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Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 99-10-04

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, October 4, 1999

SECTIONS

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

  • NEWS HEADLINES

    [A] NATIONAL NEWS

  • [01] BUS FULL OF PAOK FANS COLLIDES WITH TRUCK, SEVEN DEAD
  • [02] GREEK TEAM WINS GOLD IN RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS CHAMPIONSHIP
  • [03] JAPANESE BUSINESS DELEGATION ARRIVES IN THRACE TODAY
  • [04] TRAFFIC AT THESSALONIKI'S "MACEDONIA" AIRPORT UP BY 16.56%
  • [05] STRONG AFTERSHOCK SHAKES ATHENS, MEASURES 4.1 ON RICHTER
  • [06] INJURED PASSENGERS OF PAOK BUS NOT IN DANGER, 7 OTHERS DEAD
  • [07] POLICE CHASE TRUCK FULL OF ALIENS, VEHICLE UPSETS IN FLAMES
  • [08] A NEW CHAPTER OPENS IN GREEK-TURKISH BUSINESS TIES
  • [09] GRIEF FOR THE DEATH OF PAOK FANS
  • [10] GIORGOS TOURSOUNIDIS: TODAY IS A BLACK DAY FOR PAOK
  • [11] A RETIRED TEACHER INFECTED WITH AIDS HAS SUED TWO HOSPITALS ASKING FOR 500 MILLION DRACHMAS AS COMPENSATION
  • [12] OPINION POLLS ON THE RE-ELECTION OF PRESIDENT STEPHANOPOULOS AND EARLY ELECTIONS
  • [13] IMMIGRATION PERMITS OFFERED BY THE UNITED STATES
  • [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

  • [14] GERMAN CHANCELLOR SCHROEDER CONDUCTS VISIT TO ATHENS
  • [15] GREEK FM IN ISTANBUL, WILL MEET WITH TURKISH COUNTERPART
  • [16] GREEK FM ADDRESSES TAXIM INTELLECTUALS CLUB IN ISTANBUL
  • [17] SERB OPPOSITION LEADER: CAR ACCIDENT WAS ATTEMPT ON MY LIFE
  • [18] GREECE, ALBANIA COOPERATE IN COMBATING WHITE COLLAR CRIME
  • [19] VARTHOLOMEOS-PAPANDREOU MEETING
  • [20] A GREEK UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR WILL OPEN THE NEW ACADEMIC YEAR IN ANKARA'S POLYTECHNIC SCHOOL
  • [21] MOVING GESTURE BY A GREEK-AMERICAN TOWARD TURKISH PRIME MINISTER ECEVIT
  • [22] LE FIGARO: GREECE IS THE CRADLE OF EUROPE
  • [23] PAPANDREOU: THE RAPPROCHEMENT OF GREECE AND TURKEY IS NOT A FAIRY-TALE - - - - - - - - - - - - -

  • NEWS IN DETAIL

    [A] NATIONAL NEWS

    [01] BUS FULL OF PAOK FANS COLLIDES WITH TRUCK, SEVEN DEAD

    A bus full of Thessaloniki's PAOK fans who had travelled to Athens to see their home team play against Panathinaikos collided during the early morning hours today with a truck on the national highway.

    Seven of the 75 passengers were killed in the collision that occurred at 4:50 a.m., while at least thirty have suffered injuries of varying degrees. Four individuals remain trapped inside the bus that fell into a ten-meter ditch after the head-on impact. Rescue efforts are presently underway. Traffic at the highway's Tempi section has been interrupted, with cars being re-routed to alternative roads.

    [02] GREEK TEAM WINS GOLD IN RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS CHAMPIONSHIP

    The Greek team won two gold medals during the group exercise at the World Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships in Osaka, Japan yesterday.

    Greece also won a silver medal on Saturday.

    [03] JAPANESE BUSINESS DELEGATION ARRIVES IN THRACE TODAY

    A delegation of Japanese businessmen is to visit Thrace, in Northern Greece, today, in order to look into the opportunities for economic and trade liaisons with local ventures.

    The Japanese guests, comprising officials from the embassy of Japan and their country's Foreign Trade Organization, are visiting Thrace upon the invitation of the Rodopi-Evros local administration, the Bureaus of Industrial Change and the European Information Center.

    During their two-day stay, the visitors will become acquainted with the region's economic profile and the investment opportunities.

    The event will also feature the participation of officials from the Northern Greece Industries Association and the "Hermes" European program for strengthening ties between the European Union and Japan.

    [04] TRAFFIC AT THESSALONIKI'S "MACEDONIA" AIRPORT UP BY 16.56%

    More than two million passengers were transported through Thessaloniki's Macedonia Airport between January and August 1999, according to the Civil Aviation Agency.

    The increase of 16.56% is attributed to the heightened mobility that resulted from the Kosovo crisis and the presence of NATO troops in the region, a large percentage of whom travelled via the "Macedonia" airport.

    Specifically, 151,000 passengers travelled through Thessaloniki's airport in January, with traffic in February being 131,000, March 171,000, April 240,000, May 264,000, June 328,000, July 418,000 and August 450,000.

    [05] STRONG AFTERSHOCK SHAKES ATHENS, MEASURES 4.1 ON RICHTER

    A strong aftershock registering 4.1 points on the Richter scale occurred at 8:03 last night in Athens, with the epicenter being located in the same site as that of September 7's devastating earthquake, namely Parnitha.

    According to the Thessaloniki Aristotle University's Geophysics Laboratory, the tremor was a normal aftershock.

    [06] INJURED PASSENGERS OF PAOK BUS NOT IN DANGER, 7 OTHERS DEAD

    A bus full of Thessaloniki's PAOK fans who had travelled to Athens to see their home team play against Panathinaikos collided during the early morning hours today with a truck on the national highway, killing seven persons on board and injuring 36 others.

    According to the chairman of the Larisa hospital, three of the injured passengers have undergone surgery, while the other 33 have suffered minor injuries.

    [07] POLICE CHASE TRUCK FULL OF ALIENS, VEHICLE UPSETS IN FLAMES

    A dozen or more police cars chased a truck full of illegal aliens throughout the Kavala- Thessaloniki section of the national highway this morning, leading the frenzied pursuit through residential areas and into the freeway where the vehicle overturned and became engulfed in flames, injuring at least ten of the passengers hidden on the truck's bed.

    According to early reports, the driver, transporting at least 45 illegal immigrants, refused to comply with the highway patrol's call for stop and instead sped away, running through the road blocks set up by police all the way through to Thessaloniki.

    The truck came to a stop after bouncing on a lane of parked cars at the freeway's intersection with Asvestohori, where it overturned and burst into flames.

    The injured passengers have been transported to a Thessaloniki hospital.

    [08] A NEW CHAPTER OPENS IN GREEK-TURKISH BUSINESS TIES

    A new wind is blowing in Greek-Turkish business ties, fuelled by Greece's stance during the deadly quake that devastated northwestern turkey on August 17 and which apparently abated the negative climate created on the aftermath of the Ocalan affair.

    Although a number of naysayers are warning the favorable climate is merely temporary, signficant improvements have already taken place.

    Representatives from Greece's and Turkey's business sector will re-establish contact 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.

    Greece's Economic and Trade Affairs attache Rallou Papazoglou stated that the number of requests filed by Turkish entrepreneurs for cooperation with their Greek counterparts have recently become manifold.

    Turkey could indeed become a significant source of customers for Greece, in spite of the fact that Greek exports to the neighboring country followed a downward trend last year, subverting 1997's significant increases. Specifically, the volume of Greek exports to Turkey amount to USD319.7 million in 1998, whereas in 1997 the figure had risen to USD430.1 million.

    At the same time, the value of "Made in Turkey" goods that were imported to Greece last year rose to USD369,1 million, marking a significant increase from 1997's USD 298,7 million.

    [09] GRIEF FOR THE DEATH OF PAOK FANS

    The tragic death of the young PAOK fans, who were killed when their bus collided with a truck and plunged into a ravine in the region of Tempi, has caused deep grief.

    The names of the dead are Dimitris Andreadakis 25, Charalambos Zapanidis 20, Anastasios Themelis 19, Christina Tziova 18, Kiriakos Lazaridis 17, Giorgos Ganatsios 22 and Asterios Axiotis 68, who was the driver of the truck. Seriously injured are Giorgos Karabelas, Giorgos Dinoudis and Yiannis Tobousis. The condition of the rest of the injured is not serious.

    According to Larisa police director Mr. Stamatiou, the driver of the bus Konstantinos Manolas had given the wheel to the his 19yearold nephew Yiannis Tobousis who did not have professional driver's license.

    [10] GIORGOS TOURSOUNIDIS: TODAY IS A BLACK DAY FOR PAOK

    The family of PAOK was shocked from the death of the football team's young fans. PAOK president Giorgos Batatoudis expressed deep grief and stressed that no one will forget them.

    The team leader Giorgos Toursounidis said that this is a black day in the history of PAOK and stated that the team's players will visit the PAOK fan club in the region of Kordelio, outside Thessaloniki, as well as, the families of the victims.

    Meanwhile, the football club of PAOK receives condolences from football fans from all over Greece and abroad and from football executives. Many PAOK fans have gathered outside the football field in Toumba, Thessaloniki hoping that they will learn more details on the tragic accident and those killed.

    [11] A RETIRED TEACHER INFECTED WITH AIDS HAS SUED TWO HOSPITALS ASKING FOR 500 MILLION DRACHMAS AS COMPENSATION

    A retired teacher, who was infected with the AIDS virus from a blood transfusion, has sued two public hospitals in Athens asking for 500 million drachmas as compensation. The lawsuit of the elderly woman was revealed by the Athens newspaper "TA NEA".

    The woman was infected ten months ago in the Popular Hospital of Athens from the same blood that infected a infant in the maternity hospital "Elena". According to the lawsuit, the infected blood came from a homosexual donor. As it was made known, part of the infected blood had been given to a third patient, a woman who was suffering from cancer and died a few days later in the hospital.

    The two hospitals mention that total safety is not feasible in a blood transfusion as there is a period during which the AIDS infected blood donor has not yet developed the AIDS antibodies and therefore, the virus can not be detected in the blood.

    [12] OPINION POLLS ON THE RE-ELECTION OF PRESIDENT STEPHANOPOULOS AND EARLY ELECTIONS

    According to an opinion poll by V.PRC, 78.8% of those polled are in favor of the re- election of Kostis Stephanopoulos to the Greek presidency, while 47% want the president to be elected by the present parliament. Based on the opinion poll results published in the Athens newspaper "TA NEA", in favor of the re-election is 91.8% of those who declare themselves to be governing socialist party of PASOK followers and 70.8% of the right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy faithful.

    Another opinion poll conducted by the "Opinion" polling company and published in the Athens newspaper "Eleftherotipia", shows that 56% of those polled believe that Kostis Stephanopoulos is the most fit for the presidency. Athens mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos gets 16.1%, Konstantinos Mitsotakis 10.4%, Charilaos Florakis 3.4%, Apostolos Kaklamanis 3.1%, Mikis Theodorakis 2.5%, Ioannis Varvitsiotis 1.5% and Leonidas Kirkos 0.9%.

    Also, 66.2% want the parliamentary elections to be held after the end of the current four-year term, while 26.4% are in favor of early elections.

    The opinion polls include information on the vote intent among the stock market investors. Among the investors, PASOK is leading with 38.8% followed by New Democracy 27.5%, Democratic Social Movement 6.9%, the Communist Party 4%, Coalition of the Left 1.4%, the Liberals 1.1% and Political Spring party 0.7%.

    [13] IMMIGRATION PERMITS OFFERED BY THE UNITED STATES

    The US embassy to Athens announced that starting today and until November 3 visa applications will be accepted submitted by those who want to participate in the immigration diversity program which offers 55.000 visas each year to citizens coming from different countries from all over the world and their recipients will be chosen by lot. The program includes all the European countries except Poland and Britain.

    Those interested should have a high-school degree or a similar diploma or work experience in a subject that needs at least two years of studies or two-year training. There is no application form nor a fee for the participation in the program and those interested must write clearly on a piece of paper in capital letters or type in the Latin alphabet their name, date and place of birth as well as his or her spouse's name, date and place of birth and their children's, who need to be under the age of 21 and wish to go with them.

    [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

    [14] GERMAN CHANCELLOR SCHROEDER CONDUCTS VISIT TO ATHENS

    German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder is embarking on a two-day working visit to Athens today, where he will meet with the President of the Hellenic Repuiblic Kostis Stephanopoulos and other officials.

    Mr. Schroeder will have talks with Prime Minister Costas Simitis on a wide range of European issues while in the evening of the same day the two leaders will attend an event celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Greek- German Chamber of Commerce.

    Mr. Simitis told a German daily that Mr. Schroeder's visit "confirms once more the close cooperation Greece and Germany have on all levels and seals the friendly sentiments between the people of the two countries.

    "The two countries are united above all by the attempt to build a united European home. They are united by the attempt to respond to the great challenges facing Europe, at the most decisive point in developments, on the threshold of 2000," he said.

    He added that solidarity should provide the basis for the seeking of effective answers to issues of vital importance and that joint positions and joint action should provide the answer for the European Union on critical matters such as foreign policy. He said he was optimistic that a new Europe of peace, democracy, freedom, prosperity and social justice was being born.

    "Greece and Germany have and will continue to have a definitive contribution to winning this wager with the future," Mr. Simitis said.

    Mr. Schroeder's visit will focus primarily on three axes: Firstly, European policy issues including, according to reports, promotion of institutional reforms in the European Union - where Greece and Germany have diverging views - and the prospect of Greece's participation in the euro zone as of Jan. 1, 2001.

    Secondly, stabilization in the Balkans after the Kosovo crisis through the Stability Pact and the European prospects of countries in the region.

    Finally, Greek-Turkish relations and the Cyprus issue, given the German chancellor's commitment for Turkey to be granted candidate status for EU accession at the Helsinki summit in December.

    [15] GREEK FM IN ISTANBUL, WILL MEET WITH TURKISH COUNTERPART

    Greece's Foreign Minister George Papandreou arrived in Istanbul yesterday at the invitation of the "Taxim Intellectuals Club" to address its members and guests regarding the new international environment in the region and on prospects in Greek-Turkish relations.

    Mr. Papandreou is scheduled to meet with his Turkish counterpart Ismail Cem today and will deliver a speech at Istanbul University on the role of the society of citizens and of the two peoples in shaping the climate in Greek- Turkish relations.

    The Greek Foreign Minister will also meet with Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos.

    [16] GREEK FM ADDRESSES TAXIM INTELLECTUALS CLUB IN ISTANBUL

    Greece's Foreign Minister George Papandreou, presently in Istanbul, addressed the "Taxim Intellectuals Club" yesterday where he stressed that Cyprus remains a key issue to lasting good relations between Greece and Turkey.

    In his address, Mr. Papandreou urged both sides to profit from the mood of unprecedented warmth created by the devastating earthquakes that struck both countries, albeit warning that "we must avoid creating high expectations -- we must see this as a long-term process ... But we must keep our hopes high."

    The Foreign Minister reiterated Greece's support for Turkey's membership in the European but added that for its candidacy to be credible, Turkey must fulfil the political and economic reforms demanded by the EU, such as democratic improvements in the fields of human rights and minority rights, he said.

    Regarding Cyprus, Mr. Papandreou said that Athens would like to see a "demilitarized ... bi- cultural Cyprus," with exchanges of visits between the Greek and Turkish communities of the island.

    Mr. Papandreou dedicated his speech to the victims of the killer quakes that hit northwestern Turkey on August 17 and Athens on September 7. Upon his arrival yesterday, he immediately toured quake-stricken areas.

    [17] SERB OPPOSITION LEADER: CAR ACCIDENT WAS ATTEMPT ON MY LIFE

    Serbian opposition leader Vuk Draskovic claimed to have been the victim of an assassination attempt Sunday, after being involved in a car crash in which four of his team died.

    As the French news agency AFP reported, Mr. Draskovic, president of the Serbian Renewal Movement (SPO), told Studio B television that the car crash was an "obvious assassination attempt".

    The car in which Draskovic was travelling swerved off the road to avoid hitting a truck. The car in which Draskovic's security team was travelling hit the lorry head-on, killing everyone, except Mr. Draskovic.

    [18] GREECE, ALBANIA COOPERATE IN COMBATING WHITE COLLAR CRIME

    The opportunities to cooperate in the combat of "white collar" crime were examined by Greek and Albanian experts during a meeting in Gjirocaster.

    According to local press reports, the participants set the premises for establishing cooperation, agreeing on regularly-held meetings between the central and local authorities of both countries.

    [19] VARTHOLOMEOS-PAPANDREOU MEETING

    Greek foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou, who is in Istanbul at the invitation of the "Taksim Circle" club of intellectuals, met with Ecumenical Patriarch Vatholomeos and they discussed the issue of the re-opening of the Theology School in Chalki.

    Mr. Papandreou reiterated Greece's peace message to Turkey and stated that there are a number of problems between the two countries, stressing that with patience and goodwill from both sides there will be friendship between the two peoples and peace will prevail in the region.

    This afternoon, Mr. Papandreou had a meeting with his Turkish counterpart Ismail Cem.

    [20] A GREEK UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR WILL OPEN THE NEW ACADEMIC YEAR IN ANKARA'S POLYTECHNIC SCHOOL

    Dean committee president Spiros Kiritsis will formally open today the new academic year of 1999-2000 in Ankara's Middle East School of Polytechnic.

    The Greek professor participates in an event within the framework of the Greek-Turkish rapprochement and according to the Turkish newspaper "Hurriyet", after the opening ceremony the Middle East School of Polytechnic dean Suha Sevuk will give a joint press conference with Mr. Kiritsis.

    [21] MOVING GESTURE BY A GREEK-AMERICAN TOWARD TURKISH PRIME MINISTER ECEVIT

    Greek waiter Dimitris Chrisomalis 64 years old, was for hours in front of Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York waiting to see Turkish prime minister Bulent Ecevit and give him a brief letter and a 75dollar cheque for the earthquake victims in Turkey.

    Dimitris Chrisomalis, who works as a waiter in the hotel where Ecevit was staying, stated to the Turkish newspaper "Sabah" that the scenes of the disaster caused by the earthquake he saw on television moved him and when he learned that the Turkish prime minister was in New York he wanted to give him the cheque and the letter. He said that when Ecevit saw his name written on the cheque he realized that he was Greek and they hugged each other. Mr. Chrisomalis stated that this was a moment he will never forget.

    [22] LE FIGARO: GREECE IS THE CRADLE OF EUROPE

    Greece, the cradle of European culture, emerges from the artifacts presented in the European exhibition under the title "Europe in the times of Ulysses - Gods and Heroes in the Bronze Age" which is being held in the Grand Palais Museum of Paris.

    About 500 artifacts from the Bronze Age that came from all over Europe, among them 90 from the museums of Thiva, Iraklion, Nafplion, Naxos and Thira, show that Europe is a cultural entity with common history while they remind that the cradle of culture is Greece.

    The common European culture is evident in the exhibition, points out among others the French newspaper "Le Figaro", stressing that the Bronze Age took a specific form in the period of Mycenae. The French newspaper also underlines that Mycenae is the cradle of Greece and Greece is the cradle of Europe.

    The exhibition has already visited Copenhagen and Bonn, while it will be in Paris until January 9, 2000 and on February 11, 2000 it will open at the Archeological Museum of Athens.

    [23] PAPANDREOU: THE RAPPROCHEMENT OF GREECE AND TURKEY IS NOT A FAIRY-TALE

    Greek foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou during his informal visit to Istanbul, expressed the view that the "unfreezing" of the Greek- Turkish relations and the rapprochement of Athens and Ankara is not just a nice fairy-tale but the result of the two peoples' wish for the strengthening of the ties between them.

    Mr. Papandreou stated in his speech in the University of Istanbul that it is time to dare the impossible and added that certain people are describing the recent state of the Greek-Turkish relations as a fairy-tale. He said that the last "Berlin Wall" should come down and that Cyprus and all of us should be saved from this burden. Mr. Papandreou also expressed his support to Turkey's efforts aimed at becoming an EU member- state, stressing that certain pre-conditions should be met by Ankara in order to be accepted in the European Union.

    In conclusion, Mr. Papandreou stated that there are a number of problems in the relations of the two countries but he stressed that with patience and goodwill from both sides friendship will be achieved between the two peoples and peace will prevail in the region.

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