Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 99-12-01
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, December 1, 1999
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] MACEDONIA THRACE MINISTER INAUGURATES SAE
YOUTH CONGRESS
[02] SAE WORLD YOUTH CONFERENCE OPENS IN
THESSALONIKI TODAY
[03] PRESIDENT OF HELLENIC REPUBLIC TO VISIT
PORTUGAL TOMORROW
[04] US EMBASSY HOSTS INTERNATIONAL TOURISM
EVENT IN ATHENS
[05] SAE TO HOLD THIRD CONFERENCE IN
THESSALONIKI THIS WEEK
[06] THESSALONIKI HOSTS EXPATRIATE ENTREPRENEURS
1ST CONGRESS
[07] MPA TO HOST INTER-BALKAN CONFERENCE ON
REGIONAL PEACE
[08] SAE PRESIDENT HAILS WORLD YOUTH CONGRESS AS
HISTORIC EVENT
[09] DEPUTY FM: EXPATRIATE YOUTH A PART OF
UNITY'S STRATEGIC PLAN
[10] SAE'S WORLD YOUTH CONGRESS IS UNDERWAY IN
THESSALONIKI
[11] THE GREEK PRESIDENT WILL VISIT PORTUGAL
TOMORROW
[12] THE YOUNG GREEKS LIVING ABROAD ARE A
FOUNTAIN OF LIFE FOR THE WORLD COUNCIL OF
HELLENES ABROAD
[13] PAPAZOI: THE ISSUE OF THE PARTHENON MARBLES
WAS DEALT WITH BY THE BRITISH IN A NEGATIVE WAY
[14] SIX CHILDREN ARE INFECTED WITH AIDS EVERY
MINUTE AROUND THE WORLD
[15] THE TRUE POWER OF HELLENISM
[16] SAE WILL HAVE A MORE DYNAMIC ROLE FOR THE
GREEKS AROUND THE WORLD
[17] THESSALONIKI'S MACEDONIA AIRPORT IS ONE OF
THE MOST MODERN IN EUROPE
[18] NEW LOSSES IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
[19] NIOTIS: TURKEY'S WESTERNIZING CAN TAKE
PLACE UNDER PRE-CONDITIONS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[20] FOREIGN MINISTER CONTINUES OFFICIAL VISIT
TO MOSCOW
[21] LONDON CONFERENCE ON MARBLES HAS BOTH
POINTS OF VIEW
[22] ATHENS WOULD GIVE HUMANITARIAN AID TO
CHECHNYA MIGRANTS
[23] GREEK FM: IT'S NOT NATO'S PREROGATIVE TO
SAY WHO BUYS WHAT
[24] GREEK FM OPENS MOSCOW EVENT "UNDER SKIES OF
SACRED GREECE"
[25] BULGARIA SATISFIED OVER KOZLODUI
COMPROMISE WITH EU
[26] THE RUSSIAN PRESIDENT SUFFERS FROM
PNEUMONIA
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NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] MACEDONIA THRACE MINISTER INAUGURATES SAE
YOUTH CONGRESS
The Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Yiannis
Magriotis declared the commencement of the First
World Youth Congress of the Council of Greeks
Abroad (SAE) in Thessaloniki this morning.
Mr. Magriotis stated that the Ministry will
participate in the initiatives to be taken by
the European Youth Congress delegates, as well
as those from the other continents, while he
expressed his satisfaction at having ascertained
that significant steps have been taken by the
participants in terms of organization and
structure, which have resulted in a number of
interesting points of view and proposals.
Minister Magriotis pledged that his
ministry will always be at the core of the
overseas youth's thoughts.
[02] SAE WORLD YOUTH CONFERENCE OPENS IN
THESSALONIKI TODAY
The first world youth conference of the
Council of Greeks Abroad (SAE) opened in
Thessaloniki today, featuring the participation
of approximately 200 delegates who were
appointed during the five regional conferences,
one for each continent.
The body will elect a number of delegates
that will represent SAE Youth in the Regional
and World Conventions of SAE that will take
place December 3-8, 1999.
The participants will review all the
proposals and suggestions submitted at the April
convention, which are classified into three
sections, as follows:
a. Issues that can be addressed directly by
the young Hellenes abroad e.g. Internet
networking etc.
b. Issues that require the help of the Greek
State e.g. university programs in Greece, and
c. Issues that involve the participation of
and cooperation among the young Hellenes of the
N. & S. America Region and the other SAE Regions
worldwide.
[03] PRESIDENT OF HELLENIC REPUBLIC TO VISIT
PORTUGAL TOMORROW
The President of the Republic Costis
Stephanopoulos will embark on a four-day, state
visit to Portugal tomorrow, at the invitation of
his Portuguese counterpart Jorge Sampaio with
whom he will hold talks.
In addition to Mr. Sampaio, President
Stephanopoulos will also meet with Portuguese
Prime Minister Antonio Guterres. Mr.
Stephanopoulos will inaugurate the new Greek
embassy building in Lisbon and an exhibition of
Byzantine icons at the Jeronimos Monastery.
The Greek president will be accompanied by
deputy foreign minister Christos Rokofyllos.
[04] US EMBASSY HOSTS INTERNATIONAL TOURISM
EVENT IN ATHENS
Delegates from 31 countries are to attend
an international tourism infrastructure
conference which opens in Athens today.
The three-day conference, held by the
United States embassy, aims at bringing closer
US companies and firms from Armenia, Austria,
Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Georgia,
Greece, Estonia, FYROM, Spain, Israel, Italy,
Croatia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Great
Britain, the Netherlands, Uzbekistan, Ukraine,
Palestine, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Sweden,
Turkey and Finland.
The US delegation will include
representatives from the Commerce and State
Departments, Export-Import Bank, the
Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA),
the Overseas Private Investment Corporation
(OPIC) and US ambassadors from around the world.
Originally to be held in Thessaloniki, the
conference was postponed earlier in the year due
to the crisis in Yugoslavia.
US ambassador to Athens Nicholas Burns has
stated that Greek-American economic relations
were steadily expanding after starting from a
low level. He said that US companies were soon
expected to show their interest in the Greek
market, which they viewed as fast growing and
with a healthy outlook linked to its anticipated
entry into the euro zone.
[05] SAE TO HOLD THIRD CONFERENCE IN
THESSALONIKI THIS WEEK
The forum of overseas Greek entrepreneurs,
scientists, artists and overseas Greek women
will be held in Thessaloniki on December 3-4,
while over one thousand Greeks from all five
continents will attend the World Council of
Hellenes (SAE) Third International Assembly,
also to be held in the northern capital between
December 5-8.
The event will be opened by Prime Minister
Costas Simitis and will be attended, among
others, by President Costis Stephanopoulos,
Cyprus President Glafcos Clerides and several
party leaders.
The SAE's third council will elect an 11-
member presidium, while, according to reports,
SAE President Andrew Athens will seek his re-
election for the third time.
[06] THESSALONIKI HOSTS EXPATRIATE ENTREPRENEURS
1ST CONGRESS
The First World Congress of Expatriated
Entrepreneurs is to be held in Thessaloniki on
Saturday, December 4, illustrating the city's
role as a Balkan reconstruction center.
The congress, which will be held within the
framework of the World Council of Hellenes (SAE)
Third International Assembly, to be held in
Thessaloniki between December 5-8, will review
Greece's role as a starting point for the
development of economic cooperation with Balkan
and Black Sea countries.
Participants will have the opportunity to
discuss potential ventures in the sectors of
industry, exporting, trade, banking,
construction, energy, telecommunications,
transportation, high technology and tourism. The
event will be inaugurated by the Minister of
Macedonia-Thrace Yiannis Magriotis.
[07] MPA TO HOST INTER-BALKAN CONFERENCE ON
REGIONAL PEACE
The Macedonian Press Agency is to host a
journalism conference, titled "the Prospect of
Inter-Balkan cooperation after Kosovo: the Role
of the Media", which will be attended by senior
journalists from 60 of the Balkan region's
largest media organizations.
The event, to be held in Thessaloniki on
December 10-11, will feature the participation
of leading journalists from Albania, Bulgaria,
Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Czech Republic, FYROM,
Moldova, Romania, Slovenia, Turkey and
Yugoslavia, as well as directors and chief
editors from Greece's largest media.
The strife-torn region of Kosovo will also
be represented at the conference; the publisher
of the "Koha Ditore" daily Beton Suroi will
attend, as well as the director of the "Rilidia"
daily Plerim Reka, the journalist-historian
Skelcem Ratsa, and others.
Moreover, the event will feature the
participation of officials from the United
Nations and the Organization for Security and
Cooperation in Europe, as well as FYROM's
alternate Minister of Press and Information
Dragi Arsov and Albania's Minister of Press Musa
Oulkini.
The conference is taking place under the
auspices of the Ministries of Press and Mass
Media, Development, and Macedonia-Thrace, as
well as with the assistance of the Thessaloniki
Trade and Industry Chamber and the Northern
Greece's Journalists Association.
[08] SAE PRESIDENT HAILS WORLD YOUTH CONGRESS AS
HISTORIC EVENT
"A day of renewal, full of hope and
expectations", was the characterization given by
the President of the Council of Greeks Abroad
(SAE) Andrew Athens to SAE's First World Youth
Congress which opened in Thessaloniki's "I.
Vellidis" Conference Center his morning.
Specifically, Mr. Athens stated that "this
marks the first time in the history of Hellenism
where young men and women from all corners of
the world gather in Thessaloniki, the capital of
expatriated Greeks, to celebrate their cultural
heritage and establish close ties among them, as
well as with Greece and Orthodoxy, and gaze the
future along with SAE."
Moreover, Mr. Athens called the event a
crossroads in SAE's history and presented his
own challenge, which is, in his words,
"inspired by SAE's commitment to provide
assistance to the expatriated community,
wherever there is great need.
"As such, I call on you to display your
commitment through the establishment of an
international structure that will provide a hand
of assistance to the Greek communities in Greece
and abroad. This assistance can be
philanthropic, educational or any other form
that may be necessary. Let's create our own
Hellenic Youth Corps within our own communities
as citizens of the world," he stated.
[09] DEPUTY FM: EXPATRIATE YOUTH A PART OF
UNITY'S STRATEGIC PLAN
Greece's deputy Foreign Minister Grigoris
Niotis saluted the First World Youth Congress of
the Council of Greeks Abroad (SAE), presently
held in Thessaloniki.
Mr. Niotis stated that today's historical
gathering completes and seals a course which is
inclusive of the belief of continuance, the
youth's participation in the institutional-
strategic plan of uniting the Hellenes, a plan
currently under execution and which is
constantly being transformed from a geo-
political and geo-economic point of view.
Moreover, Mr. Niotis made extensive
references to the strategy of the networks
established by the Greek communities abroad,
stating that the said strategy envisages the
promotion of a unified Greek community of 17
million expatriates throughout the world.
Namely, Mr. Niotis outlined the
establishment of the Greek Diaspora Youth
Network which is being formed in order to fill
the gap in relations between the metropolitan
center and the Diaspora.
He stated that the newer generations of
Greeks living abroad are called on to harmonize
their course as citizens in the host countries
with the knowledge of the Greek heritage,
language and culture, as well as orthodoxy.
The deputy foreign minister also stressed
that, in light of the new millennium, Greece
will need the contribution of the expatriated
Greek community in the multi-cultural
environment, so as to form a strategy for
language-related issues, orthodoxy and Greek
culture in the global community.
[10] SAE'S WORLD YOUTH CONGRESS IS UNDERWAY IN
THESSALONIKI
The 1st World Youth Congress of the World
Council of Hellenes Abroad, SAE, is underway in
Thessaloniki. Greek deputy foreign minister
Grigoris Niotis stressed that this historic 1st
World Organizing Congress marks the beginning of
a course that incorporates the philosophy of
continuance and the participation of the young
Greeks in the institutional planning of the
unity of Hellenism.
World Council of Hellenes Abroad president
Andrew Athens stated that this is a day of
rebirth full of hope and expectations. Mr.
Athens spoke of a crossroads in SAE's history
and presented his own proposal for assistance to
the Greeks living abroad.
Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Yiannis
Magriotis addressing the young Greeks
participating in the congress underlined that
they will be the Greeks of the 21st century,
while referring to the operation of SAE he
stressed that its activities were productive and
creative.
[11] THE GREEK PRESIDENT WILL VISIT PORTUGAL
TOMORROW
Greek president Kostis Stephanopoulos will
embark on a four-day state visit to Portugal
tomorrow, at the invitation of his Portuguese
counterpart Jorge Sampaio with whom he will hold
talks. In addition to Mr. Sampaio, President
Stephanopoulos will also meet with Portuguese
Prime Minister Antonio Guterres.
Mr. Stephanopoulos will visit the
Portuguese Chamber of Commerce and he will
inaugurate the new Greek embassy building in
Lisbon as well as an exhibition of Byzantine
icons at the Jeronimos Monastery. Mr.
Stephanopoulos' visit has an additional
significance due to the fact that Portugal will
take over the EU presidency on January 1, 2000.
The president will return to Athens on Saturday
afternoon.
[12] THE YOUNG GREEKS LIVING ABROAD ARE A
FOUNTAIN OF LIFE FOR THE WORLD COUNCIL OF
HELLENES ABROAD
This year was the year of the young Greeks
living abroad and there could be no future for
Hellenism abroad without their active
participation underlined Dimitris Dollis,
general secretary responsible for the Greeks
living abroad, speaking in the 1st World
Organizing Congress of the Young Greeks living
abroad which is underway in Thessaloniki's
"Ioannis Vellidis" Conference Center.
Mr. Dollis stated that the young Greeks of
the Diaspora have proved with their
participation in different organizations abroad
and the present congress that they have both the
will and the dynamism necessary to cooperate
with the older generations in the new course
that is being drawn up for the Greeks abroad at
the dawn of the 21st century, while they have
also proved that they care for the preservation
of the Greek cultural identity.
[13] PAPAZOI: THE ISSUE OF THE PARTHENON MARBLES
WAS DEALT WITH BY THE BRITISH IN A NEGATIVE WAY
Greek minister of culture Elisavet Papazoi
stated in the Greek Federation of the culture
ministry employees conference that the Greek
scientists were not satisfied with the way the
British Museum management handled the issue of
the Parthenon Marbles.
Ms. Papazoi stated that the conference on
the maintenance of the Parthenon Marbles was
organized with the sole purpose to create
impressions. Ms. Papazoi added that the
observations made by the British side were
scientifically unfounded contrary to the
scientific observations made by the Greek side.
[14] SIX CHILDREN ARE INFECTED WITH AIDS EVERY
MINUTE AROUND THE WORLD
Six children are infected with AIDS each
minute around the world and the plague of the
century hits mostly Africa.
According to figures provided by UNICEF, on
the occasion of December 1st, the World Day
Against AIDS, 2 million Africans died from AIDS
in 1998, while the people killed in armed
clashes across the world were 200.000 last year.
Based on official figures, 48% of the AIDS
cases are in south and east Africa, home to 4.8%
of the world's population. According to UNAIDS
and the World Health Organization, 12.200.000
women and 10.000.000 men have AIDS in the
African countries south of the Sahara, while
16.3 million people have died from AIDS
worldwide since the epidemic first appeared.
[15] THE TRUE POWER OF HELLENISM
"The true leader of the planet is me,
because of the two of us, only I have a world
network", said World Council of Hellenes Abroad,
SAE, president Andrew Athens in the meeting he
had in Intercontinental Hotel with US president
Bill Clinton during his recent visit to Greece.
Mr. Athens, who is a close friend of Mr.
Clinton for many years, asked the US president
in that meeting to become more clear regarding
the issues of Greek national importance. The
above were revealed by undersecretary of foreign
affairs Grigoris Niotis in Thessaloniki within
the framework of the 1st World Youth Congress.
Responding to a relevant question, the SAE
president stated that Mr. Clinton was very
satisfied with his trip to Greece and with the
talks he had with the Greek government. Mr.
Athens also stated that Mr. Clinton will make an
effort to materialize everything that was
discussed with prime minister Kostas Simitis.
Mr. Athens expressed the belief that before the
end of his term in the US presidency Mr. Clinton
will try to win a solution for the Cyprus
problem in order to present it as a success.
[16] SAE WILL HAVE A MORE DYNAMIC ROLE FOR THE
GREEKS AROUND THE WORLD
The dynamic role the young Greeks abroad
can play in the effort of the Greeks around the
world to meet their goals, was underlined by
minister of Macedonia-Thrace Yiannis Magriotis
stressing the importance of the activities of
the World Council of the Hellenes Abroad, SAE,
in the four years of its operation. He stated
that SAE was active in a productive and creative
way in many sectors.
Speaking in a joint press conference with
SAE president Andrew Athens, parliament
committee on the Greeks abroad president
Dimitris Pantermalis, general secretary
responsible for the Greeks abroad Dimitris
Dollis and new generation general secretary
Petros Sfikakis, Mr. Magriotis referred to the
initiatives undertaken by SAE especially in
offering support to the Greeks around the world,
in countries where the social and political
changes of the past years brought them to a very
difficult spot. He referred to the Greeks in the
former Soviet Union as well as to those in
Albania and to SAE's work mainly for their moral
and social backing, stressing that the focal
point in SAE's activities was the sector of
health.
Undersecretary of foreign affairs Grigoris
Niotis stated that based on the presidential
decree SAE is referred to as World Council of
the Greek Diaspora and it is a advisory body of
the Greek state on issues concerning the Greeks
living abroad and operates as an autonomous non
governmental organization. The participation in
SAE it is determined based on the relevant
presidential decree.
SAE's presiding board will be made up of 11
members instead of 9, and specifically will be
made up of the president, the deputy president,
5 vice-presidents, a treasurer and 3 secretaries
who will serve for a two-year term.
From his side, SAE president Andrew Athens
referred to its activities in the past 4 years
underlining its work in the social sector, while
he made a special reference to the establishment
of a health center in south Albanian in
cooperation with Archbishop Anastasios of Tirana
and All of Albania.
[17] THESSALONIKI'S MACEDONIA AIRPORT IS ONE OF
THE MOST MODERN IN EUROPE
Thessaloniki's Macedonia Airport is not
inadequate and in the following years it will
become one of the most modern in Europe when the
140 billion drachmas development projects which
are underway will be completed.
The above were stated by an airport
official who stressed that the airport's
characterization as inadequate in the secret
airport report conducted on behalf of the German
drivers club, ADAC, is unfair. The airport
official said that the observations made can not
be used as an excuse in order to describe it as
a problematic airport, as it is mentioned in
German newspapers, neither can be regarded as
serious problems.
He pointed out that the airport's parking
space has a capacity of 700 cars and it
completely satisfies the needs of the
passengers, also the people can use the city
buses and taxis for their transportation to and
from the airport. The airport's small size
facilitates the passengers while those who want
to make a short visit to the city can leave
their luggage to the well-organized Left Luggage
Room. According to the airport official, the
police patrols in the airport area create a
sense of security to the passengers, while the
airport will soon have new seats in its waiting
areas.
[18] NEW LOSSES IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
The Athens Stock Exchange general index had
losses of 1.02% today and closed at 5.653,94
failing to maintain the pace that led to the
explosive gains of last Friday and Monday.
In spite of the fact that the investors
were expecting more gains today as a
continuation of the significant recovery
recorded in the past few days it appears that
they were not expecting such a big dive.
As a result the transactions today were
characterized by nervousness and the purchase of
stocks recorded in the past few days gave its
place to massive liquidation of stocks, while
investors showed a renewed interest in stocks of
small to medium capitalization withdrawing their
interest from the bank shares and the blue chips
that were the most favorite of the past few days
in the Athens Stock Exchange.
[19] NIOTIS: TURKEY'S WESTERNIZING CAN TAKE
PLACE UNDER PRE-CONDITIONS
Greece wants Turkey to become Europeanized
under the pre-condition that it will proceed
with the democratization of its institutions, it
will respect human rights and the inviolability
of the borders and will lift its claims against
Greece, stated undersecretary of foreign affairs
Grigoris Niotis speaking on Greece's foreign
policy and the Greeks living abroad.
On the Cyprus issue, Mr. Niotis stressed
that Greece wants Cyprus to be free, united and
independent on the basis of a two-zone and two-
community federation, while he reiterated
Greece's firm position that Cyprus must become a
member of the EU regardless of whether there
will be a solution to the Cyprus problem.
Mr. Niotis gave a special emphasis to the
role Greece is called to play in the Balkan
region, stressing that Greece participates
actively in the initiative for the
reconstruction of the Balkans and the Stability
Pact.
He also characterized as absolutely
successful for the country the government's
stance in the Kossovo crisis because it managed
on one hand to maintain its role as a factor of
stability in the region while on the other hand
it did not upset its relations with the European
Union and NATO, adding that the Greek
humanitarian aid is second in size only to that
offered by Germany.
Referring to the situation existing in the
region of Kossovo, he underlined that he is not
pleased with the course of disarmament so far,
stressing that the Serbs are the persecuted
minority while the imminent elections will give
a political character to the problems.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[20] FOREIGN MINISTER CONTINUES OFFICIAL VISIT
TO MOSCOW
Foreign Minister George Papandreou is
continuing his visit to Moscow where he met
yesterday with his Russian counterpart Igor
Ivanov.
In a joint press conference, Messrs.
Papandreou and Ivanov stated that Greece and
Russia keep a permanent political dialogue on
bilateral problems and topical international
issues, while they also gave a positive
assessment to the results of the recent OSCE
summit in Istanbul. Mr. Ivanov stated that the
documents stemming from the summit create a
basis for the further strengthening of stability
and security on the European continent.
Referring to the situation in Chechnya, Mr.
Papandreou stated that Greece insists on the
soonest settlement of the conflict in a peaceful
way and is deeply concerned over the fate of
civilians in the region.
[21] LONDON CONFERENCE ON MARBLES HAS BOTH
POINTS OF VIEW
An international, two day conference
opened in London yesterday, where the
participants, 200 historians and archaeologists,
are reviewing the conclusions reached by the
experts who examined the damage caused to the
Parthenon marbles by the British Museum's
cleaning methods.
According to press report, the museum's
curator, Ian Jenkins, sought to present his
predecessors' cleaning techniques in the best
possible light. He admitted that 40 percent of
the Marbles had been affected, but stopped short
of saying they were "damaged". Mr. Jenkins
stated that "the 1930s cleaning event colors,
but does not change, the overall responsibility
of the Museum's commitment to safeguarding the
Marbles."
[22] ATHENS WOULD GIVE HUMANITARIAN AID TO
CHECHNYA MIGRANTS
Greece is ready to render humanitarian
assistance to migrants from Chechnya as need be,
Foreign Minister George Papandreou said at a
news conference held during his official visit
to Moscow yesterday, where he met with his
Russian counterpart Igor Ivanov.
Messrs. Ivanov and Papandreou discussed the
situation in Northern Caucasus, including
Chechnya, where the Greek FM stated that Athens'
position on the matter coincides with the
European Union's stand.
Specifically, Mr. Papandreou stated that
Greece insists on the preservation of the
Russian territorial integrity and does not trust
the separatist movement in Chechnya.
[23] GREEK FM: IT'S NOT NATO'S PREROGATIVE TO
SAY WHO BUYS WHAT
Greece is interested in developing military-
technical cooperation with Russia,
Foreign Minister George Papandreou stated
at a news conference in Moscow yesterday, while
he noted that Athens has bought and continues to
buy armaments from Russia.
Asked whether the Greek-Russian military-
technical cooperation creates problems for
Athens in NATO, Mr. Papandreou said it was not a
prerogative of NATO to decide which armament
types should be bought by its member-countries.
It is just a matter of the compatibility of the
armament systems Greece buys from Russia with
the systems used by the alliance, he added.
[24] GREEK FM OPENS MOSCOW EVENT "UNDER SKIES OF
SACRED GREECE"
Greece's Foreign Minister George Papandreou
and his Russian counterpart Igor Ivanov opened
an exhibition with the theme "Under Skies of
Sacred Greece" at the Pushkin Fine Arts Museum
in Moscow yesterday, where the two ministers
noted the long-standing tradition of relations
between the two peoples.
"The very name of the exhibition is
symbolic," Mr. Ivanov said, adding that it is
vivid testimony of the spirituality and mutual
understanding of Russian intellectuals in their
attitude to Greece, and a bridge from the past
to the present and the future.
In turn, Mr. Papandreou stated that it
would have been impossible to imagine
celebrations of the 200th birth anniversary of
poet Alexander Pushkin without Greece, adding
that Greece was a source of inspiration and a
model of beauty and democracy for Pushkin and
many of his compatriots.
According to the Russian news agency Itar-
Tass, the exhibition displays verses, stories,
letters, diaries and pictures by hand of Pushkin
and his circle, inspired by the Greece uprising
of 1821. It also features engravings from
pictures of Russian artists who traveled in
Greece during that time.
[25] BULGARIA SATISFIED OVER KOZLODUI
COMPROMISE WITH EU
The nuclear-security related commitments
undertaken by those Eastern European countries
which are candidates for accession have been
deemed as sufficiently positive by the European
Union.
Specifically, these commitments concern the
shutting down of old reactors which cannot be
updated. Bulgaria has announced that it intends
to close four old reactors at the Kozlodui
nuclear power plant before the year 2006.
Moreover, the European Union has pledged
economic assistance to support the energy
sectors of these countries, albeit under certain
terms.
As Bulgaria, Lithuania and Slovakia meet
the terms set forth by the EU, they are expected
to receive an invitation during next week's
Helsinki Summit to embark on accession
negotiations.
[26] THE RUSSIAN PRESIDENT SUFFERS FROM
PNEUMONIA
Russian president Boris Yeltsin suffers
from pneumonia, according to Kremlin's press
spokesman. Dmitri Yakusin formally confirmed the
rumors that had circulated in Moscow. According
to the press spokesman, the Russian president is
still in hospital where he receives treatment.
Meanwhile, Russian minister of defense Igor
Sergeyev stated that the military operations
against the Chechen rebels will be completed in
three months.
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