Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 01-10-13

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

CONTENTS

[01] THE SPEECHES IN THE 6TH PASOK PARTY CONGRESS WILL END TODAY

[02] ADEILA GUEVARA: CUBA COULD BE THE NEXT VICTIM OF THE WAR

[03] SIMITIS WILL REFER TO THE ISSUE OF PARTY UNITY

[04] THE SPEECHES CONTINUE IN THE 6TH PASOK PARTY CONGRESS

[05] KARAMANLIS LAUNCHED AN ATTACK ON SIMITIS

[06] PAPANDREOU-ASSAD MEETING TOMORROW

[07] WEIZECKER ON THE GREEK PRESENCE IN THE FRANKFURT BOOK FAIR

[01] THE SPEECHES IN THE 6TH PASOK PARTY CONGRESS WILL END TODAY

The speeches of PASOK's leading party members, within the framework of the 6th PASOK Party Congress, will be completed today with a speech by prime minister Kostas Simitis and outgoing central committee secretary Kostas Skandalidis.

Among the leading party members, who will address the party congress, will be interior minister Vaso Papandreou, environment, land planning and public works minister Kostas Laliotis, culture minister Evangelos Venizelos and others.

The party congress political positions will be voted through today, and tomorrow the 6.353 congress delegates will vote to elect the 180 members of the new party central committee.

[02] ADEILA GUEVARA: CUBA COULD BE THE NEXT VICTIM OF THE WAR

Cuba could be the next victim of the war, stated Adeila Guevara, daughter of the legendary Che Guevara and ICAP representative Ricardo Rodriguez, in the European conference for solidarity to Cuba taking place in Thessaloniki's Macedonia University today.

Adeila Guevara stated that Cuba can be the next victim because when the US is threatened, Cuba pays the price as it is regarded as a thorn in America's back.

Mr. Rodriguez, the representative of ICAP, an institution dealing with the communication of solidarity associations in Cuba and the rest of the world, stated that humanity already has many problems to face and now with this new war things will become worse. He said that the US takes advantage both of the existing international situation and the confusion in the public opinion, adding that Cuba faces a difficult situation. Mr. Rodriguez said that the war can spread and knock on Cuba's door based on fabricated excuses, stressing that the United States regard Cuba as a terrorist country in spite of the fact that itself was hit by terrorist attacks.

Adeila Guevara, opening the conference procedures, pointed out that Cuba suffered for years from the embargo and the terrorist attacks that were not condemned neither by the UN nor by the people. She said that when a Cuban passenger plane was hijacked with many victims, no one did anything about this crime and wondered what is the difference between Cubans and Americans, the Vietnamese who were sacrificed, the people from the Middle East, the Palestinians and the Iraqis, adding that we cannot turn our backs to the problems of humanity.

[03] SIMITIS WILL REFER TO THE ISSUE OF PARTY UNITY

Prime minister Kostas Simitis in his speech in the 6th PASOK Party Congress this evening will refer to the issue of party unity.

He is expected to say how party unity can be achieved referring to seven points, while he will also speak about the way in which the country is being governed.

Mr. Simitis also will state that he never asked for a "blank cheque" to govern the country.

[04] THE SPEECHES CONTINUE IN THE 6TH PASOK PARTY CONGRESS

The succession talk is negative and the mandate that was given to prime minister Kostas Simitis to govern is still fresh, stated foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou speaking in the 6th PASOK Party Congress. He said that there are no successors to Mr. Simitis and underlined that the biggest title of honor is that of the party member.

Mr. Papandreou also reiterated his proposal according to which, the party president should be elected by the party members and the secretary should be elected in the party congress. He also proposed that a party congress should be held in 2002 on issues concerning the party founding charter.

Minister of press and mass media Dimitris Reppas stated that it is a party congress on the future of Greece, stressing that Greece's course is directly interwoven with the course of the party.

He also pointed out that efforts should be made for a strong Greece, adding that the people must feel safe after the cosmogonic changes that take place at an international level.

The democratic legality and transparency make it necessary to unite around prime minister Kostas Simitis, who received the people's mandate to govern, stated culture minister Evangelos Venizelos.

He said that the goal until 2004 should be the development that is based on social justice and security, and pointed out that social cohesion is based on a guaranteed minimum income.

[05] KARAMANLIS LAUNCHED AN ATTACK ON SIMITIS

Right-wing main opposition party of New Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis accused prime minister Kostas Simitis of having a "small party leader behavior", referring to the prime minister's opening speech in the 6th PASOK Party Congress.

Speaking before the city of Ioannina municipal council members, Mr. Karamanlis stated that it is sad to watch the chief executive acting like a small party leader in the present international situation.

Referring to terrorism, he said that terrorist actions cannot become legitimate by hiding behind religions and cultures, adding that terrorism is a phenomenon that targets freedom, justice and the right to life.

[06] PAPANDREOU-ASSAD MEETING TOMORROW

Greek foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou meets tomorrow with Syrian president Bashar al Assad for talks.

Mr. Papandreou will attempt to persuade Damascus to support the fight against terrorism which is a very difficult task as Syria is included in the US State Department list of countries accused of harboring terrorism, due to the existence of Palestinian training camps on its territory.

He will also try to secure Syria's contribution to the effort aimed at finding a solution to the Palestinian issue, which is also difficult as the initiative comes from the US, and Athens did not have the time to prepare its moves adequately and warm up the atmosphere as its relations with Damascus are not at the excellent level the used to be in the past decade as a result of the personal relationship shared by the late leaders Andreas Papandreou and Hafez al Assad.

However, Athens is the only capital in the EU and NATO that can talk with Syria.

[07] WEIZECKER ON THE GREEK PRESENCE IN THE FRANKFURT BOOK FAIR

Never before a honored country managed to present in such an impressive manner its history and culture within the framework of the Frankfurt Book Fair, stated former Federal Republic of Germany president Richard von Weizecker after visiting the Greek pavilion in Frankfurt's 53rd International Book Fair.

Meanwhile, the cultural events within the framework of the book fair continue with the "Poets Feast" events that will take place in Literaturhaus tomorrow.

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