Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 01-03-07

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From: The Macedonian Press Agency at http://www.mpa.gr and http://www.hri.org/MPA.

CONTENTS

[01] GREEK DM: IMPLEMENT UN RESOLUTION 1244 IN FYROM

[02] ATHENS MAYOR UNVEILS PARTY NAME AND EMBLEM

[03] THE CHURCH OF GREECE HAS NO PROBLEM WITH THE POPE'S VISIT

[04] MEETING OF THE FOREIGN MINISTERS OF GREECE AND IRAN

[05] FAVORABLE REPORT BY MORGAN STANLEY ON THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

[06] LOSSES IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

[07] THE "MOVEMENT OF FREE CITIZENS" FOUNDING DECLARATION WAS PRESENTED TO

[08] CHURCH OF GREECE TO ALLOW BURIAL OF SUICIDES

[09] ALBANIAN CHIEF OF GENERAL ARMY STAFF IN GREECE

[10] GREEK FM IN FYROM WITH PM'S MESSAGE OF SUPPORT

[11] KARAMANLIS-PRODI MEETING

[12] THE RETURN OF THE PARTHENON MARBLES IS LIKELY TO BE DISCUSSED IN A

[13] A GREEK PROFESSOR BECAME THE DEAN OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO

[14] AHEPA: THE WORD GENOCIDE MUST BE MAINTAINED IN THE DECREE ON THE

[01] GREEK DM: IMPLEMENT UN RESOLUTION 1244 IN FYROM

Noting that the situation at the northern border of FYROM and Kosovo is dangerous, Greece's Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos, has called for the full implementation of United Nations Resolution 1244, which stipulates that all parties involved in the Kosovo conflict must disarm.

Mr. Tsochatzopoulos also called for an emergency session of the UN Security Council and the implementation of a buffer zone between Kosovo and FYROM, while Greek units serving with the multinational force in Kosovo have been placed on alert.

According to Mr. Tsochatzopoulos, a clear message must be sent to all these terrorist groups that the international community will not allow the situation to get out of control.

At the same time, the Greek Foreign Ministry's spokesman Panos Beglitis said that Athens is in favor of the full implementation of resolution 1244, because instability in the region undermined territorial integrity and affected Greece's interests as well.

Charging that the said resolution has been "selectively implemented', Mr. Beglitis stated that now we can see that it has created an explosive situation in the region", adding that we believe that we must now put aside the policy of equal distances from the protagonists of the crisis.

Earlier, government spokesman Dimitris Reppas condemned the "Albanian terrorist actions", and stressed that Greece irrevocably supports the inviolability of borders.

We will act, using all means, to ensure that this principle is respected, and we will contribute, by every means, to ensure that the territorial integrity of our neighbor is not threatened, Mr. Reppas stated, clarifying that this concerns political and diplomatic initiatives.

A.F.

[02] ATHENS MAYOR UNVEILS PARTY NAME AND EMBLEM

Athens Mayor Dimitris Avramopoulos announced his newly-formed party's name, Movement of Free Citizens, which is aimed at "liberating the active forces of Hellenism and serving as a factor of change and renewal.

In a press interview yesterday evening, Mr. Avramopoulos also unveiled the party's emblem which consists of two incomplete and yellow circles. He also stated that the party's inaugural Congress will be held at Thessaloniki in the Fall.

A.F.

[03] THE CHURCH OF GREECE HAS NO PROBLEM WITH THE POPE'S VISIT

The Holy Synod of the Church of Greece met in Athens today to decide on the stance it will adopt if Pope John-Paul B' visits Greece.

In a statement issued by the Holy Synod it is mentioned that it has no problem with the Pope's visit to Athens.

The Pope was invited to Greece by Greek president Kostis Stephanopoulos during his recent visit to Italy in January 2001.

[04] MEETING OF THE FOREIGN MINISTERS OF GREECE AND IRAN

Greek foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou met in Athens today with his counterpart from Iran Mr. Kamal Kharrazi.

The two ministers discussed bilateral relations, the Cyprus issue, the EU-Iran relations, the developments in the Balkans and the Middle East and the situation in central Asia, the Caucasus and the Persian Gulf.

This afternoon, the Iranian foreign minister will meet with parliament president Apostolos Kaklamanis.

[05] FAVORABLE REPORT BY MORGAN STANLEY ON THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

Morgan Stanley analysts expect an even better performance by the Athens Stock Exchange in the following period, while the Greek stock market is characterized as oversold both to domestic and foreign investors.

In the report it is reiterated that the delay in the implementation of privatization has a negative effect on the market operation.

[06] LOSSES IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

Losses were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange. The general index dropped to 0.26% at 3.174,21 points, while the volume of transactions was satisfactory at 191,77 million Euro or 65,347 billion drachmas.

Of the stocks trading today, 178 recorded gains and 148 had losses, while the value of 44 stocks remained stable.

[07] THE "MOVEMENT OF FREE CITIZENS" FOUNDING DECLARATION WAS PRESENTED TO THE PARLIAMENT PRESIDENT

The founding declaration setting the ideological and political framework for the "Movement of Free Citizens" was delivered to Greek parliament president Apostolos Kaklamanis by Athens mayor and president of the newly founded party Dimitris Avramopoulos.

Mr. Kaklamanis wished him good luck and Mr. Avramopoulos stated that the next parliamentary elections will bring his party in parliament.

[08] CHURCH OF GREECE TO ALLOW BURIAL OF SUICIDES

Easing the strictness of its prior guidelines, the Church of Greece will begin to conduct funeral rites for unbaptized infants and will allow for the proper burial of suicide victims, provided the latter cases meet certain conditions.

Through a circular to be imminently issued by the Holy Synod, the Church states that children not baptized by the time of death will henceforth be considered as candidate members of the Church and will be buried through a special ceremony. According to the Metropolitan of Sparta Efstathios, these guidelines are similar to others already being used by many of the 16 separate churches worldwide that represent more than 200 million Orthodox Christians.

As for suicides, the Church continues to view the taking of one's own life, as self-murder and as such, a sin.  However, according to the Metropolitan, the Church shows compassion on those who have taken their own life as a result of mental illness, when such condition of impaired rationality can be verified by two physicians, or when the suicide was classified as an accident or the deceased did not die immediately after the attempt.

A.F.

[09] ALBANIAN CHIEF OF GENERAL ARMY STAFF IN GREECE

The Chief of Albania's General Army Staff Brigadier Pelub Kazimi embarked on a three-day official visit to Athens today, at the invitation of his Greek counterpart Manousos Paragioudakis.

During his visit, Brig. Kazimi will meet with Greece's top military officials, while he will also tour the archaeological site of the Acropolis.

A.F.

[10] GREEK FM IN FYROM WITH PM'S MESSAGE OF SUPPORT

Foreign Minister George Papandreou, who conducted an emergency visit to Skopje yesterday, held consultations with FYROM President Boris Trajkovski and Prime Minister Ljubco Georgievski on the tense situation created on the country's northern border with Kosovo.

Mr. Papandreou conveyed the Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis' message of support and Greece's readiness to contribute to the region's stability.

Following the talks, Mr. Papandreou expressed his optimism that the new measures to be soon announced by NATO, will avert the further destabilization, since this is the first time that this region of the Balkans is in such close cooperation for the resolution of an issue.

During his talks with Messrs. Trajkovski and Georgievski, as well as with the main opposition leader Cervenkovksi, Mr. Papandreou said that Greece irrevocably supports FYROM's territorial integrity and referred to the coordinated efforts undertaken by the international community, namely the European Union, the United States and the Alliance.

Mr. Papandreou also conveyed the discussions he had had prior to his arrival in Skopje with the Austrian political and state leadership, as well as those he had with OSCE's "troika", i.e. the leaders of the permanent delegations of Austria, Romania and Portugal, to examine the possibilities of the contribution of all to defusing the crisis.

The Greek Foreign Minister stated that problems in the Balkans couldn't be resolved with force, adding that solutions will come through dialogue, through respect for international law and through the joint cooperation of all countries and communities.

He also stated that he briefed US Secretary of State Colin Powell, on his visit to Skopje and on the positions of Athens on the crisis in the region. According to reports, Secretary Powell absolutely agrees with Greece's view on the need for the international community to send a strong message on the inviolability of borders and FYROM's territorial integrity, as well as on the immediate strengthening of KFOR's role in checking Kosovo's borders both with FYROM and southern Serbia.

Following the talks, FYROM's Premier Georgievski, who has appealed for Greece's intervention, thanked the Greek government for its support within the EU and NATO ranks and added that Greece can not only assist our country, but it carry out a vital role in the overall stability of the Balkans.

A.F.

[11] KARAMANLIS-PRODI MEETING

Greek right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis met in Brussels today with European Commission president Romano Prodi.

Mr. Karamanlis stated that in the problems of national importance New Democracy avoids the conflict with the government, adding that the party disagrees only with the way Cyprus' EU accession is being handled.

The leader of the main opposition party will address the European Popular Party congress this afternoon.

[12] THE RETURN OF THE PARTHENON MARBLES IS LIKELY TO BE DISCUSSED IN A BRITISH COMMONWEALTH CONFERENCE

Labor Party leader in the state of South Australia Michael Rann called on the Australian government to raise the issue of the return of the Parthenon Marbles, from the British Museum where they are kept to Greece, in the upcoming meeting of British Commonwealth leaders of states and governments that will take place in Brisbaine in October 2001.

Mr. Rann, speaking in the opening ceremony of the "Greek Cultural Month" in Adelaide, stressed that the issue of the return of the Parthenon Marbles is not just a dispute between Greece and Britain. He stated that all the peoples concerned about cultural heritage and integrity should be concerned.

[13] A GREEK PROFESSOR BECAME THE DEAN OF THE UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO

Greek professor Anastasios Venetsanopoulos became recently the dean of the School of Applied Sciences and Mechanics in the University of Toronto.

Mr. Venetsanopoulos is an internationally recognized researcher and academician. His term will start on July 1, 2001 and will last 5 years.

He studied at the Athens Polytechnic School and got a post-graduate degree at Yale University. In 1968, he began teaching at the University of Toronto School of Mechanical Engineering and Computers. He has written over 650 scientific reports on multi-media systems, digital picture processing and digital communication.

[14] AHEPA: THE WORD GENOCIDE MUST BE MAINTAINED IN THE DECREE ON THE HELLENISM OF ASIA MINOR

The Greek-American organization AHEPA, in a letter signed by its president John Ekonomi and addressed to prime minister Kostas Simitis, expressed concern regarding the Greek government decision to remove the word genocide from the decree on the Asia Minor hellenism.

AHEPA maintains that history should not be sacrificed in order to achieve the Greek-Turkish rapprochement, adding that the need to improve the Greek-Turkish relations is understandable and the organization itself has worked toward this end. AHEPA president John Economi, whose mother was forced to leave Asia Minor in 1922, states that it is very important for the Greek-American communities in the United States and Canada to protect history from being erased by any individual or government.

AHEPA issued an appeal to the Greek government to keep the word genocide in the presidential decree that puts into effect the 2645/1998 legislation and in case this will not happen expresses the wish that Turkey will appreciate the move made by the Greek government and make the necessary steps for the rapprochement in the Aegean, Cyprus and the protection of the religious freedom of the Ecumenical Patriarchate.

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