Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 05-10-04

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

CONTENTS

[01] NEW BALKAN ENLARGEMENT

[02] THE US SUPPORT FOR A SOLUTION TO THE FYROM NAME ISSUE IS WELCOMED

[03] THE GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN ON THE EURO-TURKISH AFFAIRS

[04] BSB TO EXPAND ITS RETAIL SALES NETWORK IN GREECE AND ABROAD

[05] COLON CANCER: PRECAUTIONARY EXAMINATION SAVES LIVES

[06] THE ITALIAN ARMED FORCES GENERAL STAFF CHIEF TO VISIT GREECE

[07] TURKISH AWARD TO THEODORAKIS, LIVANELI, PAPAGEORGIOU

[01] NEW BALKAN ENLARGEMENT

Since yesterday, Turkey is the first Muslim country on EU accession course after the agreement reached by the EU Foreign Ministers on the opening of the EU accession negotiations. Immediately afterwards they went on to declare the formal opening of negotiations with Croatia.

Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul arrived in Luxembourg in the early morning hours today.

Greek Foreign Minister Petros Molyviatis characterized the agreement on Turkey as a historic moment and assured that Greece and Cyprus have managed to safeguard all their objectives based on legally binding and institutional texts.

Main opposition Socialist Party PASOK head of Foreign Policy, Security and Defense Mr. Christos Papoutsis stated that not all issues of national interest for Greece and Cyprus are safeguarded.

Foreign Minister Molyviatis in a press conference he gave after the agreement was reached stressed that it was the result of a long and difficult process adding that a new era gets underway for the Greek-Turkish relations, an era of peace and stability that will benefit both the Greek and the Turkish people.

Mr. Molyviatis stated that Greece's strategic goal is to turn its neighborhood into a region of peace, security and stability and this can be achieved only through the European route and therefore, Greece wants all Balkan states and Turkey to become EU members.

On the statement of the British EU Presidency, the Foreign Minister said that it is purely interpretative and pointed out that it has no legal substance. He also stated that Turkey from now on will not be able to block Cyprus' participation in the EU Common Foreign and Security Policy without suffering consequences on its course to the EU.

[02] THE US SUPPORT FOR A SOLUTION TO THE FYROM NAME ISSUE IS WELCOMED

Greece would welcome an active US support to the UN proposals and efforts aimed at reaching a mutually acceptable solution to the issue of the FYROM name, stated Greece's new ambassador to Washington Alexandros Mallias who presented his credentials to US President Bush yesterday.

According to the Voice of America, President Bush thanked Greece for the positive role it has played in the Balkans and the Middle East underlining the support to Turkey's bid to enter membership negotiations with the EU. He also praised the contribution of the Greek American community to the US economy.

In the ceremony that took place at the White House yesterday, the new ambassador conveyed to the US leader the wishes of both the President and the Prime Minister of Greece for success to his mission and progress and prosperity to the people of the United States.

The new head of the Greek diplomatic mission in Washington also expressed the support of the Greek people to all those affected by Hurricane Katrina and reiterated the Greek government's offer to contribute to the efforts to help those affected by this major natural disaster.

Ambassador Mallias also stated that Greece is willing to contribute to the efforts made to turn the Middle East and Eastern Mediterranean into a region of peace, social justice, freedom and cooperation as well as to the efforts to find a fair, functional and viable settlement for Cyprus based on the UN Resolutions and the European aquis.

[03] THE GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN ON THE EURO-TURKISH AFFAIRS

Government spokesman Thodoris Rousopoulos responding to a question by a reporter on the legal nature of the British EU Presidency statement clarifying the controversial paragraph 7 of Turkey's negotiating framework, cited a relevant response given by Foreign Minister Petros Molyviatis.

Responding to a question concerning a telephone intervention by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice requesting that consensus be facilitated yesterday, Mr. Rousopoulos pointed out that the Greek government received no such telephone call.

On Greece's right to exercise veto power, Mr. Rousopoulos pointed out that the relevant statement made by the Prime Minister in an interview with CNN had to do with the fact that to exercise veto power is a political act. But it is an act of last resort selected when all previous policies have failed.

[04] BSB TO EXPAND ITS RETAIL SALES NETWORK IN GREECE AND ABROAD

The women's ready-to-wear company BSB aims at further expanding its retail sales network both inside Greece and abroad in the next three years.

Already, the Greek-owned company has 75 outlets, 16 of them abroad, and in the next three years intends to open a store in every prefecture capital in Greece while, at the same time, increase the number of its stores in the Balkans and the eastern European countries from 6 to 12.

BSB president and managing director Vasilios Bitharas and general director Giorgos Niarchos stressed from Thessaloniki that the BSB goal in the next three years is to open its own outlet stores in Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary while by 2008 it could expand its business to Bulgaria.

Annual turnover in 2005 is expected to close at 41 million euros and net profits will be at 5.5 million euros. In the first nine months of 2005, BSB increased its sales by 21.3% compared to the same period in 2004 and reached 28.08 million euros. The company goal is each year to expand annual turnover by 20% and reach 60 million euros by 2007, 20% coming from exports.

Next year, the company will move to its new 14-million euros facilities covering a space of 24,000 sq meters near Athens, while in March 2006, a privately owned BSB outlet store estimated to cost 5 million euros will open in Iraklion, Crete.

[05] COLON CANCER: PRECAUTIONARY EXAMINATION SAVES LIVES

Colon cancer, the second most common cancer that mostly affects individuals over the age of 50, can be treated in most cases if diagnosed at an early stage.

According to Greek Gastroenterology Society President Ioannis Agorastos, individuals over the age of 50 should undergo precautionary colonoscopy examination because if the patient is operated on at an early stage of the disease life expectancy can be extended by 10 to 15 years.

According to Mr. Agorastos, benign polyps that could evolve into cancer can also be spotted and removed.

Colon cancer affects 3,000 people annually in Greece and is one of the main topics scientists will deal with during the 25th Greek Gastroenterology Conference that opens in Thessaloniki tomorrow until October 8.

According to figures provided by the Greek Gastroenterology Society, an estimated 850,000 new cases of colon disease and 500,000 deaths from the specific type of cancer will be recorded worldwide this year.

To prevent the disease people need to change their way of life by adopting a balanced diet, cutting cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption and engaging in physical exercise.

Another issue to be discussed in the conference will be obesity and how it can lead to digestive system diseases which in turn can lead to liver cirrhosis. One of the diseases directly associated with obesity is steatohepatitis which is on the rise lately from 4% in 1994 to currently 20%, according to a study by Thessaloniki's Hippocration Hospital.

[06] THE ITALIAN ARMED FORCES GENERAL STAFF CHIEF TO VISIT GREECE

The Greek Ministry of Defense announced that Italian Armed Forces General Staff Chief, Admiral Giampaolo Di Paola will be on a three-day formal visit to Greece tomorrow after an invitation by Greek National Defense General Staff Chief Admiral Panagiotis Hinofotis.

Within the framework of his visit, the Italian military official will have talks with his Greek counterpart on issues of bilateral cooperation and on NATO and EU issues. He will also meet with Minister of Defense Spilios Spiliotopoulos.

Admiral Di Paola will visit museums and archaeological sites.

[07] TURKISH AWARD TO THEODORAKIS, LIVANELI, PAPAGEORGIOU

World-famous Greek music composer Mikis Theodorakis, Greek scientist Apostolos Papageorgiou and Turkish music composer Zulfu Livaneli were honored today with the Soranos Friendship & Science Award in a ceremony held in Selcuk town of Izmir, Turkey.

The ceremony attended Livaneli and Papageorgiou, who is a professor of Pediatrics and Gynecology, while Theodorakis did not attend due to health problems but sent a message to those present.

Both Theodorakis and Livaneli stressed that their cooperation aims at enhancing Greek-Turkish relations and friendship between the two peoples.

The Soranos Friendship and Science Awards is named after Soranos of Ephesus, a famous physician who lived in the first century BC and is mentioned as the first gynecologist in the region. The prize was instituted in 1991 and is presented to individuals who contribute to the cause of peace through their actions.

Among those who have received the prize in the past are Turkish tycoon Rahmi Koc, Turkish author Yasar Kemal, former politician Erdal Inonu and former Foreign Minister Ismail Cem.

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