Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 01-10-30

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

CONTENTS

[01] "THOSE WHO PARTICIPATE IN OUR EDUCATION ARE GREEKS"

[02] YESTERDAY'S AFTERSHOCK CONSIDERED NORMAL

[03] VOLUNTEERS FOR "ATHENS 2004"

[04] POLICEMAN SUPPLIED ARMY OFFICERS WITH HASHISH

[05] GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN: 550.000-600.000 "GREEN CARD" IMMIGRANTS IN GREECE

[06] THE PRIME MINISTER CALLED FOR INTENSIVE WORK

[07] THE BANK OF PIRAEUS OFFER WAS THE BEST

[08] MARGINAL LOSSES IN THE ASE

[09] VENIZELOS: AVOID SELF-HUMILIATION

[10] THE STATE BUDGET IN PARLIAMENT ON NOVEMBER 21

[11] PAPANDREOU: DIPLOMACY IS IN THE SERVICE OF PEACE

[12] THE ARMENIAN PATRIARCH WILL BE IN THESSALONIKI TOMORROW

[13] THESSALONIKI MAYOR-ISRAELI AMBASSADOR MEETING

[14] THE DOCTORS OF THE WORLD AT THE AFGHAN REFUGEE CAMPS

[01] "THOSE WHO PARTICIPATE IN OUR EDUCATION ARE GREEKS"

Those who participate in our education are Greeks. This was the phrase with which government spokesperson answered the reporters, after the problems arising from the question on whether certain children from Albania, excelling in school, should be allowed to bear the Greek flag in the school parades on national holidays, an honor typically bestowed to the student with the highest grade in the school.

Mr. Protopapas mentioned that the government considers the issue solved and referred to the relative legislature and circular of the Ministry of Education. He also added that if these children feel proud to bear the Greek flag, he could not understand who it was that would stop them and why.

The Minister of Press mentioned that many eminent philhellenes who helped Greece's struggles for independence, served philosophy, thought and our culture, have deservingly held up the Greek flag in the past. They thought like Greeks, acted like Greeks, spoke Greek and were participants in Greek education, he said characteristically, and added: When a child is an excellent student of a Greek school and it feels that it is an honor for him to bear the Greek flag, we should be the last to place obstacles in front of it.

The government spokesperson surmised by saying that we cannot and must not in any case become a society with gray areas and characteristically pointed out: You cannot accept someone to work for your business for 8 years, and then not let his child function in a school.

[02] YESTERDAY'S AFTERSHOCK CONSIDERED NORMAL

The aftershock that took place at 10:22pm last night, a 5,2 on the Richter scale, with its epicenter in the sea region between Skyros and Alonnissos, was characterized as completely normal and expected by Assistant Professor of Geophysics at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Kostas Papazachos.

As Mr. Papazachos told the MPA, last night's earthquake did not surprise seismologists, and he underlined with certainty that the area does not exhibit any new seismic activity. "This was a normal and completely expected aftershock, of the powerful earthquake of July 26, which should cause no worry".

[03] VOLUNTEERS FOR "ATHENS 2004"

The volunteer program, one of the basic axes in which a successful Olympiad is based, will be presented on November 1 and 2 in Volos, by Athens 2004. Its goal is the broadest possible informing and mobilization of local society in the capital of Magnisia, which is one of the five Olympic cities, as the preliminary phase of the Olympic Football Tournament will take place there.

In an event that will take place on Thursday, November 1, in the New Ionia Gym at 7pm. The President of Athens 2004, Gianna Aggelopoulou-Daskalaki, will speak about the importance of volunteerism, will promote the program formed by the Organizing Committee, while she will also refer to the interest expressed by citizens of the Prefecture in the volunteer programs

[04] POLICEMAN SUPPLIED ARMY OFFICERS WITH HASHISH

30-year-old police lieutenant Efstatios Alexopoulos will be taken to the local District Attorney of Lesvos tomorrow. The police lieutenant is accused of supplying small quantities of hashish to two non-commissioned officers of the army, serving on the island.

[05] GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN: 550.000-600.000 "GREEN CARD" IMMIGRANTS IN GREECE

The immigrants with a "green card" are estimated in Greece at 550.000-600.000, stated government spokesman Christos Protopapas responding to a question by a reporter.

He clarified that 367.000 of the "green cards" have been issued after the completion of the so-called "second chance" offered during the summer to illegal immigrants to register, while the rest of the legalizations concern earlier approvals.

He added that the number is very big and shows that the government managed to promote the immigrants' census procedure, legalized the immigrants working illegally in Greece and stopped the creation of a gray zone in the Greek society.

[06] THE PRIME MINISTER CALLED FOR INTENSIVE WORK

Prime minister Kostas Simitis was briefed by his ministers on the distribution of jurisdiction among the government officials taking over responsibilities concerning the preparations of the 2004 Olympic Games. The briefing took place in the ministerial committee meeting on the 2004 Olympic Games that was held in Athens today under Prime minister Kostas Simitis.

Mr. Simitis stated that the Olympic Games are a top priority for the government and the country as it is not just any sports event and require intensive work by everybody. He also said that the scheduling phase has ended, stressing that the construction of all projects has to get underway.

In the meeting it was decided that the role of the Work Management Team will be upgraded and it will be presided over by Olympic Games undersecretary Nasos Alevras. In the team will participate the general secretaries of all responsible ministries. Before reaching the ministerial committee, every issue will be examined by the Work Management Team which will oversee the Olympic Games memorandums' course toward materialization.

[07] THE BANK OF PIRAEUS OFFER WAS THE BEST

Minister of National Economy and Finance Nikos Christodoulakis stated today that the Bank of Piraeus offer for the purchase of the Greek Bank of Industrial Development (ETVA) was the best made.

The Bank of Piraeus offered 173.8 billion drachmas corresponding to 57.8% of the ETVA capital share.

Also, it was made known that the announcements concerning the fate of the Greek state-run airline Olympic Airways will be delayed for two weeks.

[08] MARGINAL LOSSES IN THE ASE

Marginal losses were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today. The general index dropped to -0.25% at 2.382,73 points, while the volume of transactions was at 79.3 million Euro or 27 billion drachmas.

Of the stocks trading today, 75 recorded gains and 240 had losses, while the value of 64 stocks remained unchanged.

[09] VENIZELOS: AVOID SELF-HUMILIATION

The Ministerial Committee on the 2004 Olympic Games met in Athens today chaired by Prime Minister Kostas Simitis.

Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos characterized the meeting as very practical and effective, stressing that it dealt with the organizing and essence of Olympic preparations in view of the new International Olympic Committee visit.

Responding to the question if there are delays in the Olympic projects, Mr. Venizelos stated that we should avoid the tendency to humiliate our own country, stressing that we are capable of dealing with the Olympic preparations demands. He said that such problems are usual in the Olympic Games preparations, adding that the past Olympic Games' host cities had faced exactly the same problems.

[10] THE STATE BUDGET IN PARLIAMENT ON NOVEMBER 21

The state budget will be presented in parliament on November 21, according to Minister of National Economy and Finance Nikos Christodoulakis, while the discussion on the budget's draft plan will be launched tomorrow.

Meanwhile, in the following days and after the ECOFIN meeting, Mr. Christodoulakis is expected to announce the initial outlook on the course of the Greek economy, while an overall presentation of the 2001 budget and the early 2002 budget will take place next week.

Mr. Christodoulakis stated that the two factors determining the course of the economic policy is the incorporation into the Euro-zone procedure and the current international economic situation, while the target set is to achieve macro-economic stability through fiscal discipline and social spending increases.

A basic element of the economic policy is the course of privatization and the liberalization of the markets under the criterion of employment.

[11] PAPANDREOU: DIPLOMACY IS IN THE SERVICE OF PEACE

Foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou presented Deputy Foreign Minister Tasos Yiannitsis and undersecretaries Yiannis Zafiropoulos and Yiannis Magriotis to the Foreign ministry administrative personnel. In statements he made, Mr. Papandreou underlined that the ambition of the new Foreign Ministry leadership is to work as a team for the promotion of the Greek interests.

Mr. Papandreou stated that this is not the most favorable situation, stressing that it could be characterized as one of the most difficult ever faced by diplomacy in general and not just by the Greek diplomacy. The Greek Foreign minister said that diplomacy must be put to the service of peace, and cooperation aimed at finding solutions that will help in the eradication of conflicts of violence and war, adding that this is the biggest challenge of the times.

[12] THE ARMENIAN PATRIARCH WILL BE IN THESSALONIKI TOMORROW

Orthodox Armenian Patriarch and president of the World Council of Churches Aram A' will be in Thessaloniki tomorrow within the framework of his visit to Greece on October 30-November 6.

Aram A' will attend the events organized by the Armenian Church on the occasion of the 1.700th anniversary commemorating the declaration of the Christian religion as the official religion of the Armenian state.

The Armenian Patriarch will visit the Armenian church in Thessaloniki and will meet with members of the local Armenian community as well as, local officials.

[13] THESSALONIKI MAYOR-ISRAELI AMBASSADOR MEETING

A formal meeting was held between the Mayor of Thessaloniki, Vasilis Papageorgopoulos, and the Ambassador of Israel in Greece, David Sasson.

After Mr. Papageorgopoulos welcomed Mr. Sasson, during their meeting, he mentioned the role that Thessaloniki is being called to take up in the restructuring of the Balkans.

During the meeting an agreement was reached for the attempts of fraternization between Thessaloniki and Tel Aviv, to be restarted.

[14] THE DOCTORS OF THE WORLD AT THE AFGHAN REFUGEE CAMPS

The Greek Doctors of the World are at the Afghan-Iranian border city of Zahedan to offer humanitarian aid to 6.000 Afghan refugees.

In the region's two camps, "Mile 46" and "Maikiki", the number of refugees are on the increase at a daily basis and the Iranian Red Crescent estimates that very soon they will exceed the 20.000 mark. The refugee camps are 40 kilometers away from the borders on the side of Afghanistan and the living conditions for the people who sought refuge there are extremely difficult.

According to an announcement by the Doctors of the World, the fact that there are no refugee camps on Iranian territory creates serious problems for the aid organizations and the United Nations, because the refugees are not protected by the Geneva Convention and are regarded as internally displaced population.

The truck with the Greek humanitarian aid is expected to arrive at the border city of Zabol, the last Iranian border outpost, on Sunday after covering a distance of 5.000 kilometers.

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