Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 2001-06-22
MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY NEWS IN ENGLISH
Thessaloniki, June 22, 2001
SECTIONS
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
TITLES
[�] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] UNSETTLED PASOK SCRAMBLES TO HOLD CONGRESS
[02] TWO PALESTINIANS ARRESTED OVER MONK'S MURDER
[03] MINISTER REISSUES DEMAND FOR MARBLES' RETURN
[04] EU EMPLOYMENT RATE: GREECE RANKS THIRD LOWEST
[05] LANDLORD-KIDNAPPER APPEARS IN COURT TODAY
[06] GREEK MPS IN THE C 0F E PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY
[07] AIDS HAS KILLED 21 MILLION PEOPLE WORLDWIDE
[08] MORE LOSSES IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
[09] GOVERNMENTAL COMMITTEE MEETING
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[10] KAKLAMANIS: ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTY
[11] THE 1ST GREEK TRADE AND CULTURE EXHIBITION IN CHICAGO
NEWS IN DETAIL
[A] NATIONAL NEWS
[01] UNSETTLED PASOK SCRAMBLES TO HOLD CONGRESS
Largely due to the not-so-good results of a
latest poll, which found the ruling PASOK party's
ratings on the decline, its congress has been moved
up by six months and will now be held in the first
two weeks of October, Prime Minister and party
leader Costas Simitis announced himself during
yesterday's Executive Bureau meeting.
Announcing the expedition of congress, Mr.
Simitis stated that the change was necessitated by a
need for a stronger government, which cannot
function effectively due to the prevailing
uncertainty.
"The uncertainty over PASOK's ability to
confront the country's problems is prevailing, that
is on whether it can handle crisis," Mr. Simitis
stated, adding "the current political situation is
to the detriment of the country and for this reason
there is a need for a clear-cut solution. The
country needs a strong and effective government."
The prime minister attributed the current
situation on several factors, such as the handling
of the social security issue, the various approaches
of party officials to the economic course of the
country and the continual challenges posed to the
governmental work from "all those that are against
the modernization of the country"
As such, he stated, these factors have led to
the current conditions and the continual crisis of
politics.
The Premier stressed that the congress will be
one of cohesion, unity and victory, adding that the
general elections for parliament will be held at the
end of the four-year government term, while local
elections will take place next year, and the EU
Greek presidency in 2003 are intermediate aims.
The PASOK Executive Bureau will meet again on
Wednesday to discuss procedural issues.
The Premier's visit to China, scheduled for the
upcoming week, has been postponed.
[02] TWO PALESTINIANS ARRESTED OVER MONK'S MURDER
Israeli security forces have arrested two
Palestinians in connection to the murder of a Greek
Orthodox priest one week ago, according to a press
release issued by the Israeli embassy in Athens.
Police are presently interrogating Ismael Daoud Hsen
Radaida, 20, who has reportedly confessed to the
killing, and Yasser Muhamed Abed Rabaya, 27.
According to the press release, the two waited
in ambush and opened fire against a civilian vehicle
that was driven by Father Germanos Tsibouktsakis and
escaped to the Arab village of Azaria.
[03] MINISTER REISSUES DEMAND FOR MARBLES' RETURN
Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos has
reiterated Greece's demand for the return of the
Parthenon Marbles, in a letter sent to his British
counterpart Tessa Jowell.
Congratulating Ms. Jowell on her position in
the UK's new cabinet, Mr. Venizelos wrote that "at
this crucial stage in the restoration program for
the Acropolis, specifically the columns of the
Parthenon, architectural elements are needed that
are now in the British Museum."
[04] EU EMPLOYMENT RATE: GREECE RANKS THIRD LOWEST
Greece holds one of the European Union's lowest
employment rates, ranking higher only to Italy and
Spain, according to the EU's statistics agency
Eurostat.
Specifically, Eurostat found that Greece's 2000
employment index was 55.9 percent, measuring third
from the bottom after Spain at 54.7% and Italy at
53.4%.
Topping the employment rating among the EU's 15
member states are Denmark with 76.4 percent,
followed by the Netherlands (72.9%) and United
Kingdom (71.2%).
At the same time, Greeks are topping the EU
list in terms of working hours (40.8 hrs. per week),
while the Belgian have the shortest workweek of all
with 38.5 hours.
[05] LANDLORD-KIDNAPPER APPEARS IN COURT TODAY
A 74-year-old man in Halkidiki was charged
yesterday with kidnapping the five-year-old son of
an Albanian tenant who owed him 45,000 drachmas in
rent.
Constantine Halkias had rented an apartment to
the Albanian family who had not paid the last
month's rent after moving out.
Halkias went to the family's new home and took
the boy who was in a relative's care. When the boy's
father went to Halkias's home to pay him the rent,
he found his son there, eating ice cream.
The kidnapped child's father pressed charges at
the local police station.
[06] GREEK MPS IN THE C 0F E PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY
A 13member parliamentary delegation will leave for Strasbourg
on Sunday to attend the proceedings of the 3rd Part of the 2001
Summit of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly that will
take place on June 25-29.
In the proceedings will be discussed, among others, the
abolition of the death penalty in the Council of Europe observer-
status countries, issues concerning the organization's Bank of
Development, the trafficking of children in eastern Europe as well
as, the obligations and commitments Turkey has undertaken before
the Council of Europe.
[07] AIDS HAS KILLED 21 MILLION PEOPLE WORLDWIDE
Almost 5 million new AIDS cases were diagnosed last year and
over 21 million people have died from the virus so far, while 36
million have the disease and are fighting for their life.
The figures were presented by UN information center director
Maria-Luisa Chavez in a press conference on the UN special session
on AIDS that is scheduled to be held in New York on June 25-27.
According to the UN officials, the coordination of
pharmaceutical companies and private institutes is necessary for
cheaper medicines.
[08] MORE LOSSES IN THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE
More losses were recorded in the Athens Stock Exchange today.
The general index dropped to -0.48% at 2.786,39 points, while the
volume of transactions was small at 140.9 million Euro or 48.013
billion drachmas.
Of the stocks trading today, 105 recorded gains and the
overwhelming majority namely, 209, had losses, while the value of
67 stocks remained stable.
[09] GOVERNMENTAL COMMITTEE MEETING
The governmental committee met today to discuss the course of
the government work one day after the governing socialist party of
PASOK Executive Bureau decision to move up the party congress by
five months in order to take place in early October.
According to information, prime minister Kostas Simitis
stated in the lengthy Executive Bureau meeting yesterday that the
government is undermined by leading party members and threatened
to resign in case his proposal to move up the party congress was
rejected. Meanwhile, members of the Executive Bureau made
insinuations concerning the government ministers who are not
parliament deputies.
The prime minister stressed that the procedures in the party
of PASOK and its congress constitute a social procedure and not
just an in-party affair.
On the Gothenburg EU Summit results, Mr. Simitis stated that
Greece must continue to play a leading role in the Balkan
situation.
Government spokesman Dimitris Reppas ruled out today the
likelihood of a government reshuffle and pointed out that there is
no question of corrective moves as well.
Mr. Reppas pointed out that the government has a
constitutional and political mandate to continue with its work
until the next elections and added that the prime minister
stressed to the Executive Bureau yesterday that the government
will continue its course until 2004.
[B] INTERNATIONAL NEWS
[10] KAKLAMANIS: ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTY
The countries that still have the death penalty should
suspend the executions immediately and proceed with the necessary
procedures for its abolition, stated Greek parliament president
Apostolos Kaklamanis in the 1st International Conference of
Parliament Presidents on the abolition of the death penalty.
Speaking in the conference that was held in Strasbourg by the
European Parliament and the Council of Europe in cooperation with
international non governmental organizations, Mr. Kaklamanis
underlined the inconsistency between words and deeds in the United
States.
He made a special reference to Turkey, the only country
member of the Council of Europe, that maintains in its legislation
the death penalty even though it seeks to become a member of the
European Union. Mr. Kaklamanis pointed out that Turkey, in spite
of the obligations it has undertaken, has not adopted measures for
the protection of human rights, as it was stressed recently in the
Gothenburg summit meeting and considering the situation in the
Turkish jails. He also pointed out that it violates human rights
in Cyprus where the Turkish occupation of the northern part of the
island continues.
Mr. Kaklamanis had the opportunity to present his views in
separate meetings he had with his counterparts with whom he
discussed issues concerning the Euro-Mediterranean Conference that
will be held in Athens next October organized by the Greek
parliament. Meanwhile, a meeting of the parliament presidents of
Egypt, Spain, Tunisia and Greece is scheduled to take place in
Athens on June 30.
[11] THE 1ST GREEK TRADE AND CULTURE EXHIBITION IN CHICAGO
Preparations are underway for the 1st Hellenic Trade and
Culture 2001 exhibition in Chicago, United States organized by the
World Council of Hellenes Abroad, SAE, in cooperation with
Chicago's World Trade Center (WTCC), the Association of Importers
in northern Greece, the Hellenic-American Chamber (AHCC) and the
Greek Center of Investments.
The first part of the exhibition (trade / investments) will
take place at Chicago's Merchandise Mart exhibition center on
November 5 and 6 and the second part (cultural) will be held in
November and December
The exhibition will function as a bridge for the Greek
businesses that want to become active in the US market using as a
vehicle the Greek-American community and it is estimated that it
will play a catalyst role in the promotion of cooperation between
Greek and American companies.
The cultural dimension of the event will contribute even more
to the promotion of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. An exhibition
on trade in southeast Mediterranean in antiquity will be held
within the framework of the event and it will include over 300
exhibits dated back to 1600-600 BC. Also, among the basic
ingredients of the cultural dimension of the exhibition will be a
Greek Film Festival and a number of lectures on Hellenism and
Greek civilization.
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