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Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 98-12-04

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, December 4, 1998

SECTIONS

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

  • NEWS HEADLINES

    [A] NATIONAL NEWS

  • [01] GOVERNMENT MAY FORCE CUSTOMS WORKERS TO RETURN TO WORK
  • [02] RAIL WORKER CALL OFF STRIKE, ROUTES BACK TO NORMAL
  • [03] COURT RULES CUSTOMS WORKERS' STRIKE AS "ILLEGAL AND ABUSIVE"
  • [04] INTERNATIONAL SWIM MEET "ALEXANDRIA ‘98" IN THESSALONIKI TOMORROW
  • [05] THE CUSTOMS EMPLOYEES' STRIKE WAS DECLARED ILLEGAL
  • [06] THREE-DAY VISIT OF SIMITIS TO GERMANY
  • [07] THE EURO-PARLIAMENT CALLS FOR THE RETURN OF ASSETS CONFISCATED BY THE CIAUSESCU REGIME
  • [08] INFLATION DROPPED TO 4.2% IN NOVEMBER
  • [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

  • [09] US REMAIN OPTIMISTIC OVER CYPRUS ISSUE
  • [10] US PREPARE REVISED PLAN FOR KOSSOVO
  • [11] PRIME MINSTER SIMITIS DEPARTS TODAY FOR GERMANY
  • [12] REVERED ROMANIAN MONK CLEOPA DIES IN HIS SECLUDED MONASTERY
  • [13] YUGOSLAVIA BLASTS U.S. OVER RUBIN'S STATEMENTS, ISSUES RESOLUTION
  • [14] GREECE PROVIDES FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO ROMANIA
  • [15] YUGOSLAVIA'S DECLARATION AGAINST THE UNITED STATES
  • [16] CYPRUS PROTESTED TO THE UN AGAINST THE VIOLATIONS OF ITS AIRSPACE BY TURKISH FIGHTER JETS
  • [17] CLINTON MET WITH A DELEGATION OF GREEK AMERICANS

  • NEWS IN DETAIL

    [A] NATIONAL NEWS

    [01] GOVERNMENT MAY FORCE CUSTOMS WORKERS TO RETURN TO WORK

    The government may force the striking customs workers to return back to work as they continue to defy a court order that has declared their strike as illegal.

    The government's crisis management committee convened last night and postponed taking action on the matter until today. The strike has drained the country out of fuel and drivers are desperately searching for gas stations in order to fill their tanks. A district attorney has ordered the arrest of the striking customs staff on the grounds of hindering the operation of a public interest company.

    [02] RAIL WORKER CALL OFF STRIKE, ROUTES BACK TO NORMAL

    The country's locomotives are back on course as the workers at the Greek Railways Organization, (OSE) have suspended their mobilizations after Parliament ratified a bill calling for reforms in their sector.

    The Federation of Railway Workers is to convene on Monday in order to map out their next course of action.

    Speaking to the Macedonian Press agency, the secretary of Northern Greece's Railways Workers Association Sakis Eleftheriou called the new bill "dictatorial".

    "The new regulations establish long break intervals for the staff between routes which will mean that we will lose wages during working hours," he stated.

    [03] COURT RULES CUSTOMS WORKERS' STRIKE AS "ILLEGAL AND ABUSIVE"

    The First Circuit Magistrate Court has ruled against the customs workers' ongoing strike by finding it illegal and abusive, calling for its immediate suspension and forbidding new mobilizations either with the same or modified demands.

    The court's decision is immediately enforceable and any customs workers who obstruct tank trucks from transporting fuel will be arrested.

    The customs workers are opposed to the government's plans to merge their pension fund with other ones, claiming that it will result in lower pensions and higher contributions.

    [04] INTERNATIONAL SWIM MEET "ALEXANDRIA ‘98" IN THESSALONIKI TOMORROW

    Over fifty swimmers representing eight countries are to slide through water at tomorrow's "Alexandria'98", the international swim meet that will be held in Thessaloniki this weekend.

    World champion in the 100- and 200-meter Butterfly Heats Adrei Carneef will also be there, along with top swimmers from Greece, Bulgaria, France, Cyprus, Uzbekistan, Romania, Russia and FYROM.

    [05] THE CUSTOMS EMPLOYEES' STRIKE WAS DECLARED ILLEGAL

    An Athens court ruled that the strike of the customs employees is illegal. The court decision provides for the end of the strike and bans new strike actions with the same or different demands. Based on a prosecutor's order, the customs employees, who stop tank-trucks from carrying fuel which has passed through customs, will be arrested.

    Furthermore, in case the customs employees do not comply with the court order the government appears determined to proceed with the requisition of their services.

    [06] THREE-DAY VISIT OF SIMITIS TO GERMANY

    Prime minister Kostas Simitis, who is on a three-day visit to Germany, will meet with German foreign minister Josca Fischer in Frankfurt this evening.

    The prime minister will be on a two-day private visit in Frankfurt, where his brother Spyros lives and on Monday he will have separate meetings in Bonn with chancellor Gerhard Schroder and with finance minister and president of the Social-democratic party Oscar Lafontaine.

    [07] THE EURO-PARLIAMENT CALLS FOR THE RETURN OF ASSETS CONFISCATED BY THE CIAUSESCU REGIME

    The Euro-parliament requested from the Romanian government and parliament to return the assets confiscated by the Ciausescu regime.

    The Euro-parliament accepted an amendment proposed by Greek Euro-deputy for the party of New Democracy Antonis Trakatelis and underlined that the delay in the solution of the problem of the return of assets in Romania is one of the deficiencies in the area of human rights that blocks the country's smooth course toward the EU accession.

    [08] INFLATION DROPPED TO 4.2% IN NOVEMBER

    Inflation in Greece dropped to 4.2% in the month of November compared to 4.7% in October.

    Minister of national economy Yiannos Papantoniou pointed out that this development makes absolutely feasible the government's goal to bring inflation down to 2% by the end of 1999 achieving this way Greece's participation in the European economic and monetary union.

    [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

    [09] US REMAIN OPTIMISTIC OVER CYPRUS ISSUE

    United States President Bill Clinton has vowed that he will become actively involved in resolving the Cyprus issue, speaking to a delegation of Greek-Americans who visited the White House yesterday.

    The talks featured the participation of the US President's National Security adviser Sandi Berger, US coordinator for Cyprus Thomas Miller and other Sate Department officials.

    According to reports, the US are working on a new "package" aimed at resolving the Cyprus issue and easing Greek-Turkish relations.

    [10] US PREPARE REVISED PLAN FOR KOSSOVO

    United States envoy Christopher Hill has announced that the State Department is prepared a revised plan concerning the alleviation of the tension in Kossovo which will be presented to Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic and the Albanian leaders.

    According to Mr. Hill, this plan is to take into consideration the juxtaposing views held by both sides. Meanwhile, Serb soldiers reportedly killed eight armed Albanians near the Albanian border.

    [11] PRIME MINSTER SIMITIS DEPARTS TODAY FOR GERMANY

    Prime Minister Kostas Simitis is departing for Germany today staying in Frankfurt until Sunday where he is expected to meet with German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer.

    The Premier will be received by Germany's new Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder here on Monday, part of Mr. Schroeder's meetings with EU leaders.

    According to government spokesperson Dimitris Reppas, talks between Mgrs. Schroeder and Simitis will focus on the preparation, issues and the timetable of the German EU presidency as of January 1, and will include the matter of WWII reparations by Germany to Greece.

    Following his meeting with Mr. Schroeder, Mr. Simitis' program includes private talks with SPD President and German Finance Minister Oskar Lafontaine.

    [12] REVERED ROMANIAN MONK CLEOPA DIES IN HIS SECLUDED MONASTERY

    Cleopa, a Romanian monk who has been revered by generations of Christians but persecuted by communists, has died of age- related causes in his secluded wilderness monastery, Romanian Orthodox church officials announced yesterday. He was 87 years old.

    The holy man had sought refuge from the Communists in 1953 by hiding in an underground den built the wilderness, where he remained for almost a decade.

    Cleopa was persecuted by the Securitate, Romania's communist secret police, who feared his immense popular appeal, as he had a gift in comforting the simple folk. He was best known for his understanding of ordinary peoples' problems and his healing words. Tens of thousands sought his advice, both under the communist regime and in the years of hardship that followed the toppling of communist rule in 1989.

    During his years in seclusion, a woodcutter brought him a sack of potatoes each month. Cleopa said he ate one potato a day – that's all he needed to survive.

    In an interview with the Associated Press in October, Cleopa talked about his 60 years of work as a spiritual father or "duhovnic" in the Romanian Orthodox Church.

    "The spiritual father is the soul of the monastery and of the village. He should be the light of the world by his life and sermons," he said.

    Cleopa will be buried Saturday at the Sihastria monastery, 200 miles north of Bucharest, where he had lived for 30 years. Thousands are expected to attend the funeral.

    Romanian Orthodox monks are buried sitting in a chair, which is lowered directly into the ground.

    [13] YUGOSLAVIA BLASTS U.S. OVER RUBIN'S STATEMENTS, ISSUES RESOLUTION

    Irked over the recent statements made by State Department spokesperson James Rubin, who said Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic is a factor of instability in the Balkans, Belgrade blasted Washington in an unexpected parliamentary resolution ratified last night.

    The resolution states that the pressure exerted by the United States constitutes "open support to Kossovo's terrorist Albanians."

    It further stresses that "no foreign authority may at will replace the legally elected constitutional bodies of Serbia and Yugoslavia."

    A small number of opposition deputies disagreed with the ratification of the resolution, which was not on the agenda, since, they said, "it could bear unforeseeable consequences in Kossovo."

    [14] GREECE PROVIDES FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO ROMANIA

    Greece's Ambassador to Romania Stylianos Mallikouris has deposited $30,000.00 in a Romanian Red Cross account as a gesture of moral support in the efforts to repair damages brought on by last summer's floods.

    The aid was provided after the meeting held between the Greek diplomat and the President of Romania's Red Cross, Professor Nicolae Nicoare.

    [15] YUGOSLAVIA'S DECLARATION AGAINST THE UNITED STATES

    Belgrade used a hard language against the United States after the recent statements made by US State Department spokesman James Rubin.

    According to those statements, Yugoslav president Slobodan Milosevic is characterized as a factor of instability in the Balkan region while the US government has also made an announcement on a change in its policy toward the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and president Milosevic.

    [16] CYPRUS PROTESTED TO THE UN AGAINST THE VIOLATIONS OF ITS AIRSPACE BY TURKISH FIGHTER JETS

    Permanent representative of Cyprus to the UN Sotos Zakheos with a letter to UN secretary-general Kofi Annan protested against the violations of the Cypriot airspace by Turkish fighter jets that occurred at the end of November.

    In the letter it is stressed that such acts violate the international air traffic regulations and are opposed to the UN Security Council resolutions on Cyprus which mention that such acts increase the tension on the island.

    [17] CLINTON MET WITH A DELEGATION OF GREEK AMERICANS

    US president Bill Clinton promised during his meeting in the White House with a delegation of Greek Americans that he will personally intervene for the solution of the Cyprus problem and that he will make strong efforts toward this end in the last two remaining years of his term in office.

    The 16-member delegation called for the personal intervention of the US president for the solution of the Cyprus problem and the settlement of the Greek-Turkish disputes as he did in the Middle East peace process and in the case of Northern Ireland.

    The common assessment of the members of the delegation was that the discussion with the US president was an essential one and that he showed that he knows well the aspects of the Cyprus problem.


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