Macedonian Press Agency: News in English, 01-01-20

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

CONTENTS

[01] PAPAZOI MET WITH HER BELGIAN COUNTERPART

[02] THE MACEDONIA-THRACE MINISTER MET WITH THE ALBANIAN HEALTH MINISTER

[03] CHARALAMPOS TSAROUCHAS IS THE NEW BSTDB SECRETARY GENERAL

[04] BEGLITIS: NO ALARMING RADIATION LEVELS IN ANY OF THE FOCUS REPORTS

[05] ITALIAN PROSECUTORS QUESTION PRUTENTINO

[06] PRESIDENT STEPHANOPOULOS WILL VISIT ITALY

[01] PAPAZOI MET WITH HER BELGIAN COUNTERPART

Greek deputy foreign minister Elisavet Papazoi met today with her Belgian counterpart Annemie Neyts-Uyttebroeck in view of Belgium's EU rotating presidency in the second half of 2001.

In the meeting they discussed Cyprus' EU accession course and the progress achieved in the negotiations on the issue, the developments in the western Balkan region and the course of the talks after the Nice Treaty.

Ms. Papazoi reiterated the Greek proposal for EU action aimed at the protection of the environment and public health in the Balkans, while Ms. Neyts-Uyttebroeck underlined the importance of the Helsinki Conclusions concerning Cyprus' EU accession course.

[02] THE MACEDONIA-THRACE MINISTER MET WITH THE ALBANIAN HEALTH MINISTER

The cooperation between Greece and Albania in the sector of health was discussed yesterday in the meeting of minister of Macedonia-Thrace Giorgos Paschalidis with Albanian health minister Leonard Solis, who is on visit to Thessaloniki. The meeting was held in the ministry building in the presence of Inter-Balkan Medical Center president Giorgos Apostolopoulos.

Mr. Paschalidis stressed that the International Economic Relations office that will be established in the ministry of Macedonia-Thrace will follow many reconstruction programs that will include health sub-programs concerning all the Balkan countries. He stressed that the Greek reconstruction plan that will be observed by the ministry of Macedonia-Thrace provides the sum of 17.5 billion drachmas for Albania and reiterated that this plan is based on the economic development, the consolidation of democracy, the regional cooperation, the inviolability of the borders and the gradual incorporation of the Balkan states into the European Union.

From his side, the Albanian health minister stressed that his country is developing rapidly, adding that businessmen and investors are welcome to contribute to its effort.

[03] CHARALAMPOS TSAROUCHAS IS THE NEW BSTDB SECRETARY GENERAL

Mr. Charalampos Tsarouchas is the new secretary general of the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank (BSTDB) since January 15.

Mr. Tsarouchas replaced Nikolaos Zachariadis, current deputy governor of the Greek Bank of Agriculture and his appointment to the post was made after a proposal by the Greek government.

He will be in charge of the Bank's administrative matters, external relations and communication with the Board of Governors and the Greek government, while he will also be responsible for issues concerning human resources, information technologies and publications.

[04] BEGLITIS: NO ALARMING RADIATION LEVELS IN ANY OF THE FOCUS REPORTS

The depleted uranium issue should be faced with sensitivity and a sense of responsibility by everybody including the responsible scientists, pointed out Greek foreign ministry spokesman Panos Beglitis commenting on the statements and the press reports on the Focus team reports.

Mr. Beglitis, citing parts of the team's report on Kosovo, stated that in the first report issued in June 1999 it is mentioned that in the region of Vranje, where a uranium investigation took place, had been established that depleted uranium shells had been found in the transmission station area but there was no analysis of the data collected.

Regarding the second report (July-August 1999), he denied a statement made by professor Rapsomanikis that some of its pages were lost, stressing that the specific professor did not participate in the scientific investigation. Mr. Beglitis also mentioned that in the report on the Vranje region it is maintained that the radiation counts have been completed without detecting any problems, while samples have also been taken from the villages of Borovac and Relian.

The Greek foreign ministry spokesman concluded that in the relevant counts that were conducted the recorded depleted uranium levels are normal.

[05] ITALIAN PROSECUTORS QUESTION PRUTENTINO

Two Italian prosecutors will question today an Italian Mafia man, 52yearold Francesco Prutentino, who was arrested in Thessaloniki accused of forgery and was sentenced to 19 months in jail by a Thessaloniki court. He is currently held at the Diavata Prison outside Thessaloniki.

The two Italian justice officials came to Greece to interrogate the Italian leading Mafia man concerning a bribery case involving him and an Italian court official.

Prutentino was arrested about a month ago in a super-market store in Thessaloniki and is regarded as a leading member of the Mafia organization "Sakra-Korona-Unita" active mainly in southern Italy.

[06] PRESIDENT STEPHANOPOULOS WILL VISIT ITALY

Greek president Kostis Stephanopoulos will be on a formal visit to Italy next week. He will meet with the country's state and political leadership, as well as with the Pope.

The Greek president will also visit the Greek-speaking villages in Italy.

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