Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 99-05-21
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, May 21, 1999
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] REPPAS: TURKISH AIRCRAFT WILL NOT USE THE GREEK AIRSPACE
[02] THE INTERNATIONAL MEETING OF COMMUNIST AND LABOR PARTIES HAS
OPENED IN ATHENS
[03] ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH VARTHOLOMEOS WAS AWARDED THE GRAND CROSS
OF THE ORDER OF APOSTLE PAVLOS
[04] FREDDIE GERMANOS DIED TODAY
[05] ABNA HAS CREATED A HOME PAGE ON THE INTERNET FOR THE KOSOVO
REFUGEES
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[06] NATO HIT TARGETS IN KOSOVO AND SERBIA THIS MORNING
[07] THE IVANOV-PAPANDREOU-BILT TALKS ARE UNDERWAY IN MOSCOW
[08] CHERNOMYRDIN CANCELLED HIS MEETINGS WITH PAPANDREOU AND
TALBOTT
[09] NATO HAS SUFFERED HUGE LOSSES IN YUGOSLAVIA, ACCORDING TO THE
INTERNATIONAL STRATEGIC STUDIES ASSOCIATION
[10] GIORGOS PAPANDREOU IS IN MOSCOW
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] REPPAS: TURKISH AIRCRAFT WILL NOT USE THE GREEK AIRSPACE
Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas confirmed that
Turkey requested permission for its fighter jets to use the Greek
airspace in order to go to Germany and participate in the NATO
operations against Yugoslavia.
Mr. Reppas stated that the stance of the Greek government is
negative and the Greek air space will not be used by Turkish
aircraft.
[02] THE INTERNATIONAL MEETING OF COMMUNIST AND LABOR PARTIES HAS
OPENED IN ATHENS
The three-day international meeting of Communist and Labor
parties opened in Athens today with the speech of Greek Communist
Party general secretary Ms. Aleka Papariga.
The meeting on the crisis in capitalism, the globalization
and the response of the labor parties as well as, the crisis in
Yugoslavia and NATO's new action doctrine is attended by 55
Communist and Labor Parties from 50 countries.
Ms. Papariga in her opening speech referred to the war in
Yugoslavia and called for the end of the bombings, while she also
stated that there should be no NATO forces deployed in Kosovo and
Yugoslavia. On the new NATO doctrine, Ms. Papariga stated that the
international security system that was created after the two world
wars has entered a period of deep crisis. Ms. Papariga stressed
that a new chapter has opened not only for the Balkans but for the
world as a whole, adding that everybody must be ready to face the
NATO forces, the military and terrorist operations.
[03] ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH VARTHOLOMEOS WAS AWARDED THE GRAND CROSS
OF THE ORDER OF APOSTLE PAVLOS
Archbishop Christodoulos of Athens and All of Greece awarded
to Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos the Grand Cross of the Order
of Apostle Pavlos, the highest distinction made by the Church of
Greece, during the extraordinary meeting of the Holy Synod.
Later this afternoon, the Ecumenical Patriarch will visit the
head of the Greek Church at the Archbishopric and then he will
attend an Academy of Athens event that will be held in his honor.
In the evening, Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos will visit the
University of Athens that will declare him professor emeritus and
then he will go to his sister's house.
[04] FREDDIE GERMANOS DIED TODAY
Journalist and author Freddie Germanos died in the Hygia
Hospital in Athens today at the age of 66. In the past few years
he was suffering from cancer. He started writing novels when he
was 18 years old and began his career by receiving the second
prize in a novel writing competition organized by Babis Klaras of
the Athens newspaper "Vradini". Almost immediately after receiving
the award he started working as a reporter for the newspaper
"Eleftheria" and a few years later he worked as a columnist for
the newspaper "Mesimvrini".
He completed his career as a columnist in the newspaper
"Eleftherotypia" when he resigned to be totally dedicated to
writing novels. In 1964 he published his first book "I'm sorry, it
was a mistake" which sold 150.000 copies. He published a total of
22 books and according to a research conducted by the literary
magazine "Diavazo", he is among the most read contemporary Greek
authors.
He preferred the books he wrote after 1978, like "Hostile
Planet", "A smiling afternoon", "My dearest Sophia", "The
Execution", "Elli Lambeti" "Wet Nights" and "Tereza" which was a
best seller in 1997.
[05] ABNA HAS CREATED A HOME PAGE ON THE INTERNET FOR THE KOSOVO
REFUGEES
The Association of Balkan News Agencies (ABNA) has created a
home page on its Internet site to contribute to the efforts for
the location of missing Kosovo refugees.
The home page began its operation on May 17 and already have
been received messages from people who are looking for their
missing relatives or friends. Every Internet user from any part of
the world can send messages or look for messages already sent.
The whole process is very simple and Macedonian Press Agency
which has created the home page and the data base, will install
personal computers in the two biggest refugee camps in Albania as
soon as the necessary tele-communications infrastructure is in
place by the Albanian authorities, while the same will be done in
the refugee camps in FYROM.
The address is http://www.abna.org/kosovo/refugees, while
there is a link with the home page of MPA (http://www.mpa.gr) as
well as with ABNA's home page (http://www.abna.org).
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[06] NATO HIT TARGETS IN KOSOVO AND SERBIA THIS MORNING
NATO aircraft hit targets in Kosovo this morning, while
explosions were heard in Serb towns at noon today.
According to the Yugoslav news agency Tanjug, over 25
missiles exploded in Kosovo from 8:40am to 9:30am this morning.
The information center in Pristina announced that NATO
aircraft hit the prison complex in the city of Istok, the village
of Dobrevo and the wider region of Urosevac.
The fuel storage facilities of Jugopetrol in Smederevo were
bombed for an 11th time this morning since the start of the NATO
bomb campaign and a few minutes later, two missiles hit a railway
bridge, about 60 kilometers south-east of Belgrade.
[07] THE IVANOV-PAPANDREOU-BILT TALKS ARE UNDERWAY IN MOSCOW
Russian foreign minister Igor Ivanov has talks in Moscow with
his Greek counterpart Giorgos Papandreou.
In the talks for the solution of the Yugoslav crisis
participates and special UN envoy to the Balkans Carl Bilt.
[08] CHERNOMYRDIN CANCELLED HIS MEETINGS WITH PAPANDREOU AND
TALBOTT
Russian Balkan envoy Victor Chernomyrdin cancelled his
scheduled meetings with Greek foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou
and UN special envoy to the Balkans Carl Bilt because of "lack of
time", according to statements made to the Russian news agency
Itar-Tass by diplomatic sources.
Also, diplomatic sources have stated that Mr. Chernomyrdin
will meet with the Swedish former prime minister in a few days.
Later this afternoon, Mr. Bilt will leave for Stockholm.
[09] NATO HAS SUFFERED HUGE LOSSES IN YUGOSLAVIA, ACCORDING TO THE
INTERNATIONAL STRATEGIC STUDIES ASSOCIATION
The "Strategic policy" monthly issue of the International
Strategic Studies Association, ISSA, defense and foreign affairs
department mentions that by April 20 NATO had lost 38 fighter
jets, 6 helicopters and 7 unmanned aircraft in its attacks on
Yugoslavia. The same journal adds that 50 NATO soldiers were
killed and many alliance missiles were downed by the Yugoslav air
defense as well as three Stealth aircraft.
The same journal had predicted in December of 1992 that the
then newly elected US president Bill Clinton was determined to
take drastic measures in the Balkans putting at risk peace in the
region.
The ISSA publication also mentions that after April 20 were
downed more NATO aircraft. Citing different sources it mentions
that three F-117A aircraft were downed by Serb pilots or missiles,
a USAF F-15 Eagle was lost with its pilot, a German pilot was
captured and a female pilot of the US Air Force was killed.
In the first week of the war an aircraft was shot down near
the city of Podgorica and the NATO helicopter that rescued its
pilot was also shot down according to a number of independent
reports, while in the same period Yugoslav soldiers killed 20 NATO
soldiers near Pristina and based on the video tape on the
incident, the victims were 12 US soldiers and 8 members of the
British special forces.
It was made known that at least 30 bodies of alliance
soldiers have already been transported to Athens, while on board
two NATO helicopters shot down by the Serbs were 50 US soldiers
who most likely have been killed.
[10] GIORGOS PAPANDREOU IS IN MOSCOW
Greek foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou is in Moscow for
meetings with his Russian counterpart Igor Ivanov and Balkan
mediator Victor Chernomyrdin.
Meanwhile, US assistant secretary of state Strobe Talbott
characterized as constructive and serious the talks he had with
Chernomyrdin and the Finnish president. Mr. Ahtisaari stressed
that more efforts must be made for peace in Yugoslavia. The talks
will resume next Wednesday.
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