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The Hellenic Radio (ERA): News in English, 99-08-16
From: The Hellenic Radio (ERA) <ert.ntua.gr/>
CONTENTS
[01] FEAST DAY OF VIRGIN MARY CELEBRATED THROUGHOUT GREECE
[02] CYPRIOT PRESIDENT ADDRESSES ANTI-OCCUPATION RALLY
[03] AMERICAN EXPERTS VISIT CYPRUS
[04] PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET MEMBERS BACK FROM HOLIDAYS
[05] HOLIDAYS OVER FOR MOST GREEKS AS WELL
[01] FEAST DAY OF VIRGIN MARY CELEBRATED THROUGHOUT GREECE
Thousands of pilgrims travelled to the island of Tinos in the Aegean,
and the monastery of Panaghia Soumela in northern Greece, yesterday,
the feast day of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary -- a major religious
holiday for the Greek Orthodox Church.
There was also a special ceremony and wreaths were laid in
commemoration of the sinking of the naval cruiser Elli, torpedoed in
Tinos during the Second World War, on August 15, 1940. Archbishop
Christodoulos of Athens and All Greece officiated yesterday morning at
a service in the church of Panaghia Ekatondapyliani on the Cyclades
island of Paros, in the presence of president of the republic
Konstantinos Stefanopoulos.
In northern Greece, the focus of celebrations was Panaghia Soumela, on
Mount Vermion in Macedonia, where national defence minister Akis
Tsohatzopoulos issued an appeal for a stop to ethnic cleansing against
the Serbs in Kosovo. He stressed that Greece had taken a similar
position in favour of the Kosovar Albanians, and noted that this should
also be the case in Cyprus, where for 25 years now, a policy of ethnic
cleansing has been implemented against the Greek Cypriots of
Famagusta.
[02] CYPRIOT PRESIDENT ADDRESSES ANTI-OCCUPATION RALLY
Cypriot president Glafkos Kliridis stressed yesterday that the Cypriot
people will not accept any solution for the Cyprus dispute other than
that imposed by United Nations resolutions.
President Kliridis was addressing a massive anti-occupation rally on
the 25th anniversary of the second phase of the Turkish invasion of the
island. The event was organized by the municipality of Famagusta and
other municipalities and communities from the Turkish-occupied part of
Cyprus.
Meanwhile, approximately 1,000 Greek Orthodox pilgrims from the free
regions of Cyprus yesterday celebrated the Assumption of the Virgin
Mary at the Apostle Andreas monastery in the occupied territory,
accompanied by United Nations peace-keeping troops.
[03] AMERICAN EXPERTS VISIT CYPRUS
A large delegation of American experts is currently in Cyprus, with the
aim of collecting data to be used for United States proposals for a
Cyprus solution. According to a report in a Nicosia-based newspaper,
the American group will also conduct economic studies -- concerning
relations between the two Cypriot communities -- which can be used
later following a settlement of the political problem.
[04] PRIME MINISTER AND CABINET MEMBERS BACK FROM HOLIDAYS
Prime minister Kostas Simitis and most cabinet members are expected to
return from summer holidays today, to tackle the task of preparing for
the state budget of the year 2000, make final decisions on tax reforms
and finalize plans for the annual international trade fair to be held
in Thessaloniki next month. At the fair, the prime minister will
outline the aims of the government's policy and detail progress made by
the Greek economy towards European economic and monetary union.
Next week, prime minister Simitis will hold consultations with national
economy minister Yannos Papantoniou on public expenditure and the
management of the third EU support framework. In the meantime, Mr
Simitis will visit Albania on August 24 and 25, while on August 30, the
president of Montenegro is scheduled to pay a an official visit to
Athens.
[05] HOLIDAYS OVER FOR MOST GREEKS AS WELL
Holidaymakers' return to urban centres is continuing normally and
smoothly, following the holiday weekend. However, the road toll was
high, with 24 dead and 368 injured in traffic accidents from Friday
noon to Monday morning. FERRY-BOAT "ALKEOS" RETURNS SAFELY TO PORT A
mechanical fault suffered by the ferry-boat "Alkeos" -- en route from
Myrina to Rafina -- has been repaired and the vessel arrived in port
safely this morning. There were no casualties among the crew or 522
passengers, when the boat was temporarily stranded at sea.
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