Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 99-07-22
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, July 22, 1999
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] GREECE ISSUES A DEMARCHE TO ANKARA
[02] TOMORROW THE PREMIER'S CONTACTS WITH POLITICAL LEADERS
[03] KOSTOV CONTINUES VISIT IN GREECE
[04] STEPHANOPOULOS-SIMITIS MEETING
[05] MEETING ON THE SOCIAL SECURITY ISSUE
[06] THOMAS MILLER WILL BE IN ATHENS ON MONDAY
[07] THE SUMMIT OF THE EUROPEAN SOCIALIST PARTIES WILL BE HELD IN
VIENNA
[08] GREEK-SPEAKING BALKAN MASS MEDIA MEETING IN THESSALONIKI
[09] FIRE BROKE OUT ON A TOURIST BOAT OFF THE COASTS OF CRETE
[10] REPPAS: TURKEY UNDERMINES EVERY EFFORT FOR GOOD NEIGBORLY
RELATIONS
[11] KOSTOV MET WITH STEPHANOPOULOS AND KAKLAMANIS
[12] THE LAST HUMANITARIAN AID MISSION FROM THE MINISTRY OF
MACEDONIA-THRACE TO PRISTINA
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[13] A GREEK EURO-DEPUTY RAISED THE ISSUE OF THE PERSECUTION OF
THE GYPSIES BY THE ETHNIC ALBANIANS IN KOSOVO
[14] ALAVANOS WILL CHAIR THE EU-BULGARIA JOINT COMMITTEE
[15] TURKEY REJECTED THE GREEK DEMARCHE ON THE HARASSMENT OF THE
AIRPLANE WITH MR. MANDELIS
[16] NEW DEMOCRACY SUCCESS IN THE EUROPEAN POPULAR PARTY
[17] A FRENCH FOOTBALL TEAM REFUSES TO PLAY IN TURKEY
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] GREECE ISSUES A DEMARCHE TO ANKARA
Greece will issue a demarche to Ankara in protest to the
harassment by two turkish F-16 of the plane carrying Greek
Transport Minister, Tasos Mandelis to Cyprus. The demarche will be
conveyed to the turkish Foreign Ministry, by the Greek ambassador
in Ankara.
Foreign Minister, Giorgos Papandreou denounced such actions
by Turkey, while stressing that this will not affect efforts to
proceed with a dialogue between Greece and Turkey.
Government spokesman, Dimitris Reppas spoke of a provocative
and dangerous action, while Defense Minister, Akis Tsohatzopoulos
described Turkey as "an international trouble-maker who sets
dynamites to the conditions of safe air navigation over the
Aegean". The incident was also condemned by the opposition
parties.
[02] TOMORROW THE PREMIER'S CONTACTS WITH POLITICAL LEADERS
Premier Kostas Simitis, begins tomorrow contacts with the
political leaders of Greece on the issue of crime and illegal
immigration. Tomorrow, Mr Simitis will meet with Aleka Papariga
and Nikos Konstantopoulos, and on Monday he will meet with New
Democracy's president, Kostas Karamanlis and Dimitris Tsovolas.
The goal of these meetings is, according to the spokesman of
the government, to deal with the problem of criminality in the
most widely acceptable way possible.
[03] KOSTOV CONTINUES VISIT IN GREECE
The Bulgarian Premier, continues his visit in Greece. Today,
Mr Kostov will meet with parliament speaker, Apostolos Kaklamanis,
and Athens' mayor, Dimitris Avramopoulos, and will be accepted by
the Greek President, Kostis Stefanopoulos.
Mr. Kostov said that he considers Greece the most important
partner in politics and economy in Southeastern Europe.
[04] STEPHANOPOULOS-SIMITIS MEETING
Prime minister Kostas Simitis briefed president Kostis
Stephanopoulos on the current foreign and domestic political
developments.
The prime minister pointed out that next week he will visit
the Greek soldiers in Kosovo, while he will attend the European
Union summit meeting that will be held in Sarajevo to deal with
the issue of Kosovo and former Yugoslavia.
Speaking earlier with the president of the Hellenic Republic,
Mr. Simitis characterized as positive the decision to make
Thessaloniki the seat of the organization for the reconstruction
of the Balkans.
[05] MEETING ON THE SOCIAL SECURITY ISSUE
The National Bank of Investments and Industrial Development
(ETEBA) will be the adviser to the ministries of national economy
and labor and will undertake to search for international and
domestic organizations that will table proposals on the imminent
changes in the country's social security system.
The decision was reached in the meeting that was held this
morning at the national economy ministry with the participation of
the responsible ministers and the advisers to the prime minister.
In effect, the meeting formally opened the so-called package for
the reform of the social security system in Greece.
[06] THOMAS MILLER WILL BE IN ATHENS ON MONDAY
Thomas Miller will be in Athens on Monday with Mr. Weston,
who will take his place as US envoy to Cyprus.
The main issue that will be discussed in the meetings of the
two US officials with Greek deputy foreign minister Yiannos
Kranidiotis will be the developments in the Cyprus issue in the
light of the initiative undertaken by the G-8 which is in progress
and in view of the new round of talks that will be underway by the
end of October between the Greek Cypriots and the Turkish
Cypriots.
Meanwhile, the Greek-Turkish dialogue, that will last until
Friday, is scheduled to start in Ankara on Monday and among the
issues of discussion will be trade cooperation, tourism, the
environment, regional cooperation, the safety of the citizens,
organized crime, illegal immigration as well as, culture and
education issues.
[07] THE SUMMIT OF THE EUROPEAN SOCIALIST PARTIES WILL BE HELD IN
VIENNA
Minister of foreign affairs Giorgos Papandreou and minister
of defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos as well as, deputy foreign
minister Yiannos Kranidiotis will represent the Greek governing
socialist party of PASOK to the summit meeting of the European
Socialist parties that will be held in Vienna today and tomorrow.
In the meeting will be discussed issues concerning the
reconstruction of the Balkans, security and human rights in the
region. The Greek side is expected to ask for a balanced aid to
all the Balkan states within the framework of the initiatives
undertaken by the European Union.
[08] GREEK-SPEAKING BALKAN MASS MEDIA MEETING IN THESSALONIKI
The owners and directors of Greek-speaking newspapers and
radio-television stations based in the Balkans will take part in
the 1st Inter-Balkan Meeting of the Association of Correspondents
of the Greek Press Abroad that will be held in Thessaloniki on
July 30 and 31.
The meeting aims at contributing to the development and
strengthening of relations among the mass media and the exchange
of experience and views on the mass media in the Balkan region.
The event will be held under the auspices of the Greek
ministries of press and defense.
[09] FIRE BROKE OUT ON A TOURIST BOAT OFF THE COASTS OF CRETE
Fire broke out on a tourist boat off the coasts of Elunda in
the southern Aegean island of Crete.
The 34 foreign tourists on board the boat and its 4member
crew were moved to other ships and are in no danger.
[10] REPPAS: TURKEY UNDERMINES EVERY EFFORT FOR GOOD NEIGBORLY
RELATIONS
Greece exercises a policy of principles while Turkey is the
one that creates problems and undermines every effort for good
neighborly relations, stated Greek government spokesman Dimitris
Reppas, referring to the rejection of the Greek demarche by
Turkey, which was made in protest to the harassment by two Turkish
fighter jets yesterday of the passenger plane with Greek
transportation minister Tasos Mandelis, who was returning to
Athens from Cyprus.
However, Mr. Reppas made it clear that the Greek-Turkish
dialogue will be held as scheduled.
The Greek government spokesman stated that Greece's role, as
a country which is a member of the European Union and NATO, is
very important for the creation of conditions of stability and
security in the wider region and stressed that the government will
deal with determination, caution and effectiveness with any acts
and designs against the country.
[11] KOSTOV MET WITH STEPHANOPOULOS AND KAKLAMANIS
Bulgarian prime minister Ivan Kostov, who is on a visit to
Athens, met at noon today with Greek president Kostis
Stephanopoulos.
Their talks focused on the Greek-Bulgarian relations and the
situation in the Balkan region.
Earlier, Mr. Kostov had a meeting with Greek parliament
president Apostolos Kaklamanis, who underlined that the two
countries will cooperate within the framework of the Balkan
stability pact.
Mr. Kostov also met with the mayor of Athens Dimitris
Avramopoulos and was honored with the medal of the city of Athens.
[12] THE LAST HUMANITARIAN AID MISSION FROM THE MINISTRY OF
MACEDONIA-THRACE TO PRISTINA
The last humanitarian aid mission of the ministry of
Macedonia-Thrace left Thessaloniki yesterday for Kosovo's regional
capital of Pristina.
According to the ministry, the war refugees in Skopje,
Belgrade and Nis have received a total of 525 tons of foodstuffs,
70 tons of clothing, 22 tons of medicine, 4 tons of personal
hygiene items, 2.000 blankets, 170 tents as well as, children toys
that arrived in those cities loaded on 30 trucks and 16 train
wagons.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[13] A GREEK EURO-DEPUTY RAISED THE ISSUE OF THE PERSECUTION OF
THE GYPSIES BY THE ETHNIC ALBANIANS IN KOSOVO
The issue of the uprooting of thousands of Gypsies, who are
being led away from their homes in Kosovo, was raised in the
Council of Ministers and the European Commission by Greek Euro-
deputy of the party of New Democracy Yiannis Marinos.
Citing television reports on "Euronews" and the Italian
television "RAI", Mr. Marinos stated that over 100.000 Gypsies of
Kosovo are being forced to leave their homes persecuted by the
ethnic Albanians, who justify their actions accusing the Gypsies
of being collaborators of the Serbs.
Mr. Marinos called on the two European Union bodies to
express their stance formally over this new case of ethnic
cleansing.
Finally, he calls on the Council of Ministers and the
European Commission to state what measures they intend to take to
stop the inhumane persecutions and make possible the return of the
Gypsies to their places of origin and to their homes.
[14] ALAVANOS WILL CHAIR THE EU-BULGARIA JOINT COMMITTEE
Greek Euro-deputy of the Coalition of the Left party Alekos
Alavanos will soon be the president of the Joint Committee on the
relations between the European Union and Bulgaria.
The committee is regarded as very important given the
interest expressed by Bulgaria for the promotion of the
negotiations for its accession into the European Union.
[15] TURKEY REJECTED THE GREEK DEMARCHE ON THE HARASSMENT OF THE
AIRPLANE WITH MR. MANDELIS
The Greek ambassador to Ankara delivered the Greek demarche
to the Turkish foreign ministry in protest to the harassment of
the airplane with Greek minister of transportation Tasos Mandelis
by two Turkish F-16 fighter jets yesterday. The Greek passenger
airplane was taking Mr. Madelis from Cyprus to Athens.
The Turkish foreign ministry rejected the Greek demarche and
maintained that the Turkish fighter jets made visual
reconnaissance and not interception and then left the region.
Also, the Turkish side maintained that the airplane of Mr.
Mandelis was flying close to the Turkish coasts. The Greek
ambassador to Ankara also protested for the harassment of a
Cypriot passenger plane two days ago.
[16] NEW DEMOCRACY SUCCESS IN THE EUROPEAN POPULAR PARTY
Greek Euro-deputy of the right-wing main opposition party of
New Democracy Christos Folias was chosen by the European Popular
Party to the post of the vice-president of the European
Parliament's Inter-parliamentary Delegation to the Middle East.
In the Inter-Parliamentary Delegation of the Middle East
participate Syria, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, United Arab
Emirates, Kuwait, Yemen and Oman.
[17] A FRENCH FOOTBALL TEAM REFUSES TO PLAY IN TURKEY
Turkish Cypriot newspaper "Yeni Duzen" reports today on the
news that the French football team "Paris Saint Germain" has
refused to go to Istanbul for a match with a Turkish team.
According to the newspaper, the French football team used as an
excuse for its negative response the threat of terrorism in
Turkey.
The same newspaper writes that many events such as,
international conferences and tourist reservations have been
canceled in the past six months.
The tourist agents maintain that the economic loss has
reached 10 million US dollars and add that the issue of the
Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan and the Cyprus problem will have
further adverse implications on tourism in Turkey.
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