Browse through our Interesting Nodes on Business, Finance & Law in Cyprus Read the Convention Relating to the Regime of the Straits (24 July 1923) Read the Convention Relating to the Regime of the Straits (24 July 1923)
HR-Net - Hellenic Resources Network Compact version
Today's Suggestion
Read The "Macedonian Question" (by Maria Nystazopoulou-Pelekidou)
HomeAbout HR-NetNewsWeb SitesDocumentsOnline HelpUsage InformationContact us
Friday, 29 March 2024
 
News
  Latest News (All)
     From Greece
     From Cyprus
     From Europe
     From Balkans
     From Turkey
     From USA
  Announcements
  World Press
  News Archives
Web Sites
  Hosted
  Mirrored
  Interesting Nodes
Documents
  Special Topics
  Treaties, Conventions
  Constitutions
  U.S. Agencies
  Cyprus Problem
  Other
Services
  Personal NewsPaper
  Greek Fonts
  Tools
  F.A.Q.
 

Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 98-06-16

Macedonian Press Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article

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


MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, June 16, 1998

SECTIONS

  • [A] NATIONAL NEWS
  • [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

  • NEWS HEADLINES

    [A] NATIONAL NEWS

  • [01] HARMONIOUS COOPERATION BETWEEN THE PATRIARCHATE AND THE CHURCH OF GREECE
  • [02] VENIZELOS' LETTER ON THE PARTHENON MARBLES
  • [03] TSOCHATZOPOULOS: RISK OF SERIOUS CRISIS IN THE WIDER BALKAN REGION
  • [04] ARCHBISHOP IAKOVOS IS DISPLEASED WITH THE ROLE OF THE US AND NATO IN THE BALKANS
  • [05] NEW NATIONAL BANK OF GREECE BRANCHES IN THE BALKANS
  • [06] THE TOTAL VALUE OF THE GREEK INVESTMENTS IN BULGARIA IS 60.2 MILLION DOLLARS
  • [07] A DELEGATION OF AMERICAN UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS MET WITH THE GREEK PRESIDENT
  • [08] THREE WEEKLY FLIGHTS WILL LINK THESSALONIKI WITH SOFIA
  • [09] KARAMANLIS-MARTENS MEETING
  • [10] KLINTON UNSUCCESFULLY PRESSURES SIMITIS OVER EURO-TURKISH RELATIONS
  • [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

  • [11] THE EU SUMMIT MEETING IN CARDIFF ENDS TODAY
  • [12] MILOSEVIC WILL COME TO THE NEGOTIATING TABLE
  • [13] BRILL: WASHINGTON CONTINUES ITS EFFORTS FOR PROGRESS IN THE CYPRUS ISSUE
  • [14] THE TALKS ON THE TEXT OF CONCLUSIONS REACHED IN CARDIFF CONTINUE
  • [15] THE FIRST GREEK FIGHTER JETS LANDED AT THE AIR BASE OF PAPHOS IN CYPRUS
  • [16] HANDJISKI: FYROM-GREEK RELATIONS EXCELLENT

  • NEWS IN DETAIL

    [A] NATIONAL NEWS

    [01] HARMONIOUS COOPERATION BETWEEN THE PATRIARCHATE AND THE CHURCH OF GREECE

    The total and harmonious cooperation between the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Church of Greece was confirmed by a statement signed by Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos and Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All of Greece who met in Fanar.

    They agreed on the establishment of an Ecumenical Patriarchate delegation office in Athens and the creation of a joint representation in Brussels, while it was also agreed that Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos will visit Greece.

    [02] VENIZELOS' LETTER ON THE PARTHENON MARBLES

    A letter that includes the Greek positions on the Parthenon Marbles was delivered to the British Ambassador to Athens by culture minister Evangelos Venizelos.

    The minister calls for the establishment of an international inquiry committee that will examine the sculptures and will consider their return to Greece in view of the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens.

    [03] TSOCHATZOPOULOS: RISK OF SERIOUS CRISIS IN THE WIDER BALKAN REGION

    Greek minister of defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos, speaking in the meeting of the lasting parliamentary committee on foreign affairs and defense that was held in Didimoticho north-eastern Greece, expressed fears that in case of a failure in the dialogue over Kossovo there will be a risk of a serious crisis in the wider Balkan region.

    Mr. Tsochatzopoulos referred to NATO and stressed that the peace and security of a whole region can not be put at risk in order to secure the rights of a minority. The Greek minister of defense stated that those rights can be secured only through dialogue and decisions reached by international organizations with the consent of all the parties involved.

    Mr. Tsochatzopoulos also referred to general security issues in the region of Thrace, north-eastern Greece and in eastern Aegean that need to be dealt with during a critical period, as he characterized it, marked by tensions and crisis conditions that create strong concern.

    [04] ARCHBISHOP IAKOVOS IS DISPLEASED WITH THE ROLE OF THE US AND NATO IN THE BALKANS

    Former Archbishop of North and South America Iakovos in an interview to the Thessaloniki newspaper "Angelioforos" expressed discontent for the role the United States and NATO play in the Balkans.

    Archbishop Iakovos stated that he is not satisfied neither with the role of the United States nor with the role of the western allies as it develops in the Balkans. He said that the Balkans must be left alone to develop their history as they did for centuries and added that easy accusations are being made against Serbia.

    The Archbishop said that the Balkans are not a third world region, they have their own history and many times were the victims of the big powers who wanted access to the Aegean, adding that Germany has its own responsibilities over this. He said that the road to cooperation will open not through nationalism but through diplomacy and strong trade relations.

    [05] NEW NATIONAL BANK OF GREECE BRANCHES IN THE BALKANS

    The National Bank of Greece will soon have new branches in Albania, Bulgaria and Romania further expanding its already wide network.

    Also, affiliated brokerage firms will open in Bulgaria and Romania very soon, while dealing rooms are scheduled to open in all the Balkan states.

    [06] THE TOTAL VALUE OF THE GREEK INVESTMENTS IN BULGARIA IS 60.2 MILLION DOLLARS

    The value of the 1.279 direct Greek investments that were made in Bulgaria before the end of 1997 is 60.2.million dollars, according to the Bulgarian Foreign Investment Agency.

    Greece has the sixth place among the foreign investors in Bulgaria competing with economic giants such as the United States and Germany that occupies the first place.

    It should be noted that the Greek investments make up 4.81% of the overall capital invested by the 15 EU states which have greater presence in Bulgaria.

    [07] A DELEGATION OF AMERICAN UNIVERSITY PROFESSORS MET WITH THE GREEK PRESIDENT

    A delegation of American university professors met in Athens today with Greek president Kostis Stephanopoulos.

    Their talks focused on the strengthening of the education ties between Greece and the United States, while it was announced that a Center of Studies for south-eastern Europe and a Research Institute named after Konstantinos Karamanlis will be established at the initiative of a US university.

    [08] THREE WEEKLY FLIGHTS WILL LINK THESSALONIKI WITH SOFIA

    Starting on June 29 three weekly flights will link Thessaloniki with Sofia. Bulgaria's national airline BALKAN AIRLINES will undertake alone the risk and will serve the passengers of this specific destination even though it is aware that it will be a loss-making venture.

    The official announcement was made in a press conference in Thessaloniki today by the regional Director of the airline, responsible for its flights to central and eastern Europe, Mr. Marian Marinov, who stated that the decision was reached because of the great need for this specific round-trip destination.

    [09] KARAMANLIS-MARTENS MEETING

    The leader of the main opposition party of New Democracy, Kostas Karamanlis, had a meeting today, in Strasbourg with the leader of the "European People's Party" in the European Parliament, the Vilfried Martens.

    After the meeting, mr Martens underlined that the Cyprus EU membership process should never be a hostage to Turkey's intransigence.

    Regarding that statement, mr Karamanlis stressed that it expressed the "prevalent tendency", despite different views expressed by the British conservatives, "who are more cautious" and despite the fact that they did not take a firm position during the EU Summit in Cardiff (which was not attended by the French president Jacques Chirac).

    [10] KLINTON UNSUCCESFULLY PRESSURES SIMITIS OVER EURO-TURKISH RELATIONS

    US president Bill Klinton, during a telephone discussion he had late last night with Greek prime minister Kostas Simitis, expressed the request that the Greek government should change its position concerning the Euro-Turkish relations.

    Mr Klinton asked for the Greek consencus so that a new perspective for the relations between EU and Turkey be established.

    Mr Simitis, at a press conference he gave, described the EU Summit in Cardiff as particularly successful for Greek interests and added that it was an interim conference which focused on the developments in the European Union, praised the Greek economic progress and the course towards the fight against unemployment and promoted the reform procedure within the EU.

    Regarding the talks he had with mr Klinton, the Greek prime minister said that he received a phonecall by the American president who called on Greece to consent to a wording which would be positive and encouraging for the Euro-Turkish relations and pledged that, in that case, the US would exert pressure on Turkey to procced to consessions.

    Mr Simitis rejected that eventuality and stressed that the Euro-turkish relations should abide by the principles of the Louxembourg Summit, adding that, during the discussion, he reiterated that there should be no rephrasing of the Louxembourg resolutions and that another solution should be reached in the future.

    Responding to questions by journalists, the Greek premier pointed out that mr Klinton seemed to wish for a text that would satisfy Turkey because-as he said-under normal circumastances, the American president would not call the Greek prime minister but he would resort to other forms of action in order to express his stance and stressed that great attention should be drawn to that matter.

    However, mr Simitis expressed optimism about the Greek foreign policy and said that it is based on the moral position concerning international relations.

    Mr Simitis, also, said that mr Klinton referred to Cyprus and its relations with the EU predicting, without elaborating, that there would be tension in the area, to which mr Simitis responded that in that case Turkey would bear full responsibility.

    Moreover, the Greek prime minister underlined that he made it clear to mr Klinton that the only dispute between Greece and Turkey is the continental shelf issue which could be resolved through the Hague Tribunal, but Turkey rejected that perspective.

    According to mr Simitis, the US president was not pleased by the Greek position. However, the Greek premier pointed out to him that his assessment about the turkish policy is wrong and Turkey should receive a strong answer by the international community so as to change its tactics, concluding that, at this phase, there is no decision that could promote the Euro-Turkish relations.

    [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

    [11] THE EU SUMMIT MEETING IN CARDIFF ENDS TODAY

    The consultations, held within the framework of the EU Summit meeting in Cardiff on Greece's objective for no written recognition of the upgrading of the relations between Turkey and the EU, are of great importance.

    Greece's goal is for Turkey to be taken off the list with the candidate for EU membership states and to be no reference on the EU funding of Turkey that could make inactive Greece's veto on the EU funds directed to Ankara. Also, it aims at winning the inclusion of an addition to the British EU presidency text of conclusions that will mention that the 15 EU leaders had excluded Turkey's candidature in the Luxembourg Summit under certain conditions.

    [12] MILOSEVIC WILL COME TO THE NEGOTIATING TABLE

    Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic agreed to come to the negotiating table with the ethnic Albanians in Kossovo, stated Russian president Boris Yeltsin after the talks he had with his Yugoslav counterpart in Moscow.

    Meanwhile, Kossovo's Liberation Army announced that it is willing to negotiate with Yugoslavia if Belgrade meets a number of its demands.

    US president Bill Clinton in a telephone conversation he had earlier with Mr. Yeltsin called on the Russian president to exert all his influence on Milosevic in order to persuade him to stop the military operations in Kossovo. It should be noted that Russia has distanced itself from the policy followed by NATO in this Serb province.

    [13] BRILL: WASHINGTON CONTINUES ITS EFFORTS FOR PROGRESS IN THE CYPRUS ISSUE

    US ambassador to Nicosia Kenneth Brill reiterated today that Washington continues its efforts for progress in the solution of the Cyprus issue and the improvement of the Greek-Turkish relations and Turkey's relations with the European Union.

    Speaking to reporters after the meeting he had in Nicosia today with Cypriot president Glafkos Clerides, he also stated that at the moment there are no plans for a new visit of US presidential envoy Richard Halbrooke to Cyprus.

    The US ambassador said that the United States have a multi- faceted diplomacy that deals with many issues related with each.

    [14] THE TALKS ON THE TEXT OF CONCLUSIONS REACHED IN CARDIFF CONTINUE

    Greece gives a battle in Cardiff to stop the inclusion of an article in the text of conclusions reached in the Summit of the 15 EU leaders, that will welcome the promotion of Turkey's European prospect.

    According to the text of conclusions under discussion in the Summit, the European Council calls on the EU presidency, the European Commission and the responsible Turkish authorities to continue the harmonization of the Turkish legislation with the regulations of the European Union, while it also calls on the European Commission to report every progress achieved in the next association council as it happens with the countries which are candidates for membership in the European Union.

    Meanwhile, the withdrawal of the term according to which, Turkey was referred to as the 12th in line for EU accession, was characterized as very positive step.

    The draft text of conclusions also welcomes the EU accession process that opened for Cyprus on March 30.

    [15] THE FIRST GREEK FIGHTER JETS LANDED AT THE AIR BASE OF PAPHOS IN CYPRUS

    The first four Greek fighter jets landed at the new air base of Paphos in Cyprus today. Cypriot ministry of defense spokesman Andreas Harides stated that the arrival of the aircraft is part of the implementation of the joint defense agreement by Cyprus and Greece and aims at confirming the readiness of the base.

    Mr. Harides stated that four F-16 fighter jets landed at the base this morning, while a C-130 transport plane arrived yesterday. The military planes are scheduled to return to Greece this afternoon.

    It should be reminded that Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash had warned when the construction of the air base was completed that he would "break the wings" of any Greek fighter jet that will try to use it.

    [16] HANDJISKI: FYROM-GREEK RELATIONS EXCELLENT

    FYROM Foreign minister, Blagoj Handjiski, underlined today that the relations between his country and Greece present an excellent progress in all sectors, especially the political one, since there were several contacts at all levels, even at the senior level with the meeting held between FYROM president Kiro Gligorov and Greek prime minister Kostas Simitis in Crete.

    Mr Handjiski, also, stressed that any disputes concerning the official name of Skopje should not have a negative effect on bilateral relations.


    Complete archives of the Macedonian Press Agency bulletins are available on the MPA Home Page at http://www.mpa.gr/ and on the U.S. mirror at http://www.hri.org/MPA/


    Macedonian Press Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article
    Back to Top
    Copyright © 1995-2023 HR-Net (Hellenic Resources Network). An HRI Project.
    All Rights Reserved.

    HTML by the HR-Net Group / Hellenic Resources Institute, Inc.
    mpegr2html v1.01 run on Tuesday, 16 June 1998 - 19:49:53 UTC