Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2001-03-02
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, March 2, 2001
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
TITLES
[Á] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] ALOIS BRUNNER TRIED IN ABSENTIA TODAY IN PARIS
[02] DETROP FOOD FAIR OPENS TODAY IN THESSALONIKI
[03] GREEKS IN RUSSIA EXHIBITION FEATURED IN MOSCOW
[04] AUSTRALIAN CONSULTANTS HIRED BY ATHENS 2004
[05] MINISTERS MEET IN TIRANA FOR CRIME COMBAT
[06] SIMITIS: A DOUBLE NAME FOR FYROM WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED
[07] MEETING OF GREEK AND TURKISH FILM CRITICS
[08] THE BRITISH METROPOLITAN POLICE CHIEF WILL VISIT GREECE
[09] US STATE DEPARTMENT REPORT ON THE DRUG SITUATION IN GREECE
[10] GAINS IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
[11] ZAFIROPOULOS WILL VISIT HOLLAND IN APRIL
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[12] DOLLIS: GREECE PLAYS A STABILIZING ROLE IN THE BALKANS
[13] ALOIS BRUNNER RECEIVED A LIFE SENTENCE IN ABSENTIA
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] ALOIS BRUNNER TRIED IN ABSENTIA TODAY IN PARIS
Nazi official and war criminal Alois Brunner, who
masterminded the deportation of Thessaloniki's 50,000 Jews to
death camps during World War II, will be tried in absentia today
at the Paris Assize Court.
Brunner, who is of Austrian descent, was an SS lieutenant who
espoused the German citizenship in order to gain ascent in
Hitler's regime hierarchy. He not only is the perpetrator of the
destruction of Thessaloniki Jewish community -having organized 19,
in all, missions to the crematoriums- but he also led 24,000 Jews
in France's Drancy concentration camp during World War II.
According to Nazi-hunter Simon Wiesenthal, Brunner is in
Syria if he is alive.
"We know that he is no longer in the apartment where he
lived" in Damascus, Wiesenthal told the French news agency AFP,
albeit adding "Syria is big enough to hide such a man."
Brunner was suspected of having sought refuge in Syria in the
1950s.
"He is in Syria if he is still alive," Mr. Wiesenthal added,
saying that Brunner would now be 88 years old.
Brunner ran the Drancy internment camp outside Paris, from
where Jews were deported to camps in Germany and Eastern Europe.
He is also held responsible for massive deportations of Jews from
Vienna and Slovakia.
This will not be the first time Brunner will be tried in
absentia; a trial was held in 1954 in Paris, followed by another
two years later in Marseilles, and in both cases he was handed the
death penalty.
French lawyer Serge Klarsfeld, who is intent on finding Brunner
since his father was among the lieutenant's victims, stated that
today's trial will focus on Brunner's involvement in the mass
killings that took place at Drancy's concentration camp.
French authorities have repeatedly raised the Brunner matter
to Syria, while French President Jacques Chiraq, during his 1996
visit to Damascus, had requested from the then-president Hafez al
Assad that he investigate the matter.
[02] DETROP FOOD FAIR OPENS TODAY IN THESSALONIKI
The 16th international DETROP foodstuffs, beverages,
machinery and equipment exhibition, organized by Helexpo, will be
inaugurated today by the Minister of Agriculture George Anomeritis
at Thessaloniki's exhibition center.
The biannual fair, whose theme this year will be the benefits
and quality of the Mediterranean diet, will showcase products from
498 Greek and 618 foreign exhibitors.
This year's participation is of a larger scale compared to
last year when 939 exhibitors took part, 37 percent of whom were
from abroad. Bulgaria, Italy and Poland are among the featured
countries, while direct foreign exhibitors are from seven
countries and the indirect from 27.
An International Wine Competition is also being held on
DETROP's sidelines, aiming to present the world's quality wines
and to further promote and expand the wine culture in the
Mediterranean region.
The competition is organized by the Ambelonas Vinters Union
and held under the auspices of Office International de la Vigne et
du Vin and several Greek wine agencies.
The judges committee will comprise Greek and foreign wine
experts, producers and journalists.
[03] GREEKS IN RUSSIA EXHIBITION FEATURED IN MOSCOW
An exhibition entitled "Greeks in Russia" was inaugurated at
the Russian History Museum on Moscow's Red Square yesterday,
commemorating the 10 years since the establishment of the
Federation of Greek Communities in Russia.
Organized by the Greek Embassy, the exhibition features
artifacts and documents attesting to the presence of Greece in the
region from antiquity to the present, while documents of the Greek
community in Moscow of the 19th century will be exhibited for the
first time ever.
[04] AUSTRALIAN CONSULTANTS HIRED BY ATHENS 2004
Three Australians have been hired as consultants by the
Athens 2004 Olympics Organizing Committee (ATHOC), all rated as
among the "Top 10" of Sydney 2000 officials.
According to an ATHOC press release, the three Australian
executives were named as David Richmond, Jim Sloman and John
Quayle. Richmond was the general director of Australia's state-run
Olympic Coordinating Authority, while Sloman was head of the
Games' operations and the Sydney 2000 (SOCOG) deputy general
director. Quayle was general director of SOCOG's administration
and management unit.
At the same time, two of Greece's Olympic gold medallists,
weightlifter Pyrros Dimas and sprinter Voula Patoulidou, became
new members of the GOC in accordance with the International
Olympic Committee's (IOC) new charter.
Two Parliament deputies and former deputy sports ministers,
Andreas Fouras (PASOK) and Fani Palli Petralia (New Democracy),
also became GOC members according to merit.
[05] MINISTERS MEET IN TIRANA FOR CRIME COMBAT
The Public Order Ministers of Greece and Albania, along with
the Interior Ministers of Italy and Germany, met in Tirana,
Albania, yesterday in order to discuss the operation of a regional
center for the combat of criminal activity.
According to Albanian Minister of Public Order Ilir Gioni,
the meeting was initiated by Albania's Premier Ilir Meta seven
months ago.
Greece was represented by Public Order Minister Michalis
Chrysochoides, while Italy and Germany were represented by
ministers Enco Bianco and Otto Sili, respectively. The meeting was
originally scheduled in Vlore, but adverse weather conditions
necessitated the move to Tirana.
[06] SIMITIS: A DOUBLE NAME FOR FYROM WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED
The Greek government will not accept a double name for FYROM,
stated Greek prime minister Kostas Simitis, adding that the
negotiations are being held only on the basis of one
internationally recognized name.
Mr. Simitis, speaking in parliament, stated that political
negotiations are underway but they have not given results.
However, he expressed the hope that a positive result will be
reached soon and that the other side will realize that the
solution of the problem can not be delayed any longer. Mr. Simitis
also said that if something worthwhile comes up the political
parties, the parliament and all those who are involved in the
decision-making process will be informed.
Mr. Simitis also referred to the recent meeting he had with
the FYROM president during the second Balkan Summit meeting in
which the two sides expressed their wish for a solution to be
found as soon as possible.
[07] MEETING OF GREEK AND TURKISH FILM CRITICS
A meeting of film critics from Greece and Turkey will be held
in Alexandroupolis, northeastern Greece, on March 3-5 organized by
the city's Cinema Club in cooperation with the Greek Association
of Film Critics and the Turkish Association of Film Critics.
The goal of the meeting is to exchange views on the art of
cinema and lay the foundations for future cooperation on cultural
issues.
[08] THE BRITISH METROPOLITAN POLICE CHIEF WILL VISIT GREECE
Sir John Stevens, chief of the British Metropolitan Police,
known in the past as Scotland Yard, will visit Greece on March 5-
6.
The British Metropolitan Police chief will meet with interior
minister Vaso Papandreou, public order minister Michalis
Chrisochoidis and Greek Police Chief lieutenant general Yiannis
Georgakopoulos to discuss issues of Greek-British police
cooperation. The talks will focus on the assassination of British
military attache Stephen Saunders by the terrorist organization
"17 November" last summer.
Mr. Stevens stated in view of his visit to Greece that Athens
and London are both international cities that face many and
complex challenges in the policing area. He also added that it is
an honor for the British police the fact that the Greek public
order ministry has asked for its advice regarding the Athens 2004
Olympic Games security preparations.
[09] US STATE DEPARTMENT REPORT ON THE DRUG SITUATION IN GREECE
The US State Department in its annual report on the
international situation concerning drug production and trafficking
as well as, money laundering mentions the excellent cooperation
that exists between the US and Greek enforcement agencies even
though it characterizes Greece as an important drug trafficking
passage to western Europe.
In the report it is mentioned that Greece is an important
drug trafficking passage because of its extensive and unguarded
sea and land borders. Specifically, it is mentioned that heroin
and hashish come from Turkey, while marijuana and other drugs
reach Greece via Albania, Bulgaria and FYROM.
In the special chapter concerning money laundering and
economic crime, the report places Greece among the countries that
face significant problems and has upgraded it by one category
compared to last year.
[10] GAINS IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
Gains were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange. The general
index rose to 1.42% at 3.154,82 points and the volume of
transactions was satisfactory at 185.5 million Euro or 63.21
billion drachmas.
Of the stocks trading today, 304 recorded gains and 41 had
losses, while the value of 25 stocks remained stable.
[11] ZAFIROPOULOS WILL VISIT HOLLAND IN APRIL
Greek undersecretary of national economy Yiannis Zafiropoulos
responsible for economic relations, will be on a formal visit to
Holland on April 1-3. He will be accompanied by a delegation of
Greek businessmen, who will have contacts with their Dutch
colleagues.
The interest of the Dutch businessmen focuses on the
traditional sectors of consumer products such as, olive oil, fish,
fresh and processed fruits and vegetables, juices, textile,
clothing and footwear. Also, they are interested in industrial and
building materials, new technology and telecommunications
material.
A special emphasis is given to the prospects of the Greek-
Dutch business cooperation in the wider Balkan and Black Sea
region and especially, to the sectors of agricultural
applications, high technology and technical projects.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[12] DOLLIS: GREECE PLAYS A STABILIZING ROLE IN THE BALKANS
General secretary for Greeks Abroad, Dimitris Dollis referred
to Greece's stabilizing role in the Balkans in an interview with
the television network CNN in London.
Mr. Dollis stated that Greece is a factor of vital importance
in the effort for stability and prosperity in the Balkan
Peninsula. He also stressed that there is a direct link between
peace and stability in the Balkans and the prosperity of the
peoples in the European continent and the European Union.
Mr. Dollis completed his visit to the British capital today
after addressing a British parliament event on the Athens 2004
Olympic Games.
[13] ALOIS BRUNNER RECEIVED A LIFE SENTENCE IN ABSENTIA
Alois Brunner, the Austrian war criminal, who organized the
Holocaust of 50.000 Jews in Thessaloniki and 24.000 Jews in
Dransy, France during WWII, was tried in absentia in Paris today
and received a life sentence.
Today's trial concerned the events in Dransy. There were no
defense attorneys present as Brunner is supposedly dead. His fate
is unknown as some sources say that he is dead and others maintain
that he is hiding somewhere in Syria.
Serz Clarsfelt, president of the association "Sons and
daughters of the displaced Jews in France" had filed a suit in
1987 against Brunner on behalf of the Jewish children killed in
Hitler's death camps.
In July 31, 1944, when Brunner was commander in Dransy, had
ordered the transfer of 345 Jewish children to Nazi ghettoes in
Germany, Austria and Poland. Their parents had already been
transferred to Nazi concentration camps after a decision made by
Brunner. Of those children, 284, were killed and the rest managed
to survive, while a few of them are still alive in different
countries.
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