelihood of an underground link between the network and terrorist organizations 17 November and MABH.

[10] VALINAKIS IN THE COUNCIL OF EUROPE MINISTERS' MEETING

Deputy Foreign Minister Yiannis Valinakis visits Strasburg today to represent Greece in the Council of Europe Ministers' Meeting.

In the meeting will be discussed issues concerning the reform of the European Court for Human Rights, the contribution of the Council of Europe to the efforts against terrorism, the efforts against human trafficking and organized crime as well as the issue of Kosovo and the Balkans in general.

Mr. Valinakis is expected to have bilateral contacts with his counterparts on the sidelines of the proceedings.

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