Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 04-06-24

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

CONTENTS

[01] EXPO 2008: THESSALONIKI IS THE MOST LIKELY WINNER

[02] THE NEW ANTI-TERRORIST LAW WAS PASSED IN PARLIAMENT

[03] THE ASE INDEX REMAINED UNCHANGED

[04] THE OLYMPIC FLAME VISITED AMSTERDAM AND IS ON ITS WAY TO LAUSANNE AND

[05] "ATHENS 2004" ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE OLYMPIC GAMES TICKET SALES

[06] ROUSOPOULOS: NOTHING ASKED IN RETURN FOR THE REOPENING OF THE THEOLOGY

[07] THE GREEK PARLIAMENT PRESIDENT ARRIVED IN CYPRUS

[08] AUSTRALIAN MINISTER URGES HIS FELLOW CITIZENS TO VISIT GREECE FOR THE

[01] EXPO 2008: THESSALONIKI IS THE MOST LIKELY WINNER

High quality presentations, spectacle, multi-media, music, celebrities and high-level representation at political level were the ingredients in the presentation of the three cities bidding to host EXPO 2008. The presentation took place in Paris yesterday afternoon before the general assembly of the International Bureau of Exhibitions, BIE.

The formal presentation of Thessaloniki's bid was last after Trieste (Italy) and Zaragoza (Spain). The presentation's leading men were Greek state-run television presenter Alexis Kostalas, French television journalist and show presenter Nikos Aliagas, while the impressive finale belonged to world-famous singer Nana Mouskouri.

Thessaloniki received very flattering comments both for the excellent spectacle and the message it conveyed.

The strong points of the presentation were the Eastern Mediterranean and Balkan dimension of Thessaloniki's proposal, the support of the Greek government, local administration, business and social forces and the financial support offered by the state. Also, Thessaloniki's great experience in international events after the EU Summit meeting in 2003, the city's size, economic activities, capability to host conventions, its strategic position and infrastructures. The city has a rich historic and cultural tradition, many monuments and great cultural and social life. Finally, the theme Terra Mater offers a great advantage as it deals with agricultural development, technology, food sufficiency and environmental balance.

The Greek delegation was made up of Agricultural Development Minister Savvas Tsitouridis, Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Nikos Tsiartsionis, Deputy Foreign Minister Evripidis Stilianidis, Thessaloniki's Prefect Panagiotis Psomiadis, Thessaloniki's Mayor Vasilis Papageorgopoulos, HELEXPO President Dimitris Bakatselos, representatives of the Greek embassy to Paris and other officials.

Mr. Tsiartsionis stated that it was a hard competition but Thessaloniki's presentation was the most impressive with three presenters who filed the presentation hall with Greece and emotion. Mr. Tsitouridis also stated that the presentation went well and thanked the three presenters because their presence gave a boost to the effort made by Thessaloniki and Greece.

[02] THE NEW ANTI-TERRORIST LAW WAS PASSED IN PARLIAMENT

The new anti-terrorist law sponsored by the Ministry of Justice was passed in Parliament today only with the votes of the government deputies given the fact that the Communist Party had walked out of the session and the parties of PASOK and Coalition of the Left voted against it.

The government accused the party of PASOK of political opportunism regarding its stance in Parliament during the discussion and the vote on the Justice Ministry draft law on the European arrest warrant and the new regulations against terrorism.

[03] THE ASE INDEX REMAINED UNCHANGED

No change was recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today. The general index was at +0.00% and 2339.47 points, while the volume of transactions was at 153.9 million euros.

Of the stocks trading today, 59 had gains and 256 had losses, while the value of 79 stocks remained unchanged.

[04] THE OLYMPIC FLAME VISITED AMSTERDAM AND IS ON ITS WAY TO LAUSANNE AND GENEVA

The International Torch Relay continues its route today as it reaches Switzerland and visits Lausanne - seat of the International Olympic Committee - and Geneva. 

Yesterday, the Olympic Flame continued its route over the International Torch Relay, to arrive in the Netherlands' capital city of Amsterdam, where the Olympic cauldron was lit for the first time in modern Olympic history in the year 1928. Amsterdam is the eighteenth city to greet the ATHENS 2004 International Torch Relay.

The relay began from the Amsterdam Arena, one of the world's great modern stadiums. Though it was cold and wet, large numbers of local schoolchildren were there to welcome the first torchbearer, medallist Yvonne van Gennip.

The 51km course through this great port of northern Europe and its famous canals was run by 131 torchbearers.

Among the torchbearers were: Xenia van Bijlevelt - De Jong, now 82 years of age, who competed at the 1948 London Olympic Games; Olympic gold medallists Marianne Timmer, Yvonne van Gennip, and Ellen van Langen, and Wubbo Ockels, the first Dutch astronaut. One of the Greek immigrants to the Netherlands, Ilias Nikopoulos, carried the flame through the city center, to the loud applause of numerous Greek immigrants to Amsterdam. His emotion was evident as he said: The Athens Olympic Games will promote the eternal values of Olympism. My participation in the Torch Relay is the greatest of honors for me, outshining all my other distinctions to date.

The flame passed main features of the city - the home of Anna Frank, the Van Gogh Museum, Dam Square, the Palace, and the Rijksmuseum - before arriving at the Olympic Stadium where the 1928 Games were held. It was here that swimmer and Olympic gold medallist Inge de Bruijn lit the Cauldron. Among those present at the ceremony were Prince Willem-Alexander, the heir to the throne; the Deputy Mayor of Amsterdam, Hester Maij; and the president of the Dutch Olympic Committee, Erika Tepstra.

In an address, Mme Tepstra said: The Olympic Torch Relay, now visiting our city for the first time, is a symbol of friendship, brotherhood, and peaceful coexistence. We wish the Athens Olympic Games every success.

For ATHENS 2004, its representative, Spiros Lambridis said: Now that we have traveled all five continents with this unique Torch Relay, and returned to Europe, we are proud and happy to see that the message we were carrying is all-powerful and accepted by the people. This has again been proved today with the successful Torch Relay in Amsterdam, despite the bad weather.

The Torch Relay ceremonies ended with cultural events in a relaxed atmosphere.

[05] "ATHENS 2004" ANNOUNCEMENT ON THE OLYMPIC GAMES TICKET SALES

The ATHENS 2004 Press & Media Office wishes to make it clear that:

1.Contractual partners of ATHENS 2004, such as Sponsors, broadcasting rights holders, or National Olympic Committees, have the right - as per the Organizing Committee's contractual obligations, and as customary at all Olympic Games - to set aside a certain number of tickets for their own requirements.

They also have the right to return up to 30% of the tickets they initially purchased, should the situation have materially altered due to some unforeseen circumstance (for instance, the disqualification of a team or an athlete, as has happened with the USA's Baseball team and Brazil's Football team).

Since the start of the ATHENS 2004 ticketing program, the contractual partners referred to above have purchased 900,000 tickets. Of these, they have returned 72,000 - only 8%, the smallest percentage of returns for any Olympic Games to date.

Reports that 800,000 tickets have been returned are quite inaccurate and one may well ask on what they are based and where they originate from.

The ticketing statistics given above appear in copy from international press agencies, which have obtained them from the ATHENS 2004 Press Office.

2. As has already been announced, so far 1,950,000 tickets have been sold, covering 79% of ATHENS 2004 original budgetary target of 183 million. Over the past few days there has been growing demand for the 800,000 Olympic Football tournament tickets, where the draw was on 9 June, and for the 350,000 Olympic Volleyball tournament tickets, where the draw was on 7 June, with 200,000 of these being tickets for Olympic Beach Volleyball, where the draw is yet to come in mid-July. The public will evidently be buying a large number of tickets for team sports in the immediate future.

3. ATHENS 2004 announced at an early stage that its objective would be to sell 68% of its tickets, to offset budget costs. Notoriously, at no Olympic Games have all supplies of tickets ever been exhausted.

4. Some newspaper reports have referred to subsidies on tickets. ATHENS 2004 yet again makes it clear that its policy on ticket sales for the Olympic Games will remain unchanged, from the inauguration of the ticket sales program right through to the end of the Games. Something of this nature is essential if Greek and foreign spectators are to be treated on an equal footing. Therefore, there is no question now, or will there be any question in the future, of altering ticket prices.

5. Reports have mentioned an alleged proposal by the Ministry of Culture for the purchase of 200,000 tickets. Nothing of this nature has come to the notice of ATHENS 2004. All that can be said for certain is that there is an agreement between ATHENS 2004 and the General Secretariat for the Olympic Games to supply approximately 4,800 tickets for use by the public body in question

[06] ROUSOPOULOS: NOTHING ASKED IN RETURN FOR THE REOPENING OF THE THEOLOGY SCHOOL OF HALKI

The Turkish Prime Minister in the last discussion he had with Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis in Athens asked nothing in return for the reopening of the Theology School of Halki when the issue was raised by the Greek Prime Minister, stated government spokesman Thodoris Rousopoulos in response to a question on whether the Turkish military has any demands in return for the reopening of the Theology School of Halki.

Mr. Rousopoulos reminded that the issue is pending for over 30 years and added that the Greek Prime Minister raises the issue in every meeting he has with his Turkish counterpart. He added that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan recently made two public statements for the first time that show his willingness to assist in the efforts for the reopening of Halki.

The government spokesman mentioned that the Greek Prime Minister had raised the same issue in the talks he had recently at the White House and pointed out that US President Bush promised to give his support to the efforts made aimed at meeting the specific demand.

[07] THE GREEK PARLIAMENT PRESIDENT ARRIVED IN CYPRUS

Cyprus and Hellenism as a whole are going through a crucial period and all of Greece and the Greek Parliament support the struggle made, stated Greek Parliament President Anna Psarouda-Benaki who arrived in Cyprus today within the framework of a formal visit.

Welcoming Mrs. Benaki to Cyprus, Cypriot Parliament President Dimitris Christofias stated that the fact that his Greek counterpart chose to make her first formal visit abroad to Cyprus is a big proof of the support of the Greek state and specifically the Greek Parliament to the struggle of the Cypriot people for the reunification of the island and Cyprus' presence in the European Union in the best possible way.

[08] AUSTRALIAN MINISTER URGES HIS FELLOW CITIZENS TO VISIT GREECE FOR THE OLYMPIC GAMES

Australian Federal Minister of Multicultural Affairs Gary Hardgrave called on his fellow citizens and especially, the Greek-Australians to visit Athens in August for the Olympic Games.

According to Melbourne's Greek-Australian newspaper Neos Kosmos, Mr. Hardgrave commented on the travel warning issued by the Australian government by saying that the government was criticized because of that, adding that it would have been criticized if it did not inform the Australian people.

Regarding the negative comments on the press, he blamed mainly the British mass media and stated that the negative press reports from Britain were recycled in Australia.

In an event held by the Federal Ministry of Multicultural Affairs and Naturalization in cooperation with the Greek community in Melbourne to celebrate Australia's participation in the Athens Olympic Games, Mr. Hardgrave stated that he is certain that Athens will host successful games.

Greek community President Giorgos Fountas thanked the minister for his initiative to organize the event on the Athens Olympic Games and referred to the huge efforts made by Greece to host successful and safe Olympic Games.

Greece's Consul General Eleftherios Kouvaritakis also assured the Australians that the Athens Olympic Games will be safe and successful.

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