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Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 98-11-12

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, November 12, 1998

SECTIONS

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

  • NEWS HEADLINES

    [A] NATIONAL NEWS

  • [01] 1999 BUDGET TABLED IN PARLIAMENT
  • [02] LEONIDAS SABANIS WORLD CHAMPION IN WEIGHTLIFTING
  • [03] ALBANIAN PREMIER TO VISIT ATHENS TODAY
  • [04] SWEDISH FOREIGN AID MINISTER SCHORI IN ATHENS TODAY
  • [05] FOREIGN MINISTER ASKS GERMANY TO REIMBURSE GREECE FOR WWII LOAN
  • [06] GREEK PARLIAMENT APPEALS FOR CHALKI THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL
  • [07] FIRST INTER SOUTHEAST EUROPE FORUM TO BEGIN IN THESSALONIKI
  • [08] SIMITIS-MAJKO MEETING
  • [09] THE 39TH FILM FESTIVAL OF THESSALONIKI OPENS TOMORROW
  • [10] THE 1ST INTER-BALKAN FORUM OF INFORMATICS' APPLICATION WILL BE HELD IN THESSALONIKI
  • [11] REPPAS ON THE GERMAN WAR REPARATIONS
  • [12] HUNGER STRIKE OF CYPRIOT STUDENTS OUTSIDE THE TURKISH CONSULATE
  • [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

  • [13] US READIES FOR POSSIBLE ATTACK ON IRAQ
  • [14] US GROUP CALLS FOR USE OF GREEK AS OFFICIAL OLYMPIC GAMES LANGUAGE
  • [15] US AMBASSADOR TO TURKEY VISITS ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH
  • [16] BOMB ATTACK AGAINST CHIEF OF ALBANIA'S SUPREME COURT OF APPEALS
  • [17] 1ST EXHIBITION OF GREEK-CYPRIOT VENTURES INAUGURATED IN BUCHAREST
  • [18] FOUR GREEK WEIGHT LIFTERS IN THE BATTLE FOR THE GOLD MEDAL
  • [19] POSSIBLE MILITARY ACTION AGAINST IRAQ
  • [20] 160 ALBANIANS WILL ATTEND VOCATIONAL TRAINING SEMINARS IN GREECE
  • [21] CYPRUS PROTESTED AGAINST THE VIOLATIONS OF THE NICOSIA FIR BY TURKISH FIGHTER JETS

  • NEWS IN DETAIL

    [A] NATIONAL NEWS

    [01] 1999 BUDGET TABLED IN PARLIAMENT

    The National Economy and Finance Minister Yiannos Papantoniou tabled the 1999 budget in Parliament last night. The new budget allows for slight wage and pension increases (2%) , fixed public utilities rates as well as a freeze on new hires.

    The new budget does not contain any new taxes. According to reports, the increases are to amount to approximately two percent and will be effective as of January 1, 1999. The new budget also allows for additional revenue derived from the State Telecommunications Organization's shares.

    [02] LEONIDAS SABANIS WORLD CHAMPION IN WEIGHTLIFTING

    Greece's Leonidas Sabanis earned three gold medals, and broke a world record and three national ones at the 69th world weightlifting championships, held in Finland. The Olympic gold medalist lifted 147.5 kilos in the 62-kilo category, while he also earned first in the 172.5 kilos category and first place in the total with 320 kilos.

    Greece's Valerios Leonides and George Gelilis are competing today in the 69 kilos category.

    [03] ALBANIAN PREMIER TO VISIT ATHENS TODAY

    Albania's Prime Minster Panteli Majko is to be in Athens today on an official visit. The Albanian Premier will be received by his Greek counterpart Kostas Simitis with whom he will discuss matters of mutual interest.

    Moreover, Mr. Majko will hold talks with the leaders of Greece's opposition parties and with leading businessmen..

    [04] SWEDISH FOREIGN AID MINISTER SCHORI IN ATHENS TODAY

    Swedish Foreign Aid Minister Pierre Schori is due to address an event this evening at the Athens Concert Hall on the subject of "Greece and Sweden in a United Europe".

    Mr. Schori is best known in Greece for the solidarity he showed to Greek democrats during the seven- year military dictatorship (1967-74) and as a close friend and associate of late Swedish premier Olaf Palme.

    [05] FOREIGN MINISTER ASKS GERMANY TO REIMBURSE GREECE FOR WWII LOAN

    Greece's Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos has reiterated the demand that Germany reimburse the Greek government for a wartime loan forcibly extracted from the country's central bank by Nazi occupation forces during World War II, estimated at $US 10 billion.

    Bonn has refused to consider that Greece has any case in claiming payment of the loan and has also refused to honor Greek court decisions on paying reparations to Greeks who lost family members during the occupation.

    [06] GREEK PARLIAMENT APPEALS FOR CHALKI THEOLOGICAL SCHOOL

    The Greek Parliament's Orthodoxy committee has issued an appeal to the world's parliaments that they condemn the Turkish government's decision to fire the board of trustees of the Theological School at Chalki.

    In the statement, the Greek parliament's committee writes that "the Turkish aggression against Orthodoxy and Hellenism was recently expressed through the abolishment of the supervisory committee of the Theological School of Chalki, a school whose operation the Turkish authorities has forbidden for the past thirty years. "

    The Committee has forwarded the appeal to parliamentary bodies throughout the world and asks them to condemn Turkey's decision and to demand its immediate recall and the respect of the rights of Constantinople and the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

    [07] FIRST INTER SOUTHEAST EUROPE FORUM TO BEGIN IN THESSALONIKI

    The 1st Inter-Southeast Europe Forum is scheduled to begin in Thessaloniki tomorrow, featuring the participation of government officials and representatives of private companies from Greece, Albania, Bulgaria, FYROM, Bosnia, Croatia, Romania, Turkey, Yugoslavia and Cyprus.

    The participants will present the existing situation in their countries and the prospects of inter-state alliances in public sector informatics' application projects.

    The Forum will close on Saturday.

    [08] SIMITIS-MAJKO MEETING

    Greek prime minister Kostas Simitis met at noon today with his Albanian counterpart Pandeli Majko, who is on a formal visit to Athens.

    The talks of the two prime ministers focused on issues of bilateral relations and on security issues concerning the wider region. Also, were examined ways in which assistance will be offered to Albania for the economic reconstruction of the country. Mr. Majko will also have meetings with opposition party leaders.

    [09] THE 39TH FILM FESTIVAL OF THESSALONIKI OPENS TOMORROW

    The 39th Film Festival of Thessaloniki opens tomorrow November 13 with the screening of Goran Paskalijevic's film "The powder-keg of the Balkans". In this year's festival which has a budget of 460 million drachmas participate 12 films in the international competition and 19 in the Greek competition, while a large number of films will be screened within the framework of special presentations.

    The prizes "Golden Alexander" and "Silver Alexander" will be awarded to the winners of the two first places in the international competition and are accompanied by money prizes of 12.5 million drachmas and 7.5 million drachmas respectively.

    In the international competition participate films from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Iran, the United States, Germany, France, Tadjikistan, South Korea and Canada.

    The Film Festival will end on November 22 with the screening of "Besieged", the last movie by Italian director Bernardo Bertolucci, while 36 film productions representing the independent American cinema will be screened within the framework of the special presentations.

    A special event will be held to honor British film director Ken Lowds, while French cult film director Jean-Daniel Pollet will be honored in cooperation with the Turin Film Festival.

    [10] THE 1ST INTER-BALKAN FORUM OF INFORMATICS' APPLICATION WILL BE HELD IN THESSALONIKI

    The prospects of inter-state alliances in public sector informatics' application projects will be examined in the 1st Inter-Balkan Forum that will open in Thessaloniki tomorrow and will last until Saturday with the participation of representatives from Greece, Albania, Bulgaria, FYROM, Bosnia, Croatia, Romania, Turkey, Yugoslavia and Cyprus.

    Government officials and representatives of private companies from all the Balkan states and Cyprus will present the existing situation in their countries both in the private and the public sector. The goal of this event is the establishment of a permanent informatics forum in Thessaloniki that will bring in contact informatics companies based in the Balkans.

    [11] REPPAS ON THE GERMAN WAR REPARATIONS

    The issues of the World War II occupation loan and the war reparations for the Nazi victims remain open for the Greek government, stated Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas pointing out that the issue had been raised to former German chancellor Helmut Kohl by Greek prime minister Kostas Simitis.

    Mr. Reppas added that the position of the Greek government remains the same, insinuating that the issue will be raised again to new German chancellor Gerhard Schroder.

    [12] HUNGER STRIKE OF CYPRIOT STUDENTS OUTSIDE THE TURKISH CONSULATE

    Cypriot students studying in Thessaloniki's Aristotle University have started a 4-day hunger strike outside the Turkish consulate building in Thessaloniki, condemning Ankara's decision, made 15 years ago, to declare the Turkish occupied northern Cyprus "Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus". The Turkish Cypriot pseudo- state has not been recognized by any other country besides Turkey.

    The protests are being held by the members of the National Student Association of Cypriots in Thessaloniki, who declare that they will continue their fight aimed at freeing the northern part of Cyprus from the Turkish forces.

    [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

    [13] US READIES FOR POSSIBLE ATTACK ON IRAQ

    The U.N. Security Council held an emergency session on Iraq on Wednesday, and the secretary-general Kofi Annan called on Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein to immediately resume cooperation with U.N. weapons inspectors.

    The United States and Britain have been threatening a military strike since Iraq announced October 31 that it was halting the activities of the U.N. Special Commission, known as UNSCOM, which is responsible for eliminating Iraq's weapons of mass destruction.

    The US has dispatched 100 warplanes and 3,000 marines in the Persian Gulf.

    [14] US GROUP CALLS FOR USE OF GREEK AS OFFICIAL OLYMPIC GAMES LANGUAGE

    A New Jersey-based non-profit organization "Hellenic Action Inc.", has called for the restoration of Greek as the official language of the modern Olympic Games.

    In a press release, the group says that "whereas the Olympic Games originated in Hellas (Greece) over 2,700 years ago; and whereas the modern Olympic Games were taken from the land of Hellas and the Hellenic people by members of the European aristocracy in the late 19th century and given an official language other than Hellenic, therefore, be it resolved that Hellenic Action Inc. (HAJ) places itself on record as demanding that this historical wrong surrounding the Olympic Games be corrected..."

    [15] US AMBASSADOR TO TURKEY VISITS ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH

    The United States Ambassador to Turkey Mark Robert Parris visited Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos in Istanbul in order to be briefed on Ankara's firing of the Chalki Orthodox theological school's board of trustees.

    The US State Department has instructed Mr. Parris to lodge an official demarche with Ankara over the matter.

    Mr. Vartholomeos, who intends to meet with Turkish government authorities in Ankara next week, has issued a condemnation of the violations of the Greek Orthodox minority's rights "Because we are Christians we cannot freely exercise our rights," Mr. Vartholomeos stated, adding that "we are not inserted, transplanted or intruders. We are the native element of this land. We were born here and we will die here."

    [16] BOMB ATTACK AGAINST CHIEF OF ALBANIA'S SUPREME COURT OF APPEALS

    The chief of Albania's Supreme Court of Appeals, Fehmi Abdiou, was the target of a bomb attack which occurred at his residence yesterday evening. There were no victims from the unidentified attempt.

    According to unconfirmed deports, over six kilos of TNT were used in the bomb.

    Albanian Premier Pandeli Majko condemned the attack as a "political assassination attempt" and stressed that the terrorists want to weaken the country's institutions and the state of justice.

    [17] 1ST EXHIBITION OF GREEK-CYPRIOT VENTURES INAUGURATED IN BUCHAREST

    The First Exhibition of Greek and Cypriot businesses was inaugurated in Bucharest yesterday, an event organized by Thessaloniki's HELEXPO-International Trade Fair of Thessaloniki.

    The exhibition, which will conclude on Saturday, features 13 Greek and 12 Cypriot ventures mainly from the sectors of food, beverages, apparel, electrical appliances and financial services.

    [18] FOUR GREEK WEIGHT LIFTERS IN THE BATTLE FOR THE GOLD MEDAL

    Four Greek weight-lifters Valerios Leonidis, Giorgos Tzelilis, Victoras Mitrou and Christos Spirou will enter the battle for the gold medal in the Weight-lifting World Championship in Lahti, Finland this afternoon.

    Meanwhile, celebrations continue for the big success of Olympic champion Leonidas Sambanis, who yesterday won three gold medals and broke the world record in the 62-kilo category.

    [19] POSSIBLE MILITARY ACTION AGAINST IRAQ

    The "drums of war" can be heard again in the Persian Gulf. Already, the United Nations personnel has left Iraq as a precautionary measure. The UN Security Council called on Baghdad to reconsider its decision to end its cooperation with the UN in the inspection of its weapons of mass destruction.

    According to information from the United Nations headquarters, the undertaking of military action against Iraq is regarded as unavoidable.

    [20] 160 ALBANIANS WILL ATTEND VOCATIONAL TRAINING SEMINARS IN GREECE

    One hundred and sixty Albanian citizens will attend vocational training seminars in Greece and are expected to arrive by the end of November.

    Those attending the seminars will get a skilled worker diploma, according to the Tirana newspaper "Koha Yone", which also mentions that the applications for participation in the program were over 600.

    [21] CYPRUS PROTESTED AGAINST THE VIOLATIONS OF THE NICOSIA FIR BY TURKISH FIGHTER JETS

    Cyprus's permanent representative to the United Nations Sotos Zakheos protested against the violations of the Nicosia FIR by Turkish fighter jets made on November 5.

    Mr. Zakheos mentioned in a written protest that such actions violate the international air traffic regulations and at the same time they increase the tension on the island and undermine the efforts aimed at reaching a final settlement.


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