Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 05-05-31

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

CONTENTS

[01] THE COST OF THE VOLUNTARY RETIREMENT

[02] CUT SMOKING!

[03] THE JUSTICE MINISTER TO VISIT LUXEMBOURG

[04] THE GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN ON TURKEY'S EUROPEAN PROSPECT

[05] GREEK REACTION TO FYROM'S ATTEMPT TO APPEAR UNDER THE NAME "MACEDONIA"

[06] NEW COURSE FOR THE PATRIARCHATE OF JERUSALEM

[01] THE COST OF THE VOLUNTARY RETIREMENT

The net cost of the voluntary retirement of the 6,000 Greek Telecommunications Organization, OTE, employees, who have the right to use that option, is estimated at 1.5 billion euros.

Minister of Finance Giorgos Alogoskoufis stated that the Greek state will undertake 20% of the cost, while the rest 80% will be covered by the savings OTE will have in operational costs as a result of the voluntary retirement.

The state budget and in effect the taxpayers will not be burdened with the voluntary retirement cost.

The agreement on the voluntary retirement in OTE, which has created a rift in PASKE, the labor union of main opposition Socialist Party of PASOK, will be discussed by the PASOK labor union national council.

Greek Confederation of Labor Unions President and head of PASKE Christos Polizogopoulos, characterized the agreement as disgraceful.

[02] CUT SMOKING!

The anti-smoking campaign assumes global characteristics. On the occasion of the World No Tobacco Day today, the European Commission launches the next phase of the anti-smoking campaign Help, a pan-European television ad campaign aimed at informing the people to stop regarding as normal the deadly habit of cigarette smoking.

The theme of this year's World No Tobacco Day is the important role played by health professionals in smoking control and the slogan is: Health Professionals against smoking Action for beneficial results.

The World Health Organization, WHO, seeks to highlight the obvious role of health professionals either in individual or collective level in the effort against cigarette smoking. The WHO wants to stress that health professionals should realize that by not smoking they can set an example.

[03] THE JUSTICE MINISTER TO VISIT LUXEMBOURG

Justice Minister Anastasis Papaligouras will be in Luxembourg tomorrow to attend the EU Justice and Interior Ministers' Council.

Within the framework of the Council the participating ministers will discuss, among others, issues concerning racism and xenophobia.

They will also discuss the European Commission proposal for the implementation of The Hague program that refers to the sectors of freedom, security and justice. These sectors are expected to be the most rapidly developing in the next five years in terms of new initiatives in the European Union.

[04] THE GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN ON TURKEY'S EUROPEAN PROSPECT

The Greek government will not reconsider its stance toward Turkey's European prospect after the negative outcome in the French referendum and the likelihood of a NO vote in Holland.

The statement was made today by government spokesman Thodoris Rousopoulos in response to a question by a journalist during the regular press briefing.

[05] GREEK REACTION TO FYROM'S ATTEMPT TO APPEAR UNDER THE NAME "MACEDONIA"

The use of the name Macedonia by FYROM in the Forum on Parliamentary Cooperation in Montenegro's Cetinje held with the participation of representatives from 15 countries, the Stability Pact, the Council of Europe, the Baltic Parliamentary Conference, OSCE and NATO caused the reaction of Greek Parliament vice-president Giorgos Sourlas.

In spite of the agreement that the delegation would attend the meeting under the name FYROM its members used a sign with the name Macedonia. Mr. Sourlas threatened to leave the meeting and finally, the sign in question was withdrawn and the forum proceedings continued as scheduled.

In his speech, Mr. Sourlas pointed out Greece's leading role in the efforts for peace and economic development in the region. He stressed that Greece backs the European prospect of the countries in the region and added that only when all the European countries become members of the EU the European integration will be a reality.

[06] NEW COURSE FOR THE PATRIARCHATE OF JERUSALEM

The statement issued today by the vicar of the Patriarchate of Jerusalem mentions that the Patriarchate will follow a new course aimed at healing its wounds.

The statement underlines that in the past few months the Patriarchate of Jerusalem experienced one of its major crises and managed to deal with it with the help of God and the decision of the Pan-Orthodox Synod held by the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul.

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