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Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2004-06-15

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 Thessaloniki, June 15, 2004

SECTIONS

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

  • NEWS HEADLINES

    [A] NATIONAL NEWS

  • [01] MIXED FEELINGS
  • [02] ALL EYES ARE SET ON THE GREEK NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM
  • [03] ATHENS IS THE 50TH MOST EXPENSIVE CITY IN THE WORLD
  • [04] CHANGES IN THE COALITION OF THE LEFT LEADERSHIP
  • [05] THE GOV'T SPOKESMAN ON THE EURO-ELECTIONS
  • [06] THE ESTONIAN FOREIGN MINISTER VISITED THE PARLIAMENT PRESIDENT
  • [07] ROUSOPOULOS: MERCHANT MARINE IS A NATIONAL CAPITAL
  • [08] GAINS IN THE ASE
  • [09] THE DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER MET WITH THE ALBANIAN FINANCE MINISTER
  • [10] A MILITARY AIRCRAFT CRASHED IN PARNASSOS - BOTH PILOTS ARE DEAD
  • [11] THE GOV'T SUBMITTED A NEW ANTI-TERRORIST LAW TO PARLIAMENT
  • [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

  • [12] FLATTERING WORDS ON THE OLYMPIC GAMES BY PRESIDENT CHIRAC NEWS IN DETAILS

    [A] NATIONAL NEWS

  • [01] MIXED FEELINGS Mixed feelings dominate in the Greek political parties' headquarters over Sunday's Euro-elections in which governing party of New Democracy not only won, leading opposition party of PASOK by 9 percentage points, but received the biggest percentage of vot es gained by a political party in all 25 European Union member states.

    Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis reiterated on Monday, addressing his party's Euro-deputies, that the result is a great victory of trust.

    Strong skepticism dominates in PASOK, while developments in the party Coalition of the Left are rapid, as its President Nikos Konstantopoulos has announced that he will not be a candidate for the party leadership again. Satisfaction is the feeling in the

    Greek Communist Party regarding the Euro-election results.

  • [02] ALL EYES ARE SET ON THE GREEK NATIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM The Greek national football team players have their minds on tomorrow's decisive match opposite to Spain.

    Coach Otto Rehhagel, who is drawing up his plans for tomorrow's match with the Spaniards at 7pm (Greek time), called on the Greek players to forget all about the great victory over the Portuguese and set their minds on being qualified for the Euro2004 qu arterfinals.

    The Greek players are aware that tomorrow's match will be much more difficult compared to that with Portugal and are determined to fight hard to get a positive result.

  • [03] ATHENS IS THE 50TH MOST EXPENSIVE CITY IN THE WORLD Athens climbed to the 50th place on the list with the most expensive cities in the world as a result of the Olympic Games' related overpricing. Last year, Athens was at the 71st place.

    The specific list is prepared based on the prices of 200 goods-indexes like, food, clothing, the cost of entertainment and the cost of maintaining a household. Big increases in all of them were recorded in Athens in 2004.

    The top place on the Mercer list, with the 144 most expensive cities in the world, is occupied by Tokyo for a second year in a row, followed by London.

    The least expensive city in Europe is Bucharest, while the cheapest city on the planet is Asuncion, Paraguay.

  • [04] CHANGES IN THE COALITION OF THE LEFT LEADERSHIP The decision by Nikos Konstantopoulos not to be a candidate for the Coalition of the Left leadership in the next party congress has opened a discussion within the party on the name of its new leader.

    Based on a report on the Athens newspaper "TA NEA", there are four leading Coalition of the Left members who will claim the party leadership namely, Alekos Alavanos, Michalis Papagiannakis, Fotis Kouvelis and Yiannis Dragasakis.

    Alekos Alavanos was elected Euro-deputy in 1981 and represented his party in the European Parliament for a total of 22 years before returning to the central political scene to be elected to the state Parliament.

    Michalis Papagiannakis was a Euro-deputy for 12 years and in 1993 he was a candidate for the Coalition of the Left leadership opposite to Nikos Konstantopoulos, Alekos Alavanos and Fotis Kouvelis.

    Fotis Kouvelis is elected to the state Parliament with Coalition of the Left since 1989.

    Yiannis Dragasakis is a Coalition of the Left Parliament deputy and a former Communist Party member. He was a candidate for the post of the Communist Party General Secretary but he lost to Aleka Papariga by four votes.

  • [05] THE GOV'T SPOKESMAN ON THE EURO-ELECTIONS Government spokesman Thodoris Rousopoulos expressed again today the government's satisfaction regarding the Euro-election results, stating that the government is totally satisfied with the outcome.

    Asked to comment on the fact that New Democracy has lost an estimated 750,000 voters compared to the state elections, he pointed out that the vote in the national elections is different from that of the Euro-elections. He stressed that the governing part y has set three records, namely, it has increased its distance from the second party, received the largest vote percentage and won 11 seats, which is unprecedented in Greek Euro-elections.

  • [06] THE ESTONIAN FOREIGN MINISTER VISITED THE PARLIAMENT PRESIDENT Parliament President Anna Benaki Psarouda met Estonia's Foreign Minister Kristiina Ojuland today. The Estonian Foreign Minister congratulated the Parliament President for occupying such a high post and expressed the wish for further strengthening of Parl iamentary relations between Estonia and Greece.

    Mrs. Ojuland also expressed the belief that Greece will organize very good Olympic Games.

    On her part, Mrs. Benaki stressed that Parliamentary contacts between the two countries will continue in the same good climate within the framework of the Parliamentary Committee of Friendship and assured Mrs. Ojuland that Greece will host successful and

    safe Olympic Games.

  • [07] ROUSOPOULOS: MERCHANT MARINE IS A NATIONAL CAPITAL Prime Minister Kostas Karamanlis held meetings with the Ministers of Justice and Tourism today and afterwards, he presided over a Governmental Committee meeting on the problems and prospects of shipping.

    Government spokesman Thodoris Rousopoulos stated that the Greek-flag merchant marine fleet includes a total of 3,400 ships corresponding to 16% of the ships worldwide and therefore, it continues to be a major shipping power internationally. He added that

    Greek shipping is a national capital, characterizing it as a dynamic and extrovert sector that offers jobs, brings in foreign exchange and constitutes a fundamental capital for a strong economy.

    The goals of the government is a profit-making and competitive shipping sector, with a constantly increasing number of ships, meeting all security specifications and environmentally safe.

    The government spokesman also mentioned that the Prime Minister will depart for Brussels tomorrow to attend the European People's Party Summit meeting and then the European Council Summit meeting.

  • [08] GAINS IN THE ASE Gains were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today. The general index rose to +0.76% at 2402.88 points, while the volume of transactions was at 108.3 million euros.

    Of the stocks trading today, 125 had gains and 151 had losses, while the value of 110 stocks remained unchanged.

  • [09] THE DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER MET WITH THE ALBANIAN FINANCE MINISTER Greek Deputy Foreign Minister Evripidis Stilianidis, responsible for International Economic Relations, met today with Albanian Minister of Finance Anastas Angjeli.

    In the meeting, which was held in a cordial atmosphere, they discussed the Greek-Albanian relations and the promotion of a bilateral agreement on the protection, repatriation and reception of minors who are victims of illegal human trafficking.

    Regarding the Greek Plan for the Economic Reconstruction of the Balkans, they agreed to encourage private investments and proceed with the immediate implementation of major projects that will be promoted after meetings of committees of specialists from b oth sides to be held soon.

  • [10] A MILITARY AIRCRAFT CRASHED IN PARNASSOS - BOTH PILOTS ARE DEAD A military aircraft disappeared from the radars at noon today during a training exercise.

    A little later, Greek Air Force helicopters located parts of the plane in the region of Kelaria, Parnassos and according to initial information from the rescue crews both its pilots are dead.

    The aircraft had taken off shortly after 4pm this afternoon from the Andravida Airport.

  • [11] THE GOV'T SUBMITTED A NEW ANTI-TERRORIST LAW TO PARLIAMENT The new draft law on the European arrest warrant and the measures against terrorism was submitted to Parliament today by Justice Minister Anastasis Papaligouras, reflecting the international community cooperation in the effort to combat organized crime a nd terrorism.

    The law, as a supplement to the previous one, incorporates the commitments undertaken by Greece toward the European community and according to the Justice Minister in three weeks it will be Greece's new anti-terrorist law that will shield the country in view of the Olympic Games.

    For the first time, Europe gives a definition of terrorism underlining that it is any act that tends to terrorize the population and put at risk fundamental political, social and economic structures of the State.

    The new law attempts to find a golden mean in coupling the fundamental values of freedom and security. Based on that, the leader of a terrorist group will be punished individually and with a bigger sentence than simple terrorist group members, while the terrorist group's economic sponsor will also be punished. Capital offences will be placed under the statute of Limitations after a period of 30 years instead of the 20year period that is in effect today.

    On the European arrest warrant, the double jeopardy principle is in effect namely, actions will be persecuted both in Greece and in any other country requesting extradition of those responsible.

    The Justice Minister clarified that regarding the extraditions to America bilateral agreements will continue to be in effect.

  • [B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS

  • [12] FLATTERING WORDS ON THE OLYMPIC GAMES BY PRESIDENT CHIRAC "Athens 2004" Organizing Committee President Yianna Angelopoulou-Daskalakis met in Paris this morning with French President Jacques Chirac who will be in Athens in August to watch the Olympic Games.

    President Chirac did not make any statements after the meeting with the "Athens 2004" President but she conveyed to reporters the views of the French President. Mrs. Angelopoulou stated that Mr. Chirac referred to the Olympic Games with flattering words,

    expressed his admiration for the effort made by Greece internationally and congratulated the Greek authorities on the issue of security.

    It is the second time Mrs. Angelopoulou meets with the French President as their first meeting took place in October 2002.


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