Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 99-10-05
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, October 5, 1999
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] PAOK FANS KILLED IN YESTERDAY'S ACCIDENT TO
BE BURIED TODAY
[02] GERMAN CHANCELLOR CONFIDENT OF GREECE'S
ACCESSION TO EMU
[03] GREEK DEFENSE MINSTER TO INAUGURATE NATO
SUB-HQ IN LARISA
[04] GREEK ALTERNATE FOREIGN MINISTER TO VISIT
CYPRUS ON FRIDAY
[05] MUSLIM ACCUSED OF ARSON FOUND
"PSYCHOLOGICALY DISTURBED"
[06] GERMAN CHANCELLOR MEETS WITH GREEK PREMIER
IN ATHENS
[07] GREEK, FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTERS IN
THESSALONIKI FOR SEMINAR
[08] INFLATION CONTAINED AT 1.9% DURING
SEPTEMBER
[09] POLL GRADES GOVERNMENT'S PERFORMANCE IN
VARIOUS SECTORS
[10] SIMITIS: PASOK WILL WIN THE ELECTIONS
[11] THE SIX PAOK FANS KILLED IN A TRAFFIC
ACCIDENT WERE BURIED TODAY
[12] STEPHANOPOULOS-SCHROEDER MEETING IN ATHENS
[13] 45 GREEK BUSINESSES ARE ACTIVE IN RUSSIA
[14] A GREEK EURO-DEPUTY CALLS FOR INITATIVES ON
FOOD SAFETY BY THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION
[15] REPPAS: TURKEY MUST MEET CERTAIN
OBLIGATIONS TO BECOME PART OF THE EU
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[16] EARTHQUAKES ROCK ISLAND OF RHODES AND
TURKEY
[17] GREEK CULTURE MINISTER IN CYPRUS, MEETS
WITH THE PRESIDENT
[18] BULGARIAN PM: OUR TIES WITH GREECE ARE
EXEMPLARY
[19] 8 KILLED AND 200 INJURED IN A TRAIN
ACCIDENT IN LONDON
[20] NIOTIS-GROSSMAN MEETING IN WASHINGTON
[21] THE DEMANDS OF THE GREEK MINORITY WERE
PRESENTED TO THE ALBANIAN PRIME MINISTER
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NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] PAOK FANS KILLED IN YESTERDAY'S ACCIDENT TO
BE BURIED TODAY
The six fans of Thessaloniki's PAOK soccer
team who lost their lives yesterday when their
bus collided with a truck on the national
highway are to be buried today.
The soccer team's administrative offices
will cover the expenses for the funerals which
will be held in the cities of Thessaloniki and
Katerini, the victims' hometowns.
Sports leagues throughout the country have
forwarded their condolences to the families of
the deceased.
[02] GERMAN CHANCELLOR CONFIDENT OF GREECE'S
ACCESSION TO EMU
Visiting German chancellor Gerhard
Schroeder expressed his confidence over Greece's
accession to the Economic and monetary Union,
speaking during a reception given at the Greek-
German Chamber of Commerce in Athens.
Mr. Schroeder pledged that his country will
provide support towards this direction.
During is two-day working visit, the German
Chancellor will meet with the President of the
Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos and
other officials.
[03] GREEK DEFENSE MINSTER TO INAUGURATE NATO
SUB-HQ IN LARISA
Greece's Defense Minister Akis
Tsochatzopoulos is to inaugurate the NATO sub-
headquarters in Larisa today, in an official
ceremony to be attended by other leaders and
NATO representatives.
The activation of the Larisa headquarters
coincides with the first large air-naval
exercise to be conducted early December at the
Southern NATO Wing.
At the same time, supporters of the
Communist Party of Greece are to conduct a
protest rally outside the sub-headquarters.
[04] GREEK ALTERNATE FOREIGN MINISTER TO VISIT
CYPRUS ON FRIDAY
Greece's Alternate Foreign Minister
Christos Rokofyllos, who is handling issues
regarding Cyprus' EU accession course, will pay
an official visit to Cyprus on Friday. The
agenda of the talks will include the latest
developments in the Cyprus issue and the line
the Greek side will adopt following the meeting
US President Bill Clinton had with Turkish Prime
Minister Bulent Ecevit at the White House.
Mr. Rokofyllos will also discuss matters
concerning cooperation and coordination between
the two countries' foreign ministries.
[05] MUSLIM ACCUSED OF ARSON FOUND
"PSYCHOLOGICALY DISTURBED"
A young Muslim arrested for setting fire to
a mosque in Glafki, Xanthi has been released by
the local prosecutor, after a look into the
arsonist's past revealed that he is
"psychologically disturbed".
Twenty-year-old Azizi Medan, who lives in
Glafki, confessed to the arson attack and stated
that he started the fire with gas canisters and
a quantity of white spirit. The blaze, which
destroyed religious books, vestments belonging
to the imam and part of the flooring, was
extinguished quickly by locals.
While Medan was charged with wilful arson,
there is speculation that he could have acted -
knowingly, or not- on behalf of a "hard-core"
Muslim group of youths who are protesting the
meddling of the town's imam into their private
lives.
The police are continuing their
investigation into the matter.
[06] GERMAN CHANCELLOR MEETS WITH GREEK PREMIER
IN ATHENS
Prime Minister Costas Simitis met with
visiting German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder in
Athens yesterday, where the latter arrived in
order to attend events marking the 75th
anniversary of the founding of the German-Greek
Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Following their talks, Mr. Simitis stated
that bilateral relations were particularly good
in the areas of economic and military
cooperation. Further, he said they discussed
issues of concern to Greece in view of the
upcoming special EU summit in Tampere, Finland.
The two men also discussed cooperation in
the Balkans, agreeing on the need to promote a
stability pact for SE Europe, which, according
to Mr. Simitis, was the means to dealing with
many chronic problems in the region.
In regards to Turkey's candidacy for EU
membership, Mr. Simitis said he set out to his
guest the firm Greek position, according to
which there must be certain moves on the part of
Turkey for the Helsinki summit to be able to
arrive at a positive
outcome.
[07] GREEK, FRENCH FOREIGN MINISTERS IN
THESSALONIKI FOR SEMINAR
The Foreign Ministers of Greece and France,
George Papandreou and Yber Vedrine respectively,
are to arrive in Thessaloniki tomorrow, in order
to address a seminar titled "southeastern
Europe, democratization, development, process of
fulfilment".
With the meeting's opportunity, Mr.
Papandreou will brief Mr. Vedrine on Greece's
positions regarding Turkey's candidacy for EU
membership.
The two ministers will give a joint press
conference tomorrow evening.
The seminar will focus on the actions to be
taken by the two countries within the framework
of the Stability Pact and the discussion will
focus on the developments in the Balkan region.
[08] INFLATION CONTAINED AT 1.9% DURING
SEPTEMBER
Continuing its downward course, the state's
inflation rate closed at 1.9% during the month
of September, according assessments of the
Ministry of National Economy.
Credit Suisse First Boston has reported
that if the rate has indeed dropped to 1.9%,
then the Bank of Greece will reduce the
interjection interest rate as of October 13.
[09] POLL GRADES GOVERNMENT'S PERFORMANCE IN
VARIOUS SECTORS
The government has fared well on issues
concerning the country's accession to the
Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) and Greek-
Turkish relations, but still has room for
improvement in regards to education, crime and
unemployment, according to a recent poll.
Conducted on behalf of V. PRC and
published by the "Ta Nea" daily, on a rate of 1-
10 the ruling PASOK party performed as follows:
EMU 6.7, G/T ties 5.58, education 4.26, crime
4.23 and unemployment 3.85.
The improvement in relations with Turkey is
also evident in the poll, as Turks rank third in
the Greeks' friendly sentiments, with a degree
of 4.37, with Serbs leading the way, 7.16,
followed by Bulgarians, 5.53.
Moreover, 74% of those polled are in favor
of direct talks between Greece and Turkey,
while 31.2% are in favor of Turkey's accession
to the EU within the following years.
[10] SIMITIS: PASOK WILL WIN THE ELECTIONS
The blackmailing and fabricated speeding up
of the elections does not serve the country's
interests and erodes the existing institutions,
stated prime minister Kostas Simitis in PASOK's
parliament group meeting.
The prime minister reiterated the
government's firm position that elections should
be held at the end of the four-year term and
added that if elections are held next spring
because of the parliament's inability to elect
president of the republic this will raise
obstacles to the country's course toward the
EMU. He also added that PASOK can safeguard the
political stability necessary for the uneventful
course toward the EMU.
In any case, Mr. Simitis expressed the
certainty that PASOK will win the elections when
they will be held, while he launched a strong
attack against right-wing main opposition party
of New Democracy leader Kostas Karamanlis and
accused him of populism, ignorance and
improvisation referring to his announcements for
extra benefits, increased pensions and other
measures aimed at winning votes.
Mr. Simitis recognized the improvement
observed in the relations between Greece and
Turkey and stated that the neighboring country
must prove with its actions and its decisions
that the Greek-Turkish relations have entered a
new stage. He said that Greece believes in the
European prospect of Turkey but this will mean
that it will have both rights and
responsibilities like every other EU member-
state, adding that Ankara should make an
essential step for its European prospect.
[11] THE SIX PAOK FANS KILLED IN A TRAFFIC
ACCIDENT WERE BURIED TODAY
The six PAOK fans killed in a traffic
accident were buried in Thessaloniki and
Katerini today.
Relatives and friends and the football club
of PAOK said the last goodbye to the six young
people, who were killed when the bus bringing
them from Athens to Thessaloniki collided with a
truck and ended up in a ditch in the region of
Tempi.
The team's management and the players all
attended the funerals in a heavy atmosphere as
no one could believe how this tragic accident
happened.
[12] STEPHANOPOULOS-SCHROEDER MEETING IN ATHENS
German chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who is
on a visit to Athens, met earlier in the morning
with Greek president Kostis Stephanopoulos.
Their discussion focused on bilateral relations,
the situation in the Balkans and the Euro-
Turkish relations.
Mr. Stephanopoulos expressed the wish for
the German chancellors to visit Greece more
often in the future. Mr. Schroeder expressed the
certainty that Greece will soon join the EMU, he
pointed out that there is progress in the
relations between the European Union and Turkey,
while he characterized his visit to Greece as
successful.
[13] 45 GREEK BUSINESSES ARE ACTIVE IN RUSSIA
The Greek business presence in Russia
remains limited as the extensive bureaucracy,
the vague legal framework and the chaotic tax
and customs systems act as a deterrent for the
Greek would-be investors.
About 45 businesses of Greek interests have
been registered in Russia and the majority of
them develop a trade activity. The most
significant presence is that of the dairy
industry DELTA, the food industry "CHIPITA",
"INTERCOM-RUS" and the Greek Bottling Company
3E.
[14] A GREEK EURO-DEPUTY CALLS FOR INITATIVES ON
FOOD SAFETY BY THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION
Governing socialist party of PASOK Euro-
deputy Ms. Mani Malliori submitted a demand to
the European Commission to undertake specific
initiatives in the area of food safety and brief
the European citizens on the actions it is
willing to take in the next six-month period.
Ms. Malliori stated that there is a need
for the creation of a European system for
scientific food inspection in order to avert
similar food crisis like the ones that came to
publicity lately. She raised questions over the
reliability of information concerning the food
safety pointing out that the limits between the
interest in the health of the public and the
strong economic interests are vague.
[15] REPPAS: TURKEY MUST MEET CERTAIN
OBLIGATIONS TO BECOME PART OF THE EU
Turkey must meet certain obligations like
the rest EU candidate-states in order to get
itself the same status with them, reiterated
Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas.
Greece wants Turkey's bid for EU membership
to be essential and not fictitious, said Mr.
Reppas, adding that especially important is
Turkey's policy in the case of Cyprus, Cyprus'
accession into the EU and the Greek-Turkish
relations.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[16] EARTHQUAKES ROCK ISLAND OF RHODES AND
TURKEY
A strong tremor measuring 5.2 on the
Richter scale occurred this morning shortly
after 4 at Turkey's south-western shore.
According to early reports, at least 30
persons were injured when they jumped out of the
windows, panic-stricken, in order to flee their
homes.
At the same time, another tremor, measuring
4.6 on the Richter scale was felt at the island
of Rhodes. The epicenter was located in the sea
region. The quake was preceded by another,
weaker tremor.
[17] GREEK CULTURE MINISTER IN CYPRUS, MEETS
WITH THE PRESIDENT
Greece Culture Minister Elizabeth Papazoi
conducted a one-day official visit to Cyprus
yesterday, at the invitation of Education and
Culture Minister Uranios Ioannidis.
Ms. Papazoi and Mr. Ioannidis chaired a
meeting on culture issues at the Education and
Culture Ministry, as well as a meeting on issues
regarding antiquities and the cinema.
Earlier, Ms. Papazoi met with the
President of Cyprus Glafcos Clerides, while she
was also received by Archbishop Chrysostomos.
[18] BULGARIAN PM: OUR TIES WITH GREECE ARE
EXEMPLARY
Bulgarian Prime Minister Ivan Kostov has
stated that the ties between his country and
Greece are marked by a climate of good
intentions and cooperation, which he hopes will
continue.
Speaking during a press conference, Mr.
Kostov stated that Greece is the country which
will aid Bulgaria the most in securing funds for
the execution of its infrastructure plans.
Moreover, the Bulgarian Premier stressed
that "Greece views Bulgaria's desire to enter
the EU favorably, something that (Athens) has
proven int he best possible way."
[19] 8 KILLED AND 200 INJURED IN A TRAIN
ACCIDENT IN LONDON
Eight people were killed and over 200 were
injured in the collision of two trains that
occurred in the train station of Padington in
London.
Ten passengers remain trapped and the
London police express fears that the number of
the dead will be increased. After the strong
collision of the two speed-trains one of them
derailed and 8 cars were engulfed in flames.
Fire-fighters make superhuman efforts to free
the trapped passengers inside the derailed train
cars.
[20] NIOTIS-GROSSMAN MEETING IN WASHINGTON
Greek undersecretary of foreign affairs
Grigoris Niotis met in Washington with US
assistant secretary of state responsible for
European Affairs Mark Grossman. Their talks
focused on the Greek-US relations, US president
Clinton's imminent visit to Greece and the
Cyprus issue.
In statements he made, Mr. Niotis stressed
that the US president's visit to Greece could
operate like a catalyst to the development of
big issues like the Cyprus issue. However, he
said that this does not depend only on the US
mediation or the Greeks and the Cypriots but on
the steps the Turkish side is prepared to make
as well.
[21] THE DEMANDS OF THE GREEK MINORITY WERE
PRESENTED TO THE ALBANIAN PRIME MINISTER
A number of demands were raised by the
Greek minority representatives to Albanian prime
minister Pandeli Majko during his recent visit
to the city of Gjirokastra.
According to the newspaper "Demokracia",
among the demands raised was the upgrading of
security in the regions where the Greek minority
lives with an emphasis to the protection of
businessmen who are active in those regions and
suggested the creation of municipal police
units.
They also demanded that the sum of 500
thousand dollars that was offered by the Greek
government for infrastructure projects in the
Greek minority regions be given to them and
called for the appointment of Greek minority
members as specialists in the ministries of
public order, justice and foreign affairs.
The representatives of the Greek minority
also demanded that the distribution of land to
those who have false documents should stop.
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