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Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 99-04-08
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, April 8, 1999
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] CRUCIFIXION OF CHRIST TODAY, OBSERVED BY ORTHODOX FAITHFUL
[02] FIRST KOSOVO REFUGEES TO ARRIVE IN GREECE ON SATURDAY
[03] POLL FINDS PREMIER SIMITIS MOST QUALIFIED FOR THE POST
[04] HIGHWAY PATROL TAKES EXTRA MEASURES FOR EASTER EXODUS
[05] REPPAS: KIPRIANOU'S MOVE IS POSITIVE - NO GREEK INVOLVEMENT
[06] ATHENS AGREES WITH GERMANY'S PROPOSAL ON THE ISSUE OF KOSOVO
[07] REPPAS COMMENTED ON THE ISSUE OF THE KOSOVO REFUGEES
[08] JOVANOVIC'S MESSAGE TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT PRESIDENT WILL
BE CONVEYED BY NIKITAS KAKLAMANIS
[09] THE CLOUD FORMED OVER EVIA IS HARMLESS ACCORDING TO THE
MINISTRY OF HEALTH
[10] SPECIAL MEASURES BY THE GREEK TRAFFIC POLICE
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[11] BELGRADE'S HEART RIPPED APART BY NATO's LATEST RAID
[12] KYPRIANOU IN BELGRADE TODAY FOR RELEASE OF US SOLDIERS
[13] OVER 130,000 REFUGEES IN FYROM, INFORMATION MINISTER TELLS
MPA
[14] RUSSIA TO SEND THREE MORE WARSHIPS TO MEDITERRANEAN
[15] NUMBER OF REFUGEES FLEEING TO ALBANIA SWELLS TO 300,000
[16] BELGRADE: ABOUT 70,000 REFUGEES HAVE RETURN TO THEIR HOMES
[17] UCK VOWS TO CONTINUE ARMED STRUGGLE AGAINST SERB FORCES
[18] THE EU FOREIGN MINISTERS MEET ON THE ISSUE OF REFUGEES
[19] THE HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH CALLS FOR AN INQUIRY ON ALEKSINAC
[20] TURKEY OCCUPIES THE FIRST PLACE REGARDING THE NUMBER OF
JAILED JOURNALISTS
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] CRUCIFIXION OF CHRIST TODAY, OBSERVED BY ORTHODOX FAITHFUL
Hundreds of thousands of Orthodox faithful throughout the
world are mourning the Crucifixion of Christ today, flocking to
the churches in order to hear the 12 Gospels.
Twenty centuries have passed, yet the ultimate sacrifice
continues to inspire Christians awaiting eternal life.
The feast of Christ's Resurrection, to be celebrated on
Saturday at midnight, is the most sacred in the Orthodox
religious calendar. During a magnificent service, all lights are
turned out just when the priest, holding a single candle,
transmits the sacred flame to the faithful chanting 'Come receive
the light from the eternal light and glorify Christ, risen from
the dead'.
[02] FIRST KOSOVO REFUGEES TO ARRIVE IN GREECE ON SATURDAY
The first number of Kosovo refugees, approximately 5,000, is
expected to arrive in Greece this Saturday, Foreign Minister
George Papandreou stated during is visit to Skopje yesterday.
Mr. Papandreou made a lightning visit to Skopje before he
departed for Tirana where he was accompanied by his FYROM
counterpart Alexander Dimitrov.
During his visit to a refugee camp near Skopje, where he was
accompanied by the Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Yiannis Magriotis,
Mr. Papandreou said that the refugee situation is "a disgrace for
the end of the century."
Commenting on concern over the future of FYROM, he said
"Greece will help in having the country's territorial integrity
preserved and will strive to see that borders will not change in
the region."
Mr. Papandreou met with FYROM President Kiro Gligorov, Prime
Minister Ljupco Georgievski and Democratic Alternative party
President Vassili Topurkovski.
[03] POLL FINDS PREMIER SIMITIS MOST QUALIFIED FOR THE POST
Prime Minister Kostas Simitis is the most qualified to hold
the country's premiership, according to a poll published today in
the Athens daily "Ta Nea".
Specifically, 41.6% of those questioned find Mr. Simitis to
be the fittest politician for the post, followed by the leader of
the main opposition party, New Democracy's Kostas Karamanlis, with
30.6%. Ironically, 22.6% of the polled think that neither Simitis
nor Karamanlis are fit to be Premier.
Regarding the popularity of the country's political leaders,
the poll is led by the President of the Coalition of Left and
Progress (Synaspismos) Nikos Konstantopoulos with 62.2%, followed
by the leader of the Democratic and Social Movement (DIKKI),
53.9%; N.D. President, 49.5%; Premier (also PASOK's leader),
44.9%; Communist Party of Greece secretary-general Aleka Paparega,
21.3%; and Political Spring leader Antonis Samaras, 19.5%.
[04] HIGHWAY PATROL TAKES EXTRA MEASURES FOR EASTER EXODUS
With the Easter weekend ahead, the country's highway patrol
is taking to the streets en masse today in order to facilitate
traffic and reduce the risk of accidents.
One of the safety measures the highway patrol is enforcing is
the prohibition of trailer trucks on the largest national highways
between 4-9 p.m. today.
Meanwhile, Olympic Airways has increased the routes for the
Easter holiday period, while trains, buses and ships are almost
completely booked.
[05] REPPAS: KIPRIANOU'S MOVE IS POSITIVE - NO GREEK INVOLVEMENT
The Greek government had expressed the idea for a break in
the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia during Easter and had also
expressed the view to Belgrade that it would be best if the three
US soldiers were freed, stated Greek government spokesman Dimitris
Reppas.
On the initiative of Cypriot parliament president and former
president of the Cypriot Republic Spiros Kiprianou, Mr. Reppas
stated that it was not a surprise that Cyprus was chosen as it
represents Yugoslavia to Britain with its ambassador and both
countries were members of the movement of the Non-Aligned states.
He said that it is a positive move and the Greek government has no
involvement.
[06] ATHENS AGREES WITH GERMANY'S PROPOSAL ON THE ISSUE OF KOSOVO
The Greek government agrees with the proposal that will be
submitted by Germany to the European Union general affairs council
for the solution of the problem in Kosovo, stated Greek government
spokesman Dimitris Reppas.
Mr. Reppas said that this proposal can become the basis for
the solution of the problem and sets as pre-conditions the end of
the ethnic cleansing operations in Kosovo, the withdrawal of armed
forces from Kosovo, the unhindered return of the refugees, the
deployment of observation forces and the approval of the
deployment of a peace-keeping force in the region by the UN
Security Council.
[07] REPPAS COMMENTED ON THE ISSUE OF THE KOSOVO REFUGEES
Britain, France and Italy refused to take refugees from
Yugoslavia and under those circumstances Greece will not take even
one refugee, stressed Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas,
commenting on the deadlock observed in the EU foreign ministers
meeting over the refugee distribution.
Mr. Reppas stated that a Greek army company has been sent to
the border station of Kristalopigi to assist in the construction
of a refugee camp in Pogradec, Albania and tomorrow a Greek
warship with humanitarian aid is expected at the port of Durres.
[08] JOVANOVIC'S MESSAGE TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT PRESIDENT WILL
BE CONVEYED BY NIKITAS KAKLAMANIS
Greek Political Spring party Euro-deputy Nikitas Kaklamanis,
who arrived in Belgrade this morning and already met with the
Yugoslav foreign minister and the Serb Patriarch, will convey a
message of Yugoslav foreign minister Zivadin Jovanovic to European
Parliament president Jose Maria Gil Robles as well as a message of
Serb Patriarch Pavle to Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All
of Greece .
Mr. Nikitas Kaklamanis stated to MPA that the message of Mr.
Jovanovic to the president of the European parliament is sent on
the occasion of the European parliament session in Strasbourg next
week to discuss the war in Yugoslavia.
[09] THE CLOUD FORMED OVER EVIA IS HARMLESS ACCORDING TO THE
MINISTRY OF HEALTH
The cloud of tiny particles that was observed in the past few
days over Evia causes no concern for the health of the public,
according to undersecretary of health Nikos Farmakis.
This phenomenon, according to the ministry of health, was the
result of the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia and specifically, it is
caused by a substance used by the NATO forces to block the Serb
radar. However, it is stressed that it is non toxic and non radio-
active and there is no cause for concern.
[10] SPECIAL MEASURES BY THE GREEK TRAFFIC POLICE
The traffic police have put into effect emergency measures to
facilitate the Easter holiday makers who have chosen to celebrate
Easter away from the big cities.
The big ports, railway stations and airports prepare to deal
with increased numbers of travellers.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[11] BELGRADE'S HEART RIPPED APART BY NATO's LATEST RAID
Cruise missiles struck downtown Belgrade last night, shortly
after midnight, the second time the Yugoslav capital was raided
since the start of Operation Allied Forces.
Defying the piercing sounds of the sirens, hundreds of
residents abandoned the shelters and ran to the city's central
bridge to form a human shield.
U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who lived in
Belgrade during part of her youth, acknowledged NATO's intense
bombings against Yugoslavia, but said that the "score" at this
point is "probably pretty even."
Meanwhile, Greece's Chief of Staff Manousos Parayioudakis is
to travel to Brussels today where he will take part in a meeting
convened by NATO's supreme commander in Europe Wesley Clark who
will brief the participants on the alliance's latest raids.
[12] KYPRIANOU IN BELGRADE TODAY FOR RELEASE OF US SOLDIERS
The President of the Cypriot Parliament Spyros Kyprianou is
traveling to Belgrade today, within the framework of the
initiative taken for the release of the three U.S. servicemen
captured by the Serbs.
During his stopover in Athens last night, Mr. Kyprianou
expressed his optimism concerning the outcome of this humanitarian
effort, stating that Yugoslav
President Slobodan Milosevic has offered to return the men as a
gesture of good will.
At the same time, NATO has refused any possibility of terms
set forth by Mr. Milosevic being accepted.
[13] OVER 130,000 REFUGEES IN FYROM, INFORMATION MINISTER TELLS
MPA
Over 130,000 persons have sought refuge in FYROM so far and
this number could be augmented to 200,000 if the steady influx
keeps up the present tempo.
Speaking to the Macedonian Press Agency's general director
Spyros Kouzinopoulos, FYROM's Minister of Information Reijep
Zlatku relayed his government's fears of economic disaster as the
country is heavily burdened with a continuous incoming flow of
displaced persons from Kosovo. Mr. Zlatku lamented that, just as
his country had hoped for economic recovery, the Alliance's raids
on Yugoslavia have borne a toll on FYROM's internal affairs, while
international aid for the refugees is trickling in at an extremely
slow pace.
Responding to the MPA's question regarding the present
situation in FYROM, Mr. Zlatku stated:
"The refugees emerged suddenly in my country and this at a
rapid rate, as refugees do, truly a human tragedy.
"My country's government, even before the onstart of the war,
assessed that that FYROM can take in approximately 20,000 refugees
from Kosovo.
"During the first days, there were dozens trickling in, to be
followed by surges of hundreds and thousands, while on some days,
the number swelled to tens of thousands. As a result, the ceiling
of 20,000 refugees was met within a few days. Nevertheless,
(FYROM) did not close its doors to the second wave of refugees,
which kept expanding from hour to hour, day by day.
"We never knew how many would come today, how many would
enter the country tomorrow. We never closed the borders and, as a
result, today, April 7, there are 130,000 refugees in FYROM, that
is six and a half times more than the country had originally
assessed it could take.
"Not only did the refugee phenomenon emerge suddenly, but it
found the country in a difficult period, faced with difficult
economic impediments."
The Information Minister opined that the key issue is
economic, adding that there are no fears of political
repercussions to be borne by the refugee situation.
"The refugees are individuals who are fleeing a region that
threatened their identity and life. They are granted the refugee
status in the host country only when the conditions that forced
them to abandon their country and homes are present.
"I believe the Kosovo refugees will return to their homes,
just as they left. There are journalists who dramatize the events,
thinking that the refugees will alter the country's population
chart. I don't believe this is true or that it will occur, since
these are individuals anxious to return to their homes. That's why
I think we should leave them in peace, we're talking about
families having been separated, with a few members here, another
few in Albania, and some more in other regions."
When asked if the refugee influx has burdened his country
economically, Mr. Zlatku stated that "it is true that my country
is facing economic problems and the international community has
offered to forward help," adding that although there have been
positive statements that FYROM, just as Albania, will be assisted
by the neighboring and western countries, "in reality, this aid is
slow in arriving."
He further added that FYROM is asking for understanding when
it comes to the vast hurdles it presently faces.
"It would be good if the neighboring countries illustrated
their humanitarian sides when it comes to the refugees and,
depending on their abilities, accept and host a part of these
unfortunate people," he said.
[14] RUSSIA TO SEND THREE MORE WARSHIPS TO MEDITERRANEAN
Russia will send three more warships to the Mediterranean on
Monday, sailing from Sebastapol to the Adriatic Sea.
According to the French news agency AFP, sources stated that
the ships are equipped to collect full and detailed information on
the Balkan region.
The same sources also stated that Turkey's permission has
been requested for the passage of the warships through the
Bosporus Straits on April 12 and added that all of the Russian
fleet warships are on a state of alert and waiting for orders from
Moscow.
A Russian ship left the Black Sea port for the Adriatic on
April 2, in order to monitor the developments in Yugoslavia.
[15] NUMBER OF REFUGEES FLEEING TO ALBANIA SWELLS TO 300,000
Approximately 300,000 persons have sought refuge in Albania,
according to official data released by information Minister Mousa
Oulkini, and this number could swell to 400,000 within the next
few days.
The displaced persons are being distributed throughout
Albania in order to alleviate the congestion at the entrance
points, while yesterday alone 15,000 refugees were transported
from Skopje to Korica.
As part of the Albanian government's appeal for humanitarian
aid, Foreign Undersecretary Pelub Joufi met yesterday NATO's
ambassadors to Tirana whom he briefed on the refugee situation.
[16] BELGRADE: ABOUT 70,000 REFUGEES HAVE RETURN TO THEIR HOMES
About 70,000 ethnic Albanians have returned to their homes in
Kosovo, following an "accord" between Yugoslav President Slobodan
Milosevic and
ethnic Albanian leader Ibrahim Rugova.
According to the French news agency AFP, Yugoslavia's former
ambassador to France Bogdan Trifunovic stated that Yugoslavia has
called several times for the refugees to return and added that
this process is under way.
Moreover, Mr. Trifunovic stated that Mr. Rugova (in his
meeting with Mr. Milosevic) "showed that he is interested in
resolving the problems of his people, but not only of his
people."
"The results of this meeting constitute an agreement aimed at
preparing a political solution together," he stated.
[17] UCK VOWS TO CONTINUE ARMED STRUGGLE AGAINST SERB FORCES
The Kosovo Liberation Army (UCK) has announced its readiness
to conduct talks with Belgrade on settling the Kosovo crisis,
according to the Russian news agency Itar-Tass.
Quoting one of Kosovo's separatist leaders Hashim Taci, who
is hiding in Prishtina, Itar-Tass reported that the UCK intends
to continue the armed struggle against Serbian authorities,
despite Belgrade's unilateral call for an end to all military
operations in Kosovo in time for Easter.
[18] THE EU FOREIGN MINISTERS MEET ON THE ISSUE OF REFUGEES
The crucial issue of the distribution of the Kosovo refugees
to a number of European countries and elsewhere will be discussed
today in Luxembourg by the EU foreign ministers.
Until now, no agreement has been reached and the Greek side
insists that it will take refugees only within a distribution
framework of equal weight. This proposal will be backed by foreign
minister Giorgos Papandreou, who will call on his counterparts to
adopt a European policy on the Balkans.
[19] THE HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH CALLS FOR AN INQUIRY ON ALEKSINAC
The international organization for human rights Human Rights
Watch calls for an inquiry on the NATO bombing of Aleksinac in
south Serbia on Monday night during which innocent civilians were
killed and injured.
In a statement issued in New York, the organization mentions
that the north Atlantic alliance must take measures to limit the
number of victims among the civilians and to request explanations
by those responsible for the tragic mistakes that are being made.
It should be noted that the seven NATO missiles that hit the
center of the town of Aleksinac on Monday night completely
destroyed 16 houses killing 17 people and injuring 40. The local
residents mentioned that 1/4 of the town has been destroyed.
[20] TURKEY OCCUPIES THE FIRST PLACE REGARDING THE NUMBER OF
JAILED JOURNALISTS
Turkey, together with China and Ethiopia, are among the
countries with the largest number of jailed journalists, according
to Turkish Council of Press chairman Oktai Eksi, who used figures
provided by the New York based Committee for the Protection of
Journalists.
Mr. Eksi stressed that based on the report issued by the
Turkish Council of Press, 32 journalists were sentenced by Turkish
courts in 1998 and 12 are still imprisoned.
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