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Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English, 98-05-05
BRIEF GREEK NEWS BULLETIN BY THE MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCY
Thessaloniki, May 5, 1998
TITLES
[01] GREEK PREMIER MEETS WITH PRESIDENT STEPHANOPOULOS
[02] ECONOMY & FINANCE MINISTER ANNOUNCES CHANGES IN
LABOR
[03] TENSION MOUNTS IN KOSSOVO
[04] GREEK PARLIAMENT COMMITTEES BRIEFED ON EMU
[05] NEW ATLANTIC INITIATIVE VISITS ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH
VARTHOLOMEOS
[06] GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN ON STATE-CHURCH RELATIONS
[07] GREECE BECOMES PRESIDENT OF COUNCIL OF EUROPE TODAY
[08] EU COMMISSIONER REJECTS HOLBROOKE�S STATEMENT
[09] GREEK COMMITTEE OF AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL CELEBRATES
IN THESSALONIKI
[10] THESSALONIKI�S AIRPORT REPLACED BY KAVALA�S FOR A
WEEK
[11] CYPRIOT GOVERNMENT FAVORS DEMILITARIZATION OF ISLAND
[12] NEW CHAIRMAN APPOINTED ON GREEK BOURSE
[13] PREMIER: THE COURSE TO EMU IS CRYSTAL CLEAR
NEWS IN DETAIL
[01] GREEK PREMIER MEETS WITH PRESIDENT STEPHANOPOULOS
Athens, May 5 (MPA)
Prime Minister Kostas Simitis is to be received by the
President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos
today whom he will brief on the results of the Euro
Summit held over the weekend in Brussels.
Tomorrow, Mr. Simitis is to meet with the country�s
political leaders whom he will also brief on the Euro
Summit. On Thursday, the Premier will give a press
conference while the leader of the main opposition party
New Democracy�s Kostas Karamanlis will give a press
conference today.
[02] ECONOMY & FINANCE MINISTER ANNOUNCES CHANGES IN
LABOR
Athens, May 5 (MPA)
The Minister of National Economy and Finance Yiannos
Papantoniou announced that restructure measures are to
be drawn and changes will take place in the labor and
insurance sectors.
Moreover, Mr. Papantoniou ruled out the possibility of
another devaluation of the drachma, stated that the
unemployment rate in Greece will be reduced by the year
2001 and added that by the year 2002 automobile prices
will be lower thanks to the Euro.
However, the main opposition party New Democracy is
stating that the whole matter is a national failure.
[03] TENSION MOUNTS IN KOSSOVO
Prishtina, May 5 (MPA)
Tension is mounting in the strife-torn region of
Kossovo, between the Serbs and the Albanian-speaking
locals.
According to reports, Serb policemen stationed at the
Bonosevac village near the border with Albania have
seized 200 members of the Kossovo Liberating Army and
have opened fire. Unconfirmed reports mention dozens of
injured.
More than 150 people have died since a Serb police
crackdown two months ago against so-called Kossovo
Liberation army. In raids on Albanian villages and on
alleged smugglers, the authorities claim to have
confiscated more than five tons of weapons. Also
yesterday about 1,500 independence-minded Kossovo
Albanians held their 24th daily march in downtown
Pristhina. The independence movement has grown stronger,
and a western area of Kossovo is virtually controlled by
the clandestine and militant Liberation Army.
[04] GREEK PARLIAMENT COMMITTEES BRIEFED ON EMU
Athens, May 5 (MPA)
The deputy presidnet of the Hellenic Parliament and
President of the European Affairs Committee, Loukas
Apostolidis, yesterday chaired a meeting of the European
affairs special permanent committee and the economic
affairs permanent committee whose members he briefed on
the latest developments regarding Economic and Monetary
Union and a briefing on the next European affairs
committee conference
(COSAC).
The meeting was attended by National Economy and Finance
Minister Yiannos Papantoniou and Finance Undersecretary
Nikos Christodoulakis.
Mr. Apostolidis referred to the introduction of the euro
in Europe and recognition by its partners of Greece's
fast adjustment rate to targets set by the European
Council.
In turn, Mr. Papantoniou briefed the two committees on
developments in Brussels over the past three days as well
as on the government's policy over the next 18 months in
an effort to achieve the targets set, stressing that
dialogue and social
understanding will secure a smooth course towards 2001.
[05] Greek, Turkish women call for defense spending
cutbacks
[05] NEW ATLANTIC INITIATIVE VISITS ECUMENICAL PATRIARCH
VARTHOLOMEOS
Istanbul, May 5 (MPA)
A delegation of the New Atlantic Initiative, which
held its third annual congress in Istanbul over the
weekend, met with the Ecumenical Patriarch Vartholomeos.
In his address at the dinner he hosted in honor of the
delegates, the Ecumenical Patriarch stressed the
contribution of the countries of eastern Europe and
Russia to European integration.
The New Atlantic Initiative is a foundation contributing
to and promoting the conservative school of thought on
strategic issues on both sides of the Atlantic.
[06] GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN ON STATE-CHURCH RELATIONS
Athens, May 5 (MPA)
The government spokesperson Dimitris Reppas stated
yesterday that relations between the church and state are
defined by the Constitution and its laws, referring to
the statements made by new Archbishop of Athens and All
Greece Christodoulos.
Moreover, the spokesman said that the government and
political parties were exercising their policy by placing
national interests above all.
Archbishop Christodoulos noted during an informal dinner
in Volos on Sunday that "the role of Orthodoxy in today's
Europe is a leading one, and it is this role that the
Church is mainly called upon to play for a substantial
unity between European peoples".
Christodoulos further observed that the Orthodox Church
had the same role to play for the unity of the Greek
nation, and as a result any effort to separate Orthodoxy
from national life would be a blow to national unity and
cohesion.
In response to a letter signed by 52 ruling PASOK
deputies and one main opposition New Democracy deputy
recommending a change in the parliamentarians' oath from
swearing in the name of the "Holy and Indivisible Trinity
of One Essence" to swearing in the name of the Greek
people and the nation", Mr. Reppas said that
Constitutional revision is a parliamentary process,
adding that "this position (changing the oath) is not
among the government's proposals for revising the
Constitution."
[07] GREECE BECOMES PRESIDENT OF COUNCIL OF EUROPE TODAY
Athens, May 5 (MPA)
Greece takes over the presidency of the Council of
Europe today, succeeding Germany, in a special ceremony
to be held in Strasbourg this evening.
The Greek term will be highlighted by an emphasis on
human rights, namely upgrading the role of the European
Court of Human Rights, the protection of human rights,
cooperation between Council of Europe member-states on
refugee problems and the issue of illegal immigration,
according to the Alternate Foreign Minister George
Papandreou.
A number of events are to be held in Athens during
the CofE presidency, among them a summit of social
security ministers in Malta, an unofficial meeting of
sports ministers and a meeting of representatives of the
parliamentary assembly with the Committee of Permanent
Representatives in Santorini.
[08] EU COMMISSIONER REJECTS HOLBROOKE�S STATEMENT
Paris, May 5 (MPA)
The European Union�s Commissioner for external
affairs Hans van den Broek has rejected the accusations
made against the Union by the US presidential envoy for
Cyprus Richard Holbrooke, after an impasse following the
latter's mission to the island over the weekend.
In a press conference in Nicosia yesterday, Mr.
Holbrooke, said that the EU�s decision to open accession
talks with Cyprus but not with Turkey was one of the
reasons for his mission's impasse.
Mr. van den Broek said he disagreed with the US diplomat,
adding that the EU had adopted during the Luxembourg
summit last December "a strategy very clearly in favor of
Turkey's EU accession."
Underlining Cyprus' "legitimate application" for EU
accession, he said "we have worked very hard for years so
that the Turkish-Cypriot community takes part in the
accession talks."
[09] GREEK COMMITTEE OF AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL CELEBRATES
IN THESSALONIKI
Thessaloniki, May 5 (MPA)
The �campaign� of the Greek committee of Amnesty
International is to get underway today within the
framework of worldwide celebrations for the 50-year
anniversary since the adoption of the Ecumenical
Declaration for Human Rights.
The celebration will be held at Thessaloniki�s City Hall
and will also feature a brief address by the local
chairman of Amnesty International Kostis Papaioannou.
Moreover, the Hellenic Parliament will celebrate the
Council of Europe's (CoE) 50th year anniversary of its
founding this evening , which coincides with the
assumption of the CoE presidency by Athens.
Foreign Minister Theodoros Pangalos and party leaders
will address the event.
[10] THESSALONIKI�S AIRPORT REPLACED BY KAVALA�S FOR A
WEEK
Thessaloniki, May 5 (MPA)
Thessaloniki�s �Macedonia� airport is to be closed for
maintenance works for a week during which time it will be
replaced by the �Alexander the Great� airport in the
northern Greek city of Kavala.
Following a decision drawn by the Civil Aviation
Authority (CAA) and Olympic Airways, Kavala's airport
will handle about 50 flights daily between May 8 and 14.
The timetable allows 43 international flights from
European countries daily and 7-8 domestic and charter
flights carrying tourists from Europe.
The runway works at Thessaloniki's airport are part of a
month of projects to improve air access to the airport,
whereflights are often postponed due to fog.
Also, the airport's ILS I landing system will be upgraded
to ILS II, boosting visibility by 80 percent.
[11] CYPRIOT GOVERNMENT FAVORS DEMILITARIZATION OF ISLAND
Nicosia, May 5 (MPA)
The Cypriot government is in favor of demilitarizing the
island and setting up an international force which would
be directed by the United Nations Security Council.
Cypriot government spokesman Christos Stylianides stated
that a Russian proposal for demilitarization and
transforming the UN peace-keeping force into an
international force contains elements which Cypriot
President Glafcos Clerides outlined in his proposal for
the demilitarization of Cyprus.
President Clerides submitted his proposal to the UN
Secretary-General in December 1993 and suggested that the
National Guard and the Turkish-Cypriot armed forces be
disbanded in parallel with the withdrawal of Turkish
forces from Cyprus.
The proposal also calls for the delivery of armaments to
the UN peace-keeping force for custody and the
establishment of a fund where money saved from disbanding
the armed forces should be deposited for the benefit of
both communities.
"Our firm policy was and continues to be the
demilitarization of Cyprus and the presence of an
international force with terms of reference from the
Security Council," Mr. Stylianides said.
The Russian proposal, he added, is "an indication of the
interest of the Russian Federation, a permanent member of
the Security Council, and the big importance of the idea
for demilitarizing Cyprus.
[12] NEW CHAIRMAN APPOINTED ON GREEK BOURSE
Athens, May 5 (MPA)
The governor of Macedonia- Thrace Bank, Stavros
Kouniakis, will take over the post of chairman at the
Athens Stock Exchange in two weeks , succeeding Manolis
Xanthakis, who recently resigned.
Mr. Kouniakis, who also heads the Thessaloniki Stock
Exchange , intends to maintain his post there even though
procedures call for his resignation from the Thessaloniki
bourse.
He defended this move by citing the fact that Mr.
Xanthakis also headed both institutions during his term
as chairman.
Mr. Kouniakis praised his predecessor, stating that he
radically changed the Athens share market.
[13] PREMIER: THE COURSE TO EMU IS CRYSTAL CLEAR
Athens, May 5 (MPA)
Prime Minister Kostas Simitis was received by the
president of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos
today whom he briefed on the recent decisions adopted
during this weekend� European Union Summit over the Euro
and the European Monetary Union (EMU) .
Mr. Simitis stated that the framework of the course
towards the EMU is now crystal clear and this makes is
equally clear to Greece as to what measures the state
needs to take and what the timetables are.
Tomorrow, Mr. Simitis is to brief the country�s
political leaders and on Thursday will hold a press
conference where he will outline the state�s policy that
will ensure Greece�s accession to the EMU in the year
2001.
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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