Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 99-06-09
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, June 9, 1999
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] GREEK P.M.: THE WAR IS ENDING, PEACE IS SMILING AT BALKANS
[02] GREEK DEFENSE MINISTER: PEACE IN KOSOVO HAS TO BE SUPPORTED
[03] MINISTERIAL SESSION TO BE HELD TODAY ON "CHICKEN-GATE"
[04] GREEK JOURNALISTS TO VISIT TO PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
[05] GREECE TO HOST THREE BEARS FROM WAR-TORN YUGOSLAVIA
[06] EARTH'S WARMING POSES A THREAT TO MARINE LIFE
[07] 358 MILITARY OFFICERS FROM CANADA HAVE ARRIVED IN
THESSALONIKI
[08] ATHANASAKIS: THE GREEK GOVERNMENT WELCOMES THE SIGNING OF AN
AGREEMENT ON KOSOVO
[09] MEETING OF THE FOREIGN MINISTERS OF GREECE AND FINLAND
[10] MR. VENIZELOS ANNOUNCED THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A DIOXIN CONTROL
LAB
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[11] BRITAIN SALUTES GREECE'S STANCE DURING KOSOVO CRISIS
[12] NATO EXPRESSES CONTAINED OPTIMISM OVER KOSOVO AGREEMENT
[13] NATO BOMBINGS IN SERBIA, KOSOVO CONTINUE
[14] UN SPECIAL ENVOY FOR BALKANS: KOSOVO IS A DEVASTATED LAND
[15] BLAST IN ISTANBUL INJURES TWO, POLICE SUSPECT PKK
[16] GREEK FOREIGN MINSTRY DELEGATION VISITS NORTH OSSETIA
[17] 69% OF THE ROMANIANS DO NOT WANT NATO TO USE THEIR COUNTRY'S
AIRPORTS
[18] IVANOV: THE BOMBING MUST END BEFORE A UN RESOLUTION IS
ADOPTED
[19] THE CLASHES BETWEEN SERB FORCES AND KLA REBELS CONTINUE
[20] REFUGEES SELL THE HUMANITARIAN AID IN SKOPJE
[21] NATO HAS TRIED TO SUPPRESS THE VOICE OF MINORITIES, ACCORDING
TO A GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL IN VOIVODINA
[22] THE TALKS BETWEEN YUGOSLAVIA AND NATO CONTINUE IN KUMANOVO
[23] RUSSIA: SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON WAR CRIMES IN YUGOSLAVIA
[24] HUMAN CHAIN AROUND THE US CAPITOL HILL ON JULY 20 IN PROTEST
TO THE CONTINUING TURKISH OCCUPATION OF NORTHERN CYPRUS
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] GREEK P.M.: THE WAR IS ENDING, PEACE IS SMILING AT BALKANS
Addressing a cheering crowd that flooded Thessaloniki's
central square last night during the ruling PASOK party's pre-
election rally for Sunday's European Parliament race, Prime
Minister Costas Simitis gave a message of optimism and urged
voters to opt for stability.
Referring to the G-8 agreement for a resolution on peace in
Kosovo, the Premier stated that the war is ending and peace is
finally smiling at the Balkans, stressing that the government
didn't gamble with the country's fate and accused the opposition
parties of resorting to demagogic tactics.
He said that if their proposals in regards to the war in
Yugoslavia had been utilized, then Greece would have become a
part of the problem, not a part o the solution.
Mr. Simitis underlined that the country is a factor of peace
and an oasis of stability in the region.
Referring to the main opposition party New Democracy and its
leader Costas Karamanlis, he said that "they are fishing in murky
waters", evasive when called upon to clearly state their position.
In regards to Sunday's elections, Mr. Simitis stated that
voters are called upon to answer a dilemma: "Vote stability or
uncertainty?"
In spite of the inclement weather, which cleared shortly
before Mr. Simitis' speech, PASOK officials said that the number
of supporters who came to the rally surpassed the main
opposition's by 20-30%.
[02] GREEK DEFENSE MINISTER: PEACE IN KOSOVO HAS TO BE SUPPORTED
Greece's Minister of National Defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos
urged that peace in Kosovo be supported and stressed the
importance of dispatching the international force in the region as
soon as possible, once the Serb troops begin withdrawing and the
bombing ends.
Speaking to an Athens radio station, Mr. Tsochatzopoulos
stated that four countries (the United States, France, Germany and
Canada) have expressed their interest in sending troops to Kosovo,
while the U.S. contingent presently in the Aegean is waiting for
the "go ahead" in order to pass through Greece into FYROM and
Kosovo.
Commenting on the various reactions concerning the passage of
troops, Mr. Tsochatzopoulos characterized them as unrealistic and
pointed out that the Serbs themselves are requesting the troops'
presence since they fear possible action from the Kosovo
Liberation Army (UCK).
[03] MINISTERIAL SESSION TO BE HELD TODAY ON "CHICKEN-GATE"
The Ministries of Development, Agriculture and Health are to
hold a meeting today in order to discuss the dioxin-contaminated
foods scandal.
The Greek Drug Organization (EOF) ordered yesterday that a
great number of Belgium-made baby food be taken off the shelves,
while it also calls on consumers to exercise caution when
purchasing foodstuffs, being careful as to the food's country of
origin.
[04] GREEK JOURNALISTS TO VISIT TO PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA
A 12-member delegation of Greek journalists is to conduct a
visit to the People's Republic of China between June 19-28.
The Greek journalists will travel to Beijing where they will
visit radio and television stations, while they will also tour the
city's suburbs, the Forbidden City, the Great Wall and the Temple
of Heaven.
During their stay in Hangzhou and Shanghai, the Greek
journalists will visit the offices of the "Zhejian Daily" and
"Shanghai Jie Fang" newspapers.
[05] GREECE TO HOST THREE BEARS FROM WAR-TORN YUGOSLAVIA
Three young bears from the war-torn Yugoslavia are to be
transported to Greece, thanks to the efforts of the ecological
organization "Arcturos", which will host them at its veterinarian
site in Aetos, Florina.
Prior to their transport, the bears were housed in
Belgrade's zoo which hadn't been spared the terror of the
relentless bombings. In addition to the hundreds of human lives
lost, NATO's air strikes against the Yugoslav capital bore severe
consequences on the animals which, left unattended and without
food, at times resorted to cannibalism.
With the aid of the Thessaloniki Prefecture and the Greek
Ministry of Agriculture, two members of "Arcturos", departed for
Yugoslavia last night in order to receive the three bears, aged 2-
3 years, and transport them to Greece on Friday.
[06] EARTH'S WARMING POSES A THREAT TO MARINE LIFE
Climate changes and increases in earth's temperatures are
posing significant threats to marine life, such as plankton, which
constitutes the basis of the aquatic food chain, polar bears,
seals, sea lions, penguins, various sea birds and coral reefs,
according to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF).
In a recently-published report, WWF stresses that the earth's
warming could constitute the "coup de grace" for many species
which are already faced with great pressures due to extensive
fishing and the destruction of their preserves.
Species in northern seas, where the highest rise in
temperature is noted, are the most threatened, although, according
to a WWF-Hellas marine life specialist, the repercussions are also
felt in the Mediterranean where the rise in temperature promotes
the settlement of new species, especially in the Sea's eastern
region, resulting in the displacement of certain endemic and
native species, an alteration that bears unforeseeable
consequences for the course of marine life.
[07] 358 MILITARY OFFICERS FROM CANADA HAVE ARRIVED IN
THESSALONIKI
Three hundred and fifty eight military officers from Canada
arrived at Thessaloniki's Macedonia Airport at noon today and will
soon depart for FYROM to be part of NATO's peacekeeping force.
The Canadian soldiers arrived in Thessaloniki on board a
Boeing passenger plane and according to information, it is most
likely that in the next few days they will be staying in hotels or
military camps near the city.
In the following days, possibly after the Euro-elections, a
NATO ship will sail into the port of Thessaloniki to unload
military vehicles and the weaponry of the 358 Canadian soldiers
who will then depart for FYROM by trucks and buses.
[08] ATHANASAKIS: THE GREEK GOVERNMENT WELCOMES THE SIGNING OF AN
AGREEMENT ON KOSOVO
The Greek government welcomes the signing of a peace
agreement on Kosovo and this development will be the vindication
of the policy it has followed, stated acting Greek government
spokesman Nikos Athanasakis.
Responding to the criticism made by main right-wing
opposition party of New Democracy leader, Kostas Karamanlis
against the government, maintaining that Greece was not present in
the developments, Mr. Athanasakis said that foreign minister
Giorgos Papandreou engaged in intense diplomatic efforts that took
him from Beijing to Washington.
On the US marines awaiting to disembark in Litochoro, near
Thessaloniki, he said that the issue is technical and not
political and it is related to the way the negotiations will
develop. He also said that he does not know the exact time of
their arrival.
[09] MEETING OF THE FOREIGN MINISTERS OF GREECE AND FINLAND
Foreign minister of Finland Taria Halonen, who is visiting
Athens in view of the Finnish EU presidency, met with her Greek
counterpart Giorgos Papandreou. The two ministers discussed the
developments in Kosovo, the Agenda 2000, the EU enlargement, the
Cyprus issue and bilateral issues.
The foreign minister of Finland praised the role of Greece in
the efforts aimed at dealing with the Yugoslav crisis.
[10] MR. VENIZELOS ANNOUNCED THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A DIOXIN CONTROL
LAB
The ministers of development, health and agriculture warned
consumers not to buy Belgian products suspect of being
contaminated with dioxin.
Minister of development Evangelos Venizelos confirmed that
the fresh and pasteurized milk is safe and warned consumers to be
careful as small quantities of contaminated foods could still be
in the market. He also announced the establishment of a special
dioxin control lab.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[11] BRITAIN SALUTES GREECE'S STANCE DURING KOSOVO CRISIS
In spite of their differences in the ways of approaching the
Kosovo crisis, the British government salutes Greece's
contribution to NATO's operation against Yugoslavia and has
expressed its eagerness to cooperate with Athens in the
reconstruction of the Yugoslav province.
According to BBC radio, which quotes British officials, the
Foreign Office has viewed as "significant" the proposals set forth
by Greece's Foreign Minister George Papandreou, concerning
regional stability in the Balkans, and believes that Greece can
carry out a decisive role in terms of the Serb peoples
rapprochement with the European Union.
Regarding community aid offered to Yugoslavia, Foreign Office
sources told BBC that no aid will be given as long as President
Slobodan Milosevic remains in office. On the contrary, aid will be
poured in Kosovo in order to allow for the return of the thousands
of Kosovo refugees.
Concerning Kosovo's reconstruction, the same sources told BBC
that the United Kingdom, either through its Industry Department or
through private initiative, is ready to embark on joint ventures
with Greece.
[12] NATO EXPRESSES CONTAINED OPTIMISM OVER KOSOVO AGREEMENT
NATO officials have expressed their contained optimism over
the achievement of an agreement with Yugoslavia concerning the
withdrawal of Serb troops and police from Kosovo.
An Alliance official stated that the signing of the agreement
could be made today, although he added that Yugoslav President
Slobodan Milosevic has the last word on the matter.
However, Belgrade doesn't appear willing to proceed to the
signing of an agreement if the UN Security Council doesn't first
adopt the G-8 final draft plan for the Yugoslav issue. The said
resolution could be issued today, although Russia and China's
interpretation of the plan's certain aspects continue to differ
from the West's.
[13] NATO BOMBINGS IN SERBIA, KOSOVO CONTINUE
Allied aircraft continued to pound targets in Serbia and
Kosovo, striking Novi Sad and other regions where warning sirens
screeched throughout the night.
According to United States President Bill Clinton, the raids
could end only if the withdrawal of Serb forces from Kosovo is
verified.
[14] UN SPECIAL ENVOY FOR BALKANS: KOSOVO IS A DEVASTATED LAND
UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy for the Balkans Carl
Bildt has
described Kosovo as a devastated wasteland that will have to be
rebuilt from the bottom up.
Speaking to the press in Geneva yesterday, Mr. Bildt said the
task ahead in Kosovo was staggering and "well beyond anything done
so far certainly in Europe
and perhaps in the world in the latter part of this century."
Mr. Bildt said the region was profoundly destabilized not
only by the flows
of refugees and the political tensions, but also by the economic
destruction and devastation of trade routes, industry and
communication infrastructures.
Kosovo could not be considered in isolation from what
happened around it and in the region, he said, adding that even if
the utmost was done in Kosovo, "it would be dependent on what
happened in the region."
[15] BLAST IN ISTANBUL INJURES TWO, POLICE SUSPECT PKK
Two people sustained minor injuries when a hand grenade was
thrown by unidentified assailants at a shop in Istanbul's Kadikoy
district yesterday evening, the Turkish Anatolia news agency
reported today.
The blast caused minor damage to the shop which was closed at
the time, the report said, adding that the police have detained a
number of suspects in security operations following the explosion.
Security measures have been beefed up in Turkish cities since
Kurdish leader Abdullah Ocalan went on trial for his life last
week on treason and separatism charges.
Turkish authorities suspect PKK rebels to be behind a spate
of bombings that hit Istanbul after Ocalan was captured and
brought to Turkey in February.
[16] GREEK FOREIGN MINSTRY DELEGATION VISITS NORTH OSSETIA
A delegation from the Foreign Ministry department for ties
with Greek communities abroad, conducted a one-week visit to North
Ossetia where the participants attended an arts festival.
George Melos, the department's chairman who led the
delegation, told the Russian news agency Itar-Tass that inter-
ethnic accord, good neighborly relations and peace in the Caucasus
are component parts of stability not only in that region, but also
in Russia in general, in the Black Sea and Mediterranean regions.
"The complicated Balkan problem is the result of a number of
objective and subjective factors and contradictions in relations
between nations in the multinational Yugoslavia. They can be
settled by political methods and never by force," Mr. Melos said.
After meeting with members of the Greek cultural community
called Prometheus, the Foreign Ministry's delegation ascertained
that North Ossetia's Greeks live harmoniously with people of
other nationalities and are active in various fields of the
Republic's economy, science, culture and public health sectors.
The festival featured the Argonauts folk dance group and a
music group from Athens, while literary soirees of Greek poets and
writers were also held.
[17] 69% OF THE ROMANIANS DO NOT WANT NATO TO USE THEIR COUNTRY'S
AIRPORTS
An opinion poll conducted by the Romanian "Metro Media
Transilvania" Institute showed that 69% of those polled do not
want NATO to be allowed to use the country's airports for its
military operations in Yugoslavia and 22% approve this policy.
Also, 78% reject the presence of NATO ground forces in the
country and 21% worry that the Yugoslav war will spread to
Romania.
According to the results of the opinion poll, 37% believe
that responsible for the situation in Yugoslavia is Milosevic and
12% blame NATO.
[18] IVANOV: THE BOMBING MUST END BEFORE A UN RESOLUTION IS
ADOPTED
Russian foreign minister Igor Ivanov stated that president
Boris Yeltsin insists that the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia should
stop before a resolution on Kossovo is adopted by the UN Security
Council.
Mr. Ivanov stated yesterday that "as soon as the bombings
stop we will do the best we can for the adoption of the UN
resolution".
[19] THE CLASHES BETWEEN SERB FORCES AND KLA REBELS CONTINUE
The clashes between Kosovo Liberation Army, KLA, separatists
rebels and Serb forces continue at the Albanian-Yugoslav borders
and for the first time Serb artillery shells hit targets 25
kilometers inside Albanian territory, according to the Albanian
authorities.
A representative of the Albanian ministry of defense
confirmed that the country's armed forces are ready to respond to
a possible attack by Serbia.
Meanwhile, the Yugoslav foreign ministry characterized as
groundless the allegations made by the government of FYROM
according to which, border villages have been hit by Serb
artillery shells.
In a statement issued by the Yugoslav foreign ministry, it is
stressed that it is a provocation which is aimed at misleading the
international public opinion at a time when efforts for the
restoration of peace in the region continue.
[20] REFUGEES SELL THE HUMANITARIAN AID IN SKOPJE
FYROM Red Cross general secretary Ivan Narisanov responded to
the accusations launched by the Albanian mass media according to
which, the FYROM government mismanages the international
humanitarian aid that reaches the country.
According to the newspaper "Dnevnik", Mr. Narisanov has
responded to the accusations maintaining that refugee families
sell the humanitarian aid they receive in open-air markets.
[21] NATO HAS TRIED TO SUPPRESS THE VOICE OF MINORITIES, ACCORDING
TO A GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL IN VOIVODINA
Voivodina's general secretary of information Jan Simak
accused NATO that with the bombing of the Novisad television
facilities attempted to suppress the voice of every ethnic
minority in the northern Serb province.
The technical infrastructure of the television in Novisad has
been destroyed by the repeated bombing in May, stated Mr. Simak,
stressing that thanks to the superhuman efforts of journalists and
technical personnel the program of the Serb state television is
being broadcast without problems throughout the region.
[22] THE TALKS BETWEEN YUGOSLAVIA AND NATO CONTINUE IN KUMANOVO
No progress has been achieved in the negotiations between
military delegations from Yugoslavia and NATO in Kumanovo, FYROM.
The talks are being interrupted regularly as the Serb delegation
wants to take the advice of Belgrade. The alliance has stated that
the bombings will end as soon as the withdrawal of the Serb forces
from Kosovo can be verified.
The UN Security Council awaits for the end of the bombings
before it brings up for discussion the plan which was backed by
the G-8 yesterday.
[23] RUSSIA: SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON WAR CRIMES IN YUGOSLAVIA
Twenty Russian parliament deputies formed a special committee
which will investigate the crimes committed during NATO's attack
on Yugoslavia.
The committee will gather and process information, will
cooperate with the responsible Russian agencies and will contact
the International War Crimes Tribunal to bring before justice all
those responsible for serious violations of international
humanitarian law in Yugoslavia since 1991. The outcome of the
investigation will be made public by December 1, 1999.
In the decision for the establishment of the fact-finding
committee it is stressed that the activities of NATO constitute a
violation of the general principles and regulations of
international law and that the attack of NATO on Yugoslavia should
be regarded as a military crime and the alliance leadership should
be punished for it.
[24] HUMAN CHAIN AROUND THE US CAPITOL HILL ON JULY 20 IN PROTEST
TO THE CONTINUING TURKISH OCCUPATION OF NORTHERN CYPRUS
The Cypriot Federation of America in cooperation with the
Coordinating Committee for Justice in Cyprus, the Human Rights
Alliance and the Hellenic-American Women's Council, will organize
a protest demonstration for Cyprus on the occasion of the 25th
anniversary of the Turkish invasion and occupation of the northern
part of the island.
The protest will take place in Washington on July 20 and its
organizers call on the members of the Greek community in the
United States to join hands and form a human chain around Capitol
Hill. Later on, the protesters will march toward the White House
and they will continue their protest there.
In the press release that was issued, it is mentioned that
the protest demonstration aims at enlightening the US government,
the members of the Senate and the House of Representatives, the US
mass media and the public over the Cyprus problem condemning the
continuing occupation of the northern part of Cyprus by Turkey
which threatens peace and stability in the region.
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