Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 99-09-03
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, September 3, 1999
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] THESSALONIKI'S INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR INAUGURATED
TONIGHT
[02] 64TH INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR ASSUMES TRIPLE
ORIENTATION
[03] BALKAN INFORMATION CENTER TO OPERATE AT THESSALONIKI'S
ITF
[04] PREMIER UNVEILS ECONOMIC POLICY, TAX RELIEF IN STORE
[05] FM TO MEET WITH PRESIDENT OF REPUBLIC, SPEAKER OF THE
HOUSE
[06] OIL PRICES DROP, SOME TAX RELIEF MEASURES APPLIED
IMMEDIATELY
[07] BALKAN ENERGY MINISTERS TO HOLD CONFERENCE IN
THESSALONIKI
[08] GREECE'S EU COMMISSIONER ON ENERGY TO SPEAK IN
THESSALONIKI
[09] OPPOSITION DISMISSES STATE'S PLANS AS PRE-ELECTION
PLOYS
[10] IN SPITE OF KOSOVO, THESSALONIKI'S TOURISM EMERGES
UNSCATHED
[11] STEPHANOPOULOS-PAPANDREOU MEETING
[12] THE MINIMUM GRADES NEEDED FOR ACCEPTANCE IN HIGHER
EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON MONDAY
[13] EARTHQUAKE MEASURING 4.7 ON THE RICHTER SCALE RECORDED
IN EVOIKOS BAY
[14] THE ECONOMIC MEASURES ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY ARE IN
SUPPORT OF THE WEAKER CLASSES
[15] REPPAS COMMENTED ON THE STATEMENTS MADE BY THE TURKISH
FOREIGN MINISTER
[16] THESSALONIKI'S INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR WILL BE
INAUGURATED THIS EVENING
[17] THE PRIME MINISTER WILL INAUGURATE THE 64TH
INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR OF THESSALONIKI
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[18] BULGARIA BUILDS TUNNEL TO ALLOW BEARS TO VISIT EACH
OTHER
[19] SAE ORGANIZES CONFERENCE ON GREEK NATIONAL REGISTRY
[20] TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER OPTIMISTIC OVER G/T TIES
[21] CYPRIOT GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN: ELDERLY MAN WAS MURDERED
[22] GREEK AND TURKISH BUSINESSMEN TO MEET IN ATHENS NEXT
MONTH
[23] THE NUMBER OF ALBANIAN OFFICERS STUDYING IN GREEK
MILITARY SCHOOLS WILL INCREASE
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] THESSALONIKI'S INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR INAUGURATED
TONIGHT
The 64th annual International Trade Fair of
Thessaloniki will be inaugurated this evening by Prime
Minister Costas Simitis who will arrive at Thessaloniki's
Macedonia Airport at 6 p.m., heading a delegation of
ministers.
Mr. Simitis will open the ITF at 8p.m. with an address
to be given at the "I.Vellidis" Conference Center and at
10pm he will attend a formal reception at the Government
House.
The Premier will meet with representatives of
Thessaloniki's local authorities tomorrow morning and at 2
p.m. he will have lunch with PASOK party officials at
Macedonia Palace Hotel. Tomorrow evening he will present the
government's economic policy while on Sunday, following a
morning visit to the Fair's grounds, he will give a press
conference prior to departing for a visit at the
archeological site of Dion in Pieria.
[02] 64TH INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR ASSUMES TRIPLE
ORIENTATION
This year's International Trade Fair will assume a
triple orientation: Supporting the role of Thessaloniki as
the center of Balkan reconstruction, the further development
of its ties with the city and the strengthening of the
institution's economic and commercial character.
This year's events are focused on the sector of Balkan
cooperation, featuring a series of happenings that concern
the region's economic and overall recovery.
Encompassing a space of 49,325 sq. m., the 64th ITF
will feature the participation of 1,363 exhibitors, while it
will also have a strong political presence.
[03] BALKAN INFORMATION CENTER TO OPERATE AT THESSALONIKI'S
ITF
Among the events to take place at the 64th
International Trade Fair is the operation of the Balkan
Information Center, under the auspices of the Macedonia-
Thrace Ministry, which will lay the groundwork for
cooperation among the Balkan region's countries.
The Balkan information center will aim at presenting
economic and trade statistics of the Balkan countries, while
offices of each country will facilitate the reaching of
business agreements.
The countries to participate are Albania, Bulgaria, the
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, FYROM, Romania and Turkey,
while members from the Black Sea Bank and Inter-Balkan and
Black Sea Business Center (DIPEK) will also be present.
Moreover, Energy Ministers from Balkan countries will
hold meet in Thessaloniki on September 10, under the
initiative of Greece's EU Commissioner for Energy Christos
Papoutsis and Development Minster Evangelos Venizelos.
The participants are expected to sign a memorandum
which will outline the mutually-accepted principles of
Balkan energy networks development.
Moreover, through teleconferencing, the ITF will link the
Greek state-owned enterprises with their counterparts in
other Balkan countries, in an effort to explore possible
cooperation possibilities.
[04] PREMIER UNVEILS ECONOMIC POLICY, TAX RELIEF IN STORE
A series of tax relief measures were announced
yesterday evening by the Prime Minister Costas Simitis,
totaling 470 billion drachmas.
The measures include the abolishment of objective
criteria for the self-employed, reduction in the special
consumption tax in new car sales, raising the tax-exempt
limit for wage earners to two million drachmas from the
current 1.355 million drachmas, formulating new tax scales,
incentives for new hires, reduced heating oil prices,
increased farmers pensions, as well as increases in
unemployment benefits and pensions.
[05] FM TO MEET WITH PRESIDENT OF REPUBLIC, SPEAKER OF THE
HOUSE
Foreign Minister George Papandreou is to hold
successive meetings with the President of the Hellenic
Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos, the Speaker of the House
Apostolos Kaklamanis and the leader of the Liberals
opposition party Stephanos Manos, in order to brief them on
Greece's position in regards to Turkey's funding from the
European Union
In statements he made yesterday, Mr. Papandreou
dissociated the issues of Greece's objection over Turkey's
funding from an EU protocol and economic assistance to the
neighboring country and noted that he has ascertained a
wider consensus over the government's proposal which will be
presented during tomorrow's informal meeting in EU foreign
ministers in Finland.
[06] OIL PRICES DROP, SOME TAX RELIEF MEASURES APPLIED
IMMEDIATELY
Some of the tax relief measures unveiled by the Prime
Minister Costas Simitis yesterday will be enforced
immediately, beginning with a reduction in special consumer
tax on cars which is expected to bring down prices of new
cars by about 10 percent on average.
Moreover, a government project to provide in-house
training for 20,000 workers in the private sector and 30,000
in the public sector is also due to begin immediately,
following a relevant decision signed yesterday by Labor
Minister Miltiades Papaioannou. The private sector project
is budgeted at 17 billion drachmas and the public sector
project at 15 billion drachmas.
Retail prices of gasoline and heating oil are to drop
for the next seven days, effective today, according to
weekly indicative rates released by the development
ministry.
In the prefectures of Athens and Thessaloniki, the
price of unleaded gasoline is suggested at 206.20 drachmas
per liter, down 1.10 drachmas a liter from the previous
week, the ministry said.
[07] BALKAN ENERGY MINISTERS TO HOLD CONFERENCE IN
THESSALONIKI
Energy Ministers from Balkan countries will meet in
Thessaloniki on September 10, in order to sign a memorandum
which will outline the mutually-accepted principles of
Balkan energy networks development.
The event will take place within the framework of the
64th International Trade Fair and will feature the
participation of Greece, Albania, Bulgaria, FYROM., Romania
and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
"Greece grants great significance to the reconstruction
of the Balkans and, within this framework, the creation of a
competitive regional energy market in the Balkan will allow
for the development of economic trade and will significantly
contribute to the reconstruction," Greece's Development
Minister Evangelos Venizelos stated.
The event is taking place under the initiative of
Greece's EU Commissioner for Energy Christos Papoutsis and
Mr. Venizelos.
[08] GREECE'S EU COMMISSIONER ON ENERGY TO SPEAK IN
THESSALONIKI
The opportunities for Greek exports in light of
globalization is to be the topic of the address to be given
by Greece's EU Commissioner for Energy Christos Papoutsis,
during a dinner organized on September 6 by the Northern
Greece Exporters Association and the European Commission.
Mr. Papoutsis is to discuss the presently-existing
exporting framework for Greek businesses, under the prism
of globalization and the developments within the EU.
[09] OPPOSITION DISMISSES STATE'S PLANS AS PRE-ELECTION
PLOYS
The country's opposition parties have dismissed the
government's just-announced tax slashes and benefits
amounting to an impressive GRD 470 million as mere pre-
election expediencies, aimed at misleading the public with a
"demagogic crescendo".
The spokesperson of the main opposition party, New
Democracy's Aris Spiliotopoulos noted that while the Premier
(Costas Simitis ) adopts a large portion of the measures
proposed by ND, he nevertheless follows a policy that
actually increases the deficit.
The Communist Party of Greece stated that the tax cuts
and benefits are "crumbs" aimed at appeasing the lower
classes.
The Coalition of the Left and Progress accused the
government and the Premier of seeking to create misleading
impressions and resorting to a pre-election "demagogic
crescendo".
The President of the Democratic and Social Movement
Dimitris Tsovolas said that both the ruling PASOK party and
N.D. are mocking the lower classes, while the Liberals party
led by Stephanos Manos said that the new economic measures
actually endanger the country's accession course to the
Economic and Monetary Union.
On the other hand, the president of the General
Confederation of Greek Laborers (GSEE) stated that the
measures are actually in the direction of the workers'
demands.
Government spokesperson Dimitris Reppas said that the
budget surplus will allow for the strengthening of the
weaker classes, within the framework of social justice.
[10] IN SPITE OF KOSOVO, THESSALONIKI'S TOURISM EMERGES
UNSCATHED
In spite of the Kosovo crisis, Thessaloniki tourism
stayed at last year's rates, with the exception of visitors
from Yugoslavia whose bookings were reduced by 65%.
According to the Thessaloniki Hoteliers Association,
the expedient state mechanism functioned as an "antidote",
through its specifically-targeted ad campaigns and the
strengthening of the "social tourism" sector.
Moreover, the significant price reductions, aided by
the financial boosts provided by the Region of Central
Macedonia and the Prefectures of Thessaloniki, Halkidiki and
Pieria, served as an incentive for the vacationers.
Topping the list of foreigners who visited Thessaloniki
are the Cypriots, with a 15% increase in arrivals so far and
an expected additional five per cent by the end of the year,
followed by Germans, Italians, Americans and British
tourists.
Aside from the Yugoslavs, a 40% drop in tourists from
Russia was registered, attributed to the economic crisis in
their country.
[11] STEPHANOPOULOS-PAPANDREOU MEETING
Foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou met this morning
with president of the republic Kostis Stephanopoulos and
briefed him on the issue of Turkey's EU funding.
The foreign minister in his statements pointed out
that he conveyed to the president the wide acceptance the
initiative for humanitarian aid to Turkey had received and
clarified that the lifting of the Greek veto on Turkey's EU
funding is not being considered.
Mr. Papandreou stressed that Greece favors the
promotion of the EU-Turkish relations but this depends on
the commitments Ankara is ready to undertake. Earlier, Mr.
Papandreou had a meeting with Liberal Party president
Stephanos Manos.
[12] THE MINIMUM GRADES NEEDED FOR ACCEPTANCE IN HIGHER
EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON MONDAY
The minimum grades needed for acceptance in higher
education institutions will be announced on Monday.
According to speculations, there will be no big changes
in the university schools with the most demand and the
minimum grades needed are expected to remain at last year's
levels.
Meanwhile, the students who had failed in the summer
exams were tested in history today and tomorrow they will be
tested in physics. The exams will be completed on September
17. The abstention percentage was at 18-20%.
[13] EARTHQUAKE MEASURING 4.7 ON THE RICHTER SCALE RECORDED
IN EVOIKOS BAY
An earthquake measuring 4.7 on the Richter scale was
recorded at 8:30 am this morning and its epicenter was
located at Evoikos Bay in central Greece.
The tremor was felt in the regions of Evia, Viotia,
Attiki and Korinthia. Seismologists appear cautious but they
are not overly concerned. It should be noted that the region
was hit by strong earthquakes in the past.
[14] THE ECONOMIC MEASURES ANNOUNCED YESTERDAY ARE IN
SUPPORT OF THE WEAKER CLASSES
The tax reductions announced yesterday by prime
minister Kostas Simitis are placed within the framework of
the effort to support the weak economic classes, stated
Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas, who underlined
that the successful economic policy followed so far by the
government allowed for those changes.
Mr. Reppas stated that the prospects for Greece to join
the European Economic and Monetary Union are not being put
at risk and added that the government has a specific plan
and program which implements, while the opposition exercises
criticism in bad faith without offering alternative
proposals.
[15] REPPAS COMMENTED ON THE STATEMENTS MADE BY THE TURKISH
FOREIGN MINISTER
Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas referred to
the statements made by Turkish foreign minister Ismail Cem,
who spoke of the beginning of a new dialogue between Greece
and Turkey.
Mr. Reppas stressed that Greece wants the communication
between the two countries to be maintained within a
framework of mutual respect.
[16] THESSALONIKI'S INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR WILL BE
INAUGURATED THIS EVENING
Prime minister Kostas Simitis will inaugurate
Thessaloniki's 64th International Trade Fair this evening.
He will arrive at Macedonia Airport at 6pm in the afternoon
and at 8pm he will inaugurate the International Trade Fair
with his speech in the "Ioannis Vellidis" Conference Center.
The International Trade Fair grounds cover 49.325
square meters. This year's Trade Fair is focused on the
sector of Balkan cooperation. A number of events will take
place within this framework concerning the region's economic
and overall recovery. A number of events of a wider
entertainment nature will also be organized.
Thessaloniki's International Trade Fair president
Giorgos Sortikos in his speech is expected to outline its
targets, while he will underline the need for the promotion
of Thessaloniki's trade fair activities at a Balkan and
international level.
[17] THE PRIME MINISTER WILL INAUGURATE THE 64TH
INTERNATIONAL TRADE FAIR OF THESSALONIKI
Prime minister Kostas Simitis will inaugurate
Thessaloniki's 64th International Trade Fair at 8pm this
evening.
In the speech he will deliver at the "Ioannis Vellidis"
Conference Center the prime minister is expected to refer to
the recent developments in the Balkans and stress that the
Greek positions were vindicated, while Greece has proven
that is a major political and economic factor in the region.
He will also underline that the goal of the government
policy is the peaceful co-existence of the peoples and
ethnic minorities, the economic development and the
prosperity of the peoples, the need for the creation of wide
range infrastructures and the support of the multi-cultural
reality in the region of south-eastern Europe.
Also, Mr. Simitis is expected to refer to the
governmental work for the development of northern Greece and
especially to the steps that were made in the sectors of
local administration, health, unemployment and the guarding
of the borders.
The prime minister will also outline the basic axes of
the government policy for the development of the city of
Thessaloniki. Those axes are the promotion of Thessaloniki
to an economic center of south-eastern Europe, the
improvement of its infrastructures with the materialization
of big public works projects, the promotion of its cultural
identity and its further development in the sectors of
education, vocational training, research and technology.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[18] BULGARIA BUILDS TUNNEL TO ALLOW BEARS TO VISIT EACH
OTHER
Bulgaria approved yesterday the construction of a
tunnel to avoid disturbing a group of bears in mountains
near the border with Greece, according to local officials.
The nearly 500 meter-long tunnel will allow two groups
of bears to continue visiting each other near the village of
Ilinden in the Rhodopes in southwest Bulgaria, where a new
border post is planned.
The project will cost between five and seven million
dollars and will be financed by the European Union's Phare
program to promote cross-border cooperation.
Greece's ecological organization, Arturos, had pointed
out that initial plans for a straightforward road would
scare the bears, and campaigned for a tunnel.
Some 800 brown bears live in the mountains on the
Bulgarian side, and 120 in Greece, according to official
estimates.
[19] SAE ORGANIZES CONFERENCE ON GREEK NATIONAL REGISTRY
A team of Greek government experts will address and
explain issues of
concern to Greeks living abroad in a conference on the Greek
National Registry (Ktimatologio), Car Regulations, Tax Laws
and Insurance, to be held in New York on September 16.
The main topic of the presentation is the project of
the Greek National
Registry (Ethniko Ktimatologio), which, under the Greek law,
will register all real estate inside Greece and its owners.
Failing to register may lead to potential dispute and
encroachment of one's real estate. Representatives from the
National Registry will address questions from the public and
distribute printed material and information about the
project.
Of equal importance is the issue of the laws regulating
cars in Greece owned by Greeks living abroad, tax issues and
repatriation, along with issues concerning social security
and health insurance. Representatives from Greece's
Ministries of National Economy and Labor & Social Security
will address these issues of concern.
"The conference expresses one of SAE's most significant
roles: informing
Omogeneia on issues of concern regarding Greece, and we
thank the Greek government for its support," said Chris
Tomaras, President of SAE of America.
The conference, which is open to the public, is being
organized by the Council of Greeks Abroad (SAE) N. & S.
America Region, and will take place at the Stathakeion
Cultural Center, 22-52 29th Street, Astoria, NY.
Similar conferences are also being planned for Chicago,
Toronto and Montreal. Their dates will be announced soon.
[20] TURKISH FOREIGN MINISTER OPTIMISTIC OVER G/T TIES
Turkish Foreign Minister Ismael Cem, who held talks
with British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook in London
yesterday, expressed his optimism over the future of Greek-
Turkish ties and made it clear that he does not connect the
lifting of Greece's objections over his country's funding
from an EU protocol to the resolution of differences between
the two neighbors.
Speaking to BBC, Mr. Cem stated that the positive
climate felt presently by both countries will positively
affect the resolution of their differences, namely the
Cyprus issue and the Aegean Sea.
In turn, Mr. Cook said that Turkey's application for
European Union membership must be treated like that of any
other applicant.
"Turkey's aspirations to join the EU must be judged by
the same objective
standards as any other candidate for membership to the EU,"
he said, adding that he would take this line during an
informal EU summit in Finland this weekend.
[21] CYPRIOT GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN: ELDERLY MAN WAS MURDERED
Cyprus's government Spokesman Michalis Papapetrou
confirmed yesterday that 69-year-old Greek Cypriot Stelios
Harpas, who was found dead in the Turkish occupied areas on
Tuesday, was murdered.
As the Cyprus news agency reported, Mr. Papapetrou said
the occupation forces carried out a post mortem on the body
of Mr. Harpas, in the presence of a UNFICYP doctor as an
observer.
"According to information the government has, the
autopsy has confirmed that we are talking about a murder",
Mr. Papapetrou said.
The occupation regime, he added, "has arrested four
Turkish Cypriots
who are being questioned in connection with the case."
He said UN envoy Dame Ann Hercus said UNFICYP's report
on the incident will be handed to the government probably
today while the relatives of the victim expressed their wish
for Mr. Harpas to be buried in the southern coastal town of
Limassol.
"The Attorney-General of the Republic has ordered an
investigation into the case", Mr. Papapetrou said and
reiterated the government's request for Mr. Harpas' body to
be transported to the free areas of the Republic.
The victim's wife intends to cross to the government
controlled areas to attend the funeral.
[22] GREEK AND TURKISH BUSINESSMEN TO MEET IN ATHENS NEXT
MONTH
Representatives from Greece's and Turkey's business
sector will meet in Athens on October 12, re-establishing
contacts that was interrupted last February by the Turkish
side in protest to Greece's stance on the Ocalan affair.
The Turkish-Greek Business Council's new president Sarik
Tara sent a letter to the president of the Greek-Turkish
Business Council, Panayotis Koutsikos, saying that his group
was ready to undertake any activity that would contribute to
the growth of constructive dialogue between the two
countries.
Mr. Tara stated that the decision to restart
cooperation between the two sides was drawn on the consensus
if Turkey's Foreign Ministry and all other authorities
involved.
The Council's first meeting will coincide with the
Black Sea Economic Cooperation conference, Mr. Tara stated,
adding that the Turkish-Greek Business Council's first care
will be to secure Greece's support for his country's
accession to the EU.
[23] THE NUMBER OF ALBANIAN OFFICERS STUDYING IN GREEK
MILITARY SCHOOLS WILL INCREASE
The number of Albanian armed forces officers, who will
study in Greek military schools, will be doubled, according
to Albanian ministry of defense official Behar Metohu based
on an article published in the newspaper "Sekuli", which
cites a recent agreement between the governments of Greece
and Albania.
Until now, about 50 Albanian armed forces officers have
studied in Greece and it is estimated that a total of about
1.000 have been trained in NATO member-states, the United
States, Germany, Italy, Turkey and Greece.
|
