Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2001-02-16
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, February 16, 2001
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
TITLES
[01] ROGGE MEETS WITH GREEK PM, CONCLUDES VISIT
[02] PREMIER: NEW AIRPORT WILL OPEN ON MARCH 28
[03] GREEK EXPORTS TO INDIA RISING, DOUBLED IN 1999
[04] 2000 CRIME RATE SHARPLY DECLINED, DATA ATTESTS
[05] U.K. PHILHELLENE C.M. WOODHOUSE PASSED AWAY
[06] DATE OF NEW AIRPORT'S OPENING ANNOUNCED TODAY
[07] AUTHORITY OKs DNA TESTS SANS SUSPECT'S CONSENT
[08] PAPANDREOU'S STATEMENTS ON THE ISSUE OF FYROM'S NAME
[09] STABLE COURSE FOR THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
[10] REPPAS: THE ATHENS OLYMPIC GAMES WILL BE PERFECT
[11] JACQUES ROGGE: THE 2004 OLYMPIC GAMES WILL BE HELD IN ATHENS
[12] THE MPA GENERAL DIRECTOR MET WITH THE ROMANIAN MINISTER OF
PRESS
[13] A GREEK WOMAN WROTE THE SCREENPLAY FOR A FILM NOMINATED FOR
AN OSCAR
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[14] C OF E URGES TURKEY TO COMPLY ON LOIZIDOU CASE
[15] THE US-CANADA PAN-MACEDONIAN ASSOCIATION ON THE FYROM NAME
[16] THE GREEK RECONSTRUCTION PLAN FOR THE BALKANS IS IMPLEMENTED
IN ROMANIA
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] ROGGE MEETS WITH GREEK PM, CONCLUDES VISIT
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Coordinating
Committee President Jacques Rogge met with Prime Minister Costas
Simitis yesterday evening, accompanied by Athens 2004 Organizing
Committee President Gianna Angelopoulos-Daskalaki.
According to press reports, Mr. Simitis reassured Mr. Rogge
that everything will be ready in time to enable the best Olympic
Games to take place in Greece in 2004.
Mr. Rogge characterized as "ludicrous" the recent foreign
press reports that the president of IOC would like the 2004 Games
moved to Seoul.
"The IOC is counting on the fact that the projects will get
started on time," he noted.
Following his earlier talks with the Minister of Environment,
Urban Planning and Public Works Costas Laliotis, Mr. Rogge said
that "the prospects of the course of all projects undertaken by
the ministry are positive."
[02] PREMIER: NEW AIRPORT WILL OPEN ON MARCH 28
The new Athens International Airport at Spata is to be
inaugurated on March 28, 2001, Prime Minister Costas Simitis
announced today in Parliament.
In response to a question tabled by the leader of the main
opposition party New Democracy Costas Karamanlis, Mr. Simitis also
stated that during its early phase of operation, the airport
facilities will need a slight adjustment.
"There is no airport anywhere in the world that operates
impeccably from the very start," he noted, while he blasted ND for
its negative stance, which he said "damages the country."
[03] GREEK EXPORTS TO INDIA RISING, DOUBLED IN 1999
Greek exports to India marked a sharp increase during the
course of 1999 with a remarkable 264 percent rise, thus reflecting
the onward course of bilateral trade.
Specifically, the value of Greek goods exported to India
during 1999 amounted to 32.4 million euro, as opposed to 8.9
million euro in '98.
However, during the same time span, Indian exports to Greece
dropped by six percent, albeit not affecting the trade balance
between the two countries where India has a clear edge. In 1999,
Indian goods exported to Greece surpassed the 93.44 million-euro-
mark, a slight decrease from 1998's 99.8 million euro.
Nevertheless, bilateral trade between the two countries
continues to grow, according to a study conducted by the Institute
for Exporting Research and Studies (which operates under the
auspices of Northern Greece's Exporters Association).
Specifically, during the course of 1995-99 bilateral trade between
Greece and India grew by 39%, growing at an annual rate of 8.5
percent. Concurrently, trade grew by 16 percent during 1999,
reaching $125.9 million, as opposed to $108.7 million in 1998.
Greek exports to India mostly comprise chemical and plastic
goods, as well as textiles, machinery and packaging.
Indian exports to Greece are mostly composed of textiles and
attire, chemical and plastic goods, as well as foodstuffs.
At the same time, the Greek entrepreneurs have yet to realize
the opportunity that stem from India's one-billion-consumer
market, the fifth largest worldwide, according to the study.
[04] 2000 CRIME RATE SHARPLY DECLINED, DATA ATTESTS
Greece's annual crime rate marked a significant drop between
the year 1999-2000, according to Public Order Minister Michalis
Chrysochoides who provided official statistical data to illustrate
the report.
In response to a question tabled in Parliament by a ruling
PASOK party deputy, Mr. Chrysochoides stated that 2000's murder
rate was 26.8 percent lower than 1999's, while the rate of
resolved cases rose to 83.1 percent.
Moreover, he added that thefts and burglaries were reduced by
3.5%, with their resolution rate rising to 11.5%/, while auto
theft was contained by 16.8 percent, with 42.94 of the vehicles
having been traced. Also, robberies were reduced by 13.9 percent,
with 28.15% of the cases solved.
[05] U.K. PHILHELLENE C.M. WOODHOUSE PASSED AWAY
One of the most prominent of 20th-century British
philhellenes, Christopher Woodhouse, died on Tuesday at his home
in Oxford. He was 83.
Woodhouse served with the Greek Resistance against Germany in
World War II, after which he became a noted scholar and author of
numerous books on modern Greece, among them "The Rise and Fall of
the Greek Colonels," "Karamanlis: The Restorer of Greek
Democracy," and "Modern Greece: A Short History," which became one
of the standard works on modern Greece in English.
He also served for years as a Conservative member for Oxford
in the House of Commons, where he taught.
Woodhouse, who last visited Greece in the summer of 2000, is
survived by a daughter and two sons as his wife, Lady Davina, died
in 1995.
[06] DATE OF NEW AIRPORT'S OPENING ANNOUNCED TODAY
Prime Minister Costas Simitis is to announce the exact date
of opening for the new Athens airport in Parliament today,
according Transport and Communications Minister Christos Verelis.
As Mr. Verelis stated in a press conference yesterday, he has
been assured by the Greek Civil Aviation Authority that all
technical problems regarding flight management have been resolved,
including the PALLAS systems, which will be ready for use in five
to six weeks.
As for the privatization course of Greece's national air
carrier Olympic Airways, a formal announcement of the four
finalists contending to purchase the company is expected today.
The four finalists are Cyprus Airlines, Axon consortium,
Australia-based Venture Capital Integrated Airline Solutions and
Restis consortium.
Chrysler Aviation and Sanwa Bank of Japan failed to enter the
final list of contention, as the first wanted to purchase only one
section of the airline and the second wanted to undertake the
management and not the ownership of the company.
According to Mr. Verelis, the process for OA's privatization
is expected to conclude by the end of April 2001.
[07] AUTHORITY OKs DNA TESTS SANS SUSPECT'S CONSENT
The Personal Data Protection Authority (PDPA) has given the
"go ahead" for DNA checks to be conducted on crime suspects,
regardless of whether they are suspects for terrorist or other
crimes, without their consent.
Having forwarded the opinion Justice Minister Mihalis
Stathopoulos, PDPA stressed the opinion that the use of DNA is
permissible, even without the suspect's consent, in order to
ascertain the identity of offenders.
However, the opinion also adds, a legislative settlement is
necessary beforehand, which will explicitly state which crimes are
considered serious; also, the question of judgment on who is
considered a suspect in a crime will be assigned to a relevant
judicial authority, thereby guaranteeing independence and
democratic legality.
Also, the PDPA stressed that the destruction of the DNA
sample, following detection of the offender, should be safeguarded
and that the specific biological sample will not be used for any
other purpose or by a third party.
[08] PAPANDREOU'S STATEMENTS ON THE ISSUE OF FYROM'S NAME
The efforts made by the Greek and the FYROM side for the
settlement of the issue concerning the name that will be used by
FYROM are aimed at reaching a final solution -if it will be ever
reached- that will not create new problems or new issues that will
need to be resolved. The above were stated by Greek foreign
minister Giorgos Papandreou in response to the question made in
parliament by governing socialist party of PASOK deputy Stelios
Papathemelis. He also denied that there is any serious development
on the issue of the name of FYROM, pointing out that the rumors
heard on the opposite are just guesses.
Mr. Papandreou stated that the efforts made are aimed at
reaching a solution that will serve the mutual interest without
using blackmail but through the willingness to cooperate. He also
said that it is to the interest of both countries to realize that
this chapter must close for the creation of a new Balkan reality.
[09] STABLE COURSE FOR THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
Stable course is followed by the Athens Stock Exchange. The
general index recorded marginal gains of 0.52% at 3.221,37 points,
while the volume of transactions was 241.3 million Euro or 82.2
billion drachmas.
Of the stocks trading today, 321 recorded gains and 23 had
losses, while the value of 24 stocks remained stable.
[10] REPPAS: THE ATHENS OLYMPIC GAMES WILL BE PERFECT
The government has a total sense of its duty and
responsibility and the Athens Olympic Games in 2004 will be
perfect from every aspect reiterated today Greek government
spokesman Dimitris Reppas responding to a relevant question.
He said that the Greek government will meet the Athens
Olympic Games challenge in a way that will create an unprecedented
achievement.
Mr. Reppas concluded that the government regards the
communication with the International Olympic Committee as useful
and constructive as its knowledge and experience in the
organizational sector is great.
[11] JACQUES ROGGE: THE 2004 OLYMPIC GAMES WILL BE HELD IN ATHENS
In a press conference he gave in Athens today, International
Olympic Committee, IOC, vice-president Jacques Rogge, who
completed his two-day visit to Greece, expressed satisfaction
regarding the Athens Olympic Games master plan delivered to him by
the "Athens 2004" Organizing Committee.
Mr. Rogge, who gave a joint press conference with "Athens
2004" president Ms. Yianna Angelopoulou-Daskalakis, referred to
the issue of security during the games and stated that he received
the necessary assurances from the Greek government. He made it
clear that Athens is a safe city and that the Greek government
does everything possible to tackle terrorism.
The IOC vice-president stated that there are delays in
certain projects and in administrative issues as well and stressed
that the Olympic projects should move faster, stressing that the
next six months are very critical. He also underlined that the
timetables must be respected and there must be no deviation from
them. Mr. Rogge made it clear that the 2004 Olympic Games will
take place in Athens, adding that the press reports referring to a
change in the host country are totally untrue.
He said that preparations move in a positive way in the
sectors of radio-television and transportation as well as in the
sector of marketing. The IOC delegation expressed satisfaction for
the volunteer program in "Athens 2004" and the Olympic Village
project.
Mr. Rogge stated that after prime minister Simitis became in
charge of the whole effort things go much better.
[12] THE MPA GENERAL DIRECTOR MET WITH THE ROMANIAN MINISTER OF
PRESS
Macedonian Press Agency general director Spiros
Kouzinopoulos, who was on a two-day visit to Romania, met with
Romanian minister of press Vasile Dincu and congratulated him for
his duties in the newly created ministry. The Romanian minister
stated that the idea for the creation of a press ministry in his
country came from Greece which has a tradition in this area.
In the meeting with Mr. Dincu, the MPA general director
briefed him on the activities of the Association of Balkan News
Agencies, ABNA, giving an emphasis on the long cooperation between
MPA and the Romanian news agency Rompress.
Mr. Kouzinopoulos pointed out that he had a very interesting
meeting yesterday with Rompress new director Ioan Roska and among
others they discussed ways to strengthen the cooperation between
them within the framework of ABNA.
From his side, Mr. Dincu stated that the ministry of press
and the Romanian Association of Journalists plan to organize a
European Journalists Meeting in the next few months and invited
ABNA to be one of the organizers of the event.
Also, present in the meeting was head of Greek embassy in
Romania press office Dimitris Koustas, who congratulated Mr. Dincu
for his duties on behalf of Greek minister of press Dimitris
Reppas.
[13] A GREEK WOMAN WROTE THE SCREENPLAY FOR A FILM NOMINATED FOR
AN OSCAR
A Greek woman from the city of Thessaloniki is the writer of
the screenplay for the movie "One day crossing" nominated for an
Oscar in the documentary category.
Christina Lazaridis was born in 1970 and after finishing high-
school went to the United States to study screenplay writing in
the University of Princeton. The stage-designs and the costumes
used in the film were made by her mother stage-design professor at
Thessaloniki's Aristotle University Ioanna Manoledakis.
Speaking to MPA, Ms. Manoledakis stressed that it is a great
honor and a joy for her the fact that the film was nominated for
an Oscar, stressing that it has received prizes in different
festivals and it was also a success in the United States.
The story refers to a young Jewish woman who lives in
Budapest during WWII and faces the dilemma to save her child or
the child of another woman.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[14] C OF E URGES TURKEY TO COMPLY ON LOIZIDOU CASE
The Committee of the Permanent Representatives of the Council
of Europe (CofE) has drafted a third interim resolution against
Ankara for its failure to comply with the decision of the European
Court of Human Rights in the Loizidou vs. Turkey case.
The Court issued a decision calling for the financial
restitution of Cypriot Titika Liozidou, who won a case against
Turkey over the military occupation of her personal property in
northern Cyprus. The Committee will reconvene on April 3 and 4 to
re-examine the case.
Ms. Loizidou challenged Turkey's continuing occupation of
Cyprus' northern part since 1974 prohibiting her from peacefully
enjoying and using her property there, which contravenes the
European Convention on Human Rights.
The Court ruled in December 1996 that Turkey, through the
large presence of its troops effectively exercises overall
control in occupied Cyprus, something which entails responsibility
for the policies and actions of the Turkish Cypriot regime in
those areas.
The Court also said Loizidou is and must be regarded the
legal owner of her property and ordered Ankara to pay over 900,000
dollars in compensation.
[15] THE US-CANADA PAN-MACEDONIAN ASSOCIATION ON THE FYROM NAME
The US-Canada Pan-Macedonian Association in a statement it
has issued expressed its firm position that FYROM must not take
the name "Macedonia" referring to the latest press reports in
Athens and Skopje.
Pan-Macedonian Association president Nina Petropoulou pointed
out that the Macedonian conscience and identity, the history of
Macedonia and especially, its name constitute historical and
cultural heritage that can not be disputed.
She also pointed out that the name that will be accepted by
Greece it is imperative to distinguish the state of FYROM and its
people from Macedonia and the authentic Macedonian hellenism.
Ms. Petropoulou stressed that FYROM faces serious internal
political and social problems, adding that Greece is the only
neighboring country that does not claim parts of its territory and
can back it financially. She said that this is a unique
opportunity for pressures to be exerted on behalf of the Greek
side for Greece to be historically vindicated, stop FYROM's
irredentism and bring calm to the region.
[16] THE GREEK RECONSTRUCTION PLAN FOR THE BALKANS IS IMPLEMENTED
IN ROMANIA
Greek undersecretary of national economy Yiannis
Zafiropoulos, who was on a formal visit to Bucharest, discussed
with the new Romanian government the promotion and implementation
in Romania of the Greek plan for the reconstruction of the Balkans
as well as, the speedier absorption of the economic assistance
offered by Greece to this country.
Mr. Zafiropoulos met with Romanian prime minister Adrian
Nastaze, the ministers of foreign affairs and finance and the
government general secretary.
The Greek undersecretary of national economy stated to MPA
that an agreement was reached for the creation of a joint
committee of specialists to register the selected projects and
renew the US$100 million credit offered to Romania by Greece.
Also, Mr. Zafiropoulos stated that there was an agreement to draw
up a training program for public administration officials.
Romanian prime minister Nastaze called for Greece's
assistance for the training of officials, who will undertake to
manage EU programs and prepare Romania's accession course into the
European Union. He also called for Greece's assistance in the
drawing-up of a new legislation on private investments in Romania.
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