Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 99-11-24
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, November 24, 1999
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
NEWS HEADLINES
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] GOVERNMENT CONCERNED OVER SOARING OIL
PRICES
[02] GREEK STANCE IN HELSINKI IS NOT A GIVEN,
FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS
[03] GREECE'S WEIGHTLIFTING CHAMPIONS VIE FOR
MEDALS
[04] SAE TO HOLD THIRD CONFERENCE AT
THESSALONIKI IN DECEMBER
[05] FULBRIGHT PROGRAM ESTABLISHES MILLENNIUM
SCHOLARSHIPS
[06] US DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE TO OPEN OFFICE IN
THESSALONIKI
[07] CHINESE FILM WINS BEST AWARD AT
THESSALONIKI'S FESTIVAL
[08] STATE LOOKS INTO RELIEF MEASURES FOR
INFLATIONARY PRESSURES
[09] EARTHQUAKE MEASURING FIVE RICHTER RATTLES
IGOUMENITSA
[10] MACEDONIA-THRACE MINISTER MEETS DUTCH,
ITALIAN DIPLOMATS
[11] 3 MILLION PEOPLE WILL DIE FROM AIDS BY THE
END OF THE YEAR
[12] REPPAS: CYPRUS CAN NOT BE THE HOSTAGE OF
TURKEY
[13] NINE PEOPLE WERE INJURED FROM THE COLLAPSE
OF A BRIDGE NEAR ATHENS
[14] GIORGOS PAPANDREOU WILL BE IN CYPRUS
TOMORROW
[15] SNOW IN NORTHERN GREECE
[16] REPPAS: THE OIL PRICE INCREASE DOES NOT
AFFECT GREECE'S ACCESSION INTO THE EMU
[17] LOSSES OF 2.72% IN THE ATHENS STOCK
EXCHANGE
[18] RECORD NUMBER OF NEW BOOK PUBLICATIONS IN
GREECE
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[19] GREEK MILITARY CHIEF CONDUCTS OFFICIAL
VISIT TO KOSOVO TODAY
[20] RUSSIANS TO DECLARE GUDERMES AS CHECHNYA'S
NEW CAPITAL
[21] EUROPEAN COMMISSION: GREECE'S ENTRY TO EMU
IS CERTAIN
[22] EU PRESIDENCY SETS FORTH FIVE TERMS FOR
TURKEY'S CANDIDACY
[23] US PRAISES FOR THE BULGARIAN SECRET
SERVICES
[24] ROKOFILLOS-SOLANA MEETING IN BRUSSELS
[25] THE DAMAGE CAUSED TO THE PARTHENON MARBLES
IS MUCH BIGGER THAN BELIEVED
[26] NO PLAN FOR THE FOUNDING OF A EUROPEAN
MUSEUM WAS SUBMITTED TO THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION
[27] THE FREEDOM OF THE PRESS VIOLATIONS ARE ON
THE RISE WORLDWIDE
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NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] GOVERNMENT CONCERNED OVER SOARING OIL
PRICES
The sharp rises in liquid fuel prices
recorded in international markets, after Iraq's
decision to stop its oil exports, won't leave
the Greek market unaffected.
The Greek government's economic staff is
troubled by this development, worried over its
effect on this month's inflation rate, since it
may propel it further up.
[02] GREEK STANCE IN HELSINKI IS NOT A GIVEN,
FOREIGN MINISTER SAYS
Greece is in the midst of 'tough talks' and
has not yet given a firm answer on whether it
will agree to Turkey's EU candidacy at the
Helsinki summit, Foreign Minister George
Papandreou stated yesterday, adding that the
Greek government's stance will depend on the
positions and commitments which the EU will
undertake on the way in which the recognition of
the Turkish candidacy will be linked with the
consolidation of Greek interests.
Government spokesperson Dimitris Reppas
also stated that the likelihood of Greece
approving or rejecting Turkey's EU candidacy bid
was "50-50".
Government officials are in talks on the
position to be taken at Helsinki, and have made
clear Greece's positions on these issues, he
said.
[03] GREECE'S WEIGHTLIFTING CHAMPIONS VIE FOR
MEDALS
Greece's weightlifting champions, Valerios
Leonides and George Gelilis, are vying for world
championship medals at this evening's
competition held at the Piraeus Stadium of Peace
and Friendship.
Olympic Games champion Leonidas Sampanis
earned the silver medal in the total weight with
694 pounds, and in the snatch with 320. In the
women's competition, Ioanna Chatzioannou took
the bronze in the clean-and-jerk with a lift of
281.
[04] SAE TO HOLD THIRD CONFERENCE AT
THESSALONIKI IN DECEMBER
A score of Greek dignitaries and state
officials from around the world are to attend
the third conference of the Council of Greeks
Abroad (SAE) which will be held in Thessaloniki
between December 5-9.
The President of the Hellenic Republic
Costis Stephanopoulos, Cyprus President Glafcos
Clerides, Prime Minister Costas Simitis and
several party representatives will attend the
conference.
The world conference of Greek youth abroad
will also be held in Thessaloniki on December 1-
2, while regional SAE will be taking place
between December 3-5.
The third council will elect an 11-member
presidium, while, according to reports, SAE
President Andrew Athens will seek his re-
election for the third time.
[05] FULBRIGHT PROGRAM ESTABLISHES MILLENNIUM
SCHOLARSHIPS
The Fulbright Exchange Program has
established two new programs, Millennium
Scholarships which will provide assistance to
up to 200 Greek students wishing to pursue
Master's degrees in the US, and the Aegean
Communities Exchange, which will create joint
research programs by Greek and Turkish scholars.
United States President Bill Clinton, in
his recent visit to Athens, announced that one
of the Millennium Scholarships will be named in
honor of Yiannos Kranidiotis, Greece's alternate
foreign minister who died in a tragic air
accident in September.
[06] US DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE TO OPEN OFFICE IN
THESSALONIKI
The United States Department of Commerce
will open a Commercial Service office in
Thessaloniki to encourage investments in the
Balkans and to assist companies in exploring
commercial opportunities, reflecting the city's
position as a commercial hub for the region.
Moreover, the Greek Ministry of Foreign
Affairs and the US State Department have agreed
to hold annual high-level talks on a wide range
of issues, as part of an effort to deepen and
enhance communication, understanding and
cooperation between the two countries.
Discussions will focus on areas such as European
regional issues, counter-terrorism and economic
cooperation.
[07] CHINESE FILM WINS BEST AWARD AT
THESSALONIKI'S FESTIVAL
A Chinese film won the "Golden Alexander"
at the 40th International Thessaloniki Film
Festival's foreign section, while a nostalgic of
the '60s Greek movie won top honors in the Greek
section.
"Xizhao" (Shower), a film about a father-
son relationship in a China undergoing
modernization, directed by Zhang Yang, won the
best film award, while the Italian-French-
Argentine production "Garage Olimpo", directed
by Marco Bechis, placed second.
Best director award was given to Britain's
Justin Kerrigan for his "Human Traffic".
"Peppermint", directed by 46-year-old
Costas Kapakas, received top honors in the Greek
film section.
[08] STATE LOOKS INTO RELIEF MEASURES FOR
INFLATIONARY PRESSURES
Hoping to emerge unscathed from the present
oil crisis, the Greek government is looking into
relief measures to combat the inflationary
pressures, starting with stringent checks for
profiteering at gas stations.
Transportation Minister Tasos Mantelis said
that the state does not plan to hike public
transportation tickets and stressed that the oil
price increases are a temporary phenomenon.
[09] EARTHQUAKE MEASURING FIVE RICHTER RATTLES
IGOUMENITSA
A strong tremor measuring five on the
Richter scale occurred at 5:30 a.m. today near
the Igoumenitsa area, northwestern Greece,
causing only minor material damages.
According to Aristotle University of
Thessaloniki seismologist Manolis Skordilis, the
wider region between Ioannina and Igoumenitsa
does not have a high degree of seismic activity,
although he added that two 24-hour periods need
to pass before conclusions are made.
[10] MACEDONIA-THRACE MINISTER MEETS DUTCH,
ITALIAN DIPLOMATS
The Minister of Macedonia-Thrace Yiannis
Magriotis held successive meetings with the
Dutch and Italian Ambassadors, Paul Brouwer and
Agostino Mathis, respectively, in Thessaloniki
yesterday.
The discussion centered on Thessaloniki as
headquarters of the Organization for the
Reconstruction of the Balkans and the Office of
the Southeastern Europe Stability Pact, as well
as the opportunities for cooperation in the
economic, social and tourist sectors between the
three countries.
[11] 3 MILLION PEOPLE WILL DIE FROM AIDS BY THE
END OF THE YEAR
AIDS has developed into an epidemic
worldwide and according to estimates, about 3
million people will die from the virus by the
end of the year, while 5.5 million children will
be infected.
The extremely alarming facts were made
public in a joint report prepared by the World
Health Organization and other organizations in
view of the World AIDS Day on December 1.
According to the report, most of the AIDS
cases are recorded in the Sahara countries
namely, about 70% of all the AIDS cases recorded
worldwide.
The situation in Moscow and the countries
of eastern Europe is equally alarming because of
the speedy increase in the number of drug
addicts. A big increase in the AIDS cases is
being observed in China as well where over 1
million people are carriers of the virus. Based
on official figures, 50 million people have been
infected with AIDS from the day the disease
appeared until today and 16 million of them have
died.
[12] REPPAS: CYPRUS CAN NOT BE THE HOSTAGE OF
TURKEY
Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas
stated that Greece is ready to say a "yes" or a
"no" to Turkey's candidature in the Helsinki EU
Summit meeting, adding that the Greek response
will depend on many factors.
He said that it is inconceivable for a
country like Cyprus that holds talks in order to
become an EU member to be held hostage by
Turkey. Mr. Reppas said that the UN resolutions
must be respected in Cyprus, adding that all the
available means will be used to defend Cyprus'
right to be considered for EU membership based
on the EU criteria and not on the existing
political problem.
[13] NINE PEOPLE WERE INJURED FROM THE COLLAPSE
OF A BRIDGE NEAR ATHENS
Nine people were injured and 2 went missing
when a bridge collapsed at the 5th kilometer of
Markopoulos Avenue near Athens. The injured have
been rushed to the nearby hospitals.
Construction work was underway on the bridge
aimed at reinforcing it with concrete.
Rescue teams have arrived on the spot and
are still searching for two workers who are
believed to have been buried under liquid
concrete. At the time of the accident there were
about 100 people working on the bridge and the
two who are missing were the only ones under it.
It is a miracle that there have been no
injuries among the drivers passing under the
bridge when it collapsed.
[14] GIORGOS PAPANDREOU WILL BE IN CYPRUS
TOMORROW
Greek foreign minister Giorgos Papandreou
will travel to Cyprus tomorrow for contacts with
the state leadership and the political party
leaders in view of the Helsinki EU Summit
meeting and the opening of the proximity talks
between Cypriot president Glafkoc Clerides and
Turkish Cypriot leader Rauf Denktash.
Earlier today, Mr. Papandreou met in Athens
with Democratic Alarm leader Nikos Anastasiadis.
The Greek foreign minister expressed the belief
that the common stance shared by Greece and
Cyprus on the major issues of national
importance will be displayed in his visit to
Cyprus, while Mr. Anastasiadis characterized as
promising the coincidence of views between the
governments of Greece and Cyprus.
[15] SNOW IN NORTHERN GREECE
Snow has covered many mountainous regions
in northern Greece while rains and low
temperatures characterize the weather in most of
the country.
The first snow of this winter fell in the
city of Florina in north-western Greece and in
the ski resort of Vermion as well as in the
communities of Serres and Dramas. The cars move
with difficulty in the provincial road linking
the cities of Florina and Kastoria, while
limited problems have been reported in the
provincial road network in the prefectures of
Dramas, Kozani and Grevena.
[16] REPPAS: THE OIL PRICE INCREASE DOES NOT
AFFECT GREECE'S ACCESSION INTO THE EMU
Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas
stated that no fiscal measures will be taken to
deal with the problems caused by the oil price
increase, adding that a final decision will be
reached in the immediate future.
However, he clarified that there will be no
problems both regarding inflation and Greece's
accession into the EMU because Greece will be
judged based on the rest European countries'
average which will also suffer consequences from
the oil price increase.
[17] LOSSES OF 2.72% IN THE ATHENS STOCK
EXCHANGE
The general price index in the Athens Stock
Exchange suffered losses of 2.72% today and
closed at 5.381,76, while the volume of
transactions did not exceed the 311 billion
drachmas.
The effects of the continuing oil price
increase on the course of inflation causes
nervousness to investors who choose to liquidate
their stocks.
Furthermore, there is speculation that in
the next few days it is possible that even the
most pessimistic scenarios could come true
according to which, the Athens Stock Exchange
will return to very low levels of 5.000 - 5.100.
[18] RECORD NUMBER OF NEW BOOK PUBLICATIONS IN
GREECE
An increase has been recorded in the number
of books published in 1998 according to the
special annual edition of the magazine
"Ichneftis" which deals with books and
statistics.
The magazine mentions that 500 publishing
houses in Greece published 5.914 new books last
year compared to 2.870 in 1990. Of the 5.914 new
book titles 428 are republications, while the
rest 5.486 are first editions. Of the translated
books over 50% are English, while 40% of the
Greek books are novels and fiction.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[19] GREEK MILITARY CHIEF CONDUCTS OFFICIAL
VISIT TO KOSOVO TODAY
National Defense General Staff Chief Gen.
Manousos Paragioudakis is embarking on an
official, one-day visit to Kosovo today.
Among others, Gen. Paragioudakis will be
visiting the Greek battalion at Urosevac.
[20] RUSSIANS TO DECLARE GUDERMES AS CHECHNYA'S
NEW CAPITAL
Gudermes, Chechnya's second largest city
captured by Russian forces last November 12, is
being groomed to become the pro-Russian capital
of "liberated" areas of the Caucasus republic,
the French news agency AFP reported.
The town, located 30 kilometers east of the
actual capital of Grozny and home to several
tens of thousands, would "be ideal as the
Chechen capital," Nikolai Koshman,
representative of the Russian government in
Chechnya, has repeatedly stated, since damage to
the city is minimal.
The decision to make Gudermes the Chechen
capital has not been officially announced, while
Grozny has been resisting Russian attacks for
weeks.
Last Saturday, gas supplies were restored
during an official ceremony attended by Koshman.
[21] EUROPEAN COMMISSION: GREECE'S ENTRY TO EMU
IS CERTAIN
The European Commission's approval of
Greece's entry to the Economic and Monetary
Union and the eurozone as of January 1, 2001, is
certain, according to its report on the economic
courses of the European Union's member-states.
The report, published today, cites that
Greece's inflation rate will plunge to 2.1%,
although it points out the need to take measures
on combating unemployment and further reducing
public deficit, as well as increasing production
and competitiveness and expediting the
privatization process.
[22] EU PRESIDENCY SETS FORTH FIVE TERMS FOR
TURKEY'S CANDIDACY
Finnish President Marti Ahtisaari,
currently holding the European Union's rotating
presidency, has given his Turkish counterpart
Suleiman Demirel a letter outlining five terms
for Turkey's candidacy to the EU, following the
recently-held OSCE meeting in Ankara.
According to the Turkish daily "Hurriyet",
the five terms itemized in the letter are human
rights, Turkey's adjustment to the EU's common
foreign and social security policies, the
coordination of the EU-provided overall economic
aid, aligning state law with European Union law,
and openness to the common plan for
participation in the EU's other organizations.
[23] US PRAISES FOR THE BULGARIAN SECRET
SERVICES
Deputy director of the US secret service
Ralf Gonzales responsible for the region of
Europe, Africa and Near East and the secret
service coordinator for Bulgaria Vic Erevia
characterized as excellent their cooperation
with the National Guard Agency namely, the
Bulgarian secret service.
The two US secret service agents are still
in Sofia in spite of the fact that the US
president has left the country. Speaking to
reporters, they said that Mr. Clinton's visit to
Sofia was one of the best organized regarding
the measures taken for his protection. Mr.
Gonzales also expressed the view that the
cooperation with Bulgaria in this sector, which
he characterized as excellent, will continue.
The US secret service agents also
apologized for the problems the security
measures in Sofia caused to its residents,
clarifying that they were necessary because of
the large degree of threat against the US
president.
[24] ROKOFILLOS-SOLANA MEETING IN BRUSSELS
Greek deputy foreign minister Christos
Rokofillos presented Greece's position regarding
Turkey's European prospect in the meeting he had
with Javier Solana responsible for EU's defense
and foreign policy.
Mr. Rokofillos pointed out that the
interests of the new Europe make imperative the
backing of the Greek stance in the Helsinki
summit meeting. He also called for guarantees
that will not allow the repetition of past
misdeeds and will open the door for a new era of
peace and cooperation between the Greek and
Turkish people.
[25] THE DAMAGE CAUSED TO THE PARTHENON MARBLES
IS MUCH BIGGER THAN BELIEVED
The damage caused to the Parthenon Marbles
as a result of the cleaning process they
underwent was much bigger than it was initially
thought, according to the findings of the Greek
culture ministry group of specialists who
examined them.
Based on the report, the damages caused by
the cleaning process that took place in 1937-38
are immeasurable and irreversible, while it is
also pointed out that because of it the
Parthenon Marbles have lost their authenticity
for ever as valuable historical information was
removed from their surface.
The excessive rubbing and smoothing caused
in certain cases the partial alteration and
distortion of the sculptures, which lost their
morphological characteristics that constituted
their identity and the criteria based on which
they were placed among the artworks of their
specific era.
Meanwhile, British culture minister Chris
Smith expressed the British government's
intention not to return the Parthenon Marbles to
Greece responding to a question by a British
parliamentarian.
According to an article on the newspaper
"The Independent", the British culture minister
stated that he will oppose any effort aimed at
the return of the Parthenon Marbles to Greece.
[26] NO PLAN FOR THE FOUNDING OF A EUROPEAN
MUSEUM WAS SUBMITTED TO THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION
No plan was ever submitted to the European
Commission for the founding of the European
Museum and therefore, there is no issue of
financing it. The only proposal submitted to the
European Commission which was rejected was for
the financing of the symposium that was held in
Brussels on October 21-22 during which the
founding of the European Museum was decided.
The above were pointed out by EU
Commissioner responsible for culture issues
Viviane Reding responding to a question by Greek
culture minister Elisavet Papazoi during the EU
culture ministers meeting that was held recently
in Brussels. She also stressed that neither
herself nor anybody else of the ministers
participating in the meeting would have ignored
a European country or a part of the European
culture.
Ms. Papazoi speaking in the meeting
underlined that the issue of the European Museum
is very important to be left to the hands of any
private institution. She stressed the Greek
origin of the word Europe and underlined the
significance of the common European identity
which presupposes the search for all the
elements that constitute the common European
heritage today.
[27] THE FREEDOM OF THE PRESS VIOLATIONS ARE ON
THE RISE WORLDWIDE
The number of journalists killed, jailed
and censored increased considerably in 1999
making the last year of the century one with
many freedom of the press violations, according
to the World Association of Newspapers.
In its annual report on the developments
concerning the freedom of the press around the
world the Paris based organization points out
that 47 journalists have been killed in 1999
compared to 28 in 1998, while 400 have been
injured and 150 newspapers have been banned. The
increase in the number of those killed is
attributed to the wars in Yugoslavia and Sierra
Leone.
Of the 47 journalists who lost their lives,
12 were killed in Europe and 16 in Africa while
of the 400 who were jailed only half of them
have been released.
In Europe, the 12 journalists were killed
in Yugoslavia, Turkey, Ukraine, Britain and
Cyprus, while the countries with the biggest
freedom of the press violations are Belarus,
Croatia, Yugoslavia and Turkey.
Considerable freedom of the press
violations have been recorded also in Africa and
mainly in Nigeria and Ethiopia as well as Asia
where 30 journalists were jailed and 7 were
killed.
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