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Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English, 99-03-26Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next ArticleFrom: The Macedonian Press Agency at http://www.mpa.gr and http://www.hri.org/MPA.BRIEF GREEK NEWS BULLETIN BY THE MACEDONIAN PRESS AGENCYThessaloniki, March 26, 1999TITLES
NEWS IN DETAIL[01] "WE GOT THE MONEY"; GRD 9 TRILLION FOR GREECE FROM THIRD CSFBerlin, March 26 (MPA)In what has been hailed as a "significant success", Greece has secured nine trillion drachmas (approximately 30 billion dollars) from the European Union's third Community Support Framework, earmarked for the time period of 2000-2006.Prime Minister Kostas Simitis stated that "in ancient Greece they used to say that we need the money. We got the money." He added that this amount (which surpasses the second CSF by two trillion drachmas) will serve as an important lever for the country's course to cohesion since it will allow Greece to rise to the 80% mark of the EU's median national income. The Minister of National Economy and Finance Yiannos Papantoniou expressed the government's satisfaction, pointing out that Greece is the only country that managed to secure a funds increase. "This constitutes a national success," he stated. Mr. Simitis stated that the marathon talks held at the Berlin Summit were especially arduous. The Summit dealt with the EU's fiscal prospects and the Agenda 2000, namely the issue of Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) expenditures, expenditures for the EU's structural policies, as well as the issue of restructuring the EU budget's own resources. As far as Greece is concerned, Mr. Simitis stated, the country achieved a marginal increase in CAP- allocated funds and significant increases from the Structural Funds. Specifically, Greece will be allocated 24.9 billion euros during the 2000-2006 period, a notable increase from the 21.9 billion euros allocated to the country between 1993-1999 and 19.3 from the second CFS. The overall amount distributed by the Structural Funds and the Cohesion Funds was augmented by five percent, while Greece's share was increased by 13%. During the next seven years, the overall funds will amount to 5-6% of the Gross National Product, a positive development as, presently, every country sends a proportion of its VAT revenue to Brussels, whereas, with the reform, most of the budget contributions will be calculated as a proportion of the GNP. A.F. [02] GREEK ALTERNATE FM TO MEET WITH US AMBASSADOR TODAYAthens, March 26 (MPA)Greece's alternate Foreign Minister Yiannos Kranidiotis is to meet today with the United States Ambassador in Athens Nicholas Burns, with whom he will discuss the US President Bill Clinton's repeated verbal speculations of a potential Greek-Turkish war.Foreign Minister Yiannos Papandreou has already relayed the government's displeasure over the matter to his US counterpart Madeleine Albright during a telephone conversation. Moreover, Mr. Kranidiotis will have a series of contacts with the European Union's ambassadors in Athens whom he will brief on the initiatives undertaken by Greece in holding an international conference on the Kosovo crisis. A.F. [03] GREECE SECURES SIZEABLE FUNDS AT BERLIN SUMMITBerlin, March 26 (MPA)Greece's Prime Minister Kostas Simitis stated that the monies secured by Greece from the European Commission's restructural funds is a great national success.According to the agreement reached this morning by the EU's "15", Greece has secured the overall amount of nine trillion drachmas. Following the Summit, Mr. Simitis stressed that the Community's Third Support Framework "package" will enable Greece to accelerate its development rate, to the level of its European allies by the year 20006. Moreover, he stated that the per capita income will rise to 4/5 of the other European countries' median rate. A.F. [04] BELGRADE READY TO SIGN RAMBOUILLET AGREEMENT, UNDER TERMSBelgrade, March 26 (MPA)Belgrade is ready to sign the Rambouillet agreement, but only if the Contact Group retracts the articles which grant Kosovo the status of a Third Republic or an independent state, according to the Yugoslav government's vice-president Vuk Drascovic.Meanwhile, Yugoslavia was raided by NATO forces last night and -perhaps- this has led some countries to differentiate their policy from that adopted by Washington and NATO. As US Secretary of Defense William Cohen announced a new round of air strikes, Italy's Premier Masimo D'Alema said that the time for taking diplomatic initiatives is near. According to news reports from Yugoslavia, military barracks, airports and air defense centers were bombarded last night on the outskirts of Belgrade, in Prishtina and Montenegro. A.F. [05] DEADLINE FOR IONIAN BANK BINDING BIDS IS TODAYAthens, March 26 (MPA)The deadline for binding bids in a tender for the sale of a 51 percent stake in Ionian Bank expires this evening, with the bids due for delivery at JP Morgan's offices in London.The Bank of Piraeus, Credit Bank and Eurobank, in collaboration with the Labor Bank, submitted non-binding offers earlier this year, and they are the only eligible bidders in the tender's final phase. The Board of Directors of the Commercial Bank of Greece, Ionian's main shareholder, is to convene on Monday in order to review the bids to be submitted this evening. A.F. [06] RUSSIA DEMANDS IMMEDIATE END TO NATO AIR STRIKESMoscow, March 26 (MPA)In the wake of NATO airstrikes against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, the Russian Federation yesterday introduced a draft resolution in the United Nations Security Council demanding an immediate end to the use of force.The draft text released at UN headquarters calls the NATO action a "unilateral use of force" in "flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter". Russian Ambassador Sergei Lavrov told reporters that he hoped the Council would discuss the draft text today after other delegations had received instructions from their capitals. Reacting to Russia's moves, US representative Peter Burleigh told the press that his Government would oppose the resolution, which if adopted, would only prolong the crisis in Kosovo. For his part, Ambassador Jeremy Greenstock of the United Kingdom said introduction of the draft resolution was not a constructive move. A.F. [07] GREEK FM: GREECE IS A BRIDGE TO KOSOVO AND YUGOSLAVIABerlin, March 26 (MPA)Greece's Foreign Minister George Papandreou has stressed that the country has tried, within the boundaries of its abilities and capabilities as a power of stability and peace in the region, to undertake initiatives that would secure a political solution to the Kosovo issue, adding that "although this has not been achieved, it does not mean we will remain idle."Further elaborating on his statement made to the Cable New Network, where he said that Greece is a bridge to Kosovo and Yugoslavia, Mr. Papandreou referred to his recent visit in Bucharest where five Balkan countries agreed to form a task force for humanitarian cooperation. "If you wish, this also serves as a response to the various scenaria that wider conflict will erupt in the region,. Mr. Papandreou stated. He further added that Greece intends to press on with its diplomatic efforts to resolve the Kosovo crisis through political means, pointing out that he plans to meet with his counterparts from FYROM and Turkey and the Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs from Romania. A.F. [08] US PRESIDENT RECEIVES GREEK DELEGATION IN WHITE HOUSEWashington, March 26 (MPA)A delegation of leading members of the Greek-American community were received by United States President Bill Clinton in the White House yesterday, during the annual ceremony for the signing of the declaration on Greek Independence Day by the US leader.Archbishop of America Spyridon and Greece's Deputy Foreign Minister on Greeks Abroad Issues Grigoris Niotis, led the delegation which included Greece's Ambassador in Washington Alexandros Philon, the President of the World Council of Hellenes Abroad (SAE) Andrew A. Athens, Greek- American Congressman Paul Sarbanis and the President of the National Coordinating Committee Andy Manatos. According to Mr. Niotis, developments in Kosovo were discussed during the courtesy meeting, while President Clinton expressed his personal interest in the Greek minority in southern Albania as well as on the prevention of the war from spreading. Mr. Niotis said that there is no reason for Greece and Turkey to get involved in the Kosovo crisis, which in past days has been raised as one of the main reasons leading NATO to go ahead with bombings against Yugoslavia. Due to his burdened schedule, in light of NATO's bombings over Yugoslavia, the Greek delegation was the only group received by President Clinton yesterday. A.F. [09] US PRESIDENT'S DECLARATION ON GREEK INDEPENDENCE DAYWashington, March 26 (MPA)United States President Bill Clinton issued his annual declaration, commemorating the Greek Independence Day yesterday, which read as follows:"America has deep roots in Greece, and today we celebrate the friendship values and aspirations our two countries have shared for more than 2 centuries. Greek thought and the passion for truth and justice deeply influenced many of our Nation's earliest and greatest leaders. The documents our founders wrote to establish our democracy and the political and legal institutions they created to preserve our independence and protect our rights reveal that influence. "The bonds of family have further reinforced our ties of friendship and shared ideals. All across our Nation, Americans of Greek descent have brought their energy, grace, and determination to every field of endeavor, and they have added immeasurably to the richness and diversity of our national life. The sons and daughters of Greece have flourished in America, and with their help, America too has flourished," it added. "Today, as we celebrate the 178th anniversary of the onset of modern Greece's struggle for independence, let us celebrate as well the great partnership between our nations and the precious heritage of freedom and democracy we share," the declaration said. A.F. [10] GREEK DIPLOMAT TO REPRESENT BELGRADE IN GERMANYBerlin, March 26 (MPA)Greece's Ambassador in Germany Kostas Ailianos will henceforth represent the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in Germany, following Belgrade's decision to break diplomatic ties with those NATO member-countries which participated (directly or indirectly) in the raids against Yugoslavia.Similar duties are to assigned to Greek diplomats in other countries, such as United Kingdom, France and Italy. A.F. [11] F.R.Y. BREAKS OFF DIPLOMATIC TIES WITH US, FRANCE, UK, GERMANYBelgrade, March 26 (MPA)Belgrade has announced the breaking of diplomatic ties with the United States, United Kingdom, France and Germany.According to the Yugoslav news agency Tanjug, the F.R.Y. Information Ministry has declared that: "The Yugoslav Government has decided to break off diplomatic relations with the governments (of these countries) due to the crime they have perpetrated against the people of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. "The government of Germany has with this aggression re- opened unhealed wounds from World War II. "The Federal Government has decided to reconsider its diplomatic and other relations with the rest of countries which have directly or indirectly taken part in the armed aggression on Yugoslavia. "The Federal Government expresses its appreciation to the governments and peoples of all friendly countries which have been demonstrating friendship, support and solidarity with Yugoslavia, its government and its people in the defense of its vital interests from the NATO aggression." A.F. [12] CLOCKS TO BE SET AN HOUR AHEAD ON SUNDAY, MARCH 28Thessaloniki, March 26 (MPA)All European Union member-states will set their clocks one hour ahead tomorrow, a mandatory adjustment enforced by the EU.Specifically, the clocks will be set one hour ahead on Sunday, March 28, at 3 a.m. The daylight savings time will be into effect until October 31. A.F. [13] GREEK PRESIDENT TO RECEIVE MINISTER OF DEFENSE TODAYAthens, March 26 (MPA)The President of the Hellenic Republic Kostis Stephanopoulos is to receive the Minster of National Defense Akis Tsochatzopoulos today.In turn, Mr. Tsochatzopoulos will have successive meetings with the Russian and Yugoslav Ambassadors in Athens, as well as with representatives from the youth charters of the country's political parties. A.F. [14] PROTEST RALIES TO BE HELD IN ATHENS, THESSALONIKI THIS EVENINGThessaloniki, March 26 (MPA)In protest to NATO's raids against Serbia, Greece's minor opposition parties are organizing a rally in Athens this evening where the participants will march to the United States Embassy, while in Thessaloniki the gathering will be held in the town's center.The parties undertaking the initiatives for the marches are the Communist Party of Greece and the Coalition of ht Left and Progress, both of which will hold separate walks to the embassy. A.F. Macedonian Press Agency: Brief News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article |
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