Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 98-06-30
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, June 30, 1998
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] IONIAN BANK'S SHAREHOLDERS TO HOLD GENERAL ASSEMBLY TODAY
[02] MAIN OPPOSITION PARTY LEADER WRAPS UP TOUR OF WESTERN
MACEDONIA TODAY
[03] IONIAN BANK EMPLOYEES TO STRIKE ON FRIDAY
[04] ECONOMY AND FINANCE MINISTER COMMENTS ON PRIVATIZATION COURSE
[05] IONIAN BANK SHAREHOLDERS GENERAL ASSEMBLY UNDERWAY, NO
EPISODES
[06] REPPAS: UN RESOLUTIONS ON CYPRUS POSITIVE
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[07] GREEK CONSULATE DENIES TURKISH PRESS REPORTS OF ESPIONAGE
[08] EU FOREIGN MINISTERS CONVENE OVER KOSSOVO, SUPPORT RUGOVA
[09] RADIOACTIVE LEAK OCCURRED AT CYPRUS IN 1973, BRITISH REPORTS
CLAIM
[10] UN SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS UNFICYP MANDATE THROUGH END OF
YEAR.
[11] PLAQUE UNVEILED AT POET KALVOS' HOME IN LONDON
[12] IT WAS A FIASCO, AFTERALL, THE SO-CALLED "ESPIONAGE" SCANDAL
[13] CONFLICT CONTINUES IN KOSSOVO
[14] US FIGHTER FIRES MISSILE AT SOUTHERN IRAQI SITE
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] IONIAN BANK'S SHAREHOLDERS TO HOLD GENERAL ASSEMBLY TODAY
The shareholders of Ionian bank are to hold their General
assembly today, featuring the participation of a limited number of
labor representatives.
Yesterday, Eurobank, which is owned by the Latsis Group,
bought the Bank of Crete for 93 billion drachmas. The offers made
by the Bank of Piraeus and the Bank of Labour were GRD52.5 billion
and GRD48 billion, respectively.
Details of the bids given by the Bank of Crete are as
follows:
- Luxembourg-based Consolidated Eurofinance Holdings SA bid on
behalf of the Latsis group, owners of EFG Eurobank. The bid was 93
billion drachmas, of which 30 per cent is payable within a month:
10 per cent annually for the first three years; and the remaining
40 per cent in the final year.
[02] MAIN OPPOSITION PARTY LEADER WRAPS UP TOUR OF WESTERN
MACEDONIA TODAY
The leader of the country's main opposition party, New
Democracy's Kostas Karamanlis, is to complete his tour of Western
Macedonia today, with a visit to the city of Kozani.
In Kastoria yesterday, Mr. Karamanlis stated that decisive
measures need to be taken in order to combat organised crime and
the flood of illegal immigrants. He accused the state of not
taking the necessary measures to protect its citizens and their
property.
Mr. Karamanlis has toured several parts of Greece on recent
weekends, ahead of October's local government elections.
[03] IONIAN BANK EMPLOYEES TO STRIKE ON FRIDAY
Reminiscent of not-so-old times, the Ionian Bank employees'
union are to hold a 24-hour strike on Friday following a court
ruling yesterday regarding the presence of striking employees at
the bank's recent shareholders' assembly.
The union had initially called a four-hour work stoppage
today and a gathering at the Hilton Hotel, where a general
assembly of Ionian Bank shareholders will take place.
However, after the court ruling, which limits the presence
of employees and of representatives of their insurance fund at
the assembly, the union suspended today's work stoppage and turned
it into a 24-hour strike on Friday.
[04] ECONOMY AND FINANCE MINISTER COMMENTS ON PRIVATIZATION COURSE
The Minister of National Economy and Finance Yiannos
Papantoniou stated today that the sale of the Bank of Crete marks
the privatisation course of the country's banks and public-
interest enterprises (DEKOS), this being the best way to salvage
Greece's economy.
Moreover, Mr. Papantoniou said that "the government is taking
coordinated steps in this direction, which is the only one that
can lead us to complete success in our fiscal policy."
[05] IONIAN BANK SHAREHOLDERS GENERAL ASSEMBLY UNDERWAY, NO
EPISODES
The sale of the majority shares of Ionian Bank is the key
topic during the presently-held general Assembly of the Bank's
shareholders which feature a limited participation of the bank
workers' representatives
The decision to limit the number of unionists present at the
meeting was taken by the First Circuit Court which wanted to
prevent a reoccurrence of the violent episodes that marked the
previous general assembly meeting.
[06] REPPAS: UN RESOLUTIONS ON CYPRUS POSITIVE
Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas described the UN
resolutions for Cyprus as positive adding that the international
community should adopt a similar attitude towards Turkey in order
to reach a solution for the Cyprus problem.
Moreover, the Greek deputy foreign minister Giannos
Kranidiotis, in statements he made, stressed that the two
resolutions refer to the reduction of defence expenses and arms as
well as to the form of settlement promoted by the UN and
underlined that they are in accordance with the Greek positions.
Mr Kranidiotis, also, noted that the Cyprus' EU accession
procedure forced Turkey to reconsider its policy on the Cyprus
issue.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[07] GREEK CONSULATE DENIES TURKISH PRESS REPORTS OF ESPIONAGE
The Greek consulate in Izmir said yesterday it had no
knowledge of any incident in the Izmir area concerning alleged
arrests of Greek nationals or other individuals connected with
Greece.
The consulate was referring to Turkish press reports
regarding an alleged case of espionage by Greece.
Consul Andreas Fryganas said Greek authorities know nothing
about the supposed "red-handed" arrest of "Turkish officers who
gave information to Greek spies."
[08] EU FOREIGN MINISTERS CONVENE OVER KOSSOVO, SUPPORT RUGOVA
The European Union's Foreign Ministers met in Luxembourg
yesterday in order to discuss the fermenting crisis in Kossovo,
and reiterated their support to the leader of the region's ethnic
Albanians Ibrahim Rugova.
Meanwhile, the Serb forces in the region attempted to seize
the city of Belasevic, which is currently under the control of the
Kossovo Liberation Army, according to the press headquarters in
Prishtina.
The United Nations secretary-general Koffi Annan warned that
if NATO takes military action in Kossovo without the Security
Council's relevant decision, it would constitute a dangerous
precedent.
[09] RADIOACTIVE LEAK OCCURRED AT CYPRUS IN 1973, BRITISH REPORTS
CLAIM
Britain stored nuclear bombs at Cyprus's Akrotiri region and
had to call in a team of experts to clean up a radioactive leak in
1973, a British report has claimed.
The Cypriot government said yesterday it would look into the
claims by a former British defence official that Britain had
stored nuclear weapons at the Western Sovereign Base Area of
Akrotiri during the Cold War.
Britain has neither confirmed nor denied the claims.
According to the report, based on details leaked by a senior
British Ministry of Defence official, the Cyprus government was
never even informed that the nuclear bombs were being stored at
Akrotiri.
The leaked document also shows that the government was
similarly kept in the dark when monitors inside the storage
building detected leaking radioactive Tritium gas in 1973.
A team of scientists had to be flown out from Britain to deal
with the incident.
According to the Cyprus News Agency, Cypriot government
spokesman Christos Stylianides said yesterday the state was
unaware of the reports, and was looking into the matter. But
Limassol DIKO deputy Marios Matsakis said the Cyprus government
had asked the British government about such reports on previous
occasions.
"The Cyprus government has asked for information and the
British have said `It's none of your business'," Matsakis said.
"They(the government) were told it was all part of Britain's
defence system and they refused to confirm or deny. They (the
bombs)might even still be here."
Officials at the British bases did not want to comment on the
claims, but High Commission spokesman Piers Cazalet neither
confirmed nor denied the reports.
"All we say is that we do not discuss the presence or absence
of nuclear weapons at any particular place at any particular
time," Cazalet said.
"There has never been an accident involving a nuclear weapon,
which has led to or come anywhere near to leaking or releasing
radioactive material." Similar comments were made by the MoD in
London.
According to the report, whose author is nuclear disarmament
campaigner Eddie Goncalves, Cyprus was not the only country which
Britain used for its nuclear arms programme without informing its
government. He claims that Germany and Malta were also victims in
a total of some 20 mishaps said to have occurred in Britain and
abroad.
In Germany in 1984, a nuclear bomb dropped off the trailer on
which is was being transported and bounced twice before ending
upside down.
[10] UN SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS UNFICYP MANDATE THROUGH END OF
YEAR.
Acting unanimously, the United Nations Security Council
adopted two resolutions on Cyprus yesterday.
The first reiterates the Council's grave concern at the
continuing "excessive and increasing levels of military forces and
armaments in the Republic of Cyprus and the rate at which they are
being expanded, upgraded and modernized, including by the
introduction of sophisticated weaponry."
The Council called upon all concerned to commit themselves to
a reduction in defence spending and in the number of foreign
troops on the island to help restore confidence between the
parties. It called upon the leaders of the two communities in
Cyprus to resume their discussions on security issues, which had
begun last September.
Also by that resolution, the Council reiterated its support
for the efforts of the United Nations and others to promote the
holding of bi- communal events so as to build trust and mutual
respect between the two communities.
In a related resolution, the Council reaffirmed that "the
status quo is unacceptable and that negotiations on a final
political solution of the Cyprus problem have been at an impasse
for too long." The Council stressed its full support for the
Secretary-General's mission of good offices and for the efforts of
his Special Advisor on Cyprus.
The Special Advisor, Diego Cordovez, is expected to arrive on
the island in the early hours of 2 July, according to a United
Nations spokesman. Separate meetings are scheduled with Cypriot
President Glafcos Clerides and Turkish-Cypriot leader Rauf
Denktash. The Special Advisor is expected to leave Cyprus on 4
July.
[11] PLAQUE UNVEILED AT POET KALVOS' HOME IN LONDON
Greek ambassador to London Vassilis Zafiropoulos
yesterday unveiled a plaque commemorating Greek poet Andreas
Kalvos, the English Heritage Foundation announced.
The plaque marks the poet's home and school for young ladies,
which he operated with his wife between 1857 and 1865 in Maida
Vale, London.
Kalvos was born on the Venetian-held island of Zakynthos in
1792, becoming one of the most ardent supporters of Greek
independence.
According to the Athens News Agency, English Heritage
launched the first National Blue Plaque Scheme pilot project in
Liverpool and Merseyside. Members of the public are invited to
nominate famous Liverpulians and 10 blue plaques will be put up
over the next few years.
[12] IT WAS A FIASCO, AFTERALL, THE SO-CALLED "ESPIONAGE" SCANDAL
The so-called "espionage" scandal that Turkish dailies
rushed to report on yesterday, proved to be a fiasco, at best.
The "spying" story, which appeared in mass circulation
Turkish dailies such as "Millyiet", reported that "Greeks use
women spies" in order to obtain information from Turkish military
officers.
Specifically, the scapegoat, Turkish Major Mehmet Barut, a
married man, was arrested and charged with spying for Greece.
According to the reports he was living with a woman claimed to
be affiliated with the Greek Intelligence Service.
However, today's "Hurriyet" reported that Barut was, well, a
womaniser, but not a spy by any means. He was reportedly nailed to
the authorities by his jealous wife.
According to the Turkish press reports, Major Barut was
arrested last November along with and two other officers for
passing classified information regarding Turkish airforce
practices
in the Aegean sea to Greece. Major Barut, was released, but the
other men remain incarcerated.
[13] CONFLICT CONTINUES IN KOSSOVO
Serb forces in Kossovo have attempted to re-capture the city
of Belasevic, which is currently under the control of the Kossovo
Liberation Army, according to the press headquarters in Prishtina.
According to reports, thousands of residents have abandoned
their homes. A State Department spokesperson justified the
contacts made recently between US officials and KLA
representatives, by stating that this covert organisation has
influence on the people
[14] US FIGHTER FIRES MISSILE AT SOUTHERN IRAQI SITE
A US F-16 fighter jet fired a missile at an anti-aircraft
missile site in southern Iraq. The incident occurred today near
the Barsa region, in Iraq's southern no-fly-zone, after a British
patrol aircraft, which was accompanied by the US fighter jet, was
"locked on" by Iraqi radar.
According to the spokesman for the US command, the aircraft
pilots received indications that they were being targeted by the
Iraqi missile site, which was considered as an action requiring
defensive measures.
The British Defence ministry, also, confirmed the incident by
issuing an official statement.
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