Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 05-09-22

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

CONTENTS

[01] DEDICATED TO REFORMS

[02] "GREEK SHIELD" AGAINST PORNOGRAPHY ON THE INTERNET

[03] EUROPEAN CAR FREE DAY

[04] DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER STILIANIDIS MET WITH THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH

[05] GOOD BILATERAL RELATIONS RECONFIRMED DURING THE MAROVIC VISIT

[06] KARAMANLIS-MAROVIC MEETING

[07] GREEK PASTRY-COOK CLAIMS A PLACE IN THE GUINNESS BOOK

[08] GREEN LIGHT FOR EXTENSION

[09] SKANDALAKIS TO VISIT UKRAINE AND GEORGIA

[10] KARAMANLIS TO VISIT PARIS

[11] FIRST GENERATION GREEK IMMIGRANTS IN AUSTRALIA ESTIMATED AT 180,000

[01] DEDICATED TO REFORMS

The strategy of reforms aimed at putting an end to the confusion in the market will continue and the government's intention is to proceed on this path through dialogue, understanding and composition of views with social partners.

The above were stated by Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis addressing last night the event held by the National Confederation of Greek Trade (ESEE) on the occasion of the confederation's 10th anniversary.

The message, that the implementation of laws concerns everybody, was sent by Minister of Development Dimitris Sioufas who also addressed the ESEE event, to all those raising obstacles to the creation of a new framework in the sector of trade.

[02] "GREEK SHIELD" AGAINST PORNOGRAPHY ON THE INTERNET

A new, Greek patent, software program which is based on artificial intelligence methods and can block Internet webpages with pornographic content will soon be on the world market.

The smart program FilterX was created by a team of researchers at the Computer and Communications Institute of the National Center of Scientific Research Democritus. It can be installed on personal computers or servers and can identify webpages with pornographic material before they appear on the computer screen while it can also block access to them.

The difference between FilterX and the existing programs is that it can look inside the real content of a webpage. The method used to analyze the contents of a webpage is based on a combination of information coming from the text, photos and even the structure of an Internet site, stated to ANA-MPA Costas Handrinos, head of the research team.

FilterX has been selected to receive EU funding while the program is already used in the form of a pilot project in Greek and other European schools for the past two years.

According to Mr. Handrinos it can be installed on a computer as easy as anti-virus software and its price will be almost the same.

[03] EUROPEAN CAR FREE DAY

The government decision to take all necessary measures aimed at upgrading mass transportation to become more attractive and safe for commuters, reiterated Minister of Transportations and Communications Michalis Liapis on the occasion of the European Car Free Day today. The event's main slogan is in town without my car.

People in Athens and Thessaloniki will have the opportunity today to use the city busses for free.

Mr. Liapis characterized as realistic and feasible the goal set to increase the number of people using mass transportation to reach 50% of all commuting in the city because the city transportation network is now advanced and complete offering affordable, fast, safe and environmentally friendly transportation.

[04] DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER STILIANIDIS MET WITH THE ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH

Deputy Foreign Minister Evripidis Stilianidis met with visiting Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in Athens at noon today.

After the meeting, Mr. Stilianidis stated that cooperation with the Ecumenical Patriarch is always very constructive.

They discussed mainly the potential for a combined action by the Ecumenical Patriarchate and HELLENIC AID (the Foreign Ministry International Development Cooperation Agency) on the occasion of the redefinition of the Millennium Development Goals regarding the eradication of extreme poverty and hunger that took place a few days ago at the United Nations.

The Deputy Foreign Minister stated that it is widely known that the Ecumenical Patriarchate is very sensitive and active on issues concerning human values, poverty, diseases and other problems faced by developing countries.

They also discussed the role of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Turkey's rapprochement with the EU.

On the respect of religious rights by Turkey in relation to its European course, Mr. Stilianidis responded that the issues of freedom and human rights are on the European agenda and will always be on the negotiating table.

[05] GOOD BILATERAL RELATIONS RECONFIRMED DURING THE MAROVIC VISIT

The traditionally friendly relations between Serbia-Montenegro and Greece were reconfirmed in the meetings visiting President of Serbia-Montenegro Svetozar Marovic had in Athens with Hellenic Republic President Karolos Papoulias, Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis and main opposition Socialist Party PASOK leader Giorgos Papandreou. Mr. Marovic made the statement in a press conference he gave and referred particularly to the increase in bilateral economic activities that is being recorded annually.

The President of Serbia-Montenegro stated that negotiations on Kosovo will probably get underway by the end of the year and underlined that there are a number of problems in the region such as the hundreds of thousands of non Albanian refugees who cannot return to their homes due to lack of security and the low living standards in the region, a fact that affects the Albanian population as well.

The improvement of the quality of life is necessary, as well as decentralization and the creation of confidence-based relations, said Mr. Marovic.

Mr. Marovic characterized as important the opening of negotiations next October aimed at signing a stabilization and association treaty with the EU and expressed gratitude for the Greek support to the efforts made to speed up the specific process. He admitted that the pace will depend on the solution of the Mladic issue, the former general the United States want to be handed over to The Hague Tribunal on Yugoslavia to be tried for atrocities committed during the Bosnian war.

On the future of Serbia-Montenegro Mr. Marovic stressed that it is an issue that has to be decided democratically by its people.

[06] KARAMANLIS-MAROVIC MEETING

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis met with visiting President of Serbia-Montenegro Svetozar Marovic at Maximos Mansion in Athens this morning.

They discussed developments in the region and the issue of Kosovo. No statements were made after the meeting.

[07] GREEK PASTRY-COOK CLAIMS A PLACE IN THE GUINNESS BOOK

A pastry-cook from Xanthi, northeast Greece, will attempt to make a baklava (a dessert made of paper-thin layers of flaky pastry, chopped nuts and honey) that will cover the Bosporus Bridge and claim this way a place in the Guinness Book of Records.

Stelios Arseniou will attempt to unite the west with the east with a 1,800-meters-long baklava weighing 30 tons. To prepare the baklava he will use an estimated 10 million layers of flaky pastry.

He will work with a mobile team of pastry-cooks from Greece and Turkey who will be on the bridge and make the dessert under his instructions.

The Greek pastry-cook got the inspiration to make the gigantic baklava from a Turkish television series aired on a Greek private television station and among its characters was a family of baklava makers in Turkey.

[08] GREEN LIGHT FOR EXTENSION

The Council of State rejected the application filed by the Municipality of Thermaikos, near Thessaloniki, requesting the suspension of the extension of Thessaloniki's Macedonia Airport runway.

The Council of State ruled that serious reasons of public interest advocated in favour of the rejection of the appeals given the fact that the extension of the runway will contribute to the economic growth of Thessaloniki and northern Greece in general.

[09] SKANDALAKIS TO VISIT UKRAINE AND GEORGIA

Deputy Foreign Minister Panagiotis Skandalakis, responsible for issues concerning the Greeks abroad, will visit the ethnic Greeks in Ukraine and Georgia.

Tomorrow, Mr. Skandalakis will visit Mariupol for contacts with representatives of ethnic Greeks and attend festivities while he will also visit Greek villages and schools.

Mr. Skandalakis will attend the Holy Liturgy for the inauguration of the church of St. Georgios at the village of Sartana.

On September 26, he will visit Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia, where he will have meetings with representatives of the country's political leadership and ethnic Greeks. The following day he will visit the Greek villages in Tsalka.

He will also have contacts with the Prefect and the Governor of Tsalka to discuss the problems of the ethnic Greeks and mainly issues concerning their safety.

[10] KARAMANLIS TO VISIT PARIS

Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis departs for Paris this afternoon and tomorrow he will meet with the President and the Prime Minister of France.

At 12:45 pm, he is scheduled to meet with French President Jacques Chirac followed by a working lunch, while at 6 pm he will meet with French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin.

Prime Minister Karamanlis will depart for Athens at 7:30 pm.

[11] FIRST GENERATION GREEK IMMIGRANTS IN AUSTRALIA ESTIMATED AT 180,000

The number of the Greek-Australians born in Greece has dropped by 1% during the past four years, according to the latest figures provided by the Australian Statistics Agency.

The Australian nationals born in Greece are 128,650 with an average age of 61.8 years, while the average age of all Australians born abroad, who make up about 25% of the country's population, is 47 years.

However, this number does not reflect the real size of the Greek community in Australia which according to the Australian government numbers over 600,000 people including 21,538 born in Cyprus, about 15,000 born in Egypt and several thousands born in Turkey and eastern European countries as well as the second and third generation Greek-Australians. It is estimated that the first generation Greek-Australians are 180,000.

Almost 25% of all Australians were born abroad while the number of first generation Greek-Australians has dropped.

For the record, a total of 4.8 million Australians were born abroad, the highest percentage since 1901 when the country became a federation.

Those born in the United Kingdom still make up the largest percentage (6%) of the overall population in Australia estimated at 1.1 million, followed by New Zealanders, Italians, Chinese and Vietnamese.

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