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Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 99-10-25
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, October 25, 1999
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] THESSALONIKI'S LIBERATION, PATRON SAINT DAY
TO BE CELEBRATED
[02] THIRD ROUND OF GREEK -TURKISH TALKS
CONTINUES IN ATHENS
[03] STATE TO INTRODUCE CHANGES IN OPERATION OF
ATHENS BOURSE
[04] FRENCH DEFENSE MINISTER TO VISIT ATHENS
TODAY
[05] MINOR OPPOSITION PARTY LEADER CONDUCTS
VISIT TO TURKEY
[06] GREEKS ACCUSED OF RACIALLY-MOTIVATED CRIMES
ARE CHARGED
[07] S.E. EUROPE SIGNS ELECTRONIC TRADE
COOPERATION MEMORANDUM
[08] BALKAN WARS MUSEUM TO BE HOUSED IN
THESSALONIKI
[09] BSEC MEETING GETS UNDERWAY TODAY IN
THESSALONIKI
[10] GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA CONDUCTS OFFICIAL
VISIT TO ATHENS
[11] WEU CONFERENCE ON S.E. EUROPE TO BE HELD IN
CRETE
[12] BUDGET TO BE TABLED IN PARLIAMENT ON
NOVEMBER 3
[13] INFO NETWORK TO LINK ALEXANDROUPOLIS,
BURGAS, NOVOROSISK
[14] THE BSEC CONFERENCE OPENED IN THESSALONIKI
THIS MORNING
[15] PRESIDENT STEPHANOPOULOS WILL ARRIVE IN
THESSALONIKI THIS EVENING
[16] SMALL DECLINE IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
[17] THE SECRETARIAT OF THE IPEKCI AWARDS
CONDEMNED THE DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS BEHAVIOR
[18] MEETING OF THE GREEK AND FRENCH MINISTERS
OF DEFENSE
[19] REPPAS: THE ATHENS FIR REMAINS THE SAME
[20] REPPAS: THE GREEK-TURKISH JOINT ORGANIZING
OF THE 2008 EUROPEAN FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP IS A
TECHNICAL MATTER
[21] REPPAS: THE CASE OF PANTELIS KAZAKOS IS
EXTREME
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[22] TURKISH FM: IF WE DON'T ENTER EU, IT'S NOT
THE END OF THE WORLD
[23] GREEK-AUSTRALIAN ELECTED MINISTER IN STATE
OF VICTORIA
[24] ELECTRICAL LINK BETWEEN GREECE AND TURKEY
GIVEN "GO AHEAD"
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NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] THESSALONIKI'S LIBERATION, PATRON SAINT DAY
TO BE CELEBRATED
The President of the Hellenic Republic
Kostis Stephanopoulos is arriving in
Thessaloniki this evening in order to attend
this week's festivities held in honor of the
city's patron Saint Demetrius (tomorrow, October
26) and the anniversary of the city's
liberation, as well as the commemoration of 'NO
Day' -- the 59th anniversary of
Greece's entry into W.W.II. (October 28).
The holy icon of St. Demetrius will be
carried in procession today, while in the
evening the President will be formally greeted
by the local authorities. A doxology will be
performed on October 26, at the city's
monumental St. Demetrius Church.
On the 28th of October, the President will
lay a wreath at the 3rd Army Corps and will
attend the military parade. The events will also
be attended by the Minister of Defense Akis
Tsochatzopoulos, who will represent the Premier,
while the government will be represented by the
Ministers of Development and Macedonia-Thrace,
Evangelos Venizelos and Yiannis Magriotis
respectively.
[02] THIRD ROUND OF GREEK -TURKISH TALKS
CONTINUES IN ATHENS
The second phase of the third round of
Greek-Turkish talks will begin in Athens today,
where the participants will examine issues
concerning culture, multilateral and regional
cooperation and the citizens security.
Greece's Foreign Minister George Papandreou
will meet with his Turkish counterpart Ismail
Cem on the sidelines of the Black Sea Economic
Cooperation conference that will take place in
Thessaloniki tomorrow and Wednesday.
[03] STATE TO INTRODUCE CHANGES IN OPERATION OF
ATHENS BOURSE
The government plans to introduce changes
to the operation of the Athens Stock Exchange,
including increasing the upper price volatility
limit.
According to press reports, the upper price
volatility limit would be increased to 12.0
percent in the event a share "locked in" at the
limit up of 8.0 percent. The lower price
volatility limit of 8.0 percent will stay as is.
Also planned, according to the reports, is
an extension in trading hours of the Athens
bourse of one to two hours, to bring trading
hours into line with those of most European
bourses.
[04] FRENCH DEFENSE MINISTER TO VISIT ATHENS
TODAY
French Defense Minister Alain Richard will
conduct an official visit to Athens today where
he will be received by his Greek counterpart
Akis Tsochatzopoulos and Foreign Minister George
Papandreou.
Mr. Papandreou will also have a separate
meeting tomorrow with the governor of
California, Gray Davis.
[05] MINOR OPPOSITION PARTY LEADER CONDUCTS
VISIT TO TURKEY
The leader of the minor opposition party
Coalition for the Left and Progress
(Synaspismos) Nikos Constantopoulos is heading
a party delegation on an official visit to
Turkey.
During his visit, Mr. Constantopoulos will
be received by Turkish President Suleiman
Demirel, while he will also visit the
Ecumenical Patriarchate.
Mr. Constantopoulos has stated that he
favors Turkey's European orientation, albeit
stressing that the country must meet all the
requirements imposed on all the countries which
are candidates for accession.
[06] GREEKS ACCUSED OF RACIALLY-MOTIVATED CRIMES
ARE CHARGED
A 23-year-old security guard who has
reportedly confessed to police that he killed
immigrants out of racial hatred will be brought
before the district attorney today for
questioning, after having been charged with two
counts of murder, eight counts of attempted
murder and carrying arms without a license.
Pandelis Kazakos admitted to killing two
men and wounding seven others (all of foreign
origin) in a shooting spree last week that
lasted more than seven hours before he was
apprehended.
His accomplice, 22-year-old sailor
Apostolos Apostolou, has admitted to police his
involvement in one of the shootings and was
charged with one count of being an accessory to
murder and illegal drug possession.
The victims were identified as George
Godesiani, 30, a Georgian national and a Kurdish
man identified only as Hosefi. The injured were
identified as Ghanaian Tommy Kofit, 25,
Bangladeshi Mohammad Dadon, 28, Nigerian Abdul
Tsimoti, 34, Pakistani Ahmet Mesar, 34, Egyptian
Aldi Saab, 30, as well as Sereif Hantel, 25, and
Yusef Rasoul, 27, both of whom are Kurds.
[07] S.E. EUROPE SIGNS ELECTRONIC TRADE
COOPERATION MEMORANDUM
The groundwork for cooperation in the
sector of electronic trade among Southeast
Europe's countries was laid on Sunday with a
relevant memorandum signed by ten countries.
The memorandum, which calls for cooperation
on a number of issues pertaining to digital
economy, the private sector, a regulatory
process, consumer rights and copyright, was
signed by Greece, Albania, FYROM, Cyprus,
Romania, Turkey, Israel, Slovenia, Moldavia and
Bulgaria, the latter represented by its Minster
of Trade and Industry Christo Michailovski who
requested that the next conference be held in
his country.
Greece's Development Minister Evangelos
Venizelos stated that the Greek government wants
to lay the groundwork for the development of a
regional market in which Greece, by exploiting
funds via the Third Community Support Framework.
He said the ministry would create a
national committee on electronic commerce, a
scientific working group of electronic commerce
and a project management group to lead and
monitor developments in this sector.
Deputy Transport and Communications
Minister Nikos Salayiannis told the conference
that the telecommunications market in Greece
grew 32 per cent in the 1997-1998 period.
[08] BALKAN WARS MUSEUM TO BE HOUSED IN
THESSALONIKI
A Balkan Wars Museum will be established at
a historical building in the town of Gefyra,
near Thessaloniki, the same place where on
October 26, 1912 the Turks turned over the city
to Greece.
The President of the Hellenic Republic
Kostis Stephanopoulos will inaugurate the
Museum's operation on October 27.
The building is the site where the Greek
army officers and the local pasha (as
Thessaloniki was still under the Turkish yoke)
negotiated the city's return to Greece in 1912.
[09] BSEC MEETING GETS UNDERWAY TODAY IN
THESSALONIKI
The Black Sea Economic Cooperation (BSEC)
group began its meeting in Thessaloniki today,
featuring the participation of the member-
states' foreign ministers.
Greece's Foreign Minister George Papandreou
is expected to hold a vis-�-vis meeting with
his Turkish counterpart Ismael Cem on Wednesday
afternoon, while the BSEC's FM meeting will also
be held on Wednesday morning.
[10] GOVERNOR OF CALIFORNIA CONDUCTS OFFICIAL
VISIT TO ATHENS
The governor of California Gray Davis is
presently conducting an official visit to
Greece, the first by a standing governor of the
Golden Gate state.
Mr. Davis is scheduled to meet with the
President of the Hellenic Republic Costis
Stephanopoulos, Foreign Minister George
Papandreou and National Defense Minister Akis
Tsochatzopoulos, as well as with prominent
members of the Greek business community.
According to a US embassy press release,
Mr. Davis is in Greece to build what he referred
to as "bridges of trade and investment",
especially in the area of new technologies,
between Greece and California, the latter being
known as the home of "dot com economy".
[11] WEU CONFERENCE ON S.E. EUROPE TO BE HELD IN
CRETE
The Western European Union will embark on a
three-conference on Wednesday, October 27, in
Crete, to be inaugurated by the President of the
Greek Parliament Apostolos Kaklamanis.
While the conference will examine security
in southeast Europe, Mr. Kaklamanis is expected
to denounce the ongoing national cleansing in
Kosovo, a policy which sacrifices the
credibility and authority of the European Union
and other organizations.
[12] BUDGET TO BE TABLED IN PARLIAMENT ON
NOVEMBER 3
The next year's budget, which will be
pivotal for the country's coveted accession to
the Economic and Monetary Union, is expected to
be tabled in Parliament on November 3.
The state's revenue policy is to proceed
with increases for salaried workers, 2.5%, as
well as pensioners, who will receive increases
of 4.5% (surpassing the inflation rate), and
military staff with eight per cent.
[13] INFO NETWORK TO LINK ALEXANDROUPOLIS,
BURGAS, NOVOROSISK
An information network which will link the
cities of Alexandroupolis, Burgas and Novorisisk
is presently in the works, within the framework
of a pilot program funded by 16th General
Directorate of the European Union and the
"International Networking" plan.
The network involved the establishment of a
thorough information system whose data base will
be located in Alexandroupolis and which will be
fed data from the other two cities which will be
equipped with terminals.
The Pilot Urban Program, currently under
development in Alexandroupolis, also allows for
a series of innovative developmental programs
that aim at improving the urban environment and
its infrastructures.
[14] THE BSEC CONFERENCE OPENED IN THESSALONIKI
THIS MORNING
The proceedings of the Black Sea Economic
Cooperation Organization opened in a central
hotel in Thessaloniki this morning and is being
held at foreign ministries' officials level.
The conference proceedings will continue at
the same level tomorrow with a discussion on the
protocols that will be signed by the ministers.
The foreign ministers meeting, expected to be
attended by Turkish foreign minister Ismail Cem
who will arrive in Thessaloniki tomorrow
evening, will be held on Wednesday morning.
On that day at noon, Greek foreign minister
Giorgos Papandreou will give a formal reception
and a press conference will follow later in the
afternoon. The Papandreou-Cem meeting will be
held on Wednesday.
[15] PRESIDENT STEPHANOPOULOS WILL ARRIVE IN
THESSALONIKI THIS EVENING
The events for Thessaloniki's patron saint
day celebration and the anniversaries both for
the city's liberation and for Greece's entry in
WWII on October 28, 1940, opened today with the
procession of the icon of St. Dimitrios.
The events will be attended by president
Kostis Stephanopoulos, who will arrive at
Thessaloniki's Macedonia Airport later this
evening and will be officially welcomed by the
city's local authorities.
The prime minister will be represented in
the celebrations by minister of defense Akis
Tsochatzopoulos, while the government will be
represented by minister of development Evangelos
Venizelos and minister of Macedonia-Thrace
Yiannis Magriotis. A formal doxology will be
held in the St. Dimitrios church tomorrow in the
presence of the president of the republic.
[16] SMALL DECLINE IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
A small decline was recorded in the Athens
Stock Exchange. The general index dropped by
0.40% and closed at 5.577,89, while the volume
of transactions reached 345.8 billion drachmas.
The general index showed nervousness
starting with a rise of 1.67% but later moved at
negative levels and all its gains were lost. One
hundred and forty shares moved upwards, 149
dropped and 28 remained stable.
[17] THE SECRETARIAT OF THE IPEKCI AWARDS
CONDEMNED THE DOCTORS WITHOUT BORDERS BEHAVIOR
The secretariat of the Ipekci Greek-Turkish
Peace and Friendship Awards in Athens with a
statement under the title "Borders of
Inhumanity" condemned the Doctors Without
Borders organization for its decision to dismiss
its Greek department.
In the statement issued by the Ipekci
Awards it is stressed that with the decision of
the Doctors Without Borders to dismiss its Greek
branch because it offered medical assistance to
the Serbs during the NATO bomb campaign against
Yugoslavia, the medical organization shows that
it does not respect the Hippocrates Oath and
that certain western doctors give a meaning to
the expression "without borders" that causes
deep disappointment and wide disapproval.
[18] MEETING OF THE GREEK AND FRENCH MINISTERS
OF DEFENSE
Greek minister of defense Akis
Tsochatzopoulos met in Athens today with his
French counterpart Alain Richard and discussed
issues of European security and bilateral
cooperation, especially in the defense industry
sector.
In statements made after the meeting, Mr.
Tsochatzopoulos stressed the need to reinforce
the ability of the European Union to promote a
wider policy of security and peace in the
region. From his side, the French minister of
defense stated that Greece has a leading role in
the Balkans and appeared satisfied with the
Athens-Ankara rapprochement.
The French minister of defense also had a
meeting with Greek foreign minister Giorgos
Papandreou. Mr. Papandreou also had meetings
with his Mexican counterpart and the governor of
the US state of California.
[19] REPPAS: THE ATHENS FIR REMAINS THE SAME
Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas
denied press reports today which mention that
the Athens FIR has become smaller, stressing
that the FIR space remains the same after the
1958 settlement.
Mr. Reppas characterized such actions as
unjustified and unacceptable especially when
they have to do with issues of national
importance and spoke of certain elements that
create problems for the country by distorting
the truth and fabricating such issues.
[20] REPPAS: THE GREEK-TURKISH JOINT ORGANIZING
OF THE 2008 EUROPEAN FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP IS A
TECHNICAL MATTER
Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas,
responding to the question on whether the Greek
government will accept the proposal made by
Turkey to jointly organize the 2008 European
Football Championship in Greece, stated that
this is not a political issue.
Mr. Reppas stated that this is a technical
matter and if the technical difficulties are
overcome the specific proposal could
materialize.
[21] REPPAS: THE CASE OF PANTELIS KAZAKOS IS
EXTREME
Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas,
commenting on the case of the racially motivated
attack committed by 23yearold Pantelis Kazakos,
stated that it is an isolated incident.
Mr. Reppas stated that such incidents are
condemned, stressing that this is an isolated,
extreme and racist case.
Meanwhile, the prosecutor and the
interrogator in the case of Kazakos have decided
that he should be held in prison until his
trial. Kazakos, who is accused of murdering two
people in cold blood and injuring 5 others in an
indiscriminate racist attack against colored
immigrants in Athens, stated while leaving the
special prosecutor's office that he is sorry for
his actions.
One of the injured victims of the racist
attack is in hospital in a comatose state, while
two others are in a critical condition.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[22] TURKISH FM: IF WE DON'T ENTER EU, IT'S NOT
THE END OF THE WORLD
Should Ankara fail in its bid to accede to
the European Union it would not mean the end of
the world for Turkey, according to Turkish
Foreign Minster Ismael Cem, who nevertheless
added that his country's entry would constitute
a significant contribution for its future.
In an interview with the state-owned
Turkish television station TRT, Mr. Cem added
that, for two years now, his country has
followed a specific policy in regards to its
political ties with the EU and the fruits of
this policy are already evident.
Moreover, Mr. Cem stated that Turkey's
accession should not be construed as a
concession on sensitive issues, or on matters
related to the country's integrity.
[23] GREEK-AUSTRALIAN ELECTED MINISTER IN STATE
OF VICTORIA
A 36-year-old Greek-Australian,
Yiannis Pantazopoulos, has been sworn in as
multiple portfolio minister in the state of
Victoria, overseeing Tourism, Lotteries, state
Events and Public Works.
Mr. Pantazopoulos became involved with
politics while he was a university student,
while he also served as mayor of Berik at the
age of 27.
Two years later he was elected deputy with
the Labor party which, led by Steve Bracks,
serves as shadow government.
[24] ELECTRICAL LINK BETWEEN GREECE AND TURKEY
GIVEN "GO AHEAD"
The Board of Directors of Greece's Public
Electricity Enterprise (DEH) has given the "go
ahead" to the project that will provide an
electrical link between Greece and Turkey.
Budgeted at GRD15 billion, the project
concerns an electricity-transport link between
Philippoi and Hamidabad, through the underground
establishment of 200 kilometers of 400 KV.
Greece's Ministry of Development plans to
link the said project, via Thessaloniki, with
the presently-under-construction line linking
Greece and Italy.
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