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Athens News Agency: Daily News Bulletin in English, 98-03-03
From: The Greek Press & Information Office, Ottawa Canada <[email protected]>
ATHENS NEWS AGENCY BULLETIN (No 1428), March 3, 1998
Greek Press & Information Office
Ottawa, Canada
E-Mail Address: [email protected]
CONTENTS
[01] Greece ready to undertake initiatives to defuse Kosovo crisis
[02] Greece, Egypt sign accord on fighting crime
[03] Archbishop Serapheim remains in critical condition
[04] SAE president calls for unity on Greek issues
[05] Veteran Greek journalist dies
[06] IHT-Kathimerini launching on March 9th
[07] Brother and sister killed in car accident
[08] Man surrenders in Thessaloniki after killing friend
[09] Blade-carrying Albanian arrested
[01] Greece ready to undertake initiatives to defuse Kosovo crisis
Athens, 03/03/1998 (ANA)
The Greek government is carefully monitoring the situation in
Kosovo, following clashes over the weekend in which 16 Albanians
and four Serbian policemen were killed.
Residents in the area reported that helicopters and armored
vehicles attacked them in their homes.
Albanian Prime Minister Fatos Nano spoke on the phone twice with
his Greek counterpart Costas Simitis on Sunday, and according to
sources, he asked him to intervene to ease off tension in Kosovo.
According to the same sources, both the prime minister and the
foreign ministry in Athens are carefully examining the latest
developments, and Greece is ready to undertake initiatives to
defuse the crisis.
Further, Greece has explicitly voiced its willingness to host a
meeting of the rival sides.
Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos is to travel to Belgrade
next Friday, to convey Greece's positions on the issues to the
Yugoslav government.
Athens is also in contact with foreign governments over latest
developments in the region, while its stance will depend on
moves to be taken by the international community, without this
excluding unilateral moves by Greece.
Diplomatic circles underlined the good relations existing
between Athens, Albania and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia,
which made it a privileged negotiator, and that Greece was
determined to utilize the advantages in its hands with the aim
to achieve a peaceful solution of the Kosovo problem.
Also important is a scheduled visit to Athens by Albanian
President Rexhep Mejdani on March 9, for talks with President
Kostis Stephanopoulos and Premier Simitis.
The Greek Foreign Ministry yesterday issued an announcement
stating its sadness and concern over the events which took place
in Kosovo.
The announcement noted that Greece will promote all initiatives,
which are in progress and those, which will begin within the
next few days "so as to achieve immediate commencement of talks
between the representatives of the local population and the
Yugoslav government, so as to find a solution with which the
sovereignty and unity-integrity of Yugoslavia as well as the
rights of the Albanian majority in Kosovo will be respected."
[02] Greece, Egypt sign accord on fighting crime
Athens, 03/03/1998 (ANA)
Greece and Egypt have signed a co-operation accord on fighting
terrorism, crime including the trade in drugs and explosives,
illegal immigration and counterfeiting.
The accord was signed in Cairo on Saturday by Public Order
Minister George Romeos and his Egyptian counterpart Habib El
Adly.
The agreement also provides for an exchange of information on
terrorism and organized crime, including reports by experts and
other publications.
It was agreed to award Greek citizenship to 150 Greeks on the
basis of a list supplied by Cairo's Greek Consulate.
[03] Archbishop Serapheim remains in critical condition
Athens, 03/03/1998 (ANA)
The Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Serapheim remains in a
critical condition at the Athens Laiko Hospital, according to a
statement released by his doctors yesterday.
The 85-year old prelate of the Orthodox Church in Greece was
hospitalized last Tuesday due to a viral infection as well as
chronic kidney failure. The statement said that the infection is
being treated with chemotherapy, which places strain on vital
organs such as the brain and the liver, adding that these
consequences have not been reversed.
The director of the Laiko kidney unit Haralambos Stathakis said
that the Archbishop's system is in disarray and that he receives
all support possible, both material and spiritual.
Meanwhile, Metropolitan Prokopios of Philippi Neapolis and
Thassos yesterday announced that he will not seek to succeed
Archbishop Serapheim, despite press reports to the contrary.
The Metropolitan is considered by many as one of the most
hardest working in the church.
[04] SAE president calls for unity on Greek issues
Washington, 03/03/1998 (ANA)
The president of the World Council of Hellenes (SAE), Andrew
Athens has addressed a call for unity and co-operation of all
organizations and officials of the Greek community in the US, at
the current crucial phase of the Cyprus problem and
Greek-Turkish relations, as a US initiative is expected to be
surfaced.
Mr. Athens addressed his call during a speech at the 33rd
"Reception of the Congress", organized here at the weekend by
the AHEPA organization.
The SAE president and the Greek descent Republican Florida
congressman Michael Bilirakis were the event's honored figures.
Mr. Bilirakis promised that both US parties' Greek American
politicians will continue their efforts, together with support
from their colleagues, to promote Greek positions on issues of
such importance as the Cyprus issue and Greek-Turkish relations.
[05] Veteran Greek journalist dies
Athens, 03/03/1998 (ANA)
Gregoris Staktopoulos, a veteran Greek journalist, died at the
age of 88, it was announced yesterday.
Staktopoulos was born in Trebizon (Trapezounta) in Pontos. His
family moved to Thessaloniki after the Asia Minor catastrophe.
He graduated from the American College in Thessaloniki in 1930
and worked for a local Greek Communist daily published
clandestinely during the German occupation. After Greece's
liberation, Staktopoulos worked for the Thessaloniki daily
"Macedonia" until October 1948 when he was accused of being an
accomplice in the murder of American journalist George Polk, who
went to the northern Greek capital during the civil war to
interview Markos Vafiades, head of the then Communist-led
"Democratic Army".
Polk's body was fished out of Thessaloniki bay a few days later.
In April 1949, a Thessaloniki criminal court sentenced
Staktopoulos to life imprisonment, but his sentence was reduced
twice and was set free, under certain conditions, in 1960.
After his release he worked for "Ethnikos Kyrix" newspaper and
was the Athens correspondent for the "Macedonia" newspaper. At
the same time, and until his retirement in 1982, he was worked
as a stringer for the Associated Press and Reuters news agencies
and the London Times.
[06] IHT-Kathimerini launching on March 9th
Athens, 03/03/1998 (ANA)
The International Herald Tribune (IHT) and the Athens daily
Kathimerini have announced that the first issue of their new
joint venture newspaper will appear on Monday, March 9th.
Published in Athens for distribution throughout Greece, the
paper will include the entire edition of the IHT plus a daily
section in English from Kathimerini.
The IHT will be printed on the Kathimerini presses, combined
with the daily supplement, and distributed in the early hours to
subscribers, hotels, airlines and newsstands. Greece will be the
15th of the IHT's remote print site locations spread over three
continents.
[07] Brother and sister killed in car accident
Athens, 03/03/1998 (ANA)
Two children of Albanian descent, Krezinik Velkou, 12, and his
sister Elvira, 14, were killed Saturday night while crossing
Vouliagmenis Ave., Glyfada, after being hit by a car driven by
23-year-old Vassilis Georgakopoulos. Police said the accident
was due to excessive speeding, but also to the two children's
carelessness.
[08] Man surrenders in Thessaloniki after killing friend
Athens, 03/03/1998 (ANA)
Thessaloniki police are questioning a 26-year-old man who
surrendered on Saturday, after accidentally killing his friend,
Fotis Fotiadis, 26, Friday night. Apostolos Saratzis was
checking the gun while in a car with the victim's sister and
another woman, when the revolver fired accidentally and shot the
unlucky man in the head.
[09] Blade-carrying Albanian arrested
Athens, 03/03/1998 (ANA)
A 24-year-old Albanian citizen has been arrested in the
northeastern Greek town of Xanthi in possession of a
20-centimeter blade, police said yesterday. Police said
Alexandros Anagnostou was arrested at the town's hospital when
the blade was discovered hidden in his sock.
End of English language section.
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