Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 00-04-25

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

CONTENTS

[01] PASOK RECEIVES VOTE OF CONFIDENCE IN PARLIAMENT

[02] B of G ANNUAL REPORT URGES TIGHTER FISCAL POLICY

[03] CULTURE MINISTER ALLAYS FEARS OVER 2004 OLYMPICS

[04] REPPAS ON THE CEM AND KIVRIKOGLU STATEMENTS

[05] REPPAS: THE GREEK GOVERNMENT IS NOT INVOLVED IN YUGOSLAVIA'S INTERNAL

[06] CHERNOBYL: REACTOR No3 IS LIKELY TO BE SHUT DOWN THIS YEAR

[07] RUSSIAN BALLET STARS IN THESSALONIKI

[08] PANGALOS ON THE 2004 OLYMPIC GAMES

[09] POST-GRADUATE STUDIES IN GREECE FOR FYROM STUDENTS

[10] BIG LOSSES AT THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

[11] CORFU PACIFISTS PROTEST AGAINST US �EISENHOWER�

[12] GEOTECHNICAL CHAMBER HOLDS BALKAN CONFERENCE

[13] CYPRIOT FM MEETS WITH PAPANDREOU TOMORROW

[14] NEW OUTPOST AT THE GREEK-ALBANIAN BORDERS

[15] SOFIA: THE BARBED WIRE AT THE BORDERS IS BEING REMOVED

[16] FYROM RAISES AGAIN A MINORITY ISSUE IN GREECE

[17] GREEK AMBASSADOR OPTIMISTIC ON G/T RELATIONS

[18] GREEK-CYPRIOT BOY HAS BONE MARROW TRANSPLANT

[01] PASOK RECEIVES VOTE OF CONFIDENCE IN PARLIAMENT

The ruling PASOK party received a vote of confidence late last night, during a roll call vote in the 300-member Parliament, with 157 for and 141 against, as two deputies of the House were absent.

Concluding a two-day debate over PASOK's policy statement for its new four-year term, Prime Minister and ruling party leader Costas Simitis stressed that his aim will be to establish a progressive governance of the country, with specific goals toward reliable, effective and transparent actions.

He added that this governance will be socially sensitive, "a governance of freedom and solidarity, a governance of participation, a governance along with the civil society."

Mr. Simitis accused the main opposition party, New Democracy, of reiterating its neo-liberal beliefs, according to which the market is the regulator of social developments, even in sectors such as health and education.

Furthermore, the Premier accused New Democracy of being more interested in gaining votes and cultivating confrontation, continual negativity and conscious overstatements."

A.F.

[02] B of G ANNUAL REPORT URGES TIGHTER FISCAL POLICY

The governor of the Bank of Greece Lukas Papadimos asks for a tighter fiscal policy, in the financial institution's annual report which was unveiled today.

Specifically, Mr. Papademos calls for the acceleration of infrastructure changes in the economy, as well as the economic policy's re-orientation with the aim to obtain stabilization of price. Furthermore, the governor calls for the speeding up of the privatization process, reforms in the insurance sector and flexibility in the job market.

A.F.

[03] CULTURE MINISTER ALLAYS FEARS OVER 2004 OLYMPICS

While acknowledging that the organization of the Olympic Games has never before been undertaken by a country as small as Greece, in terms of its economic and population sizes, Culture Minister Theodoros Pangalos assured the Parliament yesterday that the 2004 feat will be an immensely successful one.

During his parliamentary address last night, Mr. Pangalos cogently outlined the benefits and gains to be derived from the Games, such as the creation of 150,000 jobs, the 1.5% contribution to the state's annual growth rate, the infrastructural boost, and, last but not least, the dissemination of the Olympic spirit to the country's youth.

Referring to the castigating report by the chairman of the International Olympic Committee Juan Antonio Samaranch, who last week stated that the Athens 2004 summer games would be in danger unless the Greek organizers made drastic changes by the end of the year, Mr. Pangalos announced that an informal cross-party committee will be set up to monitor the course of the works for the 2004 Olympic Games and underlined that Athens will strictly observe the timetable for the Games.

A.F.

[04] REPPAS ON THE CEM AND KIVRIKOGLU STATEMENTS

There is only one issue in the Aegean and that is the continental shelf, stated Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas, when asked to comment on the statements made by Turkish foreign minister Ismail Cem and Turkish armed forces chief Hussein Kivrikoglu.

The Greek government spokesman stated that Turkey has undertaken commitments with the Helsinki decision and added that the issues between countries must be handled through peaceful procedures without the use of violence or the threat for the use of violence. He also stated that if Turkey believes that there are problems it can appeal to the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

[05] REPPAS: THE GREEK GOVERNMENT IS NOT INVOLVED IN YUGOSLAVIA'S INTERNAL AFFAIRS

The Greek government is not involved in the internal affairs of Yugoslavia, stated Greek government spokesman Dimitris Reppas, commenting on the demarche made by the Yugoslav foreign ministry to the Greek ambassador to Belgrade concerning the meeting of opposition Yugoslav officials in Athens. Mr. Reppas stressed that Greece had no involvement whatsoever in the organizing of the meeting.

Regarding the statements made by Kosovo bishop Artemios, Mr. Reppas stated that the Church of Kosovo plays a significant role because it makes an effort to keep the Serb population in the province. He reiterated that Greece's relations with every side in Yugoslavia are honest cooperation relations aimed at reaching a solution toward the democratic developments in Yugoslavia.

[06] CHERNOBYL: REACTOR No3 IS LIKELY TO BE SHUT DOWN THIS YEAR

Fourteen years after the nuclear accident in Chernobyl tomorrow and the radiation pollution risk still exists as the protective sarcophagus covering the radiation elements gradually becomes weaker.

Nuclear physics professor in Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Kostas Papastephanou stated to MPA that the construction of a new cover had been suggested since 1996, adding that its cost was estimated to be at US$400 million and if the project materialize it will offer security for the next 50 years.

The construction cost of the protective shell is extremely high for the Ukraine and expects funding from the EU and the G-7.

Mr. Papastephanou stressed that the International Atomic Energy Committee and the European Nuclear Scientists Association hope that reactor No3 will be shut down this year. Reactors No 1 and No2 have already been dismantled, while reactor No4, where the accident took place in 1986, is out of operation.

[07] RUSSIAN BALLET STARS IN THESSALONIKI

Fifteen Russian ballet stars from the world famous Bolsoi, Kirov and Stanislavski ballet theaters will be in Thessaloniki for two performances on May 20 and 21.

The prize winning soloists of the world famous Russian ballets will present some of the most beautiful works of the classical repertoire performing parts from "Zizel", "Carnival in Venice", "Esmeralda", "The Swan Lake", "The Sleeping Beauty", "The Russian woman", "Romeo and Juliette", "Night dances", "Carmen", "Duet" and "Korsar".

[08] PANGALOS ON THE 2004 OLYMPIC GAMES

Greek culture minister Theodoros Pangalos in a press conference he gave in Athens today expressed the belief that International Olympic Committee, IOC, president Juan Antonio Samaranch had to ring a warning bell on the 2004 Olympic Games in order for the preparation work to become more intense.

Mr. Pangalos stated that in the beginning there was a period of excitement but now the pace must become more intense in order for Greece to be ready in 2004. He also explained that the next government step is the establishment of a new ministerial committee, stressing that the establishment of an Olympic Games ministry is not necessary.

Mr. Pangalos also stated that in the next few days he will go to Brussels and will have the opportunity to meet with the IOC vice-president to discuss the way the 2004 Olympic Games will be organized.

[09] POST-GRADUATE STUDIES IN GREECE FOR FYROM STUDENTS

The University of Athens offers 5 positions for post-graduate studies and 3 positions for visiting professors from FYROM within the framework of the cooperation agreement among the universities of the south-eastern European countries.

According to the newspaper "Dnevnik", the candidate post-graduate students from Cyrill and Methodius University in Skopje will be tested in history, sociology and culture on May 29.

[10] BIG LOSSES AT THE ATHENS STOCK EXCHANGE

The Athens Stock Exchange had losses of 3.17% today and closed at 4.224,45 points, while the volume of transactions was 97 billion drachmas.

According to stock market circles, the positive speculation expressed in the Athens Stock Exchange concerning the measures that were announced by the Capital Market Committee, proved to be not enough to create a positive movement of the stock prices.

[11] CORFU PACIFISTS PROTEST AGAINST US �EISENHOWER�

A group of protesters, members of the Peace Committee which is affiliated with the Communist Party of Greece, attempted to break through the police barricade at the port of Corfu last night demanding the departure of the USS warship "Eisenhower" off of the island's coast.

Shouting slogans against the United States and NATO, the protesters closed in on the strong police force, although no one was injured or arrested.

A.F.

[12] GEOTECHNICAL CHAMBER HOLDS BALKAN CONFERENCE

The Geotechnical Chamber of Greece section in eastern Macedonia is organizing a Balkan conference in Kavala tomorrow.

The conference will be attended by representatives from Albania, Bulgaria, FYROM, Romania, Turkey and countries of the European Union.

A.F.

[13] CYPRIOT FM MEETS WITH PAPANDREOU TOMORROW

Cypriot foreign minister Yannakis Kasoulidis is expected in Athens tomorrow for talks with his Greek counterpart George Papandreou.

Cypriot government spokesman Michalis Papapetrou said that the forthcoming meeting in the United States between the Foreign Ministers of Greece and Turkey, George Papandreou and Ismail Cem respectively, is important, noting that the Greek-Cypriot side hopes Ankara will be convinced to change its intransigent position and persuade the Turkish Cypriot side to enter substantive talks.

In his statements, the Cypriot minister underlined that Cyprus would never accept Turkey's stands about the recognition of two states, or an acceptance of two state entities and a confederation.

Meanwhile, Cypriot President Glafcos Clerides will meet with Greek Prime Minister Costas Simitis in Athens on May 19, in view of the third round of proximity talks on Cyprus, scheduled to open in New York on May 23.

A.F.

[14] NEW OUTPOST AT THE GREEK-ALBANIAN BORDERS

The border outpost of Kosovica at the Greek-Albanian borders is expected to reopen next month.

The outpost of Kosovica is regarded as one of the most important points at the Greek-Albanian borders, stated to the Albanian newspaper "Koha Yone" a high ranking officer of the Albanian army.

The Albanian army officer stated that the basic goal is to avert the illegal immigrants from Albania to enter Greece and intensify the border checks aimed at limiting the illegal trafficking of arms and drugs.

[15] SOFIA: THE BARBED WIRE AT THE BORDERS IS BEING REMOVED

Bulgaria began removing the barbed wire, while it has disconnected the protection electronic systems along the borders with Greece in the region of the village of Godesevo at the Gotse Deltsev community.

By the end of 1999, Bulgaria had removed a total of 3.500 meters of barbed wire at its borders with FYROM, while the procedure continues at the regions of Petric and Gotse Deltsev at the borders with Greece and is expected to be completed by the end of 2001.

The border checks will be reinforced through the use of technical means by the border police.

[16] FYROM RAISES AGAIN A MINORITY ISSUE IN GREECE

The issue of the so-called "macedonian" minority in Greece was raised by FYROM immigration minister Martin Trenevski in the meeting he had in Skopje with Euro-deputy and Germany's Pan-European Association president Berd Poselt.

According to the mass media in Skopje, Trenevski briefed the German Euro-deputy on the alleged "flight" from Greece of the so-called "macedonians" during the civil war in the country, pointing out that in the last 50 years the Greek legislation bars them from returning to their homes or even visit them.

The FYROM immigration minister briefed the German Euro-deputy on the special government report concerning the state of the so-called "macedonian" minority in the neighboring countries, while OSCE commissioner responsible for ethnic minorities' issues Max Van Der Stool has already been informed.

[17] GREEK AMBASSADOR OPTIMISTIC ON G/T RELATIONS

Greece's Ambassador to Ankara Ioannis Corantis is certain that Greece and Turkey can achieve everything together.

Addressing a conference titled "Turkish-Greek Friendship", Mr. Corantis stated that "we should know where we are on Cyprus and Turkey's entrance to the European Union without thinking of the past."

As the Turkish news agency Anadolu reported, he added that the two neighbors enjoyed peaceful years recently and noted that everybody understood in the end that it was possible to realize beauties and positive things.

The Ambassador said Greece's positive response to Turkey's EU candidacy proved the mutual confidence between the two countries.

A.F.

[18] GREEK-CYPRIOT BOY HAS BONE MARROW TRANSPLANT

Six-year-old Andreas Vassiliou, a Cypriot leukemia sufferer yesterday underwent a bone marrow transplant in Houston, Texas.

The youngster travelled to the United States at the start of the month to undergo preparatory treatment for the operation. A fully compatible bone marrow donor was not found despite a large-scale search. Doctors said he has a 50 percent chance of recovering.

His parents' emotional appeal for a bone marrow donor prompted 50,000 people in Cyprus and Greece to give blood samples for compatibility testing and appear to have brought Greek-Cypriots and Turkish-Cypriots closer on the divided island.

A.F.

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