Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 05-11-21

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

CONTENTS

[01] THE STATE BUDGET TO BE SUBMITTED TO PARLIAMENT

[02] CYPRUS IS THE LARGEST INVESTOR IN RUSSIA

[03] THE GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN ON THE ECONOMY

[04] INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON KAZANTZAKIS IN CORSICA

[05] THE 5TH POLIS EXHIBITION WILL BE THE LARGEST EVER HELD

[06] THE NEW GREEK-BULGARIAN CUSTOMS STATION TO OPEN IN 2007

[07] THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE MET WITH THE MAYOR OF

[08] KOSOVO AND OTHER BALKAN ISSUES DISCUSSED BY GREEK AND RUSSIAN FOREIGN

[01] THE STATE BUDGET TO BE SUBMITTED TO PARLIAMENT

The 2006 state budget will be submitted to parliament today after being approved in a special cabinet meeting.

The main goal of the new budget is to cut deficit under 3% of the GDP from 4.3% it is expected to be this year.

Prime Minster Costas Karamanlis issued an invitation for union from Grevena calling for the establishment of an alliance with zero tolerance to corruption, while he underlined once again the government's determination to proceed with changes and reforms.

Mr. Karamanlis accused main opposition Socialist Party PASOK of danger talk and irresponsibility and reminded that all policies followed by PASOK have failed.

It is at least irresponsible to use practices of total rejection and nihilism. It is hypocritical to pretend that they have no responsibility all those who are responsible for the creation of the biggest economic and social problems in the country, stated Mr. Karamanlis.

[02] CYPRUS IS THE LARGEST INVESTOR IN RUSSIA

Cyprus is the largest foreign investor in Russia. The Russian news agency ITAR-TASS mentions that from January until September foreign investments in Russia reached US 26.829 billion, 7.9% less compared to the same period last year.

The largest foreign investor in Russia is Cyprus (18.2%) followed by Luxembourg (16.7%), Holland (16.1%), Britain (10%), Germany (9.7%), the United States (7.4%), France (3.6%), Switzerland (2.3%), Virgin Islands (2.2%) and Bahamas (1.9%).

[03] THE GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN ON THE ECONOMY

Government spokesman Thodoris Rousopoulos when asked to comment on the statements made by the Minister of Finance and Economy according to which, at least 8 years will be needed to solve the country's fiscal problems, stated that Mr. Giorgos Alogoskoufis told the self-evident namely, that reforms will give fruit in time.

The government spokesman also pointed out that no other country has managed to cut deficit by 2 percentage points in a year, while at the same time maintaining high growth rate and slightly limiting unemployment.

[04] INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON KAZANTZAKIS IN CORSICA

An international conference on Nikos Kazantzakis will take place in Ajaccio, Corsica in 2007 organized by the International Society of Friends of Nikos Kazantzakis on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the death of the eminent Greek writer.

The decision was reached within the framework of the events the Society organized in Ajaccio and Bastia in Corsica on November 16-18.

The Geneva-based International Society of Friends of Nikos Kazantzakis has national branches around the world and its members can be traced in 94 countries. It organizes events, conferences and literary competitions and publishes the biannual French-speaking journal Le Regard Cretoi.

[05] THE 5TH POLIS EXHIBITION WILL BE THE LARGEST EVER HELD

This year's 5th POLIS (International Exhibition on Local Government) to take place in Thessaloniki on November 24-27 will be the largest ever held, according to its organizers.

In a press conference held today, HELEXPO SA president Aristotelis Thomopoulos stated that the exhibitors participating this year have increased to 847 compared to last year's 784.

The exhibition will be inaugurated by Minister of Interior, Public Administration and Decentralization Prokopis Pavlopoulos on Thursday evening.

A number of informative conferences, mainly for local government officials, have been scheduled to take place within the framework of the exhibition.

The 5th POLIS is held with the participation of foreign exhibitors coming from 21 countries, while mayors and representatives of the Balkan Cities Network, BALCINET, made up of the largest cities in eight Balkan countries, will also attend.

[06] THE NEW GREEK-BULGARIAN CUSTOMS STATION TO OPEN IN 2007

Prefect of Evros, NE Greece, Nikolaos Zabounidis, Prefect of Haskovo, Bulgaria Payna Yovcheva and Ivailovgrad Mayor Stefan Tanev expressed the belief that the new Greek-Bulgarian customs station will be open in the region of Ivailovgrad by the summer of 2007.

In the meeting held in the Ivailovgrad City Hall they examined the course of the procedures necessary for the opening of the Kyprinos-Ivailovgrad customs station, while they stressed that the two countries have the political will to put it in operation.

Earlier, Evros Prefect Nikos Zabounidis had visited the Prefecture of Haskovo and met with his counterpart Payna Yovcheva to discuss the expansion of bilateral cooperation at all levels.

[07] THE EUROPEAN COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVE MET WITH THE MAYOR OF ALEXANDROUPOLIS

European Council representative Davide Rochetto accompanied by Theodoros Minardos, honorary consul general of Italy in Thrace, northeast Greece, visited mayor of Alexandroupolis Giorgos Alexandris within the framework of a research aimed at recording evidence concerning border and cooperation relations with Turkish institutions.

The talks focused on border regions and the development of good neighborly relations through trade transactions, business contacts and cultural exchanges.

[08] KOSOVO AND OTHER BALKAN ISSUES DISCUSSED BY GREEK AND RUSSIAN FOREIGN MINISTRY REPRESENTATIVES

The head of the Balkan countries office and special representative of Moscow in the Contact Group was in Athens last Friday, November 18 on a one-day working visit and met with Greek Foreign Ministry officials within the framework of the regular consultations on issues of mutual interest between the Foreign Ministries of Greece and Russia.

The main issues discussed were developments in Kosovo and other issues of Balkan interest.

The two sides agreed that the solution to the issue of Kosovo's future status should not be a forced one but the outcome of a dialogue without pressing timetables and with the involvement of all interested sides. The solution achieved should respect the relevant UN Security Council resolutions and comply with European principles and values.

They also agreed that the contribution of the neighboring countries will be valuable and that the SEECP Troika imminent visit to Pristina and Belgrade under Foreign Minister Petros Molyviatis who is holding the SEECP presidency as well as other scheduled initiatives by the Greek Presidency can contribute in a positive way to mutually acceptable solutions.

They also agreed to continue having regular consultations with the aim, among others, to further broaden and deepen cooperation between them.

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