Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 05-09-15

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

CONTENTS

[01] PEACE SAFETY VALVES

[02] THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH ADDRESSED THE EDESSA CITY COUNCIL

[03] 1ST INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS CONFERENCE ITF

[04] GREECE CAN MEDIATE FOR GREATER INVESTOR INTEREST IN SE

[05] THE GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN ON OA

[06] EARTHQUAKE ROCKS THE CITY OF IOANNINA, NORTHWEST GREECE

[07] PAPARIGA VISITED THE ANA-MPA PAVILION IN THE ITF

[01] PEACE SAFETY VALVES

The United Nations must become strong in conflict management, settlement and prevention, stressed Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis addressing the UN Security Council Summit meeting yesterday in New York.

The early, comprehensive and effective prevention of conflicts is at the center of the UN mandate for the preservation of world peace and security, stressed the Prime Minister, pointing out that the comprehensive and long-term strategies aimed at dealing with the prime causes of conflicts are necessary.

The Prime Minister participated in this important UN Security Council meeting because Greece is a non permanent member of the UN body for the two-year period 2005-2006.

[02] THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH ADDRESSED THE EDESSA CITY COUNCIL

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew referred to the problems faced by the Ecumenical Patriarchate addressing the Edessa City Council yesterday evening within the framework of his tour of central and western Greece.

The Ecumenical Patriarch expressed the hope that better days will come for the Fener and the Greeks in Istanbul, which is something they deserve after so many persecutions.

He pointed out that a lot will depend on October 3 and expressed the wish that Turkey's EU accession negotiations will be launched as scheduled.

The Ecumenical Patriarch also said that he hopes that during Turkey's EU accession process all remaining changes will be made for the benefit of the Turkish people (the majority of whom want Turkey's EU accession), the Greeks living there and the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

He expressed gratitude to the current government and the previous ones which supported and continue to support Turkey's European course, always under certain preconditions.

[03] 1ST INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS CONFERENCE ITF

The government's commitment to support with all its powers bilateral economic relations and the ties between the EU and the countries bordering Greece, was conveyed by Minister of Finance and Economy Giorgos Alogoskoufis to the estimated 400 Greek and foreign delegates participating in the 1st International Business Conference ITF in Thessaloniki.

Addressing the conference, Mr. Alogoskoufis stressed that Greece is capable of offering decisive assistance for the economic growth of all the countries in eastern Mediterranean and aspires to be the reception gate for businesses wishing to become active in the region.

The conference is held under the auspices of the Ministry of Finance and Economy and is organized by HELEXPO and the Greek Organization for Foreign Trade, OPE. The conference proceedings will continue today and tomorrow at the Ioannis Vellidis Conference Center.

In his speech at the dinner given in honor of the conference participants yesterday evening, Mr. Alogoskoufis presented the five main pylons of the government economic policy (mild fiscal adjustment, tax reform, new investment law, joint ventures by the public and private sectors and the new generation of privatizations) and expressed the conviction that the government actions have already started to give fruit.

In the crucial fronts of fiscal adjustment, exports, tourism, public and private investments and reforms, the progress made is visible with measurable results in spite of the fact that many of the reforms are very recent, underlined Mr. Alogoskoufis.

Mr. Alogoskoufis put an emphasis on the new generation of privatizations and characterized as impressive the progress made in the absorption of the 3rd Community Support Framework funds.

[04] GREECE CAN MEDIATE FOR GREATER INVESTOR INTEREST IN SE EUROPE-MEDITERRANEAN

Minister of Development Dimitris Sioufas conveyed the government's warm support to the Euro-Mediterranean partnership addressing the luncheon on the occasion of the 1st International Business Forum organized in Thessaloniki by HELEXPO and the Greek Organization on Foreign Trade (OPE) under the auspices of the Ministry of Finance and Economy.

Mr. Sioufas stressed that Greece will host the Euro-Mediterranean Conference on Industry and Commerce in the Aegean island of Rhodes in September 2006. The conference will take place with the participation of the 25 EU member states and the 10 Mediterranean states. The Finn government, which will hold the EU Presidency in the second half of 2006, left the conference to take place in Greece.

The Minister of Development reminded that the founding treaty on the energy community in SE Europe will be signed in Athens on October 25 and added that a draft bill on the opening of the electric energy market is submitted in Parliament in a few days. The Minister of Development added that Greece can be the seat of major western European and US companies' headquarters and research centers.

He also stated that Greece can mediate for greater interest in the region on behalf of foreign businesses and investors. Addressing the foreign businessmen attending the conference, he assured them that Greece offers to everyone the opportunity to undertake major new business initiatives in sectors like, exploitation of Olympic infrastructure, tourist industry, renewable sources of energy, energy infrastructure, trade, transportation, communications-computers and shipping.

[05] THE GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN ON OA

Government spokesman Thodoris Rousopoulos denied information that the Prime Minister has ordered the responsible government ministers to immediately promote for sale all profit-making departments of Olympic Airlines.

Responding to the view that the government has displayed hastiness in settling the OA problem favoring this way the OA competitors, Mr. Rousopoulos cited older statements made by former Prime Minister Costas Simitis in September 2004 when he stated in the Thessaloniki ITF that conditions were ripe to settle the issue of Olympic. Mr. Rousopoulos also referred to statements made yesterday by European Commissioner Jacques Barrot according to which, the problems began in 1994 and lasted until 2004.

If ten years are not enough time to reach a political decision, stated Mr. Rousopoulos, then we obviously have a different perception of the meaning of hastiness.

Regarding the rights of the OA employees, Mr. Rousopoulos reiterated that measures will be taken so that they will not be left jobless.

[06] EARTHQUAKE ROCKS THE CITY OF IOANNINA, NORTHWEST GREECE

Seismologists were not alarmed by the earthquake measuring 4.4 on the Richter scale that was recorded early this morning at the city of Ioannina, northwest Greece. The tremor's epicenter was very close to the city and caused concern among local residents.

Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Geophysics Laboratory seismologist Giorgos Leventakis stated that the wider region of Ioannina is not characterized by high seismic activity and most likely this was an isolated incident.

The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Geophysics Laboratory has announced that seismographers recorded the earthquake at 6:30 am and its epicenter was 209kms southwest of Thessaloniki, 15kms northeast of the city of Ioannina.

[07] PAPARIGA VISITED THE ANA-MPA PAVILION IN THE ITF

Communist Party General Secretary Aleka Papariga visited the Athens News Agency-Macedonian Press Agency pavilion in the 70th Thessaloniki International Trade Fair, ITF, yesterday evening and was briefed on the activities and services offered by the two national news agencies, which are close to a merger, by MPA general director Spiros Kouzinopoulos.

Mrs. Papariga expressed interest in the daily Balkan News Bulletin and wished success to the unified national news agency.

In an interview broadcast live on the Internet, she commented on the main axes of the Prime Minister's speech in the inauguration of the 70th Thessaloniki ITF. She pointed out that Mr. Karamanlis was clear and honest when he said that he was going to displease the people therefore, she said, he will please the few. Regarding the Coalition Party proposal for a unified Left, she said that first there should be agreement on basic issues and issues of direction before there is an agreement between the two political parties.

Mrs. Papariga characterized developments on the Olympic Airlines issue as predestined and stressed that the Communist Party believes that a broad labor reaction must be launched and not just a reaction by OA employees.

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