Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English, 97-01-31

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From: The Macedonian Press Agency at http://www.mpa.gr and http://www.hri.org/MPA.

BRIEF GREEK NEWS BULLETIN BY MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY

Thessaloniki, January 31, 1997

TITLES

[01] THESSALONIKI'S FORMAL INAUGURATION AS EUROPE'S CULTURAL CAPITAL TOMORROW

[02] FARMERS TO BLOCK TOLLS IN CENTRAL GREECE TODAY, AS A SYMBOLIC MOTION

[03] ROADBLOCKS AT GREEK-BULGARIAN BORDER, LORRIES REMAIN IMMOBILIZED

[04] STEP UP EFFORTS TO ARREST BRUNNER, SAYS LOCAL JEWISH LEADER

[05] U.S. CONGRESS ASKS STATE DEPARTMENT TO FREEZE HELICOPTERS SALE TO TURKEY

[06] C OF E OFFICIAL: IT WOULD BE BETTER IF CYPRUS' ACCESSION COINCIDED WITH SOLUTION

[07] F.R.Y.: PRESIDENT LILIC SAYS THAT OPPOSITION'S VICTORY MUST BE UPHELD

NEWS IN DETAIL

[01] THESSALONIKI'S FORMAL INAUGURATION AS EUROPE'S CULTURAL CAPITAL TOMORROW

Thessaloniki, January 31 (MPA)

Yesterday, the Balkan Culture Ministers accepted a proposal tabled by their Greek counterpart Evangelos Venizelos, that a Balkan Cultural Network of Cities and Arts be based in Thessaloniki. A.F.

[02] FARMERS TO BLOCK TOLLS IN CENTRAL GREECE TODAY, AS A SYMBOLIC MOTION

Thessaloniki, January 31 (MPA)

Meanwhile, the area's circuit court judge has issued a temporary order forbidding the taking over of the national highway and the railway.

Prime Minister Kostas Simitis, addressing Parliament today, reiterated that the Government will press on with its policy in regards to the farmers.

"We are facing any whatsoever mobilisation with dialogue and decisiveness," the Premier said, adding that "the government is opposed to the mentality of high-handedness and high-handedness is blocking the roads, imposing social arbitrariness and not caring about the consequences these actions will bear on other workers.

The Premier concluded by stating that the government does not try to gain applause, but to secure the welfare of all of its citizens.

Government spokesperson Dimitris Reppas advised that calm is maintained, specifically referring to the farmers. He also expressed his conviction that the situation will soon ease up. A.F.

[03] ROADBLOCKS AT GREEK-BULGARIAN BORDER, LORRIES REMAIN IMMOBILIZED

Serres, January 31 (MPA)

According to the chief of the Promahonas police station, Ioannis Kravarites, the problem is actually most pronounced about 20 kilometers away from the customs station, at the Bulgarian cities of Sandanski and Dubnitsa, as well as at the border station Kulata.

"The problem is on the Bulgarian side," Mr. Kravarites said. "We brief the drivers of international transports and many of them either return to their regions or, the more daring, keep on driving. There is no problem in Promahonas." A.F.

[04] STEP UP EFFORTS TO ARREST BRUNNER, SAYS LOCAL JEWISH LEADER

Thessaloniki, January 31 (MPA)

During his meeting with Mr. Reihe Friedrich, held in Thessaloniki today, Mr. Sefiha also asked that the German ambassador relay to his government the request to grant Greece with the right to prosecute German-descent individuals who are accused of having committed war crimes. In 1959, the then- government of Greece had ceded this right to West Germany.

According to reports steadily surfacing since 1982, Brunner, currently 85 years old, is living in Damascus, Syria under the alias of Dr. Fischer. The Syrian Embassy in Athens has repeatedly denied to the Macedonian Press Agency that the wanted man is living on its soil.

Speaking to the MPA, Mr. Sefiha stated that the Greek government must not be entrenched behind 1959's regulation, which, he speculated, was reached for the sake of political interests during that era.

In his part, Mr. Friedrich, who proved to be well-read upon the history of Thessaloniki's Jewish community and the Brunner case, promised that the community's request will be relayed to his government. A.F.

[05] U.S. CONGRESS ASKS STATE DEPARTMENT TO FREEZE HELICOPTERS SALE TO TURKEY

Washington, January 31 (MPA)

Ben Gillman (R) emphasizes in his letter that the overall situation in the region and especially the threats hurled by Ankara towards Cyprus, after the latter's purchase of Russian-made missile systems, dictates the Clinton Administration to achieve demilitarization in the eastern Mediterranean's greater region.

Moreover, Mr. Gillman asks the State Department to re-examine its position and emphasizes that "at this time, the Administration's decision to proceed with the sale of the helicopters will be met with the Congress' intense reaction." A.F.

[06] C OF E OFFICIAL: IT WOULD BE BETTER IF CYPRUS' ACCESSION COINCIDED WITH SOLUTION

Nicosia, January 31 (MPA)

Mr. Bartoni, who is expected to visit Cyprus within the next three to four months, also stated that he is convinced the Turkish- Cypriots will be included in the Cypriot Republic's national assembly, participating at the C of E's Parliamentary Assembly. A.F.

[07] F.R.Y.: PRESIDENT LILIC SAYS THAT OPPOSITION'S VICTORY MUST BE UPHELD

Belgrade, January 31 (MPA)

President Lilic emphasized that the current political crisis must be resolved as soon as possible, on the base of the relevant report issued by the Organization for Peace and Security in Europe, following its investigations of the matter.

Mr. Lilic also added that the "Gonzales" report, named as such since it was headed by Spain's former premier Felipe Gonzalez, contains plenty of constructive items. A.F.

Complete archives of the Macedonian Press Agency bulletins are available on the MPA Home Page at http://www.mpa.gr/ and on the U.S. mirror at http://www.hri.org/MPA/

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