Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 00-05-28

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

CONTENTS

[01] COSMOTE, TELENOR BUY 85% STAKE OF ALBANIAS AMC

[02] PM TO ATTEND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE IN BERLIN

[03] NORTHERN GREEK INDUSTRIES CLOSE DEALS WITH ASIA

[04] CULTURE MINISTER TOURS THESSALONIKI

[05] GREEK AND TURKISH JOURNALISTS MEET IN RHODES

[06] NEW FIREFIGHTING AIRCRAFT AT MACEDONIA AIRPORT

[07] HELLENIC PETROLEUM EXPANDS TO ROMANIA, ALBANIA

[08] POLL FINDS MAJORITY WANTS RELIGION ON ID CARDS

[01] COSMOTE, TELENOR BUY 85% STAKE OF ALBANIAS AMC

An 85-percent stake of Albania's Mobile Communications (AMC) has been purchased by Greece's COSMOTE and Norway's TELENOR for 85 million US dollars following an international competition.

Announcing the sale after a cabinet meeting, Albania's Prime Minister Ilir Meta stated that the deal constituted a success for his government which is dedicated to transparency in the privatization processes.

COSMOTE, a subsidiary of Greece's Telecommunications Organization (OTE) and TELENOR posted a bid of $85.6 million, edging by far offers made by PANAFON and TURKCELL which amounted to $40 and $39 million respectively.

According to a COSMOTE official, the Greek company hopes to expand its activities throughout the neighboring country, in a joint venture with TELENOR.

AMC net profits marked a 123% increase last year, surpassing the seven-million-dollar mark.

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[02] PM TO ATTEND INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE IN BERLIN

Prime Minister Costas Simitis will attend an international conference on Progressive Governing in the 21st Century, which will take place in Berlin on June 2 and 3.

According to the Athens Sunday paper To Vima tis Kyriakis, United States President Bill Clinton, European center-left leaders and representatives of Latin American countries will also take part in the conference.

In an article he penned for the same paper, Mr. Simitis stated that Greece will be participating in a project of political thought and coordination on an equal basis.

"This is the first time in our modern history that Greece has an active role in activities that can constitute the start of a change in the political character not of our region or Europe, but the world over," he wrote, adding that the new era does have opportunities and risks, but most importantly, is an era of great challenges.

A.F.

[03] NORTHERN GREEK INDUSTRIES CLOSE DEALS WITH ASIA

Eight industries from Northern Greece are to forge a Greek-Asian alliance in the tourism sector, to be headquartered in Thessaloniki, following deals closed within the framework of the Asia Forum 2000.

Concurrently, according to the Forum's chairman Marios Nikolinakos, tourism officials from China, Romania, Malta, Egypt and Indonesia have agreed to proceed to the establishment of a Eurasian center of tourism-related joint ventures, to be based in Thessaloniki.

A.F.

[04] CULTURE MINISTER TOURS THESSALONIKI

In his first visit to Thessaloniki since his appointment to the Culture Ministry, Theodoros Pangalos sent a clear message to the local officials that they expedite all pending matters related to the now-extinct Cultural Capital Organization of Thessaloniki.

Moreover, the Minister announced that another organization will be found to supervise the cultural infrastructures at the city's port, as well as the funding of projects at the Byzantine Museum.

A.F.

[05] GREEK AND TURKISH JOURNALISTS MEET IN RHODES

Greek and Turkish journalists convened at the island of Rhodes between May 26-28, where they discussed issues pertaining to mass media, local societies, local administration, tourism and other areas that boost ties between the two neighboring peoples.

Among the proposals tabled during the meeting is the creation of consulate offices (Greece's in Marmarida and Turkey's in Bodrum), as well as the facilitation of one-day visas for Greece, within the framework of Schengen Accord regulations.

The second proposal, submitted by the President of the Rhodes Hoteliers Association Vasilis Minaidis was widely supported by the journalists.

A.F.

[06] NEW FIREFIGHTING AIRCRAFT AT MACEDONIA AIRPORT

Two Canadair firefighting aircraft are to be stationed at Thessaloniki's Macedonia Airport as of June 1.

Later the same month they will be joined by a third Canadair and an M-26 helicopter capable of carrying two fire engines and 85 firefighters, according to the head of the Central Macedonian fire brigade Anastasios Mourvakis.

A.F.

[07] HELLENIC PETROLEUM EXPANDS TO ROMANIA, ALBANIA

Hellenic Petroleum, the state-controlled refinery and oil products producer, is expanding its operations into Romania and Albania, following last year's purchase of the largest refinery in FYROM.

Following Hellenic Petroleum's agreement with Austria's OMV company for the joint exploitation of oil in Iran, the Greek company has announced that it was buying 49 percent of OMV's rights to prospect in possible oil fields in neighboring Albania.

Hellenic Petroleum is also trying to buy 35 percent of Romanian petroleum company PETROM. At the same time, Hellenic Petroleum is close to buying out an oil company in Greece that controls three percent of the local market.

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[08] POLL FINDS MAJORITY WANTS RELIGION ON ID CARDS

According to an opinion poll commissioned by the Sunday edition of the "Eleftherotypia" newspaper, 56.8 percent of respondents believe one's religious affiliation should appear on state identification, while 37.8 percent disagree.

Concurrently, 46.1 percent of those polled support the Prime Minister Costas Simitis' decision to have the religion category removed from IDs in order to protect the privacy of personal data, according to the survey conducted by Metron Analysis.

A.F.

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