Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 04-06-17

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

CONTENTS

[01] NATIONAL PRIDE

[02] CRUCIAL EU SUMMIT

[03] THE OLYMPIC FLAME IN THE USA

[04] LOSSES IN THE ASE

[05] FESTIVITIES FOR THE 200 YEARS OF ST. GEORGIOS CHURCH IN VIENNA

[06] THE GREEK-TURKISH MEETING ON TOURISM IS POSTPONED

[07] THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH ON THE THEOLOGY SCHOOL OF HALKI

[08] PAPANDREOU IN BRUSSELS

[09] THE OLYMPIC FLAME VISITS LOS ANGELES

[10] THE JOINT EFFORTS AGAINST TERRORISM IS A PRIORITY

[01] NATIONAL PRIDE

The Greek national football team is one step away from qualification to be included among the 8 best football teams in Europe after the golden draw 1-1 in the crucial match with the national team of Spain yesterday within the framework of the EURO 2004 held in Portugal.

Angelos Haristeas scored at the 66' offering Greece the golden draw in the quarterfinal match opposite Spain, which was ahead in the score with a goal by Morientes in the first half.

Greece is now just a step before the next round as it still has Sunday's match with the national team of Russia which lost yesterday to Portugal with a 2-0 score.

After the match, thousands of Greeks celebrated in the streets of major Greek cities and in cities around the world with Greek communities.

[02] CRUCIAL EU SUMMIT

The crucial Summit meeting of the 25 EU leaders opens in Brussels today to discuss the new European Constitution draft and the replacement of European Commission President Romano Prodi. The Belgian Prime Minister is the most likely to be his successor.

However, the head of the German Christian-Democrats stated that they will not back the Belgian Prime Minister's candidacy. The Prime Minister of Luxembourg has adopted a similar position.

[03] THE OLYMPIC FLAME IN THE USA

The Olympic Flame arrived in the United States city of Los Angeles yesterday continuing its journey around the world. The first torchbearer was Hollywood star Sylvester Stallone followed by about 150 torchbearers among them some very famous people.

Among the celebrities who held the Olympic Flame torch were comedian Ellen DeGeneris, Hollywood star Tom Cruise, and Olympic medallists Janet Evans and Rafer Johnson.

[04] LOSSES IN THE ASE

Losses were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today. The general index dropped to -1.26% at 2376.08 points, while the volume of transactions was at 96.5 million euros.

Of the stocks trading today, just 43 had gains and 250 had losses, while the value of 93 stocks remained unchanged.

[05] FESTIVITIES FOR THE 200 YEARS OF ST. GEORGIOS CHURCH IN VIENNA

The three-day festivities on the 200 years of the St. Georgios church in Vienna open tomorrow in the presence of Hellenic Republic President Kostis Stephanopoulos and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew. Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Nikos Tsiartsionis will represent the Greek government, while the Austrian President will also be present in the events.

The church was built with the donations of merchants from Kozani, Greece who were members of the thriving Greek community in Vienna. They had financed publications, founded schools and libraries, supported the poor, the sick and the persecuted and their endowments made them great benefactors of the Greek nation.

In the church of St. Georgios the Greeks of Vienna were initiated into the Filiki Eteria, a revolutionary organization that played a key-role in the revolution against the Ottoman Turks, and in the same holy place they espoused the vision of Rigas Fereos.

[06] THE GREEK-TURKISH MEETING ON TOURISM IS POSTPONED

The scheduled for today and tomorrow Greek-Turkish ministerial level meeting on tourism (Greek-Turkish Tourist Forum) has been postponed. The meeting was scheduled to take place in the Aegean island of Samos and Kusandasi but it was postponed after the sudden death of Ismir mayor Ahmet Pristina.

Greek Minister of Tourism Dimitris Avramopoulos sent a telegram of condolences to the family of the deceased and the deputy mayor of Ismir.

[07] THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH ON THE THEOLOGY SCHOOL OF HALKI

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew expressed satisfaction for the imminent reopening of the Theology School of Halki speaking from Austria where he is on a formal visit.

The Ecumenical Patriarch referred to Turkey's European orientation stating characteristically that Turkey should become a full EU member state.

The Ecumenical Patriarch is on a formal visit to Austria at the invitation of the Austrian Chancellor.

[08] PAPANDREOU IN BRUSSELS

PASOK President Giorgos Papandreou is in Brussels today to attend the meeting of the European Socialist Party leaders in view of the European Council Summit meeting.

They will discuss issues included in the daily agenda of the European Council, the political evaluation of the Euro-election results in relation to the EU agenda and the European Socialist Party tactic in the European Parliament.

[09] THE OLYMPIC FLAME VISITS LOS ANGELES

Los Angeles welcomed the Olympic Flame at Venice Beach, and saw it off with Greek dances at Dodgers Stadium, as a prelude to a league baseball game. When in L.A., do as the Angels do; so the Flame's first stopover on US territory was mapped out by three showbiz stars, legendary names from the Olympic Games, and landmarks of megalopolis of the Far West.

I am happy, it is the most important moment of my life, said Sylvester Stallone, just before receiving the Flame as first Torchbearer from L.A.'s Mayor, at Venice Beach. Earlier, during a meeting with ATHENS 2004 Executive Director and COO Marton Simitsek, and Theodoros Angelopoulos, standing in for the President of OCOG, Stallone had said he wanted to come to Athens to watch the Olympic boxing. Mr. Angelopoulos promised him an invitation from the President of the Organizing Committee. Sylvester Stallone emoted in front of the Hellenic National Television (ERT) camera, equating the honor of being the first Torchbearer with the dreams of an immigrant come true. Los Angeles Mayor, James Hahn, hastened to explain that no fewer than 42% of the city's inhabitants had been born in another country. Harmonious coexistence in a way represents the Olympian ideals. Athens will have a successful Games and I hope I will be able to watch them at first hand.

The route of the Olympic Flame through Los Angeles took in all the landmarks that have made the city famous, as the Torchbearers - young and old, athletics champs and kids with disabilities ran on under the hills of Hollywood and crossed Sunset Boulevard, to finish in the very stadium that had hosted the 1984 Olympic Games. There were some moments to pull at the heartstrings. On Wednesday, for instance, Peter Glentzos would be bearing the Torch on his 95th birthday. And who better? For Peter is the oldest US citizen alive to have taken part in the Olympic Games. In 1932 he represented Greece at the first Los Angeles Games. He has lived in the USA ever since. But he will be in Athens on 6 August, a spectator at the 2004 Olympic Games. Another emotional moment was at Saint Sophia Cathedral, focus of the L.A. Greek community. The priest of the cathedral carried the Flame as a Torchbearer, and sang the Greek and the American national anthems.

In a live TV broadcast the citizens of Los Angeles were also able to watch a favorite comedy actress, Ellen DeGeneris, who ran with the Flame through Hollywood. It was very exciting for me, she said. In the end all of us can have a very personal Olympic moment.

Hollywood's third person in the Torch Relay was Tom Cruise, who took the Torch into the Dodgers Stadium. Just a few minutes later, baseball spectators were watching a Greek group dance national dances. It is an honor to be chosen. I believe that the Olympic Games do indeed support international cooperation, said Cruise.

The Last Torchbearer was an all-American Olympic legend, decathlon gold medallist Rafer Johnson.

Early on Thursday morning, Zeus, the plane carrying the Olympic Flame, took off for St. Louis, celebrating the centenary of its 1904 Games with Athens' 2004 Torch relay.

[10] THE JOINT EFFORTS AGAINST TERRORISM IS A PRIORITY

The proposed by US President George Bush new US ambassador to Athens Charles Ries stated that the joint efforts against terrorism will be a priority for him in Athens.

In the US Senate International Relations Sub-committee hearing Mr. Ries stated that if his appointment is ratified in the US Congress he will try to broaden bilateral relations built within the framework of the efforts for the safety of the Athens Olympic Games.

Mr. Ries also expressed the hope that Greece will help in the promotion of democracy in the countries of the Middle East given the fact that it is the birthplace of democratic ideas.

Mr. Charles Ries is a principal deputy assistant Secretary on European and Euro-Asian Affairs at the US State Department. If his appointment is ratified he will assume his duties as the US ambassador to Athens at the end of the year.

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