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Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English, 98-09-11Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Macedonian Press Agency at http://www.mpa.gr and http://www.hri.org/MPA.BRIEF GREEK NEWS BULLETIN BY THE MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCYThessaloniki, September 11, 1998TITLES
NEWS IN DETAIL[01] CABINET CONVENES TODAY TO REVIEW BALKAN, INTERNATIONAL ISSUESAthens, September 11 (MPA)The Cabinet is to convene today in order to review the latest developments in the Balkans and other international issues. Among the key speakers will be the Minster of Foreign Affairs Theodoros Pangalos and the undersecretary of Foreign Affairs Yiannos Kranidiotis.[02] GREEK FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS WITH YUGOSLAV COUNTERPARTAthens, September 11 (MPA)Yugoslav Foreign Minister Zivadin Jovanovic met with his Greek counterpart Theodoros Pangalos and the Greek Prime Minister Kostas Simitis in Athens yesterday/ After their meeting, Greek foreign minister Theodoros Pangalos said Greece is opposed to international sanctions being imposed on Yugoslavia, Greece being one of four European Union nations that has not imposed a ban on the flights of Yugoslav's national airline JAT. Mr. Pangalos stated yesterday that Yugoslavia should no longer be ostracized from the European family of nations and added that Serb president Slobodan Milosevic's proposals on Kossovo are in the right direction. Moreover, Mr. Pangalos said that the solution to the Kossovo crisis is guaranteeing the human rights of all the people living there, whether they are ethnic Albanians or Serbs. Belgrade's recent positions on the Kossovo issue are heading in the right direction, Mr. Pangalos said. "We are ready to help as much as we can to find a peaceful solution to this difficult problem in the context of the existing borders of Yugoslavia and with the simultaneous safeguarding of human rights and freedoms for all the population of Kossovo," the Greek minister said. Mr. Jovanovic said Yugoslavia was determined to find a peaceful resolution to the problem, to safeguard the rights of all the residents of Kossovo, regardless of religion or ethnicity, and to have full respect for international and European standards of human rights for ethnic minorities. Mr. Jovanovic called the Kossovo Liberation Army a "terrorist organization which should be included on the list of similar organizations". He accused the KLA of kidnapping, torture, bomb attacks on cars and other targets and said he was convinced that the Albanian-speaking population of Kossovo were becoming more skeptical of the KLA.In regards to bilateral relations, Mgrs. Jovanovic and Pangalos agreed that there were strong ties between the two countries. Economic ties between Greece and Yugoslavia were growing rapidly, with trade rising 26 percent this year, Mr. Pangalos said, pointing out that Greece is Yugoslavia's fifth largest trade partner and biggest foreign investor, he said. [03] MAIN OPPOSITION LEADER TO ARRIVE IN THESSALONIKI TODAY FOR 3- DAY STAYThessaloniki, September 11 (MPA)The leader of the main opposition party, New Democracy’s Kostas Karamanlis, is to embark on a three-day visit to Thessaloniki today.During his stay in the northern capital, Mr. Karamanlis will meet with local party leaders and deputies. On Sunday, Mr. Karamanlis will visit the 63rd International Trade Fair of Thessaloniki and will give a press interview in the afternoon. [04] MPA’S CONFERENCE ON RIGAS STARTS THIS EVENING IN THESSALONIKIThessaloniki, September 11 (MPA)The two-day Inter-Balkan conference on "The influence of the ideas of Rigas Velestinlis on the countries of south-eastern Europe and the need for Inter-Balkan cooperation today" organized by the Macedonian Press Agency will open this afternoon in Aristotle University of Thessaloniki with the participation of distinguished personalities, academicians, historians and directors of Balkan news agencies. The Minister of Press and Media Dimitris Reppas will inaugurate the event. In his message to the delegates prime minister Kostas Simitis expressed the hope that Rigas' legacies and visions on the Balkans will be a new source of inspiration for the further expansion of the multi-faceted Inter-Balkan cooperation. Leader of main opposition party of New Democracy Kostas Karamanlis stressed in his message that the conflicts in the Balkan Peninsula clearly show that there is a need to study and use Rigas' ideas again and this need is being served by the conference organized by the Macedonian Press Agency.[05] US SPECIAL ENVOY FOR CYPRUS MEETS WITH GREEK FOREIGN MINISTERAthens, September 11 (MPA)United States special envoy for Cyprus Thomas Miller met with Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos in Athens yesterday with whom he discussed the Cyprus issue. Although neither official made any statements after the meeting, Miller said shortly before his talks that they would focus on securing a bi-zonal federal state for the two separate communities.[06] FINNISH PRESIDENT TO ARRIVE ON OFFICIAL VISIT NEXT WEEKAthens, September 11 (MPA)Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari will pay an official visit to Greece from September 14 to 17, his first visit to Athens, taking place in return of a visit to Finland by Greek President Kostis Stephanopoulos in November 1996. Apart from issues of a bilateral nature, discussions are expected to focus on the recent developments in Russia, the situation in Kossovo and the Balkans and issues relating to the European Union in view of Finland taking up the union's rotating presidency in the second half of 1999. Before leaving Greece, the Finnish official will pay a short visit to Crete, from where he will depart for Helsinki.[07] THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE FLOCK TO TIF, GREAT NUMBER OF TRADE VISITORSThessaloniki, September 11 (MPA)Trade visitors at the 63rd International Trade Fair of Thessaloniki have surpassed the 900-number mark during the first five days of the Fair’s operation.The number of the trade visitors is surpassing even the expectations of HELEXPO, the organization in charge of the Fair. These visitors are from Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, F.R. of Yugoslavia, Italy, Cyprus, South Africa, Portugal, Romania and the Czech Republic. [08] SCHOOLS START TODAY IN GREECEThessaloniki, September 11 (MPA)Hundreds of thousands of elementary, junior high and high school students are returning to classes as of today. Meanwhile, the Minister of Education Gerasimos Arsenis stated that “everything is ready in order to start the new school year and the proper measures have been taken in order to ensure the correct operation of the new policies.” However, the Teachers Association begs to differ. Its representatives have said that the high schools are not ready to apply the new measures, there are insufficient classrooms and the book distribution might be delayed.[09] LIBRARY OF GREEK-BULGARIAN FRIENDSHIP SOCIETY NAMED AFTER TROGADISSofia, September 11 (MPA)The library of the Greek-Bulgarian Friendship Society in the Bulgarian town of Pomorie will bear the name of the late journalist and director of the ERA 5 "Voice of Greece" Radio Pantelis Trogadis. The decision to give Trogadis' name to the library is the result of the love he felt for people of Greek origin living in countries of the former communist bloc. Pomorie, a town having 14,000 inhabitants, has an extensive Greek community, while the society was established in 1990. A traditional building provided by the municipal authority in the town is used for Greek language lessons for 70 children of Greek and non-Greek origin. ERA has offered books and CDs worth 400,000 drachmas to the Greek-Bulgarian Friendship Society.[10] DIRECTORS OF BLACK SEA BANK HOLD CONFERENCE IN HALKIDIKIThessaloniki, September 11 (MPA)The directors’ council of the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank is holding a three-day conference as of today in the northern Greek peninsula of Halkidiki, in order to map out the details concerning the financial institution’s start of operation in the upcoming year. The main topic on the agenda is the location of the Bank’s headquarters, which will serve as the “key” in starting its operation. Reportedly, the participants are aiming at achieving the Greek Parliament’s ratification of the relevant agreement and, according to the existing plans, the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank’s permanent headquarters will be in Thessaloniki.[11] ASSOCIATION OF BALKAN CHAMBERS TO CONVENE IN SKOPJE TODAYThessaloniki, September 11 (MPA)The Association of Balkan Chambers (ABC) is to convene in Skopje today, in order to examine, among other matters, means of establishing business collaboration in southeastern Europe. Eight countries are being represented in the conference, namely Greece, Cyprus, Albania, Bulgaria, Romania, Yugoslavia, FYROM and Turkey. The participants are to also discuss matters concerning transportation, visas and strengthening cooperation between the ABC and the SECI.The Central Association of Greece’s Chambers is to propose the expansion of electronic Trade (EDI) to the Balkan and black Sea countries. [12] UN SECURITY COUNCIL DEMANDS IMMEDIATE END OF HOSTILITIES IN KOSSOVOGeneva, September 11 (MPA)Members of the Security Council on Thursday demanded an immediate cessation of all hostilities in the Kossovo province of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. In a statement to the press on behalf of Council members, the President of the Council, Ambassador Hans Dahlgren of Sweden, called for an end to all violent or repressive actions against the civilian population. Council members also called for an end to the wanton destruction of property which was causing people to leave their homes and creating new flows of refugees and displaced persons, he said. Ambassador Dahlgren said that Council members were gravely concerned about the severe humanitarian consequences for the civilian population caused by the fighting and violations of international humanitarian law and human rights. In particular, Ambassador Dahlgren said, Council members noted with concern the forced internal displacement of civilians estimated at 50,000 who have been driven into the woods and mountains. They also noted the lack of adequate safety and security for those people to return to their homes. They warned that with the approach of winter, as the temperature was already dropping and would drop significantly by the end of October, there could be a "humanitarian catastrophe" in the region, the Council President said. "All those involved in the mistreatment of civilians and deliberate destruction of property should be brought to justice," he added. Ambassador Dahlgren said that Council members expressed the need for Mr. Milosevic, as President of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, to order a halt to all repressive actions against the civilian population in Kossovo. Ambassador Dahlgren said that the members of the Security Council also called for an immediate cessation of violence by all Kossovo Albanian armed groups.[13] KOSSOVO: 10,000 ALBANIAN REFUGEES RETURN TO THEIR HOMESPrishtina, September 11 (MPA)Ten thousand Albanian refugees have returned to their homes in six villages southeast of Decani.According the Serb press center in Kossovo, the refugees’ return took place following an agreement reached between the Albanians’ representatives and a Serb government delegation. The refugees were escorted to their homes by police forces. [14] RUSSIA: DUMA CONVENES TO DECIDE ON PRIMAKOV’S CANDIDACY FOR PMMoscow, September 11 (MPA)Russia’s Lower House, the Duma is to convene today in order to decide on the Foreign Minister Yevgeni Primakov’s candidacy for the premiership. If the Duma votes in the candidate, this could be start of the end of Russia’s crippling crises, both economic and political. A State Department spokesperson stated that Washington’s point of view concerning Mr. Primakov will depend on whether or not he intents to press on with the reform process.Complete archives of the Macedonian Press Agency bulletins are available on the MPA Home Page at http://www.mpa.gr/ and on the U.S. mirror at http://www.hri.org/MPA/Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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