Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 99-01-29
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, January 29, 1999
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] EDUCATION MINISTER MEETS WITH STUDENTS TODAY
[02] NEW WAVE OF ADVERSE WEATHER STRIKES NORTHERN GREECE
[03] SAE PRESIDENT ARRIVES IN GREECE TODAY, TO VISIT EGYPT AS WELL
[04] FOREIGN MINISTRY: NO DATE HAS BEEN SET FOR US PRESIDENT'S
VISIT
[05] REPPAS: THE GOAL OF THE GOVERNMENT IS THE CREATION OF 110.000
NEW JOB POSITIONS
[06] THE GREEK FOOD EXPORTS TO THE BALKANS ARE ON THE INCREASE
[07] THE TEACHERS' UNION PRESIDING BOARD MEETS TODAY
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[08] CONTACT GROUP CONVENES TODAY OVER KOSOVO
[09] ALTERNATE FM GEORGE PAPANDREOU IN CYPRUS
[10] PRIME MINISTER SIMITIS TO ATTEND ESP SUMMIT IN VIENNA TODAY
[11] PRESIDENT OF CYPRUS CLERIDES RECEIVES GREEK ALTERNATE FM
[12] PANGALOS: GREECE IS OPPOSED TO THE PRESENCE OF FOREIGN
MILITARY FORCES IN KOSSOVO
[13] CLERIDES-PAPANDREOU MEETING
[14] NEW TENSION IN KOSOVO
15] THE ISRAELI SPY TRIAL IS UNDERWAY IN CYPRUS
[16] PRAISING ARTICLE ON MISTRA IN THE "IRISH TIMES"
[17] RECOMMENDATION BY THE UNESCO COMMITTEE FOR THE RETURN OF THE
PARTHENON MARBLES
[18] GREEK CAPTAIN & ENGINEER PLEAD INNOCENT, ARE FREED ON BAIL
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] EDUCATION MINISTER MEETS WITH STUDENTS TODAY
The administrative council of the Secondary Education
Teachers Federation (OLME) is to convene today in order to map out
its next course of action, while it remains unknown when the
teachers will meet anew with Education Minister Gerasimos Arsenis.
The Minister, who has reiterated that the invitations for
talks with the teachers still stands, is expected to met today
with students who are performing school sit-ins.
[02] NEW WAVE OF ADVERSE WEATHER STRIKES NORTHERN GREECE
A new wave of inclement weather has stricken northern Greece
where strong winds have made sailing prohibitive.
Low temperatures are marked throughout the region, falling
below zero in many cities.
Anti-skid chains are necessary for traveling by car in most
of Macedonian and central Greece.
[03] SAE PRESIDENT ARRIVES IN GREECE TODAY, TO VISIT EGYPT AS WELL
The President of the Council of Greeks Abroad (SAE) is to
embark on a series of contacts and meetings when he arrives in
Greece today.
Tomorrow, the University of Ioannina is to bestow an award
upon Mr. Athens for his contribution to world Hellenism.
On Monday Mr. Athens will meet with the country's political
and state leaders while on February 3 he will depart for
Alexandria, Egypt, where he will attend the three-day conference
of the youth committee of the SAE Africa-Asia SAE chapter.
Upon his return to Greece, Mr. Athens will join the
delegation of the Archbishop of America Spyridon who is to conduct
an official visit to Greece between February 9-14.
[04] FOREIGN MINISTRY: NO DATE HAS BEEN SET FOR US PRESIDENT'S
VISIT
The exact date of United States President Bill Clinton's
visit to Greece has not been set, according to an announcement
issued by the Hellenic Foreign Ministry regarding relevant press
reports.
Prime Minister Kostas Simitis, the statement reads, issued a
formal invitation to President Clinton during his official visit
to the United States in April of 1996.
The announcement stated that it is the desire of the Greek
government that visits to Greece by the leaders of other countries
should be "autonomous, just as our country is autonomous" and that
they are made following consultations between the governments
concerned.
"Greece is happy to receive all leaders, but it would be
preferable if their visits were not a supplement or sequel to some
other visit," the statement read.
[05] REPPAS: THE GOAL OF THE GOVERNMENT IS THE CREATION OF 110.000
NEW JOB POSITIONS
Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas stated that the
government programme on employment will soon be announced and that
its goal will be the creation of 110.000 new job positions. He
also stressed that starting on January 1 all the Greek citizens
under the age of 29 will have medical and hospital insurance.
Regarding the unemployment rate he observed that 3 out of 4
unemployed are registered now, while in the past the ratio was one
in two.
[06] THE GREEK FOOD EXPORTS TO THE BALKANS ARE ON THE INCREASE
The Greek food exports to the Balkans are on the increase.
The food exports to the 8 states of the region were over 175.360
Mecu in 1997 and were increased by 9.8% compared to 1996.
The main market is Albania which has absorbed Greek food
exports with an estimated value of 56.110 Mecu followed by FYROM
with 31.220 Mecu corresponding to an increase of 9.4%. Bulgaria
remains at the third place even though the Greek food exports were
decreased by 6.7% in 1997 compared to 1996.
[07] THE TEACHERS' UNION PRESIDING BOARD MEETS TODAY
A meeting of the teachers' union presiding board is underway
to decide if it will accept the education minister Gerasimos
Arsenis' proposal for dialogue. It should be reminded that two
days ago teachers' union president Nikos Tsoulias had stated that
he is willing to have a direct meeting with the education
minister.
Meanwhile, 600 schools are under occupation across the
country while the students have scheduled new protest rallies to
take place on February 5.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[08] CONTACT GROUP CONVENES TODAY OVER KOSOVO
The Contact Group is to convene in London today in order to
set the deadline for the start of negotiations between the two
conflicting sides in Kosovo.
According to British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook, this will
be a matter of days. Meanwhile, NATO has threatened to undertake
military action if the two sides do not arrive at a political
solution.
[09] ALTERNATE FM GEORGE PAPANDREOU IN CYPRUS
Greece's Alternate Foreign Minister George Papandreou is
presently in Cyprus, where he will be received by the President of
the Republic Glafcos Clerides, as well as with the Speaker of the
House Spyros Kyprianou, Archbishop Chrisostomos, Foreign Minister
Ioannis Kasoulides and other political leaders.
Tomorrow, Mr. Papandreou will speak at the opening ceremony
of the Cypriot National Olympic Academy and meet with Nicosia
Mayor Lelos Dimitriades.
On Sunday, Papandreou will make a speech on "The role of
Greece on the threshold of the 21st century: European Union and
National Issues."
[10] PRIME MINISTER SIMITIS TO ATTEND ESP SUMMIT IN VIENNA TODAY
Prime Minister Kostas Simitis is to travel to Vienna today,
accompanied by Defense Minister Akis Tsochatzopoulos, in order to
attend the European Socialist Party summit.
The leader of the main opposition party, New Democracy's
Kostas Karamanlis, is to travel to Brussels where he will take
part in the European People's Party leaders' conference.
[11] PRESIDENT OF CYPRUS CLERIDES RECEIVES GREEK ALTERNATE FM
Greece's Alternate Foreign Minister George Papandreou was
received by the President of the Republic of Cyprus Glafcos
Clerides in Nicosia today.
Mr. Papandreou stated that no force can stop Cyprus's
accession course to the European Union.
[12] PANGALOS: GREECE IS OPPOSED TO THE PRESENCE OF FOREIGN
MILITARY FORCES IN KOSSOVO
Greece is opposed to any form of foreign military presence in
Kossovo which will not have the approval of Yugoslavia, stated
Greek foreign minister Theodoros Pangalos in an interview to
Belgrade's weekly political magazine "Nin".
Mr. Pangalos stated that the United States are not willing to
undertake land operations in Kossovo and reiterated that any
secession in the region and change in the existing borders would
lead to the destabilization of the Balkans and could cause a
30year war with unforeseen consequences.
The foreign minister pointed out that the solution that will
lead to the end of the crisis in Kossovo is the implementation of
the Milosevic-Halbrooke agreement reached last October, the
punishment of those who are responsible for the crimes in the
region and the respect of human rights and the rights of the
minorities.
He criticized the US policy on the crisis in Kossovo and
underlined that it is based on the threat for the use of force
without including a proposal on what will happen after the
materialization of this threat. Mr. Pangalos pointed out that
Europe should be the main player in the region and not the United
States which are not close geographically and have only secondary
interests in the region.
The Greek minister referring to his initiative last year for
the solution of the differences between Belgrade and Tirana, he
said that he completed his visit to the two capitals believing
that he contributed in achieving international peace as both the
then prime minister of Albania Fatos Nano and Yugoslav president
Slobodan Milosevic had agreed with his views in how a solution
could be reached in Kossovo.
Unfortunately, said Mr. Pangalos, nothing was implemented
adding that he could not believe that the Yugoslav leadership had
missed once again the chance to act according to the interests of
its people. Mr. Pangalos said that his proposals, which had the
approval of Milosevic, were not implemented and the Yugoslav
president went ahead with their materialization only after the
mediation of Richard Halbrooke who resorted to the use of force
argument.
[13] CLERIDES-PAPANDREOU MEETING
Deputy foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou is in Cyprus. Mr.
Papandreou met with Cypriot president Glafkos Clerides and in
statements he made the Greek deputy foreign minister stressed that
no one can stop Cyprus' EU accession course.
Mr. Papandreou stated after the meeting he had with president
Clerides that Cyprus' European course creates all the necessary
pre-conditions for a solution in the Cyprus problem, while he
underlined that a political solution of the problem can not be a
pre-condition for Cyprus' EU accession course. He said that this
is a message for Turkey and the Turkish Cypriots as they too have
the opportunity to participate in the accession procedures, adding
that nothing can stop Cyprus' EU accession course.
Mr. Papandreou will have meetings during the day with
parliament president Spiros Kiprianou, Archbishop Chrisostomos,
foreign minister Ioannis Kasoulides, Democratic Alarm president
Nikos Anastasiadis and AKEL president Andreas Christou.
[14] NEW TENSION IN KOSOVO
New tension in Kosovo, where the Serb authorities have
announced that a Serb police officer and 20 Kosovo Liberation Army
rebels were killed in an armed clash that took place at the
western part of the Serb province.
According to the Serbs, one of their patrols was attacked and
returned fire. Meanwhile, the Contact Group meets in London in an
effort to achieve a peaceful solution in Kosovo.
[15] THE ISRAELI SPY TRIAL IS UNDERWAY IN CYPRUS
The two Israeli secret agents, who are on trial in Cyprus
admitted their guilt today for the charges of illegal possession
of high-tech surveillance equipment, according to the French news
agency AFP.
The two Israelis, who were arrested in early November accused
of spying admitted their guilt and in return the prosecutor's
office dropped the charges for spying and conspiracy for which
they could be sentenced to 10 years in prison.
According to the Cypriot penal code, if someone is accused of
illegal possession of equipment that can be used for spying he can
be sentenced to 12 months in prison. The sentencing decision in
the trial of the two Israelis will be announced on Monday.
[16] PRAISING ARTICLE ON MISTRA IN THE "IRISH TIMES"
A praising article on the byzantine city of Mistra in
southern Greece was published by the Dublin newspaper "Irish
Times".
The article refers to the history of the region starting from
ancient Sparta, the invasions of the Peloponesse by the Franks and
the founding of Mistra by the last dynasty of Byzantium.
The article writer mentions that the Byzantine glory and
culture was revived again in Mistras which after the looting of
Constantinople by the crusaders was for two centuries the cultural
and spiritual center of Byzantium.
The article also refers to the architectural characteristics
of the buildings and the wealth of the churches with their
exceptional mosaics, stressing that the visitor can walk freely on
the streets of this well-preserved Byzantine jewel.
[17] RECOMMENDATION BY THE UNESCO COMMITTEE FOR THE RETURN OF THE
PARTHENON MARBLES
The inter-governmental committee of UNESCO, responsible for
the promotion of the return of cultural goods to the countries of
their origin, expressed concern over the Parthenon Marbles issue.
The committee that met recently at the headquarters of UNESCO
in Paris adopted a recommendation which was submitted by Holland
and Italy and backed by Canada expressing concern over the issue
of the Parthenon Marbles. The text of the recommendation points
out the efforts that should be made by UNESCO's general director
for the undertaking of future initiatives aimed at promoting
bilateral negotiations between Britain and Greece.
Based on the recommendation, the UNESCO general director is
called to undertake future initiatives for the promotion of
bilateral negotiations between the two countries and to
participate through UNESCO's special advisory bodies in
international scientific discussion for the preservation of the
Parthenon Marbles.
At the same time, it underlines that international
conferences and seminars on the Parthenon Marbles and their
preservation will be held in Washington in February, in London in
November and in Athens in December 1999. The UNESCO general
director will have to present to the committee the outcome of
those discussions.
[18] GREEK CAPTAIN & ENGINEER PLEAD INNOCENT, ARE FREED ON BAIL
A tanker captain and his chief engineer have been freed on
bail after pleading innocent to charges that they deliberately
dumped oil off the San Mateo County coast in the Pacific Ocean
last September.
Greek Captain Dimitris Georgantas and engineer Labros
Karaganis, who flew from Greece to San Francisco to face the
charges on Wednesday, were allowed to return home after a shipping
company signed guarantees for their $500,000 bonds.
Their lawyers deny the oil came from the tanker and say they
had no reason to deliberately dump expensive fuel.
The charges include knowingly discharging a harmful quantity
of oil, failing to report the discharge, and conspiracy. This is
the first environmental prosecution in years for the U.S.
attorney's office in San Francisco.
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