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Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 99-10-01

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, October 01, 1999

SECTIONS

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

  • NEWS HEADLINES

    [A] NATIONAL NEWS

  • [01] CENTRAL MACEDONIA TO RECEIVE GRD 400 BILLION FROM THIRD CSF
  • [02] EC COMMISSIONER DIAMANTOPOULOU TO MEET WITH PARTY LEADERS
  • [03] ARIS RETURNS TRIUMPHANT FROM SWITZERLAND, PAOK BEATS TBILISI
  • [04] CIVIL WORKERS UNIONS FROM BALKANS TO MEET IN THESSALONIKI
  • [05] BALKAN "OPTICAL CABLE HIGHWAY" TO BE INAUGURATED TODAY
  • [06] GREECE'S DEFENSE MINISTER EMBARKS ON OFFICIAL VISIT TO CYPRUS
  • [07] SAE: CLINTON-ECEVIT TALKS WERE DISAPPOINTING, MEANINGLESS
  • [08] 2004 OLYMPICS SYMBOL: WHITE WREATH WITH OLIVE BRANCHES
  • [09] GREEK FOREIGN MINISTER TO BE KEYNOTE SPEAKER AT ISTANBUL U.
  • [10] SEISMIC RISK ASSESSMENT COMMITTEE OUSTS VAROTSOS
  • [11] CHANGE IN THE POLITICAL CLIMATE IN FAVOR OF THE GOVERNMENT BASED ON TWO OPINION POLLS
  • [12] KOSTAS LALIOTIS: CONCERN SHOULD NOT TURN INTO PANIC
  • [13] SLIGHT DECLINE IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
  • [14] THE FRANCE TELECOM WILL RELEASE THE 20% SHARE OF THE PANAFON CAPITAL IT OWNS
  • [15] FRENCH PHILOSOPHER ETIENNE BALIMAR WILL BE IN THESSALONIKI ON OCTOBER 4-6
  • [16] EARTHQUAKE MEASURING 4.1 ON THE RICHTER SCALE IN AMPHILOCHIA
  • [17] OVER 1.197.000 PASSENGERS USED THESSALONIKI'S AIRPORT DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS
  • [18] THE GREEK JOURNALISTS ARE IN FAVOR OF THE CANDIDATURE OF MIKIS THEODORAKIS FOR THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE
  • [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

  • [19] TURKISH STATE REJECTS 28 MAYORS' REQUEST TO VISIT ATHENS
  • [20] TURKISH PRISON UPRISING COMES TO AN END AFTER NEGOTIATIONS
  • [21] TOXIC WASTE TRANSPORTED FROM FYROM TO GERMANY
  • [22] IN NOVEMBER THE NEW ROUND OF THE NAME CONSULTATIONS BETWEEN GREECE AND FYROM
  • [23] SCHROEDER WILL BE IN ATHENS ON OCTOBER 4-5 - - - - - - - - - - - - -

  • NEWS IN DETAIL

    [A] NATIONAL NEWS

    [01] CENTRAL MACEDONIA TO RECEIVE GRD 400 BILLION FROM THIRD CSF

    The region of Central Macedonia is to receive 400 billion drachmas in funding through the Third Community Support Framework (CSF), whose duration is 2000-2006, the deputy National Economy Minister Christos Pahtas announced yesterday.

    The monies are to be allocated to projects of the regional business plan, such as the development of Thessaloniki into a metropolitan center with international operations, environmental protection, balanced development, quality of life, human resources, equal opportunity, development of the mountainous area and the domestic zones.

    [02] EC COMMISSIONER DIAMANTOPOULOU TO MEET WITH PARTY LEADERS

    Greece's EU Commissioner responsible for Employment and Social Affairs Anna Diamantopoulou will meet with the secretary general of the Communist Party of Greece Aleka Paparega today, within the framework of the former's series of contacts with Greek party leaders.

    Ms. Diamantopoulou will alo meet with the leader of the Coalition of Left and progress party Nikos Konstantopoulos, while she met with the leader of the main opposition party, New Democracy's Kostas Karamanlis, in Brussels yesterday.

    The Commissioner will meet with the leader of the Democratic and Social Movement Dimitris Tsovolas next week.

    [03] ARIS RETURNS TRIUMPHANT FROM SWITZERLAND, PAOK BEATS TBILISI

    Amidst a jubilant atmosphere in their hometown, Thessaloniki, soccer teams Aris and PASOK are now waiting to see whom they'll play against after having advanced into the second round of the Champions league.

    Aris returns from Switzerland this evening, after having beat Chervette 2-1, while PAOK beat Tbilisi's Locomotive team in Thessaloniki 2-0.

    [04] CIVIL WORKERS UNIONS FROM BALKANS TO MEET IN THESSALONIKI

    Representatives from civil workers union organizations in Balkan countries are to meet in Thessaloniki today, within the framework of a conference organized by ADEDY and EDOTH.

    The participants will examine issues concerning the existing political, economic and labor situation in the Balkans, the problems that emerged after the war as well as the unions' role in the establishment of peace.

    [05] BALKAN "OPTICAL CABLE HIGHWAY" TO BE INAUGURATED TODAY

    A new optical fibre cable that will radically improve the quality of telecommunications among Balkan neighbors Greece, Bulgaria and FYROM will be inaugurated today.

    According to press reports, the Thessaloniki-Sofia-Skopje network will ensure a speedy, dependable and faultless flow of a huge volume of telecommunications signals encompassing telephone operations, television images, and digital data for mobile telephony.

    The "optical cable highway", as the experts call it, will also facilitate domestic telecommunications in Bulgaria since it will link Sofia with 10 major cities in the country, while its terminus to Greece will be in the town of Petrich, at the southeastern-most tip of Bulgaria where the three countries have a common border.

    [06] GREECE'S DEFENSE MINISTER EMBARKS ON OFFICIAL VISIT TO CYPRUS

    Greece's National Defence Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos is embarking today on a three- day, official visit to Cyprus, where he will hold talks with the island's president Glafcos Clerides.

    Mr. Tsochatzopoulos will also attend today's military parade marking the 39th anniversary of Cyprus' independence from Britain.

    During his stay, Mr. Tsochatzopoulos will also meet with his Cypriot counterpart, the chairman of the Cyprus House of Representatives, political party leaders, and Archbishop Chrysostomos.

    [07] SAE: CLINTON-ECEVIT TALKS WERE DISAPPOINTING, MEANINGLESS

    The World Council of Hellenes Abroad (SAE) described as "disappointing and meaningless" the results of the recent meeting held in Washington between US president Bill Clinton and Turkish prime minister Bulent Ecevit.

    SAE's North and South America Region Chapter, stated that "the Hellenic American community and all Americans who are concerned about human rights and international legality are deeply disappointed about the results of the talks of President Clinton with Turkish Prime Minister Bulent Ecevit."

    The statement further added that Messrs. Clinton and Ecevit "agreed that there cannot be a solution to the problem of Cyprus that would return the situation to what it was before 1974."

    [08] 2004 OLYMPICS SYMBOL: WHITE WREATH WITH OLIVE BRANCHES

    The new emblem for the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, depicting a white wreath made of olive branches, was unveiled in Athens last night in a ceremony attended by International Olympics Committee President Juan Antonio Samaranch, President of the Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos, Prime Minister Costas Simitis and other officials.

    The symbol brings to mind the crowning of ancient Olympic champions, while the colors, azure and dark blue, symbolize the sky and sea of Greece.

    Culture Minister Elizabeth Papazoi stated that "the Olympic Games are an institution of worldwide stature, and our primary goal was for the 2004 Games to be a landmark event. Athens will be a new city in 2004. We have the support of the entire Greek people and the Olympic family."

    Mr. Samaranch said "this emblem will draw the attention of the entire world. It will remain engraved in the history of the Olympic Movement after the end of the 2004 Games. The factors of Greek success are three: your successful candidacy, the organization, which I believe will be impeccable, and the performances of Greek athletes."

    [09] GREEK FOREIGN MINISTER TO BE KEYNOTE SPEAKER AT ISTANBUL U.

    Greece's Foreign Minister George Papandreou will visit Istanbul on October 5 to deliver a speech to university students and attend a panel conference at the invitation of the "Taxim" Intellectuals' Club.

    The panel, which meets at regular intervals, will discuss current affairs, such as the new international environment in the region and Greek-Turkish relations.

    In his address at Istanbul University, Mr. Papandreou will speak on the role of the society of citizens and of the two peoples in shaping the climate in Greek-Turkish relations.

    He will later attend a dinner given in his honor by the university's dean. His Turkish counterpart Ismail Cem has also been invited.

    [10] SEISMIC RISK ASSESSMENT COMMITTEE OUSTS VAROTSOS

    The Ministry of Environment, Planning and Public Works has ordered the removal of earthquake expert Panayotis Varotsos (who heads the controversial VAN group) from the Seismic Risk Assessment Committee.

    According to the director of the Athens Observatory's Geophysics Institute George Stavrakakis, the VAN group lacks credibility.

    VAN has repeatedly claimed to be able to predict impending earthquakes, but fails to bring forth the three most important prediction parameters - time, location and magnitude.

    Mr. Stavrakakis further added that after- quake seismic activity has subsided and advised the public to be calm.

    [11] CHANGE IN THE POLITICAL CLIMATE IN FAVOR OF THE GOVERNMENT BASED ON TWO OPINION POLLS

    A change of the political climate in favor of the government is being recorded in two opinion polls the results of which are published in the Athens newspapers "Eleftherotipia" and "TA NEA".

    The right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy is still leading in the opinion polls but the distance from the governing socialist party of PASOK has been limited to 0.6%, while there is a significant rise in the popularity of prime minister Kostas Simitis and his government. The fact that the opinion polls were conducted after the devastating earthquake in Attiki, the Falcon air accident and the latest crisis in the Athens Stock Exchange is regarded as very interesting.

    According to the opinion poll conducted by the "Opinion" polling company, the results of which are published in the newspaper "Eleftherotipia", on the question of vote intent the political parties received the following: New Democracy (30.7), PASOK (30.1%), Democratic Social Movement (5.7%), the Communist Party (5.4%), Coalition of the Left (2.8%), Political Spring (0.9%), Liberals (0.6%).

    Based on the "V.PRC" polling company opinion poll published in the newspaper "TA NEA", 41% of those polled responded that they regard prime minister Kostas Simitis as more fit for the post he holds compared to 31.8% who preferred New Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis.

    [12] KOSTAS LALIOTIS: CONCERN SHOULD NOT TURN INTO PANIC

    The government committee met today to discuss how it will deal with the problems created by the earthquake.

    Minister of environment, land planning and public works, Kostas Laliotis stated before the meeting that the people living in Athens and in its wider region should keep calm and not allow their justified concern to be transformed into panic.

    Mr. Laliotis stated commenting on the warning issued by the VAN team of seismologists over an imminent earthquake during the weekend that the only reliable institution on such issues is the Earthquake Risk Assessment Committee which appears to be reassuring. When asked to comment on the professor Varotsos issue, who was removed from the committee, Mr. Laliotis stated that Mr. Varotsos never attended the committee's meetings.

    [13] SLIGHT DECLINE IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

    The Athens Stock Exchange general index presented a slight decline of 0.62% today and closed at 5.632,27. The volume of transactions reached 452.9 billion drachmas, while the session had opened with a dynamic rise and with gains of over 2%.

    However, the Athens Stock Exchange dropped to negative levels due to the liquidation as investors rushed to lock their gains in view of the weekend. In the most part of the session the interest of investors was turned to the parallel market and to constructions sector shares.

    [14] THE FRANCE TELECOM WILL RELEASE THE 20% SHARE OF THE PANAFON CAPITAL IT OWNS

    France Telecom will release the 20% share of the PANAFON capital it owns confirming the scenarios over a "divorce" of the two companies. The current value of the shares package in question is estimated at 1.4 billion dollars.

    The French company will offer its shares to its employees and to investors, while it will also release convertible bonds to the international market which will be issued by France Telecom and will be converted into Panafon shares.

    [15] FRENCH PHILOSOPHER ETIENNE BALIMAR WILL BE IN THESSALONIKI ON OCTOBER 4-6

    French philosopher Etienne Balimar will be in Thessaloniki on October 4-6 at the invitation of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Philosophy Department and Thessaloniki's French Institute.

    Mr. Balimar will give a lecture under the title "The borders of Europe" on Monday evening and on Tuesday he will speak on the Overturn of Possessive Individualism in a seminar organized by Thessaloniki's Aristotle University Department of Philosophy. On Wednesday, he will give a lecture on State-Nation and Globalization in an event that will be held in Thessaloniki's Bar Association amphitheater.

    Etienne Balimar was born in 1942 and studied philosophy in Paris. He became known at a very young age in 1965 as a pupil and close associate of Luis Altuser, the philosopher who renewed Marxism urging for a new reading of Marx in the decades of the 60's and 70's. He was a member of the French Communist Party from 1961 to 1981 when he was removed from its ranks. Since then he has participated in a number of organizations for the protection of social and political rights.

    For a number of years he taught in the Sorbonne University and since 1993 he is a philosophy professor in the university of Nanter.

    [16] EARTHQUAKE MEASURING 4.1 ON THE RICHTER SCALE IN AMPHILOCHIA

    An earthquake measuring 4.1 on the Richter scale was recorded at 13:27pm today and its epicenter was located in the sea region of Amphilochia in western Greece.

    The exact epicenter of the earthquake was 250 kilometers west north-west of Athens and seismologists maintain that there is no reason for the population to be concerned.

    [17] OVER 1.197.000 PASSENGERS USED THESSALONIKI'S AIRPORT DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS

    The number of passengers, who used Thessaloniki's Macedonia Airport in August, was increased by 12.2% compared to last year and the tendency was upward throughout the three summer months, while over 1.197.000 passengers have passed through Macedonia Airport during the summer.

    In the month of August, over 450.000 passengers traveled by plane via Thessaloniki while a similar increase of 12.5% was recorded in the month of July when the number of passengers reached 418.500 compared to 371.900 in July 1998. In June, 328.100 passengers traveled through Macedonia Airport and their number is increased by 10.3% compared to June 1998 when they were less than 297.500.

    [18] THE GREEK JOURNALISTS ARE IN FAVOR OF THE CANDIDATURE OF MIKIS THEODORAKIS FOR THE NOBEL PEACE PRIZE

    The presiding board of the Greek Federation of Journalists' Associations supports the candidature of Greek music composer Mikis Theodorakis for this year's Nobel Peace prize.

    In a statement it has issued it mentions that if Mikis Theodorakis is the winner of the Nobel Peace prize it will be a vindication of the struggles and contribution of the Greek people toward peace and cultural development.

    [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

    [19] TURKISH STATE REJECTS 28 MAYORS' REQUEST TO VISIT ATHENS

    Turkey's Foreign Ministry has rejected a request submitted by 28 mayors -members of a Turkish municipalities association- to visit Athens in order to express their support to the Greek earthquake victims.

    According to the Turkish daily "Mulliyet", the Association's president stated that the Foreign Ministry, after requesting the input of the Turkish embassy in Athens, turned down the request by stating that the Mayor of Istanbul visited Athens in reciprocation of the visit conducted to Istanbul by his counterpart from the Greek capital.

    [20] TURKISH PRISON UPRISING COMES TO AN END AFTER NEGOTIATIONS

    The five-day uprising in prisons across Turkey, sparked by the death of 10 inmates in a shootout Sunday, came to an end last nigh according to Istanbul's chief prosecutor Ferzan Citici and Bar Association chairman Yucel Sayman.

    According to the French news agency AFP, Mr. Citici stated that "this was neither the result of bargaining, nor of an agreement," adding "it was rather a formula to end the action by the prisoners."

    However, Mr. Sayman added that there would be an independent investigation into Sunday's deadly shooting -- one of the demands put forward by the prisoners.

    It also came after an official promise of widespread reform in Turkey's overcrowded and largely chaotic prisons, often controlled either by organized crime syndicates or political extremists. The breakthrough came hours after police violently broke up a march here protesting against the death of one of the prisoners killed in Ankara and detained 65 people.

    "There is serious weakness in establishing security and order in (Turkish prisons)," Justice Minister Hikmet Sami Turk said Wednesday.

    "We need comprehensive reforms to comfort the public and re-establish trust in the prison system."

    [21] TOXIC WASTE TRANSPORTED FROM FYROM TO GERMANY

    Seventy-five tons of toxic waste were removed from FYROM, on the basis of a relevant agreement that had been signed by Skopje as an offset to the establishment of NATO troops on its grounds.

    According to the state-owned radio, the said waste is neither nuclear nor radioactive and consists only of toxins and hospital waste derived from medical supplies and chemical substances used by NATO at its facilities.

    The waste was reportedly transported from FYROM to Germany via Thessaloniki.

    [22] IN NOVEMBER THE NEW ROUND OF THE NAME CONSULTATIONS BETWEEN GREECE AND FYROM

    The talks for the settlement of the issue of FYROM's name continued in the UN's New York headquarters yesterday. The talks are being held by ambassadors Ivan Tosefski and Elias Gounaris in the presence of international mediator Cyrus Vance.

    FYROM's state television reported that the meeting was held in a good climate, while it was announced that the new round of consultations will be held in November.

    [23] SCHROEDER WILL BE IN ATHENS ON OCTOBER 4-5

    German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder will be in Athens on October 4 and 5, according to a statement by the German government spokesman.

    The contacts of chancellor Schroeder will focus on issues such as Greece's accession into the Euro-zone countries as well as, Greece's relations with Turkey.

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