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Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2001-09-07

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, September 7, 2001

SECTIONS

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

  • NEWS HEADLINES

    [A] NATIONAL NEWS

  • [01] OPENING OF THE 66TH TIF-THESSALONIKI EXPLOSIVE
  • [02] MANSLAUGHTER FOR THE ‘99 QUAKES
  • [03] SLAVERS BEFORE THE D.A. TOMORROW
  • [04] THE PRIME MINISTER'S SPEECH IN THESSALONIKI'S 66TH ITF
  • [05] MORE LOSSES IN THE ASE
  • [06] REPPAS ON THE PROTESTS IN THESSALONIKI
  • [07] DRAFT BILL ON THE STRENGTHENING OF BUSINESS ACTIVITY
  • [08] INFLATION AT 3.8% IN AUGUST
  • [09] ZAFIROPOULOS MET WITH THE FRENCH AMBASSADOR
  • [10] THE GREEK-US TRADE BALANCE IS OVER US$2 BILLION
  • [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

  • [11] BAUCHER: THE US POSITION ON THE FYROM NAME ISSUE IS THE SAME
  • [12] BAUCHER STATEMENTS ON CYPRUS

  • NEWS IN DETAIL

    [A] NATIONAL NEWS

    [01] OPENING OF THE 66TH TIF-THESSALONIKI EXPLOSIVE

    Clear political content is expected to be found in the speech the Prime Minister will give tonight at the opening of the 66th Thessaloniki International Fair. The Prime Minister will refer to all important issues receiving publicity lately, he will present the government's policy for the coming period of time and he is expected to attack New Democracy on its opposition stance.

    The Prime Minister's and government staff's visit, coincides with publication of the first survey which shows a recovery of the government and a reversal of the negative climate of the previous period and Kostas Simitis is expected to comment on this development. At the same time, governmental and party staffs are working on promoting the political aspect of the Prime Minister's visit to Thessaloniki and are paying a lot of attention to the 12:30 p.m. meeting at the "Macedonia Pallace" hotel, on Saturday, with spokespersons of the city's bodies, where all issues will be discussed.

    PRIME MINISTER'S SCHEDULE

    Mr. Simitis will arrive at 6 p.m. at the "Makedonia" airport, where the spokespersons of local authorities, Ministers, MPs, staff members and PASOK fans will greet him

    At 8 p.m. the opening ceremony will take place at the "I. Vellidis" conference center, and before the Prime Minister's speech, the President of the TIF, Mr. Vasilis Kourtesis, and the Minister of Macedonia-Thrace, Giorgos Paschalidis, will also greet the visitors of the fair. At 10 p.m. the official reception will take place at the Government House.

    At 10:30 a.m. tomorrow morning, he will inaugurate the Center for Citizen's Service (Aristotelous St. with Ermou St.) and at 11:30 the Euro exhibition.

    At 12:30 he will meet with local body spokespersons in "Macedonia Pallace".

    At 14:30 he will have lunch with Party staff members.

    At 19:30 he will meet with the EU Commissioner of Agriculture, Mr. Fischler.

    At 21:30 he will present the government's economic policy at a dinner with the participation of spokespersons of the productive classes at the "I. Vellidis" conference center.

    At 11:30 Sunday morning he will visit the administrative building of the TIF and will be guided through the Fair.

    At 13:30 he will hold a press conference in the "I. Vellidis" conference center.

    The Prime Minister's visit, however, will not only be noticed by city bodies, party staff members and party fans. About four protests will take place today, beginning from outside the YMCA, about 50 yards from the TIF, from Kamara, another 50 yards, to all the way to the harbor.

    The Minister of Macedonia-Thrace informed the members of "Genoa Initiative 2001", who are expected to lead one of the protests, that the G8 aren't in Thessaloniki.

    The police measures will be extreme from Friday night, until Sunday, in order to avoid any mishaps caused by protesters during the opening by the Prime Minister.

    At the central police offices of Thessaloniki a long meeting took place with the participation of many chiefs and commanders of police services of the city - which lasted about 9 hours - and was coordinated by the General Inspector of the Greek Police, Lieutenant General Charalabos Christofareizis. During the meeting, plans made which will be implemented for the policing of the city, during the crucial three days, since rallies have been organized and announced.

    [02] MANSLAUGHTER FOR THE ‘99 QUAKES

    Charges of manslaughter with possible premeditation were brought up today, against the people in charge of the BIOKIP factory, that collapsed in the '99 quake. More specifically, the indictment mentions that the accused considered that a possible result of their actions or lack thereof could lead to the death of others, but proceeded, to create structures which would put even more pressure and weight on the already strained inner structure of the building.

    Charges against the wives of the accused, as well as the accountant of the factory have been dropped.

    The accused are owners Isaac and Joseph Matarazos and the Civil Engineer, Nikos Tzitzis.

    [03] SLAVERS BEFORE THE D.A. TOMORROW

    Tomorrow, the Turkish slavers that transported 269 illegal Kurdish immigrants to Mantoudi on the island of Evia, will be brought before the District Attorney. The illegal immigrants are being sheltered at the facilities of the unemployment agency in Evia.

    [04] THE PRIME MINISTER'S SPEECH IN THESSALONIKI'S 66TH ITF

    Prime minister Kostas Simitis will present his vision of the society of tomorrow speaking this evening in the opening of Thessaloniki's 66th International Trade Fair that opens its gates today.

    Mr. Simitis will outline the goals of the government for a society of freedom, creation, participation, solidarity and cohesion. He will underline the achievements and the steps of progress made by the country by stating that Greece has never experienced such progress before in the past 50 years.

    He will make a special reference to the single EU currency, the Euro, that will be legal tender in Greece, as in the rest EU countries starting in January, pointing out that this is one of the biggest changes in the history of the Greek economy, while he will also refer to the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.

    The prime minister will present the government's policy in every sector having as a goal a strong Greece, a strong economy, a strong society and a strong international position for the country. He will refer to the actions undertaken by the government for the farmers, pensioners, low wage earners and the sensitive population groups. In addition he will present a policy that will secure a continuously improving living standard that will allow every citizen to be active, enjoy support, depend on the systems of solidarity and have a minimum social income guaranteed by the state.

    Mr. Simitis will also launch an attack on the right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy accusing it of undermining the country's course to progress.

    [05] MORE LOSSES IN THE ASE

    More losses were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today. The general index dropped to -0.83% at 2.647,42 points, while the volume of transactions was at 121.95 million Euro or 41.554 billion drachmas.

    Of the stocks trading today, 87 recorded gains and 242 had losses, while the value of 47 stocks remained stable.

    [06] REPPAS ON THE PROTESTS IN THESSALONIKI

    The freedom of expression is a given and the people can express their convictions and promote their demands unhindered, reiterated today government spokesman Dimitris Reppas when he was asked to comment on the mobilizations in Thessaloniki during the prime minister's visit within the framework of the 66th International Trade Fair.

    The government spokesman pointed out that the acts of violence are condemned and maintained that the organizers of the mobilizations are heterogeneous forces with the sole purpose to oppose the government.

    When he was called to comment on the Greek General Confederation of Labor study on poverty in Greece, he maintained that the economy is on a good course and it is characterized by dynamic development, pointing out that the government is very concerned with the plague of unemployment. Mr. Reppas stated that in spite of the fact that unemployment has dropped the government is not satisfied.

    [07] DRAFT BILL ON THE STRENGTHENING OF BUSINESS ACTIVITY

    The draft bill on the strengthening of business activity that was given to publicity by minister of national economy Yiannos Papantoniou includes four main axes.

    The specific draft bill provides for tax incentives for the mergers of companies regardless of whether they trade in the stock market, while it also includes tax reductions for the real estate investment companies and overseas shipping, as well as measures to strengthen companies active in the area of new technology.

    The draft bill is expected to be presented in parliament in the next few days.

    [08] INFLATION AT 3.8% IN AUGUST

    Inflation in Greece was at 3.8% in the month of August from 3.9% in July.

    The harmonized inflation also dropped as it closed at 4% in August from 4.2% in July.

    [09] ZAFIROPOULOS MET WITH THE FRENCH AMBASSADOR

    The strengthening of economic cooperation between Greece and France and the adoption of joint actions together with the countries in the wider region of southeastern Europe, were among the issues discussed by undersecretary of national economy Yiannis Zafiropoulos and French ambassador to Greece Jean-Maurice Ripert in their meeting in Thessaloniki today.

    Mr. Zafiropoulos stated that the meeting was aimed at helping toward the creation of a joint cooperation framework in the wider region of southeastern Europe and the development of activities within the framework of the Euro-Mediterranean cooperation.

    The French ambassador expressed satisfaction for the cooperation he had with Mr. Zafiropoulos and stressed that Greece is a very important ally for France.

    [10] THE GREEK-US TRADE BALANCE IS OVER US$2 BILLION

    The Greek-US trade balance exceeded the US$2 billion mark in 2000, which is unprecedented, while bilateral relations increased by 20% compared to 1999, proving that the Greek-US business cooperation has become stronger. However, the developments in the Balkans are a negative factor for many US businessmen.

    The above were stated in a press conference organized by the Greek-US Chamber of Commerce and held within the framework of Thessaloniki's 66th International Trade Fair which opens today.

    US embassy commercial attache Walter Hage expressed the belief that the Greek market is attractive for the US businessmen, adding that there is room for further development. The US official stated that the simplification of bureaucracy can help toward this direction.

    Greek-US Chamber of Commerce president Mr. Kouidis referred to Greece's contribution to the development of the US business activity in the Balkans through the Balkan Fora it has organized and the business missions to Balkan countries.

    [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

    [11] BAUCHER: THE US POSITION ON THE FYROM NAME ISSUE IS THE SAME

    There is no change in the US position on the issue of the FYROM name, stated US State Department spokesman Richard Baucher yesterday responding to a question by reporters.

    Called to comment on the recent report by the US newspaper "Washington Post" according to which, US president Bush assured FYROM president Boris Trajkovski that his country will be recognized under the name "Republic of Macedonia", Mr. Baucher responded that he has nothing new to say on the issue as he is not aware of any change.

    For the United States, the official name of this country is Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, stressed Mr. Baucher adding that the issue of the name is under discussion.

    [12] BAUCHER STATEMENTS ON CYPRUS

    All parties should do their maximum to back the UN in its efforts to solve the Cyprus problem, stressed US State Department spokesman Richard Baucher commenting on the statements made by UN special envoy Alvaro de Soto on the resumption of the Cyprus talks on September 12 under the auspices of the UN, which were rejected by Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash.

    Mr. Baucher reiterated that the United States continue to back the UN secretary-general efforts and the UN special envoy to Cyprus Alvaro de Soto.

    Responding to the question if the US position has changed concerning a two-zone, two-community federation in Cyprus, the US State Department spokesman stressed that Washington supports the UN efforts toward this direction.

    MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH

    Thessaloniki, September 7, 2001

    [A] NATIONAL NEWS

    [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

    TITLES

    [A] NATIONAL NEWS

    [01] OPENING OF THE 66TH TIF-THESSALONIKI EXPLOSIVE

    [02] MANSLAUGHTER FOR THE ‘99 QUAKES

    [03] SLAVERS BEFORE THE D.A. TOMORROW

    [04] THE PRIME MINISTER'S SPEECH IN THESSALONIKI'S 66TH ITF

    [05] MORE LOSSES IN THE ASE

    [06] REPPAS ON THE PROTESTS IN THESSALONIKI

    [07] DRAFT BILL ON THE STRENGTHENING OF BUSINESS ACTIVITY

    [08] INFLATION AT 3.8% IN AUGUST

    [09] ZAFIROPOULOS MET WITH THE FRENCH AMBASSADOR

    [10] THE GREEK-US TRADE BALANCE IS OVER US$2 BILLION

    [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

    [11] BAUCHER: THE US POSITION ON THE FYROM NAME ISSUE IS THE SAME

    [12] BAUCHER STATEMENTS ON CYPRUS


    NEWS IN DETAIL

    [A] NATIONAL NEWS

    [01] OPENING OF THE 66TH TIF-THESSALONIKI EXPLOSIVE

    Clear political content is expected to be found in the speech the Prime Minister will give tonight at the opening of the 66th Thessaloniki International Fair. The Prime Minister will refer to all important issues receiving publicity lately, he will present the government's policy for the coming period of time and he is expected to attack New Democracy on its opposition stance.

    The Prime Minister's and government staff's visit, coincides with publication of the first survey which shows a recovery of the government and a reversal of the negative climate of the previous period and Kostas Simitis is expected to comment on this development. At the same time, governmental and party staffs are working on promoting the political aspect of the Prime Minister's visit to Thessaloniki and are paying a lot of attention to the 12:30 p.m. meeting at the "Macedonia Pallace" hotel, on Saturday, with spokespersons of the city's bodies, where all issues will be discussed.

    PRIME MINISTER'S SCHEDULE

    Mr. Simitis will arrive at 6 p.m. at the "Makedonia" airport, where the spokespersons of local authorities, Ministers, MPs, staff members and PASOK fans will greet him

    At 8 p.m. the opening ceremony will take place at the "I. Vellidis" conference center, and before the Prime Minister's speech, the President of the TIF, Mr. Vasilis Kourtesis, and the Minister of Macedonia-Thrace, Giorgos Paschalidis, will also greet the visitors of the fair. At 10 p.m. the official reception will take place at the Government House.

    At 10:30 a.m. tomorrow morning, he will inaugurate the Center for Citizen's Service (Aristotelous St. with Ermou St.) and at 11:30 the Euro exhibition.

    At 12:30 he will meet with local body spokespersons in "Macedonia Pallace".

    At 14:30 he will have lunch with Party staff members.

    At 19:30 he will meet with the EU Commissioner of Agriculture, Mr. Fischler.

    At 21:30 he will present the government's economic policy at a dinner with the participation of spokespersons of the productive classes at the "I. Vellidis" conference center.

    At 11:30 Sunday morning he will visit the administrative building of the TIF and will be guided through the Fair.

    At 13:30 he will hold a press conference in the "I. Vellidis" conference center.

    The Prime Minister's visit, however, will not only be noticed by city bodies, party staff members and party fans. About four protests will take place today, beginning from outside the YMCA, about 50 yards from the TIF, from Kamara, another 50 yards, to all the way to the harbor.

    The Minister of Macedonia-Thrace informed the members of "Genoa Initiative 2001", who are expected to lead one of the protests, that the G8 aren't in Thessaloniki.

    The police measures will be extreme from Friday night, until Sunday, in order to avoid any mishaps caused by protesters during the opening by the Prime Minister.

    At the central police offices of Thessaloniki a long meeting took place with the participation of many chiefs and commanders of police services of the city - which lasted about 9 hours - and was coordinated by the General Inspector of the Greek Police, Lieutenant General Charalabos Christofareizis. During the meeting, plans made which will be implemented for the policing of the city, during the crucial three days, since rallies have been organized and announced.

    [02] MANSLAUGHTER FOR THE ‘99 QUAKES

    Charges of manslaughter with possible premeditation were brought up today, against the people in charge of the BIOKIP factory, that collapsed in the '99 quake. More specifically, the indictment mentions that the accused considered that a possible result of their actions or lack thereof could lead to the death of others, but proceeded, to create structures which would put even more pressure and weight on the already strained inner structure of the building.

    Charges against the wives of the accused, as well as the accountant of the factory have been dropped.

    The accused are owners Isaac and Joseph Matarazos and the Civil Engineer, Nikos Tzitzis.

    [03] SLAVERS BEFORE THE D.A. TOMORROW

    Tomorrow, the Turkish slavers that transported 269 illegal Kurdish immigrants to Mantoudi on the island of Evia, will be brought before the District Attorney. The illegal immigrants are being sheltered at the facilities of the unemployment agency in Evia.

    [04] THE PRIME MINISTER'S SPEECH IN THESSALONIKI'S 66TH ITF

    Prime minister Kostas Simitis will present his vision of the society of tomorrow speaking this evening in the opening of Thessaloniki's 66th International Trade Fair that opens its gates today.

    Mr. Simitis will outline the goals of the government for a society of freedom, creation, participation, solidarity and cohesion. He will underline the achievements and the steps of progress made by the country by stating that Greece has never experienced such progress before in the past 50 years.

    He will make a special reference to the single EU currency, the Euro, that will be legal tender in Greece, as in the rest EU countries starting in January, pointing out that this is one of the biggest changes in the history of the Greek economy, while he will also refer to the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.

    The prime minister will present the government's policy in every sector having as a goal a strong Greece, a strong economy, a strong society and a strong international position for the country. He will refer to the actions undertaken by the government for the farmers, pensioners, low wage earners and the sensitive population groups. In addition he will present a policy that will secure a continuously improving living standard that will allow every citizen to be active, enjoy support, depend on the systems of solidarity and have a minimum social income guaranteed by the state.

    Mr. Simitis will also launch an attack on the right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy accusing it of undermining the country's course to progress.

    [05] MORE LOSSES IN THE ASE

    More losses were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today. The general index dropped to -0.83% at 2.647,42 points, while the volume of transactions was at 121.95 million Euro or 41.554 billion drachmas.

    Of the stocks trading today, 87 recorded gains and 242 had losses, while the value of 47 stocks remained stable.

    [06] REPPAS ON THE PROTESTS IN THESSALONIKI

    The freedom of expression is a given and the people can express their convictions and promote their demands unhindered, reiterated today government spokesman Dimitris Reppas when he was asked to comment on the mobilizations in Thessaloniki during the prime minister's visit within the framework of the 66th International Trade Fair.

    The government spokesman pointed out that the acts of violence are condemned and maintained that the organizers of the mobilizations are heterogeneous forces with the sole purpose to oppose the government.

    When he was called to comment on the Greek General Confederation of Labor study on poverty in Greece, he maintained that the economy is on a good course and it is characterized by dynamic development, pointing out that the government is very concerned with the plague of unemployment. Mr. Reppas stated that in spite of the fact that unemployment has dropped the government is not satisfied.

    [07] DRAFT BILL ON THE STRENGTHENING OF BUSINESS ACTIVITY

    The draft bill on the strengthening of business activity that was given to publicity by minister of national economy Yiannos Papantoniou includes four main axes.

    The specific draft bill provides for tax incentives for the mergers of companies regardless of whether they trade in the stock market, while it also includes tax reductions for the real estate investment companies and overseas shipping, as well as measures to strengthen companies active in the area of new technology.

    The draft bill is expected to be presented in parliament in the next few days.

    [08] INFLATION AT 3.8% IN AUGUST

    Inflation in Greece was at 3.8% in the month of August from 3.9% in July.

    The harmonized inflation also dropped as it closed at 4% in August from 4.2% in July.

    [09] ZAFIROPOULOS MET WITH THE FRENCH AMBASSADOR

    The strengthening of economic cooperation between Greece and France and the adoption of joint actions together with the countries in the wider region of southeastern Europe, were among the issues discussed by undersecretary of national economy Yiannis Zafiropoulos and French ambassador to Greece Jean-Maurice Ripert in their meeting in Thessaloniki today.

    Mr. Zafiropoulos stated that the meeting was aimed at helping toward the creation of a joint cooperation framework in the wider region of southeastern Europe and the development of activities within the framework of the Euro-Mediterranean cooperation.

    The French ambassador expressed satisfaction for the cooperation he had with Mr. Zafiropoulos and stressed that Greece is a very important ally for France.

    [10] THE GREEK-US TRADE BALANCE IS OVER US$2 BILLION

    The Greek-US trade balance exceeded the US$2 billion mark in 2000, which is unprecedented, while bilateral relations increased by 20% compared to 1999, proving that the Greek-US business cooperation has become stronger. However, the developments in the Balkans are a negative factor for many US businessmen.

    The above were stated in a press conference organized by the Greek-US Chamber of Commerce and held within the framework of Thessaloniki's 66th International Trade Fair which opens today.

    US embassy commercial attache Walter Hage expressed the belief that the Greek market is attractive for the US businessmen, adding that there is room for further development. The US official stated that the simplification of bureaucracy can help toward this direction.

    Greek-US Chamber of Commerce president Mr. Kouidis referred to Greece's contribution to the development of the US business activity in the Balkans through the Balkan Fora it has organized and the business missions to Balkan countries.

    [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

    [11] BAUCHER: THE US POSITION ON THE FYROM NAME ISSUE IS THE SAME

    There is no change in the US position on the issue of the FYROM name, stated US State Department spokesman Richard Baucher yesterday responding to a question by reporters.

    Called to comment on the recent report by the US newspaper "Washington Post" according to which, US president Bush assured FYROM president Boris Trajkovski that his country will be recognized under the name "Republic of Macedonia", Mr. Baucher responded that he has nothing new to say on the issue as he is not aware of any change.

    For the United States, the official name of this country is Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, stressed Mr. Baucher adding that the issue of the name is under discussion.

    [12] BAUCHER STATEMENTS ON CYPRUS

    All parties should do their maximum to back the UN in its efforts to solve the Cyprus problem, stressed US State Department spokesman Richard Baucher commenting on the statements made by UN special envoy Alvaro de Soto on the resumption of the Cyprus talks on September 12 under the auspices of the UN, which were rejected by Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash.

    Mr. Baucher reiterated that the United States continue to back the UN secretary-general efforts and the UN special envoy to Cyprus Alvaro de Soto.

    Responding to the question if the US position has changed concerning a two-zone, two-community federation in Cyprus, the US State Department spokesman stressed that Washington supports the UN efforts toward this direction.


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