Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 98-10-21
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, October 21, 1998
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] PASOK PARLIAMENTARY GROUP TO CONVENE TODAY
[02] DEPUTIES SUBJECT TO IMMUNITY LIFT GO BEFORE PLENARY SESSION
[03] GREEK FOREIGN MINISTER TO VISIT MOLDOVA AND RUSSIA TODAY
[04] PREMIER TO LAUNCH INT/L BUSINESS CONFERENCE IN NORTHERN
GREECE
[05] PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION TRAVELS TO AZERBAIJAN
[06] PRESIDENT TO BE IN THESSALONIKI FOR PATRON SAINT HOLIDAY
[07] ECONOMICS NOBEL PRIZE WINNER AMARTYA SEN SPEAKS IN ATHENS
[08] THE LIFTING OF THE PARLIAMENTARY IMMUNITY OF TWO ND DEPUTIES
WILL BE DECIDED BY THE MPs
[09] SIMITIS: THE GOVERNMENT POLICY WILL CONTINUE
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[10] GREEK-AMERICAN APPOINTED CHIEF OF STAFF AT THE WHITE HOUSE
[11] GREEK-CYPRIOT MILITARY EXERCISE "NIKIFOROS" GETS UNDERWAY
[12] CYPRIOT FOREIGN MINISTER IN EGYPT TO ASK FOR INTERVENTION
[13] EU THREATENS GREECE WITH FYROM'S NAME RECOGNITION
[14] BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY TO MEET WITH KOSOVO'S ALBANIANS
[15] THE BRITISH FOREIGN MINISTER WILL MEET WITH THE ETHNIC
ALBANIAN LEADERSHIP
[16] KYPREOS: THE GREEK-RUSSIAN RELATIONS ARE EXCELLENT
[17] OTE'S PRESENTATION TO FOREIGN INVESTORS WAS SUCCESSFUL
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] PASOK PARLIAMENTARY GROUP TO CONVENE TODAY
The ruling PASOK party's parliamentary group is to convene
today in order to examine the causes of the party's defeat during
last weekend's municipal and prefectural elections.
During the meeting, Prime Minster Kostas Simitis is expected
to outline the initiatives he will be undertaking in order to
salvage the government and the party from a potential defeatist
mode.
Nevertheless, responding to leading officials' views that
there is a need for structural reform within the party and
improvement of the government's social impact, the Premier
postponed any whatsoever changes that may take place until after
the party's congress.
[02] DEPUTIES SUBJECT TO IMMUNITY LIFT GO BEFORE PLENARY SESSION
The Parliament's plenary session is to vote this evening on
whether or not the parliamentary immunity of two main opposition
(New Democracy) party deputies will be lifted.
Given the recent information leaks, ND leader Kostas
Karamanlis yesterday asked the party's parliamentary group
secretary to remind the faction's deputies that the party's
official position is to lift these two men's immunity.
[03] GREEK FOREIGN MINISTER TO VISIT MOLDOVA AND RUSSIA TODAY
Greece's Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos embarks on
visits to Moldova (the first visit by a Greek minister to Moldova)
since its independence and Russia today.
During his visit to Moldova, Mr. Pangalos will be received by
President Petru Lucinschi, Prime Minister Ion Ciubuc, Foreign
Minister Nicolae Tabacaru and Parliament President Dumitru Diakov.
He will also visit the Greek section at Chisinau University and
meet with members of the Greek community and Greek business
people.
Tomorrow, Mr. Pangalos will travel to Russia where he will
meet with Prime Minister Yevgeni Primakov, his counterpart Igor
Ivanov and with other government and national assembly (Duma)
senior officials.
While in Russia, the Greek Foreign Minister will sign a
cooperation protocol between the two countries' departments of
historical archives and an agreement for the upgrading of the
consular authorities in the Greek and Russian capitals.
In honor of the 170th anniversary since the establishment of
diplomatic relations between the two countries, Mr. Pangalos will
inaugurate an exhibition at the Moscow Music Hall dedicated to the
life and works of Greek composer Dimitris
Mitropoulos.
[04] PREMIER TO LAUNCH INT/L BUSINESS CONFERENCE IN NORTHERN
GREECE
Prime Minister Kostas Simitis will inaugurate an
international business conference to begin at the northern Greek
city of Alexandroupolis tomorrow.
Expected to attend the four-day conference are officials from
seventy six countries including ministers, ambassadors, trade
attaches and bank governors.
Among the items on the agenda are energy networks, transport,
telecommunications, small and medium-sized enterprises, and peace
and security in the region.
Moreover, the event will review the prospects for a new
economic area after the year 2000 spanning the Mediterranean,
Balkans and Black Sea.
Greece's Alternate Foreign Minister George Papandreou, who is
also the head of the conference's organizing committee, has
personally called on the delegates to forge contacts in order to
help expand cooperation in the region.
Organizing the event is the Foundation for Mediterranean
Cooperation, backed by the European Parliament, the European
Investment Bank, the Foundation for Mediterranean Studies and
local authorities in the north.
[05] PARLIAMENTARY DELEGATION TRAVELS TO AZERBAIJAN
Greek deputies Christos Rokofyllos and Spylios Spyliotopoulos
are to represent the Hellenic Parliament during the conference of
the Alliance Committee which will begin tomorrow in Azerbaijan and
will address NATO's expansion.
During their stay in Baku, the two parliamentarians will meet
with Azerbaijan's President of the Republic, the Speaker of the
House, and the ministers of defense and foreign affairs.
[06] PRESIDENT TO BE IN THESSALONIKI FOR PATRON SAINT HOLIDAY
The President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos
and the Archbishop of Athens and All of Greece will attend next
week's festivities in Thessaloniki held in honor of the city's
patron Saint Demetrius (October 26) and the anniversary since the
city's liberation (October 28).
According to the events program, the holy icon of St.
Demetrius will be carried in procession on Sunday morning, while
in the evening the President will be formally greeted by the local
authorities. A doxology will be performed on Monday, St. Demetrius
day.
On the 28th of October, the President will lay a wreath at
the 3rd Army Corps and will attend the military parade.
[07] ECONOMICS NOBEL PRIZE WINNER AMARTYA SEN SPEAKS IN ATHENS
This year's winner of the Nobel prize for Economics, Dr.
Amartya Sen, saluted Greece's late leader Andreas Papandreou
during his address given in Athens last night which was attended
by a score of officials, among them the President of the Hellenic
Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos and the Prime Minister Kostas
Simitis.
The Nobel laureate, an economist from India, spoke on "The
political element of economic development: a tribute to Andreas
Papandreou" at an event organized by the Andreas Papandreou
Institute and held at the Old Parliament Building.
Dr. Sen spoke highly of Andreas Papandreou, whom he met for
the first time in 1963, describing him as an individual with
"extraordinary talents and gifts that made him both a remarkable
academic and an outstanding political leader."
Admitting the difficulty of summarizing the task of Andreas
Papandreou as an economist in a mere 45 minutes, Dr. Sen stressed
that Mr. Papandreou's achievements, both as a statesman and as an
economist, are of outstanding value both for Greece as well as in
the world at large.
Dr. Sen, who has illustrated how the institution of democracy
safeguards the peoples from famine, also characterized Mr.
Papandreou as one of Europe's pioneering politicians who fought
for the establishment of a welfare state, understanding
developments as a process with extensive social and cultural
consequences.
"I know of no one else who has had so many interesting things
to say on basic issues in economic theory and who has also
achieved such astonishing success as a political leader and
statesman. As one goes through Andreas's public statements and
examines the nature of political reasoning he presents, one is
forcefully struck by the critical quality of his arguments," he
noted.
Among the key topics in his address was the correlation
between the market, the state and the role of structural change,
the tensions concerning democracy, as well as poverty and how it
affects third world voters.
Dr. Sen's Nobel prize winning work incorporated factors such
as income distribution and health in measuring poverty.
Before making his home in Britain, the 64-year-old master at
Britain's Trinity College in Cambridge was a professor of
economics and philosophy at Harvard, where he still has an office
and remains professor emeritus.
[08] THE LIFTING OF THE PARLIAMENTARY IMMUNITY OF TWO ND DEPUTIES
WILL BE DECIDED BY THE MPs
The lifting of the parliamentary immunity of New Democracy
deputies Varsamis Yovanoudas and Kostas Karaminas will be decided
in Parliament this evening with a secret vote.
Given the fact that in the recent discussion of the issue in
the responsible parliamentary committee it became obvious that a
number of New Democracy deputies will vote against the lifting of
the parliamentary immunity, ND leader Kostas Karamanlis requested
from ND parliamentary group secretary Stavros Dimas to remind the
party deputies that the party formally backs the lifting of the
parliamentary immunity of the two deputies.
[09] SIMITIS: THE GOVERNMENT POLICY WILL CONTINUE
Prime minister Kostas Simitis appeared determined to continue
the government policy aimed at Greece's participation in the EMU
in his speech delivered in the governing socialist party of PASOK
parliamentary group meeting, while he launched a verbal attack
against the right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy and
the rest political parties of the opposition.
Mr. Simitis recognized that the people expressed discontent,
saying that the people are right and attributed the
ineffectiveness of the economic policy to mistakes and omissions
in the operation of the party.
He underlined that the message sent to PASOK is clear,
stressing that there will be no compromise, no dealings and no
compliance, adding that the government will not give in to the
populism and opportunism displayed by the opposition.
He appeared tough on the members of the in-party opposition
pointing out that he will not allow again phenomena of personal
strategies and party federalization. Mr. Simitis expressed the
certainty that PASOK will be the winner in the year 2000 elections
and referring to New Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis, he said
that he is hiding behind a screen of confusion and contradiction.
He said that New Democracy is trying to play the role of the
opposition in muddy waters and is not calling for early elections
today because it knows it will lose.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[10] GREEK-AMERICAN APPOINTED CHIEF OF STAFF AT THE WHITE HOUSE
A forty-nine-year-old Greek American John Pontesa will act
as the right-hand man of United States President Bill Clinton,
after having been appointed as the White House Chief of Staff.
Mr. Pontesa's mother was born in Greece, in the town of
Leonidio,Arcadia. He himself states that he is proud of his Greek
origin.
In his post, Mr. Pontesa will handle all matters concerning the
White House and its relations with Congress.
[11] GREEK-CYPRIOT MILITARY EXERCISE "NIKIFOROS" GETS UNDERWAY
The joint Greek and Cypriot military exercise "Nikiforos" got
underway yesterday, featuring the participation of Greek air and
naval forces.
The six-day exercise is being held in conjunction with the
Greek armed forces' exercise "Toxotis", within the framework of
the two countries' joint defense doctrine.
All of the National Guard's modern weapon systems will be
used in "Nikiforos", which will be conducted in three main stages.
The scenario includes a search and rescue mission 50 nautical
miles from Paphos as well as a National Guard parachute jump.
Cypriot Defense Minister Yiannakis Omirou stated that the aim
of the annual Nikiforos exercises was to test the readiness of the
island's weaponry and the National
Guard forces and reservists.
He reiterated that the Cypriot government's upgrading of its
defense systems would continue until progress has been made on UN-
backed political talks to reunite the island as a bizonal,
bicommunal federation.
"The message is that the armed forces are ready to defend our
country against any threat," Omirou said.
He further added that political negotiations are currently
at a critical stage, and stressed that the Greek Cypriots only
wanted peace and security on the island and in the region.
[12] CYPRIOT FOREIGN MINISTER IN EGYPT TO ASK FOR INTERVENTION
Cypriot Foreign Minister Yiannakis Kasoulides, currently on
an official visit to Egypt, has stated that Nicosia will ask Cairo
to intervene in the direction of Turkey in regards to the Cyprus
issue.
"We will certainly ask of our friendly neighbor, Egypt, to
exert its influence on Turkey, just as we ask all those who have
the capability to do that", Mr. Kasoulides stated on his way to
Cairo.
He said that he will discuss with his Egyptian counterpart
Amr Moussa "issues of mutual interest, developments in the Middle
East peace process, the problem between Turkey and Syria and of
course the Cyprus question".
"We lay particular emphasis on our relations with all the
countries of the region and specifically Egypt, with whom we
maintain friendly ties even before the Cyprus Republic was
established," , he added.
Commenting on the role of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in
the conflict between Turkey and Syria, he noted "every political
personality that can exert influence on Turkey is obviously a
positive thing for us".
[13] EU THREATENS GREECE WITH FYROM'S NAME RECOGNITION
The European Union's member-states have expressed their
intention to recognized FYROM with the "Republic of Macedonia"
name if Greece insists on its veto against Turkey's EU funding,
within the framework of its conventional obligations from the
Customs Union, the BBC reported.
The BBC was quoting sources in Strasbourg, where the relevant
Commissioner's proposals are being discussed today concerning the
granting of EU funds to Turkey.
According to the report, the EU's representatives are insistent
that such granting does not require a consensus and that , rather
, a majority rule will do. In spite of the Greek delegation's
objections, supported by legal and institutional arguments, the
Allies appear steadfast in their views and refer to the EU
leaders' decisions drawn at the Cardiff summit.
The European Commissioner presented two regulations
concerning Turkey's funding, amounting to ECU 195 million.
Greece's Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos has forwarded a
letter to the EU allies as well as to the European Commission,
wherein he requests that the financial protocol not be unbound and
also asks the EU allies not to proceed to decision that are
contrary to what has been agreed upon during the General Affairs
Council and the summit conferences.
Should these objections not be heard by the allies, Greece is
determined to seek recourse to the European Court of Justice.
[14] BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY TO MEET WITH KOSOVO'S ALBANIANS
British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook is to meet with Kosovo's
Albanian leaders in Skopje today with whom he will discuss the
agreement reached between US mediator Richard Holbrooke and
Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic on Kosovo.
According to the BBC, Mr. Cook is expected to press home the
message that Kosovo's Albanians must play their part in making
the agreement work and he is likely to remind them that the
international community as a whole does not support their demand
for full independence, for fear it would lead to more instability,
not less, in the Balkans.
The foreign secretary's message is likely to be that the
Holbrooke agreement is the best that is available and that it does
offer the prospect of meaningful self-government for Kosovo.
[15] THE BRITISH FOREIGN MINISTER WILL MEET WITH THE ETHNIC
ALBANIAN LEADERSHIP
British foreign minister Robin Cook will meet today with the
leadership of the ethnic Albanians in Kosovo to discuss the US
backed peace plan.
The meeting will take place in FYROM and its government has
agreed to host the NATO mission that will coordinate the
activities of the 2.000 OSCE observers in Kosovo.
[16] KYPREOS: THE GREEK-RUSSIAN RELATIONS ARE EXCELLENT
Greek ambassador to Moscow Dimitris Kypreos in an interview
with the Russian news agency "Itar-Tass" expressed deep
satisfaction for the promotion of the Greek-Russian relations.
The relations between Russia and Greece are the best there
can be between two countries, maintained Mr. Kypreos, stressing
that the formal visit by Greek foreign minister Theodoros Pangalos
which will start today will strengthen bilateral relations even
more.
Political analysts maintain that among the issues that will
be discussed in the talks between Pangalos and his Russian
counterpart Igor Ivanov will be the crisis in Kosovo, while they
point out that the two countries share the same views on Kosovo.
The issue of the armaments will also be discussed, while
regarding the economic relations between Russia and Greece, Mr.
Kypreos stressed that the trade and economic transactions between
them amount to 1 billion US dollars.
[17] OTE'S PRESENTATION TO FOREIGN INVESTORS WAS SUCCESSFUL
The presentation of the Greek Telecommunications Company
(OTE) to institutional foreign investors that was made in London
yesterday was characterized as very successful.
It appears that the favorable prospects predicted have
attracted the interest of 50 brokerage houses managing a capital
of 2.5 trillion US dollars.
Independent observers did not hesitate to express the view
that the presentation of OTE in the British capital was one of the
most "vital" that has ever been made by a Greek firm in London,
taking under consideration both the degree of participation and
the interest expressed by investors.
|
